Wonderland

This is the second update I'm putting up tonight. Go read chapter 11 first.

"Ryan? Ryaaaaaan?" I heard a familiar voice calling to me. "Ryan!" It was Gabe, I knew it. My vision once again started coming into focus, and I saw his face about one inch from my own.

"RYAN!" he shouted, grinning his insane grin before turning on his feet and walking out of the room.

"Umm... Gabe?" I asked, my voice quiet and raspy, I'm assuming from the deep sleep I'd just had.

"Gabe left, Ryan." I looked to the other side of the bed I was on to see King Pete and Ace Patrick sitting on a small couch together. My first instinct was to 'aww' over the cuteness of the couple, but then I realized I had no idea what's going on.

"I'm sure your confused, Ryan." Patrick said, standing from the couch.

"We are too." Pete's voice came from behind Patrick. I nodded, looking up at the Ace.

"Yes, but don't worry," he looked behind himself and shot a pointed look at his husband. "We do know more than you, so we can help you with that."

"What happened?" I asked, puzzled beyond belief. The last thing I remember is walking through the garden, then waking up here with Gabe's face in mine. Why did I pass out? How did I get here? Where was I before? What could be so important that King Pete and Ace Patrick have to be here with me?

"Well, Ryan," Patrick started, looking unsure. "It appears you fainted. We're not quite sure what caused this, we talked to all of the flowers, and none of them seem to have any answers.

"Gabe started worrying when he heard the flowers talking about you fainting. He found you passed out by the tulips.

"Personally, I'm a little suspicious of them. They're not the nicest of the flowers. But when we talked to them, they seemed innocent enough." I nodded to the best of my ability, feeling weaker than before as I realized how hard it was for me to move.

"You must be tired, Ryan. We'll leave you for a bit." Pete said, standing from his seat on the couch.

"Wait!" I said as they were walking, hand-in-hand, out the door.

"What is it, Ryan?" the King asked, turning his head back to address me properly.

"Um... how long have I been out for?" they both gave me weird looks, then turned and walked out of the room, closing the door firmly shut behind them. I groaned, leaning my head back into the pillow and scrunching my eyes closed.

I left my face scrunched for a few seconds, then relaxed it and opened my eyes, looking up at the ceiling above me. I could almost see the crooked, lopsided grin that graced Gabe's face.

It was just like the first time I'd woken up in Wonderland, confused and lost, somehow finding a hold on my sanity within the insanity that is Gabe.

I thought about how ironic it all is, how I seem to be finding sanity in a place as cracked as Wonderland. I thought I had a pretty good handle on myself back in the real world, even if I didn't have a very good handle on life.

But since I've found Wonderland, the nonsense seems to be making more sense than sense ever could.

It was like the difference between the moon and the grin. The moon is so steady, ever changing, but at the same time, it's so predictable.

And then there's Gabe's grin. It's always there, and it doesn't ever really change, but somehow it's mad. It's mad, crazy, insane, and devious. Mad, crazy, insane, devious, and lovable.

I heard the door to the room I was in creak open slightly, and I looked over to it to see a purple hoodie hanging from the top. A sigh escaped from my lips, but I kept my gaze directed on the hoodie.

I didn't even bother to look down when I felt a small, soft creature curl into my side.