Disclaimer: They're not mine. I love the person who does...I just like to play with them every once in a while.
A/N: At the end.
She's backed up against the wall, gun in front of her close to her chest. She's listening for any sign he may be near. There's no creaking of floor boards, no squeaking of stairs, no sign of life.
He's around, she's sure of it.
She's going to have to move soon, the longer she stays in the same place, the more she becomes the sitting duck. She closes her eyes, back even tighter against the wall remembering the layout of the space they are both in. Still no sounds to be heard, she slides down low against the wall, gets as close to the floor as her body allows, rounds the corner that she knows leads into the kitchen. Her gun guiding her further into the room, darkness the only thing she sees. No lights, making it nearly impossible to move any further than an inch or two at a time. She'd almost fallen twice just getting to the room she was in now. She makes it to the end of the row of cabinets to the entrance to a larger space. She's making herself a larger target, her suspect knows this place so much better than her, but she hopes by moving into the room he'll try to get a little closer to her as well.
"I know you're close detective…I can feel your fear." He says taunting her. His voice coming from somewhere to her left but he's on the move, she just doesn't know to where.
No one has been able to evade her quite like this man.
"I may be close, but what you feel is not my fear…maybe it's yours."
He laughs lightly. A slight chuckle that still doesn't give her a read on where he's at.
Her vest tight against her chest, sweat beginning to bead slightly on her forehead she takes another break against the wall she knows faces the stairs. Still low to the ground, body folded in on itself, she hears the light footstep just above her head.
He's on the stairs.
She looks up and sees a silhouette in the darkness, with his position not only does she know he sees her, but also with his position she knows he's not going to be able to get a clean shot. But she can, if she can just clear the first three steps to the small landing that's there.
She moves quicker than he anticipates but he's not slow either. He's halfway down the steps before she can get to the landing, she's on her knees her gun pointed at his chest, her finger squeezing around the trigger when she realizes he's lowering his weapon. In the split second it took her mind to register that fact he's had time to make ground; he's on her. They struggle for a moment and he's stronger than she'd imagined.
Her gun is dropped somewhere over the railing and he's throwing her over his shoulder.
Yes, she's fighting him. Arms and legs flailing but he's holding tight.
"You giving up yet, detective?" He asks laughter in his voice.
"No. Not in the slightest. This is just beginning to get ugly…for you."
That's when she bites him.
On his ass.
She has no idea where he is taking her. The darkness and being upside down is causing more disorientation than she was ready for.
But her bite does what she wanted it to.
He drops her, flips her back over his shoulder throwing her lightly on to the surface in front of him.
"What the hell?"
Her body bounces lightly landing on the bed laughter spilling out from her lips.
He looks down at her, his eyes adjusting to the darkness, the curves of her face being highlighted by the light of the moon that's filtering in between the blinds.
Her laughter dies but the smile is still plastered on her face.
"What?"
"Beckett…You bit my ass."
Her laughter bubbles up again.
"What can I say Castle? You have quite a delectable ass."
He plants his knees on the mattress and unfastens his vest, doing the same to hers; he lets them fall to the floor at the foot of the bed before he crawls up her body. She pulls him down to lay against her, smile still not leaving her lips.
"So you know, detective, turnabout is fair play…meaning, your ass is mine. You better watch it."
"You cheated Castle! You took my gun and threw me over your shoulder…There is no hand to hand combat when playing laser tag!"
"You're a cop, you're trained for this…Everything about the game we were playing was against the rules," he tries to reason with her.
"You're still a cheater."
That's when it hits her.
They're fighting over a game of laser tag.
They're fighting over a game of laser tag and yet this is the most fun she has had…in any relationship she's ever been in.
He's fun and he makes her happier than she's ever been she thinks.
He's smiling down at her and she knows he has no idea what's going on in her head. But then again it is Castle so he probably does.
Her hands roam from their resting place against his chest, slide up to rest on his cheeks. Her thumbs trace those lips she's kissed a hundred and one times now. She's still lying beneath him with that stupid crazy grin on her face.
She still sometimes can't believe this is the man she once hated the sight of. Hated he had the connections that allowed him to follow her around, hated that he was able to read her, able to see things inside of her that she kept hidden from those around her. Hated, hated, hated.
He made her crazy, makes her crazy still. Makes her crazy in ways that she never has been before, ways that make her toes curl, her muscles clench and her heart race, her skin tingle and flush, oh how this man drives her crazy.
There are times she thinks her skin won't hold her love for him inside and she will burst with everything she feels for him.
She's so far gone.
She wonders about that woman she used to be when they first met. Where did that girl go, was she always the person she is now? Did he see this person deep inside and bring it out of that woman she once was? Did he turn her into this person who's still laying under him hands still caressing his cheeks, skimming the contours of his face?
She'll ask him one day, she's sure he will know the answer.
"Kate," he says almost in a whisper, bringing her out of her reverie, his lips placing a kiss to her thumbs that are now resting against them.
"We're arguing…over a game Castle," and she laughs at the absurdity of it all. That their arguing over a game; not that they are arguing. "Do you know," she starts and then loses her way. Takes a breath and starts again, "Do you have any idea how happy you make me?"
The smile that had graced his face moments earlier slowly fades.
"I'm thirty-three years old, Castle and I don't think I have been this happy before. Or I just don't remember it…I'm not sure but it's you who makes me this way."
He's not saying anything just continues to stare at her lying under him, hair fanned out around her head, trying to duck her head slightly to hide the blush that's now gracing her cheeks.
"I just…I think you should know what you do to me...Know what I feel for you, because of you."
She looks up at him, eyes meeting his now that they've both had time to adjust to the darkness that surrounds them. He's still looking at her not saying anything. Questions inside of him that he knows she can almost hear he's asking them so loudly.
"I just love you. I love you so much…I don't know where to put it all, don't know how I keep it all in."
He doesn't say anything, doesn't reciprocate but closes what little distance there was between them. He's so gentle with her sometimes like he thinks she may break.
This is one of those times.
His lips soft against hers, tongue escaping to trace the seam of her lips, silently asking to be let in and of course she allows it. Grant's him entrance just like she has with her heart. He gives her lower lip a nip as he pulls away, only to come back and kiss her lightly a few more times. When he finally breaks away from her he doesn't go very far. Pulls back so the only thing he sees is her face.
"So it's not just my imagination that you love, huh?"
She smiles up at him because of course that's what he brings up. He's not mentioned that before. Not even after his birthday party and it was just the two of them and their own quiet celebration in his room, behind closed doors, in this very bed.
"I said that was one of the things, Castle."
"Can we count all of them?" He asks, his giddiness escaping in his words.
The laughter bubbles up from deep inside and she knows he can feel it against his neck where she's now hiding her face.
Because of course that's what he wants. She's kept the words from him for almost a year…A year. Her mind can't wrap around that, even now. They've been them for this long and she's waited for this moment for so much longer. He wants to hear it from her even though she knows he has known how she feels about him in everything she does for him…with him.
"You sure you want me to list them all? I mean we may not have time for anything else once I get started." She tells him, her legs coming to wrap around his waist, fitting him against her more intimately than before, her arms around his neck, hands caressing his shoulders.
He's not stupid.
"Okay," he answers leaning down to kiss her again, rests his forehead against hers when he pulls away. "But…say it again." He whispers to her.
The smile that spreads across her face lights up the dark room.
"Castle, I love you."
And then she proves it to him.
A/N: So this is a bit fluffy and may even be a bit OOC but I don't care, I've watched the 100th ep more than my fair share and I still can't get over how much I love them and how much they love each other. Though it may be sad, they make me giddy. I hope you like this because I had so much fun writing it. Not beta'd (but I need one!) so forgive all this jumbled mess and the mistakes included :)