Chapter 4

                                    

                                          
It had been two days since I came to Wonderland, each morning waking up to wish it was all a dream, but soon seeing it wasn't. We still hadn't done anything towards preparing for our fight with the queen. I asked repeatedly when we would be going to the castle, but every time I get the same answer. "Soon" was all anyone said. That answer wasn't good enough. I just wanted to go home. I missed my mom, my own room, and even going to school. It was so boring here.
                          
On the third day, I opened my eyes to see the pretty sunlight streaming through my window. I sat up groggily and looked around. My clock read 9:24am, but I head learned that time in Wonderland chose when it wanted to be day and night. Either way, I had slept long enough and I dragged myself out of bed. I threw some clothes on and headed for the living room. Like every morning before, I opened it to the sight of a foreign space I didn't know, but unlike every morning, I did not see Cheshire making the usual morning tea.
                          
Not thinking much about it, I went and made tea myself, and found a muffin. When I finished my breakfast, I sat down on the couch to twiddle my thumbs. After several minutes of silence, I stood up and went to the front door, opening it and going to sit next to the peaceful waterfall just outside the door. I had come here many times, but Cheshire was always with me and it made it hard to relax when I was constantly aware of his nasty jokes and remarks.
                          
However, there was something eerie in the air, so after a while, I got up and went back inside. I wondered where Cheshire was. He had yet to come and greet me with his usual, unwanted, morning hug. Not that I was complaining or anything. I did say it was unwanted.
                          
I poked my head into all the rooms and closets that I could find, but he wasn't in any of them. It was then that I realized I didn't know where Cheshire slept. I had gone to bed first the past few days, so I hadn't had the chance to see which room was his. I was about to look outside when I heard a grumble from the wall of the room I was in. Curiously, I walked over and put my ear to the wall. I heard a slight squeaking of a bed. There was no door, but as I looked all over the wall, I soon saw a little, almost completely hidden, button in the wall's design pattern.
                          
This wasn't my house, and I had no right to go snooping, but I was intrigued. I pressed my finger to it and a small door popped out of the wall. I reached out and pulled it open slowly. As I peeked inside, I was surprised to see Cheshire curled up on a large bed in the corner of the hidden room. There was a dresser and a small chest, but the room was mostly bare.
                          
I walked in quietly so as not to wake the sleeping feline. I looked around in speculatively. So, this was Cheshire's room. Walking to his dresser, I picked up a small bottle. I squirted some on my wrist, sniffed and had to hold in a laugh. Even cats that can change from human to cat like catnip.
                          
I heard a small sigh from behind me and quickly set the bottle back down. I turned around, afraid I'd been caught, but Cheshire was still sleeping. Relieved, I stepped over to him and leaned over his sleeping form. He looked kind of cute hugging his pillow to his face, his blanket showing his bare back as it moved up and down with his breathing. His ears were twitching adorably as he dreamed of good things probably.
                          
I was still looking at him when he suddenly, turned to his side and grabbed me around the waist, pulling me onto his bed. He wrapped his arms around my waist and snuggled me, my back pressed against his bare chest. I felt breath on the back of my neck as a voice said, "This is a surprise. I never thought you would come crawling into my bed."
                          
I shrunk nervously. "You dragged me in," I said.
                          
Cheshire chuckled. "But you did come in my room. Were you worried about me?" he asked.
                          
I frowned. "No... I just was looking around and found this room. I didn't even know it was yours," I said. He made a hmm sound and pulled me closer. "Please let go... I should leave," I said.
                          
He shook his head against the back of my neck. "But I don't want you to leave. I like hugging you," he said.
                          
"I really should go," I said, trying to worm my way out of his arms.
                          
He laughed, breathless. "You're so cute when you're nervous. I like it," he said. "I like it a lot." He growled the last sentence as he suddenly flipped me onto my back and pinned me down by holding my shoulders. I took a sharp inhale of breath as his claws stung harshly. He clawed harder, nails digging into my skin. I gripped his wrists, but it didn't affect him at all. "You smell of catnip... It's amazing."
                          
He leaned down and licked my neck playfully, his slick tongue sliding on my skin like it was part of it. Then I stuttered a gasp as he bit down on my collarbone teasingly. He released my shoulders and slid his hand down to my waist, reaching up under my shirt. He made random patterns on my back as he continued to nibble on my neck, trailing kisses up my ear until he could press a kiss to my lips.
                          
I jerked my head to the side to break the kiss, but he held my chin in place. I was so absorbed with his kiss I lost myself for a moment and a moan slipped free. Realizing what I had done only moments after I did it, I slapped a hand over my mouth and looked at Cheshire, hoping he hadn't heard. He had and was now grinning mischievously. "That was sexy. Could you do it again?" he asked. I shook my head, still covering my mouth. He pouted. "Please?"
                          
When I still refused, he sighed deeply and hiss hold when slack. I pulled my hands away slightly. "Cheshire?" I asked.
                          
He sat back. "You're boring," he accused. "Even with the cat nip, you're not an interesting enough toy."
                          
He let go of me and stood up, heading for the bathroom without another word. I sat there completely dumbfounded and insulted. I was considering getting up and leaving when he came back out. He plopped down on the bed beside me. "So, was there something you needed?" he asked.
                          
I stood up quickly, wondering why I had stuck around. "No. You just weren't up so I was wondering where you were," I said. I paused. "Also, why do you have catnip perfume on your bedside table?"
                          
Cheshire glanced at it before slinging an arm over my shoulders. "Why do you ask? Jealous?" he asked.
                          
I pushed him off. "No," I snapped.
                          
"Is that right?" Cheshire chuckled and brushed off his jeans. "To answer your question, I got it a long time ago, but I couldn't use it for my own purposes and I didn't want to be rude, so I took it anyways," he explained.
                          
"Why didn't you just throw it away?" I asked.
                          
Cheshire looked falsely shocked. "Cats are very sentimental creatures and I could never do something so cruel," he said. I rolled my eyes as Cheshire thought to himself. "Anyways, you had the smell on your hand and when you brushed my hair away," I blushed as I realized he knew I had done that, "I smelled it and I lost myself," Cheshire finished. "I'll have to put that perfume to good use now that I have a reason to use it."
                          
I shuddered at the thought of being used as a catnip toy and stood up. "I have better things to do," I said.
                          
As I was leaving the room, Cheshire called, "I don't remember showing you this room. Did I leave the door open?"
                          
I shook my head. "I heard noises from the wall and saw the button. I was just curious," I said.
                          
Cheshire looked slightly amazed to hear this. "You have good intuition. That will be good for fighting the queen," he said. I sighed, not looking forward to that at all. But the sooner I could leave, the better. Cheshire clapped his hands. "Well! Let's get the morning tea on and we can get the day started," he said cheerfully.
                          
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