Promises Promises [Tag Kate]

[Allan A Dale]

”Well,” Allan began, grinning mischievously. She had to know what he was going to say, really, it wasn't going to be all that surprising. And he didn't care; it'd be funny to see her do it. ”That's why you have to do it!” He rolled his eyes as she declared life was safer – where was the fun in that? Oh, he didn't want to die, and he felt like a twat when he got into life and death situations, but still, the thrill of danger, the rush you got running away from someone desperate to skin you, it was better than anything he'd ever felt. Well, close to, anyway. He waved a hand, nearly hitting Kate in the process considering the tiny space, dismissing the notion. ”Life's too short. Don't need safety. You need an adventure.”

”Glad we agree on that point, then,” he replied idly, still leaning on her shoulder until she stretched, moving to avoid being punched in the face. He was fairly amused by her yawning. If she wasn't tired, why was she agreeing to leave? He was sure she could probably do with a nap, actually, and it wasn't like it wouldn't be fairly safe just to snooze where they were. Then again, Allan was fairly used to sleeping wherever was comfortable and convenient, as he'd demonstrated many times during his stint in the castle. Kate was likely too used to a comfy bed to really be able to sleep out here.

”You don't have to...” he trailed off, watching her lazily as she got up and had a look around. What, didn't she trust his observational skills? He'd survived this far, hadn't he? Okay so he wouldn't still be there without Robin saving his arse, but that was beside the point. Yawning himself, he pushed himself up much slower than Kate has, standing and crossing his arms. ”Alright then, which way is it?” he asked.

[Kate Miller]

Kate merely laughed and shook her head slightly, Easier said than done, she thought to herself stretching herself out before letting out a satisfied sigh. Better to be safe than hanging from a rope – or spending more drawn out afternoons at the well with icy water and a cloth. ”You need an adventure” Kate turned round to him her hair flicking in front of her face – it all having fallen out of her pony tail when they were under the bushes – Allan’s hands helping with that. ”An adventure?” a grin slowly spread across her face, ”Something you’re gunna show me, Mr A Dale?” she quickly raised and lowered her eyebrows before letting out a short girly giggle.

”If I didn’t move then I’d seize up. And then you,” she said pointing at him, and nodding her head in his direction, ”would have to carry me all the way home. I can’t imagine you’d wanna do that,” the likelihood that he would though was high. He wouldn’t leave her in the forest and after most things that happened with them -carrying her a mile up a path was probably one of the more likely things he’d do – unlike say call a truce with her father and admit he was an alright kind of guy. Though – nobody was about to go to that extreme.

”You’re asking me?” she asked crossing her arms across her chest and raising an eyebrow, ”You live in the forest, you should know!” she said moving her hands again to pull the band from her hair, placing it on her wrist and mussing up the strands and running her short fingers through her long golden locks.

”I suggest we find the path if we want to find the village. Though I still say you should know which way is which. Or are you a crap outlaw?” she said considering her statement then looking around mockingly, ”Should I be getting Will to teach me to steal instead? ‘Cause I hear he’s one of the best, you know. I bet he’d know where to go.”

So she was taunting him, could you blame a girl for trying? Maybe things would be less complicated if she did just spend more time with Will. Though her father disliked him more than any one of her friends. Life, was more than anything, complicated.

[Allan A Dale]

Kate found it amusing, at least. And was she mocking him? He couldn't be having that now, could he? Allan found himself wondering if she'd been like this with people before meeting him, or if he was starting to rub off on her. Either way, he liked it. Standing beside her, he wiggled his own eyebrows in a suggestive manner. ”I could show you the world,” he replied, gesturing to the forest wildly with one hand, before returning it to hold it out to Kate, bowing ever so slightly. Before she could take it, though, he took it back, stood up straight and yawned, stretching his arms out.

He shrugged. Okay, so he might find it a little odd to carry her all the way home – not that she was heavy, he imagined he could have all sorts of fun winding her up as he carried her – but he wouldn't mind it as much as she seemed to think. He might not like honest work, but there was no cheat to get to a lady, except for getting her drunk, and even Allan wasn't that morally dubious... usually. ”I dunno, I could think of a way to make it more fun.”

He laughed as Kate seemed to get in a grump with him. ”I'm just pulling your leg,” he reassured her, thinking that they were very nice legs indeed and he wouldn't mind pulling... yeah, okay, he had to stop going there. Will would kill him if Kate or Luke didn't first. Unfortunately, she carried on. He was a little offended by her comments. Will, a better outlaw than him? Like bloody hell he was! It was very tempting to go off and sulk now. But she did have a fair point, whether she knew it or not.

”Yeah, he knows his way around Nottingham better. He has lived here all his life. I'm a wanderer, me” he replied, sulking ever so slightly. ”Are you saying you'd rather spend your time with him than with me?” he asked, hands reaching out and grabbing Kate by the waist, pulling her to him. He smirked at her, grip loose enough that she could move if she wanted to. He lowered his voice a little, moved a hand up to brush at her hair, leaning down a little for a kiss...

(OOC: *is shot for using Disney lyrics*)

[Kate Miller]

Show her the world? He could try, and she certainly wouldn’t complain – anywhere was better than here. Nottingham wasn’t a place of leisure anymore – it was very rare that anybody could be found to be having any fun. Everybody was always working – Kate was not one of those people, at least, not today. His yawn made her own yawn return, she drew her dainty hand to her mouth. Sniffing once she dropped it down again – only to bring it back to her face to rub the tip of her nose to rid it of a small itch that had appeared.

”You’d turn anything into fun,” she said with a smirk, though his idea of fun differed from her own she found her likes and dislikes altered around him – she was happier. More up for a laugh. She used to be, before her brother went to war – before her father started on her if she so much as smiled in the wrong way or at the wrong thing. Some days she’d give anything for William just to come home for a week so she could get away without having to be so secretive about it. She could probably even tell her brother where she was going and he would cover for her. He was like that.

She could have laughed at the sulky expression that plagued his face for a second. She was only kidding around – Allan was obviously the better outlaw – with being caught by Gisborne last year, joining the ‘dark side’ and falling down a hole – yeah he was definitely better than the rest of the gang.

”That’s no excuse – I’ve lived here all my life – I still don’t know my way around the place! And I went to all the same places as the guy as a kid!” She raised her pointed finger as if to enforce her point – it didn’t really achieve anything but fidgeting was all part of the demeanor for him. ”Ooooh,” she said sucking in a breathe of cold air through her teeth, feeling his hands on her waist hers automatically made their way to resting on his chest, ”I think I’ve spent more than enough time with him,” as he leant towards her, her impulse told her to move closer t him, or at least get him closer to her quicker, so she pulled slightly on the over hang of his scarf pulling herself up onto her toes – bringing her lips to his – again.

Maybe she’d lave this bit out in the grand explanation of things to her brother.

Once contact had been made her arms found their way around his neck – much like the night of a SAC, this time however the ordeal was much less hectic and a lot less drunken.

[Allan A Dale]

Well, apparently kissing was definitely one way to shut Kate up, and to distract her. She didn't seem to be complaining, anyway – in fact, she seemed to be quite happy to reciprocate, yanking his scarf in a manner most unbecoming of a pleasant young woman (he knew she was less innocent than she let on!) and wrapping her arms around his neck. He moved his hands up from her hips, along her back and into her hair, leaning down a little more so she didn't have to stretch too much – tiptoeing couldn't be all that comfortable for her, after all.

While he liked a drunken fumble as much as the next guy, Allan had to admit that kissing Kate was a lot more fun when they were both sober. This time he wasn't about to fall over on top of her, it wasn't that horrible, slightly slobbery, the kind that smelt slightly like vomit when you hadn't even thrown up yet. No, this was... nice. Not desperate, not fumbling, but pleasant and slow. He could get used to this, the feel of long golden locks in between his fingers, opening his eyes to see a gorgeous face up so very close...

He broke away after a short while, breathing slightly faster than he'd begun, and licked his lips, grinning at Kate. ”Can we do that again?”

[Kate Miller]

Considering during the act of kissing an outlaw – you can’t actually speak, it was certainly an efficient way to make her shut up. She couldn’t have spoken if she’d wanted to. And she wasn’t yanking at his scarf, she was gently pulling on it to leaver herself up. Not that he was that much taller than her – but there was enough of a gap for it not to be easy. She was perfectly innocent – she just wasn’t around him – it was his fault – he was dishonest and by all means experienced, she wasn’t about to be a stupid shy village girl when she liked the guy. She didn’t want him giving up on her for anybody – not a nun, nobody. She sure as hell wasn’t getting in a habit to suit his fetishes either.

She liked the feeling of his fingers running through her hair – she’d liked the feeling before even if it had been her own hand brushing through the blonde mass. It felt better however when it was somebody else, somebody who just so happened to be in an extremely close proxemation to her at that very moment.

Feeling him pull away she felt slightly disheartened, opening her eyes slowly, her breathing shallow. She looked up at him a small smile on her face. Looking from his lips to his eyes she took in every detail. She’d never stayed this close to him before – he was slightly difficult to focus on. ”So why’d you stop?” she asked her sight once again resting on his jaw line then quickly back up to resume eye contact.

She smiled slightly before planting another short soft kiss on his lips and pulling away again.

”What was it I was saying about my parents approving?” she asked slightly slurred through her hitching breath. ”Can’t imagine this being one of those things,” She still had her arms around him, her fingers lingering at the nape of his neck.

This she could get used to – this they could definitely do again.

[Allan A Dale]

He chuckled softly as she asked why he stopped, and he successfully stopped himself from taking what seemed like a request and going back in for another round. He was about to answer when she kissed him on the lips, so short, but with his mouth slightly open, his lips sticking to hers for a second. He liked it. He leaned in again, stopped by her words. His face fell, disheartened by her words.

”You wanna stop then?” he asked, moving his hands from her hair and moving one down to the small of her back, leaving the other on her neck and rubbing it with his thumb in a circular motion. She hadn't moved totally away, she was still clinging to his neck, so she couldn't not want this, could she? Ah, he wasn't going to spend ages thinking about it, if she did then she did. If she didn't, well... Maybe they could still be friends. But he'd be a bit more than annoyed. That would be three people (more, even, if he was honest with himself) in less than two years whom he still had to talk to, to be friends with, when all he wanted was more...

”'Cause if you say so, we can get moving. Back to Knighton or on to Gotham.” He kissed her on the forehead. It was her choice. He'd deal, whichever way.

[Kate Miller]

As he leaned in for another kiss she was about to willingly oblige when he stopped, the smile on his face falling. Her face contorted, her brows knitting together slightly and the corner of her mouth down-turned as she looked him up and down for a second before he spoke.

”You wanna stop then?”[/i] Kate let out a short laugh, her shoulder shaking as the laugh ran through her, ”Didn’t I just complain about you stopping?” she asked, she stayed stationary, keeping her arms and fingers where they lay. She readjusted her footing slightly as he moved his hands to her lower back. She leant into the feel of his hands slightly, not far enough to apply to much pressure to the guys neck – it probably hurt enough most mornings without the added weight of a peasant girl.

”What was it you said?” she asked rhetorically, ”Life’s more interesting when you do what you want, not what other people expect?” she repeated, a smirk appearing on her face. She let her hands drop then, moving near robotically down his arms and too his waist. She felt the soft fabric of his over-shirt beneath her fingers, the one she’d given him for Marian’s money. The one her then used to pay her with when her father had thrown up a stink. The first day they’d met. It all felt so long ago.

What was it she had told herself that morning? Don’t get close. Stay away. Outlaws were out of bounds. She wasn’t getting close, she was lose. They did drop offs in the village, her best friend was the brother of an outlaw, they were hardly going to stay away. As for out of bounds, that they still were. Which was why she wasn’t going to go making their little… relationship would be too strong a word... arrangement known about.

Luke would kill her for one – if her father didn’t get there first.

Will would shortly follow on Allan’s tail.

Therefore privacy was probably the best strategy…

”I should probably be getting back to Knighton now you mention it. My father may be stupid, but If I take too long he’ll go looking round the well, and when I’m not there he’ll get pissy.” she replied reluctantly. She didn’t want to go.

Leaning up slightly as he kissed her forehead she shut her eyes. Groaning inwardly, she didn’t want this to end. She didn’t want to go back to Knighton, back to her father.

[Allan A Dale]

He laughed when Kate answered, the hand still by her neck fiddling with her hair. How did she keep it so soft? Maybe there was something to these Knighton girls. Marian had always looked amazing, too. Not that he'd ever say that to Kate, if he wanted to keep on kissing her... ”Just double checking,” he replied. ”Don't wanna get accused of doing things I shouldn't.” Like that didn't happen anyway...

Hah, now she was throwing his own words back at him, and he liked that. Her hands moved too, and he pulled her closer to him, enjoying the feel of her body pressed to his. He rested his chin on her head, smiling contentedly. This was... so very surreal. Was he happy? Just holding a girl? That hadn't happened before. Not to him, not to anyone he knew, apart from perhaps Robin and Marian! And oh God, that was an odd thought. Him and Kate being like Robin and Marian. There was no way, was there?

His heart started racing at the thought of that, and he grasped Kate a little tighter than he meant to. If anyone was watching them, he'd be dead. But it was so worth it...

He sighed, moving back to let her have some more room rather reluctantly. He pulled his best puppy face as he looked down at her. ”Really? Wouldn't rather run away with me?” he asked, sounding like he was kidding but realising that he was only half joking. Well, that was a revelation, too. The only other person he'd offered to run away with was Will...

[Kate Miller]

”Still probably shouldn’t,” she managed threw a laugh before pressing another feather light kiss to his lips. She didn’t care if somebody saw – as long as that somebody wasn’t Luke, father, Will or guard shaped all would be fine. The villagers were unlike to recognize Allan, sure they’d known Kate, but they already made up enough crap that nobody believe this would only add to the list. The Miller’s unwed eighteen year old daughter kissing a man? Unheard of. Rumours were starting t spread about her as it was, she was getting to old to be a maiden. She didn’t care, as long as her father stopped trying to marry her off with the forty plus year old Blacksmith.

As she felt him pull her body towards his she slipped her arms around his wait further, her hands going round to his lower back. It was easier for him, he could reach around her with damn sight less effort than it took her to hug him. Okay so his arms were that much longer than hers because he wasn’t that much taller, but his frame was a hell of a lot bigger than hers.

If she’d known that the thought of them being compared to Robin and Marian had entered his mind, he’d probably end up being hit. Not hard, but enough to say ‘if we ever get like them, please kill me!’. Not that she didn’t want to be happy. She did, more than anything. But Robin and Marian were enough to make the man with the iron stomach feel queasy.

Kate made a silent ‘awh’ as he pulled the cute face on her, ”Where would we go?” she asked, going a long with his ‘joke’. Thinking about it, though admittedly not much, she certainly would go. If the offer was there, she would leave her family and go, to a better life. Just as long as she didn’t have to live in the mud infested forest! She’s even consider leaving Rachel and Sarah, though the niggling feeling that she could leave her sisters to befall the fate she currently had as ‘Dad’s punch bag’, would probably convince her to stay.

[Allan A Dale]

He smiled into the soft kiss, thinking that it didn't matter if he should or shouldn't, now, so long as he had Kate's permission then he'd quite happily carry on. This was, surprisingly even to him, exactly what he wanted right now. He'd never even thought about what would happen when he'd first started flirting with Kate, and now... well, dare he say it? He was content to be with her. He... actually thought about her when she wasn't around and savoured moments like this.

Weird.

And now he really was starting to sound like Robin, so he was going to end his mental tirade and return his attention to the present. Where would they go? He hadn't thought about it in that much detail, to be honest about it. He shrugged.

"Scarborough?" he replied, the first place that came to his head. He smiled a little at the memory, and for once thanked Will for deciding to come back. He'd have never had the life he did now if they'd gone to Scarborough, but who knew what sort of life they would have had? It could have been fun. "Nah, I dunno, it's just a thought, ain't it? Something to think about to keep your mind occupied and all that."

[Kate Miller]

Go back to the beginning. The only reason the pair had officially been introduced was because he’d fallen into a hole and was unable to go on the rescue mission after Will. That evening they had spent flirting, messing about, he’d given Kate ‘outlaw lessons’ something that hadn’t really carried on. They had a good time, hell she’d even saved him from a guard – it was quite a memorable evening.

Because of that night though, her father had used her as a punch bag. The next time Allan saw her she’d had a busted lip and was littered in bruises. She still had a faint scar, well she had many. Next time they’d met at the masquerade party Sebtasitian had thrown. They had gotten more than a little drunk and had had a very good time of it. After that she’d seen him a few times. One kiss that night, now leading a fair few. She couldn’t really complain.

She’d originally teased him about it. Said she’d tell Will about it, see what the carpenter would do. She never did, obviously.

”Scarborough it is, never been to the coast, and Luke says it’s nice there.” she said simply, smiling up at him. ”Keep my mind occupied? What about the rest of me?” she said with a wicked smirk forming on her lips. A small laugh escaping her. She could never be like this with anybody else. Only him, anybody else would just frown at her for being so stupid, or unladylike or whatever. She didn’t care.

She was the one always being told she needed a husband. Not that she was going to think about that too much.

[Allan A Dale]

Allan forgot that Luke lived with Kate for a moment, and realised that he would probably have told her all about his lovely time up their with his aunt and father, before... well, everything happened. He laughed at her comment, a small part of him shocked she'd say such a thing, but the rest of him revelling in it. Will would probably accuse him of corrupting her, but it was totally worth it. She really didn't look the type and it was nice to be proven wrong.

”I'm sure I could think of a few things,” he replied, grinning back suggestively before ruining it with a laugh. ”But not right now, if your dad is gonna kill you for this.” God, that man was a real killjoy. He wasn't even around to accuse Allan of trying to steal his daughter away or... whatever it was he'd thought Allan was doing when he'd been stuck at the Miller residence, and he was still managing to ruin all his fun. Okay, so he could suggest a few things now but it wouldn't be worth the punishment he'd probably put Kate through. Maybe this running away idea wasn't such a bad one, especially for her. He was just escaping responsibility with the idea, and his guilt. He shook his head.

”Coast ain't all it's cracked up to be. Lot of water, sand and driftwood from crashed boats,” he muttered finally, thinking of his own journeys. He was fairly well-travelled and while he hadn't been to Scarborough, he had been down along the south coast. He hadn't liked it a whole lot.

[Kate Miller]

Kate couldn’t do anything but grin at his comment, until, that is, he mentioned her father. He was starting to care more than her. She should have been thinking, what about what he would do? But she was starting to care less and less, and that couldn’t really be good. Could it? She needed to stay grounded and keep everything in perspective.

”Yeah,” she said through and exasperated sigh, ”But what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him!” Well no, it would never hurt him anyway, even if he did know, it would just hurt her, a fair bit actually.

”Well maybe I want a lot of water, sand and some driftwood. I want driftwood, dammit!” she said hitting his arm lightly to show him her frustration and a smile on her face. If she could have anything in the world it would be a hassle free life. Away from the Sheriff, away from her father and just to be allowed to be herself. Do what she wanted with her life and herself. Make a nuisance of herself if she so wished, and just live everyday as it came.

Would that sort of a life really be that bad with him?

She couldn’t think about that though. He was an outlaw, he had a life here, and so did she. Nothing more could happen with him, and she knew it. Deep down at least, she didn’t have to admit that to her heart just yet.

”I wanna swim in the sea, and build a castle out of sand. And just sit there and to have to worry about anything more than the sea trying to steal my shoes!” It seemed like quite a nice life to her. Not that standing in the middle of a forest with, whatever Allan was to her, arm’s around her, wasn’t nice. It was just more danger ridden than a beach.

[Allan A Dale]

Well, if Kate was going to be a bit of a prat about it, he was going to care more about her father than she was! Frankly he liked his family jewels where they were, and he had no intention of being castrated because it was nearing Kate's time of the month and it was making her feel adventurous. He felt guilty for his earlier thoughts and realised he needed to be responsible if Kate wasn't going to be.

Hah, like that would last any longer than oh, about ten seconds?

”True,” he nodded, still slightly worried but managing to forget his concern fairly quickly. He'd have much more fun if he ignored it, after all. He rubbed at his arm, mouthing “ow” after she hit it, only slightly in pain as she actually packed a fair punch even in a light hit. ”Not being funny, but you're bloody nuts. No one wants driftwood.” Again, he wouldn't mind leaving but thoughts of the gang drifted into his head. Could he really do that now, after all the rubbish he went through to get back in with them?

Well, maybe. It wasn't likely to happen anyway.

”You'd have to be more worried about me stealing your shoes,” he admitted, not letting his brain go further than that. He would, as well.