TRUTH CAME OUT
"Martha, that food was really delicious."
"Yes Mother. I must say this near death experience had really good effect on your cooking skills…"
-"Well thank you all."
"… just knowing my luck it will disappear as sudden as it appeared."
"Oh, really Richard you couldn't just this once tell me something nice without making it about yourself?"
All four of them were sitting at the table, enjoying themselves, engaging a light conversation as a complete opposite of what they experienced that day.
After few more comments towards each other mixed with a lot of laughing Little Castle moved from the table and walked towards her dad.
"Well, this was lovely, but I think I could use some rest after this adventurous day, and since I helped gram with the food… dishes are yours." – She sad hugging him from behind and kissing his cheek.
"Yeah, but I was held hostage and facing my mortality have awaken this new energy in me and I think I should use it to do something great and meaningful, not waste it to clean the kitchen after this hurricane… I mean gram."
"Dad, please… From what I've heard you've been enjoying every minute in that bank way too much, so you had your fun for today." – She replied kissing Martha – "Goodnight to y'all."
Seeing little red head climbing the stairs, the other one decided to do the same.
"I agree with her about the dishes. And now I need my beauty sleep 'cuz tomorrow momma's got herself a date." – She said standing up diva style
"I wasn't the only one enjoying this little robbery, wasn't I?" – Castle said giving his mother a suspicious smile
"Oh, maybe a little bit, but still I cooked so… enjoy yourself cleaning that up. Goodnight my dear "– She said looking at Kate – "Richard."
"Night mother."
"Goodnight Martha, thank you for dinner."
And so, they were left alone. Kate drank the last sip of wine in her glass and started to pick up the plates
"Hey, what are you doing? You know just because they told me to clean up because I didn't cook doesn't mean you should too. You are a guest you know" – Rick said moving the plates away from her.
"Oh come on Castle, I know I don't have to. I want to help, it's relaxing."
"Fine, I let you wipe them." – He said grabbing all the plates and going to the kitchen. He put them in the sink and got back to the table to take care of the leftovers.
"This is a LOT of food… I don't think I fit it in the fridge. Oh, good I know someone who uses a fridge as a decoration." – Castle looked at Beckett knowingly – "I hope your fridge still remembers what she's supposed to do."
"Funny Castle, seriously… You know, I do groceries sometimes you just aren't around my apartment that often to notice"
"Then I guess I need to drop by more often because I'm dying to see that."
"That wasn't an invitation but I guess I could survive that" – She said with a smirk
After putting most of the food to the fridge somehow not using all the space, Rick begun to wash the dishes in the sink, handling them to Kate to dry them, making small talk…
"You know, I was wondering how to conclude that in the next Nikki Heat and not make it our biography…"
"Put Nikki in the bank and Rook outside. Then it would be totally different situation…"
"Yeah... But I don't think Rook would be that good as a negotiator, and because he doesn't carry the gun, line because if you pull that trigger I would walk through those doors and personally put a bullet through your skull" – He said mimicking her voice – "wouldn't have much sense…"
"That was good one, wasn't it…"- She smiled
"Are you thinking about changing field maybe?"
"I don't think I would be engaged in negotiations so much if it hadn't been you as a hostage…"
"No then. Cause as much fun as I had, I definitely don't feel the need to repeat that any time soon." – 'oh, what the hell' he thought – "On the other hand the look on your face when you came for the rescue was priceless… so maybe I could be tamped "– He looked at her with the corner of his eye. She smiled a little not moving her head from the dishes. But then her face turned serious
"After the explosion I thought I never see you again…"
"Yeah I know the feeling…" - He turned serious too – "Let's hope that will never happen again…"
"Actually these kinds of situations sometimes had positive consequences."
"Oh really? What do you mean by that?"
"Well… Some people become more grateful of what they have, some realize that life can end any time without any warning and because of that they… decide on things they've been too afraid to do for a long time…" - Both still busy with the dishes. - "… admit or say things they were too afraid to say… You know, that kind of stuff."
Then he remembered the time when that happen to him, after she got shot, he said this one thing he was afraid to say
"But that not always have an outcome we hope for…"
"That's oddly pessimistic for you."
"Well, what can I say. Life…"
"Castle I…" - She put the last plate away, but not moved away from the counter, put her hand on it and hold her eyes down. He was finishing with cutlery. – "When that bomb go off, I didn't get the chance to hold you in my arms and say this, and I don't want to wait on such opportunity" – He stopped doing anything. Looked at her, clearly shocked with her words – "I almost died few months ago but that didn't push me enough, because I didn't feel that… that emptiness when I thought about you gone forever."
She turn to face him now, looked at his shocked expression and saw that his mouth try to create some sound, so she cut him out
"Let me finish, please." – He nodded still not being able to speak. – "I lied to you, I remember the shooting, I remember you tackling me, I remember your every word. And I remembered from the beginning. But I couldn't face that at the time, so I stall by saying I don't recall any of it. And I guess I could've handled it better but it was easier this way. I'm sorry. But what I'm trying to say is that I didn't have an opportunity earlier to tell you that I… I…" - she stutter, but after taking a deep breath said firmly – "I love you."
She was looking him in the eye. He was surprised, maybe a little overwhelmed by all this. He clearly wasn't expecting her pouring her heart out this particular evening, so she gave him a little time to process. She was a little scared that he'll be mad about lying to him, and still there was that irrational fear that he didn't love her and that was all her imagination. But she didn't rush him to answer her. He waited long enough for her to come along, now she can do the same.
At the same moment in Castle's mind chaos reigned. He suspected that she remembers, and deep down, some part of him knew all of the things she just said. But still, she said it. She admitted everything… This was so surreal. They were cleaning after dinner just few moments ago and now she was looking at him with those beautiful green eyes, tried to look calm, and he was staring at her, jaw dropped, and he wasn't able to articulate any logical sentence. Wait, did she rally say it? Or maybe his mind is playing trick on him? 'I try to speak now' he thought.
"Um... Do you think you can… um… repeat that last sentence" – he said slowly, his voice cracking.
She smiled warmly, still looking him straight in the eye
"I love you."
So he wasn't imagining things.
"Wow." – He took both her hand, look at their join fingers and then smiled. Wildly, happily, even a little chuckle escaped from his throat. He looked at her. Seeing his reaction made her smile too. His left hand was slowly climbing to her shoulder lightly touching her arm. Then he moved it to her cheek, delicately caress her skin.
"I love you too but I guess you already know that." – He said moving closer to her, grinning widely.
"Well, you kind of wasn't hiding it" – she said with a whisper as they lean forward to a gentle kiss.
Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. Feel welcome to review :)