The Glass Scientists micro-fanfictions

Wine

"I don't like the smell of it," Jasper stated almost immediately after his companion opened the bottle, wrinkling his nose up in a show of disapproval that was not at all subtle nor had been intended to be, "It smells strong." This was an understatement and a half, as the smell of the liquid seemed to disproportionately fill the air for a moment or so.

"Oh most certainly," Henry replied, putting a disconcertingly small portion of his attention to the task of filling the glasses with the wine, there being something in the almost reflexive nature of it that would easily lead a person who might be a little more familiar with alcohols to worry about the doctor, "That is why I thought it would be wise to let you try it before you find yourself somewhere with a slightly less..." he paused, waving the hand that was still holding his glass in the air as if he was trying to find the word he wanted in the air, "Forgiving audience." He spoke this pleasantly enough, but there was a little bit too much of a warning to his tone for it to seem quite as nonchalant as it could have been.

"Forgiving?" echoed the werewolf, cautiously taking the glass that the doctor offered him, unable to mirror the smile that he was shown.

"Quite," Jekyll stated with a pointed raise of his eyebrows, "It could be seen as a rejection of a person's hospitality if you make it obvious that you don't like something that they offered you. Unfortunately, it is not so easy as to simply not take at least something every now and again too, as that could likewise be seen as a rejection of them on a personal level."

"Is it really that tricky?" the former farmer asked, risking a proper sniff of the drink, which he regretted immediately, pulling the glass away from him with such a frantic force that it was a marvel that he did not end up spilling even a drop of the liquid that seemed to be oddly similar to the shade of his companion's eyes.  

"Unfortunately, its even more so than that but, well, you know what they say," a beat, the doctor letting out an exaggerated hum, "Baby steps and all that. No use going into the nuances of what pairs with what and when it should be partook of and specifics like that if we haven't even had the chance to share your first glass without all the tragically excessive accoutrements."

"I suppose so..." Jasper replied, already feeling a little daunted by the fact that he might end up having to try and memorise the excessive accoutrements that Jekyll had mentioned. The more he heard about the so-called civilised society the more it all seemed like a series of increasingly more convoluted rules that were being made up by a bunch of stuffy old men that had far too much time on their hands that they were able to make up and then remember a bunch of nonsense. It wasn't as if the world itself was going to end if, say, he chose to wear something that he felt a little more like himself in when being expected to interact with people who - if Henry's own opinion was anything to go by - already managed to have the foot up since they knew more about why he was wherever he was than even he did.  

"Now, don't initiate this if you can avoid it, but this is a special occasion so special considerations can be made," of course he needed to include a lesson in this, even if it was feeling a little less like he was trying to share his wealth of knowledge and more like he was just trying to enjoy the moment. With a smile that was so pleasantly sincere that it was almost disorienting - in all the very best ways too - he raised his glass high.
 "Here's to you Jasper, I could not thank you enough for being a beacon of light among this dark time, I hope to be able to repay you for your kindness in spades. You truly have done me a service that no other seemed to bother to consider, and for that I could never thank you enough, even if I thanked you each moment until my dying day." 

"Oh...!" Jasper said with a bit of a squeak, cheeks warming a little, "And, uh, and to you, Henry, for everything what you've done to try and help me find a place here..." The same smoothness that he did not exhibit in his statement was reflected in his raising of his glass. 

The two men clinked their glasses together, the sound ringing pleasantly in the air for a moment. Following Jekyll's lead, the werewolf raised his glass to his lips, took a sip and gagged immediately. The liquid was absolutely foul and his whole face managed to scrunch up in displeasure, sticking his tongue out to try the fruitless attempt at escaping the offending taste. The sheer extent of this displeasure was the mirror opposite of the absolute lack of response beyond offering a sympathetic smile.

"Not fond of it?" the good doctor asked, humour that was not formed at the expense of the other wavering his voice just a little, "Not to worry, it is an acquired taste. You handled it better than I did when Robert first offered me a glass."

"Really?" Jasper asked, over-annunciating because even the single sip had enough to make his tongue a little numb.

"Oh certainly, I made a right arse of myself too. I gagged and spilled the glass all over myself." He let out a laugh, sincere and twinkling before he took another sip from his glass. "That seems like a world away now." This managed to slip into something a little more reflective before he shook it off with a flick of his head. "You don't need to finish it if you don't like it. I am honoured that you agreed to even try." 

Jasper attempted to take another sip but, and using Henry's own words, managed to make a right arse of himself as it made him snort out of discomfort, gagging a little before letting out a sheepish laugh. Thankfully Jekyll had the forethought to take the glass away from him in the nick of time, setting it down on the table where it remained until the werewolf had needed to leave for the evening.