Yay, more updates :) I'm so glad I'm on break this week! xD I hope you enjoy this chapter of Tweenage Days :D Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Heart no Kuni no Alice!

Chapter Ten: Clock Tower Memories

"Julius, you're going to get sick if you keep working overtime!" Scolded Alice. Julius was focused on his pile of clocks that Ace brought in a few hours ago. It just kept growing and about five time periods passed already. "Julius!" Alice stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. She placed a mug of coffee loudly on his desk, causing a few clock parts to rattle. "Okay, okay I'll take a break… such a forceful woman," muttered Julius. But Inwardly, he was smiling and glad that she forced him to take a break.

"Alice, thank you," said Julius as he put his coffee mug to his lips. "Huh? What for?" asked Alice. She put her mug of coffee down and gave him a strange look. It wasn't very often that Julius would say thank you out of the blue. "Well… you're always there for me…" mumbled Julius. He felt his face get hot as he said this. Alice's cheeks went a bit pink as well. "Well, don't worry, I'll always be here for you," smiled Alice. Julius blushed, but smiled back at her as well. "I—" before Julius could say anything else, Nightmare and Ace busted through the door.

"GET OUT ACE AACCKK" Nightmare hacked up blood and passed out onto the floor. "Geez Nightmare, you're ruining Julius's floor," said Ace, who brought another bag of clocks dripping with blood.

Another sweet moment ruined, though Julius as he popped a vein. "BOTH OF YOU GET OUT!"

Alice rubbed her eyes as a memory resurfaced back. "Julius…." She murmured his name and sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have walked away like that… he might be worried about me now."

Back in the woods near Heart Castle...

"Ace, you're annoying stop following me!" Julius shoved Ace back to the right and walked in the opposite direction. "Aw, but aren't you supposed to take me to Heart Castle?" asked Ace.

"No! And I don't even need to go there… not there since Alice went the opposite direction!" shouted Julius. They found her hair bow on the forest floor and it faced the opposite direction of Heart Castle. "Then where are you going?" asked Ace.

"I don't know! Wherever is!" answered Julius. He was getting worried that Alice might have been abducted by a stranger like Ace. "I hope she's okay," murmured Julius.

"Alice?" Julius called out Alice's name as he sat in his seat. "Alice? Where are you?" Julius put his tools and clock down and looked around. He couldn't feel her presence in the kitchen nor the living area. He felt his clock grow heavy. "Maybe… did she leave?" Julius remembered the time Blood tried to get Alice to leave. Julius sighed and frowned. "I guess it deserves me right…"

"Deserves who right?" asked Alice as she entered his office. "Alice!" Julius got up and quickly gave her a hug. "Where did you go? You had me worried!" Julius was flustered and Alice couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you were so focused on your clocks that I left with Boris to the amusement park. Sorry, I didn't know I would be gone for seven periods… I should've said something…" Alice said apologetically.

Julius realized he was flustered for no reason and he blushed. "Ahem.. well I'm glad your back…"

An awkward silence filled the air and Alice gave a nervous laugh. "I'll get us some coffee."

Another memory filled Julius's mind and it made him realize how important Alice was to him. "I guess my older self really did love her," said Julius. Ace smiled and looked at Julius. "You're growing up, Julius."

Soon they approached clock tower and Ace suddenly remembered why he was wandering around. "Oh yeah! I didn't need to go to heart castle! I needed to deliver something to clock tower for Julius… but you're here haha!" Julius smacked his forehead and sighed. "I wonder how I dealt with you…"

Julius knocked on the door and Gray opened the door. "It's you!" Gray forced a slight smile at Julius and frowned at Ace. "What are you doing here knight?" Ace smiled darkly. "I should be asking you the same thing…"

Julius was confused. "What?" Gray sighed. "You're such an idiot Ace. I work and live here, remember? You have bad memory and it's not like you lost it… maybe you did…." Muttered Gray. Gray quickly grabbed Julius and slammed the door on Ace, who was about to through two daggers he stuffed in his jacket. Ace knocked loudly on the door. "Aw, c'mon Gray! Let me in!" Gray shouted, "As if I would let an idiot knight like you in!"

Gray locked the door and led Julius upstairs to the main living space.

"Nightmare, I don't think Gray would want you to burn those files," said Alice. She sat on the couch drinking hot chocolate. "It's okay, just stay quiet okay, Alice-chan?" smiled Nightmare. Alice threw a marshmallow at his head. "Don't just call me Alice-chan!"

"Alice-chan~ " Alice frowned and threw a bunch of marshmallows at his head. "Ouch! Stop it!" shouted Nightmare. "Then don't call me Alice-chan!" shouted Alice. "Geez, you're so childish compared to your older self!"

In response Alice threw more marshmallows. Suddenly, Gray entered the room with Julius and both of them were hit by a barrage of marshmallows. "Ow! What is this?!" said Gray. He blocked the marshmallows with his hand. Alice blushed and stopped throwing them. "It was Nightmare's fault Gray…" Alice was about to run to Gray, but stopped as soon as she saw Julius standing behind him.

"Oh Julius…" Alice blushed and looked away. "I smell love in the – ouch!" Gray threw a small spoon at Nightmare's forehead. "Well, I'll leave you two… Nightmare? Where did you put those files?" asked Gray, who already saw them burning in the fireplace Nightmare gulped.

"NOOOOOO!" Nightmare screamed as Gray dragged him to the upper levels of the clock tower where the main office was.

When they finally left, it was just Julius and Alice. "Hey there," said Julius. Alice blushed again and walked towards the couch. Julius followed. "I'm… I'm really sorry about earlier… about what I said. I didn't mean it," said Julius.

"It's… It's okay… I feel like I've been always compared to people," said Alice, referencing to a memory she remembered. "I know I'm not pretty or anything…"

Julius closed the gap between them. "No! You're pretty! No actually beautiful!" Julius was already red in the cheeks, but he looked at Alice confidently. It seems like his younger self had a lot more confidence than his older self.

"Really?" Alice looked at him and smiled. "I really… I really like you Julius."

It's so cute when kids like Julius and Alice confess! xD Well... this story is coming to an end... and seems like there's going to be a couple.. of jealou people haha! Any comments? suggestions?

Thanks for reading and please review! :D

~Seo Hyunee