Something a little lighter to break up the angst-fest.
Then
He's going to marry this woman someday.
It's all he can think about as she laces her left hand through his, her thumb rubbing over the back of his hand as she listens intently to a story Lanie's recalling. He pictures the sparkler on her hand, simple, beautiful, and completely her.
It's been six months since they started dating, since that night that she'd come to him, dripping wet with heavy apologies waiting on her lips. She tasted like heaven and home that night and he's been even more consumed by her ever since.
He's more than willing to take it slow, to let her set the pace because he knows this is it for him.
For them.
She nudges him gently in his side with her elbow, eliciting his attention. She knows he isn't paying attention, hasn't been for the last several minutes because he's too entranced with her fingers and the way they fit perfectly in his.
He tunes into the conversation just in time to hear, "Your boy's looking a little lovesick tonight." His eyes snap from their spot on the table to Esposito's amused, if a little disgusted, expression.
The heat creeps up his neck in mild embarrassment. "Six months today," Kate says, soft and happy as she gives his hand a gentle squeeze. His lips part as he shifts his attention to her and the wide smile that blooms over her face. Her lips twitch playfully in response and he knows that she didn't forget like he thought.
He really underestimates her sometimes.
"And you're spending it with us?" Lanie asks, humming in disapproval.
Kate slowly turns her attention back to her best friend, shrugging. "We haven't had a chance to catch up in a while and I didn't think he'd mind." She tugs on her bottom lip after she speaks, and yeah, she probably should've checked with him first, but he doesn't mind. Not really. Because tonight she'll come home with him, hold him, love him.
And really, how can he deny her some much-needed time with their friends when she comes home to him almost every night? Maybe at one time in his life he was that selfish, but not since she's blown into his life.
She's made him want to be a better man.
He feels her thwack him in the shin and he opens his mouth to protest as his eyes tear up and—oh yeah, this is the part where he's supposed to say that he really doesn't mind.
"Y-Yeah, I really don't mind," he stumbles weakly, rubbing his hand gingerly over his leg as he throws her a look.
"And," Esposito interjects enthusiastically, nudging Lanie, "our new anniversary's coming up. Maybe we can hit the Knicks game with Ryan and…" he trails off, his face falling as his girlfriend glares at him. He clears his throat and rests his mouth on his fist, wisely shutting up.
"Keep dreaming, Javier Esposito."
"Girl, you know I was just playing." He lets out a forced laugh as Lanie rolls her eyes and shakes her head, turning back to Kate. He almost misses the Hispanic detective wince as his attention is called to the buzzing of his phone in the pocket of his coat. He pulls it out and considers ducking into a quiet corner to answer the call, but then he feels Kate's hand fall to his thigh, warm and heavy.
He bites back a groan, his thumb hovering over the incoming call.
And then her finger trails dangerously up his thigh and—
He swallows hard, the heat of her hand scalding his skin even through the denim of his jeans.
Oh.
It's an unknown number, anyway.
He hastily pockets his phone and covers her hand with his, sliding it to a safer place further down his thigh.
"We should probably head out soon," he hears Kate say. "I think Castle's getting a little restless," she gently slaps his leg for effect, cocking her head in his direction, a teasing smile for his eyes only.
Restless, hmm?
"Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" Lanie asks, interrupting their moment. Kate grins, her eyes light as she bumps him out of the booth to say their goodbyes.
"Enjoy your day off tomorrow, Beckett," Javier grumbles.
"Thanks Javi," she responds pleasantly, as if she missed the sarcasm threaded through his tone.
Ah, but there's the roll of her eyes he's come to know and love.
"Lunch tomorrow, Lane?" she asks, flipping her hair over the collar of her coat as he helps her slip into it.
Castle feels himself deflate a little bit, kind of cleared his full day of Black Pawn meetings to spend the day with her.
But what's a couple of hours, really?
He immediately straightens up, poker face on as Lanie's gaze slides to him.
"How about you call me tomorrow?" Lanie says knowingly, flicking her eyes back to Kate.
Oh, he owes her one.
Kate shrugs, nothing amiss, and leads him out of the bar after he gives Espo a quick fist pound and mouths Lanie a "Thank you".
"Do you mind if we walk for a bit?" she asks, taking a deep breath of the crisp night air. He holds his hand out for her take, smiling gently in response.
They walk easily, enjoying each other's company, arms swinging between their bodies.
"I think I owe you an apology," she says quietly.
He shakes his head. "Kate—"
"It didn't occur to me that you might think that I forgot about today." She pauses, tugging at her lip. "But you've been on my mind all day," she admits, a blush tingeing her cheeks.
Oh, he wishes he'd been with her today instead of at home, writing and preparing for the meetings he only ended up canceling.
"I didn't expect you to remember," he confesses. "But I'm glad you did."
Her eyes shine, full and light as she stops him in their slow trek, pulling gently at his arm. Her hands cup the sides of his face as her thumb brushes over his lips, slow and smooth.
She presses her mouth to his, soft and glorious. He sifts his hands slowly through her hair as he sips at her lips, relishing the low hums of pleasure that emit from her. Mmm.
"Take me home," she mumbles against his mouth.
Home.
It's a matter of minutes before they tumble into bed, a frenzy of limbs and discarded clothing. He can't get enough of her, soon enough, fast enough.
Oh, Kate.
"I want forever with you someday, Katherine Beckett," he confesses against her neck, his fingers slipping easily over her slick skin.
Her moan vibrates through her body, sending a hard shiver down his spine. Her fingernails scrape deliciously across his scalp as she bucks her body into his.
"Forever," she concedes in a whisper against his ear, her tongue dancing along the shell in ways he never thought possible. He groans, blindly reaching for her mouth as her leg wraps around his thigh, pulling him closer. He rocks into her, fisting his hands in the sheets as she lets out a soft, breathy pant against his lips.
"I love you, Kate," he rasps. "God, I love you."
Her snoring wakes him up, pulls him out of a deep, restful slumber in the wee hours of the morning. He scrubs a hand over his sleepy eyes and rolls out of bed, careful not to wake her.
He shrugs into one of his robes and shuffles into the kitchen, pushing his sleepy, sex-rumpled hair out of his eyes as they adjust to the dark. He trips over his jeans on his way to the sink, his dry throat forgotten as he stubs his toe on the edge of his phone. He curses quietly, reaching down to rub his foot before he pulls the device from the pocket of his pants.
He unlocks the screen, checking for any messages from Alexis or his mother. He frowns as his phone vibrates with a voicemail alert.
Hmm.
He yawns as he sticks the phone between his ear and shoulder, lazily slumping his body against the center kitchen island.
"Mr. Castle," the deep, familiar voice makes him straighten immediately, the hairs on his neck prickling in awareness like they did for the last time six months ago. "You need to call me at this number by three a.m. this morning. If you fail to do so, I can't say when I'll be in a position to contact you again."
Castle swallows hard, a sense of dread slowly creeping up his back.
"It's urgent," is all he hears as the line clicks off.
He hastily ends the call, his heart in his throat as his eyes fly to the analog clock on his phone.
3:47 a.m.
A few quick things:
1) Updates won't be this frequent. Couldn't bear to leave you guys hanging over chapter one.
2) I have no intention of setting Kate Beckett's character development back four years. I know she chose Castle over her mother's case, but humans are flawed. I'm attempting to set this up in a believable way, hence the intrusion of the not-so-mystery guy at the end.
Thoughts?
Liv