Tonight Alice finds him beneath the giant tree, comfortably resting on top of a velvet-soft green hill.
"Nightmare", - out of habit she wants to scold him for laying on bare ground, even though she knows nothing can hurt him within his realm.
Incubus opens his eye and smiles at her.
"It is very nice down here", - his deep voice sends goosebumps down her spine, - "Why don't you join me?"
The girl huffs, but does as suggested, carefully lowering herself beside him.
"Closer, please", - before the girl can protest, she finds herself laying right next to the incubus.
"Nightmare", - Alice wants to berate him for the clear abuse of his powers, but can't bring herself to when he pulls her even closer so that her head rests on his chest.
He is way too comfy to be angry with.
"You've got a long busy day behind you", - dream demon gently strokes her back, - "I'm just helping you to relax"
"There are better ways, you know. Spa, for example", - Alice murmurs into his chest. He chuckles at this, and it causes the girl to slightly shiver.
"Perhaps, next time", - Nightmare's hand comes to touch her hair now, - "I happen to know just the perfect place"
As if he'd step out of his realm, Alice thinks. But the idea of going to a spa with Nightmare sounds like a good one, even if the said spa would be within a dream.
"Did something happen today? You seem awfully quiet", - Nightmare gently asks.
Alice hums, thinking back to the events of today. Just as crazy as usual, consisting of her job, her moronic friends, and lots of tea and coffee. Though, there was one thing that caught her attention.
"What kind of thing?", - of course, it was pretty impossible to expect Nightmare to give up his habit of reading her thoughts, even if they were a couple now.
"Don't read my thoughts", - Alice still hopes he'd someday learn to respect the privacy of her mind.
Beside her Nightmare sighs. "I can't help what I am, Alice", - incubus moves a bit so that they faced each other. "You knew who I was when you've chosen me"
Alice blushes. It didn't happen that long ago, did it? Her final decision, made within this very realm. She already lost count of how many time periods have passed since then, but it couldn't be too many.
She'd chosen to give up her world in order to stay here and be with him. She'd done something she vowed to never do again – fall in love, give her heart to a man.
Yet, here she is, in love with the most unreliable being in this whole world.
"Hey, I will have you know I am not as unreliable as you may think", - Nightmare pouts, - "I am important"
Alice smiles and runs her hand through his hair. "To me you certainly are"
Enough to give up her previous life for.
His face softens, as he hears her thoughts. His hand comes to cover hers, still in his hair.
"You have no idea how happy these words make me", - Nightmare whispers.
He does then what happens a lot when she drops her guard down and lets him hear her softer thoughts. Dream demon leans in and kisses her.
He is becoming better at this, Alice thinks, but all too soon all thoughts leave her mind. Nightmare is kissing her with an abandon not at all becoming for someone so sickly.
But she couldn't protest. Not when she was enjoying this so much. Relishing in both being kissed like this and in knowing he was using his powers for her sake.
Nightmare who never bothered to hide his sick condition in his own realm was pushing himself to his limits to better it. All for her.
"It's only natural", - his whispery voice comes, when he finally breaks the kiss, - "I'd do whatever you wish"
He kisses the side of her throat and Alice bites her lip. He was getting good at this, this shy incubus.
"Don't I deserve a reward for my progress?", - he is teasing her now, looking at her all flushed.
"As if you are not enjoying this", - Alice mutters and attempts to hide her face in his chest once more. Incubus doesn't let her, lifting her chin to face him.
His eye is soft and heavy-lidded.
"You can't imagine how much I do enjoy this", - he candidly admits and his words make the girl flush deeper scarlet. - "I've never done anything like this before"
Which was such a surprising thing, considering who he was. Aren't incubuses the creatures made for seduction?
"People can believe whatever they want to", - he briefly touches her face, before leaning closer. "If I were to behave in that fashion.. I'd do it only for you"
His face was so close, Alice felt his breath fanning her skin.
"Tell me, Alice", - he inches even closer, their lips barely apart, - "Would you let me?"
Yes, Alice thinks. Because you taste like dreams and stardust. Expected from someone like him, but this is something the girl can't get used to, can't get enough of, no matter how often he kisses her. If he kept looking at her like this, there was no way not to wrap her hands around his neck to bring him down.
"Your heart is so honest", - he whispers with a teasing smile. He's so close the girl can practically feel this smile of his.
"I said nothing", - she stubbornly proclaims, but this show of temper is futile when her words are hushed with more kissing. It's deeper this time; there is a definite hunger to it, though it is impossible to say who of them brought it.
Nightmare is absolutely impossible, Alice thinks, but there is no bite in her words.
"Blame these thoughts of yours", - his voice is breathy now and his hold on her goes stronger, - "How can a man resist?"
Alice tries to pull away, but dream demon's hold on her turns out to be impossible to break from. She opts to say instead, - "I bet you could resist me if you truly wanted to, Nightmare"
He chuckles and drops a soft kiss on her forehead. "Whatever for? I want to give in, not resist"
Both go silent at this admission, but this isn't an awkward silence. For a couple that only recently started their romance, they weren't too bad.
"I received some weird looks today", - Alice confesses, returning to the previous subject. It wouldn't have stricken her as strange had it happened once, but pretty every role holder she came across today gave her a peculiar look.
"Does it bother you?", - Nightmare asks, voice concerned.
Alice shakes her head. "I just wonder what caused it, that's all"
Nightmare gives her a long, searching look. "I suppose I can explain to you the reason"
"Are they surprised I decided to stay in Heart?", - Alice asks, hands playing with his hair.
"Not exactly", - dream demon catches her hands and brings them to rest on his chest, just above where the heart was supposed to be. - "They are puzzled that you stayed for me"
"Can't be", - Alice says, - "I told no one"
"You didn't", - Nightmare easily agrees, - "But somebody else did"
Alice gives him a curious look. "And who that might be?"
"Take a guess"
For a long moment, Alice is speechless. "You mean to say..?"
"Yes", - Nightmare brings her hands up to kiss her palms, - "I may have paid some role holders a visit"
"Some?"
Nightmare shrugs. "Clockmaker is particularly difficult to get a hold of. I swear, this man never sleeps"
Alice nods her agreement regarding Julius, but her mind keeps frantically processing this new information he's given her. "What exactly did you tell them, Nightmare?"
"Only the truth"
Alice pulls her hands out of his. "That being..?"
Nightmare gives her a serious look. "That you are staying for me"
For a long moment, Alice could only stare at the man before her.
"Why in the world would you do something like this, Nightmare?", - isn't this something between the two of them?
"I wanted to make it absolutely clear to everyone that the game is over, Alice", - he stresses out, looking oddly serious. "You've made your choice, haven't you?"
You've chosen me, his look says. Alice blushes again.
"I'm sure everyone would have guessed eventually", - she tries to look away, but Nightmare doesn't let her, grabbing her shoulders and making her look at him once more.
"They should know. So that no one dares to touch you"
This was certainly a welcome bit of news since some of the role holders liked invading her personal space way too much. But...
"How can you be so sure? I find it hard to imagine that Ace or Blood would just stop their flirting because you told them to"
If anything, it should make them do their worst.
Nightmare's look grew considerably darker. "They wouldn't dare"
This was the first time she heard him use this voice. Cold, powerful. Alice shivered.
He drew her closer to him. "You don't yet realize just how feared I am, Alice. Trust me, no one would dare cross me"
Was he truly all that powerful? Nightmare was sickly and she never saw him leaving his realm.
"Everyone has to sleep sometime", - she shivers from the way he says it.
"Would you go as far as give someone bad dreams because of me, Nightmare?", - she whispers.
"Absolutely", - the answer is heavy, as is the look he gives her. "I'd show them their worst, deepest fears in all their grotesque glory if necessary"
She could only stare at him. Nightmare shifts. "You aren't afraid of me now, are you, Alice?"
His voice lost its steel. He sounds like her incubus again. She studies his face and sees anxiety written all over it. He may be scared of needles and hospitals..
And he is scared of her hating him.
Alice just snuggles closer. "No", - she admits.
He smiles, clearly relieved. "I am at a serious disadvantage", - he murmurs, - "While you're at Heart, I can only meet you here. I have to make sure to protect you"
He should start with his health, she thinks almost irritably, but deep down Alice is glad. It does feel good to know he cherished her that much, as to find it important to make a point to other role holders.
"I'd still rather simply be with you", - she whispers and his arms tighten around her.
"Soon", - dream demon quietly says, "I promise you"
Author's Notes: this takes place soon after Nightmare's Best Ending in HnKnA.