14. Don't be nice with others

Alice's heart pounded as she stared at the message on her phone. Vivaldi had invited her to hang out at the fireworks party. Could she hope a little that the idol was considering her as a friend...? It'd be wonderful...not to mention that day was the last day of vacation.

Unconsciously, she's humming while doing the dishes.

"Hm~ You're being so cheerful today, Princess~" he put his chin on her right shoulder. "Are you so excited to go to school? Is that it?"

Alice blushed. "N-No...Um, Vivaldi invited me to go to the fireworks party. I'm just...h-happy..." she blushed darker and stopped wiping the plate. "This...is the first time someone invited me to a party."

"Huh...I see..." Ace chuckled and stepped back. "Well, why not? I'll get ready. There's also a bazaar until night before the fireworks."

Alice turned, surprised. "R-Really? You'll come with me?" she smiled happilly. The brunet grinned and nodded. Alice squealed and began to jump while turning around. "Yeah! This is exciting~!"

Ace chuckled and left the kitchen, and then stopped when he was sure Alice wouldn't hear. Then, he hit the wall with his fist.

"Hmm...That curly demon...I was just going to ask her..." he smiled dangerously.

~.X.~

Ace put on a vest over his loose tank top, fanning his neck. It was the end of August, yet there was no sign of cooling down for a while. He heard steps coming from the stairs.

"Ah, sorry for taking too long..." Alice said apologetically. Ace's eyes widened. She was wearing a tanktop. "It's really hot today! But...I wonder if it's okay if I show this much skin...?"

Ace laughed. "No one wants to see your skin! Hide it!" he took off his vest and threw it to Alice, who pouted and huffed.

"I-It's not like I want anyone to see me or anything..." she puffed her cheeks, but wore his vest anyway. "Hmph, good thing I washed this vest for you." Alice said, trying to be mean, but her cheeks kept blushing. She took the visor hats on the shelf, putting one for her, then one on Ace.

The brunet was too busy thinking of Alice, wearing his clothes. Then he grinned and took her hand.

"Let's go~!"

~.X.~

Vivaldi raised her eyebrows as she watched Sidney narrowed his eyes; they were watching Alice and Ace coming along. Alice shyly waved, while Ace sighed boredly beside her.

"Hm, are they dating or what?" Vivaldi asked to herself, but Sidney turned to her sharply with a scowl.

"Of course not. So stupid." He scoffed. Vivaldi raised her eyebrows even higher if possible, and Sidney just realized how he had reacted, noticing her face. "Wh-What? It's the truth. N-Not that I care or anything. No way." He scoffed again, face slightly red.

Vivaldi smirked at a wonderful scheme playing in her mind.

"Alice~ It's been a while~!" Vivaldi giggled and hugged the girl, who froze and gasped.

Alice felt like dreaming. "A-Ah...! I-I-I-Is it o-o-okay for s-s-someone like m-me to b-be h-hugged...!?"

The purplette let go with a sad frown. "Eh? You don't like getting hugged by me, Alice?"

Ace and Sidney twitched.

"N-No! I didn't mean that..." Alice looked down shyly. "I'm just...I can't believe that you'd hug me...I like getting hugged by Vivaldi..."

Oh, but you don't like getting hugged by me? Was Ace's thought as a dangerous smile grew on his face.

Vivaldi squealed and spread her arms. "Good! Then now you hug me, Alice~! Ehe." She threw a smirk at Ace and Sidney.

Sidney was wondering what the heck was Vivaldi's thinking—and why the heck did all of this irritated him.

Ace, on the other hand, prayed that Alice wouldn't hug that bitch—Alice never hugged him first! It wouldn't be fair!

"Oh...okay...but don't hate me if you don't like it..." Alice said timidly and embraced the taller girl, who quickly hugged back. Vivaldi stuck her tongue at the boys.

Volcanoes were boiling in the last day of summer vacation.

~.X.~

"Heh, these guys actually come to extra classes during summer." Vivaldi sighed as they walked through the booths at the bazaar. "If you two are so serious, you won't get a lover, you know~"

Alice giggled. "Hehe, I'm used to go to the extra classes, I feel restless if I don't..."

Sidney nodded in agreement. "It's not like we're wasting our time or anything..."

"Boring~" Ace sighed. "I lost the thrills of working my homework in the last minutes since I finished it in the second week." He shrugged. Vivaldi gasped.

"Seriously? Hey! Can I copy? I was so busy working, this is my only free day! I totally forgot about that..."

"Haha! Who do you think you are, Demon?" Ace said with a wide smile, Vivaldi got really irritated that she could really grew a pair of demon horns.

Alice sighed. "Ace, stop being mean...Okay then, I will lend you my homework...i-if it's okay...I mean, if you'd rather borrow Ace's, then...I'll talk him out—"

Vivaldi reached for her hands and teared up. "Alice~ You're an angel~! I love you~!" she squealed and hugged the overly-shocked introvert.

Ace clenched his fists, trying to hold back from throwing that curly demon to the sky. Sidney sighed and fanned his neck.

For a while, they enjoyed watching the various booths. Ace won the watermelon hitting game, and got to choose a prize. Since there was nothing that interested him, he turned to Alice with a smirk.

"I know, Alice should choose the prize. What do you want?"

"H-Huh!? Why me? You won the prize!" Alice protested. Ace just shrugged and winked at her, signing that he's not changing his mind. She huffed. "Uh...okay...Um..."

"Ahh~ not fair! Alice didn't even try, but she gets to pick a prize." Vivaldi teased, glancing at Ace evilly. Alice blushed.

"Th-Then...what would you like, Vivaldi?"

"No!" Ace suddenly bursted. "You know what, never mind. I'll pick something for myself." He patted Alice's head. Vivaldi smirked, and Ace glared. Sidney rolled his eyes.

"Then we'll go to the next booth. Come on, Alice." Sidney said, and got followed by the girls. Ace sighed and stared at the rows of prizes.

He had always been so possessive of Alice, since she's his only friend, and he wanted to be her only friend. Since he met Alice...the only world he knew was His and Her world. Just the two of them. He didn't want anyone else, and he didn't want her to be with others.

"Oh," Ace's eyes stopped at a pretty, blue ribbon. "I'll take this." He told the vendor.

Ace understood that Alice was naturally nice and caring...to everyone. But he's different from others. They're bound with a different bond...There was something between them that made Alice thought of Ace as different—Alice knew what it was, while Ace didn't. Still, he angrily wished Alice would stop being nice with everyone.

Just be nice to him. Just him. Or he wouldn't be able to feel special anymore.

~.X.~

They stopped at the bridge and watched the ocean. Even though they're close to the beach, the sun was too excited to shine. Sidney sighed tiredly.

"I can't take this anymore...too hot..." he muttered weakly.

"Yeah, good. Die." Ace chuckled, and got a glare from Alice. "What? I can't help it." He shrugged with a smirk.

"Please hold on there, Sidney." Alice said and took off her visor hat, and set it on Sidney, who jumped in surprise. "S-Sorry, but I have to do this...Please don't hate me." She bowed and turned. "I know, I'll buy us some ice cream!"

Vivaldi smiled as she watched the girl left. She then glanced at Ace, who scowled at the leaving Alice, and Sidney, who blushed as he touched the visor hat on his head.

Ace turned to Sidney, glared at him. He then snatched the hat from Sidney's head. Sidney was about to protest, but then Ace took off his own visor hat and stuffed it on Sidney's hat.

"Haa~ Alice is really a nice girl, huh~?" Vivaldi said to no one. "If I'm a boy, I'll probably head over heels for her, ha ha!" she flipped her cellphone. "Then again, I already have a boyfriend. You guys should step up too, have a girlfriend, enjoy high school."

"Heh, I am enjoying it." Ace chuckled. "But then I need you guys to stop getting too close with Alice."

Sidney narrowed his eyes. "Is she your property or what? She's not yours or anything, trash." He coldly scoffed. "She's been silent and shy...but now she's speaking up and growing confident. That's good for her. If you're trying to keep her all to yourself, then she won't be better."

Ace gritted his teeth. He hated how Sidney was right. He hated how Sidney understood Alice and thought of her while he was just being selfish. Ace didn't want to share Alice...and he got really, really irritated by how Sidney understood Alice.

"I got some sicklepop!" Alice said as she rushed back happily. "Hehe, this feels like Kingdom Hearts 2, right? Roxas and the gangs liked to eat sicklepop, right?"

Vivaldi giggled. "It's popsickle, honey." She accepted one and licked it. Humming, she glanced at Ace and Sidney, who fell silent while Alice shared the popsickles.

"Oh, S-Sidney...are you feeling better?" Alice asked as she handed the popsickle.

"Ah...yeah." Sidney said and accepted the popsickle.

"Good! I'm glad..." she sighed with a wide smile and turned to Ace, leaving Sidney's eyes widened and his face began to faintly redden.

Ace couldn't miss this for the world. The popsickle dripped on his hot hand as Ace watched Sidney fell in love with Alice.

And he hated it. He hated him.

He hated how Sidney might take Alice away from him.

Not as a friend.

Then as what...?

Alice is his friend, and Sidney's not going to take her away as a friend...so that means he could still be friends with Alice. But he...he didn't want Alice to be with others, after all. Be it as friends or not friends...Ace couldn't accept this...

Ace snatched her hand, and suddenly pulled her for a run.

~.X.~

The sun was setting as they just walked in silence along the beach. Alice patiently and silently let Ace held her hand and drag her—she's kind of used to his possessive streak. The beach reminded her of it—he forced her into a diving suit there, just so other boys can't see her in a swimsuit.

When paying at the cashier, Ace would take care of it, so she didn't have to greet the cashier worker. When buying ice cream at the park, he would do it so she didn't have to smile at the seller. When ordering fastfood, Ace would insist to call, so she didn't have to talk to the delivery guy. He would take the order from the deliverer so she didn't have to hand the money with her hand.

"I let you loose just a bit, and you go around being nice to everyone." Ace sighed. They stopped at the sand, and he let go of her hand.

Alice hummed. "Is that...bad?" she squatted and dig the sand with her fingers. "Is it bad to be nice with others...?" she asked, and foud a starfish beneath the sand.

Ace's eyes watched her fingers gently brush the animal in her hand. He snatched the starfish and threw it to the ocean. He then turned at Alice with a scowl.

"Do you...like Sidney?"

Alice gaped and blushed. "What...?" she twitched. "Where did that come from? I like him, of course." She nodded.

Ace scowled deeper. "Then...what about me?"

"Huh?" Alice frowned at Ace's face, and then laughed. "He he, I like Ace even a loooot more!" she then froze and blushed harder. "Ahh! Why the heck am I saying such mushy stuff...!?" she held her cheeks. "S-Sorry Ace...p-please just forget it, if it bothers you! Ahh...the heat is getting to me..."

Ace blinked, eyes wide. He then squatted next to the flustered girl and stared at the sand with a confused frown.

"Why would you like someone like me...?"

Alice hummed and doodled a flower with her fingers.

"Because you're nice...and you're strong and reliable...and you make me strong and give me courage. With you by my side, I get to have more friends. I understand how to have fun. You're always cheerful and refreshing. Even a boring girl like me won't get a boring moment with you by my side...and..."

For some reason, the brunet was holding his chest, as he couldn't bear to let the blonde look at his face right now. His mind kept denying her words—his heart grew at her gentle words, he never felt so contradicted.

"I'm not nice...nor reliable, you know. I'm...selfish and..." Ace stopped as he felt her leaning on his shoulder.

"Zzz...zzz...right...sicklepop...Zzz...popsickle...Zzz..."

He sighed with a smile. She always chose the right time to fall asleep. Fortunately, the sun's replaced with the rising moon, and people were gathering at a different part of the beach to start the fireworks party.

And Ace was grateful for the dark and for her sleeping talent.

Since it was the first time he ever blushed so hard.

~.X.~

"We're going to school tomorrow!" Alice happily said and set iced tea beside Ace, and sat on the terrace. Ace handed a fire flower stick to her and clicked the match.

"Yeah, it's exciting, huh?" Ace chuckled as he watched his fire flower lit up. "Let me turn it on." He began to lit Alice's fire flower. As he clicked the match, he noticed her sad expression.

"But then...you're going back to your tent, huh...?" she said, looking lonely.

He didn't understand why, but he looked away and chuckled. "Heheh...What? Princess misses me already~?"

"Hmph! I-Idiot. As if I didn't get enough time with you for a month!" Alice huffed shyly, puffing her cheeks. She watched her fire flower lit up. "Beautiful..."

Ace stared at his own fire flower. Their summer time was like the fire flower—it was fun, but it won't last.

"Actually," Alice said, "Spending time with Ace is never enough. It's always fun. Ace is like a fire flower. It's never enough to watch a fire flower just once. I want to watch it over and over again. Just like my time with you, I want it to happen over and over again." She set her chin on her knees, her gentle smile gleamed under the fire flower's light.

Ace gazed at her gently. When she's being sincere like this, he felt like he couldn't hold back anymore. He grew even more selfish. He grew even greedier. Being friends didn't feel enough anymore.

Her gentle words, her kindness, Ace wanted them for himself.

~.X.~

Alice woke up to an empty house. She smiled gently and opened her window. September. The air was fresh, as if yesterday wasn't a burning summer month. She's a second year. It felt like her first day in autumn season, and she was going to school alone back then.

As she opened her door, Ace and his bright smile was waiting for her there.

"Good morning princess~ Ready to go?"

Alice grinned and nodded.

"When did you built your tent?" Alice asked.

"I haven't~ Too sleepy...I slept in the bag." Ace yawned. "Haah~ I got used to sleep on a bed, now I'm spoiled~"

"Hehe, that's your fault for free-loading on your own consent."

Ace smirked. "My own consent, huh...So you didn't like it when I stayed there?"

"I didn't—I mean...I was just...agh...it's going to be like this until graduation, huh?" Alice deadpanned, and Ace nodded with a naughty grin. She sighed, but then stopped her pace as she noticed a girl dropped her wallet.

"Oh, she dropped this!" Alice picked it. When she was going to run, Ace snatched the wallet and smiled.

"Let me do it for you." He said and walked with long steps towards the girl ahead.

"Oi, you dropped your wallet." Ace said, tapping the girl's head with her wallet. "You're lucky it's not a bad guy who found it." He grinned and began to walk back to where Alice was.

Alice was too excited to notice what Ace noticed. The girls were...staring and talking about him.

"That's Ace Pendragon..."

"I've never noticed he's so handsome...He got taller during summer!"

"Ssh, Sidney will be very mad if he heard that!"

A boy from their class ran towards them and held an absence book. "Hey, Liddell, can you help me out here? Fill the names of our classmates. My handwriting is really bad."

"Wh-Why me?"

"Well, your handwriting is really beautiful! You've always wrote the date on the white board, right?"

Ace's smile twitched. He snatched the absence book. "I'll do it~ Don't worry~ Just go and do your business."

"H-Heh? Pendragon...? What are you—" Ace ushered him to go with a cold smile.

Alice raised her eyebrows, realizing what was going on; Ace wasn't letting her to be nice to others. So instead, he's doing the work whenever she wanted to help anyone. He raised his hand before she did to save the class, and answered the questions correctly. He helped girls to clean up the class when she was on the schedule. Alice sighed and left the class.

At least if he's busy at the class, she could water the flowers by herself.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where class 1-B is?" a voice asked nearby. Alice stopped watering the flowers, and turned to see the boy from the other day.

He looked surprised as well. "Oh...You're that girl from the other day!" was the first thing he said, with a bright smile.

"Y-Yeah, you're that boy, I drew a map for, right?" Alice smiled back shyly, and turned to the school building. "Let me finish this just a moment, I'll show you to your class."

"My name is Pierce Villiers. Are you a first year?"

"Oh, no, I'm a second year. My name is Alice Liddell."

"Ahh, too bad. If you are, I'd like to move to your class. What was your homeroom?"

"I was in 1-A. Maybe it'll be fun if we can go to the same class, huh?" Alice giggled and set down the watering can. "Alright, let me show you the way."

~.X.~

Ace raised his eyebrows as he watched Sidney made everyone else left the class. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and glared at the brunet seriously. Sidney took a seat across Ace.

"I told everyone to stop avoiding you." he began, and slightly looked out through the window.

Ace scoffed. "So what?"

He didn't care why or what would happen if no one would avoid him at school anymore. Ace decided that Alice was enough, though he wasn't sure the stinging feeling he felt about 'being friends' anymore.

This time, Sidney stared into his eyes intensely.

"I want you to make friends with others too...and like other people too..." he gulped. "Alice...that girl doesn't want anyone to treat you badly." he scoffed. "She'd be angry at me if I continue this."

Ace's eyes were narrowed at how Sidney was talking about 'Alice'. The way he spoke her name and the way his eyes turned gentle, and how faint red crept onto his pale complexion...he didn't know why, but it made Ace's blood boil.

"What do you want...?" Ace impatiently pressed.

Sidney's gentle gaze turned hard again with ambition.

"I'm in love with Alice Liddell." he said without doubt. "I want her to be my girlfriend."

Ace's eyes widened, and he scowled. Sidney narrowed his eyes on his half-brother, expecting him to choke him or punch him on the face. However, Ace looked down, his eyes beneath his brown bangs, and he got up, heading towards the door.

Sidney stared at the floor. He knew it as well; Ace also loved Alice...On this part, they're actually like brothers...since they shared the same taste in a girl.

Ace, on the other hand, his ruby eyes wildly glanced around, trying to find his dark blonde.

"I'm in love with Alice Liddell."

A smirk grew on Ace's face as he repeated Sidney's words in his head.

"What if Alice likes you?" was what Julius asked.

What if it could be more than 'like'? Ace thought, and then remembered that she was watering the flowers. He hated to admit this, and he wouldn't admit it to Sidney's face, that Sidney was the one who made him realize his feelings.

"So I'm in love with Alice." Ace chuckled, and perked as he finally found the adorable dark blonde. "Alice—" he stopped his pace as he noticed the guy beside her.

Alice noticed Ace calling her, and smiled to Pierce.

"Good luck in your class, Villiers." she said warmly. Pierce beamed back.

"Thank you, Alice." he then took her sleeve just like back in the summer. "Can I ask you another favor?"

Ace's gaze turned dark as she tilted her head for the junior.

"Will you have lunch with me until I'm used to the school, Alice?"

How could he say her name so carelessly...?

Alice nodded with a bright smile. "S-Sure, if that's okay with you..."

Pierce sighed happily and wrapped her hand with both of his hands, and planted a kiss on her knuckles

"I'm so lucky I go to this school. You're really nice!" he chuckled and let go, entering his class. "Can't wait for lunch~!"

Ace's eyes narrowed as she shivered and held her kissed hand. Alice blushed madly as she limply walked to Ace, and stared at the floor.

Forcefully, the brunet snatched her kissed hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I told you..." Ace muttered darkly. "Stop being nice with others."

And so it begins. I didn't expect that Ace would realize his feelings first, despite I wrote it. I guess Alice loves Ace back, but she didn't name her feelings as 'love'. Alice thinks that she's just using Ace to stop her loneliness instead. Please tell me what you think in your review.