Alice Kingsley had never been more bored in her entire life…well, that wasn't quite true since conversations with Hamish tended to be even more boorish, but it came in a close second. She sighed, which earned her a glare from her mother who had been in conversation with a gentleman who reminded her strangely of Stayne.
She had gotten back from China a few days ago and already her mother had forced her to go to (another) party. This particular one was the celebration of the twin's birthday. She would have found it enjoyable if her mother had not tried to push her onto every available gentleman, no matter the age. It seemed that Mrs. Kingsley had still not given up on marrying Alice off to a wealthy gentleman.
Her mind started wandering (as minds often are prone to do) on her trip to China. It had been a refreshing year spent there and she had been sad to come home, though not as sad as she had been when she left Underland. Speaking, or thinking as is the case now, of Underland, Alice wondered how her friends were doing. Actually, she wondered how a certain friend was doing. There had not been a day when she had not thought of the Mad Hatter. Everything reminded her of him, from the top hats she glimpsed through shop windows, to the afternoon tea parties she attended with her mother. It would be much easier to count the times she had not thought of him. And she had to admit, sometimes they were not the purest thoughts. She found herself flushing just thinking on it.
"Are you alright, Alice?"
Her very pregnant sister looked at her worriedly. She nodded, sighing once again. What was she supposed to say to that? That she was imagining how the Hatter's lips would feel against her own? (Quite soft, she supposed).
Her cheeks reddened once again as she imagined the scenario. It made her feel warm and tingly all over. She wondered what he'd taste like (cherries, she decided) before her mother interrupted her delightful, yet slightly mad, fantasies.
"Alice, this is Lord Louis. He'd like to dance with you," Mrs. Kingsley tone was stern as was the glare she sent Alice.
She frowned, looking at her mother's conversation partner(and the Stayne clone) more closely. He was short(unlike Stayne, who had been quite tall), with beady black eyes and slicked, oily black hair. All in all, he gave her the heeby-jeebies. She shuddered but one look from her mother and she knew she had no choice. As she began dancing with him, she decided that this man was definitely not mad enough for her tastes (If she admitted it to herself, there was only one who was.)
And he wasn't colorful at all! Black hair, black eyes, black tux, black shoes, even black socks! He made no move to start a conversation and she was sure that even if he had, it wouldn't have made any difference.
It was as she was being twirled around that she caught sight of IT.
The barest glimpse of stunning orange. She froze and blinked. It was gone. Her partner huffed in impatience and she began moving her feet again. It couldn't have been.
'Could it?'
She was spun around again and swore she saw a slightly burnt but still beautiful top hat. A hat she would be able to recognize anywhere, as she had only seen one like it in her lifetime.
"Impossible," she whispered to herself, even though she hoped in her heart that it was the exact opposite and that he was in fact here.
"Only if you believe it is," a soft, lisping voice said behind her. She had not noticed that they had stopped or that every eye in the room was upon her and the brightly dressed man standing behind her. She turned, chocolate brown clashing with emerald green. He hadn't changed a bit from when she last saw him.
"Tarrant?"
His grin widened immediately at her whispered question, showing the gap between his teeth. At the sight of his all-too-familiar smile, she couldn't restrain herself any longer.
And suddenly, Alice flung herself forward into a rather unsuspecting Hatter, placing a rather passionate kiss onto his cherry red lips. Many gasped, others fainted, and Alice's mother thought she'd have a heart attack (Such scandalous behavior!)
Hatter's wide green eyes widened further, a blush coming up into his too-pale cheeks. Alice pulled back, a mad smile on her face.
"I've missed you," she breathed out, taking in the sight of him. He looked….healthy (That was the only word Alice would let herself use, though plenty others came to mind.) His mess of orange hair was a little longer and his clothes looked a little less tattered than they had the last time but other than that, he looked the way he did in her dreams and fantasies. The hole that had been in her heart since she had left Underland vanished as she locked eyes with him, watching as his eyes changed from startling lime green to the softest shade of lavender.
"I…you…Champion…Raven and writing desk….Kiss starts with K….Impossible…," Hatter's words seemed to have disappeared (tricky little things) and he stood there, his mouth hanging open (which Alice found extremely endearing).
"ALICE!"
Alice cringed at her mother's loud voice, having forgotten that they had quite a large audience.
"I DEMAND TO KNOW WHO THIS RIDICULOUSLY DRESSED MAN IS!"
(Said man is still trying to catch his senses who decided to go for a stroll when Alice kissed him.)
Alice took a deep breath, turning to face her raving mother. Hatter seemed to have gathered his naughty senses, (or as much sense as he had…and even then it wasn't much) and slipped his hand into hers.
Alice looked up at him, sharing a loving smile with the mad hatter of Underland. No words were needed, she understood. The color of his eyes were enough proof of the intense feelings he held for her. Her heart filled with warmth as she gazed deeply into his eyes and saw what she hoped she would.
HE LOVED HER! She wanted to scream it out, tell the whole world that Tarrant Hightopp loved her and that she loved him back with all her heart (A certainly wonderful mad concept to be sure!).
She turned back to her mother, a chesire-like grin making its way onto her lips, "Mother, this is Tarrant Hightopp, the man I am madly in love with and hopefully wish, no, will marry in the near future."
Her mother promptly fainted, along with her sister. Tarrant looked…gorgeously cute, his smile wide, the surprise in his eyes visible. (But, he decided, this was a very good surprise. He was glad he had taken Chessur's suggestion to come Aboveland. He'd have to thank him later, even if the disappearing cat had made some rather suggestive suggestions). Hamish looked a little sick, and his mother stood shocked. Lord Ascot, the only one who didn't seem at all fazed in any way, stepped forward, hand stretched out.
Tarrant gladly took it, shaking it excitedly. Lord Ascot chuckled at the young man's enthusiasm, taking a step back to examine the two.
"It's a pleasure, Tarrant, I am Lord Ascot," Ascot's smile widened as he took in the way the two people in front of him looked at each other, "I do hope you'll take good care of Alice."
The pale man in front of him nodded fervently, the top hat almost falling off his ridiculously orange head. Alice reached up and fixed it, taking the chance to place a quick kiss on his pale cheek.
'Leave it up to Alice to pick someone like this,' Lord Ascot thought amused. He took in the pale (overly-so) face, bandaged fingers (a sign of hard work), red lips, flaming orange hair, thick eyebrows, large green (well, they had been) eyes, burnt hat and overly colorful clothes. The farthest thing from normal, but he approved of the cheerful young man.
"I FORBID IT!"
Her mother had come back from the land of the fainted and looked absolutely livid. Tarrant's eyes went from soft lavender to harsh amber quickly.
" 'M afraid you have no choice in this Hatter," his voice had gone from its usual velvet tone to a dark scottish brogue that Alice found slightly seductive but realized now was not the time to be thinking such thoughts.
"Hatter!"
His eyes changed again to their normal vibrant green and his face took on that familiar pained expression that always made Alice's heart tighten in her chest.
"I'm fine…," he squeaked out. Her mother looked stunned at the display and at the eye color change.
"Mother, I love him," she said softly and simply. Her mother's eyes softened and she turned to a blushing, lavender-eyed Tarrant.
"Do you love my daughter?"
He looked at Alice lovingly once before replying in a soft lisping tone, "More than anything and everything, Miss Kingsley. She is the sole reason for my very existence."
Alice blinked back tears at the beautiful words, smiling up at him. He smiled shyly back, looking embarrassed. Mrs. Kingsley still didn't look convinced, her mouth still set into a petulant frown.
"And just what is it that you do?"
Alice gave her mother a disapproving frown which the older woman ignored, staring up at the Hatter with stern eyes.
"I'm the royal hatter for the Queen…though I also make dresses as well when the Queen requires it of me. I've been told I'm quite good at what I do. Making hats is wonderful, a passion that my family has always cultivated…well, at least they did until they were murdered by the bloody red queen," his voice had once again changed from the soft lisp to the heavy brogue and Alice immediately intervened, calling his name softly. He instantly snapped back, his eyes shifting colors again as he mumbled a soft apology. Alice saw that her mother looked impressed (although there was still a disdainful expression glinting in her eyes as she took in the man's appearance again) and sighed with relief.
"Well…A royal hatter…That changes things. Make sure to take good care of her," she sniffed haughtily. (She was still a little wary of the man but it was impossible to say no, noticing the way Alice looked at him with love-struck eyes, a thing she thought would never happen. Of course her daughter would not fall in love with a relatively normal person. And besides, he worked for royalty…that meant he was pretty well off.)
Tarrant nodded solemnly, "I will."
Alice wasted no time, taking his bandaged hand and rushing out of the stuffy ballroom (after saying her goodbyes and wishing the twins a happy birthday, of course).
He led her to the rabbit hole (the party had been held at the Ascot's manor, as they had the grandest ballroom in the region) and they jumped in together, dodging flying pianos and a few floating chairs. This time she remembered the key before she shrunk and both made sure to grab a few pieces of upellkuchen in order to return to normal size after they passed through the door.
After much greetings and hellos and welcome backs from the citizens of Underland (a certain chesire cat had grinned suggestively at the two, making them blush), she was finally alone with the Madman she so dearly loved. He led her into his windmill house, shifting nervously as she took in the sight of his home.
He moved toward her hesitantly, calloused fingers brushing her cheek. At the touch, she turned her attention back to him, her brown eyes alive with emotion.
"May I?"
She nodded, her breath hitching when he leaned down. He kissed her softly at first, unhurried and gentle. She tipped her head, deepening the kiss and making it a little fiercer. He licked her bottom lip and she opened her mouth at his unspoken request. Their tongues met and wrestled (Hers won-she was a champion after all).
His lips broke away and trailed brief butterfly kisses down her neck. She moaned quietly, hands tangled in his unruly orange hair. The hat had been gently removed and placed upon the many shelves of bookcases he had in the windmill. He stopped, much to her dismay, and looked up at her with round lavender eyes.
"Are you sure about this Lassie? Once we pass this step, you'll be mine forever," his Scottish brogue made her skin tingle and she nodded. If there was anything she wanted more, it was to be together with him for forever.
"I have never been more certain of anything," her grin was lazy as her hand slowly undid the tie at his neck.
"Naughty," He smiled madly and picked her up bridal style before making his way to his room in the windmill.
The next morning found the two in bed, Alice lying on Tarrant's bare chest. She awoke and looked up into lavender orbs, relieved that it had not all been just another of her wild dreams.
"Good morning," she called out lazily, stretching against him. He responded by giving her a fiery kiss, successfully frying all of Alice's remaining brain cells. She responded eagerly and he chuckled.
"We really should get out of bed," he smiled when she pouted and shook her head, "Alice dear, the queen will probably want to see you."
"Today you're all mine and I want to stay in bed," she whispered breathily into his ear, successfully arousing him once again. He captured her lips in his, marveling at his luck (He would never fully understand how she had come to love a madman like himself) and at the way her lips seemed to mold with his (He later came to the conclusion that this was so because they were simply made for each other).
Suddenly, Alice giggled, a sound he found he enjoyed immensely.
"What is it, luv?"
He looked at her, confused amusement in his huge eyes.
"I was right," she whispered in his ear happily, before planting a soft kiss in the crook of his neck.
He shivered, trying his hardest to remain sane and keep track of the conversation, "About what, sweetling?"
Her smile was wide and happy, "You taste just like cherries."