His laugh is just enough to tear his gaze off the window and back to Lee's face. "We've seen each other for at most an hour, and you're already planning our next reunion? You been missin' me or something?"

Well there's a thought. It should be obvious, but Alastair hasn't bothered himself with such a notion, that a certain fondness may keep a person like Lee invisibly tethered to him. This marks the end of the longest pocket of time since they last parted ways, and he can see the time that has passed even on Lee's face. It's never before felt difficult to keep a distance of time between himself and another.

His blip of a thought on the matter fizzles clumsily away, and he blinks down at his mead a moment, giving his face some time to melt into a new relaxed smile. "Gods no, it's quite terrible actually. I just drink it out of social pressure."

But he doesn't even offer Lee a telling grin, but instead drains half of his tankard in a silent couple of gulps. Sound returns to him only once he gasps for air when he returns to the conversation. "So terrible, I might need another soon," he pants, his smile glistening under the mead still on his lips.