Title: So much left unsaid
Author: j-s-j-e
Summary (a/n): your classic trapped in an elevator bit, this was written by me a while ago, before the events of their current relationship, so put it in the context of that time. I super duper hope you guys like! First Castle fic! Be kind... :D
Disclaimer: I own nothing! nothing... : (
"Castle are you going to push the button or am I going to have to do it for you?"
Richard Castle was standing mouth open wide, eyes in a far off gaze, while a very enjoyable image played in his mind. A flirty comment from one Kate Beckett, the reason he was unable to function momentarily.
He shook his consciousness into action and pushed the button to the precinct floor as he cleared his throat smiling sheepishly at Kate, admonishing her for teasing him like that.
The lift doors closed slowly as Kate smiled to herself off to the side. He noted she had been teasingly flirting with him more often recently. He was never going to mention it to her, knowing too well that that might only scare her away and that was the last thing he wanted. He wanted the opposite and so much more.
They rode the lift in comfortable silence, both preparing themselves for the hustle and bustle of the precinct floor and secretly enjoying the calm and closeness of only the two of them in the lift.
The lift had just about reached the precinct floor and Castle had turned to offer a last smile to Kate, which she returned, when the it shook to a sudden and violent halt and the lights went out.
Castle was thrown sideways but was able to take hold of a side railing to steady himself before the lights had gone out.
Now that the lift had come to a complete stop he felt around him for the other occupant of the elevator. He got worried when all he felt was air.
"Kate, Kate! Are you ok?" "Kate!" He spoke fast and frantic, using her given name. Only seeing black, even though his eyes were wide open.
"Castle, it's ok… I'm, I'm alright. I'm down here…".
He could hear her voice coming from the opposite corner of the elevator but it sounded farther than usual, coming from a place lower than usual. She must be on the floor.
Kate groaned as Castle followed the edges of the lift railing with one hand and reaching out to find Kate, any part of Kate, with the other. He needed to make sure she was ok.
"You don't sound too good Beckett…" He stated anxiously as he managed to grab a hold of her, although he hadn't been sure of what part until…
"Castle!" Her hand shot up and slapped his hand away in the darkness.
He thought he had gotten a shoulder, where in fact he had got a hold of something a little lower...
"Sorry. But really, are you sure you're fine? You really don't sound too great…" He asked worried.
"Thanks Castle. I just… I just hit my head on the wall, on the way down to the floor" she answered groggily.
Castle wanted so badly to be able to see, so he could assess the damage, make sure she was truly alright. He could never tell with his Kate. She could have a GSW to the chest and say 'it's only a scratch, I'll be fine' and wave it off.
He had followed the track of her arm and her hand, which was momentarily at her head, and with his fingers he traced lightly around the spot her hand had just been. Kate held her breath at his touch.
Just as he made contact with an area above her brow to the side of her head causing her to take a sharp intake of breath, the lights sprang to life, illuminating the occupants of the still stationary lift.
Castle had received his wish. He could check her properly now and before he even attempted to allow a determined Kate to try and call for help, he held her still and carefully tilted her head to the side.
Kate's voice lost all it's strength at his touch "Castle, really… I'm ok...".
But Castle could tell her words sounded more slurred and groggy than usual and he winced at the purple bump forming at her temple.
She tried to shoo his hand away and stand but she fumbled and for Castle this was the last straw.
He grabbed her firmly to keep her from falling and placed her back on the lift floor next to him, gently holding her still and looking her seriously in the eye.
Kate hardly ever saw this look from her ever cheeky partner, so when it appeared she inevitably listened.
Softly he spoke, "Hey Kate. Look at me a second 'kay…" Despite the throbbing pain in her head she concentrated on his face, a face so obviously trying to hide its worry.
"I think you have a concussion" He stared worriedly, and despite the pain Kate scoffed lightly, even though knowing he was probably right.
"How do you know what a concussion looks like Castle? I think you've been watching too much Grey's Anatomy" She groaned.
Castle was slightly consoled by the fact his feisty Kate was still ever present but explained. "Alexis went through an intense faze of wanting to be a paramedic and being my daughter went out to research and dragged me to a bunch of paramedic courses." Castle grudgingly remembered.
A look of understanding enlightened Kate's features, knowing Alexis well enough to believe all this to be true.
"and just as a side note, I'm qualified to perform CPR, make a splint out of just about anything and turn on a siren." He stated proudly.
Kate smiled serenely at this as she leaned heavily on Castle's hands, which still grasped her, and began to close her eyes.
Castle, who had looked away for a second, noticed the added weight on his hands and instantly shook her awake gently.
"No, No, Kate! Kate! Wake up!" he exclaimed.
After waking her from her stupor she passingly glanced at his face. The worry was severely evident in his features now. Kate's confused mind couldn't register why it was there.
"Hey Kate, Hey. Hello?." He placed a hand at her chin and made her focus her eyes.
"Hey, you know what else I know? I know that people with a suspected concussion are not allowed to fall asleep. Ok. So what I need you to do for me right now is to try and stay awake. Ok? Can you do that for me Kate?" It took her a moment but she slowly nodded her head.
Now Castle had a dilemma. He had to find a way to get them out of here but he also couldn't leave Kate's side until he was sure she wouldn't fall asleep.
But Castle wouldn't leave Kate's side, not when she was like this.
Hell this was the main way in and out of the precinct. Not one cop he knew in the place used the stairs! They were going to open those lift doors soon enough. All he had to do was make sure Kate stayed awake in the interim.
So he turned to her, feeling her body slump once again. He needed to get her talking.
"Hey Kate! Kate! How you doing huh?" he pushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear as he spoke gently to her.
She smiled "I told you Castle... I'm fine. I'm just a little tired ok." She mumbled.
"Ok Kate. Why are you so tired? Haven't I told you before that you don't sleep enough!" He had to keep her talking.
"It's the dreams Castle… The dreams keep me awake…" She had a far off look in her eye as if a million things were occupying her thoughts.
"What kind of dreams Kate?" He didn't want to pry, he just wanted her to keep on talking.
"Dreams Castle. Dreams about catching the man who murdered my mother, getting revenge on the sniper who shot me, dreams about… dreams about you…" Kate drifted off for a second at that thought, as if wishing to go back to those dreams but unfortunately he had to keep her from them… for now.
"Hey, Kate" he said waking her again. A hum being her only reply.
"You know, I dream about you too…" he whispered and despite the words being ever so soft she turned immediately to focus on him with sleepy eyes.
"Really Castle? What dreams do you have about me?" she groggily inquired.
Although he would have loved then and there to delve into the Kate vault of his dreaming subconscious and tell her all about the date dreams, the kiss dreams, the I love you dreams, the (he's not ashamed to admit) intimate dreams, the them in the future dreams, he wasn't ready to divulge this information to her and especially not a concussed version of her.
So instead he took the safe and well known Castle sarcasm route.
"Well, you know. You and me catching bad guys. Me saving your life. You thanking me for once. I know I do that in real life anyway but I guess I like dreaming about it too. Except the part where you thank me… we both know you don't do that…" He smiled down at her.
Kate grinned sleepily at this.
"Alright Castle. How about next time you save my life I'll thank you. Ok?" Castle laughed back at this, his broad chest bumping Kate as she leaned against him.
"Now that's more like it!" He chuckled.
As Kate started to drift off again, Castle shook her softly and began asking her meaningless questions about everything and anything. About how her dad was doing, about her apartment, about high school, anything to keep her talking.
Kate obediently answered all his questions and although she drifted in and out, occasionally closing her eyes, she constantly noticed the worry and impatience to get them out evident in his eyes.
He was worried for her and now she knew why.
"Hey Castle." She mumbled during a break in the questioning as Castle had been thinking of the next thing he was going to ask.
"Yes Kate?" he asked a little surprised and relieved that she was the one asking the questions this time.
She softly whispered, "Thank you for saving my life"... and with that, she slowly began to nod her head off to the side, clearly giving up the battle to stay awake.
"Kate! Hey! I really need you to stay awake ok!" He rose the volume of his voice.
"I will Castle, I just want to… rest.. my head a… litt.." She mumbled as she began to slump against the side of the elevator wall, leaning heavily into Castle's side, her head resting on this shoulder.
"Kate! Kate! Kate!" Castle all but yelled trying to rouse her, trying to stop her.
"No, no, no Kate!" but her eyelids had already closed over those beautiful brown eyes he loved so much and her eyelashes had fluttered shut.
Castle panicked and did the only thing he could think of.
He leaned forward, cupped her soft cheek with his strong hand and kissed her, and not some half-assed kiss either. He really kissed her.
At the initial touch of his lips to hers, Kate's eyes shot open in shock but as quickly as the shock had come, it had disappeared and given way to desire. A desire she knew had been there but was now in full force.
Her eyes closed shut as all she could do was kiss him back.
All she could think about was his hand sliding back to mingle in her soft hair. His other hand finding a home on her waist, pulling her body close to his as his tongue slid lightly across her lips. She allowed him access, moaning loudly as the kiss then deepened, a deep growl at the back of Castle's throat answering back.
They kissed passionately for who knows how long, one of Kate's hands finding its way under the collar of Castle shirt, at the base of his neck and the other massaging the thick hair at the back of his head.
When the kissing got a little too heated, where they had each removed the others jacket and before any serious actions had gone any farther, they promptly separated gasping for air, staring at one another, both their faces flushed and breathing heavily.
They remained like this a while, not a sound escaping either of them but a clear desire to continue was evident in the eyes of both.
As Castle watched Kate brought shaking fingers to her lips, enjoying the tingling sensations Castle's ministrations had left behind.
Passion flared in Castle's eyes at this action, along with Kate's bruised lips and tousled hair. All he wanted to do was kiss the crap out of her again and by the look in her eyes she wasn't exactly going to say no.
But he restrained himself. He had only meant to kiss her lightly and quickly, just to keep her from falling asleep.
Well it had worked. She was definitely awake now. No traces of sleepiness remained in those gorgeous eyes. Just alertness, lust and a hint of confused caution.
He hadn't meant for it to escalate like it did but obviously something had been brewing beneath the surface for some time and this quick innocent kiss had been a trigger for so much more.
Kate bit her lip and whispered "Castle…" Only questions in her eyes now.
Suddenly without warning, the lift doors 'pinged' open and before them stood six firemen, two paramedics and at least a dozen cops, including Espo and Ryan looking into the lift and its occupants, who still had not fully acknowledged their audience.
Ryan and Espo took in the two and their semi-compromised positions and simultaneously cleared their throats loudly.
This broke them out of their moment and Kate immediately looked anywhere but at the group, knowing full well what stories were going to be thrown around the precinct from the chatty cops catching the scene before them.
Castle shot up mumbling something like 'what took you guys so long?' before bending down to help Kate up slowly, heat shooting up his arm at the contact. He placed his arm around her waist, Kate's face flushed at the touch, as he led her out and handed her to the waiting paramedics.
Kate protested she was fine but cooperated with the paramedic who insisted on checking the bruise on her head anyway.
As she was led away, she turned to give Castle one last glance. He gazed back, a slight gleam in his eye, completely unaware of Ryan and Espo standing either side of him each holding a discarded jacket with a raised eyebrow.
So much left unsaid.
a/n: soooo tell me what ya think! : ) Might write more Castle if prompted. ideas people? Hope you enjoyed!