His book tour had been extended by a further two weeks. That on top of the extra week Gina had persuaded Richard Castle to be away from home for.
"All in the name of publicity, Rick. It'll do your sales the world of good to extend your tour by an extra week. Visit counties we haven't been to since Raging Heat. You know you have a loyal and dedicated fanbase who can't all make it to the big cities. I'm pretty sure your hot-shot detective wife can find ways to manage without you for an extra seven days." Gina had sent that email message to Rick, who had of course forwarded it back to his wife.
And thus had started a long chain of emails between Kate and her husband. He was a grown man, and he could do whatever he wanted. Gina was right, the publicity would help him and since Kate and Rick had gotten married, they had all noted the slight decline in sales. Kate and Rick had batted about with a couple of reasons as to why that might be the case – but Gina had rolled her eyes and scoffed rudely, telling them it was because New York's most eligible writer had been taken off the market.
The swell in her chest was pretty drastic as once again, Kate was reminded she had married Rick. It had been a long time coming but every now and then, the sheer fact they were officially married would knock her from her feet. When her ring would clink against the aluminium of the fridge door in the early hours of the morning's search for creamer, or when she would toss her keys into the bowl near to the front door and her eyes would cast to the framed picture of her family on their wedding day. Her heart would leap, and her stomach would swirl and a grin would cross her lips as she remembered the way that her husband had kissed her for the first time after they'd said their vows. Although more than a year had passed, it still felt new and fresh, exciting.
The entire time Rick had now been away was swiftly encroaching upon the five week mark. It didn't matter what kind of technology she had at the tips of her fingertips (and that was a considerable amount since her husband was the biggest tech-geek known to mankind), it still wasn't enough. It would never be enough. The hard shell of an iPhone and the bright glare of a computer screen would never ever be able to fill the void left in her life by her husband's absence.
They'd been apart before but that was different. Rick's disappearance was something that had been entirely out of their control but the one thing they had both learnt during the course of their relationship was that they would always find their way back to each other. Neither of the two were ever truly at home until they could roll over in bed and be met with the warm embrace of the other's arms. But the last five weeks had seen Kate going to bed alone and waking up in an empty bed, curled around Rick's pillow.
Not even a hot bath paired with a large glass of red wine could assuage her loneliness tonight, though. The kinks in her shoulders remained taught, something Rick would have picked up on as soon as she had walked in from a day at work. He'd always told her she walked slightly hunched over after a particularly tense day, and then he'd work her shoulder blades with his fingers. His fingers…
Her laptop sits and hums heavily against the mattress as she leans over and places her newly refilled glass of red wine down on the nightstand as she logs onto Skype for what had become her nightly routine. Video chat if he were available, if not, instant messaging would suffice. But since he was – at last point of contact – in California and she still in New York, it was still afternoon for him and he would usually only be able to manage a quick video call between signings, or meetings, or whatever else Gina had him doing. Kate knows exactly what she would do to Gina if she wasn't in charge of her husband's publications, but the thought is momentarily wiped from her head as she sound of Rick signing onto Skype distracts her.
It's only an IM conversation, but immediately she can't help but grin.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (21.55): My, my, detective. Fancy seeing you around here ;)
LieutenantChloe (21.55): We'll have to be quick, my boyfriend will be back any time soon.
LieutenantChloe (21.55): Hopefully, anyway.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (21.56): I've been gone for five weeks and already you've replaced me?
LieutenantChloe (21.56): I replaced you because of your username, babe. It's a little hypocritical, don't you think?
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (21.57): I don't know what you're insinuating.
LieutenantChloe (21.58): I'm sure you remember that time at the Hamptons, when we were all alone on the beach and you got a little too excited. It kinda makes your username redundant.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.00): Not fair, you don't get to invoke images of you in a barely there bikini on a hot summer's day when there are thousands of miles between us.
LieutenantChloe (22.01): Just proving a point, babe. ;)
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.02): I'll prove it to you when I get back.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.02): Take some vacation time and we won't leave the loft for days.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.02): Take a week if you want to be able to walk into the precinct without everyone knowing you've been thoroughly fucked.
LieutenantChloe (22.03): …Don't start the fire if you can't put it out, Castle.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.04): I do believe, detective, that you were the one to bring up the topic of conversation. But while we're there… I miss you.
LieutenantChloe (22.04): Then come home.
LieutenantChloe (22.05): There's only so much relief a girl can get from her own fingers, and I ran out of batteries this morning.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.06): Shit, Kate. I'd be there if you could but Gina's riding my ass.
LieutenantChloe (22.07): That better be a metaphor.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.08): Gina and I are long done, Kate. You know you're the only one for me. Tell me more about your unfortunate battery – or lack thereof, situation.
LieutenantChloe (22.09): I was watching something and got a little carried away a few nights ago. But now I can't stop watching it and it's as close to the real thing I can get.
LieutenantChloe (22.09): Until you're back, anyway.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.10): What were you watching, pray tell?
LieutenantChloe (22.11): Check your e-mails. I'm sending it to you. Maybe then you'll get home quicker, ;)
Quickly minimising the conversation window with her husband, Kate opens up her email browser and attaches the exact file she knows is sure to light a fire under his ass to get him home to her. Her pulse had already started to race and she could feel herself becoming flustered as she watches the file compress, her arousal already taking hold of her. Quickly, she types opens the list of her most emailed contacts and clicks on Rick's name, before clicking send, watching as the email disappears off into cyberspace before she maximises the Skype window again, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she watches the sign that indicates her husband is typing.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.15): God, Kate. Are you trying to kill me?
LieutenantChloe (22.16): Trying to figure out if you're still living up to your username, more like.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.18): Fuck, I love you in that leather jacket.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.18): …I forgot you didn't have a bra on under that leather jacket.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.19): That leather jacket is so much better on the floor.
LieutenantChloe (22.20): Are you really only focusing on that jacket, Castle?
LieutenantChloe (22.23): Castle, are you there?
LieutenantChloe (22.25): Castle?
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.26): I should frisk you again sometime. Maybe I could do a full cavity search (;
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.27): You got so fiery when I accused you.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.28): I can literally see your eyes darkening with how much you wanted me to fuck you.
LieutenantChloe (22.29): And you definitely didn't have a gun in your pocket either, Detective Castle.
LieutenantChloe (22.30): But you took control of the situation and handled it very, very well.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.31): I learnt from the best. What can I say?
LieutenantChloe (22.32): I hate that I have to watch our own sex tapes because you're not here.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.23): I'll be home soon, I promise.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.24): Uh, Kate?
LieutenantChloe (22.25): That's my name, feel free to wear it out!
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.26): How much wine have you had?
LieutenantChloe (22.27): Castle, I'm not drunk. I'm horny – there's a big difference.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.28): When you sent me that email, did you mean to send it to the whole of the twelfth, too? I know we're married and all but I didn't think we were going to give them inspiration for their bedroom activities.
Kate's eyes widen as she reads her husband's last message, and as quickly as her arousal slips away, her adrenaline kicks in and she opens up her outbox to check for the email she'd sent to Rick, and he's right. She feels the color drain from her skin immediately and mouth opens in shock as she sees that when she had thought she'd clicked Rick's name – stored under C for Castle – she'd also clicked 'select all', and the email containing one of her more explicit sex tapes with her husband had been sent to the entire precinct.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.30): Love?
LieutenantChloe (22.21): Fuck, Rick!
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.22): Yeah, we did and now everyone at the precinct is going to know just how often and how loud you groan my name.
LieutenantChloe (22.23): Seriously, Rick, I can hear your smirk. We have to un-send this! Get one of your technogeek buddies to un-send the email!
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.24): I don't think that's possible, Kate. Anyway, the guys at the twelfth might thank us for spicing up their sex lives.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.25): Kate?
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.28): Love, are you there?
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.30): It really isn't that big of a deal. We're married, they know that we have sex. Everybody has sex, it's normal. It's natural.
LieutenantChloe (22.31): Castle, I have to work with these people! I don't want them knowing what gets both me and you off!
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.32): They already know that I get you off. You wanted me the moment you first saw me.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.32): And now they'll know what it'd be like interrogating you.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.33): Not that I want them interrogating you like that.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.33): Only I get to interrogate you like that.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.34): Forget I said anything.
LieutenantChloe (22.34): Castle, you're not helping!
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.35): The email is sent, there isn't anything you can do about it, love. Try not to worry too much about it.
LieutenantChloe (22.36): Castle, I just sent one of our sex tapes to the entire precinct!
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.37): At least it was only the one. It could've been the one with the hot wax. That night will remain etched in my memory forever.
LieutenantChloe (22.40): This is all your fault. If you'd have said no to Gina I wouldn't be this horny, I wouldn't be lonely and I wouldn't have just armed the entire precinct with enough footage to bribe me for the next decade. :(
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.43): I'll be home soon, and then we can work on some damage control.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.45): Kate?
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.46): Are you still there or did the wine win and knock you out again?
LieutenantChloe (22.50): I went to get the rest of the bottle of wine. I'm gonna need it to even face the thought of going in to work tomorrow.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.52): Get some sleep, love. It won't be as bad as you think in the morning. I love you. I'll be home soon, I promise.
LieutenantChloe (22.54): It's going to be fucking disastrous tomorrow and you're not even here to be a comical buffer for Espo and Ryan.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.55): I'll be your buffer when I get back.
LieutenantChloe (22.56): I love you, Castle.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.57): I know, you said at the end of the video (;
LieutenantChloe (22.58): Goodnight.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.58): Too soon?
LieutenantChloe (22.59): Too soon. Living up to your username as usual.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (22.59): On the basis of the video alone, it's proven that I have plenty of stamina.
LieutenantChloe (23.00): Goodnight, Rick.
Ishootfirstbutnotliterally (23.01): Goodnight, Kate. And remember, if they say anything to you tomorrow, tell them they'll have to deal with Detective Castle. They've seen how I handle my interrogations. That should be enough to silence them.
This isn't my usual style of fic writing, but it just popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone!
As always, all comments and criticisms are welcome!