AN: One of the shorter things I've written – definitely a one shot. Just a little something to hopefully invoke the same smile in you that I got while writing it. I originally wasn't going to post this. I was just writing it to write something while working through some blockage in "To Making It", (which is complete but I hate it – which is almost worse than it not being complete at all). Anyway, I kind of liked this and thought I'd share! Hope you enjoy.
She can feel him leaning on the column beside her. It's less her skills as a detective than it is the heat radiating off of his body. He's so hot.
She grimaces and mentally corrects the path of her off-track mind.
Temperature. Temperature, hot. Geez, she could really use an escape route about right now. The dark blue shirt and casual charcoal sport coat has her usual defense mechanisms lowered considerably this evening.
She tries to focus on the words flittering past her ears. The voice booming through the speakers and the light clap that fills the room in front of her. She searches out the crowd, looking for someone eyeing them curiously. Someone they know perhaps? Something that she can use to assure herself that here and now is not the best place and time, because at this moment, here and now is looking pretty damn good and that scares the hell out of her.
There's hardly anyone they know here and no one seems to be concerned with them in the slightest. Maybe she's not trying her hardest anymore, she thinks fleetingly as she scans the room without focus. Maybe she's just tired of concocting reasons to not give into this. She can't find anymore excuses and she's pretty sure it's because she's tired of looking so damn hard.
She dares a glance over – he's looking down at her, lips parted breathing, eyes on hers now. Gosh, his eyes are laughing a little bit. It's terrible how well he knows her sometimes. But she notices his mouth isn't laughing and then – shit – realizes and quickly pulls her eyes back up to his.
He must not have noticed because his eyebrows quirk upwards without a leer. "What?" he whispers quietly, as to not divert the crowds attention from the man speaking on the stage.
She can't look away. They are so close – eyes dancing on each others.
He had said something stupid and sweet at the bar. They were talking about martinis of all things. Such an easy setup for him to turn into a smirking twenty-year old and play with the tired innuendos there. Surprisingly, he hadn't taken the bait and with warm eyes, had simply said that he was having a good time with her tonight. "Beautiful drink and a beautiful lady. Can't go wrong there." Tipped his glass with a sweet smile.
It was simple really. Nothing too heavy. On other occasions, he's said more and she's felt less. But tonight, there was something behind it that made her heart tighten and stomach flutter. When the thumping in her chest had gotten too much, she had smiled and turned away with the pretense of listening to the speaker at the front. Moved a few steps closer to the stage and away from his warmth. Until he followed, of course. For some reason tonight she's not exactly complaining.
"Castle-" she starts. This is really when she clears her throat and walks away. She's planned for this. Studied. Embarrassed to say: practiced.
He hums. "Hmm?"
All night they had been too close. Small touches at the bar, legs pressed together when they had sat at the cramped table. His hand trailing her arm as she walked away. Every nerve on her body had been hyper-vigilant to his touch all evening. It was all she could do not to fall into his embrace and finally breath deeply standing in his arms. A dam of emotion finally broken. A sigh of relief with his hand moving up and down her spine sounded really good about right now.
Her head nearly hurts from the battle and she's tired. Where he stands behind the column hides him from the majority of the room and the way he's looking at her – the way he always looks at her – makes her brain start firing in directions she's fought for years.
It's too easy - enticing. It's magnetic and it only takes a small lean on her part – he stays exactly where he is, presses slightly forward as if he knew she was coming all along. Her lips, parted, land softly on his, unmoving, their lips intertwined. Her top filling the space between his perfectly. Last puzzle piece snapping easily into place. Still. They're both so still. She applies the smallest amount of pressure before turning her head abruptly to the left. Disconnecting.
Closing her eyes almost painfully. "Damn, damn, damn." Sighs exasperated. "Castle." She sounds accusing and she can't look at him. Their bodies still close.
He laughs. Laughs! "I'm not doing anything," he says softly.
She knows. He's really not. He's just standing there, unassuming, waiting, and damn, it makes her just want him that much more.
"Shit," she says on the turn back to him, attaching their lips again. This time he leans into her and she pushes right back. Pulling on his jacket, she groans softly in frustration into his mouth. She feels him smile - sigh. Closing her own lips gently, pursing, opening enough to reclaim his bottom lip and repeating the ministration slowly. He cups her left cheek in his hand, fingers extending to the back of her neck. Gently massaging – pulling her closer. She's beginning to feel like his lips - his hand, are all that holds her up. Blood pumping furiously through her, anxious and calm all at once. Legs seemingly disappeared right out from under her. He uses his hand to gently turn her head – she allows it thoughtlessly.
He kisses the corner of her lips with an open mouth. Sweet and soft, just like she's imagined time and time again. (Though she'd certainly deny that if asked.) Her cheekbone is next, a chaste kiss, and she leans into his hand, embarrassed or something similar. Anxiety melting as they slip into something a little more innocent. She feels him hesitate, and she wonders if he's buying time. Talking himself into or out of something. She feels him finally close in on her ear. His destination all along she figures. His breath tickling the hair that has escaped numerous attempts of her nervously pushing it behind her ear. Forehead resting by her temple.
"I-" he starts. Her own breath catches as she waits in suspended animation for him to continue. He drops a kiss to the sensitive skin below her ear and continues. "I'm glad you're here."
She laughs this time, pulling him closer. Oh, she startles. She's pulling him closer. Seems her hands have travelled under his jacket and around to his back without her permission.
Her face slips down to his shoulder. In a hug now. Both of his hands curled around her.
"Oh damn, Castle." It's less emphatic than she feels and comes out as an intimate plea. He kisses her neck once again and she runs her thumb along the ridge of his spine.
She's not sure which heart thumps on her chest, but it's furious knocking causing her panic to rise again. As the crowd politely claps, signifying the end of the speech, she finally collects herself enough to pull away. Hands slower on the retreat than the rest of her. Sliding around his sides, still connected to his body. Clearly her synapses are firing a little slow. Embarrassed, she pulls them away and onto her dress, keeping them busy by ironing out invisible creases. Eyes diverted. "I should probably go."
"So soon?" he asks with a smile. She can't see it but knows it's there. Can't he see she's entered the panic portion of the evening?
Her eyes dart to his face, annoyed. "Castle-"
"Kate, you're panicking."
Okay, so he does see. She raises her whisper. "That wasn't supposed to happen."
"The best ones are never planned."
"Castle, I'm serious."
"Me too."
"I have to go."
"Okay, but you can't run from this. I'm not ignoring it this time around. We're discussing this. Not tonight necessarily, but we are."
"You are so frustrating."
He widens his eyes and shakes his head incredulously with a smirk. "Me?"
"Fine. Okay. I have to go."
He leans in a kisses her cheek, corner of her mouth really, surprising her. "Goodnight, Kate." His hand falling gently from her elbow.
Her eyes flutter involuntarily. She knows there's no way she can turn back now. "Damn you, Castle."
He smiles.