Title: Heat

Chapters: 1/3ish

Characters: Alice/Tarrant and the gang :)

Rating: M in chapters 2 and 3, only implied in chapter 1

Summary: A prompt from a smutty minded friend *wink wink nudge nudge* dealing with Tarrant and Alice, a HOT (as in temperature) tea party and some embarrassing sexually tense moments...enjoy!

Waiting

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The summer heat was quickly becoming a problem. The iced tea was melting rapidly. The sweet display of chocolates was quickly becoming a gooey blob. And the scones that Thackery had whipped up were actually beginning to bubble, even though they had been pulled from the oven hours ago. The tea table needed to be moved into the shade, but even the delicate white trees that lined the garden paths at Marmoreal were dropping their white petals in the wilting heat.

Tarrant glared up at the hot sun as if his look alone would somehow switch it off. It was ruining a perfectly planned tea party! It was the first day Alice had been at the Queen's palace since her return to Underland and although they had been spending a great deal of time together, this was the first proper tea table he had been able to set for her.

There had been the tour of the returning champion of course. All the pomp of the White Court in it's splendor touring the land. It had been a month's worth of traveling, allowing Alice to see all of Underland in it's wonder. Mirana had been kind enough to appoint him as Alice's chaperon but there was little time alone for the two of them. Certainly not enough time for him to tell her how he had missed her over the past few years. How she never left his thoughts. How he had thought of her during ever creation of a hat or dress, wondering if the fabric would hug her waistline and cup her bosom…

Removing his hat from his head, Tarrant wiped at the sweat that trickled down the side of his face. What in all of Underland was taking them so long? Certainly to allow a lady more time to prepare herself was necessary but everything he had planned would be ruined if there was much more time wasted on primping. He had wanted to give Alice a simple tea party without the whole court watching their every move. Close friends regaling past triumphs and future adventures. Perhaps have her move close and finally ask her if she had figured out the riddle that plagued him for two years. Perhaps take her hand in his and tell her how he felt watching her fade away in front of his eyes. Perhaps…sighing, Hatter shook his head clear of the haze that had crept in.

Sitting alone was never any fun but sitting alone while time dances around you, time…the pilsh lickering grubbedy…grabbing a scone from the table, he thrust the whole thing into his mouth to suffocate the badness rising within. Despite the heat, the scones berries popped cool juices into his mouth as he chewed, his cheeks bulging with flaky dough, buttery crust and sweetness.

Tarrant felt quite refreshed once he managed to swallow the large mouthful. He had no idea what kind of berries Thackery had included but they were most enjoyable. Reaching for another, he broke it in half, sliding the smaller piece into his mouth. Again a cool sensation hit his pallet and he began to relax, loosening his bow tie slightly as a polite dizziness blurred his vision, just making things interesting for a second or two.

"Too much sun…" he mumbled and popped the rest of his second scone in his mouth, already reaching for a third as he watched the side doors to the Palace, hoping to see Alice emerge from them soon.