Pet Names
January 18th 2014
by Elise the Writing Desk, Characters by QuinRose

"Good morning, Sweet Pea!" a short chortle followed by a light kiss on the nose woke Alice Liddell. She was soon welcomed by a big grin from a ginger boss, and looking at him she couldn't resist a smile of her own.

Alice slowly sat up, and tensed, feeling something in her heart—ah, ha, yeah, right. She put a hand on her left chest and felt something ticking beneath her ribs.

"Haven't got used to it, Cupcake?"

"Just a little bit shocked now and then," Alice stretched with a groan and grinned to Gowland. "Good morning, Mary! Fetch me my robe, will you, love?"

Gowland cleared his throat and threw the robe which was hanging on the door and flashed her a smile. "I'll get our tea, just stay there, Cookie."

"Very well, love." Alice nodded while calmly putting on her robe, not noticing how Gowland strutted out with steaming red face. She smiled to herself, replaying all the pet-names Gowland called her, and giggled to herself like a lovesick girl.

Pet names. She had a lot of those in this world. From Blood would be things like 'Sweet-face' or 'Doll-face'. Peter called her 'My Love' or 'My Heart'. Black called her 'Bitch' (she stifled a laugh remembering this). Dee and Dum called her 'Big Sis!'. Vivaldi called her 'Cute One'. So many names, mostly nicknamed from her appearance—which she honestly wasn't confident of—and that could be one of the reason she loved Gowland's pet names.

"Milk, right?" Gowland returned with their tea and the two sat on the edge of their bed. Alice thanked him with a kiss on the cheek and inhaled the scent of the Earl Grey. "Do you want a different weapon for today, Ginger Bread?"

Alice flinched a little and became fully aware of her ticking clock. She lost the track of time—as it's normal, considering the rampant flow of time in this world—but it's been a while that she had become a Role Holder and her heart was replaced with a clock. Therefore, she had a duty and a quota to 'kill'. She had rid of her 'humanity' crap for a little, but killing others was a little bit too much sometimes.

"I fancy my airgun the most, love. I think it's the best one I can use." Alice took a sip.

Gowland glanced away, clearing his throat again and slowly leaned his head onto her shoulder.

"I love you, Shortcake."

Alice almost choke on her tea, slightly blushed. Wiping her lips with an irritated frown, she asked; "Wh-What's wrong now, love?"

Gowland raised his eyebrows, slightly getting redder again, and then chuckled, wrapping his arms around her.

"I just feel the weirdest sensation every time you call me that, Candy!"

"Y-You don't like it...?"

"I love it. Why do you call me that, anyway?" Gowland asked, glancing down into her eyes, which were trembling in embarrassment.

"It's um, a way of speaking in my world. Everyone calls everyone else 'dear' 'sweet heart', 'mate' or 'loved one'...like that." She glanced away, struggling a little to stare at her tea cup which was so interesting at the moment.

"But you don't call anyone else that way, right!?" Gowland quickly went into his usual panic fit, and Alice quickly shook her head with a worried frown and blushing face.

"No, of course not, I could never...!" she pursed her lips and looked away again. "I guess it's sort of like a pet name for you, Mary...My father called my mother that way too...I just...Ugh, this is embarrassing." She facepalmed.

Gowland studied her embarrassed face before grinning widely and embraced her again, the cup in her hands almost spilled, and she yelped in surprise.

"I love that pet name, Cherry Pie~!"

Alice elbowed him a little in embarrassment, but a small smile fighting in the corner of her lips.

"Y-You always call me names like 'Sweet Pea' and 'Shortcake' or 'Candy Cake'...why?"

"Ah, th-that?" Gowland let go and bent down to take his cup of tea on the floor, fidgeting a little. "I-I just...love sweet things, you know. I guess that's why?"

He didn't dare to look at Alice, so he finished his tea in one gulp and stood up. "Okay, the boss has to open the park and please people! Be safe with the Mafia, 'kay, Marshmallow?" he flashed her a grin before frantically exited their bedroom.

Alice couldn't help her laughter. Ah, she too had a day to attend, but for now, she just wanted to sink those pet names into her ticking heart.

Yep, she loved Gowland's pet names the most.

When she was retrieving her airgun from beside her bed, Gowland slipped in again, kissed her on the cheek and stared at her with a really cute pout that denied all his mature features.

"What is it, love?" Alice tilted her head, surprised.

Gowland pursed his lips and pushed his glasses with his ring finger, glancing away.

"Don't cheat on me, 'kay, Pancake?" with that, he left the room again.

Alice dropped her gun to her bed and went to chase the ginger head.

"Mary, call me 'Pancake' once again, love."

I love Gowland, okay, judge me. He's an ossan, yes the sweetest ossan ever. The diabetes-virus-transmitter ossan, that's Mary Gowland, okay? I know diabetes doesn't come from virus but ssshh, Mary Gowland has that, okay?

Kindly review if you have the time, Sweet Apple ;)