A/N: I do not own the Alice story or the characters, I'm just having some fun. =)

Everywhere. Everywhere he turned it stared him in the face. No matter which store he went in, it was there. Huge, ridiculous displays of outrageous things. He cringed at even the thought of them.

Muttering to himself as he grudgingly adjusted his hat and made his belated entrance to the horribly and over-decorated grocery store. The oysters couldn't have come up with a more torturous holiday? The dark haired, rather grumpy man thought as he hurried his way through the many aisles wishing he was anywhere but where he actually was.

"Hell, I'd rather be still being chased by horrendous Jabberwock than—"Cutting his declaration short he noticed he had gained an audience.

"David Hatter…would you watch it?" The short brunette whispers heatedly. "You're going to get us in all sorts of trouble."

Shrugging he takes the shopping cart she had gone to retrieve. Fiddling with his coat's cuffs he tries to think of a good excuse. "Alice, sweetie…I just…"

"That's exactly what I thought." She smirks and fore goes rolling her eyes in spite of her annoyance. Feeling her boyfriend's uneasiness, she hurries them through the store, gathering everything on their list.

Entering their brand new apartment Hatter heaves a sigh of relief. "I don't know how you can stand it."

"Stand what?" Alice asks from the kitchen, putting away cans in the pantry.

"This… "holiday"."He states, his voice clearly depicts his disbelief that it could be a real holiday.

"You mean Valentine's Day?" Not understanding what he's getting at she walks out and sits next to him on their hand-me-down couch. His body splayed out and eyes closed as he tilts his face to the ceiling.

"Yes," Hatter's one word is filled to the brim with disgust. "The whole "love thing", that I could handle. The chocolates, the flowers, the cards, even the ridiculous little candy hearts with the pointless saying on them—but the hearts! They're everywhere, there's no escape."

Alice thinks back to his odd, well odder than usual, behavior in the store earlier. The way he kept his wary gaze glued to the floor, the large gaps of space he left between himself and any sort of Valentine display, the Jabberwock comment—it all made sense now.

"Oh—" She paused, not sure of the right thing to say. "Hatter, I didn't realize how bad it would be for you! Sometimes I forget you've only lived on this side for less than a month, honey. That things don't always mean the same to you."

Opening his eyes, he glances at her stricken and worried face. Worried for him, his feelings. I don't deserve this girl sometimes, he admitted inwardly. But I wouldn't give her up for the world. Either of them! Drawing her to his chest with an arm, he softly strokes her long hair.

"Oh, Alice. Don't make faces like that at me, please. I'm fine." He claims, looking at her with a straight face even though he's anything but. "Every time I turn around I'm just suck being reminded of Jack and how much he would have gotten all uppity about this, ya know?" And thinking whether you'd rather have him here for it instead.

"Jack—"Alice starts to laugh. "Jack doesn't matter. Even if he knew about this holiday, he wasn't here for it then and I'm glad he's not now."

Hatter sighs again before starting to chuckle about it too. Alice hugs him tightly. Grinning he stares at her, his grumpy mood completely turned around because of her laugh, and god how he loved her laugh. "Oh, you are?"

"Yes, because not only am I already sitting with the man I do love, which certainly isn't him, you're right that he would get all superior about it. That'd be far too annoying."

Hatter stops laughing, suddenly sober. Did she just…say she loved me? The tiny, dark haired girl twists in his arms when she notices. "Hatter are you…"

"You love me?" He cuts her off. She just stares at him blankly. "You just said "sitting with the man I do love", meaning that you love me."

"Of course I do," she starts laughing again. "How could you not know that?"

"I love you too." He says solemnly before her giggles infect him.

"Good. Now we both know, what we already should have, that we love each other." She kisses him, wrapping her arms around his neck. One hand dives into his chaotic hair while the other places his hat on her head. He smiles broadly into the kiss, waiting a minute before taking it back.

"I love you," She repeats, every inch of her meaning it and it showed. "And I always will."

Finally! He thinks contentedly, pushing his lips back to hers.