Note: None of these characters are mine
Thoroughly
"Winding his fingers into her hair, he kissed her thoroughly."
Castle leaned back, staring at the sentence he had typed a week earlier. Before. Before he jokingly asked Beckett on a date. Before she caught him completely off guard and said yes. Before they passed the hours in a little pizza joint near her apartment. Before he walked her home. Before they ended up pressed against her apartment door, grateful it was late and the hallway was empty. Before she stole his breath and said goodnight.
The next morning they got a case, which had dragged on for days. Days of not being close to her. Days of not being alone with her. Days of not touching her like he was itching to do. Days of being sustained only on the memory of that kiss.
He highlighted the sentence and hit the delete button. You see, the problem was this: thoroughly just doesn't cut it. Thoroughly is an insufficient adverb when it comes to kissing Kate Beckett.
Thoroughly implies completion, reaching a successful end. Thoroughly implies that you've sought and sorted out all of the possibilities. Thoroughly is brushing off your hands and stepping back to survey your work. Thoroughly is satisfied enough to stop.
Thoroughly is woefully inadequate.
One kiss, and he's already certain that he will never be finished. He will never have kissed her long enough or deep enough to suffice. He'll never make her moan low in her throat enough times to stop and call it a day. He will never have covered every inch of her skin with his lips such that he could feel satisfied to stop searching for a new spot to savor.
Castle tapped his fingers lightly on the keys, willing an appropriate adverb to find its way to the page.
His phone lit up.
Finally finished the paperwork. Dinner?
Castle snapped his laptop shut, grabbed his jacket, and headed out the door. The hunt for a sufficient adverb could wait.
Perhaps he just needed to do more research…
Thanks for reading!