Walking through the halls of the Hatter Mansion was always a bit of a challenge for me. I would turn this way and end up outside, or I would turn that way and end up in someone else's room. There was even a time I managed to find myself in the middle of Bloods forbidden rose garden. I hurried out as soon as I realized what I had done. I'm hopeful he doesn't know, but something deep inside me can't convince myself that. Besides I heard him talking about seeing footprints and demanding to know who dares to not follow his rules.
My short dress, well actually it wasn't really anything more than a shirt that was extra long, swayed against my bare legs and made me shiver slightly as I walked. Upon my arrival to Wonderland, my original clothes had been destroyed due to the amount of freaking out I did. They tore to pieces on the branches on the trees while I ran through them. Blood provided me with this attire once he found me.
"That man promised me that he would get me some real clothes soon. It's been two weeks!" I mumbled underneath my breathe while trying to find the kitchen. According to Dee and Dum, Elliot's birthday was coming up soon so I wanted to make him a cake, a carrot cake at that. He claims to not like carrots but I know better. His mouth will water at the sight of it and I will laugh like a fool when it does.
I turned a corner sharply and smacked my entire body into something else. That something else barley moved while I fell to the floor. A small thump could be heard as I made contact with the hard floor below. I cringed with impact.
"Oww." I groaned. I looked up to see Blood with a small smirk on his face. His eyes glistened with something that I couldn't describe. Mischief maybe?
"You should pay more attention Mariah." He outstretched his white gloved hand and I hesitated to take it. I was retracting to so I could get up on my own but instead he grabbed it and hoisted me upwards toward him. "I'd hate for you to…hurt yourself."
The force in which he had hoisted me was tremendous. So much that I was flush against his chest and my face was mere inches from his when I had stopped. I felt the blush rising to my face and I could do nothing more than just look away to the side. I felt his hands slide around to the small of my back while the other rested on my hip, squeezing it slightly.
He noticed my discomforted state and released me gently, taking a step or two back to give me some room. "Where were you trying to go?" He suddenly asked while picking up his famed cane. It had fallen to the floor when I ran into him. I guess even he wasn't expecting that to happen.
"I-I was trying to find the k-kitchen." I told him shyly, my blush refusing to go away, but only intensifying with every passing second I was with this man. He always did have more of an affect on me, far more than any other members of Wonderland. I had a feeling that he knew it too. He would always tease me whenever we were together. But unlike most, he restrained himself from hurting me. I remember Elliot telling me about the last outsider, he said that Blood was interested in her and because he was interested, he was be mean to her, even going so far as to strike her.
It made me wonder if Blood even liked me at all. I mean if that's the way he show affection then he must hate me! But his actions say otherwise. He has always been…sweet? Would that be the proper way to describe a mafia boss? Sweet?
I was zoned out into my own little word when I felt something once again snake around waist, pulling me forward. I shook my head a bit and looked over to see Blood was leading me away somewhere. "Hey, where are we going?"
"You said you were looking for the kitchen. So I will take you there." He said smoothly. I loved hearing him talk, his voice reminded me of the softest silk there was.
"Oh, thank you." I said, smiling a little at how nice he actually could be. We turned a few more corners until I saw the familiar doors of the kitchen up ahead. He let go of me and I started to walk forward, already scheming into how this cake as going to look but a voice stopped me.
"And for your clothes, Mariah, they will be done shortly. I promise you." With that being said, he left.
I on the other hand felt my face heat up once again. "So he heard me. Great, now he probably thinks I'm some stuck up who cries when they don't get what they want."
No! I couldn't think that! I have a cake to make for Elliot! With my new mission in mind, I stormed into the kitchen and got out all the necessary ingredients. My blue eyes scanned the small cookbook in front of me as I mixed and whipped and stirred in everything that I needed.
I had been working on the cake for about an hour when suddenly I had two shorter people standing on either side of me. "What you doing Mariah?"
"Yea, what you doing?
I looked down to see Dee to my right and Dum to my left? Or was Dum on the right and Dee on the left? I don't know, I still couldn't tell them apart. "I'm making a cake for Elliot's birthday. What about you? Skipping out of your job again I see." I smirked at their reactions. Their face contorted into that of 'darn, we're caught'!
I bent down and placed the cake into the oven, it should be done in about an hour according to the cookbook. I closed the door and set the small timer, hoping that I would be able to hear it when it went off. "You guys don't know where Blood is do you?"
They shook their heads in a yes fashion and I put my hands on my hips, staring at them and trying to tell tham apart in my mind. "Well where is he then?"
"You promise not to tell that we were skipping?" One of them said while crossing his arms in a somewhat huffy fashion.
"Yea, you promise?" The other copied and did the same, crossing his arms and smirking at me childishly.
I gave a sigh and shook my head, my dark brown hair whipping all over the place. "Yes I promise. Just tell me where he is will you?" I did like these two but my patience with them is a very fine line. A VERY fine line.
"He's in the rose garden." They said in unison. I thanked them and actually headed in the opposite direction of the rose garden. The reason I wanted to know was so I could in fact avoid him. I'm afraid that if I were to see him again today I would lose it! My face would turn red and I would stutter and all heck would break lose within me. I felt tingly just thinking about it.
"If he's in the rose garden then he'll be there for awhile. I think I'll go and read a book until the cake is done." I said while tapping my chin thoughtfully.
I actually knew how to get to his office. That was the one places I spent most of my time, reading anything and everything I could get my hands on.
A few short moments later and I was there. I swung open the door and would you believe who was sitting at his desk? Hat off, coat off, and cane to the side? Yep. Those devious little twins probably lied to me and believe me when I say this...they will pay for it later.
"B-Blood. What are you doing here?" I stuttered out, face already heating up, even though nothing had happen...yet.
He stopped writing and looked at me with amusement. "Well this is my office after all. I think I have a right to be in here. What about you? Is there something that you need?"
He had pushed himself away from his desk and was now waltzing over to me in a somewhat provocative manner. It made me slightly uncomfortable yet I loved seeing him that way. His shirt was open slightly, due to the top button being unbuttoned, and his hair seemed a mess. I'm guessing he just took his hat off and ruffled his hair.
"I-I just wanted to read a book. I though y-you were in the rose garden." I said shyly, blushing like always at the mere sight of him, though secretly killing the twins within my inner mind.
"Then please, help yourself." He said with a smile that could have melted even the coldest frozen heart. I didn't hesitate to turn around and search the shelf for something new. Though I had only been here for a few weeks, reading was something that I enjoyed very much. I had practically started at the bottom of the shelf and made my way up toward the top.
This is where I have a slight problem. I'm kind of short, only 5'1, and his bookshelf is kind of tall, therefore I was standing on my tip toes trying to reach a book that I had started a few days ago. Unfortunately I had left it out on the couch and I suppose he put it back, oh the luck I have.
I reached with all my might but was still unable to get to it. But then I felt something press firmly against my back while something else ghosted across the thin fabric of my long shirt, right around the area of my rear to be exact.
This small, but effective, action made a gasp escape from me as I was not expecting such a bold move. His hand lingered for a moment until he retrieved the book, chuckling slightly as he did so in a dark fashion. He must really enjoy seeing me in a flustered state like this. He held it in front of my face and whispered in my ear. "Here you go."
The breath of him ghosted across my ear and made a shiver shoot up my spine. Due to the fact that he was still pressed up against me, I shivered into him and heard him give a barely audible sound as I did so. I'm not sure if it was out of surprise or something else….
He stepped away and went back over to his desk, sitting down. "You are more than welcome to stay in here a read if you wish Mariah."
How could I say no to that? I didn't reply, I only went over to his couch and sat down with my legs stretched across the entire thing. I'm not exactly sure how long I had been reading, but it was long enough for Blood to finish up whatever work he had to do for the day. I soon felt two hands pick up my legs before setting them back down onto something.
I peeked out from my book and saw Blood smirking at me. "Enjoying your book?"
"I am actually." I wasn't really focused on him at the moment, I was more interested in this wonderful book, but how could I concentrate when he was skimming his fingers across my bare legs? Honestly.
He went from my ankle all the way up to my knee, where he pushed the fabric of my shirt up to my thigh. "H-Hey, what a-are you doing?"
I sat my book down on the small table that was at the end of the couch before pushing the shirt back down again. He smiled at my poor attempts and only pushed it once again. I was getting more and more flustered by the minute from his actions and pushing down my shirt was becoming more difficult to do.
He wouldn't remove his hand from my knee and instead he squeezed it, making a tingling sensation shoot through me. I put my hand over top of his in an effort to make him stop, which he did after several more antagonizing seconds.
"Thank you." I said, a little out of breath. All that struggling could really wear a person out! He had given me his famous smile and gently grabbed my wrist, the one that had been on top of his hand to get him to stop.
Swiftly he jerked me from my seated position on the other end of the couch, over to him where he held me close. He had grabbed my chin with his other hand while the one that had grabbed me sat on the small of my back, rubbing in circles slightly.
"W-wha—"
My sentence was cut terribly short when he pushed his head forward into mine, making our lips connect oh so sweetly. My eyes widened greatly for a moment when the thoughts computed in my brain as to what was going on. After several moments, they closed and savored the taste of him mixed in with that black tea he loved so much.
I thought he was going to pull away from the way he was acting but instead, he gently bit my lip and made me gasp. He memorized every nook and cranny before pulling away and resting his head gently on top of mine.
I on the other hand had my head on his chest, listening to the quiet ticking of his internal clock. "Why did you do that?" I finally asked out of utter curiosity.
"I don't like my motives questioned, but if you must know…you interest me." He said while running his hand once again a little lower than it should have. "You interest me very much and I refuse to give you to anyone else. Especially that man Mary."
I looked up at him and he smirked down at me and my blushing form. "So what, are you saying that I can't go see him now?"
He hugged me closer to him, to he point that I though I wasn't going to be able to breathe. "No. Because you're going to be having a very busy night."
I took the word blush to a whole new meaning from that comment. But Blood could only laugh at me and nuzzle his nose into my hair, inhaling deeply. "And believe me when I say I'm looking forward to it. After all, Elliots party will be rather fun. Aren't you making him a cake?"
My eyes shot open not only from how completly wrong I was about what Blood meant, but as to the cake that was STILL IN THE OVEN!
"Oh no the cake!" I rushed from Blood and shot through the door, trying to save the cake before it burnt to a crisp. I wasn't that lucky. I pulled it out right when Elliot walked in the door.
"Please tell me that I don't have to eat that..."