"A-Alice!" Pierce cried when he saw the girl walk into the room.
She blinked and pursed her lips. "What is it—"
He interrupted her, latching onto her dress and not letting go despite her protests. "You're not going to eat me now, are you?"
"Of course not. Whatever gave you—" She paused and realized what bothered him so badly. She was dressed as a cat, with a tail and all. She touched the white cat ears on the top of her head and sighed. "It's Halloween, Pierce. It's just a costume." She sounded annoyed. "I'm still Alice."
"But why would you choose an outfit like that!" he said.
She finally managed to unlatch him from her dress. "Because—" she began but stopped. Even she wasn't quite sure why she had chosen this to wear…
"Because of me, you stupid rat," came Boris's voice behind her. Before she could turn to see him, however, Boris put his arm around her shoulder. "We're a cat couple."
"Couple as in—two of you? I'm going to have to deal with two of you now!" Pierce's eyes were wide in fear.
"Not an actual couple," Alice corrected, untangling herself from his arm. "It's only Halloween and I'm only doing this because you promised to buy the costume."
Boris' face dropped. "As you've already told me," he said.
"I'm just making myself clear," Alice said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think Blood wanted me to arrive early to help set some things up. I'll meet you boys there. And please, Boris, don't start chasing Pierce around the moment I leave like you always do."
Boris smiled in a way that told Alice that he was going to do exactly that. "Of course not, Alice." He grinned and turned to Pierce. "I would never—"
Before he could finish, Pierce had already begun running away, his already thin nerves sending him away in fear.
Boris turned toward her. "I don't even have to threaten him anymore to get him to run. He does all the work for me."
Alice sighed deeply. "I feel so bad for him."
"Why? How?" Boris said. "He's just a stupid rat. I don't know why you even bother with him. Nobody else does."
"He just seems so sad and helpless to me. Everyone is always so cruel to him."
Boris rolled his eyes. "You're mine, Alice," he put his lips to her cheek. "Nobody else's," he murmured softly into her skin.
Her cheeks hot and red, she moved away. "Since when was I yours?" she said.
"Since you agreed to put on that costume!"
"I had no idea you attached such expectations to this costume! I'll take it off then!"
"Don't you—" Boris stopped, thinking. "Go ahead! Take it off right now!"
"I think I will!" She cried, but then realized her mistake. "I mean, I won't! Not here!" Her cheeks reddened. "You're such a bad cat. Always chasing Pierce and telling me to take my clothes off."
She heard Boris begin to laugh. "You're too easy, Alice."
She stomped her foot and made a show at being angry, but she truly couldn't be angry, not with Boris. Instead, she grinned evilly and pulled his tail in retaliation.
"Hey! What was that for?"
"For being such a bad kitty," she said, smiling.
He grimaced, before a slow smile crept on his lips. "I can be a naughty cat, you know," he said, seeming to loom over Alice.
"You wouldn't dare do a thing to me!"
"Would I?" he said.
As he approached her, she made a squeaking noise and ran off. Moving as fast as she could, Boris was close behind her, and she could hear his peals of laughter. She wasn't quite sure what he would do when he caught her, but she had enough of a vague notion about it to make her keep running.
Finally, she ducked inside the pool house. Breathing heavily, she leaned against the wall and listened to the sounds of the people playing in the pool outside, forgetting for a moment the cat who had been chasing her only moments before.
That was until he pounced on her. She let out a whelp and fell to the ground, he on top of her, his laughter mingling with her cries of protest.
He looked down on her, his hair falling into his face.
"You need some more practice at this cat-thing. You're almost like a mouse, and you know how much I love catching mice," he said. She noticed that he wasn't nearly as out-of-breathe as she was.
"So," she said, still gasping for air. "Are you going to eat me like you would Pierce? I won't taste very good."
Boris's eyes narrowed. "I would never do this to Pierce. But I do think you would be delicious."
"Do what?" She looked up at him.
His hands holding her wrists, his face descended towards hers and he began to lick the scruff of her neck. Her whole body convulsed and tightened.
"What are you-?" She began, but his lips traveled up her neck towards her jaw.
She shivered and writhed under him. "That's…" she breathed.
He stopped for the merest moment to laugh and say, "You do taste good. I wonder…" Suddenly, she felt his lips curl around hers.
Surprised, she opened her lips, accepting him. Without truly realizing it, she was caught in the middle of a kiss.
"Boris! What the hell are you doing! You're causing a disturbance!" Gowland's loud voice boomed above them.
Without moving from off of Alice, Boris groaned and looked up. "You ruin everything!"
"This is supposed to be a family-friendly amusement park!" Gowland said. "And whatever you were doing was not friendly to any good family! Now off of her!"
Boris stood up and helped the slightly dazed Alice get up, too.
"Now you can come help me with a few things," Gowland said, grabbing one of Boris's ears.
He gritted his teeth as he was dragged along. "Gah! Why do you have to do this to me!"
Alice didn't hear Gowland's answer. Within moments they were gone from the pool house, leaving Alice alone. She held a finger to her lips, wondering what the hell had just happened.
Coming out of her daze-like state, she noticed that people were staring at her. Blushing, she raced out the room, readjusting her ears as she went.
X
She knew that the Halloween party would be a wonderful event. After all, Blood knew how to throw parties. It was suiting that he did, Alice thought. The man was all about decadent luxury.
With the last of the decorations up, she stood back and surveyed her work.
"What do you think, Blood?" she said, turning to the dark-haired man. Of course, he hadn't lifted a finger to help her. He had simply sat in a chair, sipping his tea and watching her move.
"It will do," he said. "What are you supposed to be, anyway?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Yes, yes," he said, waving his hands. "But why, of all things, a cat? I didn't know you liked cats…" He paused, a smile spreading across his face. "Ah. I should have guessed earlier. Is it perhaps a certain cat you dressed up for…?"
"No," she said quickly. "Not Boris. I mean, not like that. He only offered to buy my costume if I wore one of his choice so…I did." Even as she said the words, she wasn't quite sure. How did she feel about Boris now? Feelings of uncertainty and doubt swelled inside her. She used to always know where she stood with Boris but now…it was so much more complicated. Reflexively, she brushed her finger to her lips.
"If that's the case, dear, I have a lovely costume you could wear. You don't have to dress up like an animal."
"I might take you up on your offer if I wasn't so sure that the costume would…inappropriate," she said.
He laughed. "It's only a witch's costume. Very appropriate. I'm saving the one with the mini-skirt and thigh-high boots for next-next Halloween." He winked.
She shook her head. "Oh, Blood, these flirtations work for you often?"
"When I'm trying. I'm not trying for you, though. You're a cute girl, of course, but not really worth my time. If I wanted you, however…I would have you. Wouldn't be able to stop me, I'm afraid." He yawned. "But I don't want you."
Alice wasn't sure whether to take his words as an insult or a compliment. Instead, she decided to shrug it off.
X
At the party, Alice spent most of her time off to the side of the merriment. She knew why she was hiding, even if she had a hard time admitting it to herself.
It was Boris. Her cheeks flushed just thinking about him. Whatever was left of their comfortable friendship was now gone and replaced by something strange and unusual.
She always knew he liked her, but she kept him at a distance. Now, that distance had been shattered, crushed and she didn't even know what was in its place. Was it…a simple crush?
Or love…? Her heart beat faster. She made her way through the crowd to outside where she could get some fresh air. There she sat down on a bench, watching the night above.
"I've been looking for you." She jumped when she heard the familiar voice.
She gripped her dress. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just needed some fresh air."
Boris sat down beside her. Her skin tingled at his presence. "No you didn't." She felt his gaze on her. "You've been avoiding me."
"W-w-well," she stammered, unsure of how to continue. Finally, she hung her head. "Yes, I have," she admitted.
Rather than say anything, he wrapped his boa around them both. "Warm?"
"Yes."
She was surprised when he drew her closer to his side, so that their cheeks were touching. "You know how I feel about you. You've always known. I haven't exactly kept it a secret."
She didn't reply at first because she didn't know what to say. Of course, she always knew. But she ignored it. She treated his flirtations like a silly little game he was playing. "I didn't know you were serious," she murmured.
"Why is that? Why did you never believe me?" Irritation crept into his voice.
"Because—because—we're friends!"
He shook his head. "You were never just a friend to me."
"You don't like me," she said. "You think you do, but you don't. You're just like all of the others. I'm just—a prize! A prize to be won."
"You are a prize, but I've been working for you for a long time." He rubbed his cheek against hers. The gesture was cat-like.
"…so you do really, really love me?" She said weakly.
"Mmm hmm," was his only reply.
She thought she heard a purr break out deep in his throat. Slowly breaking out of her serious mood, she began to giggle and scratch him behind his ears.
"Does that feel good?" she said.
He purred in response, moving his head closer to his hand.
She laughed and tousled his hair. "You like that, don't you?" She said. "You're so cute!"
Suddenly, he gripped her wrist. "You're a cat too now. An honorary cat…"
She patted the cat ears on the top of her head with her free hand. "Do you like it?"
"You've never looked better," he said. "Never…"
He drew her so that she was straddling his lap. Then he brought her face towards his and kissed her on the lips.
"So, are we a couple?" he asked, watching her with his oddly mesmerizing eyes.
She laughed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Of course," she said. "Tonight we're a cat couple!"
X
This is based on a comment Boris makes in Joker no Kuni no Alice. It roughly translates to Alice dressing up as a cat so that they can be a cat couple. I thought it was WAY TOO ADORABLE an idea not to use.