Dedicated to my amazing friend and #EuropeanRumpus companion, Emily (ekc293 on here, battlewhispers on tumblr). She's incredible, and I'm so lucky to be able to call her my friend.
I also plan on waking her up one morning during our trip and saying, "LOOK, YOU GET PORRIDGE! AND IT'S HAPPY TO SEE YOU." But SHHHH don't tell her!
Prompt: The last day of Castle and Beckett's honeymoon, which they spent backpacking across Europe.
Castle hadn't wanted to honeymoon this way. It had taken Kate weeks, and some very passionate sex, to convince Castle that she was serious, that this really was the perfect trip for her, that she wanted this.
And he had given in, reluctantly, grumbling.
But now, as the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean, and they sit on the edge of the east coast of Ireland, feet dangling off the tall cliffs, he nudges her. "You were right. This was the perfect way to do our honeymoon."
She smiles. "I think you're only saying that because of last night."
"It was pretty great."
Kate laughs. "Thank you."
"I wanted to give you the perfect trip. Sometimes I'm still in awe of the fact you're a woman who wants to spend it exploring, living in hostels and camping outside, rather than in five star hotels, that you wanted to see a random town in France over Paris, that you spend the mornings watching the sunrise and the nights watching the sunsets." He leans in and captures her lips for a moment. "And I'm still so happy you've chosen to do it all with me."
"I've got good taste." Kate stands up, tugging Castle's hand. "Come on. We have a little time before we need to pack up so this sheep farmer doesn't find us camping on his land."
Forty five later, the campsite is packed up and Castle and Beckett are on the road. They pass a farmer who gives them a puzzled look at their large packs – tourists don't normally venture this far into the countryside – but he turns back to his work, giving the sheepdogs a sharp whistle.
They're flying out of Shannon today, which means they have a three mile trek before they get to the train station. It's not an easy walk, but they have gotten used to hills and the rough terrain from days of walking. Castle's the thinnest he's been since he's known Kate – he jokes that the married sex must be doing good things for his health, but they both know it's the miles they're putting in.
"We must be swift as a coursing river…" The words float from behind her.
She whirls around, glaring at him. "I can't believe you called my dad and found out that was my favorite movie. YOU SING IT EVERY DAY."
"And you love it. Come on, Beckett. You know you want to." He waits for a moment. "Let's get down to business to defeat the Huns -"
He nudges her, once, twice. She cracks. "Did they send me daughters, when I asked FOR SONS!?" They resume walking, belting out the lyrics together.
As they finish, Castle laughs. "You know, it's true what they say. You don't met a girl like you every dynasty."
Kate raises her eyebrows. "And you don't meet someone as… punctual as you often either."
"Punctual? I'm not punctual! I'm fashionably late! I resent that –" Realization dawns on Castle's face. "You didn't."
"Payback's a bitch."
"You called my mother!"
"Your daughter, actually. And what an enlightening conversation it was! Totally worth the arm and leg it cost. You've been holding out on me."
"I swear, when we get back… Dishonor! Dishonor on your whole family! Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow…"
Kate dances around Castle, arms outstretched, singing. "I can show you the world; shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me, princess," she pokes him, "now when did you last let your heart decide?"
Castle stares at her for a moment, before grabbing her hands, pulling her into a dance, and begins to sing, "I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder."
They crack up laughing, and start walking again, but they keep the song going, singing to Disney loudly and with giggles. Kate takes Aladdin's lines and Castle does Jasmine's part, which sets off more laughs as he attempts to hit the high notes.
They alternate between different iconic Disney songs the whole way back, earning dubious looks from natives and delighted laughs from children. But they hardly notice, so absorbed are they in their own world.
They board the plane, and Kate takes the seat by the window, looking out. She reaches for Castle's hand. "This has been amazing, Castle."
He smiles at her. "You're the amazing one, Kate." They share a kiss, before she pushes up the armrest and puts her leg over his, snuggling into his side.
"Can you believe we're going back to the States? Back to work? I'm going back to carrying a gun every day! I used to look for it every morning, but now I've gotten used to not having its weight. I'll have a gun again."
The man in front of them suddenly peers over the seat, a look of terror on his face. Castle looks at him sternly. "She's a detective with the NYPD." He smiles tentatively before sliding back down. "You might not want to talk about guns on a flight so loudly."
She laughs. "Good advice."
"I love you, Kate." He kisses the top of her head.
She pulls his hand closer and laces their fingers together again. "I love you too, Castle."
She turns back to the window, and Castle leans his head on her shoulder, watching as they taxi onto the runway and take off. They watch until the clouds obscure Europe from their view.
Kate shifts and leans onto Castle's shoulder, getting ready to sleep. In his lap, he opens his notebook and begins to write more of Nikki Heat, writing page after page. He rereads the last few lines he's written.
"What's the point? Why are you still here, Rook?"
Rook looked across the precinct at Nikki Heat, head bent over a case file, biting her lip in concentration.
"We all have that girl worth fighting for. She's mine."
Castle closes the notebook and looks down at the brunette sleeping on his shoulder. He brushes Kate's hair lightly before placing a tender kiss on her head. Leaning his own on top of hers, he closes his eyes.
His last thought before sleep is: I'm damn lucky.
Author's Note: You have no idea how fun this was to write. :)