This is one-shot inspired by the song "Kiss Me Or Not" by Thompson Square. Set during Castle & Beckett's morning after... can't ait for the real one in 15 DAYS! ;) Enjoy & review!
Rick opened his eyes and immediately felt as if something were different. He felt another body next to him, wrapped in his arms. Looking down, he saw it was Kate. For a moment, he honestly thought it was a dream. But then the events of the night before came flooding back to him. Kate showing up at his door, soaking wet, telling him she wanted him. Kissing him, and him kissing back, until it escalated into a fiery, passionate makeout up against the door. She has taken his hand in hers, smiled a smile was a combination of happiness and mystery. Like she knew a secret that he didn't, and she couldn't wait to tell him.
He remembered the rest of the night as if he were looking at in pictures: Kate's bullet wound, and him kissing it tenderly. Kate gently unbuttoning his shirt while he kissed her neck. The slightly damp smell of Kate's cherry shampoo inches from his face. The look in her eyes when they were done. And lastly, her curling up against his chest as he whispered her name and kissed her hair.
He smiled and closed his eyes, trying to fall back asleep. He prayed that when he woke up again, Kate sleeping beside him would still be his reality.
When Kate opened her eyes 20 minutes later, she also immediately noticed something was off. She looked around and realized she wasn't in her own bedroom. Or even her own apartment, for that matter. And just as it had for Rick, the night came rushing back to her. She remembered how urgently she had called him, again and again, until she was sick of hearing his voicemail. Showing up at his loft dripping wet and out of breath. Kissing him, repeatedly. Her lips still felt sore. The old Kate would never dare to admit that she liked the idea of kissing Rick Castle, much less that she was attracted to him in any way. But a new Kate had been formed when she decided to stop searching for her mother's killer. When she realized that there was someone who was alive and breathing who loved her, and who she was about to lose.
She was confident she made the right decision in telling Rick how she felt, and in sleeping with him. But now what did they do? Tell their friends and watch one of them collect the large pool of bet money she was sure had been in existence since Castle's first case? She wanted them to have a chance, but with everyone's eyes on them, did they have one?
She felt Rick stir beside her and turned to look at his face. His eyelashes were fluttering, and she knew she had less than 30 seconds to figure out what to say first.
"Kate. Hi."
"Hey," Kate smiled softly, staring into Rick's beautiful blue eyes. She wanted him to know she didn't regret the night before. His matching smile told her that he didn't have any regrets either.
"So…. Last night.."
"..was amazing," Kate finished. "I'm sorry I almost threw my life away, when you were waiting patiently for me."
"Kate, it's okay. What matters is that you're safe, and we're here." He gestured to his bedroom and she couldn't help but laugh.
"But honestly," he said, changing his tone to a more serious one. "Last night was incredible. I never thought something would be so worth the wait, and feel so right."
Kate nodded. "It did feel right, didn't it?"
Rick leaned in slowly to kiss her, and she met her lips with his. When they pulled apart, eh whispered, "I do love you, Katherine Beckett, very much so. I always will, and whenever you're ready to say it back, I will be ready to hear it."
Kate smiled and nodded. "Thank you. I just don't want to rush this."
Rick nodded. "Agreed. Let's take it slow."
"Do you think that could maybe include not telling anyone?," Kate asked, biting her lip. "I just, I think we have a real good shot at doing this right, and I want us to have some time to figure out what we are."
"I agree," Rick said. "I don't want to mess this up."
"So… what is this?," Kate asked nervously. It was the dreaded question that often doomed relationships, triggered main events of rom-coms, and ruined people's lives daily. Rick stared past her at his bedside clock.
"Oh my god!"
"Yes, Rick, we already agreed the sex was great. Fantastic, actually. But can we please have a mature conversation about this, like adults?"
"No, not that… although, I agree, it was fantastic. It's almost 11 am, Alexis will be home any time between 11:30 and 1."
Kate's eyes widened and she sat up, wrapping the sheet around herself. "Ummm, maybe I should….."
"Stay?," Rick asked as Kate got out of the bed, searching for her clothes on the floor. She clasped her black lacy bra and turned around. "What?"
"Please, stay. I'll order Chinese, and we can just tell Alexis you came over this morning and we had a long talk. I'll make the bed, we'll avoid each other's eyes, and maybe we can pull it off."
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Kate said. She pulled her jeans on and groaned. "Ughh. My clothes are still wet."
Rick grabbed his boxers off of the ground before getting out of bed and walking over to Kate. "All the more reason to stay here. I'll find something for you to wear, and we'll dry your clothes."
Kate smiled and shook her head. "As sweet as you are for trying to make this work, I need to get home." She slipped on her slightly wet shirt and then frowned. "I'll take a shower, put on fresh clothes, and then we'll figure out when we can talk."
Rick opened a drawer in his dresser and pulled out a plain white v-neck, handing it to her. She thanked him and peeled off her other shirt, not even bothering to cover her chest. Rick watched her lovingly.
"You know, I think that scar is beautiful."
Kate snorted. "Please. It's painful. And ugly, and ghastly…"
Rick shook his head. "Not to me. But then again, I may be biased. I think every little thing about you is perfect."
Kate smiled and kissed him, then slipped on her shoes and walled up her wet shirt and jacket.
"Thank you. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
Rick nodded and pulled her in for one more kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and arched her back, leaning into him.
"Mhhmmm. Uh-uh. Nope," she said after few seconds, pulling away. "Be careful how to respond to this, but I honestly don't think I can keep myself from pulling these clothes off again if we continue to stand here." Rick grinned. "I'll call you," she promised. And just like that, she was gone. But this time, he didn't mind waiting.