Never would have

Alice wasn't doing anything important, just flipping through the mail and talking about her day at work. Hatter had been listening but at some point along the way she had lost him. He was sitting at the kitchen table, one hand holding his head up while he looked at her with a semi-blank expression.

Alice continued talking for a few more minuets, this time putting down the mail and watching him. After about the third "Umm hmm" she had reached her limit. She wasn't really mad, after all its not like her day had been that interesting. But since he had insisted on hearing about it the least he could do was pay attention while she told him.

"Hatter!" Alice shouted as she waved her hand before his eyes.

Hatter was startled and jumped a bit in his chair before quickly looking up at her like a dear caught in headlights. "Yes."

Alice tilted her head to the side and crossed her arms. "Yes what?"

Hatter smiled up at her thou his eyes were still uncertain. "Yes to...whatever it is you asked."

"I didn't ask a question." said Alice

"Oh."

She leaned in closer to him. "You weren't listening were you?"

He stood ready to defend himself and pointed at her. "I was when you started talking." He paused and thought for a moment. "But then my train of thought got derailed slightly." He said making a ziz-zag motion with his hand.

Alice opened her mouth to argue when he stopped her. "But, the derailing was only because I was contemplating how beautiful you are."

Alice shot him a very dry look that said she didn't believe him. "Yeah, all right, whatever you say. I have laundry to do." She scooted past him and walked towards the bedroom.

"Its true Alice." He argued as he followed her. "Thats what I was thinking about. Don't you believe me?"

"Nope."

"Well its true." He said as he sat on the bed. "I was watching you standing there and I thought that you are so very beautiful."

Alice turned towards him. "And how did that," she said mimicking his same zig-zag hand motions from earlier, "derail you?"

Hatter flopped back on the bed and folded his hands over his chest."It lead me to the thought that you, Alice, are nowhere near the same class of girls I used to date in Wonderland."

Alice leaned back against the dresser and thought quietly for a second. "I can't figure out if that's an insult or a compliment."

He sat up again and leaned forward on his knees. "A compliment I can assure you." He looked up at her gaging her reaction and making sure it was alright to continue. "See, the girls I saw before were just for fun. They were all body and no brain. Ya know, easy maintenance. Nothing I had to put too much time or effort into. Very convenient."

He stood up from the bed and moved to stand in front of her. "And then I had the thought, what if we hadn't met the way we did? What if I had seen you at some party or bar or shop somewhere. I never would have even said hello to you." He scooped up her hands and held them in his. "You're very pretty and I can tell just by looking at you you're cleaver. You tend to dress in a way that says you're not advertising yourself. In short, you're nothing I used to look for."

Alice smirked at him. "So I'm not your type? You wouldn't have even looked twice at me?"

"Oh no, I would have looked twice." He leaned back and eyed her up and down. "Probably more than that. Still I never would have tried to go after you."

He leaned in close and rested his forehead against hers. "Who would have thought Ratty would be a good matchmaker." He reached down and cupped her cheek. "I should have payed him more for you." He said before leaning down and kissing her.

Alice kissed him back before pulling away. Looking up and sighing at him,. "I suppose I'll never know if that's what you were really thinking or if you put that all together just now so I wouldn't be angry at you."

Hatter looked at her and smiled. "Sorry love, I wasn't listening, what did you say?"