Well first off let me say sorry for this taking so long. I had planned on having it up way eairler than this but my life got a bit crazy and this was actually giving me alot of trouble so it took a bit longer than I had planned. Second, you'll have to excuse the corny title, my creative juices had pretty much run dry after this, and another fic I am working on for a different fandom, had been finished and 'Home sweet home' was the first thing that came into my head so that's what it's called. and thirdly, the whole story it'self isn't M rated, I'd say the majority of the beginning falls under at least K+ to T it's only near the end where the M rating will come into play. So if your reading this but not sure about the rating then just feel free to skip over that section! enough of me talking, enjoy!
The pizza place wasn't too far from her house; they made it there in record time though because Hatter was 'very hungry'. She opened the door and slipped into a booth next to Hatter.
"I'll go order okay." She said after she convinced Hatter to go easy and just get a cheese for his first try.
"If you like it so much, we can try something different next time." She said, he agreed and she walked up to the counter to order
"Alice! You're doing okay, you're mom came looking for you here a while ago, I told her I hadn't seen you, what happened?" Tony, the owner of the shop, pulled her into a huge hug as he moved behind the counter to take her order. Tony was one of Alice's favorite people, a true Italian, a bit heavy, but full of love and life. She always came to talk to him if she had a problem she couldn't discuss with her mother.
"I am fine, just, slipped and fell in that warehouse down the street, hit my head and got knocked unconscious." She explained. Tony laughed.
"Always getting into trouble you are." He said, She heard Hatter laugh from his table, Tony glanced over.
"Who's that?" he asked in a whisper.
"That's, um." She struggled, wondering if she should use Hatter or David, she'd have to talk to him about this.
"David." Hatter called from where he sat. Tony quirked an eyebrow.
"He works construction for the warehouse, found me and helped get me to the hospital." She said. Tony nodded.
"And he's British; I hear that's all the rage with the ladies now a days." He said with a laugh, Alice joined him.
"Yeah, well. He's certainly special." She said with a smile.
"Seems like a good enough catch, keep this one around for a while eh?" Tony said, Alice nodded.
"So what'll it be today?" He asked.
"Large cheese, were going easy today, nothing fancy." Alice said.
"Well it should be ready in a few minutes; I'll bring it over when it's done." He said with a smile.
"Thanks." She said and moved back to the booth with Hatter.
"How do you know him?" he asked.
"Tony's owned this restaurant for years, he was hear when my mom and I moved in down the street, he's kinda like a father figure to me I guess, always lookin out for me." She said with a smile. Hatter nodded and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"He likes you." Alice informed him.
"And why wouldn't he?" Hatter asked, Alice rolled her eyes and shook her head.
They sat in the booth waiting for their food and discussing tons of things. Hatter had many questions about New York City and Alice tried her best to answer them all. Finally the pizza came and Hatter was instantly interested.
"Enjoy!" Tony said, and then left the two to eat. Alice picked up a slice and slid it onto a plate, handing it to Hatter, and then did the same for herself.
"How do you eat it?" He whispered, Alice laughed and then took a bite herself, showing him how it was done. He nodded and copied her movements, taking a bite out of his slice. She didn't have to wait long for a reaction, his eyes got wide and he smiled.
"This is great! You people eat this all the time?" He asked, taking another bite. Alice laughed.
"Not all the time but every once in a while yeah." She said. Hatter shook his head.
"We're eating this all the time." He informed her. Alice rolled her eyes, that idea would last for a while, till he got sick from eating it too much.
Hatter helped her scarf down the rest of the pizza, for such a skinny man he could seriously pack away food.
"How do they make this?" Hatter asked.
"That I can show you." Tony called from behind the counter; he motioned for them to join him. Alice shrugged and pulled Hatter from his seat and then stepped behind the counter.
"Start with dough yeah?" Tony explained, Hatter looked at Alice.
"Like bread, but not baked yet." She whispered to him, he nodded and Tony continued.
"Then you have to make it the right size, you do this part with me okay?" He said handing Hatter a flattened piece of dough. Alice knew what was coming next; she couldn't wait to see this.
"Now, you throw it in the air, and spin it around, like this." Tony said demonstrating. Hatter nodded.
"And if you get pretty good, you can do this." Tony said, adding a few flips and over the shoulder rolls to his tricks. Hatter smiled and nodded. Alice knew what he was thinking, if he could do it with his hat, he could do it with this; she shook her head in preparation.
"So now you try, give it a good spin, and toss." Tony said, demonstrating again.
Hatter took his turn, and didn't actually do to bad on his first try, he spun it nicely but caught it wrong when it fell and it clumped back into a ball.
"Good try, though, good try. Once more eh?" Tony told Hatter.
He tried again, and this time ended up with dough on his head instead of in his hand. Alice tried as hard as she could to hold back her laughter, Tony did not.
"Well it's a learned skill." He said, helping Hatter remove the dough from his head.
"Anyway, once it's done, you put the sauce on it, and then cheese and add whatever else you want." Tony told him, adding the ingredients.
"And then it goes in the oven and when it's done you eat!" He said. Hatter nodded, slapping a face of interest on, his pride still a bit wounded.
Alice thanked Tony and promised they'd be back and then they left hand in hand.
"You did great." Alice said after they were a block away from the restaurant.
"I suppose it's not the same as hat tricks." He mumbled. Alice nodded.
"So you can cross pizza maker off your list of possible jobs." Alice added, he nodded and laughed.
"Thank god." He said.
"So back to your place then?" She asked. He looked over at her.
"I believe we still have, lots of other things, to do." She said, he smiled at her and guided her two more blocks to his apartment.
"So this is where you live." Alice said glancing up at the apartment complex they stopped in front of.
"Yep." Hatter said, she could tell he wasn't all that enthused about it, he'd told her it was Jacks old place and that he'd let Hatter have it free of charge, but Alice had never been here herself so she didn't quite know what to expect.
They walked up the stairs and turned the corner and Hatter led her to the door, she scoffed.
"Hatter you shouldn't keep the door open." She said glancing at it. His eyes got dark and he pressed her behind himself.
"I didn't." He said, opening the door the rest of the way. Alice followed him in with caution. There was no one in the large living room but they heard movement in the kitchen. Hatter turned to look at her, pointed at the ground and mouthed 'stay here' to her; she rolled her eyes and followed him anyway. The door to his refrigerator was open and whoever was here was sitting behind it. She stepped back as he pulled the door all the way open revealing none other than.
"Charlie?" Hatter asked, the old Knight looked up at him from his seat on the floor.
"Harbinger, you've finally managed to find your way back!" He said standing up.
"What are you talking about?" He asked.
"Ah, JustAlice!" Charlie said, pulling Alice in for a hug.
"Hi, Charlie, what are you doing here?" She asked. He let her go and backed up, facing both of them.
"I've come to take your Harbinger back home; it's been almost a month." Charlie said simply.
"Who told you I was here?" Hatter asked.
"Jack of course, he said you'd come over to make sure JustAlice was fairing okay. I waited for you for quite some time and finally decided I'd come collect you myself." He said with pride.
"Charlie listen, I don't exactly know how to tell you this, I am not coming back to Wonderland." Hatter said simply.
"Not coming back! Why?" He asked. Hatter didn't say anything, just glanced down at his hand, intertwined with Alice's.
"Ah, I see." Charlie said quietly.
"Well then I should say my goodbyes." He added quickly. He stepped in front of Alice, pulled her in for another hug and then took both her hands in his own.
"I wish you all the best Alice, and make sure to take care of this one, you know how much of a handful he can be sometimes." Charlie whispered. Alice laughed.
"I will, thank you Charlie." She said, wrapping him up in another hug. He smiled at her and moved onto Hatter.
"And you watch over her too, very prone to trouble this one is." He whispered to Hatter. Hatter glanced over at Alice who rolled her eyes.
"I know, I'll take care of her Charlie." He said.
"Good, and um, I am very," Charlie paused to think.
"I am very proud of you, Hatter." He said finally. Alice smiled, that was the first time Charlie had ever called him by his actual name.
"Thanks." Hatter said simply, the shake in his voice was slight but Alice caught it, he cleared his throat quickly.
Charlie nodded. "And come visit sometime." He said to both of them with a flourish. Alice laughed
"I am sure we will." She said. Charlie hugged them both again, said a quick goodbye and then left, closing the door behind him.
The two stood in silence for a while.
"You alright?" Alice finally asked.
"Yeah, I am fine." Hatter said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He wouldn't say anything, at least not now, and Alice was okay with that.
"I should show you around." Hatter said, taking her hand in his and guiding her through the apartment. The living room was large with a beautiful view of the city. The décor was not Hatter at all however, all harsh lines and red and white colors, he said he'd have all Jack's old stuff out by the end of the week and then she could help him redecorate, she agreed, the thrill of finding things that fit Hatters taste got to her. He took her into the kitchen, stainless steel and top of the line hardware, this he would keep. And then it was down the hallway and into a roomy bathroom, with a tub and a shower that Alice already knew Hatter had plans in mind for. And then he showed her into the bedroom. Alice stopped at the door, amazed by the lushness of it all. The bed was huge, to say the least, with enormous pillows and comforter, all in a simple black color. There were long red drapes hanging from a window that showed another view of the city, and white rugs carpeted the floor. Hatter glanced at her.
"You okay?" he asked, she looked a bit overwhelmed.
"Yeah, just. Do you mind?" She asked motioning if she could go to the bed. He nodded.
"Sure." He said. She got a huge smile on her face, ran full speed at the bed and jumped, throwing herself down on all the pillows, laughing the entire time. Hatter stood with a shocked but amused look on his face.
"Oh come on you know you want to." Alice called to him. He gave her a smirk and crossed the room quickly and jumped, landing next to her, the both of them laughing now.
"I might develop an attachment to this bed." She said, trying to catch her breath.
"I would be okay with that." Hatter replied, a bit smug, she laughed and pulled a pillow from behind her, whacking him across the chest with it.
"Hey, hold on here. My house, they'll be no hitting of people with pillows." He said, taking the defensive, for a second she really thought she'd upset him.
"Unless I am the one doing the hitting." He added quickly, whacking her stomach with a pillow he pulled from behind his back. She gasped and hit him back, the whole thing developing into a full fledged pillow war within seconds, each ducked down on either side of the bed with a pillow arsenal at the ready. They goofed off for a while and somehow both of them ended up back in the middle of the bed, smacking each other senseless with pillows until Hatter grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in flush with himself. The pillows were instantly forgotten, Hatter moved one hand up to the back of her neck, pulling her face close to his and letting his lips linger near her own.
"I missed you." He whispered. She smiled and kissed him, realizing very quickly that she could get used to this free feeling, she wanted it all the time, she wanted Hatter, to be with him constantly, she never wanted to leave him again.
"Love you." She mumbled out between kisses, he didn't answer but kissed her more fiercely and that was enough of an answer for her. She smiled into his lips as he pushed her down on the bed, his hands running down her sides. She sighed contentedly and let him continue. His hands reached the hem of her shirt and he slowly slipped a hand underneath and let his fingers roam on the soft skin of her stomach. He slipped his other hand under as well, so she brought her own hands down to the bottom of the shirt and lifted it slowly; trying to tell him that it was okay. He got the hint; he leaned up to kiss her sweetly, only breaking for air when he pulled the shirt from her body.
She took the opportunity, since they were mostly sitting now, and quickly slid her hands under Hatter shirt, removing it as well. He leaned back and smiled at her then started dealing with her neck, and kissing down across her collar bone. She sighed and let her fingers get tangled in his hair, he felt her but continued on anyway, the soft feel of her skin against his lips too much for him to get away from right now. She ran her hands down his back, pleased at the way his muscles flexed under her touch, she wanted to see him though and she couldn't. So she let her hands roam back up his back and down his arms, enough that she could get a good hold on him, then she quickly flipped him, gaining the upper hand.
She could tell he was stunned, but she used that to her advantage, straddling his hips and letting herself glance down at him. She ran her hands across his chest, he was slight, but toned and fit, her eyes darkened however at the bruises and scars that dotted and marked his chest. She ran her fingers across the one near his heart, knowing all too well the origin of that one. She leaned down and kissed it lightly, then felt his hands slip under her chin; he pulled her head up so he could look her in the eyes.
"Later." He told her. She nodded and tried not to think about it as she explored the rest of his torso, kissing her way slowly down his chest to just above the line of his pants. She stopped and glanced up at him through her eyelashes, silently asking the question, he didn't say anything but the look he gave her back was enough so she let her hands undo the button and zipper on his trousers and he lifted his hips so she could slide them down. He was just as eager to remove the rest of her clothing however, so he slowly pushed her back over and crawled on top of her again.
He mumbled words as he kissed down her neck again, his hands slipping behind her back and snapping the clasp of her bra open, pulling the garment from her. He spared a moment to look at her, the delicious, milky curves of her body, but he quickly went back to the task at hand. He continued to make his way down to her hip bone, placing small kisses there, and running his hands across her thighs through the denim of her jeans. She wasn't wasting any time, reaching her hands down to undo the jeans for him, then letting him slip them off of her, tossing them to the side with the rest of their clothing. He did away with the lacy black underwear as well and then allowed himself to truly take her in, as she did the same to him. Running his hands across her skin and back up to cup her face in his hand.
"I love you." He whispered. She nodded and kissed him, knowing full well how much he cared.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer, wanting skin to skin contact more than anything. She let her hands roam him as well, the curve of his back, the muscles in his arms and chest. She could feel the scars, and swore to herself that she'd memorize each and every one.
He glanced up at her from his spot below her breasts, her breath coming in short pants, the heat radiating off the both of them making a thin layer of sweat rise on them. He licked and kissed his way back up to her mouth and then captured it in a searingly passionate kiss. She moaned against his mouth which earned her a deep growl back, and she smiled, pleased that she could make him melt just as much as she was. Her hands roamed down his back to rest on his hips, pressing just enough so that they touched her own. She ground into him slowly making him growl and nip at her neck. She smiled but repeated the gesture, the warm pressure between her legs becoming too much to ignore.
"Please Hatter." She whispered. He looked up at her and decided against his better judgment of wanting to explore her more, there'd be time for all that later.
He took her hips in his hands and slid inside of her slowly, each letting out a soft moan as he filled her perfectly. She latched onto his back instantly and ground her hips into his again.
"Patience my love." He whispered in her ear, his voice deepened from lust, making her shiver.
He kept the pace slow as he continued ministrations on her neck, collarbone and chest. She tried multiple times to speed him up but he would have none of it, and finally she just gave up and enjoyed the slow languid pull and push he was giving her.
She could feel herself building slowly and she knew he was as well. Carefully she hooked a leg around him, and he moved against her, pushing in deeper, she let herself moan in pleasure as he continued to push exactly where he needed to.
He'd brought her so close to where she needed to be. Her mind shut down, she whispered his name over and over, tangling her hands in his thick hair and bringing his lips up to hers. He said her name as well, quietly and so sweetly, as he lightly took his hands across her body again, that Alice let a few small tears drop from her eyes.
She didn't last much longer after that but she knew he was close as well and so she tried her hardest to hold on for him.
They came together, holding each other close and saying each other's names over and over, and Alice let herself cry at the immense amount of love she felt for this man.
He released her slowly from his arms and laid her back down softly on the bed, rolling over beside her and gathering her back up in his arms, holding her close to him.
She smiled, and nuzzled herself into the crook of his neck, planting light kisses there.
"I love you." She said against his skin. He let his hand run through her hair as he lifted her chin so he could look at her. He shook his head in disbelief.
"You have no idea what I'd do for you." He said quietly.
"I think I do." She answered, running her finger across the bruise at his heart.
"I love you so much Alice." He said, letting her rest her head back against his chest.
"I am glad you're here." She said as his hands roamed her back soothingly.
"So am I my love." He told her, kissing her hair lightly.
"So am I."
Okay so this is probably only my second time writing anything M for these two, and I usually don't write M stuff to begin with so you'll have to excuse me if this wasn't exactly up to par, but I hope everyone got the gist of it.
I'd just like to thank everyone again for reading and reviewing for Small Steps, I was so happy to see that everyone took to it like they did, so thanks a bunch for that and I hope you enjoyed this little 'epiolouge', I guess you could call it. Please send me all your lovely reviews and let me know what you all thought. Thanks again!
~Tara~