Disclaimer: I don't own Heart no Kuni no Alice.

Enigma

Blood x Alice

On the top of her head, Alice could already think of several words to describe the Mad Hatter. Crazy, demanding, selfish, moody, egotistical… just to name a few. Of all the people she met in Heart, he was one of the people she wanted to avoid at all costs, second to Peter, of course.

'But no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to stay away.' Alice resisted the urgent need to scream and hack into the downy pillow, cursing her luck.

"Alice?" Elliot called out, stepping inside the room. The young girl perked her dismal head up, grateful that only the hare entered. "So how are you feeling?"

"If I say better, can I please go back to the Clock Tower?" she inquired sweetly with her most winning smile.

The fair haired man swiftly crossed the room and firmly planted his hand on her forehead. "There's no way you're going back there in your sorry condition."

Swiping his hand away, she stubbornly insisted, "I'm fine! See?" To prove her point, she sat herself erect… only to have her vision blurred, her head suddenly creating an erratic, dizzying dance. She plopped herself back onto the bed, refusing to acknowledge his pointed look. "Okay. So maybe I'm not that well, but can't you carry me or something?"

"No can do. Besides, staying here isn't all that-"

"Please, Elliot?" she cutely beseeched, fluttering her brown lashes and pouting her lips. For a few moments, he was rendered completely speechless.

With a quick shake of his head and clearing his throat, he said sternly, "You are staying here to recover. No exceptions. As I was trying to say earlier, it's not all that bad here." She harrumphed in clear disappointment, mentally thinking otherwise. "I didn't come here to dispute with you over that issue. I wanted to let you know that we're going out for some negotiations over this new piece of property. Someone is going to stay behind and look after you while we're gone. Alright?"

Alice nodded her head in understanding.

"Alright then. See you later, Alice."

With that, Elliot stepped out of her door, gently closing it behind him. Silence manifested itself, swallowing all sounds into an inaudible hush.

The foreigner contented herself with the stillness, welcomed it even. It was far better than the usual chatter of noise and most certainly the sound of someone's voice…

"Good afternoon, Alice."

At the sound of the greeting, she snapped her eyes open, praying with all her heart that it wasn't who she thought it was. Of course, ever since she came to this world, when was she so fortunate?

"Blood?" exclaimed Alice in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I thought I was supposed to look after you. You are sick, are you not?" Blood inquired eloquently, settling himself a respectable distance from her side.

She shot up from her bed, shouting, "You're the one that stayed behind?" Stricken with a sudden dizzy spell, Alice collapsed back onto the bed, her hand placed over her spinning head.

"Why so shocked? If I didn't know any better, I would have suspected you didn't want me here," said Blood with a frown on his lips, trying to instill some sort of guilt into her being.

Alice merely scoffed at the display, refusing to allow such an expression to affect her.

Even if it did work.

"I… I just assumed that you left with Elliot, and the twins would stay with me while you worked out the negotiations. That's all," she replied meekly and with less strength than she liked.

"Oh." All the feigned disappointment evaporated from his features, replaced with his normal cool and composure. "Well, I asked those two if they could go there in my stead. Elliot knows what needs to be done. It's not an entirely big job anyway and should be done fairly quickly." Alice limply nodded her head, inwardly joyous over the fact that they could return very soon. "Besides, I assumed you would like something good to look at to cheer you up."

"Oh really? Where is it? I'm waiting."

Instead of taking any offense, the Mad Hatter chuckled. "Well I hope you brought appetite along with that sharp tongue of yours. I'll go check on your meal. It should be nearly ready."

Alice offered no response, shutting her eyes tight to feign slumber as Blood walked out the door. A curious green orb opened slightly, watching him as he ambled out the door, catching only a fleeting glimpse of his white suit disappearing behind a closed door. A sigh rushed out from her lips, and she sank even deeper into the covers.

'Elliot and the twins are coming soon. You can endure this,' she assured herself. How long could the job take? For all she knew, they could be done and already coming back.

Contenting herself with that thought, she closed her eyes, trying to dismiss the ache in her throat or her throbbing cranium. Being sick was always so bothersome…

Hours seemed to creep on its stomach. Perhaps it was even only minutes.

However long it may be, Alice thought the negotiations were taking a freakin' long time.

It was awkward enough that Blood was to stay and take care of her… but she found his behavior far more disturbing. How strange it was to see him humble himself and take care of her! His distance from her was respectable, and neared her only to help her drink her medicine. It was even more shocking to see him so gentle, polite, and attentive towards her… as if nothing happened between them.

'I suppose I mustn't worry about that now,' she thought to herself, glancing out the window. The afternoon light flickered away like a blown candle. The nightly shadows overtook the land in velvet darkness. 'Blood will probably just leave me here to sleep…'

Sleep certainly sound good at the moment. Her eyes shut to a languid close, allowing a numbing unconsciousness to wash over her.

Creak…

Her senses were suddenly on the edge, her mind alert. 'No way… He is not here…'

Did she really want to know? Perhaps its better she feign sleep. Perhaps he would go away and leave her be.

But her curious nature got the better of her, tugging at her brain, pulling her further and further away from sleep. She just had to know if her thoughts were correct. Why was he even here? Her curiosity nearly killed her, pounding questions into her brain with persistent incessancy.

Allowing that curious weakness to get the better of her, her green orbs opened… and instantly she regretted it.

Her mouth slacked, jade eyes widening to broad plates. She struggled to gather the voice to speak. "Blood, what the hell are you doing?"

"Changing," he stated simply as he unbuttoned his shirt, his dark mane free of the white top hat. "What does it look like? It is late, and I wish to sleep."

"Well why are you doing it here? Change in your own room," she chided him with narrowed eyes.

Blood smiled. "I am."

Alice was rendered into a confused daze, regarding him with baffled eyes. All of a sudden, she understood. With her cheeks flaming, a violent cough rushed out from her lips. "N… no! I most certainly won't… you…?"

Blood watched in bemusement as the foreigner tossed and turned in her sheets, thrashing her limbs wildly.

"Whatever are you doing?" asked the mafia boss.

"Getting out of here even if it kills me," she breathed out in the midst of her struggles. "There is no way that I will be residing in the same room as you for a night."

Blood scrutinized her for a brief, curious moment. With long, deliberate strides, he appeared right beside her person, watching as Alice continued to tussle with sheets.

He allowed himself to ask a question, one that had been haunting his mind ever since he arrival. "Alice, why are you so upset to be near me?" The fair-haired foreigner froze in her place, surprise flickering over her bright orbs. "It has been awhile since I last saw you. Are you avoiding me?"

Silence only answered his inquiry.

"You don't know?" Her eyes suddenly darkened, rage ravaging her green orbs. She shouted, "Well, I'm sorry if I assumed it natural to avoid someone who threatened my life!"

Torrential jade locked onto cool emerald. Both parties remained silent, holding their ground in relative silence. Finally, there was a response.

Blood released a low burst of laughter. "Oh, that's all? For a second, I thought you really were angry at me!"

"Why all the nerve-" After finally liberating herself from her cottony prison, she found herself toppling off the side of the bed, down onto the wooden floor.

"Aren't you clumsy?" Blood chuckled as he elegantly caught her in his arms. Alice tried her best to maintain her poise. Of course, she supposed it was only natural she would be uncomfortable, considering that Blood's shirt was partially open, exposing the smooth, milky flesh underneath. She tried to hide her flushing cheeks with a cough, setting her eyes on something – anything else.

He smiled and asked, "Oh, silly little Alice. If I still wanted to kill you, wouldn't you be dead already? Why would I have taken such good care of you? Did you think I was trying to poison you or something?"

"Actually, that had crossed my mind…" She mumbled sheepishly, averting her gaze from his.

"So, why act this way? I don't like dear Alice to be frightened of me." His hand gently grasped her chin, forcing her eyes to lock onto his once more. All breath escaped from her lungs. Of course, she had looked into his eyes many times before, but she never really looked at them clearly. They were so lucid, so green… so much resembling his eyes.

Her gaze lowered once more. Blood's grip on her chin tightened slightly, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Tut, tut. I want you to look at me. I don't like it when you do that. It terribly saddens me. It even more upsets me that you still insist on comparing me with your ex." Alice tensed in his arms, speechless. She was at a loss for words. "Now how shall I prove I won't hurt you… that I'm different from that stupid person who hurt you…"

He pondered that for a moment, taking in her face. His hand released her chin and gently stroked her cheek, wandering down to caress her rosy lips. A devilish grin danced over his lips as he drew closer, his lips hovering inches over hers.

"Wait." Blood paused and drew back, arching a curious brow. "I…I'm sick. You really shouldn't. You could get-"

A chuckle rumbled through his body, interrupting her completely. His breath warmed her already hot features as his whispered huskily, "Does it look like I care?"

Before further protest, Alice felt everything fell into an utter state of blankness the moment his lips pressed against hers. Her body melted into a pliant puddle in his arms. He grinned in the kiss, feeling her respond; her body shifted towards him and lips pressed against his.

Blood released her from her trance, watching in satisfaction as she stared at him in a daze. Her cheeks were stained with a rosy red.

"I… it's late," Alice said in a shaky voice, trying to rise to her feet and dismiss the unbearable warmth in her face. "We should be…"

"No, you're not going to get away from me again," he said softly, but firmly. He pinned her underneath his hands, his face hovering over hers. "It feels like such a long time since I last saw you. I want to enjoy this. Besides, it still seems like you need more convincing."

Just as she opened her mouth to protest, Blood his lips captured hers once again, his tongue taking the opportunity to probe her mouth, lave her soft flesh.

'I'm in for quite a night…' she mused faintly, feeling all her senses drown, his mere presence intoxicating her being like a drug.

"Alice! What's taking you?" Elliot shouted from the tops of his lungs.

"No need to yell! I'm right here," she grumbled in reply, irritation blatant on her face. She huffed, "Remind me again why I must do this?"

Elliot bluntly reminded her, "It's your fault he's sick." Flustered, she countered it was his fault. By no means did she purposely bestow such an ailment upon him. "Just get in there. Boss is already getting impatient. He almost killed one of the employees!"

Grousing heatedly under her breath, she stormed forward and crossly through the door.

After her swift recovery and release back into her usual home, Alice found herself kidnapped by Blood's minions once more, taking her back to the Hatter estate and bestowing her a new job – taking care of their sick boss.

She had no idea why she agreed to it. It wasn't as if her earlier preconceptions of the mafioso changed. No matter how well Blood took care of her or how much he "convinced" her, she remained adamant. He still was an arrogant Hatter.

'Well this makes it easier,' thought Alice as she neared his bedside, taking in his sleepy form. 'The faster I do this, the faster I can get out. I don't want to remain here when he wakes up.'

As Alice finally approached his bedside and placing a cool towel on his burning head, she felt her whole body freeze.

There were several words Alice would use to describe Blood Dupre.

Peaceful certainly wouldn't be one of them.

She had never seen him look so tired, so serene… it was a welcoming sight to his usually composed countenance. It allowed her a glimpse of him without his usual defenses. The planes on his face were milky smooth, creased with only minute lines of stress. She certainly wouldn't mind seeing such a face more often… not that she was planning on it or anything.

Shaking her head of such silly notions, she turned around and began to walk away. All of a sudden, she felt herself halt.

'Hn. Still domineering even in his sleep.' His hand (whether intentional or not) had wrapped around her hand, preventing her from leaving his side. Normally, Alice would be irritated, struggling to free herself from his iron grasp.

At that moment, she couldn't help, but allow a smile to curl her lips.

'Even though Blood can be very confusing…'

Alice knelt herself beside him, holding his warm hand in hers and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

'Maybe, just maybe, Blood isn't that bad after all.'

Her feelings for him seem to be vacillating with each and every encounter. Nothing about him seemed to make any sense to her. There was only one thing she was sure about.

Blood certainly was an enigma.

A/N Notes: This was just a oneshot that has been pounding on my brain for quite awhile now. It was certainly hard to write Blood in character. I'm not sure if I entirely succeeded... BUT IT'S DONE! :D

Hope it turned out alright. What, with my old page breaks disappearing and all (stupid computer).

Thanks for reading~