060. Drink
Hitomi had never been able to tolerate Gaean wine. She could still recall the first time she had tasted it in Asturia, could still remember the sweet heady brew sliding along her tongue. . . Granted, it hadn't been wise to drink 5 or 6 glasses in one sitting, especially when she had never tasted wine at all, but that was no reason for Van to refuse it to her now! She wasn't foolish enough to make the same mistake twice!
"No," he said simply, taking the glass from her hand and passing it back to the waiter who had offered her the cup.
She tried to take it back, but the waiter was too wise to ignore his King's wishes and quickly left. "Van! I wanted that!" she protested. "Its a holiday after all!"
"Holiday or not, you aren't going to spend the evening passed out because of it."
A scowl marred her pretty features as she glowered at him.
"Don't look at me like that," he said calmly. "Its for your own good."
"But I've never tasted anything so sweet!" she argued. "I want it bac-"
Her words were cut off as his mouth pressed lightly against hers in a gentle kiss. Dizzyfying, warm, and so achingly sweet it made her head spin. He pulled away, raising an eyebrow at her. "You were saying?"
"Okay, I was wrong. I have tasted something sweeter."
And because I couldn't decide which ending I liked better, and alternate ending"
"I want it bac-"
The waiter had returned with two gordes she recognized all too well, and she glowered at Van as she reluctantly took hers.
"You are out of your mind. I want something sweet and you give me something like this?"
He accepted the piscus, taking a long sip of the sour liquid. "Think of it this way: at least you won't end up drunk."