Longing Glances, Pt. 1

[wanderamaranth]

Title: Longing Glances
Fandom: Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Summary: Chessur has come to a decision regarding Alice and the Hatter. He's had enough, and now is the time for action.
Rating: PG to PG13

Disclaimer: Don't own, Don't sue.

This is a little bit of something inspired by previous discussions held in alice_tarrant about Alice/Tarrant's relationship (or lack thereof) in the film. Not intended to be very serious. This is the first part; should have the second up tomorrow. (I say should because I'm horrible at maintaining the schedules I should.)

He was doing it again. Always, every single day, at tea, it was the same routine.

A bandaged hand would hover just over the girl's , as though prepared to grasp it--and then he'd pull it away, or do a flipping hand gesture with it, and laugh.

Alice would laugh with the Hatter, of course, because the stupid child was completely blind to the facts right in front of her. At the amount of joy and pain she caused all at once in her 'dear companion' when she laughed at such a time. Then she'd turn to speak to someone else--Thackery, maybe, or Mallymkun, and occasionally himself--and then the Hatter would start doing that. That which made Chessur, the Cheshire Cat, groan behind his paws at the painful beauty and absolute frustration of the entire situation.

He'd start with the Eye Sex.

Chessur knew his old friend Tarrant would likely be very insulted (as he was very easy to insult these days) at his calling what he did when Alice was unaware of his gaze (that is to say, almost always) Eye Sex. Yet the Cat was not one to mince words. He knew what he saw occurring, and called it as such.

The way the Hatter's eyes would follow down the length of her arms as she spoke, or rest just above her clavicle to simply watch her breathe if she was silent was enough for this designation. But then those eyes would wander to her shoulders, up her neck…

What really drove Chessur wild, made him completely crazy, nay, mad--was when Alice and Tarrant would be talking, and their eyes would meet. Tarrant's would hold such hope that maybe, maybe this time the girl would see what the Hatter laid bare for her, or that he would find the courage to speak his intentions.

Every time, however, Alice would look away before either happened, a smile upon her face--and the Hatter's own smile would falter, just a little bit around the edges. Still he would look at her face, desperately awaiting the moment she would turn to him and look at him in the same manner, the day when she'd say, "Oh, Hatter! I never noticed how violently in love with me you were! My feelings are in perfect accord with yours! Let us away to your bedroom!"

It made the Cat want to howl.

The Hatter was making love to Alice with his eyes every single day at the tea table, and the girl was probably just sitting there contemplating having one lump or two in her next cup.

They'd never get together on their own at this rate.

The Cat evaporated from his chair on the opposite end of the table (where he'd taken to sitting so he could have the best view of the ever-loving Eye Sex) and reappeared on the Hatter's shoulders, tail winding around his neck. Mouth to the man's ear, he purred, "Stop mooning and do something, Tarrant!"

The Hatter started as if Chessur had goosed him (and what a fun Idea that was, now that he'd had it--he'd have to try that, sometime) before growling, "Get ye down ye mangy cat!" Chessur removed himself from the man's shoulders post-haste and risked a quick look at Alice. She had not noticed their conversation as of yet, as she was wrapped up in convincing Thackery that spinach scones would not be Tasty.

Really, how such an unobservant girl managed to find the proper opportunity to kill a Jabberwocky amazed him. At this moment, though, it served his purposes nicely.

Leaning against one of the warmer tea pots, Chessur said, "Would you like for me to tell her for you, then?"

A bit of a desperate glaze entered into the Hatter's eyes. "No! I…" Collecting himself, the Hatter said, defensively, "I don't know what you could mean, Chessur. There is nothing I need to tell anyone. Unless you're referring to letting Mally know she is getting rather furm ious, in which case you are welcome to tell her, and if you do, I shall take back every negative word I ever spoke against your bravery."

"You know what I mean, Hatter. You. Alice. What you feel for her."

The Hatter's eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he looked up sharply to see if Alice had overheard Chessur's indiscreet remark. She was now involved in removing a spoon coated in honey from the Dormouse's fur, as the poor creature had not ducked Thackery's latest projectile in quiet enough time. It was obvious she'd heard nothing.

"Why are you doing this?" the Hatter hissed at the Cat.

"We've all had enough of the Eye Sex, Tarrant. We want more."

"We?!?" the Hatter cried.