4.23 AU - What if Castle & Beckett had been able to have their movie marathon date after Alexis's graduation?
Author's Note: There's really no explanation or excuse for this. Apparently for the time being I'm obsessed with writing Castle one-shots. I don't know if the title makes total sense, but I've been listening to Sara Bareilles lately and this song is very Caskett-y
Just before seven o'clock, Castle darted sporadically through his apartment making sure everything was set. DVD's by the player. Popcorn and coasters on the table. A spare blanket on the back of the couch in case she felt chilly. A pair of Alexis's stray socks thrown into the laundry room. When he glanced at the clock and saw it read 6:58 he felt his heart flutter and he immediately cursed himself.
Why the hell was he acting like a pre-teen getting ready for his first date? Oh, right, because Kate was coming over. They were going to watch a movie. And it was, at least in his opinion, their official first date.
He took a brief moment to savor that thought: their first official date. It had been four long years—four long years. Four years of flirting. Smiles. Coffee. Tension. And arguments. But it had all been worth it. He knew in that moment if he had the chance, he'd do it all again, because she was worth it.
Promptly at 7:00 his doorbell rang. Kate was nothing if not punctual, almost to a fault. In fact, he could imagine her in his mind waiting in the lobby and then taking positively glacial steps between the elevator and his apartment door so that she would arrive at exactly 7. Not 6:59. Not 7:01. 7:00.
"Kate," he grinned as he whipped open the door. She wouldn't be Beckett, not tonight. Beckett was back at the precinct. This was Kate, just Kate.
"Hey Castle," she smiled, tucking her hands into her jean pockets as she entered his apartment. She wore a flowing print top with an open V collar, skinny jeans, and a true rarity for her: tan ballet flats. "How was the ceremony? And Alexis's speech?"
Beaming like the proudest father in the world he responded, "Perfect, of course. I don't know where she gets that writing talent from."
Kate smiled and dipped her eyes to the ground. "I'm sure."
"But it was good, beautiful, sad—there was lots of crying."
Kate nodded. "Well it's a big change for Alexis."
"Oh no she was fine—I was the one sobbing," he assured her. She laughed and nodded her head. "That's why I'm really glad you came over—I really need the distraction."
"Then I guess we'd better start the movie," she concluded. She followed his lead into the sitting area where he'd positioned his oversized smart board-slash-television across from the couch. He watched as she stopped in front of the coffee table and removed her cell phone and keys from her pockets, placing them on the table. She then toed off her shoes, tucked one foot underneath her and sat on the couch.
"I've got some snacks for us," he said, gesturing towards the large wooden bowl of popcorn. "How do you usually take your popcorn?"
"Uh," she hesitated for a moment before shrugging. "Salted?"
He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "How unadventurous. What we have here is a personal favorite of mine—chili lime popcorn."
She raised her eyebrows curiously and grabbed a few kernels with her fingertips. She popped them in her mouth, bit down and choked almost immediately. "Wow," she coughed as her tongue was set ablaze by spices. "That's got a kick."
He cringed. "Sorry, I like it kinda hot."
"No, it's fine I just, um-"
"You need a drink," he deduced wisely before scurrying off to the kitchen. From the fridge he pulled two different bottles of beer: his own preferred label and Kate's microbrew of choice, which he'd been keeping around as of late—just in case she stopped by for a drink.
Back in the sitting area, he passed over the bottle, which she thanked him for. After she took a few swigs, she set her bottle down on the coaster, grabbed another handful of popcorn and looked up at him expectantly. "You gonna start that movie?"
"Oh right! Yes! The movie! I thought we'd start with The Killer if that's alright," he smiled. He popped the DVD into the player, grabbed the remote, and joined her on the couch. After he grabbed a handful of popcorn he settled about half a cushion apart from her. He dumped the kernels in his mouth and was choking within two bites. "Maybe I was a little heavy-handed with the cumin," he confessed hoarsely before grabbing his beer. She gave a knowing nod, but said nothing as he started the movie.
As the film began to play, a new set of nerves coursed through Castle's body as he wondered what kind of movie watcher Kate was. Was she a talker? Or did she hate talkers? They'd seen movies together before, of course, but only at a theater. In his opinion, the kind of movie watcher you were at a theater could differ greatly from the kind you were at home.
For the most part, people were more polite while watching movies in theaters. Theaters were loud and crowded so talking was not only rude but impractical, but at home all bets were off. The risk of disturbing other patrons was gone, plus the volume level was much more conducive to conversion. Typically, with their all-time favorites, Castle and Alexis were quite chatty during their film watching sessions, but whenever he watched a movie with his mother he knew to keep silent lest he be scolded for destroying her film experience.
Kate, it turned out, was not a talker; the only sound coming from her end of the couch was the occasional crunching of popcorn. About an hour into the film, Castle retrieved them both a second drink, which she thanked him for, but that was the only word she said until the end of the movie.
"You enjoy it?" he asked, as he stood to switch the DVDs.
"Of course; these movies never get old," she replied.
He smiled at her. "So you're up for Hard Boiled?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I'm just gonna take a quick bathroom break."
"Sure," he responded. He placed the second DVD in the player, but did not start it. Instead, he gathered up their empty bottles and deposited them in the recycle bin. When she returned to the sitting room, he asked if she wanted another beer.
"How about just a water?" she requested.
He obliged, bringing them both a bottle of filtered water, which she thanked him for. When she sat beside him on the couch that time, she sat immediately beside him, her shoulder brushing against his. For a moment, Castle froze and reverted once again back to his pre-teen self.
She was sitting next to him—right next to him. He could feel her warm arm pressed up against his. And her hair—was it brushing against his shoulder? He was too afraid to turn his head and find out. Just breathe, Castle, breathe. Jesus get a hold of yourself! It's not like this is the first time Kate's touched you. Hell, you've kissed her. God, wait, don't think about that!
After a deep breath, he pressed the "play" button on the remote with his thumb and tossed it onto the couch beside him.
Part of him truly expected Kate to move away from him after the movie began to play, but she didn't. She seemed perfectly content to prop herself against him, so, after working up his courage for about ten minutes, he decided to up the game.
He was not above the old yawn-and-stretch routine, but he knew that not only would she see through that, but also be more likely to respond poorly to it. Instead, he leaned forward to pick up some popcorn and, with all the casualty he could muster with his heart slamming against his ribcage, settled back on the couch with his arm up on the cushion behind her.
Castle held his position better than a Greek statue for fifteen seconds just waiting for her to react. From beneath the curtain of her hair he could see her giving him a sideways gaze and it took all his strength to relax his face muscles and not wince in anticipation of a remark or, worse, a physical retaliation, but one didn't come. Instead, she leaned against his chest and said nothing.
Holy shit, he though. This is happening. This is actually happening. Slowly he let his arm fall down off the couch and drape around her shoulders. He settled back against the couch cushion and continued to watch the movie, but did not pay much attention to the action on screen. Heck, the TV could have been playing a documentary on Barney the Dinosaur and he wouldn't have noticed; he was too busy grinning about the position in which they'd settled.
As the final scene in the movie played, Castle could not help but think that their three and a half hour mini-marathon had gone by far too quickly. If the movie was over that mean that Kate was leaving and he didn't want that. She felt so perfect curled up under his arm; he wanted to keep her there as long as she'd stay, which was hopefully forever.
"I hadn't seen that movie in a few years," she said as the credits were rolling. She sat upright and arched her back, stretching her tightened muscles. "It was good."
"Yeah, I always enjoy that one." He stood from the couch, removed the DVD from the player and returned it to the case. By the time he turned around, she had already put her shoes back on and was picking up her keys. "Thanks for coming over."
"Thanks for inviting me," she echoed. "I hope this was a good distraction for you."
"Very good," he assured her knowing that she was and always would be his distraction of choice. When she took two steps towards the exit, he followed, his heart rate rising for the umpteenth time that evening. It was time to say goodbye. How the hell was he going to say goodbye?
For a moment, he flashed back to his first real date. Penny Whitaker. They were both fourteen. Her father had allowed him to take her to the movies—a Sunday afternoon showing. They'd held hands as they walked back to her apartment building. When they stopped and he stammered out something about her having a nice hand; he could see the doorman smirking a few feet away from him. He'd leaned in to kiss her and missed entirely, kissing the area between her nose and mouth instead. She'd laughed at him and went inside, leaving him utterly devastated and mortified on the sidewalk.
Though rationally he knew the odds of that scenario repeating itself were astronomical the fear remained deep in his gut. What was the proper way to say goodbye to Kate after their first date? Handshake? High five? No, those weren't right. A hug? Yes, but was that quite enough? Of course, there was still that part of him that wanted to throw her on the floor and strip her right there, but that felt a little extreme.
Finally, he decided he would simply do what he did best: wing it.
A few steps before the door, she paused and turned to him with a soft smile. "I had a really nice time, Castle."
He stopped in front of her, locked her gaze with his and slid his right hand under her jaw. "Kate," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
She gazed at him for a moment, dipped her eyes towards his lips and then back up. This was the only confirmation he needed. Steadily, he lowered his head and captured her lips with his. He felt her bring her left hand up to close around his right and lean her body into his.
Unlike their first kiss, this was not wrought with suppressed passion and sexual tension. It was tender and gentle. When their lips broke after several seconds, he nudged his nose against hers and then pressed two more quick kisses against her lips.
She pulled back slowly and, when she opened her eyes, he saw a brightness in them he hadn't seen before; it made his heart flutter. She pulled his hand down from her face, gave it a squeeze and said, "Goodnight Castle," before turning and walking out the door.
When she was gone, Castle took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Damn. Why did kissing her have to feel like putting the last puzzle piece of his soul in place? He knew that her walls had just come down. After years of chipping away at them with a tiny toothpick, he'd finally cracked through her armor, which was why he needed to take things slowly and he was more than willing to do that. However, given how he felt every time they kissed, that was going to be increasingly difficult.
After returning to the sitting area, he switched off the television and grabbed the empty popcorn bowl from the coffee table. In the kitchen, he squirted soap into it and ran it under the tap. Just as he set the bowl on the counter, the doorbell rang.
Curious, he dried his hands on his jeans as he walked over to the door. He whipped it open without thinking and almost immediately lost his grip on the handle from surprise. "K-Kate," he stammered.
She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at him sheepishly. "Forgot my phone."
"O-oh. Of course. Sure," he said, stepping aside to let her in. Was he slightly disappointed? Of course. When he saw her for a split second he thought that…well, he didn't want to finish that thought; it was clearly crazy. Or…was it?
He watched as she walked over to the coffee table, stooped down and scooped up her iPhone from the floor. She turned around, held it up triumphantly and smiled before pocketing it. She took a few steps towards the exit when he stopped in front of her.
"Hey, um, as long as you're here-"
"Yes," she replied as though answering his yet-to-be-asked query.
He stared at her for a moment. "I, um, didn't ask you anything—what are you saying yes to?"
She dropped her chin to her chest and held it there for a moment before tucking her hair behind her ears with both hands and looking up at him. By the time she caught his gaze, her cheeks had turned a soft crimson and she was biting her bottom lip. In that moment, he fell in love with her all over again.
He lifted his foot behind him and kicked the apartment door shut. They approached each other slowly and, when they met in the center of the hall, he snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her hips against his. Just before their lips touched he breathed out, "Kate—wait."
"What?" she asked impatiently, her fingertips drumming against the base of his neck.
"If…if we do this, there's no going back."
"Yeah. I know," she said, her voice sounding as though she was teetering at the top peek of the worlds' most exciting rollercoaster. She captured his lips with hers and ran her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck.
He moaned softly at her touch. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined it would feel that good to have her lips on his and her hands in his hair, on his shoulders, running down his back. As his grazed the flesh at the top of her jeans he pulled back momentarily. "Kate, I-"
"Stop talking, Castle," she commanded before firmly pressing her lips against his and skimming her hands down his torso and across the front of his jeans, eliciting a moan from deep within his throat.
It was official: he'd died and gone to heaven. Actually, calling it heaven was an insult to the feelings he had at that moment. Surely, he'd achieved some new level of Nirvana never before reached by any man or woman in the human race in the prior two-thousand-plus years of existence.
Before he even realized, they'd somehow stumbled their way into his bedroom and Kate was standing beside his bed pulling off her shirt to reveal a black camisole beneath. When she reached for the hem on that item, he replaced her hands with his and locked gazes with her as he peeled the item up and over her head, leaving her standing there in her black demi-cup bra. With her lips plump and pink from their kissing, her skin flushed, and her hair already beginning to fall out of its messy bun, he was certain no woman had ever looked as beautiful as she did in that moment.
"Wow," he sighed aloud without even realizing.
A slow smile spread across her face as she stepped towards him and wrapped her left arm over his shoulders and then her right. "You're a writer and," she paused to bring her lips to his left ear. She captured it between her lips and let her teeth graze over the lobe before adding, "'Wow' is the best you can come up with?"
As tingles flooded every inch of his skin, it took every last ounce of self-control Castle had to slide his hands down to her thighs and hoist her up onto the mattress. Her shins dangled over the edge of the mattress and he stood between them, leaning his body forward until she was lying across the bed. "I'm sorry," he sighed with his cheek against hers. He skimmed his hands up her legs, underneath her back and to the clasp of her bra. "Let me see if I can do better."
He buried his face in her neck and kissed just below her jaw. "Amazing." He kissed the hollow of her throat. "Flawless." He moved his lips two inches south and kissed her chest. "Remarkable."
He lifted his head enough to gaze into her eyes. She assisted him in pulling off her bra and tossing it aside. For another moment he looked at her and then lowered his gaze as he slid his hands up to cup her breasts. As he began to encircle her nipples with his thumb, he heard her breathe in sharply. With a smile he continued.
"Exquisite." He brought his lips to the valley of her breasts and held them there. "Marvelous." He dragged his tongue from the middle of her breasts to her right nipple and then all the way over to her left before looking up at her and concluding, "And so, so sexy."
She grabbed on to the back of his neck and pulled her lips to his, their tongues dueling feverously as they worked together to rid him of his shirt. Once shirtless, he collapsed on the bed beside her and she rolled on top of him, running her fingers up and down his body before trailing kisses down his throat, across his chest and down the thin line of hair that led to his belly button.
When her lips reached the edge of his pants, she undid the button and zipper swiftly and skimmed her fingers over the top of his boxers. He let out a moan and she smiled to herself; she could feel how ready he was for her. She plunged her hand under the waistband of his shorts, but he caught her wrist. She gazed up and he shook his head; she understood. A moment earlier she was barely holding it together herself.
She slid off the bed and began to undo the button and zipper on her own jeans. She shimmied her hips out of them and let them drop to her feet with a light thud. Before she had the chance, his fingertips hooked the waistband of her panties and slid them off her hips. She looked up at him as she stepped out of both items. His gaze never broke hers as he swiftly wrapped his left arm around her waist and used it to twist her and pull her down where she landed with her back on the mattress.
By the time Kate had scooted her way to the center of the bed, he was fully undressed and joining her beneath the sheets. He stretched out beside her and kissed her tenderly as his hands moved down over her side, across her hip and to the juncture of her legs. She breathed in sharply and dug her fingers into his shoulder when he caressed her with his fingertips and realized she was just as ready for him as he was for her.
Using only their eye contact, they communicated with each other in their inexplicable way until they reached a position they were both comfortable in. He pressed a few chaste kisses on her lips, chin and jaw as he held her hip with one hand and guided himself into her with the other. When they joined, a nearly inaudible moan of "Castle" escaped her lips and her arms tightened around her shoulders. Smiling to himself, her pressed his lips against her throat; he knew exactly how she felt.
Their hips quickly found an even rhythm as their hands and lips focused on every reachable part of the other's body. When he felt that familiar tension building, Castle couldn't help himself from gripping her shoulders and calling out her name as he met his release. He could feel her walls tightening around him and her body trembling a moment later as she did the same.
Almost breathless, he rolled onto his hip and supported himself with his elbow while they rearranged their position, both choosing a pillow as they lay facing one another in the bed. He reached out his hand and brushed a chunk of hair from her face. He stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles and she smiled at him, her eyes drifting shut. "And I was just going to ask if you wanted another drink," he said finally.
She laughed deeply and reached down for the sheet, which she pulled up to her chest. She lay on her side for several moments before propping herself up on her elbow and punching the pillow to make it more comfortable. As she did so, she felt him staring at her. When she saw his curios expression she questioned, "What?"
"Did you…"he began slowly, his brows knitting together. "Did you leave your phone behind on purpose?"
She smiled slowly and settled down with her head against his chest. "You'll never know."
He chuckled softly and wrapped his arm around her back. He kissed the top of her head and relaxed back against the pillow. She was probably right; that was a mystery he would never solve and, for once, he was completely okay with that.