Chapter II. – Something Borrowed
Blood had such an amazing collection of books, Alice thought, for a mafia boss he really has an intellectual side. She smiled to herself, feeling strangely comforted by the fact that Blood had other interests besides violence. Ever since she had come to Wonderland she had never witnessed so much violence in all her life, welcoming any respite her curious landlord had to offer. She sighed in relief, at least there was a haven for her here from this crazy world. Alice peeked at Blood out of the corner of her eye, just enough to see him shuffling the papers around, a serious look on his face. She giggled as quietly as she could, if you didn't know who he was, you might say he was an upstanding gentleman! The contradiction in personality was almost too much to bear, she accidentally snorted out loud, causing her to catch Blood's attention.
"Is something funny?" he asked, looking straight at her, his serious expression still present. She'd been found out! Trying to play it coolly she kept looking at the book and said as calmly as she could, "I never thought a frightening mafia boss such as the Mad Hatter would actually take to his work so seriously," she stated, making sure she emphasized the two words in order to illustrate her point. A soft snicker was heard from the other side of the room, the sound of a chair scooting back and the sound of footsteps approaching. Trying not to look to see what Blood's expression was now, she could feel her heart hammering in anticipation within her chest.
"Young lady…" he murmured close to her ear. She could hear a low growl in his voice, "I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making baseless, impertinent comments." The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, a slight flush rising in her cheeks, had that remark actually ruffled his feathers? Surprisingly though, she heard him laugh, breaking the tension almost immediately. "Admit it, Alice, you thought I was going to do something to you just now," Blood declared, albeit gently, taking a lock of her hair in his hand and lifting it up to his nose, lightly inhaling her scent. Alice was frozen. She couldn't think of a comeback, let alone think of how the situation had suddenly turned so… sensual. She knew Blood was want to have the most perilous of mood swings, from totally serene to an all out fit of rage, but this just baffled her.
Seeing the fright in her eyes as she stared blankly in front of her, the slight quivering of her slender lips, and most importantly the light flush on her face, Blood made to take full advantage of the situation. After all, she should have known better than to follow a grown man into his room in the middle of the night. "Tsk, it seems I've scared the poor Outsider. Oh, what should I do?" he asked mockingly. He dropped the strands of hair and leaned in closer so his face was at eyes level with hers. Cupping his hand underneath her dainty chin, he turned her head to face him. "Well, what should I do…Alice? Should I play the gentleman or the rogue?" Alice attempted to squeak out an answer but was too overwhelmed by his direct glare. Her mind was blank and her legs felt as though they would collapse underneath her.
After deciding that this was enough punishment for her, Blood let her go, nonchalantly stepping back to allow her to regain composure. It only took an instant. Snapping the book shut, she whipped around to face him, "I see I was absolutely mistaken. How could I possibly see you as a gentleman! It was perfectly absurd for me to have thought of you otherwise," she said hotly, her face flushing with embarrassment. Blood looked utterly triumphant, which bugged the hell out of her even more. Hadn't he had his fun? But she guessed he wasn't done yet. He burst out laughing – so much that he was clutching his stomach. Now he's done it! Alice raged in her mind. Taking the book with her, she attempted to storm past him, shooting him a dangerously sharp look.
He grabbed her by the wrist, book clamoring to the floor as he spun her forcefully into his arms. His laughter had ceased and now he had an equally threatening look on his face. An amused smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth. Alice looked up at him directly, not backing down this time. He could tell she was seething right now; she didn't even resist him. But I wonder how long she'll last, he thought as he seized the back of her head and vehemently pulled her face up to his for a crushing kiss. All at once he could feel a rush of emotions between them – of anger, malice, cruelty and despair, but there was also something else. He sensed that underneath it all there was something more…something positive…something he had never felt before.
He drew her head slightly away from him, a quirk of a smile spread over his features, "What's this? The young lady has fallen for me?" he scoffed; she had the countenance of one being enraptured. To tell the truth, it slightly disgusted him. She can't be that easily won, can she? He asked himself silently. He gently brushed his fingertips against her cheek, feeling how hot she'd become. He gazed down at her lips, swollen from his contact, as almost as bright a red as her face. Her eyes were closed; her breath softly disturbed her forelocks. She really has no idea just how beautiful she is, he thought, wondering whether he should kiss her again. She was just too much of a temptation for him. Instead he picked her up, cradling her like a child, and took her to her room.
As he set her down on her bed, the Hatter sat down beside her, looking down upon her now sleeping form. She looks so helpless, he thought, brushing her hair from her face. He felt a fire burning ardently from within him, nearly making him lose his control. No, that wouldn't be fair, she is a young lady after all. He grinned, thinking of something even more promiscuously delightful, now that would be entertaining. For now he'd leave her be, but tomorrow? He had no guarantee. With that he gently kissed her on her forehead, pulled the covers around her narrow shoulders and clapped once to extinguish the lights. Closing the door quietly behind him, he chuckled as he stepped out into the hallway, heading back to his room for the remainder of the time change.