Disclaimer: Castle and all of its characters belong to Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC Productions. "Marry Me (First Dance Mix)" belongs to Train.
So, as much as I loved tonight's episode (I'm willing to lobby to keep Slaughter as a fixture in the precinct because I adored him. He was very Jayne-esque.) I have been feeling a bit unfulfilled with these new episodes. I don't think I've ever watched a show with so much tension between two characters that it put me in a bad mood from watching it. So, I decided to write this little fluff piece to get out my frustrations.
Forever could never be long enough for me
To feel like I've had long enough with you.
Forget the world, now, we won't let them see,
But there's one thing left to do.
Now that the weight has lifted,
Love has surely shifted my way,
Marry me, today and every day.
Marry me,
if I ever get the nerve to say 'hello' in the cafe.
Say you will, mmm.
Say you will, mmm.
Rick Castle paced anxiously, his hand clutching the velvet box in his pocket as though it may float away if he didn't hold it tightly enough. Sweat slid down the back of his neck slowly as he toyed with the collar of his dress shirt. He couldn't think of another time that he'd been that nervous, not even before his first book release party.
He checked his watch for, what seemed like, the thousandth time that evening. The table was set with an exquisite red silk table cloth and adorned with china plates that he had spent way too much money on. The intricate patterns that had been painted onto them with gold leaf paint was shimmering in the low light of the candles that flickered in the center of the table.
He'd made homemade Chinese food. Sure, it wasn't the most romantic dinner in the world, but it was her favorite. And it was...them. He couldn't imagine any other food being in front of them on that night. It had played supporting role to many nights in front of the murder board or curled up on his couch watching Temptation Lane while rain pelted the windows.
The soft knock made him jump and startled him from his wandering thoughts. He moved quickly across the loft, took a deep breath and opened the door. What he saw took his breath away.
She was wearing a form fitting pair of jeans and the olive green turtle neck that he'd once mentioned being so fond of. The flared cut of her jeans fluted out to reveal a pair of black leather boots with impossibly thin heels and shining silver buckles. She straightened out her hair selfconciously, obviously not comfortable under such intense scrutiny. It was only then that he realized his jaw was literally hanging open and he hadn't said two words since he'd opened the door.
"Oh, uh..." He cleared his throat awkwardly before stepping aside and letting her in. "Your super-date awaits you, m'lady." He smirked, extending his arm dramatically. She rolled her eyes, but hooked her arm in his and let herself be led into the dining area nonetheless.
"Wow, Castle, this is really beautiful. You out did yourself, what's the occasion?" She teased, poking his chest playfully and landing a soft kiss on his blushing cheek.
"I dunno, I guess I just wanted to surprise you. You've had a hard week at the precinct and I wanted you to be able to have something nice to come home to." He mentally winced when he used the word 'home'. They had been living in seperate apartments to maintain some sense of the conventional relationship that Kate told him they should have. But, in reality, she spent more nights at his place than her own, and her apartment had become more for show than actual living.
"Well, thank you. It's really sweet. Are those homemade egg rolls?" She gasped, plucking one of the plump rolls from the china serving dish and biting into it hungrily. Castle stifled a groan as he watched the small splash of juice from the meat and vegetables in the egg roll drip down her chin. He reached out instinctively and brushed it away with his thumb, drawing an award winning grin from her.
"You're a messy eater." He whispered, smirking when she crinkled her nose in an attempt to feign hurt. When that didn't work, she instead chose to stick her tongue out and round the table to take her seat. She began spooning different types of food into her plate, leaving him staring after her like an idiot until he sank into his seat as well.
Together could never be close enough for me
To feel like I am close enough to you.
You wear white,
I'll wear out the words 'I love you',
And 'You're beautiful'.
Now that the wait is over,
Love has finally shown her my way.
Marry me, today and every day.
Marry me,
If I ever get the nerve to say 'hello' in this cafe,
Say you will, mmm.
Say you will, mmm.
They ate in companionable silence, neither of them really feeling a need to speak. They had always been that way, though. Able to speak volumes to one another without having to say a single word. It was their own unspoken language that developed over years of working together and sheer chemistry.
Once she had her fill of the Chinese, Kate leaned back in her chair and stretched, a yawn falling from her lips as she placed a hand on her overfull stomach. He chuckled to himself, his chin resting on his hand, as he watched her. She shot him a curious glare, her eyebrow shooting up in the adorable way that he adored.
"What?" She questioned finally when the dopey smile on his face didn't go away.
"You're beautiful." He whispered, moving close enough to brush an unruly lock of silken hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on the side of her face before cupping her cheek gently and placing a gentle kiss to her lips. She smiled against his kiss, her hand landing on his chest, just over his heart. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead on hers, his eyes remaining closed as he pondered just how in the world he got so damned lucky.
She sighed happily, her breath carrying the sultry notes of the red wine they'd been drinking. Having her that close was enough to have his mind teetering on the edge of insanity and he felt his nerves going haywire. For a fleeting second, he wondered if he was even going to be able to go through with asking the question without passing out. It wasn't the first time that he'd been through the motions of this, but he was positive that htis would be the last for both of them. He needed it to be perfect so that Kate would remember it until the day that they died.
She laced her fingers with his and helped him to his feet, wrapping an arm around his waist and placing her head softly on his chest, her head tucked neatly under his chin. They swayed for a moment to a tune that only the two of them could hear.
"Let's watch a movie, I'm exhausted." She whispered, a yawn getting lost in the creases of his shirt. She led him into the living room and placed a hand in the center of his chest, pushing him back on the sofa playfully before moving to the DVD case and scanning the titles slowly.
Rick hung his arm over the back of the couch and smiled as he watched her. There were many things about Detective Katherine Beckett that were common knowledge to all; she was an amazing cop. She was a beautiful woman. She had a determination that couldn't be matched by the most stubborn gang cops in the world.
Then there were the things that only a select few got to know; her mother was murdered and that was why she tried her hardest to get justice and closure for the families of her victims. She would always order extra pickles on her sandwiches, but would pick them off before eating the sandwich so that she could eat them seperately. She loved reading mystery novels, and she had an intense empathy for the families in them. She loved dogs, but would deny that until she was blue in the face. And, lastly, she couldn't turn away from someone who needed her help. She was too compassionate for that.
Finally, there were things that only Richard Castle got to see; she had to move her lips while she was reading or she would lose her place. She liked her eggs scrambled, but hated omlettes because she didn't like the texture of eggs with things added in. She loved to bite the sensitive skin at the juncture of his neck and shoulder when they made love. The one hot drink that she loved more than the coffee he brought her every morning was his famous hot chocolate with extra marshmallows because it was almost identical to the way her mother had made it when the first snowflakes of each winter fell when she was a child. And, lastly, Katherine Beckett was a closet super hero movie nerd.
She sighed out an 'aha' and clutched her prize in her hand, flashing him the colorful Captain America cover before popping the DVD into the player and curling up into his side, her favorite blanket draped over the both of them. He idly paid attention to the action on the screen, but he was more intrigued with finding out exactly how he was going to ask her. He'd thought of a million different ways that it could happen, but all of them seemed like too much for her. She was laid back and simple. She was a hard working woman who wanted nothing more than to be appreciated for what she had to offer, not the way she filled out a business suit.
Her hand drawing abstract circles on his chest wasn't exactly helping to clear his train of thought either. He sighed quietly and reached into his pocket, touching the small velvet box again. Her eyes were glued to the TV screen, but he saw the slight twitch in her muscles a second before she sat straight up and paused the movie.
"I have to run to the bathroom, honey, I'll be right back. No watching ahead without me!" She squeaked as she hopped over the back of the couch and jogged towards the bedroom. He waited until he heard the water running before pushing play again, knowing that it would be enough to throw her, but not enough that she would miss her favorite part of the movie. "Damn it, Castle, I said to wait." She whined, settling back into the couch, under his outstretched arm and looking at the coffee table for the remote to rewind it.
Castle gestured to the side table beside him, where he'd set the remote and the ring while she was in the bathroom. She rolled her eyes and mumbled a comment about having to do everything herself, before leaning over him and going to grab the remote. Her entire body froze mid step when she caught sight of the shimmering diamond in the box.
"It's...it's beuatiful, Rick." She whispered, slipping the ring out of the box and sliding it onto her finger. She held it out in front of her and gazed at it adoringly. He felt his heart drop an inch or so when the first tear slid onto her cheek.
"Kate? What is it? What's wrong?" He babbled, wiping the tear away. "If you don't like it, we can always get a new one. Or...if you're not ready I can take it back and we can wait. Oh, God, you're not ready. I rushed into this too quickly. Oh, I'm so sorry, Kate, just give me another chance." He tried to backtrack wildly to save face, but it seemed it was too late. Kate silenced him with a deep kiss, her hands hooking behind his neck and pulling him in closer, their tongues dueling heatedly.
"Relax, Rick. I love it. And I love you. You are an amazing man, Richard Castle, and I would be honored to be your wife. That is, if you're sure that you want to be my husband always. Always is a long time, you know?" She whispered, running her fingers through his hair and eyeing her ring lovingly.
"I know it is. But, I'm willing to hitch my wagon to yours until the road disappears. Even then, we'll just build our own road. So, in front of...well, in front of Chris Evans and the walls of our home, I'm asking you to allow me to starting working towards always, Kate." He slid off of the couch and knelt on one knee, grasping her hands in his and brushing just above the ring with his thumb. "Katherine Beckett, will you do me that favor of being my wife?" She nodded almost imperceptibly before the tears ran freely.
"Of course I will, Rick. You're my one and done. Always have been." She whispered and pulled him into a tight hug, her face buried in his neck. Rick lifted her swiftly, blowing out the candles on the table as he moved through the loft, and carried her to their room before laying her out on the bedspread. He kissed her softly before tugging their shirts over their heads and smirked down at her.
"One rule about the wedding, though." He kissed his way down her throat as he spoke.
"Mhm? What's that?" She managed to ground out, her fists balling into the sheets. She whimpered in protest as he pulled away and moved up to look her in the eye, his face straight and serious.
"You're going to have to settle with Lanie for your Maid of Honor, because I am keeping Ryan and Esposito as my best men. Besides, knowing what I know, I am positive that they cannot pull off dresses anyway." Her eye brows shot up curiously, as if motioning for him to continue. "That's a story for another time, Future Misses Castle. As for right now, we've got some celebrating to do."
"Oh? Why's that?" She teased.
"Because, my dear sweet detective, I finally got up the nerves to ask you to marry me."
"And that's the only reason?"
"Oh, no." He shook his finger mockingly. "It gets even better. You want to hear the best part of the story?" He kissed her jawline slowly.
"Of course." He pulled his head from her jaw and hovered his lips over hers a moment, a grin spread across his face before his kissed her softly. He pulled his head away enough to look down into her eyes through his icy blue ones and smiled lovingly down at her. He swallowed down the tears of joy that sprung to his eyes and ran his fingers comfortingly through her hair before speaking.
"You said yes."
Promise me you'll always be happy by my side,
And I promise to sing to you when all the music dies.
And marry me, today and every day.
Marry me,
If I ever get the nerve to say 'hello' in this cafe.
Say you will, mmm.
C'mon say you will,
Marry me.
So, I feel better now. Thoughts? Feelings? Suggestions? Drop me a review and let me know.
Much love, J. Rook