Sleeping Beauty [WMMAP Fanfiction]

Chapter Twenty Seven: Don't Understand

Walking in a garden, with plants at their feet, Felix pursued the green-eyed girl.

"Alice. What did you say about my mom?" he asked, sounding tense as she continued to walk without answering or turning back.

Finally, her feet stalled. She stopped. "I didn't say your mom," she began, keeping her gaze forward. The smell of roses filled their nostrils. "I said mine."

"Oh. Sorry."

"What, you thought I insulted your mom?" she inquired rhetorically, knowing that was the case. "What do you think I said?"

"I don't... know? I just heard 'mom', and thought..."

"It's my mom. I said she liked roses. She liked their smell." She was nostalgic, revisiting old knowledge she usually tried to push down. Her hand stretched out, up to the sky; her gaze followed the back of her hand. "My favorite flower is one I can't remember. I like its smell, but I don't even remember what it smelled like; I just know it was a white flower."

Felix watched her back, a bit wary. Something was on his mind, that he asked after a moment of silence, "Are you lonely?"

Her head tilted back enough for him to see her lips part, as if surprised. He couldn't see her eyes, but he knew she was glancing at him. Her hand fell, in front of her. Finally, she smiled.

"Of course not." She turned around, and touched the middle of his chest. "Because you're here with me."

All Alice had to say about her dad were unsavory things. Never once did she mention him in the same way she did her mom. And Felix understood himself, after meeting him; just the sound of his voice was irritating on his ears.

"You look happy." Felix saw her slight smile, her lips parted like she would start to giggle. It was an expression he never saw from her awake; she looked childish now. "I guess you are dreaming." Tugging at her hair, he started combing it. "I don't know if you can hear me, so I won't tell you this time. I'll think it."

So I met your dad who was officially dead, and found out he was alive and conspiring with the late also-alive emperor. Your dad is rude and definitely hates you, and frankly, I might hate him too.

"Alice? Wake up soon. Please."

I'm not as good as you in magic or handling multiple weapons. And I'm lonely without you. I don't know how to protect both you and the princess. If a war breaks out, you're the only one I think is strong enough to stop it. But, you're... 

"You can do it, can't you?" Though he wanted her to wake up, he knew she couldn't. True love, what was that? She needed that, and they didn't even know what it was.

Will you die in your sleep, or live forever? You-

Both answers scared him. Pushing the thought away, he placed the brush down and kissed her head. Nothing changed. But the remaining sight of her happy in her sleep relieved him just a bit, that he started to feel regretful.

I don't hate you. I need to stop thinking like this. This isn't... your fault, after all.

***

"A scratch?"

"He got scratched."

The crowd murmured at the projection before them; down below, Felix had been scratched. A little mark on his cheek.

Felix was perfectly fine. The little scratch on his face was healed right away, so he wasn't scarred there or anything. But Alice, oh Alice, calm down, he's fine.