A/N: Something that has been stuck in my head for a while. I hope you can see that my writing has improved in this story, if not let me know what I should change or do better.
As you already know, English is not my first language, so I'm sorry for any wrong tenses or misspelled words. Also, I've never been to New York, so note that some details may be incorrect. I did my research, though ;)
I hope you enjoy!
Soaking up the sun
It was the perfect day.
It was spring and unexpectedly warm outside, the sun was prickling through every window of the quiet loft, natural light illuminating it. Consequently, forcing the people in it to wake up to the real world.
Thus, it was the perfect day for a day out. And since Kate had the whole weekend off it was another good reason they should seize the opportunity the weather was giving them to enjoy a peaceful day outside and much needed rest in only each other's company.
Nothing better than that.
The morning had started with Kate waking up, not only due to the rays of sun interfering in her sleep but also her troubling stomach that was making her want to throw up. The morning sickness had been driving her crazy for weeks. Apparently, a pregnancy was not all about the glow as they show on magazines, it was more about the gross vomiting, nausea and exaggerated fatigue she was dealing with. At least, for the first three months.
She was ten weeks in her pregnancy now, so hopefully in another week or so she would get rid of all the nauseating sickness.
And so she got up from the bed, carefully unwrapping her husband's arm from across her waist so not to wake him just yet, and made her way to the bathroom after covering up with Castle's robe.
After throwing all her sickness away into the toilet, and brushing her teeth and taking care of other necessities, Kate returned to the bedroom to check if Castle was still into deep slumber and once she made sure he was, she left the room to go prepare something to eat in the kitchen. Her hunger had also increased with the mini Castle growing inside her.
She chose to eat crackers and some fruit accompanied with a mug of mint tea-since she couldn't drink her beloved coffee while pregnant. That had been of the hardest things she had to get used to, starting the days without coffee. It had been hell at the beginning, but as the time passed she had understood it was for her baby's sake so she had stopped whining about it to her husband.
As soon as her stomach was contently stuffed with breakfast, Kate started to feel a whole lot better. Any remnants of sickness she had been having were completely gone. Thank God for crackers, she thought.
Not even a minute passed after she started putting things back in order in the kitchen when Kate felt an arm wrap around her midsection and a warm chest covering her back. She couldn't help the hmm that escaped her mouth and the wide smile that stretched up her lips at the feeling of her husband, warm and cozy against her body.
Without speaking a word just yet, Rick gently brushed her brown curls from one side of her neck and rested his chin on her clothed shoulder. Then nuzzled closer, pressed his cheek against hers and he could feel her smile. He now had a smile of his own which fell gradually as he went to kiss her cheek sweetly.
"Morning," Rick finally spoke, voice low and laced with happiness.
"Mm, good morning, babe," she greeted back, turning around so that she could properly greet him. With her arms around his neck, their kiss was slow as they craved in the mornings. It was long and sweet, a good morning, my heart pouring from one to the other.
As they broke apart, both panting heavily, they rested their foreheads together and stayed like that for a moment, just sharing breath.
"Have you had breakfast yet?" Castle was the one to break up the comfortable silence they had settled into.
Kate pulled back a little to look up at him. "Baby was hungry," she shrugged as if that explained everything. And it mostly did these days.
"Ah, it proves that little Peanut there is just exactly like Daddy already," he grinned widely at her, all smug and just Castle.
"Let's see about that," Kate threw back teasingly. The truth was that she did want their child to be just like her husband. She wanted he or she to have his bright blue eyes she still found herself get lost into; his belief in magic and faith, Santa Claus and imaginary creatures; his sense of hope and overactive imagination she loved, despite what she told him; plus, his childlike innocence, that had died a little over the years with everything they'd been through, but it still remained in him somehow.
Kate took her place on the counter once again and chose to pop in some more fruit-what baby wants, baby gets-, while Castle made some scrambled eggs and poured himself a cup of orange juice.
"Want some eggs?" He offered his wife before putting the whisked eggs in the frying pan.
"No, thank you. I don't think I can eat anything else right now, much less eggs," Kate said as she rubbed softly at her barely there baby bump.
A handful of minutes later as Rick was finishing breakfast, the last bite of his eggs descending down his throat, he finally suggested, "What do you think of going out today? I mean it's warm and sunny, we could go to park or some place else. Since you have the day off...," he started rambling and Kate couldn't help but laugh at his adorable face.
"Hey, Castle, just breathe, you goofball," she laughed, so at ease like she had never felt before. Only with her goofy of a husband she could let herself act so freely.
Then he turned to look at her with that silly smile and those oh-so-bright eyes that she couldn't resist to lean closer and peck his lips softly. "And I was thinking the same thing. Maybe go now and spend the day outside, what do you think?"
"Great!" Castle excitedly replied, sliding of off the high chair and quickly started placing the dirty dishes on the dishwasher.
Kate loved seeing him like this, so happy and carefree, his child-like facet coming to the surface. Despite all her complaints on those sides of him, she had grown to love them over the time they had spent together. She just hoped that nothing would ever take them away from him. After all, it was one of the many things that had made her fall in love with him all those years back. And continues to make her fall a little bit harder every time.
"I'm gonna get dressed then," she slid off the tool and made her way back to their bedroom to get ready.
When Kate was about to enter the room, she could feel his eyes on her. Slowly, she spun around and there he was, shamelessly ogling her from head to toe. Why the hell, she was just wearing his ro-oh! Of course, he loved when she wore his clothes.
"Keep it up, old man," she scowled, throwing him a glare and trying to bite back a smile, "oh, and eyes back on its sockets, Mister."
"I-," he started, or tried, cheeks flushed and dark eyes staring back at her, "I'm so not old," he grumbled at last. Kate just laughed loudly and wickedly as she strode away.
Almost an hour had passed and they were ready to go and enjoy the day. They had showered-together, Rick wouldn't leave her alone because of the damn robe, no complaints though-, and put on comfortable clothes. Rick wore his grey jogging trousers, a white t-shirt and a pair of sneakers, while his wife had chosen for her favorite black yoga pants-poor Castle-, a loose purple tank top, so not do draw attention to her slight swell bump yet, and a pair of flats.
At 11 a.m the couple was grabbing the basket of food Castle had prepared for their meals of the day, along with their keys, phones, and some other things they would might need. And, longing for what was to come, left the apartment.
They decided to drive up to Central Park.
In less than 30 minutes, Rick and Kate arrived at their destination. They started by walking hand in hand through the sidewalk while being shadowed by the light pink spring flowering trees bowed above them.
All kinds of activities were happening at the same time. There were kids flying colorful kites with their families, dogs running away from little kids who were trying to catch them on the green grass, umpteen balloons being freed to the sky; there were also couples of all ages making out like teenagers and families having a good time. Among them on the sidewalk, there were couples just like them and others pushing baby strollers. Kate couldn't help but picture her and her husband in a few months doing the exact same thing with their own child.
Long minutes went by as they continued to tread the ground until they reached a shadowed place on the grass to settle. Rick placed their basket near the tree, took a square picnic blanket from inside and extended it across the green.
Neither of them were hungry yet since both their breakfasts had stuffed them well enough. Therefore, Kate was the first to settle. She lied down on the blanket, head facing the river, while Rick placed their phones and keys inside the wicker basket. He then took a moment to just watch his wife and admire how the sunlight lighted up her gorgeous face, eyes closed and a radiant yet soft smile plastering her features. And, what made his heart skip a beat, the hand where her ring was placed on her fourth finger was rubbing slow tentative circles on her belly.
His son, their son was growing inside the woman he loved. It was still hard to believe most times.
He stood there just contemplating how beautiful his wife was and realizing how damn lucky he was to have found her. He couldn't be happier as he was right then. Soon enough, Kate opened her eyes and as soon as she saw him staring, she actually blushed, a crimson pink adorning her cheeks. Apparently, this man child at heart, her man child was still able to make her blush with just a simple look of his. And, just like that, his smile grew wider.
"You just gonna stand there staring?" Kate asked, trying, yet not succeeding, to hide her blush with her hair.
"Why not? I mean, I really enjoy the view from here," he stated with a teasing smile, making her face even redder.
Kate huffed loudly and grumbled, "Just shut up and sit down, Rick."
He immediately complied, not wanting to make a pissed of Beckett come out to play. Better not.
Rick lied down next to his wife, but in the opposite position, the top of his head touching her shoulder as hers did the same on his opposite one. Kate's laugh warmth his insides, turned his heart into a mushy thing and made him laugh along with her too, his eyes crinkling at the sides. She was everything and he felt so grateful for the chance of spending the rest of his life with her by his side.
"I just had a feeling you were going to do that," she chuckled, her voice soft and soothing somehow.
"Hmm. You know how I love awkward positions like that," he shrugged, turning his head to peck her nose which always made her crinkle it adorably. He had actually taken a picture of that expression of hers when she thought he wasn't looking. It made an adorable lock screen now and it would continue to if she didn't find out. Improbable, but it was so worth it.
His wife laughed even louder this time, her whole body shaking with mirth. "Oh, I know, I gotta live with that, stud," she turned her head to him and he could feel her grin on his cheek. One hand lifted from her side to his hair at his ear and started playing with it, circling it around her fingers, pulling it a little just to hear him whine like the big kid he was.
"Hmm, I love it here," she kissed his cheek and lingered there for a moment before pulling back.
"Me too. It's at the same time loud and quiet. And with you, it's just perfect," he replied as he moved in his position so he could look better into her eyes, searching for her emotions.
Kate ducked her chin to her chest shyly before responding. "Sap," was all she had to say.
"Maybe," he teased, "I just was imagining us coming here again, but with Peanut this time in this same exact spot a few years from now. The three of us laying here all mushed up together and we'd see little one's face as he watched all the kites and balloons flying away. He'd want to run to try to catch them so they wouldn't go. And he'd get all adorably annoyed as we tell him he couldn't reach them," he finished, his voice low fading as he smiled widely.
(Kate wondered if he would put on that voice as he read bedtime stories to their kid, or perhaps kids, in the upcoming future.)
"I was thinking about that too, "she paused, trying to keep the joyful tears that were bound to fall in no time, "and I'm just so grateful I can have those thoughts now, Rick, when they're not just dreams or fantasies anymore, but a near future instead. And I have to thank you so much for that, for our child, our marriage, for everything that's happening and just feels so right," Kate paused, pushing herself on both her elbows, needing to look at him as she continued to speak, "I mean it, I-you're the reason to why I'm feeling so damn happy right now," she smiled and tenderly rubbed at his cheek with her thumb, "I love you so much."
As soon as she finished talking he was on her. His mouth fussing with hers, hungry and passionate, his hands holding the sides of her neck carefully but firmly at one, as he chocked out 'I love you's' in between breathtaking kisses over and over.
After long seconds, he pulled apart, keeping his eyes closed as he tried to catch his breath.
"I've got to say things like that more often if that's how I'm going to be rewarded," Kate joked, whipping away traces of lip gloss that had gotten smudged all over his lips and face.
"Not if you want me to have a heart-attack," he joked back. And after the intense make out session that had just occurred, he just wished they were home so he could show her how much it meant to him to hear her say those words. It was worth a try.
"Can we go home now? I really wanna go home," Castle whined, jumping in his spot for effect.
I might have married the biggest goofball on Earth, Kate thought as she smiled at her husband antics.
"Tell you what, we spend the rest of the day here, and when we get home I'll perform that little trick you say drives you crazy. What do you say?" Kate asked in her best bedroom voice that always made his head spin.
Castle opened his mouth to reply, then shut it again and opened it one more time, but nothing came out. He was looking at her like a ravenous predator about to pounce. It was actually a little scary sometimes.
After what seemed like forever, he finally got something coherent out, "Holy- deal! And- and you could always put on that little thing I got you for our one-year anniversary," he winked mischievously.
"It's little alright," she mumbled, but agreed nonetheless, "Okay, deal. Now shut up and let me take a nap. Baby's sleepy," Kate lied down again and closed her eyes with a little smile on her face because she knew he was watching.
He shook his head and huffed, "Baby's hungry, baby's sleepy, baby wants this, baby wants that. Give me a break, woman, I think I'm getting too old for this."
Kate turned on her side to hide her beam and hummed, barely audible for her husband to hear but he still did, "So, you admit." That made him gasp in feigned hurt.
The rest of the day went by like the other quiet days. With the banter, the jokes, the whispers of love, the couple enjoyed every second of it. Just talking, casually popping food into each other's mouths, kissing and taking naps all the while making the most of it and soaking up the sun.
Let me know what you think! :)
Also, tell me if you want to see more of Kate's pregnancy or their lives with their baby. Ideas are welcome!