I kind of liked this one-shot. So why not a little add-on?

-Static

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There was nothing quite like the sensation of her voice gasping in his ear in the complete and utter darkness of the night. The way she would squeak when his fingers blindly ghosted over her waist, or the way she would hum at the soft kisses he leisurely placed on her neck and lower. There was absolutely nothing like knowing, whatever he did, the results were always positive. Quite a treat, for his ever-constant cynicism to be rendered so incorrect. Though she compared him and his Role to the deities of her own world, this was the time that truly made him feel like a god. He knew each and every centimeter of her body perfectly. He could make it twitch and writhe and arch into him as he so pleased. The ever cagy Outsider, suspicious of all around her, as skittish as a fox, and probably the trickiest person to win over... he had somehow managed to capture her elusive affections. She was as much his as he was hers. She now allowed him to do whatever he wanted with her, and she did not seem too displeased with the development either.

Then suddenly, under the cover of the blankets with him, she started calling his name, the three syllables ringing through his mind with each of her ever-louder pants. That meant whatever he was doing, she wanted more. And so he continued, until her voice started changing. At first it was soft and sweet, pleading with him for something. Then, to his complete and utter confusion, it took on an irritated edge. She was no longer panting, and then she shoved at his chest and simply glared up at him as if he'd done something to offend her greatly. That was when the panic started to settle in and he took his hands off the skin of her bared waist.

What was wrong?!

"Julius, wake up!" And with a snap of something across the back of his head, his eyes flew open. He had warped from his bed during the night period, to find himself pillowing his head on his arms at his desk, blinking into the noonday sun, with a rather unpleasant cramp in his neck. As he rolled his head around, trying to make the discomfort ease up, he felt a small bit of disappointment well up in his chest. He leaned back in his chair and sighed in not-entirely-feigned annoyance.

Of course, it hadn't been real.

Just another dream.

He returned his attention to the girl in front of him. She was glaring down into his irritated gaze with a rolled-up newspaper in her hand - no doubt the object she'd used to smack him - and he narrowed his eyes at her. It didn't matter that he liked her, he would not put up with one such insult.

"So you see it fit to treat me as a misbehaving dog?" he growled, the building aggravation creating something of a "dark aura" around his person. It created a look on his face that would send even Ace back a step or two, but she was not in the least bit fazed.

"Only if it makes some sort of impression." she responded easily, glaring right back at the Clockmaster. "If it means you'll listen." she mumbled, looking away, knowing it was futile.

When Alice had woken that time period, she immediately went on with her daily routine. Of course she had seen her roommate at his desk with his eyes closed, but sometimes it was the only break he took. It had been his compromise. He would do as she asked and turn away from the clocks at intervals, but he would still remain at his desk so that he might resume his duties the second he was allowed to. Since she thought he had gotten plenty of rest, she disregarded the incident and took a shower, combed her hair, changed her clothes, and then she made breakfast. She hadn't been particularly worried over her landlord this time, as she had made him promise to get some sleep on the sofa, as he insisted she remain in the bed. He had sworn that he would actually do something that might benefit his overall health.

Upon entering the room with a tray of hot food and coffee, she found him still in the same position at the desk. It had become crystal clear. He had obviously not complied with her easy and simple request. She really couldn't be blamed if she had gone for the newspaper.

When she had finally gotten him to sit up and remove his glasses, she saw two rectangles around his eyes and a bridge across his nose. The images were agnrily red and imprinted on his face. Further proof that he had not kept his word. If he had been that sleepy, the sofa was literally two steps away. It wouldn't take four seconds for him to sit up and go back to his desk.

The situation forever perplexed and upset Alice. Why did he refuse to take care of himself? If he fell ill or got injured, then wouldn't he be unable to fix the clocks? She knew that - like all the other idiots in this world - he did not value his life, but considering his terrifyingly loyal work ethic, it didn't make sense. What was the rhyme to his reason?

He did not respond, and he simply continued glaring at her, with his arms crossed. It didn't take her long to notice the pink tint gracing his cheeks, or the way his lips turned down in a frown. That happened sometimes when he woke up, like he was especially annoyed with her and wanted her to leave as soon as possible. It was like she had interrupted an especially good dream.

Julius had never felt more irate in his life. It frustrated him to no end that this woman refused to notice him as anything but her boss and landlord, but now for her to actually take disciplinary action against him? In his own home?

"If you ever hit me with a newspaper again, I'm throwing you out." To this she gave an unladylike snort,

"Like you'd ever throw me out." she retorted, half to herself as she pushed the tray closer to him across the desk.

Unwilling to acknowledge his bluff, he chose to remain silent and started eating. Then he realized she was still there. For a moment he was puzzled, until he remembered. Oh right, the coffee. He sipped and recited her score - always lower than she'd have liked - then watched as she left, slightly deflated. Several seconds more, and he could faintly hear the sound of the Tower's front doors shutting.

She had gone adventuring once again, interacting with Wonderland's residents in order to fill up the vial. She still wanted to go home, and despite the wants his dreams brought up, he encouraged her to leave.

Wonderland - in spite of what the incubus showed her - was not a pretty place. Sure, the illusions looked appealing enough, but they were chipped. Once the observer got to picking at the cracks, it would not take long to see the ever-dark reality. She had meaning in her world, the potential for happiness. If she remained here...

She would become a pawn in the game, just like everyone else.

/*\

Though he was more than reluctant to admit it, Julius was starting to get worried. Alice had been gone for more than three time periods, nearly eighteen hours. Wonderland wasn't that big, what could have taken her so long?

He shook off the thought. She would be fine. Though they didn't exactly have the best manners, the Role-Holders liked her. They would keep her safe.

And yet a voice in the back of his head told him otherwise.

He shoved it away and continued fixing the clock. She was fine, she would return soon, and that was all there was to it. He was going to continue the inner mantra when he heard the door open, and he breathed a small sigh of relief.

See? He told himself, Everything is fine. That was when he heard her voice.

"Ace, I said no." So Ace had returned with yet more clocks?

"But Alice," the knight immediately protested, "It would be so much fun. Camping isn't that bad." His voice was light and airy as always but...Julius had known him long enough to know when something was off, even from listening to their conversation from such a distance.

"I said no." She repeated. Was that...fear in her voice? "I remember what happened last time I got stuck in a tent with you." she growled.

What happened last time?

Then Alice gave out a surprised shriek, and so Julius decided it was time to intervene. He left the office and treaded down the stairs to see...Ace. Cornering Alice against a wall. She was trying to defend herself, her arms crossed in front of her, doing the best she could to ward off the knight. He started to bend down, easily resisting the pressure of Alice's arms trying to push him away, not listening as she yelled for him to get away. As angry as the Clockmaker felt at his closest friend, he also had to feel somewhat smug.

Alice didn't want him.

"Ace." He called, breaking off the interaction. "What are you doing? Stop harassing Alice and give me the clocks." To absolutely no one's surprise, Ace only turned and smiled.

"But we're having a moment here."

"No we're not!" She protested, continuing to fight, but both men ignored her.

Ace knew Julius held an interest in the Foreigner, and Julius knew that Ace wanted to get her alone in a tent for various reasons, not entirely virtuous. However, though the knight was not nearly as emotionally invested in her, he knew the Clockmaker was. The only thing that was stopping Julius was his sense of nobility. He thought that Alice shouldn't have to be with a Wonderlandian man, that she should not waste her life for a replaceable person. However, he was not taking into account the fact that Alice would make her own choices. She was responsible for her life, not him.

His friend needed to be a little more selfish. At least in this instance.

"You don't want her," Ace goaded, "So why not just let me try my luck?"

Julius knew exactly what the damned knight was doing. He also knew how to get him to back off.

"Don't you have a meeting with the Queen?" The knight's eyes narrowed, but inside he was amused. It wasn't often that Julius broke out the Role card. There was always the risk that Ace might get upset and draw his sword, and since Julius really hated to fight...

Alice really was important.

This time, Ace calmly retreated. He knew that this time, Julius had been hoping for a rise, to distract him from the Foreigner. This particular game, he would win.

"...I do."

"Then get going."

Ace, though a bit irked by the mention of the old hag, was satisfied. With that one phrase, that one warning, he knew that Julius was going to be obsessing over it for the rest of the night.

If Alice still let him see her in that tiny white nightgown, it would take very little to make him completely snap. The knight peacefully left, hoping that the Clockmaker would finally make a move and stop with the ridiculousness that was him trying to be "noble".

/*\

Once again, Alice was getting tired. This time, it was a day period, and she had made a horrible mistake. She had absentmindedly pulled on her pajamas, and then proceeded to the kitchen. In the light of the afternoon sun, she measured the amount of coffee beans, and tried to pay attention to the number of minutes she spent grinding them up. Afterwards, she dumped the pulverized legumes into the press, and then she used the lever to separate the bean particles from the liquid.

She then poured a mug, with a very precise amount of sugar and no creme, and stepped carefully to the office, where both the bed and her landlord waited. She set the mug down within arms reach, and headed to the ladder, for once uninterested in her score. She just wanted to rest.

Julius on the other hand, was more than a little appalled.

"Alice," The Clockmaker's voice was neutral. "Didn't I tell you to stop wearing that?" For a moment she looked confused, and then glanced down at her apparrel.

"Wait a second..." She trailed off, "Why is this...?" Hadn't she buried the thing in the deepest depths of the closet she now shared with Julius? Hadn't it been hidden away under his myriads of spare shirts? Apparently not.

While she'd been musing over this development, Julius had stood up and marched over to her.

Words could not express how much Ace's words had gotten to him.

You don't want her. So why not just let me try my luck?

That phrase had dug itself into the recesses of his consciousness. Against his better judgement, Julius had been trying to get Alice to notice him. To notice that he wasn't that much older than her. That he was responsible and careful. That he was male. That he cared for her...

But no one saw that, not even her. If he didn't do something drastic...

She would be taken from him, and though it may have been strictly his arrogance talking, he thought he was the only one of the idiot Role-Holders capable of treating her correctly.

He viewed her as a person, not a toy, and he wanted more than anything for her to be happy with him, but before that could happen...

She needed to want him too.

So he approached her, and whirled her away from the ladder rungs. He pressed her up against the side of his work desk, and repressing all of his reservations, all of his fears, all of his cynical thoughts of "she will hate you for this", he cornered her. He had her attention entirely on him, and she looked at him with wide eyes. She was preparing for his next move, and he was mentally bracing himself for a slap to the face, but it didn't matter.

She was going to know how he felt. Right now. Before the chance slipped away.

He bent down and kissed her as forcefully as possible. He loved her. He knew that, and now she did too, the consequences be damned. He pressed his lips to her mouth, moving them over hers in a way that did not allow for her to react. He simply kissed her until she needed air, and he pulled away as she was growing tense from the lack of oxygen. He said nothing, and stared down at her, waiting for her reaction.

He thought he'd be more worried, but a sense of calm washed over him. He had finally done it. He'd kissed her, as he'd wanted to for so very long now. No matter what happened now, a piece of him would be forever content. In a way it was over, and he could finally let out the breath he'd been holding for so long. Even if she left and he never saw her again...he would know that he tried.

She gazed up at him owlishly, as if trying to process what, exactly, had just happened, then she smiled, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Perhaps there was hope for him after all.

He couldn't believe she had actually kissed him back.

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All done.

-Static