Meh. Okay, so the people reading my other fanfic pry want to eat me right now ───Ｏ（≧∇≦）Ｏ──── Eh heh heh heh heh... but hey, inspiration is as inspiration does. And right now I have no, NO JuliusxAlice in OUAW (Once Upon A Wonderland) so I HAD to do SOMETHING to fix it! Hopefully, I'll update the other story before this one... And I think this one is probably just gonna be a three shot (unless I get annoying and start ANOTHER story because I have a million stories that I want to do and blllllaaaarrrgggghhhh I don't have enough time!) so enjoy! ...Unless you despise Julius, in which case the only way I can help you is to hit you on the head with a rock repeatedly. (´･_･`)
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Alice sighed to herself softly, shifting the heavy bags of clockwork parts and groceries uncomfortably from hand to hand before continuing to walk toward the clock tower.
This was not how she had planned on spending Valentine's Day.
What she had wanted to do was stay at the clock tower with Julius, watching him work, and maybe even getting a perfect score on her next cup of coffee. But unfortunately for her, as soon as a certain something had happened, all of her plans for a romantic-nice evening with Julius went completely out the window.
After all, I'm kind of like his little sister, right? Julius is family! It's not like I'm in love with him...right?
She felt a sharp pain in her chest. After all, everything that had happened so far was really her fault. It seemed unfair that Julius should have to suffer for her mistake.
"Ouch!" She squeaked in surprise as her foot came in contact with a rock. She tripped, bags flying, and landed directly in a huge puddle of mud she had been planning to skirt around the edge of. Her hair, dress, shoes, and most of her items were completely soaked with dirty water.
"Life. Hates. Me." She muttered to herself, shoving a sodden piece of hair out of her face.
"Ahahahaha! It looks like you took a fall, Alice!" Suddenly, a fresh wave of muddy water crashed over her and into her open mouth, causing her to cough and sputter uncontrollably. The only clue to the cause of her the distress was a single now-muddy boot by the side if the puddle. Her hands curled into fists as she struggled to rise off of the ground.
Welcome to hell, self. Welcome to hell.
"Ace." She hissed through gritted teeth, "Ace, you are so dead!"
"Aw... Don't be mad! I'll make it up to you by carrying you to the clock tower! But I can't go in because... Well, you know, Julius!" He smiled at her.
If even Ace won't go in to see him...you know it's bad!
A slight tremor racked her body.
"Come on, Alice!" And then, ignoring her startled cry, the knight reached down and yanked her over his shoulder.
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"That way!"
"This way?"
"NO! That way!" Alice gestured furiously in the opposite direction that Ace was walking, "The opposite of the way your going!"
"But, Alice, that is this way!"
"...no, it's not."
"Yes it is! Because that way, is the way that goes over there-" he pointed in a random direction which Alice was sure was not the way he had been going, "And this way is that way!" He pointed toward the edge of steep ravine that she didn't want to go anywhere near. "But I suppose, if you really, really want to this way..." He began walking toward the ravine.
Alice felt herself panicking slightly, "I said that way! That way!"
"Eh? I could've sworn you said this way..."
"Oh forget it! Put me down and just let me walk! Besides, I'm probably getting you dirty, anyway."
"I don't mind~! You're really light! And since I don't have anything else to carry..."
"Don't have anything else... Ace, were are my things?!"
"Things? What things? Oh... You mean the things you got for Julius!" He grinned happily, like a schoolchild excited about getting the correct answer.
"Yes those things!" Alice moaned, letting her body go limp, "...You left them on the path, didn't you."
Ace cocked his head to one time, taking a moment to consider the preposition, before finally replying: "Why yes! I did!"
"That is not something to be happy about!"
"Eh? Does Alice not like 'that'? I've always found 'that' a very nice word, it would probably be hard to-"
"ACE!"
I take it back. Even hell sounds more appealing than this!
"What?"
"I am going to tell you one more time. Put. Me. Down. Now. Or you'll regret it."
"Waah~! Alice is scary! Fine, I'll put you down. And I'll even go back and get your things for you! ...for a price."
"And just what," she snarled. "would that be?"
"You'll see! Come on!" And then, to Alice's immense surprise, Ace set her upright on her feet right at...
The clock tower?! How (and when) did we get here?!
"Now for the price..." Ace's grin turned absolutely evil.
"W-Wait... I haven't exactly agreed on anything yet, so..." Se bit her bottom lip nervously.
"Really? I was sure that you had!" He sauntered toward her, grinning. As he advanced, Alice slowly back up until her back eventually pressed into the cold stone of the clock tower. Even still, Ace continued walking toward her until there was a mere inch between their faces.
"U-Um..." Alice tried to slip away from him by moving to one side, but quickly slammed both of his arms on either side of her head, grinning.
He opened his mouth to say something but he never got the chance.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
"And just what the hell are you two doing out here?!" A rumpled-lookingclock master roared, looking furious, "Alice I told you to go and get clock parts! Ace, you shouldn't even be here right now! Just what part of that is too complicated for you two-" Suddenly he faltered, clutching his head in his hands. "Urgh... Alice... Alice, what is this goddamned feeling?!"
Sighing slightly, Alice walked toward him, gently helping him back into the clock tower. She vaguely realized that Ace had decided that the situation was too hazardous to stay.
Great. Thanks a lot, you useless knight!
"Julius," she said gently. "It's called a caffeine crash."
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Julius wound his hands in his hair, clutching at his skull and wishing that the damn pain would just go away.
I should never, ever have made that bet! I should've known better than to make a deal with Joker! But then again, if I hadn't...
He shivered at the thought. Yes, this was much better than the alternative. Just as long as Alice was safe...he could go through anything. Not that he would ever tell Alice that.
But what's the point if she keeps running into people like Ace?!
Julius scowled and shook his head, wincing a fresh bolt of pain jolted through his skull.
As long as Alice is fine...
...Where was Alice?
"Alice?" He called softly, using his desk to push himself up, "Alice, where are you? Alice!"
He was beginning to panic. There weren't really very many places she could be, and Ace could've waited for him to leave...
Calm down. She was covered in mud when she got here, remember? She's probably just in the shower.
How had she gotten covered in mud, anyway? Had she fallen? Or had Ace pushed her down?
Julius couldn't help but remember the position the two had been in when he went outside. It was very possible. Almost likely. He frowned when he felt a sharp pang in his chest.
It's just the coffee...just the caffeine crash...
He tried to silence the tiny voice in the back of his head that was telling him it was something else.
After all, this isn't the first time this has happened. And the other times you'd already had your coffee.
"It's just the coffee, dammit! Nothing else. Nothing else!" He growled, stomping off in search of the missing foreigner.
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Alice sighed happily as she slid her body under the stream of hot water, allowing the heat and steam to wash away the mud covering her body. After she got out, she would make Julius some coffee, and maybe find him a pill for his headache...
I have to make sure he's as comfortable as possible! After all, if it weren't for me he would still be drinking coffee... Stupid Joker! He didn't even tell me what would happen if I lost! He just 'forgot'. Which was awful convenient for him!
Alice had figured that (if she lost the game) Joker would simply make her clean something of his, or look after the prisoners, or help him with the circus... something simple like that. She automatically smelled a rat when he refused to tell her what it was, but if she hadn't played with him the game would be forfeit, and he would have won anyway. At least by playing him she had had a chance! But of course she had to lose, and then Joker had jumped his 'price' on her.
"It's quit simple, my dear, you simply have to move to our territory!"
She had told him that she wouldn't, threatened to beat his face in for being a cheater (that had only resulted in his laughter) before finally asking him if there was anything, anything else she could do. He had told her that, though it was a stretch, there was one thing. He had also made a point to exaggerate how lenient he was being. But when he had told his price, she had immediately said no. Having Julius take the fall for her did not (and would never) seem like a good idea.
She had never even suspected that he would take it up with Julius. Who had said yes, of course, he would never have left her at the mercy of the Jokers.
He's so sweet... Even if he acts like he's not.
Alice smiled at the memory. He had been so pissed, glaring at both her and Joker and, even when she told him he shouldn't, told him she wouldn't allow it, he had still played Joker for her.
But now (after Julius had played Joker and lost) he wasn't allowed to drink coffee for three days.
The most Julius had ever gone without a cup of coffee was three hours. And even after that he had feeling sick.
Alice had known immediately that, whatever happened, it wasn't going to be pretty.
And that all of her plans for a nice Valentine's Day could just fly out of a window.
Grabbing a bottle of shampoo and squirting a dollop of the slimy substance into her hand, she began to work it into a lather before scrubbing it into her hair. By the time she was through, there wouldn't be a single speck of mud left anywhere on her body.
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Alice but down the brush and raked her semi-dry hair back from her face. She really needed to get dressed and give Julius some medicine. Unwrapping herself from her towel, she quickly put on her underwear and started into her room.
"Alice?! Alice!" She heard, coming from the corridor.
"Julius!?" She responded, hoping he could hear her.
"Alice, good, there you are," the voice was coming closer now, "I was wondering, could you-" thump! a loud noise came from behind her door, like something (or someone) had just fallen.
"Julius? Julius, are you alright?!" No answer.
Alice yanked the first article of clothing she could see and pulled it on, before yanking the door open and searching the floor for the prone body she knew she would find. It only took only a moment for her to spot him.
"Julius!"
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Julius awoke to soft, familiar bed sheets, bright lights, and, strangest of all, the delicious smell of..
"Alice..." He murmured softly, trying to sit up. His hand flew to his forehead as he felt something cool and soft slide down his face, a damp cloth.
"Oh good! You're up!" As his eyes adjusted, he realized that he was in a bedroom, Alice's bedroom, and that Alice was kneeling on the bed next to him with-
"Alice, what are you wearing?!" Julius sat bolt upright, gripping the sheets tightly with one hand.
"Oh..um...you shirt...?" She muttered sheepishly, pulling down on the edge of her clothing, trying to make it cover more. Her efforts were in vain, however, because no matter how much she pulled his shirt only went down to about mid-thigh. Julius felt his eyes popping out of his head.
"Why?!" He stared at her, completely furious, though he didn't know why. He had known that she already considered him family, so why did this bother him?
She wouldn't wear this in front of Ace...or Blood...or the Jokers...or Boris...
There really wasn't any guy in the whole of Wonderland, other than him, that she would wear it in front of! ...except for maybe Gowland.
Great. Now your comparing yourself to a forty year old man. Nice idea, Julius.
"S-Sorry..." Alice muttered, fiddling with the hem of the shirt, "I heard you fall and I was just in my underwear so I grabbed the first thing that I could reach..." She trailed off, as if just know realizing that they were of opposite genders.
What the hell?! She doesn't even see me as a guy! As her good friend... I might as well be a girl for all she cares.
Julius wasn't sure if it was the lack of coffee or the problem at hand that made him do what he did next.
"Alice..." He growled her name softly, "I might live with you, but I'm a guy, you know."
And suddenly she was under him, his body pinning hers to the bed. Gripping her wrists in each of his hands, he leaned in close so that there was barely an inch between their faces.
Alice stared at him for a moment in surprise, before beginning to blush furiously. Julius was vaguely aware that he was probably and even deeper shade of red, having just remembered that Alice was just wearing his shirt and that he could feel her bare leg pressing into his. The shirt was a button-down that she had been going to fix for him, as one of the buttons was missing. He had never really cared about the missing button before, but whenever Alice had seen him wearing the shirt, she had turned a little bit red and told him to give it to her later so she could fix it. He had always wondered why it had embarrassed her, but now that he actually saw it on someone he could definitely see why.
The shirt had a button missing from the center, near Alice's rib cage. He hated the way the shirt just barely peeped open, enticing him. He leaned closer.
"J-Julius...?"
Alice's voice dragged him back to the fact that his weight was pinning her down, and leaped off as if her touch held poison.
"Sorry, Alice." He said, purposely making his voice cold even though all he could really feel was varying degrees of heat and...
Feeling himself blush, Julius spun around and quickly walked down the hall to his room, where he collapsed against the door.
What was wrong with him?!
He wasn't Ace, wasn't Blood, wasn't someone that Alice was physically conscious of, and now she probably would be. It didn't matter if he was physically conscious of her, he shouldn't be trying to get her to feel the same way for him...
So why did her blush and the way she had just looked at him make him happy? Like for once, she was seeing him and just him without any distractions. Like she thought of him as something more than a friend.
Like she maybe, maybe wouldn't mind it if he kissed her.
Shaking his head vigorously, Julius tried to banish any connecting thoughts of the words Alice and kiss. Even if her lips had looked like they would taste delicious.
I'm glad. I'm happy. That position was awkward.
Admit it, laughed the tiny voice in the back of his head, the one that told him that he maybe... You like her. And all you really want to do is go back to just a second ago, except this time you would actually be brave enough to actually try something!
"Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up..." He muttered, glaring at the wall.
I do not...
You so...
Like her!
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So I will ONLY do two more chapters for this. (I hope) And I will (hopefully) get to writing my other story again. That is if (hopefully) inspiration works in my favor... That's an awful lot of hope, don't you agree? ^_^ ah well. See ya humans later! (Oh, and thank you for reading this! （≧∇≦）