The Wonder of Love

Heartbroken

"But I must be off!" he yelled over his shoulder. Alice grabbed hold of his arm and yanked him around. Hatter's voice lowered as he looked to her hand, "A dress to be made, Alice. Truly, I must." he seemed to beg.

"What was that?" She asked with wide eyes. Oh how could he be doing this? Such scandal of his almost action. On the top of the hill, where all could see, "Y-you." She shook her head. This wasn't England.

He gripped the rim of his hat tightly, "I'm mad, Alice, mad." He tried to tell her.

"Someone doesn't just go to kiss someone, Tarrent." She told him with a shake of her head.  She looked to the ground and tried to process the moment. "Y...I'm so sorry I didn't see it." She said softly, looking to him sadly.

He gulped and nodded,"You are right." His heart throbbed in embarrassment and pain. "Never worry yourself. I'm fine." He placed his hat hap-hazardly on his head again and pulled to go.

"I...I don't know what to say." She said with a shake of her head and the release of his arm. The hope in his heart was simply destroying him in that moment, "I don't know if I see you like that, Hatter." She said regretfully, looking up to him. Her heart was beating so quickly. Her face was just as warm as his, yet she couldn't comprehend what she felt. This was so, so, unexpected. Alice had never even thought to consider him in any light other than platonic, so where were these confusing thoughts coming from?

He tipped his hat over his eyes and looked away. How could he have let this happen? "I know," he told her in a cracked whisper. Tears glistened on his face as his heart felt shattered, his hope lost.

She placed her hand on his arm and sighed. Hatter needed addressing before her rampant thoughts. "Please stop this." Alice said softly, gazing into his emotional eyes. "Why didn't you just tell me? You can't keep hiding away. It'll ruin you, Hatter." She tried to tell him, begging with her own.

He choked and nodded, stepping towards her once more. It already was. He might as well tell her the truth. Nothing could be worse than it was. Hatter cupped her face in her hands and looked to her very seriously. She gazed into his eyes fondly yet expectantly. "I will utter one sentence then I must go." He told her, pecking her forehead before gazing back into her endlessly blue eyes.

"Ok." She said in a whisper as tears built in his orange ones. The heat through his fingerless gloves would've felt nice in any other circumstance.

He searched for the right words to say, but he knew he couldn't misdirect her this time,"I love you." He told her softly. Her shocked expression made his torn hands drop. He stepped back somberly then turned away from her without one snicker, "For quite some time," he confessed with a lowered hat. He sighed deeply before walking slowly away. He suspected things were over now. She would never want a mad man. It's why he had never even tried to tell her.

Alice stood there in disbelief. "Oh Tarrent." She whispered to herself. The cat was out of the hat. She knew. He would no longer be allowed to come close to her, not after his near kiss. He knew she did not think of him any more than any else from Underland. Salty drops fell from his face into the grass, onto his shoe, a stepping stone as he walked. How could he let this happen?

She looked up to his figure walking down the hill. She wasn't sure what to do. She had never seen him in such a way, but, now she wasn't sure. She sat down on the green grass and gripped her golden hair. She felt awful, more than awful. It felt like her world was crashing in on her. Every word, every conversation, every afternoon they'd shared, looked completely differently to her now. How had she not noticed? Oh he had done so much for her. He loved her, he loved her, and now? Of course he was shattered. Saying nothing was almost, nearly, saying the same as, 'I don't. I could never. Hatter, I'm--' But how else was she supposed to answer? It all made sense now. No wonder he'd always seemed so crushed when she mentioned home. In his mind, she was leaving him. How could she be so insensitive, oblivious?