Time has passed and I couldn't resist lol. I felt like I should continue this and that sorta rhymes....anyway, I just came up with this today and I'm kinda planning ahead this time so I'm still getting some ideas coordinated. And yeah, to understand any of this reading the first story is pretty necessary...unless you want to wing it...thats what I usually do lol.
Running, always running. He had been doing this particular activity so much lately that is was getting slightly ridiculous, but is was pretty much the only thing one could when they were being chased by people that wanted to kill them.
He needed to get to the cabin, once there could figure something out in the way of protection. It wasn't much farther and his sleek body could get him there in a few minutes.
Wait…wait a second…Sleek? When have I ever…? Damn, another dream.
Hatter always had these moments when he lost himself, but these dreams weren't really something he could change. Once his eyes closed and his mind did whatever it is that it does, he was whatever individual his mind wanted him to be.
Having the long list of the thoughts and memories of and ancient magical race wasn't exactly a perk, so he ran and he kept running till he came to the cabin, the one that his vessel was so desperate for. The sounds of the case died away once the door closed with a thud and some words passed his lips, words that felt both strange and familiar as they always did while they drained him of whatever energy he had or his vessel had left. The cabin was now protected.
Stumbling, the body dragged itself over to a sink that was in what must've been a bathroom. Whoever this creature was it had won its battle for the day and it was getting itself some much needed re hydration. It grabbed a crude glass from the corner of the white sink, they turned on the tap and filled it to the brim. A sigh that was both his and not his escaped the body's lips as is drank its fill. Once done they returned the glass to its place and glance up into the mirror for the first time….
And at that moment, Hatter knew who this body actually belonged to. Violet eyes were common among the Eyre, but this particular pair were unmistakable….
************
Hatter pulled himself out of the memory as fast as he could. The process was never easy, but over time it became...easier. His body shot up with a start once his head was clear and he took a minute to get his bearings.
His breathing was just as heavy as is was in the dream, but this time it wasn't from running. Quickly he dragged himself out of bed and entered the bathroom. Once the door was closed he repeated the actions from his dream, but this time he was filling a glass for himself.
It had been three months since the Chess incident, but he still wasn't used to the dreams. As he drained the glass, Hatter knew that in all likely hood he would never get used to them and he didn't mind that.
The idea that these thoughts and images would become routine for him was something that scared him more than the dreams themselves.
************
She knew that he was awake the moment his eyes opened, it was a sense that she had developed over the last couple of months, but she let him go for a few minutes. This was normal. He would wake up, go drink something, and then return only to pull her into his arms like he needed her close so he could fall back to sleep. Some nights she doubted that he even knew that she was conscious and that was perfectly alright with her.
During the last few months, his actions and his warmth told her that he hadn't really changed. Sure, some things were different, but he was still tangible. Solid. He wasn't going to fade. He wasn't going to disappear, both physically and spatially. He needed her and she liked that.
Must've been a bad one, Alice thought to herself before she pulled herself out of bed and went to the bathroom door.
"Hey" she called through the wood, "You alive in there?"
"Yeah," he responded when the door clicked open, revealing a shirtless and disheveled person that she loved.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine…I'm fine." he muttered before showing her the glass that he was holding while his face lit with his trademark grin, "Just thirsty."
She knew that he was lying, but that didn't really matter, "Okay then, can I…? I mean, you're in the bathroom."
"Oh yeah, sorry."
It was an excuse, but at least it would get him back in bed.
************
Alice wasn't a good liar, that was a constant that Hatter would always be sure of, but he went back where she wanted him anyway. And a minute or two later she was laying next to him.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" she asked after she pulled his arms around her and put her forehead to his.
Hatter sighed, "It was nothin' new."
"Well, what about it forced you to take sanctuary in the bathroom?"
"Lets just say a familiar guest…" he trailed off without mentioning the name. She would know without him saying it.
"…Did she-"
"No, she was just…runnin', but even that's hard to put up with….Plus, its pretty hard for me to look in the mirror only to see a woman staring back at me." he added the last part with a laugh.
He got the response he wanted when she smiled. Her smile would always be something that he could see even in the dark, " I'm sure that's and a pretty emasculating experience. And speaking of emasculating, are you going to be present at my lesson tomorrow?"
Since the shop was no longer selling the emotion teas, they decided to turn half of the public section into a mini dojo…while the other half actually sold tea. Real honest to God tea. They would be reopening tomorrow and he knew that she was really excited about getting back to something that made her the expert. Not that she wasn't and expert at other things.
"Wouldn't miss it. I some how doubt that I'll be busy when the famous Alice is teachin' karaoke next door."
"Its karate. Karaoke is singing."
"It's a good thing that you're a karate instructor then and not a karaoke instructor."
"Oh really, I thought that you liked my singing." she mumbled back with fake shock that was covered up the moment he kissed her.
"I like everythin' about you…even the things that others might find excruciatingly painful." he said once he pulled away.
"Are you trying to tell me that I suck?"
"No, just that you'd be the star of a Jabberwock choir."
"That's so much better then, thank you."
"Anytime."
"Now that we've gotten that out of the way…sleep. That's an order." she said and followed her own words by shutting her eyes.
"What if I don't want too?" he replied with a raised eyebrow even though she couldn't see it.
"Hatter-"
"Is there a punishment involved?" he continued to mumble in a low voice as his hands moved over her.
"Hatter, we have work tomorrow."
He 'mm hmm'ed in agreement as he pulled her closer and soon all thoughts and dreams were forgotten…well at least certain dreams….
i'm pretty sure that i'm going to make shirtless Hatter a staple lol.
