Title: Just Flowers
Author: TracyT
Rating: T
Category: Romance, Angst
Summary: In the aftermath of Knockdown
Spoilers: Knockdown
Archive: Yes, Please!
Feedback to:
Disclaimer: Not mine, but I wish they were. No profit will be made on this, it was a labor of love.
#######
Was it wrong of her to have placed the vase with his flowers in it on her dresser at the foot of her bed, so that every morning she could look at them when she woke up? They were just flowers, after all.
She sat up and stretched, looking at the flowers that seemed multiplied by the mirror behind them. He brought her flowers. She was still marveling at the thought. He'd seemed a little awkward about it, like he was uncomfortable crossing that line, but she'd been unbelievably touched by the gesture.
She flopped back down on the pillows.
In her dreams the kiss hadn't ended with her taking out the guard. In her dreams Ryan and Esposito weren't at risk and the kiss had ended with her leaning her forehead against his, breathing rapidly.
Her urgent whisper, "Come home with me," and his simple, heartfelt answer, "Yeah."
She touched her fingers to her lips and had a vivid memory of the taste of him, the way it felt to be held by him, the almost electric touch of his tongue to hers, his hair crisp under her fingers.
In her dreams she woke to his scent on her skin and on the sheets, traces of Paco Rabanne combined with his own unique flavor, a scent she'd committed to memory now that she knew it.
She ran a hand over her face. She had to stop this. It was so wrong.
The door to the bathroom opened and Josh appeared wearing a towel around his waist. As he passed the dresser, he flicked one of the flowers with a careless finger. Kate was surprised by her quick, sudden feeling of mild outrage.
"Nice flowers," Josh commented as he opened a drawer. "Where'd they come from?"
Kate's mind did a quick replay of the last few days. Meeting Raglan, dealing with his murder, McAllister, Vulcan Simmons, revisiting all the horrific details of her mother's murder, nearly losing Ryan and Esposito, and through it all there was one constant.
Castle.
Rick. Dropping everything to come with her to the meet with Raglan, bringing her flowers, refusing to leave her side, going toe to toe with Simmons to defend her, bringing her the flowers, attacking Lockwood, and…
Oh. My. God.
The kiss.
Kate blinked rapidly several times, and bit her bottom lip for a moment.
"They're just flowers, Josh. No big deal."
Fin.