And a Snuggie Makes Three
A post-8x22 follow-up ficlet to Snuggie Love for ipreferwestside.
"Okay, we have popcorn, we have chocolate, and we have picked our movies," he lists, transferring everything to the tray on the counter and looking around. "Anything else?"
His wife grumbles from the next room. "No. Now come on. You promised a movie night, Castle; at this rate, I'll fall asleep before we even get started."
Snickering, Rick lifts the tray off the counter. She has been dozing off pretty early lately. With good reason, of course, but he can still tease. "On my way."
"Thank you," she exhales, muttering something he can't quite catch as he makes his way across the living room.
He starts to ask what she'd said, but as he slips between the bookshelves of their office, his footsteps stutter and the words die on his lips. Oh, this is good.
He won't draw attention to it, won't say a word, but he does take a moment to marvel at her.
He knows she uses it; more than once he'd seen the fabric bundled at the end of her old couch, like she had been snuggled underneath and had hastily thrown it off in her rush to answer the door, and after they started dating, she had brought it out and pulled it across her legs while she read. But he's never seen her using it this way.
This time, his wife is wearing the Snuggie he'd sewn for her years ago as it was always intended to be worn: arms in the sleeves, Velcroed shut at the back, her legs covered to her propped feet.
"Our treats are served," Rick singsongs, lowering the tray to the table in front of her. "Do the honors and I'll be right back," he adds, watching Kate's face light up only to twist in confusion.
"Wait, where are you going?" she asks, catching his wrist before he can get too far.
He grins. "I gotta get mine out of the closet."
"Your–" she stops, only to glance down at herself and sigh. "Do not make fun of me. I was cold."
Twisting his hand to capture hers, he shakes his head. "I wouldn't dream of it, Kate. I just want to match." He squeezes her fingers, slipping away. He's halfway across the room before he adds, "And then I'm gonna take a picture of us and put it on the internet."
"Richard Castle, I will kill you."
"Somehow I doubt that," he taunts, dragging his own blanket with sleeves from its spot on a shelf. He slips into it with an ease he hadn't been able to muster a couple of months ago, reaching behind his head and around his back to fasten the Velcro before returning to her. "You want to keep me around; you've told me so."
"That was then," she retorts, crossing her arms over her chest. "Keep pushing and we'll see how committed I am to that now."
He sinks beside her, brandishing his phone to snap a few shots he never truly intends for the world to see. He just likes seeing her snug and warm, despite the early autumn heat wave the city is enduring. "I think I'll take my chances."
Kate sticks her tongue out, but loops her arm through his and acquiesces to the next photo he takes. It's not half bad, even with the face she's making, and he catches her smiling at their images when he shows her the preview.
"One more," she concedes, nudging his arm up. "Make it a good one if it's going on twitter."
Touching his grin to her hair, he takes one final picture. "It's not. Now, weren't you ready to start the movie a few minutes ago?"
Beckett bumps him with her shoulder, finding the remote between their bodies to put an end to the looping DVD menu. After another minute of rearranging, of bringing their snacks closer and worming his Snuggie-covered arm around her shoulders, they settle in to enjoy the movie.
At least until Kate grumbles, using him for leverage to get to her feet.
"Pause?" he asks, touching her hip with a steadying hand. She waves him off, already moving toward their bedroom.
"I'll be quick."
Sure enough, she's back just a few minutes later, sinking into the cove of his body once more. Rick pulls her closer, trailing his fingers down her arm.
"Everything okay?" he asks. She hates that question, has sniped at him so many times for asking, but he can't always curb the urge to protect her where he can. They've been through so much; he needs to know she isn't in pain, isn't wanting for something he has the power to provide, even if it's nothing more than comfort.
To his surprise, Kate just nods. "All good. Just had to pee again."
"Good." He slips his hand into the front pocket of her Snuggie, flattening his palm over the gentle swell of her belly, the life they'd created and nearly lost in the spring, the extraordinary reason for their low-key movie nights and fervent hope.
Kate chuckles against his collar. "You've been dying to do that all night, haven't you?"
"Mhmm," his lips pucker in her hair. "Since the moment I saw you were wearing it. How often do you wear it, by the way?"
His wife laughs, squeezing his hand through the fleece. "Since I've been on this round of bed rest? Nearly every day. See what you miss when you go off to do your real job?"
"Well, luckily, that's not something I have to do again until after Christmas."
"Mmm, lucky for you," Kate teases, tapping his jaw with gentle fingers.
His thumb caresses her belly, making soft circles through the fleece. "What can I say? I'm the luckiest alive," he murmurs, pressing his mouth to hers.
Prompt: A post-couple sequel in which they have matching Snuggies and they snuggle together in them.