Written for the livejournal community "satokasucastle" for the "wine" prompt! If you enjoy it, please take the time to review :)

Chardonnay

"What's this?"

"Um … Char-donn …. ay?"

Ash's voice was a little unsure, his tongue testing and teasing the new, unfamiliar word. His effort was rewarded with a sharp glare from Misty.

"Wine."

Her one word was even sharper than her look. Ash defensively curled his hands around the bottle, as if the fire in her cerulean eyes would crack the thick green glass.

"I thought it might be, y'know, fun to try it out or something."

Misty shook her head, a few locks of red falling across her pinkened cheeks.

"In other words, you stole it."

"Maybe."

He glanced down at the offending bottle, hugging it tighter to his body. Concealing it and sneaking it outside hadn't been difficult; everyone else at the party had already had a bit too much and were now preoccupied with making a show of themselves on the dancefloor. By the time Nurse Joy had given in to Brock's constant demands and allowed him a dance and Ash's mum and Professor Oak were twirling around to some old western song, Ash and Misty had decided that retreating to the safety of the veranda outside was a much better bet.

But now his plans were falling flat.

"Misty … c'mon, you know, it might be nice. Wouldn't it be cool to try something new?"

She crossed her slender arms over her chest. "Who says I haven't tried wine before?"

He raised his eyebrows markedly until the blush in her cheeks deepened and she dropped her hands to her lap. She pointedly tore her accusing gaze away and looked at the ground beneath their dangling feet.

"I don't have to try it to know that I probably won't like it."

"Now you're just being stubborn."

"You don't have any glasses."

"Ah."

"Some great master planner you are."

"We don't need glasses."

"It's not a bottle of coke, Ash. It's a little bit more civilised. I don't exactly want my first time drinking wine to consist of swigging it straight from the bottle."

"Since when did you care about that?"

"Since when did you want to try wine anyway?"

Ash shrugged. Even though it was much cooler out here, the white shirt was still sticking to his skin.

Misty turned to him again. She looked kind of pretty tonight. Whatever she'd done to her hair to make it curly like that … and the aqua dress … Ash wasn't quite sure how it stayed up without any straps, but he wasn't complaining.

"Well … we've never been to a party like this before. All posh and that. And everyone was drinking it … "

"Never put you down as a bandwagon hopper … "

"It just seems interesting."

"You want to get drunk?"

"Um … "

Misty laughed, the sound echoing quietly into the darkness.

"Bingo, gotcha."

"No, really, I didn't!"

"Don't panic, I'm only teasing."

"I just like trying new things."

"Hmm."

They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the low murmur of music and voices from inside the building, the laughter and the footsteps.

Ash was the one to break the silence.

"Wanna dance?"

Misty did a double take.

"I didn't want to dance with anyone in there."

"Then dance out here."

"Don't be silly."

"C'mon, no one can see you out here."

"Except you."

"Well, yeah, but I promise I won't laugh."

Ash stood, reaching down with his right hand to pull Misty to her feet. It took her a second to respond when Ash wrapped his arms slowly and hesitantly around her waist. She let her hands rest on the lapels of his shirt and they swayed gently where they stood. They were close enough for Ash to feel her soft breath on his chin and the strands of loose red curls brushed lightly against his cheek. He breathed her in, the warm, sweet scent and he felt almost light-headed, as if they'd actually had that bottle of wine already.

The song inside ended to a hail of clapping and whistles and Misty seemed to take the cue to disengage herself from his arms. Her cheeks were flushed again.

She seemed to be debating something for a second. Ash recognised it from the way her nose crinkled and her eyes seemed to unfocus momentarily.

"Ash … I've never danced like that with anyone before." Her admittance was a whisper.

"See … I told you it was a night for firsts." He grinned.

"No, you didn't."

"It was implied."

"Whatever."

"Ha."

She crossed her arms again. A look of determination flashed across her face and she smiled cheekily.

"Fine." With one stride, she passed Ash and grabbed the bottle he'd left sitting on the veranda and pulled the cork fully out. She shot him a challenging glare before raising the bottle to her lips and taking a mouthful.

Coughing and spluttering, she was quick to pull the bottle away again.

"Urgh .. you actually … ick … wanted to try that … cough .. vile stuff?"

Ash couldn't help it, he burst into laughter at her expression. When she assumed her best indignant face and moved to slap him, he took a step towards her, gently grabbed her face between his hands and without even thinking of what he was really doing, he kissed her lips. It was just a quick, light, unobtrusive kiss, but it cut off her spluttering.

Without breaking stride, he dropped his hands, prised the bottle from her grip and took a long swig.

He smiled at her dazed expression.

"Hey, we've tried something new."