Unrequited (Prequel to IMPOSSIBLE and INFAMOUS)

Part Five: When He Knew He Loved Her

Four knocks.

Time's heart swelled, and he tried to swallow down his excitement as he turned to see Alice walking through the door. She grinned and waved at him with the loaf of spiced bread in her hand.

"Hungry?" she asked.

"Hunger is not something I experience," he said as he paced over to her. He smiled nonetheless as he took the bread, his fingers brushing against hers and sending a thrill through his body. "But I'm always happy to eat."

They settled down on the blanket that she had brought to Nowhere—how long ago had that been now? He couldn't be sure. Being Time and living away from the real world, he could never be certain how many days or weeks or years had passed. At this point, he'd lost count of the number of times she had visited him. All he knew was that it felt like she had always been here. He had, in fact, forgotten a time when she was not in his life.

"I can't imagine what it would be like to not feel hungry," she said as she broke off a piece of bread and handed it to him.

"When you don't experience something, you often forget it even exists."

Smiling through a mouthful of bread, she ran her fingers up his chest and tapped him on the nose. "Well, it's a good thing you have me here to remind you of what you're missing out on."

His heart beat wildly, but he popped a piece of bread into his mouth to distract himself from it. "How kind of you."

"Hey, you should be very grateful to me," she said, leaning back and glancing about. "Look at all the interesting things I've brought you."

She was right. Ever since she had started coming to Nowhere, she had been leaving him "gifts." Aside from the blanket and the bread, there were various trinkets scattered about his office. Over the course of their friendship, she had given him oyster shells, ceiling wax, snowglobes, thimbles, and several dodo feathers. They were simple things that were likely commonplace to anyone else. And honestly, they would be commonplace to him as well.

If they hadn't come from her.

"Do you steal all of these gifts?" he asked as he brought his attention back to her.

"If I say 'yes,' will you make me take them back?"

He smiled. "No. I'm just curious if all you steal are silly little trinkets or if you ever aim for bigger game."

"Hey, I am a fabulous thief. I once stole the hat right off the head of Hickory Dickory's mayor. Didn't even realize it was gone til he looked in the mirror."

"Hickory Dickory's mayor is incredible nearsighted."

"Did I mention I did it while he was giving a speech in front of the entire town?"

Raising his hands up, Time gave a mocking gasp. "Stealing hats. How frightening."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but there was a playful smile tugging at her lips. He loved that smile. It meant she was up to no good, and that's when she was most fascinating.

"I once stole a Bandersnatch's dinner."

This confession startled him. "You what? Why would you do that?"

Shrugging, she picked at her piece of bread. "I was only six and I was lost in the forest. I was so hungry, I probably would have tried eating the Bandersnatch if he hadn't had a jelly bird in his mouth."

"You stole from a Bandersnatch when you were six?"

She turned to him and smiled at his disbelief. "What else was I going to do? You should know by now that I'm not the type to just lay down and die."