AND DREAM AWAY

Chapter 28

Alice walked around the loft, touching things, boots clicking on the wood floor while I watched her. She'd grabbed up the purple coat from the chair and put it on, burying her face in the collar. It was enough to just watch her.

"There's no tv." She said stopping in front o' the floor to ceiling windows staring out over the city. The bedrooms, bathrooms and me office were separate, kitchen and living room were on big space, separated by the big kitchen island.

"I don't care if I never see another screen." Went to stand beside her, put me arm around her.

"At least our tv's are just tvs."

"Don't believe for one minute that if I go' a tv, cat wouldn't be talking out o' it." Laughed and smoothed her hair. She turned to look up at me so I kissed her. Scooped her up in me arms and carried her to the couch. Sat down with her in me lap.

"I still have a lot of questions." She said softly, touching me face. Closed me eyes and pulled her close, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"Read the notebook." I whispered into her hair. She smelled like summer flowers and Ivory soap.

"I want you to tell me. Besides, I don't wanna know what you consider the bad stuff. I wanna know what you like, what you don't like. What do you do for fun?"

Hands tightened in her hair. Fun? A successful con used to be fun, destroying an enemy used to be fun, Bacchanalia nights used to be fun, smuggling used to be fun. She'd changed everything. Changed me.

"Hatter?"

"Shhh. I'm thinking."

"Can't be that hard." She struggled to push away from me far enough to look in me eyes.

"Um. " harder than I thought. "Rescue pretty girls?"

"You like to cook?" She prompted.

"Cooking is fun?" Ok I could live with that. "Kissing you is fun."

Kissed her while her lips were so close. Deepened the kiss and tickled her tongue with mine. She melted in me arms and I wanted nothing more than to carry her into the bedroom. But, no, not here. Other women had been in that bed. Granted, it was a long time ago. Tomorrow I would get a new bed.

Pulled away from her, smiling at her glazed eyes. Me own in about the same shape.

"Alice, can we go shopping tomorrow, get some new furniture?" looked around. There were a few antiques I wanted to keep, but that was all. A new life for us.

"Are you… are you asking me to move in with you?" alarm bells in her eyes. Smoothed her hair.

"You'll move in with me when you're ready, so you should pick out what you like now, yeah?" grinned at her. "You can change anything you want. And if you don't want to live here, we'll get some other place. Anything you want Alice."

She shook her head at me. "Hatter, I…" shushed her with a kiss. And another and another.

"Hatter." She whispered against me lips. "If I don't go soon, I won't go at all."

Sighed and stood, standing her on her feet. She couldn't stay. No' yet. Soon.

"Ok, I'll call you a cab. You will come shopping tomorrow, right? I need a lot o' stuff. And things to make pizza."

"Wow." She blinked. "That was quick. I thought I'd have to argue with you some."

"Alice, you're right, if you don't go now, I'll lay you down on that carpet and …. And you'd hate me in the morning, yeah?"

"I wouldn't hate you." She grinned. Reached for her but she squealed and ran around the coffee table. "Call the cab."

Made the call and waited outside with her. Tried to keep me hands off her, but it was hard.

"Come over when you get up and I'll make you breakfast."

"Breakfast? How about brunch?" she teased.

"How about I come get you in the morning?"

"What time?"

"Early. Very early." Winked at her. She laughed and the cab came and she was gone after a quick kiss.

The notebook sat on the coffee table, she'd ignored it again. Sighed and left it there. It would sit there till she read it. And … and I'd get as many kisses as I could before then.

Out the kitchen window onto the fire escape and up to the roof to watch the night in me new city.

AN: figured Hatter deserved some fluff for a change. Next time he'll get more than a few kisses, I promise.