"Tea?" Hatter asking, tipping the kettle towards Time.

The cog-man fought the urge to sneer as Hatter smirked.

The redhead lowered the pot. "Oh, that's right. You can't drink tea!" His grin was wide and his eyes mischievous. He poured himself a cup, plopping in three cubes of sugar. Then, for effect Time knew, he looked around the table then the room. His face open and carefully decorated with a confused and apologetic look. "Well, I'm all out of oil-"

Time's smile was stiff - though Alice was not present, he still kept his manners.. mostly. "Thank you, Tarrant."

Hatter's upper lip twitched. The clockwork-man had not taken much offense to his insult. He picked up his cup and sat down on his armchair. He took a sip. "Now, what are you doing here?"

The visitor had asked himself that very question on his travels to the redhead's house, walking up toward the redhead's house, standing on the doorstep of the redhead's house, and finally entering the redhead's house. And still, he did not have an answer. He looked a bit awkwardly around the room - Hatter had been his usual self and not offered him a seat. "Well, Alice is-"

"Oh yes!" he interrupted. His cup hit the table with a clang. His eyes suddenly cold. 'What have you done to her, you pesky half-man?"

"Nothing!" Time shot back before he could stop himself. He cleared his throat and straightened. "She has been away from Wonder- Underland." He hadn't realized the affect the yellow-haired girl had on him. He had lived in this world for centuries and centuries, since time began! And here after months of being in her company, he was calling this place Wonderland!

"Ah yes, pillaging and plundering the shores of India-" Hatter looked around then, realizing he was still in his home in the quiet of Underland. The manic look that started to grow in his eyes flicked off. "At least.. that's what I would do.. in another life.. if I had a ship..."

"I'm sure you would," Time muttered.

Hatter looked at the other again. "But what does Alice not being here have to do with your clankyself in my parlor?" He sat back and clasped his hands. "I remember you set us at one minute to tea-time. I have yet to receive an apology. Could that be the reason you are here?"

Time chuckled at the absurdity of Hatter's request. "You can't be serious, puny Underlandian-"

But Tarrant wasn't laughing.

"Hardly not," he argued. He scoffed haughtily, waving his hand. "You and your lot were no help at all! Riddles and nonsensical sputters it all was in your fabled tea-time! Ridiculously uncompelled to give me any sort of answers of the yellow-haired girl's whereabouts!"

Hatter narrowed his eyes. "Wicked as the Red Queen, you are! Demanding information about my good friend, who at that time I had no idea would be my good friend, all for what? Your little insignificant chronosphere?"

Time growled and stepped forward without thinking. "I am nothing like her!" His voice was full of fire.

The mad hatter let out a brief laugh. "I've gotten to you, ol'Timey. I've made you tick." He took another sip of his lukewarm tea. "Now, if you don't know why you're here, tell me then.. what's going on between you and her?"

The burning flame of his bright blue eyes dwindled at the serious subject of his more-than-friends relationship with Alice. He was sure the hatter knew the answer - perhaps he was being humored... But then Hatter never seemed to take lightly to his best friend's new and frankly unheard of relationship.

"I think you know exactly what is going on," he chose carefully.

Hatter's eyes flashed and he grunted, "You don't deserve her."

Time's fingers found the silent pocketwatch in his pocket. He took it out and ran his thumb over the shell, Charles Kingsleigh. He didn't look up. "You are right there, Tarrant." He opened the deceased fellow and looked at the unticking hands. "I do not deserve someone as pure and unique and as beautiful as her. No matter how many millennials I have lived, there is no other in the world like Alice.

"But I fear there shall be another like me, who is better than me, who deserves her more than I." His voice had gone sad and quiet as he pictured another man - a real man - taking Alice's heart.

Hatter frowned. "That was much more poetic than I expected."

Time shut the pocketwatch. He looked at Hatter very seriously. The subject of Alice was no laughing matter - he wanted to please her, even in her absence. "I am here, Tarrant, because I think Alice would like us to get along."

He scoffed. "That's absurd!"

It was Time's turn not to laugh.

Hatter's face froze for a moment. "You can't be serious- Me? And you? Getting along?" Then he folded his arms and sulked in his chair. "So, you chose now? Out of all other moments, to invade my home and make yourself pass by so slowly?"

The clockwork-man gave him a pointed look. "If I wanted to speed your talk, I would have and I would not be still standing here."

The redhead made a garbled noise that sounded like a groan but ended in a frustrated ack!. Then he saw his best friend's kind face and beaming smile. He let go of a sigh. "For Alice, eh?"

Time knew he was thinking of said woman. "Yes."

"I suppose," he grumbled. Then he waved his hand. "Yes, yes, alright. But next time- I go to your place. It's weird and unnerving for you to be here. I fear you're about to stop me at any moment forever! Just like you did when we had-"

"-one minute to tea-time?" Time finished.

"Oh, yes, that little bit! I thought you had forgotten!"

Time snorted again. "What're you going to do? Strike me a deal? That you won't do your part of trying to get along unless I apologize for sticking you lot at one minute to tea-time?"

Time had thought the words through and heard the words but wished could stop himself from speaking said words.

Hatter grinned widely. "Precisely."

He groaned and briefly looked like he wanted to strangle something. "Fine! I'm sorry I stuck you at one minute to tea-time. Happy?"

The redhead pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Say it again when Alice is here, and then yes, I'll be happy."

"Why you-" Time started.

"Ah, ah, ah," Hatter tsked. "We're getting along, Tickie. Wouldn't want to disappoint Alice now, would we?"

Bond.

He was convinced there would be no bond.

But for Alice, he'd sure damn try.

I don't understand why they hate each other so much... I tried to get to them to be nicer but they both insisted! x)