●down the rabbit hole● PRIVATE

When he reiterated that he was angry, that he was upset, she winced slightly, trying her hardest not to take the words to heart, knowing that he had absolutely every right, and that expecting any different was stupid, but she still couldn't help but wince at the thought of causing him pain. "I'm sorry." she mrurmeud a second later, her eyes resting on the flower in front of her, unable to meet his. "For it all. For what I did, and then for never coming back... I should have checked up, at least once. Seen how you were doing. I love you, that's what I should have done." she grumbled, feeling terrible.

At his question, Hallie's face was overtaken by a blush, the color, though feeling like it should be a tomato red, just a cute, gentle pink, enough to compliment her purple hair, though no more. Godd*mn it, just let me BLUSH! she thought, totally embarrassed, before clearing her throat and turning her head, just slightly, daring a look at his shoes, that one-way eye contact so much easier than actually looking at him. "Come on, Hatter. You're the one who taught me what love was in the fist place." she murmured before blushing and brushing a piece of hair from in front of her face, trying to play at coolness. "Of course I still love you. I don't think I'll ever stop..."

"It's easier?" she offered softly, looking at the floor for one more moment before hearing him come closer, her eyes shooting up to his, confused as to what he was doing, if he was going to hit her or hug her or anything. But, instead, he just stood there, giving her her space, though it seemed like he was searching her for something, something she didn't have the answer to. "And because we were broken? I was broken? We couldn't do what we wanted, so it was better to move on, try and find that happiness on our own?"

"I was heartbroken before I left, Luke." she murmured softly, blushing when she realized he didn't see what she had seen at the time, and still, if she was being honest, still could see that day. "I wanted a baby with you, so bad. I wanted that life, I wanted to raise her... And then I couldn't. I couldn't give that to you. And then our life just felt hollow... I had to get away." she breathed before shaking her head, pulling her eyes back to the crystal, unable to look at him during the confession. "I could never love anyone else. I always loved you, and I always will."

"That tea was amazing, wasn't it? Although I always felt bad drinking it, since you had to walk so far to get a new box..." she hummed before realizing what she was doing and blushing. "I missed you too, Hatter. More than I would like to admit, but it's true. You were everything to me. Staying away hurt." she murmured softly, shaking her head a second later. "When I died, you were really all that I could think about. The big what-if." she confressed, knowing that all she said now would come back to bite her in the *Ss later, but she couldn't help herself. "I wanted to know what we could have been...'

"Yeah." Hallie murmrued, agreeing, the words striking a warmth into her belly that she didn't quite understand, although she knew she liked it, and it made her heart beat a little faster. God, I want him again. With that declaration hanging in the air, she slowly turned around, looking him straight into the eye when she finished, giving a hum a second late.r "And we have the entire trip to figure out if we still work together. Or maybe we go get your hat and it's not meant to be?" she offered softly, though her tone grew nervous at the end.

"Yeah." Hallie whispered one again, looking at him for a long moment before blushing, realizing she had nothing else to say, and just giving a little nod, though she snorted a second later. "Oh, god. IF Only Cat could see me now, he'd be so smug..." she grumbled with a blush, though she was laughing all the same and she just shook her head. "He always thought you were too good for me. Just think, if he saw this all..."

"Honestly, of all the Cat things he did, this was probably the least offensive. I mean, he was right." Hallie said with a little laugh, looking Hatter over for just a moment before rolling her eyes. "Seriously. Look at you... You're doing so well." she added a second later before snorting. "Although Cat WAS a major d*ck."

"It probably would have been better if you had..." Hallie murmured with that same, glowing pink blush across her face, scuffing her boot in the ground slightly before returning her eyes to him, blessing even more at the renewed eye contact. It took her a second or two before she cleared her throat and shook her head, trying her hardest to break herself out of the little trance she had fallen into. "Right, then. I should probably let you sleep, yeah? You DID teleport today, and I know how hard that is for you..."

"I'm just down the hallway, Luke." she said with a little giggle, raising an eyebrow at him for a moment before seeing his pout and giving a little grumble, rolling her eyes a moment later. "Fine. Yes. Whatever. I'll visit. We're going on the same d*mn trip, anyway. Don't you think you're going to get a little tired of me?" she grumbled at the ned with a teasing sparkle in her eyes, giving him a nudge towards the bed a moment later. I wonder if he hates sleeping alone as much as I do. "Now. Sleep. I know you're not as good at the magic stuff as I am. You need to recover..."