A/N: "Alcohol is the cause and solution to many of life's problems." - Dan Castellaneta 

1 more chapter to go! 

i debated just waiting to post one long chapter but considering how long it took me to churn just this out, i figured it'd be better to split them in half. 

anyway. 

enjoy! kudos, comments, etc are always appreciated.

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There ain’t no party like a theatre party.

Momo had only just arrived, fashionably late, and yet she already spied at least two people passed out on the couch while one was leading another to the bathroom, the latter looking very green around the gills. “Oh, freshmen.”

She shook her head in good humor. Momo had long learned her lesson at the Halloween party last year. Go figure that drinking Fireball, jaegerbombs, and a ton of beer would end up with her puking in the kitchen sink before blacking out and subsequently having to be hauled home by Jackson, losing her keys in the process. Jeongyeon and Dahyun still give her about it. Jerks

Momo made her way into the kitchen and set her own drinks in the fridge; she had learned that all it took were a couple bottles of soju and a couple shooters of Jack Daniels to get her pleasantly drunk and not feel like death the next day. Spinning the cap open on one of her bottles, she turned back around and leaned against the counter. The house was a decent size but there were so many people that it might as well have looked like a doll house. Even in the kitchen, there had to be at least fifteen people, some Momo knew, some she didn’t. She took a few moments to observe the crowd, taking a long pull of her drink and it wasn’t long before Jihyo sidled up to her. “Did you just get here?”

Momo nodded, still scanning the crowd of people. Focused, she failed to see the smirk that crept up the latter’s face who knew exactly what she was doing. She casually took a sip of her own drink and then, as if talking about the weather, said, “Mina is downstairs.” causing Momo’s head to snap back at her.

Jihyo just looked back at her. “You’ve got to stop being so obvious. I can’t believe she doesn’t know already.” That statement earned her an elbow in the side.

“Watch it.”

“I’m not wrong though.” Jihyo took another sip of her drink and eyed her. “You going or not?”

Momo shook her head. “Not yet. I just got here and I definitely need to be more drunk before that happens. Plus it just seems clingy as to find her the minute I get here.”

“Because you don’t do that already?”

She scowls at Jihyo who just smiles innocently at her. It was times like this that she regretted choosing Jihyo to confide in because the girl had done nothing but relentlessly. She could deal most of the time but even Momo has her limits. In an attempt to appease the shorter girl, she downs the rest of her drink and tosses it into the trashcan before turning back to Jihyo who proceeds to pull out another of Momo’s cans and one of her shooters and shoves it in her hands. “Go find your girl already.”

“I seriously need to let the alcohol kick in more before I go do that. Let’s hang for a bit. Or do you really want to get rid of me that badly?”

Jihyo laughed. “You know I love you. And fine but don’t wait too long. Someone might snatch her up in the meantime.” She warned teasingly and Momo just rolled her eyes, thankfully feeling the liquid courage flooding her body.

“Even if that were to happen,” she smirked. “I’d snatch her right back.” Momo twisted off the cap of the shooter and downed it. “Just give me like ten minutes for this to actually kick in.”

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It ended up being more like twenty minutes.

Jihyo ended up leaving soon after their initial conversation and Momo figured this would be as good a time as any to make her rounds. It gave her something to do while waiting for the alcohol to take effect. She hopped from group to group, talking with everyone, and it was only when her head felt just fuzzy enough that she decided it was time to find Mina. Stumbling slightly down the stairs, she weaved her way through the basement and finally found the girl in question squished to the side of a couch with Jackson and Hwasa who looked like they were two seconds away from ing right then and there.

Momo decided it wasn’t worth Hwasa killing her for interrupting to say hi so she instead plopped down in front of Mina and gave her a rakish grin. “Hey you.” Except the red-head didn’t even have time to open before Momo was tackled by a very, very drunk Chaeyoung.

“MOGURIIII!”

She ended up splayed atop Momo who couldn’t help but crack up at how ridiculous the small girl was acting. “Hi Chaengie.”

The short haired girl struggled to get upright as Momo tried her best to help the younger girl. Not that she had much of a choice when Chaeyoung was clinging to her like a damn koala. When they finally got upright again, Chaeyoung was on Momo’s lap with both arms wrapped around her neck and both of Momo’s arms around the former’s waist to steady her.

“How ya doing, shortie?”

Chaeyoung started giggling uncontrollably, barely managing to get out an, “I’m soooooo good.” All of the sudden she stopped laughing and stared at Momo, looking incredibly concerned as she asked in a very serious tone, “Are you good, unnie?”

The blonde chuckled. “I’m great.”

Satisfied with the answer, the short haired girl went back to all smiles and looking at Momo with a very unfocused gaze. “I’mma kiss you on the cheek, kay? I’m gonna,” and before Momo could protest, she laid a big smack right on her cheek and proceeded to roll right off her lap with an abrupt, “Bye unnie!” before crawling over to Hwasa.

Chaeyoung was definitely an interesting drunk. She glanced back over to the couch and found Mina staring at a completely oblivious Chaeyoung with an irritated, almost….territorial look on her. While Hwasa was patting Chaeyoung’s head, listening to the younger girl’s drunken ramblings and Jackson sulked, having been ed, Mina stood up abruptly.

“I’m going to get some air.”

Momo took the cue to scramble to her feet as well. “I’ll come with you, it’s hot as hell in here.” Without much thought, she grabbed Mina’s hand and started leading her back through the crowd, holding tightly so they wouldn’t get separated. It wasn’t long before they got to the door leading to the backyard deck and managed to find a (semi) quiet spot near the corner of the deck. Momo reluctantly released Mina’s hand, immediately missing the warmth and they both leaned on the railing, admiring the view. It was a rare night where the sky was clear and you could see the stars twinkling above. Not that being close to Mina was a new experience but with Mina’s current proximity and the smell of her perfume made Momo think it wasn’t the alcohol that was making her feel drunk anymore. She inhaled deeply, savoring their closeness before breaking the silence.

“You doing okay?”

Mina sighed and leaned into Momo. “Better. Now that you’re here.”

Momo looked down at the younger girl in surprise but Mina’s gaze was still trained to the sky. “Really?”

Mina looked back up at Momo and smiled shyly. “Yeah. It’s always better when you’re around.”

Momo really hoped the cover of darkness hid the red flush that took over her face (she could always blame it on the booze) and chuckled, thankful her voice didn’t waver. “Whatever. How much have you had to drink tonight to make you say stuff like that?”

She pouted up at Momo. “I’m serious. Not that I don’t love everyone here but you’re special to me. And Jihyo. She was the first one who talked to me and maybe it took us a little longer but I think that’s just because we’re both kind of awkward people but once we got past that…I don’t think I’ve ever gotten along with someone so well. I mean I…I’m pretty drunk right now but it doesn’t make what I say any less true.”

The redhead nuzzled into her shoulder and Momo put her arm around her shoulders instinctively. They stood there in comfortable silence until an incredibly -faced Jo Kwon broke the moment by flinging both his arms around them.

“THE MIMO SHIP SAILS AGAIN.”

Momo closed her eyes briefly willing herself not to kill the boy for his timing but opted instead to duck out of his embrace before she grabbed the boy in a headlock. She yanked him around for a few moments before she released him and he brushed himself off indignantly. “Hey, Kwonie. Looks like you’re having a good time.”

She eyed him, noting his unfocused and glassy eyes. Judging from the way he smelled, he had definitely been in the green room which would also explain why she hadn’t seen him until now. She caught Mina’s eye, mimed smoking a joint while rolling her eyes and was rewarded with a laugh.

“Whatcha guys doing out here all by yourselves?” Kwon waggled his eyebrows.

Momo craned her neck, indicating the house. “I doubt that you’ve noticed considering I’m pretty sure where you’ve been all night but it’s hot as hell in that house.”

“Which is why we are out here. Where it is not hot as hell.” Mina finished.

“You’d be right. I’ve been otherwise occupied tonight but now here I am! With my two favorite gays.” He cooed, patting both of their cheeks
Momo swatted his hand away, annoyed, but her ears perked up. She couldn’t be sure whether it was the weed talking or something he actually meant. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mina throw him a warning look, cheeks flushed.

Filing a mental note in her head to talk to Jo when he wasn’t high, Momo drew his attention with a slap to the arm and a wounded look. “Don’t you mean your only favorite gay?”

“Oh fine, my one favorite gay.”

Momo returned the favor and patted him on the cheek condescendingly. “There we go.”

 It was the last thing she wanted to do but Momo could feel her buzz wearing off with each passing minute and didn’t think she’d be able to deal with anymore possible revelations in her current state. She clapped her hands together. “So. Despite it feeling like Satan has laid his crack on earth in there, I’m gonna head back inside because that’s where the rest of my alcohol is and I definitely can’t let it go to waste. You gonna come?”

Mina shook her head. “I think I’m gonna stay out here for a little bit more and talk to Jo.”

A little disappointed at the answer, Momo didn’t show it and before she even knew what she was doing, she leaned over and dropped a kiss on Mina’s head. “I’m sure I’ll see you around! You too, Kwon, assuming you don’t retreat back into the green room.” The boy simply stuck out his tongue at Momo who laughed and headed back towards the porch door.

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Mina watched the blonde go before turning back to Kwon with a glare that would make Medusa jealous. “What was that?!”

Jo feigned innocence. “I have no idea what you’re speaking of.”

Mina rolled her eyes. “Oh, you know EXACTLY what it is I’m speaking of, Kwon. ’Oh my two favorite gays!’ Why would you say that?”

“Because you are my two favorite gays? I don’t see anything wrong with that statement unless…” His eyes widened in realization. “Oh my god. Wait…you haven’t told her yet. Mina!”

She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She hadn't meant for Jo to find out but the boy is very perceptive and cornered her one day. She wasn't sure if she could trust him to keep it on the down low but he had actually been really helpful, finally giving Mina someone to talk to and hadn't slipped up once. Until now. “I’ve been meaning to…I just haven’t found the right time.”

“That’s the oldest excuse in the book. You’re gonna have to come up with something better than that, girl. It’s not like she’s gonna run screaming away from you.”

“It’d be one thing if it was just telling her but it makes harder since I actually like her…” the alcohol had definitely done its job of loosening her tongue. It slipped out before she could stop it and from the giddy grin on Kwon’s face, he definitely heard it loud and clear. He whooped loudly. “I KNEW I WASN’T IMAGINING THINGS! ES BETTER PAY UP!!”

Mina clapped a hand over his mouth, quickly looking around to see if anyone heard. Thankfully, there weren’t many people outside anymore and the ones that were she didn’t recognize. “Can you not?!” Her brain caught up then and registered the last part of his sentence. “And what do you mean es better pay up?!”

Jo grinned like the cat who ate the canary. “We may or may not have had a little bet going around on whether you liked Momo too. Jihyo and I were the only ones who said you did. Everyone else was convinced you were just a phenomenal actor.”

“Since when did it even matter?”

Jo just shrugged. “We were bored. And it was interesting.”

All Mina could do was stare at him in disbelief. She was dumbfounded that their classmates had been keeping such a close eye on their relationship. She pinched the bridge of her nose and drew in a deep breath. “So basically everyone knows.”

“Everyone already knows. Or at least suspects,” He confirmed with a smirk. “Except Momo because that girl is as dense as steel.”

“Great. Thank guys.” Her sarcasm completely flew over his head as he beamed at her. “Anytime, babe," Something over Mina's shoulder caught his attention and his eyes took on a predatory gleam. "Now if you’ll excuse me, I spy with my little eye a tasty looking prospect.” He slinked off and Mina turned back to the railing, leaning heavily against it. She tilted her head back, eyes closed, as her mind spun with the new information

“Everyone knows. ing great…I could strangle all of them right now except jail doesn’t sound very appealing. Also I’d have to explain to Momo why all her friends are dead which would mean telling her everything…”

Jo's voice echoed in her head. “We may or may not have had a little bet going on whether you liked Momo too.”

Wait. Her eyes snapped open. Liked Momo too? What did he mean by that? Was he implying that Momo liked her back? No. She shook her head. No way. That would be too easy. A million excuses ran through her head. "She’s just being nice. I bet I’m not even her type. She probably likes someone else. She wouldn’t want to be in a serious relationship."

And yet she couldn’t keep herself from wondering what it would be like if it were true. To not have to keep herself in check, to be able to lean up and kiss those lips she’s stared at so many time, to be able to hold her hand and have it mean something more than just friends. They only had finals week left and she already knew Momo would be staying here and working to save up money while she had a plane ticket home. It was hard enough imagining being away from the blonde for that long but to keep herself wondering what if the entire time was guaranteed to drive her insane.

She needed to find Momo. Also, she needed a ing drink.