Just a random idea I had when I was driving this weekend. I don't know if it's been done before but I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.
Kate Beckett heard a knock at her door just before 6pm and looking through her peephole confirmed her suspicions of who, Castle. Which wasn't surprising at all since he was here to pick her up for their anniversary dinner. It had been 6 months since their first date so tonight they were going out to celebrate.
She opened the door with a smile on her face, glad to see her writer but her expression turned to one of confusion when she looked down and saw what Castle was holding, a plant.
"Castle?" she said, a question in her voice, eyeing the plant he had in his hands. She'd thought he may bring her flowers as a gift for their anniversary but she certainly hadn't expected a potted plant, which was actually basically a pot of dirt with one single plant stem with a tiny leaf at the tip sticking out of it.
"Hi, you look beautiful," Castle replied, eyes moving from her face to glance up and down her body before he leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek, seeming not to notice the confused look on her face.
Kate had been ready to go when she answered the door so she was confused yet again when Castle stepped into her apartment and shut the door behind him.
"I thought we were going out to dinner?"
"We are, but the reservations aren't until seven."
"Are you going to explain the plant to me, then?" Beckett asked, gesturing to the plant, finally acknowledging out loud what he was holding in his hands.
Castle suddenly looked nervous then, which confused her even more. What on earth was going on?
He'd almost ditched the plant on the way here, knowing she wouldn't be expecting a gift for their anniversary but he wanted to get her something anyway. Something that held more meaning than just a bunch of flowers and it had taken him days of thinking to finally come up with what he hoped was the perfect gift.
"It's for you," he said, holding it out for her to take.
"Thanks?" She replied as she took it from him, but it came out like more of a question. She knew there was something else going on here.
"Are you going to tell me why you brought me a plant?"
He chuckled then, knowing Kate wouldn't stop until she knew why he'd brought her a plant. He reached forward to take the plant from her hand and placed in on the kitchen counter beside them. Once the plant was out of her hands, Castle reached for them again, taking her hands in his own.
"It's meant to symbolise us," he said, breaking eye contact and blushing as he did.
Beckett looked at him then, really seeing how nervous he was, "us?"
"Us. You and me. Our relationship."
She waited for him to continue, knowing there was more he wanted to say but wondering where he was going with it.
He took a deep breath before he spoke, hoping she would see this like he did, "Right now it's just a baby, it's new, like our relationship. But if we look after it, if we care for it together, it'll grow into something great and more beautiful than it is now."
He still wouldn't look at her, not knowing whether she'd find the whole idea stupid or not.
"Castle?" His eyes still remained down, fixed on their hands, not ready to look at her in case she rejected the idea.
"Rick?" The use of his first name had his eyes shooting up to meet hers. And as soon as he saw the look in her eyes, he knew she didn't think his idea was stupid at all.
"Kate?" he smiled, his eyes mirroring the look that was in her eyes, "so you don't think it's stupid?"
"Stupid? Of course I don't think that, I love it." She paused, thinking about what he was really saying, the underlying meaning to the plant he'd bought her. It was about their future together, and how he wanted to put the work in, for them to both put the work in because he wanted this, wanted them to have a future together. "I love you."
The words just poured from her, and she wondered why she'd taken so long to be able to say them out loud, especially with the look he was now giving her.
"I love you too," he said softly, a small smile on his face, his eyes giving away just how much he loved her as she leaned in to kiss him.
XXX
They were in bed later that night, after their dinner, when Beckett brought up the plant again, "how did you come up with the idea for the plant?"
"It actually took me days, trying to find the right gift," Castle smiled, thinking of all the time he'd spent trying to find the perfect gift for Beckett, one he thought she'd appreciate but also had meaning behind it.
"You know you didn't need to get me anything, right?"
"I know, but I wanted to, and I wanted it to mean something."
"Well, I loved it," Beckett grinned, thinking about how it created just the right moment for when she could finally tell him how she felt about him.
"Judging from previous activities tonight, I can tell just how much you loved it," he said, winking at her which caused Beckett to laugh into his bare chest.
"I think we need to name it," Castle said after Beckett had stopped laughing and it was times like this that he truly realised how lucky he was to see Beckett like this, so carefree and happy and with him.
"Name what? Our plant you mean?" Beckett asked, a thrill running through Castle at the use of the word "our."
"Yeah, come on, we have to name it."
"Okay, fine, did you have any names in mind?"
Castle thought for a second, "What about Bernard?
She pulled a face.
"Gertrude?
She pulled another face.
"Kletus?
"Castle, where are you getting these names from? There's no way I'm letting you name our children."
He gasped then and looked at her, shock written all over his face as well as hers when she realised exactly what she'd said. He wasn't even sure if she wanted kids but it sounded like just maybe she did?
She remained silent, the look of shock still on her face and Castle decided to give her an out. She'd only just earlier this evening said "I love you" for the first time and he didn't want to rush her, not in something this important.
"Kate, look, forget it-" She cut him off.
"Do you want more kids?'
He paused, looking in her eyes and saw no fear in them, only curiosity, "One day, I do want more kids, but only if they're with you."
Her answering smile told him everything he wanted to know, she wants kids too.
"And you?" he asked, wanting her to say it out loud.
"I'm not saying right now, but one day, I want kids too." She wanted to give that to him, she wanted them to have that together, to one day get married, have kids, to give him a family with her.
He grinned and couldn't stop himself from pulling her towards him to kiss her.
"Was this your intention when you brought the plant?" Beckett asked a little while later, wondering if he'd planned this all a long, the plant being a way to a conversation about kids and the future and everything else in between.
"No, I just wanted to show you how serious I was about our relationship," Castle said before adding, "and I hoped you might find it romantic."
"You just wanted to get laid," she laughed and so did he before he became serious again.
"No, I meant everything I said early."
She smiled at him which he returned before his expression changed. She narrowed her eyes at him.
"And the sex was just a bonus." She laughed at him again, placing a hard kiss on his lips, trying to tell him everything she felt for him through her hands and lips, wanting him to know just how much she felt for him.
If Castle had any doubts at all about whether giving her a symbolic plant, they were gone now, washed away by the feel of her lips on his and the promise of the future together that he'd always dreamed of.
Thoughts?