"Prove it."

I smiled confidently as I stood and took her hand in mine, gently pulling her close to me. "As you wish," I whispered. "Are you ready for the next part of our day out?"

Her emerald eyebrow raised as she gave me a playful, curious look. "Next part? Comandante, I had no idea you managed to come up with such a busy day planned in such a short time."

"Oh, I didn't," I freely admitted. "I did some planning, checked out a few things beforehand, but mostly just winging this. Wanted to make sure we could cut the day short and head back to the hospital in case you started feeling uncomfortable or too tired. Speaking of uncomfortable, is it okay for you to drink in your current state?"

Her brows furrowed as she shot me a curious glance. "They never said I couldn't consume alcohol...why do you ask?"

I shrugged and tried to look as innocent as possible. "Oh, no reason…"

"A wine tasting?!" she exclaimed as she saw the sign hanging over the door. "How did you manage to arrange this for today?"

I smiled as I saw her face light up, and let out a quiet sigh of relief at choosing correctly. "I had originally set this up for a week from now when you got out of the hospital, but I was able to convince them to move it to today. I felt bad about your wine stores, and while I can't replace all of them, I thought I could at least get a couple of bottles of riserva to start you on your way."

"I will treasure these bottles, Inigo," she said, leaning over to kiss me softly on the cheek.

My cheeks flushed and I could feel the goofy smile on my face as I looked back at her. "Th-thanks. Just promise me one thing when we're in there, okay?"

"What's that?"

"This is my first time doing something like this," I said sheepishly. "Be gentle."

Her smile broadened, and she took my hand in hers. "Of course, Comandante. I will make sure you enjoy this as much as I do."

"Much appreciated, Littorio," I squeezed her hand as I bowed my head to her.

"Besides," she purred, leaning close to whisper in my ear. "I'm always gentle the first time…"

As those words sent a tingle down my spine, she slipped from my grasp and opened the door, looking back at me with a teasing, knowing smirk. "Coming, Inigo?" she asked innocently.

Even while crippled, possibly exhausted, and having bared her soul to me not twenty minutes ago, she still managed to put on a good show. I shook my head and chuckled as I followed her inside, muttering, "What am I going to do with you, Littorio?"

"Oh, I'm sure you have a few ideas…" she winked coyly at me and pulled me along. "In the meantime, who do we need to speak to?"

After speaking with one of the sommeliers, we were led downstairs where several wines had been prepared for us, each sampled from one of the many casks in the comfortably cool cellar. Littorio wrapped her arm around my waist, and I did the same, feeling her lean against me a bit more than she had been.

I waited for the sommelier to depart before asking, "How are you holding up?"

"Still rather tired," she answered softly, and I could hear the exhaustion in her voice. Still, she smiled back and added, "But I will manage, Comandante."

"Good," I returned her smile with one of my own as I handed her wine glass to her. "So...how does this work, exactly? Do we just take sips and find the one you like best?"

Her fingers brushed against mine as she took the glass from me, and for a moment, there was a subtle, unspoken connection before we each slowly moved away. "Not quite," she answered. "You judge a vino by color, smell, and taste. So, to start with this one, you hold the glass up against the light…" As she explained, she held up her glass and I followed suit with mine, watching as the ruby-red liquid caught the light, causing it to dance and swirl. "And from there, you can ensure the colors match what sort of wine it is. You wouldn't want a darker wine to be clear, and vice versa."

"I'll take your word on that," I grinned wryly, feeling very much out of my element.

"Don't worry too much about this part," she reassured me, "This is something you only learn through experience. The next part is much easier. For that, all you do is gently swirl the wine around in the glass and take a sniff."

Once again, I watched her, then mimicked her motions, holding the glass up to my nose as I let the wine's aroma waft up. There was the unmistakable scent of alcohol, along with the acidic tang of the grapes, but to my surprise, there were also other notes. A fruity smell, along with other, more earthy fragrances. Almost like…

"Am I getting hints of leather?" I asked her, wondering if my nose had deceived me.

Littorio's eyebrows raised as she fixed me with an impressed smile. "Very good, Inigo! Some wines can have a hint of leather to them, although most don't pick it up. You have quite the nose."

"Why, thank you. Does this mean I'm going to taste leather in this wine?"

"Not at all," she giggled. "But the wine should have something of an earthiness to it when you taste it. Which is the next part."

This time, I didn't need to watch Littorio as I brought the glass to my lips and took a sip, letting the wine dance over my tongue. The burn of the alcohol mingled with the acid of the grapes, and a sweet, earthy aftertaste as I swallowed it down. Overall, it was quite good, and I was grateful that only a sample was left out, lest I go back for another. We had a few more samples to go, and I wanted to stay as clear-headed as possible for the last one.

"Your thoughts, Ammiraglio?" Littorio asked, pulling me out of my thoughts and back to reality.

"Excellent," I nodded as I put the now-empty wine glass down, Littorio placing hers next to mine. "I'm no connoisseur, but it's certainly better than the last glass of wine I had."

"And how long ago was that, hmm?"

For a second, her question managed to stump me, leaving me wracking my brain as I tried to recall. "Would've been...four months now? Last time the Royal Navy girls at HQ threw a banquet."

Littorio let out a soft, theatrical gasp, her hand going to her chest. "Not even a glass with dinner?"

"Not really," I shrugged. "Half the time, I'm so busy with work I'm catching a bite between paperwork. Drinking and logistics do not end well, trust me on that…"

"I can imagine," she giggled. "And we've already established you don't entertain much."

"At all," I confirmed.

"Just...tell me it wasn't ration bars for dinner every night."

When I didn't immediately answer and averted my gaze, she let out another gasp. "Comandante!" she chastised.

"Not every night!" I half-heartedly protested. "Just...most…"

She sighed and pulled me closer to her, giving me a reassuring squeeze around my waist. "Inigo, Inigo, Inigo...what am I to do with you?"

I gave her my best smile and answered, "Let me take you to a nice little bistro for a romantic lunch?"

Her laugh, as beautiful and melodic as it was, startled some of the nearby patrons, who glanced our way before turning back to their own wine tastings. "Very smooth, Comandante. As I said, you could one day be as glorious as me."

"Are you sure the world could handle two people of such brilliance at once?" I teased.

"There's only one way to find out," she grinned. "Now come, we have more to taste."

In the end, we selected the first bottle we tasted, a Chianti, and the third bottle, an Amarone Classical. I had no idea what those meant, exactly, but Littorio seemed quite pleased with those choices, and I enjoyed their flavors, so I chalked it up as a win.

While clearly enjoying the outing, I was beginning to see the toll it was taking on her, despite the brave face she was putting on. Her color had faded somewhat, and she was leaning more and more on me for support. Fortunately, the aforementioned bistro was right next door, along with outdoor seating, so it was hardly a walk before Littorio got the chance to sit down and catch her breath again.

As we waited, we chatted and the discussion inevitably turned back to spirits. "So, Comandante," Littorio began as she eyed me up. "If vino is not your drink of choice, what is?"

At this point, I shouldn't have been surprised that she was able to deduce that on her own, but I was still curious how she reached that conclusion. To that end, I feigned innocence and raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think it isn't?"

"You don't strike me as the wine-drinking type, for starters," she grinned. "And when you said you hadn't had wine in months, there was something in your tone, as if you'd had other drinks since then, just...not wine. So what is it?"

"Rum." Littorio made a sour face and I laughed. "Not a fan, I take it?"

"At all," she emphatically declared with a shake of her head. "It doesn't go well with any Sardegnian dish."

"Quite true," I conceded, "Doesn't go with a lot of dishes, really. But as a drink, all on its own, I enjoy it."

"And how often do you get to enjoy such things, Comandante?"

"Not often."

She peered at me with such intensity I almost found it too much to bear for a moment, then leaned back in her chair. "Inigo," she finally said softly. "What will you do after the war?"

That caught me off guard. I sat there for a moment, stunned, as my mind tried to process the question. In the end, I came to the strange and slightly hollow realization that I wasn't sure. "I...I don't know, actually," I answered in a subdued voice. "Go home, see my folks, but after that...I'm not sure. I've been running Azur Lane for so long now, fighting for so long, that...I can't imagine anything else."

She nodded slowly before folding her hands in her lap and giving me an appraising glance. "Comandante, may I make a rather...personal observation?"

"But it's been so light and casual today," I quipped, my smile quickly fading when I saw the serious look on her face. "Sorry. Yes, go ahead."

"You've buried the best part of yourself."

Her words were like an icy spear to the heart, sending a shiver down my spine. "What?"

"You've buried the best part of yourself," she repeated. "Every time I see your face light up, I see you smile, or see you get excited about something, I see the glory that's inside you. But each time I ask you about it, you say you haven't done anything like this in a long, long time. Why?"

It was an unsettling question with no easy answer, and I fidgeted as I struggled to come up with an answer. "I've...just...been busy, that's all," I said, repeating to her the same lie I'd been telling myself. "With the war, and Operation Siren and everything else...just haven't had time for it."

"Is the war over?" she asked, eyebrow raised. "Is Operation Siren currently on pause? Are you not still the commander of Azur Lane?"

"N-no, no, and yes," I reluctantly admitted.

"And yet, here you are, with me, doing all the things you said you haven't had time for."

"This is different!" I objected.

Littorio effortlessly deflected my objection with a single word. "How?"

My jaw worked up and down, trying to come up with an answer until I realized what I had set aside for so long, the painful truth I had refused to accept. "You're here with me," I answered quietly.

Now it was Littorio's turn to be surprised. "What?"

"Back home, there was no one I clicked with, no one I could share my passions with, and so I just...let them atrophy. I ignored the pain by burying myself in the work. After all, it's an easy lie to swallow. Have to set things aside so I can help save the world. Who's got time for books and history and myths when doomsday is right around the corner?" I sighed and shrugged. "My own fault, really. I kept everyone at arm's length, tried to keep things professional, but when you're surrounded by subordinates, it's hard to find one you can also treat as an equal. With you, that changed. The first night here, you encouraged my passions, even if they aren't your own. You're willing to share yours with me and now...now, I suddenly find I can make the time. Because I have someone to share it with."

Littorio looked away for a moment, suddenly uncomfortable with this discussion. I could see a blush crossing her cheeks as she attempted to hide her face from my gaze.

"Sorry to put you on the spot," I sheepishly muttered.

With a heavy sigh, she turned back to face me, her manufactured, carefree mask gone again. "This wasn't supposed to be like this," she declared in an exasperated tone. "This was supposed to be like all the others. Playful flirting, a little romance, and then on to the next. And now...now…"

"I know, I know," I concurred. "I didn't expect this either. I expected the flirting, the attempts to woo Illustrious through me, but I hadn't expected to develop feelings for you. I didn't realize there was such a beautiful, vulnerable, and utterly adorable woman beneath that confident and flirtatious mask. Nevertheless, here we are."

Littorio nodded slowly, her gaze hesitantly meeting mine, and I could see the trepidation and fear, but also the hope and joy that hid behind those dark red eyes. "So…" she began slowly, "...what do we do now?"

For a moment, I struggled to find the words until I got a flash of inspiration. "I believe I still have to prove I'm worthy of your love," I said with a sly smile.

A playful smirk began to spread across her face, her posture and tone becoming more confident, more like the Littorio the world knew. But there was something else there, a genuine fondness that wasn't there in the beginning. "Indeed you do, Comandante. One wine tasting and a soul-baring luncheon simply won't do. The love of Littorio requires more."

"Then more she will have," I grinned. "But later. For now, I think it's best we get back so you can get some more rest and before someone notices you're gone. Like your sister."

She laughed as she slowly got up, holding her hand out to me. "I wouldn't worry about her too much, Comandante."

"Easy for you to say," I counter as I stand, pulling her close to me and wrapping my arm around her waist. "She's your sister. I'm the guy who's dating her sister."

"Oh, so we're dating now, are we?" she playfully teased as she wrapped her arm around me.

"I kinda feel like we've moved on past 'harmless flirting' since the park, so...yeah. Dating." I glanced up at her, watching for her reaction.

She smiled back at me, more than a hint of pride in the gesture. "I couldn't agree more."

We made it back to her hospital room without too much trouble, just a few stops on the way there to let Littorio get her strength back up. Once we made it back to her room, she quickly changed back into the hospital gown and slipped into bed as if nothing had happened.

"Well, that was a fun little escape, wouldn't you agree, Comandante?" she smiled up at me as I set the bottles of wine next to the flower vase.

"Absolutely," I smiled back. We should do it again sometime. Preferably when we don't have to sneak out of a hospital to do it."

She laughed softly before she got a playful look in her eye. "Chasing after others is a novel and interesting experience, is it not?"

"Depends on the person you're chasing," I answered with a soft smile as I reached down to brush an errant lock of emerald hair from her face. "Chasing someone as beautiful and marvelous as you is an experience of a lifetime."

"As are you, dear Comandante," she murmured softly, placing her hand over mine. Our eyes met, and I found myself drawn to her, moving closer and closer as she leaned up to meet me.

"I, uh...I should probably get back to work," I whispered but kept moving towards Littorio.

"Uh-huh," she whispered back, close enough for me to feel her hot breath on my cheek.

"You need you're…" I trailed off, my lips brushing against hers as my train of thought was derailed by the beautiful woman before me.

"We both know what I need."

There was a moment's pause, one last hesitation before our lips pressed together in a tender, brief kiss. We parted for a second, just long enough to realize what had happened, the barriers shattered, and we kissed again, this time more passionate and hungry than the first. Her arms wrapped around me as I cupped her cheeks with my hands, the stresses of the past several days bleeding away in the haze of ardor and desire. Things likely would have rapidly escalated had the door not swung open at that moment.

We quickly broke the kiss, and I snapped upright as she fell back against the bed, each of us trying to act cool and casual and almost certainly failing. Vittorio Veneto strode in and came to a dead stop when she saw the two of us. Her eyes flicked to Littorio, then back to me. "Am I...interrupting something?" We answered at the same time, although not in the same manner.

"No!" I blurted out, still failing to keep my cool.

"Yes," Littorio grumbled in an annoyed tone only reserved for annoying siblings.

Veneto's eyebrow slowly rose up and she eyed the two of us suspiciously as Littorio and I shared a quick glance. "Are you sure?"

"Maybe?" I ventured slowly. "Perhaps you could come back in about...twenty minutes so Littorio and I could...uh...discuss things?"

Littorio couldn't help but giggle quietly at that suggestion, and Veneto stared at me for a good long second, her suspicious look intensifying. When neither of us volunteered any further information, she simply let out a resigned sigh and shook her head. "You two can finish…'discussing' things in a minute. But I was wondering if I could have a word with you, Ammiraglio?"

"Of course," I nodded, trying to force myself to relax a little bit. Vittorio just wanted a word, likely about upcoming operations.

"In private."

Uh-oh.

A/N-Busted! I'm sure it's fine though, right? Right? Anyhoo, remember when I said this'd be 8-11 chapters? About that...probably going to be 11-12 at this rate. Until next time, fair winds and following seas!