The Pocketwatch

[wanderamaranth]

Summary: Alice wants to know what time it is.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. No profit is being made from the distribution or promotion of this work.

Rating: M for sensuality, adult themes (picture at the end of the posting M+)

Author's Note: This ficlet is entirely the fault of manniness , and a discussion we had about Victorian Era erotica. She sent me the link, I snorfled, and the rest is history. Some of the lines in here are from her genius brain, not mine. :)

 

The photo at the end of this story is the particular pocket watch that...er...'inspired' this story. It IS M+, FYI, WARNING. May be slightly traumatizing, as well. I'm still not sure what to think of it. This is just a bit of fun, and may not be even funny outside of my own brain. You guys be the judge. 

***


"What time is it?"

Alice was laying on a chaise in the corner of Hatter's workshop. She'd a feather she was absently toying with, and asked the question with a sort of lazing curiosity.

Tarrant barely glanced over, intent as he was on pining a stubborn bit of lace to the felt of his current project. "Likely around brillig or so. Why do you ask, Alice?" She'd never really concerned herself with the time before whilst she relaxed with him; what could be the reasoning now?

"That late?" Alice sat bolt upright, feather fluttering to the ground, completely forgotten. She scrambled to her feet, looked askance at a now gaping Hatter, and asked, "Are you certain?"

"As certain as I can…why, one can never really be certain of anything, can they? I mean, one thinks that they are, when really they aren't, and…Alicewhatareyoudoing?"

While the Hatter had been divagating, Alice had been in motion. She was at his side and, with a startling amount of familiarity, slipping her hands into his waistcoat pockets, searching. He couldn't help the small groan that escaped him at her vehement searching, and he bit his lip to prevent any other telling sounds from escaping.

With a cry of triumph, Alice pulled free his pocket watch from his left waistcoat pocket. Hatter panted from the sudden lack of Alice hands touching, then sucked in air so fast he caused himself to hiccup when he saw what her goal had been.

"No! Alice, give me back my watch!"

She stopped in mid-motion, having been intent on opening the lid. "Hatter, what is wrong? I just want to see the time."

"You can't!"

Giggling, she said, "And why not?"

"I…" Tarrant paused, his mind racing. "I haven't buttered the works today!" he blurted out. This was true; he'd hadn't buttered the works that day. However, the watch only needed buttered every other day, and he'd done so yesterday. Still, if perhaps she thought that it was inoperational, then she would hand it back without opening it…

She lifted the piece up to her ear, causing the Hatter to take a step closer to her as she tugged at where the chain attached to his suspenders. "I hear it ticking," she said, suspiciously.

"Y..es? How…delightful! May I have my watch back now, Alice?" His smile was wide, albeit nervous.

"But I haven't even looked at the time yet!"

"Your own fault for shilly-shallying, I'm afraid. Now give it here." He held out his hand, and Alice flicked a brow at him.

"Hatta…" she took another step closer to him, so that they were almost-but-not-quite touching down the lengths of their bodies. Tarrant gulped, his eyes desperately flicking towards anything but her. "Why don't you want me to look at your watch?" She held the metal contraption in her hands, fingers poised to open it, causing a thin trickle of sweat to run down the Hatter's back.

"It's…not a lady's pocket watch, you see." He reached for the timepiece, and his fingers just were tapping the metal casing when…

"No, I don't see. In fact, I haven't looked at the watch at all. That was rather my point, Hatter." Alice suddenly twirled about, her back now to him, still firmly holding the watch. The chain jerked him, and he fell forward, his chest connecting with her back. He let out a small oomph of air, then tried to rally himself to wrap his arms around her to forcibly pry the watch from her hands if he had to, because she couldn't see it, she couldn't, what would she think of him, she'd certainly disapprove, she'd…

But it was Too Late.

The opened pocket watch sat in the palm of Alice's hand. Her innocent Alice-brow was crinkled in confusion, and then her Alice-mouth fell open in what was certainly horrified shock.

"I-It was a gift from Thackery. I myself would never go into a w-watchmaker's and r-request such a piece, no, not I! H-have I m-made a r-rhyme?" Tarrant was very aware of the fact that the with way they were standing, (with he at her back and she in front of him and the full lines of their bodies touching,) they were very similar in position to the couple currently engaged in a…pleasurable ride…thrusting away on the face of the piece.

Except without the ride nor the thrusting, more's the pity.

"What…I mean…this is…Hatta?" her voice came out very thin and high, and he blushed darkly. "I mean, I know what…but…" Alice was hardly ever at a loss for words, but somehow his watch had managed to inflict her with such. They both stared at the scene on the watch in silence for several ticks, their loud, ragged breathing the only other sound in the room. The miniature scene of the couple on horseback continued their enthusiastically-engaged-in activity, and Tarrant would have given just about anything to know what Alice was thinking. Luckily, he didn't have to give anything at all, for Alice obliged him and broke the silence.

"W..wouldn't the horse object to such carrying-ons occurring on…his back?" she finally said, faintly.

"It…" Hatter swallowed thickly as he said, "would rather depend on the horse, don't you think?"

"Yes, quite." Alice shifted, and he had to have imagined that she pressed herself a bit more firmly against him. A small, needy sigh shifted the hair about her neck before he could stop it, and only through sheer force of will was he able to prevent himself from pushing forward against her. From mimicking the action still on display in front of them.

Alice shut the lid of the watch. They both stood still after that, and Hatter was just preparing to back away from her and apologize profusely when Alice turned in the circle of his arms to face him.

"Hatter," she began, a gleam in her eye, "what would someone have to do for you to consider lending them this watch for an unspecified length of time?"

He sputtered, he coughed, he choked-he was certain that he did not make an attractive sight. Alice waited patiently for him to compose himself once again, and then she reached forward, hands searching. They skimmed his waist until they found his watch chain, which was then unhooked from his suspenders with a soft click. Then she stood on tiptoe and kissed his chin.

"I'll be certain to return it to you in just as good of condition as you've lent it to me," she promised. "But for now, I really do have to be going. Mirana is expecting me." Before he could do anything else, before he could reach out for her, or even begin to comprehend why she would want his watch, she was out of the room, the workshop door closing softly behind her.

---

 

It was a full week before Tarrant saw his watch again. A full week, full of Alice's averted gazes, of gently blushing cheeks, of sometimes decidedly saucy stares. He ached to ask her what she was doing with it, what she thought of it, what she now thought of him, but didn't dare.

When she did return it, all of their assorted friends were at tea. Tarrant had only reluctantly agreed to attend that day, as he'd fallen terribly behind on his hat orders whilst worrying about Alice and a certain timepiece. He was sitting, a large slab of butter on his knife, preparing to smear it on his bread, when a feminine hand reached out and took the knife straight from his hand. He turned around, prepared to let the knife-thief know exactly what he thought of such behavior, and saw that it was Alice.

She smartly pulled out his watch, opened it, buttered it thoroughly, snapped the lid shut, and then handed both knife and mechanism back to him with a smirk upon her face. Alice then leaned over and bussed him on the cheek, saying ever-so-politely, "Thank you, Hatta."

He put the watch in his waistcoat pocket, a gleam now shining in his own eyes. He'd no notion of what she'd done with it, why she'd wanted it, nor why only now she was returning it to him, nor did he care. She didn't seem disgusted, appalled, or horrified in the least, and she'd kissed him twice for it! That was more than enough for Tarrant at that exact moment. "Anytime, Alice," he replied.

***
 

A/N: Now, for that picture...and yes, this is the exact watch I had in mind while writing this bit of silliness: