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

Oneshot: Under the Mistletoe

Background: Rafe is alive, The Wibberly family and him are all staying in Cambridge Falls for Christmas. Wilamena is staying there as well.

Content: Emma finds some mistletoe and decides to cause some shenanigans involving messing with her brother and sister. Michael x Wilamena. Kate x Rafe.

It wasn't comfortable, wedging herself in the small space between the ceiling and the giant cabinet that sat next to the couch, but Emma didn't care. She had been in worse spaces before, and besides, it would all be worth it in the end.

Emma bit her lip to keep from giggling. She was up to no good, ready to get into mischief. She had a holiday themed scheme and the perfect victims for her prank. Even better, her parents had gone for a walk to see the waterfall, so there was less of a chance of her getting caught. 

She peered over the ledge of the cabinet and grinned when she spotted her older brother, Michael, walking into the room. He was deep in conversation with his 'friend' Wilamena. Emma personally knew her brother and the princess felt more for each other then friends did. And while she didn't get why the elf girl liked her dorky brother, she was happy for them. And she was happy for herself because it was just too easy to tease them these days.

Michael sat down on the couch, and Wilamena sat next to him, her smile growing as she said, "so, tell me more about the legends of this 'Sandy Clause'."

Michael laughed, "Santa Claus. And what more is there to say? Well, uh, he likes cookies and milk - one of the orphanages I lived at used to leave some out every year. But the cookies were stale and I think it was some of the teens who were sneaking down and eating them that night."

Michael continued to explain the human holiday customs and traditions, like decorating pine trees and singing carols (though the Wibberly siblings never sung carols because they couldn't sing). And from her hiding place, Emma watched them, all while getting out the key to her prank.

A single spring of mistletoe was such a simple thing, but it contained great power, the power to cause embarrassment and blushing. Emma slowly but surely stretched out her arm, dangling the tiny plant over her brother and the elf princess.

She stayed there for almost ten minutes, when she heard Michael say, "and then there's mistletoe. It's a little plant, green with white berries. And if you end up under it with someone, traditionally you have to kiss them."

Wilamena giggled, looking around the room, "you mean like that?" She pointed above them, and  Michael turned to see the hand holding the small plant.

He rolled his eyes, "Emma I can clearly see your arm."

"Your under the mistletoe!" Emma replied gleefully, "you have to kiss Wilamena."

"I don't," Michael said, cheeks going red, "not when it's part of your silly prank."

Emma continued to taunt him, "nobody said what circumstances the mistletoe had to be there. They just said you have to be under it."

Michael continued to stammer our another excuse, when Wilamena leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He turned even redder, until his face looked like a tomato. Wilamena, on the other hand, had a beaming grin on her face, and her cheeks were only the tiniest bit pink.

"So I guess you understand that tradition, huh," Michael muttered, not able to meet the princess's eyes.

Wilamena just smiled fondly at him, "I suppose I do."

Emma snickered, causing Michael to glare at her hiding spot on top of the cabinet. He sighed, "why do you always have to pull these stunts?"

"Because you turned bright red and it was funny," Emma retorted, "And because you'd have never had that little romantic scene without my help."

Michael rolled his eyes, "oh shut up. And come down from there. For the love of goodness, wedging yourself on top of a cabinet. Really?"

...............

Twenty minutes later, Emma was safely removed from the top of the cabinet, and the mistletoe had been confiscated and hung in a decorative spot near the window. As all this happened, Emma continued to steadily argue with her brother, while Wilamena watched in amusement.

It was then that Kate and Rafe walked in. They had come from the kitchen, where they had begun to make lunch. Now they just needed to tell the others it was ready and wait for Richard and Clare to come back.

Of course, when Kate heard the sounds of her siblings squabbling, she knew it wasn't going to be that easy.

Sighing, she raised her voice ever so slightly to make herself heard, "what are you two going on about now?"

"Emma climbed on top of a cabinet to get me and Wilamena stuck under the mistletoe!"

"Michael's face turned as red as a firetruck!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Wilamena gave Kate and Rafe a small smile, "Emma played quite the prank."

"So I heard," Rafe said sardonically, while Kate convinced her siblings to stop yelling st each other. Finally the fight ended, and Kate let our a sigh of relief, slipping her hand through Rafe's as things calmed down.

The couple wandered farther into the room... right in front of the window, and under the mistletoe.

Neither boy nor girl noticed this until Wilamena let out a sharp gasp and pointed, causing Rafe and the three Wibberly's to look.

Emma burst out laughing, "you're under the mistletoe!"

Wilamena clapped in delight, "how romantic for you two!"

"Now you gotta kiss," Emma continued to laugh.

Rafe found himself standing there awkwardly, still not used to being part of the shenanigans of this group, and very unsure of what to do.

Michael gave him a sympathetic smile, "you can just kiss on the cheek. That's what me and Wilamena did."

Rafe was about to take his suggestion, just to avoid being presumptuous about his place here and what would be approved. But Kate had other ideas.

She took Rafe's face in her hands, and pulled it downward, leaning her own face up until their lips came together. Rafe felt himself melting into their kiss, thinking about how this, him and Kate, could never get old.

Finally, Kate pulled away, a small grin on her face. Rafe found himself grinning too, and he heard Michael, Emma, and Wilamena cheering and teasing. But their jokes didn't register with him, not when he was here and staring at the love of his life, who just pulled him in for another mistletoe kiss.

A/N: I had so many tests today so to celebrate finishing that shit, here's a romantic holiday oneshot featuring a troublemaking Emma, awkward Michael and Wilamena, and totally in love Rafe and Kate. Hope you enjoyed it.