Hello! Me again!
This is just a pointless, silly oneshot that I couldn't get out of my head.
Also, all the angst I know is coming in the show makes my heart hurt. No matter how much I know its necessary for the show, and no matter how many interviews I read that say it's temporary. So to get me through tonights Caskett angst, I wrote this ridiculous thing.
Sorry.
Disclaimer: I don't own Castle, or RuPaul's Drag Race.
No spoilers for Castle really...maybe a few for Drag Race? No contestants mentioned, just incidents on the show.
It had started by accident. She had been on bed rest, and unbelievably pissed off. Everything about her pregnancy had been text book, until just after she started her third trimester. Then her blood pressure had skyrocketed. Her doctor had put her on bed rest when it didn't go back down, and that's how she found herself, several weeks later, trying to find a new series to watch on Netflix.
Rick had bought a new television to put in their bedroom, arguing that she could no longer balance the laptop on her belly. Kate had claimed that it was an unnecessary expense, but she appreciated the thought. After she had used it for a day she relented and agreed it was a good idea, but she insisted that the tv was removed and put into storage as soon as the baby was born.
She didn't want to turn into one of those couples who watched tv in bed instead of doing other things.
That's how she discovered it. It was listed as 'top rated,' and described as 'America's Next Top Model for Drag Queens' in its synopsis.
She figured she had nothing better to do, so deiced to watch the first episode.
"It's only one episode, right?" She whispered to her baby bump. She ran one hand over her bump, and the other pressed play.
One episode turned into one series, which quickly turned into five.
She had quite successfully hidden her new found trash tv obsession from her husband, who she knew would make fun of her for it forever. Thankfully he had scheduled a lot of his New York book signings and meetings with his publishers in the weeks she was on bed rest. He came home as often as he could during the day, sometimes dispatching Alexis or Martha if he couldn't make it.
He'd made the arrangements for all of this before they knew she would be starting her leave early, and she insisted that he kept his plans as they were. She would rather that he had more time with him at home once the baby arrived instead of now.
She did a brilliant job at covering it up, until he came home early one day to find her in the middle of an episode and insisted finishing it with her.
"This challenge is strange. How does it prove their abilities as Drag Queens?"
"Stop talking, Castle. I'm trying to watch it!"
"Wait, there's a lip sync battle? At the end of each episode?"
"Seriously Rick, I love you, but stop asking questions."
"No way. Did that contestant just pull a wig off of another wig?"
"Yes. Now shut up, I'm trying to watch!"
"What a random sob story," He commented again, unable to help himself. His wife didn't respond this time so he turned to look at her. She was looking at the television screen, almost like she was hypnotised. In the dim lighting, he could just about make out the wet streaks down her cheeks. "Wait, are you crying?"
He doesn't mean it to sound as incredulous as it ends up, and he really does try to keep the laughter at bay. But he cant help himself, this is just so delightfully not like his wife. He finds it cute. Whilst he can't understand why she has got so into this awful television show, he can't help but find it endearing. She still surprises him, even now, with how she can make him love her more each day.
"I swear to God, Rick. Do not make fun of me!" Her voice cracks, and he sobers up a little, remembering why she's in this position to start with. What has caused this un-Beckett like behaviour. He puts his arm around her and pulls her to him as well as he can. Despite her irritation with him, she settles against him and enjoys the feeling of his fingers running up and down her arm.
"I won't. I promise." He presses a kiss to the top of her head, and watches several more episodes of what he mentally dubs 'the worst thing on television' to placate his pregnant wife.
She never tells him that this isn't the first time RuPaul's Drag Race has made her cry. That she's found herself emotional as the contestants talk about their families who had turned their backs on them because they made the choice to be a drag queen. She definitely doesn't tell him that this had led, on more than one occasion, to her stroking her belly whilst whispering to her son that she would love him no matter what choices he made.
He keeps his promise. That is, he keeps his promise until after their son has been safely delivered into the world, and the television has been removed from the bedroom.
About a week after their baby boy is born, he walks into their room to find his wife and son lying together. She is propped up against the headboard and a mound of pillows. Her eyes are closed, but he can see she's awake because her hand is smoothing up and down the babies back. She looks so peaceful, so happy. He decides this is the perfect time to confess.
Besides, she can't physically harm him when she is holding their 8 day old son so lovingly.
"Hey," he whispers trying not to wake the baby. He wasn't difficult, but he did seem to hate sleep. Something that Castle had mentioned he got from Kate. A comment she definitely had not appreciated. Her eyes popped open, and she smiled at him.
"Hey, babe. Why don't you come join us?" She replies softly. He doesn't have to be asked twice. He moves quickly across the room, and makes sure he gets on the bed gently to make sure he doesn't wake their sleep-hating child.
"He's finally asleep." He whispers, and he gently cups the back of his son's head with his hand, stroking the downy hair under his fingers.
"I think it's the longest he's slept in one go since we got him home. Apparently, he can only sleep when I'm holding him." She tries to sound irritated by it, but it doesn't come across. He knows she'd hold their son like this every night if she had to.
"Well I can't blame him. That's how I've always preferred to sleep since we got together."
She rolls her eyes at that one. Having another kid had made him even cornier. If that was possible. They fell into a comfortable silence, both just content in staring at the little person they made. He then remembers why he decided to interrupt this mother and son moment in the first place.
"I have a confession to make," He starts, she looks at him, questions already filling her eyes. "It's not serious, I promise. At least I don't think it's serious."
"Rick," His name comes out as a laugh, "stop rambling and just say it."
"It's about the RuPaul thing." That certainly got her attention. "I'm not about to make fun, I promise. It's just, I wasn't totally truthful when I came in and found you watching it."
If he's trying to explain it to her properly he's failing. She just looks confused now, and bordering on pissed. Maybe this wasn't well timed. They are both exhausted, and he probably should have just suggested a nap.
"What I mean is, I already knew you were watching it." He cringed as he said it, 'I accidentally clicked on your profile on Netflix a few weeks before I found you watching it and saw it on your continue watching list."
"So, why did you pretend you had no idea what I was talking about?"
"When I finally caught you watching an episode, because you Mrs Castle are sneaky, you just seemed so excited about it when you were explaining it to me I didn't want to ruin your fun. You'd been miserable for weeks, it was nice to see you enjoying something."
"I wasn't miserable," she exclaimed defensively, pressing a kiss into the top of her son's head. As if, even if he was awake, he could take that to mean she didn't want him.
"Kate, come on. You were miserable. Not because of him, or because you were pregnant. You had been stuck in bed for weeks, it's enough to make the best people lose it a little." He shifts them, so that his wife was leaning on him, brining their son in between them.
"Ok fine," She relents, "And it's kind of sweet, Castle. That you watched so much of something that you clearly hated - just to make me happy."
"I don't know, the word hate might be a bit strong. It's a show that certainly grows on you." He already knows that they'll TiVo it as soon as the next series starts, and that they'll watch it together.
"If you tell anyone though, I will hurt you."
"Understood, dear."
She laughs at him, this time a proper laugh that does wake the baby.
She is most definitely not laughing when he gets her every RuPaul album ever released the following Christmas.
Like I said, silly and pointless!
Long story short, I spent the whole of the summer on bed rest (not pregnancy related ha) and Netflix and its shows were the only thing that kept me sane. RuPaul's Drag Race was the crowning glory of the shows I discovered, and I found the idea of Kate trying to watch it secretly hilarious.
If you want to know why I was on bed rest, google "Taylor Spatial Frame." It's as fun as it looks!
Please read, review, favourite etc :)
And if you liked this...why not check out my other stories?
Until next time my friends.