Oh goobers :O I went to my first cosplay convention this weekend! AND I SAW A BREAK . You don't need to guess that I glomped him. MUWHA :D

So for that, I am in a huge anime-mood and I hate my exams and I want to write and read and watch and... (goes on for a few minutes)

ANYWAY. I decided to speed the story up just a little ^^

Chapter 9

Alice looked at Break annoyed. Even when he was sleeping so fast he could be annoying her. Sure it was normal he'd go on some kind of weird mission now and then, but him actually coming home with something that looked a lot like an injury was a little more unusual. After he received treatment she didn't know about he went to his room, where Sharon, Oz and Alice had been waiting for some kind of explanation, and after some mysterious talking he told them he would go to sleep.

It's as if he planned this. She'd get her 'pain' moment, and now he'd get his. She just hoped that wasn't right; she'd made sure he'd get another pain moment if this was a joke of him.

"We should leave, he needs his rest." Sharon orders lightly, taking one last look at her friend before turning to leave the room. The rest followed after a second and Alice ignored them, staring at Break. Idiotic fool…

"Alice?" Oz asked confused when she didn't move. Alice nodded and turned around quickly to walk out of the room with Oz.

As soon as she was sure everyone was busy with what they were doing again, she sneaked of to Break's quarters to see if he woke up. Completely forgetting (ignoring, then) to knock, she burst in the room and walked up to his bed. Nope, still asleep.

Gently, she poked his arm with two fingers. No reaction. She poked his cheek and rubbed it a little, but there was still no response. Her hand wandered to his forehead to brush the hair away… but he wore bandage. Che, figures. Maybe he scratched it in his sleep or something.

"I-if you wished to harass me, all you had to do was ask." His voice suddenly rasped out and Alice would've jumped and squeal if she'd been a girl like Sharon or Ada. But because she was not, she only raised her eyebrows and pulled her hand back.

"What did you do?" Alice asked quietly, obviously concerned. Oh the heck, he always saw through her bravado anyway. It wouldn't matter much. He smiled and closed his eye again.

"Give me your hand," He held out his own hand and Alice doubtingly put hers in it, wondering what he was going to do. He put it on his chest.

"Can you hear it?"

Well duh, every living human had a heart. Even she had one, she discovered after one firm inspection in the bathroom. But she never paid much concern to it. Sharon told her that as long as it beats, you're perfectly fine.

Oh… wait.

Break smiled at her and released her hand, gently rubbing his head. He must have a headache or something. Alice pouted; it was obvious he wasn't perfectly fine. Sharon had lied to her!

"Scoot." Alice murmured, lowering down on the bed next to Break. He widened his eye when he caught on with what she was doing and watched her replace her hand with her head.

Alice closed her eyes and listened to what she could hear from the faint beating of a heart. She never heard her own (or maybe that thumping in her head whenever she just had a fight with seaweed was one? No, that was headache).

After a few quiet seconds she felt one of his arms gently wrap around her back, pressing her chest against his side a little more, before he closed his eyes as well. He could get used to this, after all.

"At least warn me next time you come back like that." She murmured into his shirt. He nodded and held her a little tighter before loosening his grip and relaxing more.

After a little over two hours, Alice had long fallen asleep and was clutching a pillow rather tightly seeing the body she had practically been on was gone. She breathed a heavy breath in her sleep and buried one side of her face into the pillow, her cheeks meshing up lightly because of that. Meanwhile, Break had gotten up and made himself a little more decently, now crouched down next to the bed and looking at his sleeping companion. He eventually smiled and placed his lips on her cheek softly so she wouldn't wake because of it, before he gently shook her shoulder. She grunted in annoyance at that and made a rough movement with her shoulder, shrugging the hand off. Smirking, he rubbed her arm a little harder.

"Alice~"

She grumbled something incoherently and loosened her iron grip on the pillow as she started to wake up. With some sort of a yawn she rubbed her eyes and cracked one of them open, looking rather stressed at being woken up. Seeing who was actually waking her, both eyes shot open and she sat up immediately so that Break needed to dodge before he'd get a head-bang.

"Good afternoon to you as well~"

"Afternoon?" Alice grumbled out, her hair poking out to some places. He smiled and nodded brightly. "You've slept right through lunch~"

Oh crap! Did they go searching for her? Well, she didn't really expect them to come and search for her in Break's room, so they probably didn't find her.

She eyed him suspicious when he moved to the other side of the bed to make it up, and she quickly jumped off the bed so she wouldn't be in the way.

"Does it hurt?"

He blinked at her and picked up Emily from a night-stand. So there was where the stupid doll was…

"Should something hurt, then?" He asked and Alice made a sour face. He didn't just say that. Seeing her expression he smiled gently.

"Don't worry, I'm not from sugar~" That was ironic coming from him. She shrugged and watched as he walked through the room to open some curtains and shine more light into the room. He better be all right.

Alice watched his movements closely, wondering if she should leave the room or not. After last month's activities, she'd been wondering even more about Break than before.

She'd read enough novels and heard enough talking to understand what has been going on inside her mind; but it was hard to understand she liked Break. As in… liking. You know.

So, being the chain she was, Alice had to find out of her feelings were correct. And if Break maybe returned them. That idea seemed highly unable, but it could be, right? She also came to the point she trusted he'd never toy around with her like that. So it was a safe call.

But then why was she so nervous? If it was so safe and confident and all, she should just do it and not… doubt and hesitate it.

She wondered if Sharon or Oz ever felt like this. Or even the seaweed. Who know what he did the last ten years.

"Alice, I will regret asking you to leave since your presence leaves such a shiny mood behind," Break started rather amused. "But I need to change."

"Yeah. I just…" He cocked his head to one side for continuation and Alice got even more agitated from it. "Nothing."

"You just nothing? I don't believe that's a correct sentence! Maybe we should let Milady teach you some more~"

"Ha-ha, very funny." Alice murmured, offended and he smiled apologetically, walking over to her and putting his hand on her head.

"Is there something you need to tell me, then?"

Alice blushed lightly. Nah, she wouldn't. Would she? Nah.

Suddenly Break smiled (sweetly?) at her and caressed her cheek. "Thank you for watching out for me today." He sincerely said, his voice a tune softer. Alice raised her eyebrows.

"I-I didn't."

He chuckled and took a step closer to her, leaning down slightly. Oh help. Sharon told her all about this kinda stuff a few days ago. She felt his warm breath against her lips and chin and closed her eyes halfway, reaching out to grab his sleeve.

"Break, I'd like to discuss something with you. Are you awake?" Reim's voice rang out from the hallway, and Alice's eyes snapped open as Break had long stepped away from her. He winked at her and opened the door on a tiny creak, saying her only needed to change first and that Reim should wait in his office.

"B-but?" Alice brought out, slightly dumbfounded (but only slightly, because Alice wasn't that kind of girl. You know.) Break held her gaze for a while before opening the door again, smiling rather bitterly at nothing in particular.

"I'll see you at dinner, Alice."

R&R! :D