Life, Death, and Time - A Books Of Beginning Collection

Oneshot: Once Upon A Dream

Background: Rafe is alive. 

Content: Kate x Rafe. Romance. Some Fluff. Gets trippy then angsty at parts. Basically along the same lines of most of my content, lol.

"You have gotta be kidding me!" Rafe exclaimed, his voice flooding with irritation as he looked into his backpack for the snacks that he was certain he had packed, only to find them gone. "I know for certain I packed food! I didn't forget!"

"I believe you," Kate said, amusement and exasperation thick in her tone, "but have you considered the fact that you might have left your backpack where my sister could get to it."

Rafe groaned, "she stole our snacks."

"She most certainly did," Kate agreed calmly. It wasn't as though this sort of behavior was out of the ordinary for Emma, after all. That child thrived on causing chaos and annoying her elder siblings, along with their significant others. Usually she targeted Michael specifically, but she wasn't above going after Rafe's things, even though she knew by now that he would retaliate by picking the lock to her room, stealing his stuff back, and then taking her sword for good measure. Kate wasn't entirely sure where their hostage taking back and forth was at the moment, but it seemed that Emma had just made her latest move.

"Sometimes I wonder how a gremlin child like that could be related to an angel like you," Rafe said with a sigh.

Kate giggled, "my theory is that her disobedience arose to combat Michael's pretentiousness, and they've both just been getting more out of hand ever since."

"I pity the world into which adult Michael and Emma are unleashed," Rafe smirked. 

"I'm actively avoiding thinking about it."

"Probably for the best."

The young couple found themselves intertwining their fingers, their clasped hands resting atop Kate's leg as they looked out from their vantage point. Earlier in the day the pair had hiked up the mountain to a recommended lookout point, from which they could see the landmark waterfall of Cambridge Falls, as well as the town and the manor house. Despite the slight chill in the air, and the fact that their food had been stolen by an unruly younger sister, being able to see the comings and goings of the town from such a high up position brought a sense of peace to Kate. 

"The town's thriving," Kate informed her companion, "I took Michael and Emma to the library the other day and we saw just how much the town has improved since we last got a real look at it. There are shops and art and gardens, a school and a library and a community center, and contact with both Gabriel's village and King Robbie's dwarf clan. It's all become very nice. We should go explore it sometime."

"We should," Rafe agreed, "you should be proud of yourself."

"What?" Kate said, her brow furrowing in confusion. 

Rafe shrugged, "you were the one to save the town. Well, you and your siblings, and Gabriel. With some help from King Robbie and Dena and all them. But in the end it was you who went to save all the kids and your brother and sister who helped you pull it off. And Gabriel who defeated that monster despite the fact that he'd just been pushed off a catwalk by your sister."

"She keeps trying so hard not to tell him that she pushed him, and none of us have broke it to her that he's known the whole time," Kate said, her cheeks flushed from the pride in his voice when he spoke of her adventures, "honestly, I think Michael and Wil and Dena all have bets on how long it'll take her to realize."

Rafe snorted, "reminds me of how Abigail and I bet on how long Jake and Beetles' latest treasure hunt will last before it inevitably ends in disaster."