Okay I fell in LOVE with this series right off the bat and I must say I am disappointed at the amount of stories about this pairing :( There is a great lack of supporters and stories, but I appreciate the few people who did write, are writing, and will write for this series and pairing. So thank you all! But there is still a major lacking of OzxAlice and I intend to help fix that, along with the rest of the authors! I'm with ya! X3

This is my first Pandora Hearts fic, but I have plenty of other ideas in mind for this pairing. So depending on my feedback for this story, we'll see how much more I write. Fluff warning, possible slight OOC-ness just so said fluff can be possible. Please enjoy!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts D:

Food Poisoning

Chapter 1

When Oz Vessalius had told his Chain, "Alice, you shouldn't eat too fast or you'll get sick!" he honestly had no idea that it could actually happen.

After all, she was a being from another dimension, so he just assumed that she was immune to things from this world, like sickness.

But as soon as he had seen that eager, hungry look on her face drop to the ground like a rock, he knew something was wrong.

"Alice? Are you okay?" he stopped walking through the small town they were currently in to drop back to her side. Her head was bowed, long locks of dark hair forming a curtain around her as she panted lightly. He placed a hand on her shoulder and was about to open his mouth to talk once more when her head snapped up and her fierce cobalt eyes burned into his emerald ones.

"I'm fine, you idiot!" She took a step back and smacked his arm away with one hand, but Oz could not help but notice that the other was gripping her stomach as though it were about to burst. The stubborn girl went on furiously. "When have I ever gotten sick, you fool?" she spat.

Oz blinked once but then his eyes softened and a smile formed on his lips to give her his trademark expression, the one that always made her chest feel weird.

"There's a first time for everything." He replied reasonably, stepping closer to her. "Plus I can tell. You look pale and your holding your side like that…" Again he tried to reach for her shoulder, but she straightened up stubbornly and threw both her hands to her sides, her fingers balled into fists.

"There's nothing wrong, you stupid manservant! Listen when your master speaks to you!" she yelled; thankfully there were no other people around at the moment. But it seemed that her swift motions on the outside did not mix well with her queasy feelings on the inside. The girl stumbled forward and Oz threw out his arms to catch her.

"Alice!" he supported her as she tried to find her feet but to no avail. The two partners just wound up kneeling on the ground together.

Alice was panting harder now, hunched over as though she were really going to be sick. This can't be good! Oz fretted in his mind. She started to cough heavily and he quickly placed one hand on her back and the other on her shoulder, his arm under her chin as he tried to hold her up. He could feel her heart pounding like a stampede of horses under his palm and a pang of worry stabbed him and she began coughing harder. This is really bad! He screamed in his had never seen one piece of turkey do this to anyone!

But he assumed that his thoughts from earlier were false. Just because she was from another dimension, did not necessarily mean she was immune to human sicknesses. She was human once, after all, but perhaps the fact that she had not been for the past 100 years made her more vulnerable to the illnesses of the race.

Oz shook his head and cleared his thoughts and tried to concentrate on helping his friend. "Calm down Alice. Just breathe." He told her as soothingly as he could, given his predicament. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her gasps were deeper but still queasy and uneven.

But it seemed as though the Chain had heard him and was trying to obey the words of her Contractor. She took a deep breath and tried to push down the tickling sensation that rose in her throat every time she inhaled that caused her to cough, her breathing slowed and evened out, and Oz sighed with relief, patting her back gently.

When Alice finally straightened up and lifted her head, Oz removed his hands and prepared himself for a beating and being threatened to never tell a soul what he had just witnessed; whoever heard of the omnipotent B-Rabbit getting sick?

But when she raised her cobalt eyes to meet his, they were full of something he never expected to see. They were full of wonder, confusion and a little bit of fear, and Oz realized that this must have been the first time in 100 years that food had done this sort of thing to her body.

"Oz," she murmured his name in that familiar way that only she could, lacing the syllables together and making it flow quaintly like a breeze across a pond. "What…was that?" For once she was not demanding, but curious, all prior thoughts of him being her servant vanishing from her mind for a moment to ask him something as a child would ask a teacher.

"You probably have food poisoning." He told her, feeling a little uncomfortable at her expression. He felt like there was now a great deal of pressure on his shoulders to answer her question correctly. He was confused to see her eyes widen.

"Poison?!" she gasped. "You let me eat poison?!"

"Ah – Wait no! Alice that's not-"

"What kind of manservant are you?! You're testing my food from now on!" she continued angrily.

"Alice, wait, let me explain!" He fumbled for words in his haste, not wanting her to think that he had actually let her take poison. "I-It's not like that! It's not real poison. It just means you eat too much and then get sick because of it." He explained quickly.

Her eyes were still hard with distrust, but then she blinked.

"Oh. Well if that's all it was, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Well you didn't exactly give me the cha-"

"So that's what feeling sick is like…" she wondered aloud, ignoring him. Oz sighed hopelessly and then pushed himself to his feet.

"Well, let's be getting back to Gil's now, okay?" he reached down and offered her his hand. She blinked up at him, and then turned her face away from him as her cheeks reddened a few shades.

"Why do we have to go back to Seaweed Head's already?" she pouted, coyly slipping her fingers into his palm.

"Because after all that, you should get some rest." He informed her, giving her arm a tug to pull her up.

"Idiot! Don't tell your master what to do!" she growled, shakily finding her balance.

"Yes, but as your…servant, it is my job to keep you healthy, is it not?" he smirked a little bit, knowing she probably had no witty reply to that.

But she did.

"Yes it is." She huffed. "Yet somehow you managed to let her get poisoned!"

Oz's jaw dropped and left him at a loss for words.

"I-I told you it wasn't that kind of poison!"

"Shut it. Poison is poison." She raised her chin and stalked past her flabbergasted manservant, who bowed his head in defeat and followed after her like a dog.

They reached the end of the small marketplace of the town, yet Gil's residence was still a way to go. As they walked on together, Alice began to see things blurrily and her stomach seemed to flip several times. Yet her pride would not allow her to show herself like this in front of Oz and she continued walking as though she did not feel as though she has swallowed an entire river of water and rocks. Oz began to notice her shaky steps and uneven pace quickly though, and he knew she must be feeling ill again, but would never admit it to him. So he caught up to her and rested a hand on her shoulder once more.

"Alice…" they both ceased walking as he turned her around to face him. The words he had been about to say died at his lips when he saw her face. Her irises were narrowed and fierce, as always, yet this time, he could easily see past the barrier in her eyes to see the fear and exhaustion she was hiding. She was wheezing again, though not as badly as before, but still, to see her so weary and confused like this made Oz extremely overprotective of her. She was like a stubborn mule that was bleeding excessively, but was determined to make the journey alone.

Oz blinked at her, worry prickling up his spine once again. But then determination washed over him like a wave, extinguishing the small flame of doubt that flickered inside of him. He took his hand away from her shoulder, and Alice was shocked at herself in finding that she longed for that comforting warmth so badly.

"Oz…?" her voice trembled a little and a small spark of panic overcame her when she felt him grasp her left arm.

For some reason, all her energy had faded away and now she felt defenseless and tired, as though she would not be able to even fight off the weakest of enemies.

She felt…scared.

She felt like the child she once was, almost afraid as though she were going to be yelled at.

She closed her eyes as dizziness crashed over her again and everything shifted out of place.

"Alice? Alice!" Oz's cry caused her eyes to snap back open and she remembered just what was happening.

Oz had pulled her left arm across his shoulders and was holding onto her wrist. She looked up at him to see that sincere smile of his on his face. "You're having trouble walking, aren't you? Come on, it'll be easier if I help you."

The girl forced away all the strange emotions and thoughts from a moment ago and hesitantly stepped closer to him. He laid his other arm across her back, his fingers gently holding her waist. Alice thought that any form of contact to her body right now would be excruciatingly painful, but Oz's touch sent a feeling of calmness over her. Her desperate panting soon came to a stop as did her rapid heartbeat. Oz was relieved when he felt the thundering stampede in her chest die down to a steady beat. "Come on." He repeated quietly, feeling her go almost completely limp at his side. "Just a bit further."

Their pace was slow, but they made progress, until finally they reached the house. Oz had some difficulty opening the door himself when he called out to Gil but received no answer. Once inside, he discovered a note saying his friend had 'gone out for a while' with Break and Sharon; in other words, sighed and shook his head from side to side, but there was a smile on his lips.

He led the barely conscious Alice to the room Gilbert had been letting her use. Oz walked her to her bed and pulled the sheets away. Realizing that she was practically asleep already, he took the liberty upon himself to, with some effort, given their positions, lift her up bridal style for a brief moment before lying her down. He slid his arms away from underneath her and pulled the sheets back up to her collarbones, her long hair pooling out around her. She looked so…peaceful lying there and Oz caught himself staring and looked away. Yet his gaze only returned to her face when she shifted and her eyes flickered open.

"Alice!" Her skin was less pale, but she still looked sick.

"Oz…it's hot…" He knew she probably intended it to sound like a complaint, but it just ended up as a whimper.

"Is it?" he asked. He reached down and placed a hand on her forehead. Alice froze under his touch, holding in her breath without fully realizing it. A few seconds later, the contact was lost as Oz pulled away and Alice exhaled. "You have a fever," he frowned. "But it's nothing to worry about." He gave the confused girl a reassuring smile. "I'll go get some water." And with that he had turned and dashed out of the room.

Alice was left to herself for a few moments to wonder why she so desperately wanted to feel his skin on hers once more. So many endless seconds of those 100 years in Abyss had rid her body of all want or need for contact or warmth. But now that she was beginning to experience those feelings once more, the things she had once felt back when she was human, she longed for them, almost more than she longed for her memories back.

She turned onto her side and curled her legs up into a ball, suddenly feeling cold once more now that Oz was gone. She closed her eyes, and thought that she would be sucked back into Abyss any second now, and that all of the things she had been through in the past months had all been illusions.

But she then heard footsteps and reopened her cobalt eyes to see Oz standing beside her with a glass of water in one hand and a piece of cloth in the other.

"Oh sorry! Did I wake you?" he apologized sheepishly. Alice managed to shake her head from side to side. "Good."Oz gently pushed her shoulder so that she was lying on her back again and placed the cool cloth on her forehead. Alice could not suppress a sigh of bliss as she felt the coolness seeping into her overheated body. And somehow, that chilly coldness she had felt before had vanished and she felt warm once more, now that Oz was back. Alice hated being so weak, especially in front of him, but she was thankful that no one else was around. "Do you feel any better?" He asked.

"Yes. A little." She answered in a small voice.

Oz liked seeing this side of her, the side that she only rarely showed to him when she was hurt or lonely. It made him feel special somehow, in getting to see her in her times of weakness. It was almost as though she trusted him, putting all of her faith in him to protect her when she could not defend herself.

Oz had pulled a chair from the corner of the room and sat down at her bedside when he remembered something.

"Oh! I just remembered something that might help you feel a bit better." He smiled and the girl cocked an eyebrow to show her puzzlement. "Here, give me your wrist." He reached for her hand as she slipped it out from under the sheets. Holding her hand with one of his own, he used the other to lift the cloth from her forehead, letting the air cool her off.

Alice watched curiously as Oz placed the damp cloth on her wrist. She was about to ask what he was doing when the material made contact with her skin and sent a shiver throughout her body. It was not so much unpleasant as it was unexpected, as the chill shot through her veins.

"Wha…?" she had no idea what he was expecting this to do to make her feel better, but she quickly realized that her body was no longer hot. She felt as though her body temperature was normal once more and her stiff shoulders relaxed.

"See, isn't that better?" Oz removed the cloth and covered her hand with his. "My uncle taught me that!" he grinned. Alice blinked at him then turned her face away as she felt her cheeks blush. Oz placed her hand back on top of her stomach, and then felt her forehead once more. "You should be fine now." He reassured her. "Just get some sleep and you should be better by tomorrow."

He thought he heard her mumble something but was not entirely sure. "Hm? What is it?" he asked, moving closer to her. Alice turned her face as far away from him as she could, burying the side of her face in her pillow, feeling extremely self-conscious now. "Alice?" he queried.

"Thank you." She said firmly, loud enough for him to hear this time. She turned her face back to him and looked shyly up into his deep, emerald eyes. He blinked down at her, a little surprised, but then smiled sweetly.

"Alice…" he could only murmur her name, at a loss for words since she had actually thanked him.

"Now get out of my face!" she snapped. "I'm tired."

"Okay, okay!" Oz laughed sitting back on his chair. "But I'll stay here in case you need anything else. Do you want your water?" he asked, motioning to the glass he had brought up that sat on the small bedside table.

"No thanks." She sighed.

"Alright then. If you don't need anything else…" Oz began to stand up.

But something stirred with the girl and before she knew what she was doing, her body moved on its own.

"Wait! Oz!" Alice flew up into a sitting position, reaching out and grasping his sleeve with both hands. Oz froze in shock, his eyes widening at her sudden movements.

The world seemed to stop spinning for a moment as he gazed down at the girl before him. She clutched his sleeve as though it was for dear life, her fingers were clasped so tightly they were trembling.

"Alice…" after a moment he smiled down at her, taking his seat again. He should have known better than to suggest leaving her. If I had been alone in Abyss for 100 years and then escape and only find one person I could call a friend, would I really ever want them to leave my side either? "It's alright, I'll stay. I won't leave you alone." He promised, clasping his hands over hers.

She sniffed once, still completely unsure of why she was acting this way and doing these things around him. Does sickness always do this? She wondered. Then, she felt his warm hands on hers and she gasped lightly, slowly loosening her grip on his sleeve until her hands were limply in his. She could not take her eyes away from Oz's charming smile.

"How about you get some rest now? I'll stay here with you, I promise." He leaned down and kissed her gloved hands in turn, taking her by surprise once more. Then, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her back down onto the bed again.

"Oz, I-"

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything." He told her soothingly, seeing that she was on the verge of tears. She sniffed again, clutching the sheets with curled fingers as Oz ran his fingers through her tresses.

He sensed that she was very exhausted now and saw that the sparkling, mischievousness that was perpetually in her gaze was beginning to fade. Her eyes closed with heavy lids, and she was unwillingly dragged into the depths of sleep, but not before whispering one last phrase to him.

"Thank you, Oz…"

"No problem, Alice." He took her hand again and held it as she drifted off into slumber, offering her even the slightest bit of warmth to easy her tired heart.

Within seconds, his Chain was asleep, and Oz gently let go of her hand.

He sat there at her bedside, watching her sleep, thinking just how much she resembled a human, a wave of sadness coming over him as he recalled that she once was, long ago.

She shifted and turned onto her side, facing him now, curling up into a ball under the sheets to make her appear even smaller than she already was. Oz brushed the screen of hair from her face, revealing her peaceful expression that he seldom got to see.

He watched her chest rise and fall slowly, and the way her hair was laid out about her made her almost resemble a sleeping rabbit. He felt even more protective of her now than he had before; it was as though she was trusting him with her life by revealing all of her weaknesses to him. She let her guard down in front of him and only him, she let him see her sleep, she let him see her unprotected stomach, the most venerable part of any being.

Alice…

It seemed her name only sounded right when he said it or thought it. In fact, he was the only one she had actually given permission to call her by name, another aspect that brought them closer together than anyone else.

There was just something so charming about her. She was so honest and candid with her feelings, so strong, yet so weak, so rough yet so caring.

She was so…Alice.

And I wouldn't have it any other way. Oz thought, as a small wave of effete came over him.

He checked Alice one last time, looking her over carefully to make sure she was okay before he leaned over and rested his head on her bed, folding his arms underneath his head and settling down closely to his partner.

He pressed his forehead against hers and offered her his warmth and comfort.

He saw the small smile on her face and smiled to himself, closing his eyes and listening to her soft breathing.

He laid one arm across her side and pulled her closer to him protectively.

No matter what, Oz would protect her, his little black rabbit, from everything, even from a sickness as minor as Food Poisoning.

A/N: So I hope they weren't too OOC and I hope it was cute! Please let me know what you thought and if I should continue writing for this fandom!

Please review!!