"Whoa...Nice room..." It was huge. It was also nicely decorated. Though I was rather intimidated by the big tree in the corner of the room with a giant ass wine bottle leaning against it, escorted by a giant purple-and-white bird feather. Attached to the tree were buttons, and on a hook was a giant wedding ring with a blue jewel on it. Some of the bark had peeled off the tree, and surrounding its trunk were multiple sea sheels and several more buttons. Next to the wine bottle was a giant ink pen.
In the middle of the room, or what I assumed to be the middle of the room, was a giant tree trunk cut down for a little stage with a green checkered rug on it. On the rug was a round black-and-red table with matching chairs, all made out of oak wood. Still attached to the tree stump were cabinets made out of the bark with drawers.
...I could go on, really, and keep explaining, but I won't. I will tell you that next to his twin bed was a giant ass jar with a huge fork laying against it. All I can really say is Pierce must have took a lot of time decorating this room and cleaning it...because it was amazing. The floor was made of pink tile.
Pierce smiled at me, pleased at the compliment. "See, see? I told you I was a clean mouse!"
Oh. Apparently Pierce can shrink down to the size of a mouse at will...jerk. It would have been nice to know before he suddenly shot down to my size in the blink of an eye. He scared the crap out of me.
I looked around the room, trying to find a window so I would know when the next time change was, and frowned. How did Pierce keep track of time then? Did he have a clock with him?
"Alexis!" Pierce said suddenly, causing me to turn around to look at him. Suddenly I found myself tackled with arms wrapping around my back, kisses being placed against my face frantically. "I can finally kiss you-Chuu! We're both the same size again-Chuu!"
"H-Hey!" His ear twitched. Damn it. "S-Stop that! Stop it! You-You said I could take a bath! Where-Where's the bath, or shower, or-or whatever?" He pouted at me and reluctantly released his hold, saying,
"This way..." He grabbed my hand and led me over to a ladder, "It's up there! Do you want to borrow some clothes after you're done since yours are all dirty-Chuu?" B-Borrow?
Like...as-as in his clothes? I tensed and flinched when I saw Pierce's ears twitch. I blinked, unsure if I saw the corner of his lips tilt upwards or not. I almost said no, seeing how I had plenty of dresses to change into, but hesitated when I remembered that they were all blood-soaked. "I-I..." I bit my lip and turned my head, scowling as a blush spread across my cheeks. It's just hormones. That's all it was. There's-There's nothing like... Oh, god, this is so awkward...Who am I kidding? Yes, yes, damn it all, I like Pierce.
His ear twitched again and my scowl deepened. He was awaiting my answer patiently.
Telling my racing heart to calm down, I managed to get out, "That-That'd be nice, thanks..." I winced when my cracked. He smiled, and I had the urge to brush his hair out of his face again so I could look at his face completely. "Uh, where-where can I put these?" I gestured to the bags I was holding.
"Hm? Oh! I can take those. You can go ahead and get in the bath while I grab your clothes, okay? You can put your dirty ones on floor next to the bath. There's a few towels up there already, so don't worry-Chuu." He smiled and took the bags away from me, causing me to bite my tongue and ignore the urge to protest loudly and say that I could put them somewhere myself. He was being nice and letting me use his bath. I was his guest. It would be rude.
"When you're a guest, you should be polite! One wrong move and you'll be kicked to the curb! Do you understand me, young lady?"
"Y-Yes Aunt Tammy..." Back straight, legs together, chin up... Wash your hands before and after you eat dinner, and always-always wear your best "lady" smile. Always have your fingers laced and hands clasped together when you sit down and cross your legs. Elbows off the table. After you take a bite of something greasy, you should always wipe your mouth off with a napkin. Use a napkin to wipe your hands off, not your clothes.
And most of all...do not ever, ever scowl. Do not complain when the one housing you or treating you like a guest goes and does something for you. It is rude and unsightly of a young lady.
Young ladies such as yourself always look their best and must say "Please" and "Thank you" when appropriate. Going against that is a woman's sin and is punishable.
"One must also not give themselves away until marriage." That was one of the only few concepts that I agreed with my Aunt Tammy about. To give yourself away before being committed is foolish. One will always regret it.
And Aunt Tammy knows, because she hates herself for it.
Climbing the ladder and standing up, I looked surprised to see that the bath was really a huge and wide seashell with hot water pouring into from a drain pipe. Drops of water slipped out of the shell and between the floorboards, into the bark in the tree Pierce's room was made out of. It was actually pretty cool.
Awkwardly, making sure that he wouldn't see if he looked up from his spot on the ground below, I stripped myself of my clothes and undergarments and slipped into the bath slowly, almost crying at how good it felt. I soaked down all the way up to my chin, before dunking my hair and getting it and my face wet. I looked for the soap and shampoo. Finding them, I frantically scrubbed my hair and body until I felt satisfied and rinsed myself, making sure to get the marks on my neck good. It hurt, but that was why I had to be rougher with them. It wouldn't get clean if I didn't.
The cut on my cheek was healed, too, so I was happy, but the scar that was forming on my shoulder made me scowl. All the scars I have on me just make me look worse. I'm already a freckle-face, now I was getting a scarred-body as well. There were scars on my knees from all the times I tripped and fell and injured myself, and even a few on the palms of my hands and arms.
"Scars detract a woman's value in beauty. I absolutely refuse to have you roughhousing around! Now, start walking with that book properly!"
God, that woman was a monster. I understand how she became the way she was, but to force her opinions on me whenever Dad wasn't around...
I hugged myself and leaned farther into the bath, rubbing my arms.
Pierce exclaimed something from below and laughed, causing me to smile at the sound before hanging my head and groaning.
What have I gotten myself into? It's not like he's ever gonna like me back. Damn. Maybe-Maybe I should keep fooling myself and think that it's hormones?
...No, that's stupid as hell. I'd just be in denial then. Ugh... Figuring that I spent long enough in the bath, I stood up and quickly grabbed a towel, wrapping it around myself. I hate myself...No, better yet, I hate life. So freaking stupid! Agh! I'm as stupid as idiot Pierce! Just stupid, stupid, stupid! I dried myself quickly before grabbing the clothes Pierce were lending me. I blinked in surprise.
It was basically a replica of the shirt he usually wears underneath his jacket, and the one he wears underneath his suit when he goes to the Assembly. Huh. Ignoring the flush that spread across my face I slid it on. I quickly buttoned it up, surprised to find that it stopped just below my butt. The sleeves covered part of my hands...
He-He's taller than I thought... Dismissing the embarrassing thought, I pulled on my underwear and grabbed his pants, quickly sliding them on and buttoning them, slightly annoyed at how tight they were on my hips. I hated being a girl. I quickly folded the pants legs up a bit so that they didn't cover my feet and touch the ground. I don't think he'd be happy with me ruining his clothes. I left the first top three buttons on the shirt undone so that I didn't get suffocated. Grabbing the towel and wrapping it around my neck, I started to crawl down the ladder. I pulled the towel off of my neck and quickly gave myself a quick towel-dry on my hair, leaving it messy and sticking up in the air and to my face. I brushed some of the tangles out with my fingers as I called out,
"Uh, Pierce? I'm-I'm done. You can go take a bath too now, if you want." I blinked when I saw that he had taken off his hat and jacket. We were practically matching at this point in clothing.
"Hm?" He said, turning his head with a smile on his face. He froze when he looked at me, and a light red spread across his face for a moment. I blinked, confused. His expression then darkened as he quickly walked over. I noticed the blood on his clothes were gone, symbolizing a time change, and his face looked slightly wet-so he must have washed that and his hands off at a sink. I tensed when he cupped my face with one hand and placed his other on my shoulder, turning my head with a frown.
"P-Pierce?" I questioned, stammering. I flinched, seeing his ear twitch again. Is-Is it gonna do that every time my heart speeds up? "What-What are you doing-?"
"Who did this to you?"
"Hah?"
His voice was deeper than what he usually sounded like. "Who hurt you?" I was confused for a moment until I realized he was staring at the bruises on my neck. "Did one of that man's friends' try and grab you?"
"Uh, no-no, that-that wasn't...That guy was the first to do that..." I still didn't completely understand what it was about. It involved Nightmare, I knew that much, but why it involved him confused me... I had a feeling it involved him being "scary" though, and a personal grudge. Nightmare said that people had things against role-holder being role-holders, and some even had personal grudges.
Pierce tilted my head and looked me in the eyes, causing me to freeze. That... it was the same look as before. Dark. Cold. Demanding. Almost animalistic. I still couldn't believe this was Pierce. "Alexis..."
I swallowed and diverted my gaze, having the intense urge to reach up and scratch the side of my neck. "I-I may have..." I didn't want to say it. I think he and Ace had grudges against each other. I wasn't sure, though. "...possibly, kinda, not really, maybe, just might have ran into Ace in...the..forest?" My voice squeaked and I flinched, seeing his eyes widen before narrowing considerably. "P-Pierce?" I let out a small scream when Pierce scooped me up, suddenly carrying me towards his bed. My eyes widened in shock, "P-Pierce!?" Sometimes, I questioned how strong he really was, because I was actually rather heavy. I weighed about 134 pounds. "What-What are you doing-!" I squeaked and screamed when he dropped me on the bed.
I quickly scrambled to sit up, but found my back up against the red headboard of his bed, Pierce hovering over me with a deep frown on his face. I swallowed, going completely still when I felt him trail a couple of his fingers down my neck on the bruises. "Where else did he hurt you?"
Where...Where else? He didn't really hurt me anywhere else... "He...He didn't hurt me anywhere else, though. All he did was-all he did was choke me..." Why was Pierce acting so different? He seemed like he was mad... No. No way. I refuse to believe it. Why would he be mad at Ace for hurting me? He's my friend, yeah, but he shouldn't care that much...right?
"That's not what I meant," Pierce muttered, before suddenly leaning down and placing a kiss on one of the bruises. My shoulders started to scrunch up, but Pierce quickly grabbed them and forced me to relax, continuing to place kisses along the hand-shaped bruises on my neck. I squeezed my eyes shut, yelling in my head for my heart to calm down. I could feel something warm spread throughout my body as he bit down gently on my neck, sucking on the skin. I ground my teeth together, trying to ignore the sound trapped in the back of my throat. "Tell me...what he said to you?"
"He-He didn't say anything-Ah!" An embarrassing sound escaped my mouth and Pierce's ears twitched at the sound. "St-Stop that! P-Pierce-" He cast a small glance at me and I saw that his eyes had glazed over. Was he...even in control? Was he one of those people who seem to black out and not realize what they were doing until snapped out of it? Ah-Ow...It hurts, but it feels so good... "Ow! That one hurt, Pierce! S-Stop it!" Feeling another moan building its way up out of my throat, I clamped my mouth shut and continued trying to push Pierce off of me. The jerk was really strong.
"Tell me."
"All-All he said was that-was that he was gonna kill me, since-since I thought no one cared and-and-!" My face flared red at all the horrible sounds I was making at he attacked my neck. "And then he said that he was-he was gonna let me live since he wanted a camping buddy!" I felt tears pricking my eyes as I squeezed them shut, turning my head and trying to curl into a ball. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. How was one supposed to react in such a situation? I was used to happy-go-lucky Pierce, not this...dark Pierce...
Pierce suddenly pulled away, and I was more than relieved to see the confused look on his face-his normal face. Not his serious, dark face. "Ehhh? You thought no one cared about you? Why!? I love you; why wouldn't I care about you?"
My face flared up at his words and his left ear twitched twice. He...he was joking. Or, he didn't mean it like it sounded. Pierce tended to say things without thinking, so he probably says that to Peter and Elliot, and even Nightmare, all the time... "B-Because-Because the potion I drank makes all of Wonderlands people," Inhabitants. "fall in love with me or-or whatever, so therefore, I thought-I thought the feelings weren't genuine! Then-Then Ace went and said that it wasn't the potion, the potion just kept me here! It-It was just that Wonderland loves outsiders and stuff and...Pierce?" I grew alarmed, seeing the tears welling up in his eyes.
This was the Pierce I knew...and god damn it, he started the waterworks again! "Hey, hey, why-why are you crying!?" His bottom lip trembled for a moment before he tackled me, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck as he cried out.
"Why would you think that!? My feelings for you are real! I do love you, I do, I do! S-See!?" He pulled away from my frozen form and quickly pressed his lips against mine, letting them linger for a few moments before pulling away. "I-I "Chuu"d you! I really, really love you, so-so my feelings aren't fake! Chuu!" He kissed me all over my face as if to prove that he did "love" me. I squeezed my eyes shut during the whole ordeal, forcing myself to think what I always did when he managed to steal one.
N-Not-Not-NOT MY FIRST KISS, DAMN IT! R-I REFUSE!
But I won't lie and say I didn't like it. DAMN IT ALL PIERCE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY MIND!?
"Say-Say something! I love you, I love you, I love you! Why-Why aren't you saying anything, Alexis!?" Tears were falling down his face. I froze at the sight. He even sniffled. N-No...don't...don't give me that face... Don't make me feel so...
"I-I'm so sorry!" I lunged and wrapped my arms around his neck, "Just-Just stop crying already, okay!? I-I'm sorry! I-I apologized, so-so you can't cry now! So-So, yeah! Stop-Stop the waterworks already!" Damn. I was still bad at comforting people. I feel like I'm threatening him.
"B-But you don't-You don't believe me when I say I love you!" ACK! He's looking at me with that face.
I pulled away with wide eyes, alarmed. What the hell was I supposed to do!? I-I hugged him! Hugs are supposed to make people feel better! I don't-I don't understand any of this! WAAAAAAAH! WHAT DO I DO!? NIGHTMARE, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!? DEREK!
-pressed his lips against mine, before pulling back and placing a kiss against the tip of my nose-
My face flared red at the thought, and honestly I hated to admit it, but I think that was the only way I'd get him to stop crying.
"Do-Do you hate me!? Is-Is that why you don't believe me when I say I love-" Quickly cupping his face with my hands, ignoring the feel of his soft hair underneath my left palm, I reached up and roughly pressed my lips against his, squeezing my eyes shut. I pulled back as fast as our lips made contact and whirled around, glaring at him with an extremely red face.
"Shut up! I-I don't hate you okay!?" I quickly turned away from him right after I said that, ignoring his stunned face as I covered my mouth with my hand, glaring at a wall. My heart was pounding in my ears. S-Still... "I'm still not counting it..." I mumbled out loud accidentally, causing Pierce's ears to twitch as he stared at me, his lips tilted upwards slightly in a smile. "I hope you're happy..."
Arms suddenly wrapped around my shoulders and felt lips press against my neck again, "Mm! Really, really happy!" I managed not to squeak in alarm when Pierce suddenly pulled me back into his chest, practically making me sit in his lap. His ear twitched again and he grinned widely, kissing the top of my head. "You're so cute~! And you're mine, too! No one else can have you, okay? You're my "lost item" and nobody else's! Right-Chuu?"
"Y-Yeah...Right." I mumbled, totally not noticing at how his breath brushed against my neck, or how his arms wrapped around me in a protective-like manner while still being casual and comfortable. I also didn't notice at how his chin rested on my shoulder, our bodies fitting perfectly against each other as I sat on his lap and leaned against his chest.
I totally didn't think of any of that, and that's totally not the reason why my face is beet red and why Pierce's ears keep twitching at my racing heartbeat.
"C-Can you-Can you let go of me now, please?"
"Eh? Why!? Don't you find this comfy?"
"N-No..." Hell yes. Human pillow! "Not-Not really..." I tried to fight back against the small smile that wanted to form on my face when I realized that this was one of those cheesy couple positions. Butterflies fluttered about my stomach again when I thought that, and the smile was almost wiped off my face instantly when I remembered reality.
Tch. Ruining my ruin.
"Hey, Alexis...Can I bite you again?"
"H-Haaaaah? Wh-Why!?" I leaned forward and turned my head to look back at him, alarmed with a red face and wide eyes. "Why do you keep asking to bite me?"
"Because~! You taste so good-Chuu! You look so cute in my clothes; I just want to eat you up!"
"N-No eating me!" I cried out, struggling in his hold. I-I refused! I refused to get harassed again! "No-No more molesting!"
Pierce looked almost offended. "I'm not molesting you! I'm biting you-Chuu!"
"Wh-What's the difference!? You left a hickey last time you "bit" me!"
"B-But you tasted so good..." My face flared red again and my eyes shot forward to the movement of his ears twitching. I felt an evil grin slip onto my face as I gained an idea. "A-Alexis?"
Before he could react, I shot up and grabbed onto the tip of his ear, causing him to cry out in protest and pain. I managed to get out of his grasp and forced his head onto my lap, pinning his head down with my left hand as I fondled his left mouse ear with my dominant hand. "Yeah, how you like that, huh!? Not so fun now, is it?" He had tears in his eyes, and I felt like a complete and total jerk, but he harassed me all the time sexually-so why can't I physically harass him? I thought it was fair. "How do you like that? Yeah, feels good huh!?"
"S-Stop it, Alexis~! That hurts! I-I'm sorry!" I flinched and loosened a little, before rubbing his ears just a tad-a tad more gently. I'm not-I'm not being nice or going soft on him or anything! Just-Just lessening the pain, that's all... Pierce suddenly tensed, before a purr came out of his mouth. That was...strange. "That...feels nice..." I frowned, blinking in confusion and surprise at the sudden information. I knew mice ears were sensitive but...like this? Were mice like cats and dogs then? In that case... what would happen if I tugged on his ear? I did so and winced when I saw Pierce flinch. I released his ear, no longer wishing to put him through pain, and stared in shock when he grabbed my wrist just as fast I had pulled it back. "Don't...stop."
"B-But you-you flinched-"
"It doesn't hurt as much as it feels good," He explained, frowning. His ears twitched as though telling me to continue rubbing them. I scowled at him and turned my head, debating for a moment before sighing and going what he wanted. His ears were surprisingly soft... "Nnng..." For some reason, the sound he made caused my face to turn a light red. I swallowed the lump in my throat and hesitated, before just deciding to pet his head instead. "Mmm..." He pressed his head against my hand as if encouraging me to continue.
Wh-Why does he keep making those weird sounds!? I-I mean, it wasn't a bad sound, but-but it was a weird sound and I didn't know what to make of it.
I applied a little more pressure when I rubbed my fingers right behind one of his ears, causing him to purr loudly. I jumped a little when his head pushed into my stomach. Before I could react, he wrapped his arms around my waist and snuggled his face into my stomach, smiling and purring all at the same time. His purring sounded similar to squeaks and little clicks, but it was...actually rather cute. I liked it. His ears twitched when my heart sped up again and I scowled.
"Wh-Why do your ears keep doing that?" I demanded, rubbing the tip of his right ear with my thumb and fore-finger. "I swear...They twitch every five minutes." It was a stupid question, but I ended up blurting it out before I realized what I was doing.
"You're heart...You're heart keeps going faster," He mumbled and I held my breath with wide eyes when he suddenly pressed his lips where my stomach. Luckily I was wearing a shirt, so really all he did was kiss cloth... "It's cute-Chuu..."
"D-Don't-Don't kiss me there."
"Ehhh? Why not!?" His voice suddenly rose up in pitch, Pierce sitting up on the bed and looking at me with wide confused eyes.
I quickly diverted my gaze, refusing to look at him. "Be-Because..." It felt weird and sent a shock up my spine. My stomach was sensitive. Then again, I think my whole body was sensitive because I was extremely ticklish.
"...Because you've never been touched by a guy before?" His voice changed again. It was slightly deeper than what he usually used, but different compared to his darker persona. I turned my head to look at him alarmed, but froze when he kissed me again. I pulled my head back quickly to yell at him, but let out a squeak when we both ended up falling back onto the bed. Pierce quickly pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around me, causing me to let out another high-pitch squeak before protesting loudly. Dude, how strong was this guy!?
I tensed and stopped struggling when he planted a kiss on my nose, before doing the same on my forehead. He mumbled, "You're my "item"...Only I can touch you like this..."
"You're the only one who even wants to touch me like this!" I cried out, but was quickly silenced with another kiss. What's gotten into Pierce's head? "H-Hey! Quit it! I said you couldn't kiss me when you found me in the woods, remember!?" I don't know why it took me so long to remember that conversation, but now it's popping back up in my head again, so I'm mentioning it and hoping that he'll stop kissing me.
He snapped out of his trance and looked at me alarmed. "Wh-Wha? But-But I'm your friend! And a boy! So-So I'm you're boy friend, right!?"
Oh, my god, he's so innocent it's cute! Wait, no, be angry!
"I-I meant a boyfriend, as in dating! You know, a couple!? Only couples kiss each other!"
"...Will you date me, then?"
I gaped at him openly, his forest green orbs staring at me innocently. "N-No!" I slapped him on the chest a couple of times, totally not noticing the muscle underneath, and cried out, "I'm not dating you just so you have a reason to-to kiss me! No kissing!"
"But you didn't have a problem with it before!"
"Th-That's because I forgot about the conversation! I'm forgetful, okay!? Don't judge! I'm still mad at you for risking your life!"
"But..." Pierce looked completely confused at this point. C-Can he let me go now? It-It's weird being in the same bed with a boy. "I'm just going to be replaced, so why does it matter? My life doesn't matter. It's not valuable." He flinched when I suddenly flicked him in the forehead-which was actually rather difficult considering he was pinning me to him, and my arms were practically pushed up against his chest. "Ow!"
"Stupid! You're being stupid again, stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! I'll beat you!"
"B-But I'm telling the truth! Why-Why are you hurting me-Chuu!?"
"Because even if you get replaced, if you come back it won't be you! I don't want to lose my best friend! I'll have you know that your life is very valuable!"
"No, it's-"
"Shut up! It-It might not be valuable to you but," ARGH. More embarrassing moments, "I-I care about you, okay? If you die I'll be-I'll be sad! So-So no more risking your life!" Seeing how I couldn't turn away, I decided to just bury my face in his left shoulder.
...
"You're the one whose life is valuable."
"Haa?" I removed my red face from his shoulder and looked up at him confused. J-Just how long are we going to stay in this position? And-And what does he mean by that!? I went still, face blank, seeing him grow serious again. His eyes locked onto mine.
"Even if you die, you can't be replaced. You're my "lost item", Alexis. I don't want to lose you. Your life holds much more value than mine, a weak and pathetic mouse."
"You're not pathetic! And for your information, if you were weak, I'd already be out of this position by now!" He was keeping me pinned to him on the bed. Jerk. Does he not realize how awkward and embarrassing this position is!? "Also, my life is not valuable in the least. Now, if you continue down-grading yourself, I will have to pull on your ears again and make you scream in pain. Got it, stupid?"
"You're life is far more valuable than mine. You have a heart...a beat..." I froze when he repositioned himself, placing his ear against my chest. I held my breath for a moment before allowing myself to breath, trying to get myself to relax. This was...slightly uncomfortable. "That makes you special. Irreplaceable."
"So? You have a clock-big deal, buddy. That doesn't mean you're any less special. Do I have to beat that into your skull for you to stop complaining about yourself or what?"
Pierce lifted his head and frowned at me, looking like he wanted to argue.
Ah, another thing Pierce and I had in common. We're stubborn. Wow...
However, right as he opened his mouth, he seemed to crash. Like...pass out. With his head on my chest and his arms still pinning me to him.
...Well, damn. I'm screwed.
Nightmare, Gray~! I'm sorry! Gray, please take care of Amber for me~! I don't think I'll be heading back in the next few time changes because a stupid idiotic mouse is keeping me hostage!
...SAVE ME!
"Pierce...Pierce, wake up. Pierce? Pierce! PIERCE!" It wasn't working. He was dead asleep.
Ah...he must not have had another cup of coffee since he got back. Well, we have been talking for about an hour or two since I got out of the bath... Wait, coffee withdrawal? Oh, hell no...That must be as bad as my tea withdrawals!
Every time I stop drinking tea, even for a few minutes, I start to get really really tired. I generally end up going to bed early. I can drink half-strength black coffee in the morning, but if I don't have tea...
Basically, I end up like how Pierce is now. Sleeping. Peacefully. Only without the adorable-as-all-hell look on my face.
Stupid, stupid Pierce!