Tarrant tightened his grip on her. His arm was slung over her chest and her lithe frame was reclining on his other arm. It was amazing how a pale girl like Alice could get even paler after knocking on death's door. She hadn't awoken in a week now, and poor Tarrant was ragged, not leaving her side for more than two minutes at a time. He hadn't eaten a proper meal in about eight days. Tarrant had been sleeping at her side, soundly, dreaming dreams that would normally scare him, but since in all of them he was protecting Alice, he was nothing short of heroic. The physicians of the castle had come to the conclusion that Alice had drank some form of potion meant to cause death, but luckily, it was caught soon enough for her to be given an antidote. On the down-side, no one was sure if the antidote would work because the serum was never identified, nor could the strength of it. He was so worried for her, that he never wanted to leave her side, but the healers shooed him away whenever they took an analysis of her condition.
Alice, on the other hand, was sweating beneath the two heavy blankets (they had been put there to break her fever) and the heat of a fully clothed Tarrant Hightopp on her. "Hatter," She murmured, not opening her eyes. He didn't move, but whispered something that Alice could not distinguish as words. "Get off me, please!" She said loudly. She felt him jump from fright. "Thank you," She sighed and turned on her side. His arm draped around her once more and she felt his lips brush her shoulder.
She rolled back to lay on her back once again to see him, half lidded eyes that were a sleepy hazel, looking down at her. She leaned up and brushed a kiss across his magenta lips. She kissed him again, adding a little pressure to the contact this time and felt him kissing her back. Her lips parted and a moan tore from her throat as his tongue darted into her mouth.
He pulled himself over her a little more and put her back down to the bed. She put her arms around his neck slowly and felt the gentle touch of his hand on her hip. He abruptly pulled back and looked at her with wide, alert eyes. "Alice! You're back!"
She looked up at him, eyes half lidded and a slight blush crossing her cheeks, but she didn't look at all embarrassed –quite stoic if anything! "Back?" She asked, "My hatter, I haven't been gone. Don't you remember? We had tea just yesterday together and spent the day here at the m-" She looked around and her eyes widened in realization. "I'm at the c-castle." She stuttered.
The hatter nodded, "You've been asleep for quite some time you know, almost a week or so I'd presume. I don't really know, I haven't been keeping track of the days, but now you're here and you're back and all awake. Finally the days will no longer be so long and tiresome, not that I haven't slept but you weren't here-"
"Hatter!" She giggled beneath him. He grew silent and then a sad look crossed his face. "Hatter?" He asked her, leaning off of her. She watched as he moved to sit across the bed and look out at the bright sunlight of the mid-day sky. "I thought we had gotten past that, Alice."
She sat up and crawled over to him, "Tarrant," She whispered, wrapping her arms around his torso and propping her chin up on his shoulder. Her breath gently caressed his neck. His teeth clenched at the sensation she caused him just now.
"Alice, you mustn't-"
"Mustn't what? Hug you in the privacy of my room? Oh, what dastardly deeds I do commit in my time with you, Tarrant." She whispered. He shuddered and he could bare it no longer.
He turned and forced her down onto her back, claiming her mouth in a feral way that she most enjoyed. He pulled her closer to him by her pale leg, in which he left a slightly pink mark from the thimble on his thumb. She threaded her fingers into his insane curls and stroked the back of his neck with her nails in a sensual manner.
His hand rubbed her thigh, under the short, thin night shift she had been changed into to make it easier for the healers to make observations. His hand finally rested on her bare hip as his thumb (not the one with the thimble) pressed small circles into her soft skin there. She moaned and arched her spine so that her breasts were in contact with his chest. He pushed his hand up to the flat of her belly and up in between her breasts so that she was now almost completely exposed to the air that sent chills across her flesh.
He reached over to her breast and gently began to caress it in ways that made her want to abandon any hope of staying pure. Alice captured his lip between her teeth and sucked on it gently as he squeezed her breast again. He made a small noise that was similar to a grunt. He peered down at her, to see her eyes. In them was a mixture of lust, shyness, hints of fear, and something else that he could not place.
Reluctantly he withdrew his hand from her soft skin and licked his lips. "Alice," He muttered softly. Her heart was beating wildly against her chest at the sound of his voice saying her name. He sat up and pulled her shift back down over her ever so lovely body that tempted him now more than ever.
He stood up and pushed his hand into his coat pocket, nervously fidgeting with something as he stood up to face her. His gaze slid down her golden curls, next to her velvet chocolate eyes, and down to her soft, kissable lips. It took all of his strength to keep from attacking her again as he just had. He pulled something out of his pocket and clenched it tight in his fist. Alice sat up and looked at him strangely, wondering what on earth he was doing. "Alice Kingsley," He said, his lisp bleeding to the surface, "You've proven yourself as Underland's champion and champion of so much more within myself…" He stopped and breathed in, "And I would like to ask… for permission to court you." He announced, producing a ring from his hand.
Alice stared on, her mouth hanging open. The door suddenly swung open and in stepped the white queen. "Oh, Alice!" She grinned, most certainly excited by the surprise. "You're awake! You must be starving! You haven't had a full decent meal in well over five days!" She rushed in and grabbed Alice by the wrist and pulled her into the hall. "Don't worry about your clothing dear, half of the castle is out on the search, but we shall have a gown in the dining hall waiting and you may change in my private quarters. Nivens, would you please make that so?"
"Right away, your majesty!" And the white rabbit hopped away frantically.
Alice was then escorted very quickly to the dining hall, leaving behind a very dazed and anxiously awaiting Mad Hatter…
(To add a little explanation to Alice's behavior, she's been dreaming for the past few days that she and Tarrant have been having a lovely time together, visiting the mill, seeing Absolem, and having lots of time alone to 'get to know' our favorite madman. In her dreams, her relationship with the hatter is much farther developed. And Tarrant has been planning to ask to court Alice for quite some time, and this just seemed as good a time as any to have it happen. I'm sorry I time skip and that the chapters are getting shorter, but I have lots of things to study for seeing as we have 20 something days of school left and I haven't learned anythingggg in math all year! Wish me luck when end of course exams come along guys! Don't forget to review!)
