I know I've said it before, but thank you so much for your support of this story. This chapter isn't in the same universe as the first chapter, but for anyone curious, we will see more of chapter 1's Kate and Rick again this story.
Maritari
Category: This chapter could be future!fic and it references 7x10.
Rating: T
Chapter 2 - Catch It On Netflix
Marry me. We can go to the movie theatre and sit in the very back row just to make out like kids falling in love for the first time.
She appears at his side, breaking through his writing haze without uttering a word. Glancing up, he finds her looking serene with her hip perched on his desk and her fingers laced against her belly.
"Hey," he greets, running his hand through his hair, mussing already mussed strands. "What time did you get home?" He checks his watch quickly, making sure she hasn't been waiting hours for him to come out of his creative coma.
"Hey," she drawls, cupping his cheek to get his eyes. "Few minutes ago. I was watching you."
"Mhmm, creepy." He grins.
"Takes one to know one, Castle," she singsongs, kissing him softly.
They've never been a normal couple, but since Gates made her reluctant announcement and kicked him out of the precinct all those years ago, he and Kate have made a hell of an effort to do this for each other; be as normal as they possibly can be. There's something so wonderful about the way she comes home at the end of the day and sheds the skin of the tough Beckett shell to become just Kate.
"You love me anyway."
Her lips quirk as she pushes his chair away from his desk just enough to slide into his lap. Their noses bump before he takes another kiss from her lips, this one a little more biting.
"Good writing day?" Her fingers are cool at his jaw, catching his stubble gently.
Truthfully, he'd only started getting words on the page a couple of hours ago, really hitting his stride just an hour before her work day ended. The early part of his day was spent shopping online, the middle part of the day he spent reading up on new massage techniques. He just smiles, though, kissing his wife's fingers gently when they scoot across his mouth.
"Not too bad. Two chapters done. They're rough, but passable for now."
Kate smiles, green flecks dancing in her eyes. "Good."
"Forgot to start dinner, though." His chin lowers in apology. This makes the third time in a week. It's hard to get moving on time when he's the only one home.
She squeezes his neck gently, smoothing her lips over his cheekbone. "Don't care. You're not the short order cook. Come on, let's go out. We'll get dinner and then I wanna do something."
He glances down at his attire; the ratty t-shirt he'd dug out of the bottom of his drawer (he should probably do some laundry, too, shouldn't he?) will not do under any circumstances for a night out with his wife. Even if it's just dinner in an overpriced, crowded diner.
"You're fine," Beckett promises, plucking at his shirt. It's easy for her to say considering she looks fresh off the runway gorgeous even after a full day at work. "Toss a jacket on over it and you'll be good to go."
"Sweats and all?" He lifts an eyebrow, kissing her brow. Her nose crinkles a little bit as she lowers a hand to tug on his waistband. Yeah, he's going to need her to not do that if she expects to go anywhere.
He catches her hand in his, swiping a kiss on her palm before returning it to safer territory.
"Mmm, maybe not. Okay, go change first. Jeans. Jacket over your shirt, that's all that's necessary. No suit."
She smiles, smoothing her hands over his shoulders as she stands. His own fingers move down her back, squirming tantalizingly across the swell of her behind before she swats him away.
"Behave," she warns, tongue poking between her teeth. "I'll wait here."
And then she's perching her backside on his desk blotter, swinging her legs innocently. Heaving himself up, he settles his palms on either side of her to steal a slow kiss from her smiling mouth.
"Keep waiting like that and we're not going to make it to dinner."
Warmth fills his chest with her laugh. This is good; their lives are constantly changing, but they're still okay. They're still strong and together.
"Go, Castle." She shoves him lightly, pulling her lip between her teeth. He's getting to her a little bit, he can tell.
"Hmm, are you sure I can't entice you into stepping into the next room with me?" His finger trails up her arm, tracing the seam on her shirt to brush the curve of her neck. She squirms, clamping her chin against his hand.
"Nah uh. I'm hungry for food first."
"Spoilsport."
"You'll survive," she promises, palming his butt quickly. "Go."
Sure enough, he manages to succeed in changing his clothes and taming his hair without spontaneously keeling over. When he returns, Kate's still seated on his desk and she's scrolling on her phone to keep herself busy. He doesn't manage to see exactly what she's reading before she turns off the screen and shoves it into her pocket, but it looked suspiciously like the Fandango website.
Is she taking him to a movie?
"Ready?" She smiles, lifting her chin.
He leans in, sneaking a kiss. His fingers curl into her pocket, fishing for her phone.
"Ah, ah, ah." She slaps his hand away, sliding their fingers over each other. "Dinner, then surprise."
"Fiiine," he huffs. "Let's go."
They have dinner at a place he's never been to before; from the outside it looks like nothing more than a hole in the wall, but as soon as the doors open, he eats the protest that'd been on his lips.
The place is awesome. It's reminiscent of The Old Haunt. It's part of the appeal, Kate acknowledges against his cheek.
"But I don't think you need to buy this one, too, Castle," she adds quietly.
He chuckles, rubbing her back gently. "I'll settle for being a customer, then."
Kate grins, pushing a soft kiss onto his lips before pulling away and giving the host their name, Castle.
She's still Beckett everywhere, even to him, but there are times when she revels in claiming him. He revels in being claimed, even after this many years of marriage. Especially after this many years.
"You called ahead?" he asks, cocking his head. "What if I had started dinner before you got home?"
Kate laughs easily, tugging on the back of his jacket. "I called while you were changing. And I made other reservations for later, too."
"Where?"
A mysterious grin is all he gets as her fingers slot between his and she tugs him to follow a server to their table.
Dinner is fun. The atmosphere is awesome, and it's made infinitely better by the gorgeous woman with sparkling eyes fitted against his side. She feeds him bites of her food and steals pieces of his in between silly stories. They don't talk about work or writing, or any of the other things that've been causing them stress lately, they just enjoy being where they are.
Beckett accepts the check at the end of their meal, barely sparing him a glance in response to his quiet protest. Money's never been a problem for them, not the having it and not how it's used, but he likes to take care of her any way he can.
"My date, my treat, Castle," she says finally, after their server scurries off with her credit card. He smiles, squeezing her knee.
"You're right. I like being treated."
"Somehow I knew you would."
They link arms again as they leave the restaurant. Kate isn't telling him where they're going, but he has a feeling he knows once they begin to walk. Sure enough, they find their way in front of a familiar movie theater box office a few blocks later. His wife brandishes her phone, tapping the screen to read instructions for picking up their tickets.
"We can go in. They should have a scanner." She's right. He remembers hearing about the system upgrades the theater has been making.
"What are we seeing?" he asks, scanning the marquee for a clue about Kate's choice until she drags him inside.
His wife grins over her shoulder and that look is enough to send a shiver down his back. "Does it matter, babe?"
O-oh, they're not going to a movie to see the movie.
God, he loves this woman.
The ticket taker waves them through, pointing his wife in the direction of their theater. Kate stops in front of the concessions stand, looking up at him, her eyes bright and eager.
"Popcorn? Gummies? Bottled water?"
"I'm stuffed, maybe just the water."
She beams, stealing a kiss. "I'll get something sweet to share, too. I know you'll want it halfway through the movie."
He holds their water bottles as she leads him into the theater. The lights are dim, but they're early enough that it isn't pitch black. Not that having light matters much; he has a feeling he knows exactly where she's going.
Kate picks a spot to the left of center in the last row, gesturing for him to scoot in first. He helps her sit, holding her elbow since she's already warned him against lowering the arm rest between their seats.
Yeah, he's totally onto her.
His wife settles beside him, taking a slow drag from her bottle of water as the pre-movie ads thunder in front of them. It's relaxing, sinking into the theater seat and stretching his legs out. The whole night's been relaxing.
"Thanks, Kate."
"Mmm? For what?"
"Making me take a break."
Taking his hand, Kate curls his arm around her, letting herself rest heavily against his side. The weight of a long week has finally started to leave her shoulders, too.
"I needed it, too, believe me."
Exhaling, he pulls her closer. They've been through a lot recently. A lot of changes; a lot of ups and a lot of downs. They did need this.
Kate squeezes him, kissing his chin carefully. "I have some time off coming up. Think we can round everyone up for a small vacation?"
"I think that can be arranged. I'll call Alexis tomorrow. You get Mother."
"Uh huh. Make sure everyone can get time off, please."
He sighs. She means his daughter's fiancé. He isn't a fan of the man at all, but Alexis loves him for whatever reason, and he's been told he doesn't have a choice in the matter.
His daughter may be in her thirties but it doesn't mean he can't still try to protect her.
"Fine, Beckett."
"You'll be rewarded handsomely for your cooperation," she purrs, lifting her head to kiss him as the lights begin to dim.
Her mouth slides warmly across his, lips soft and unhurried. She's in this one for the long haul and he can't complain. They have probably thirty minutes of previews ahead of them before their movie even starts. What better way to pass the time?
"Mhmm, I better be, woman," he mock-grouses, curling his fingers around her shoulder.
She grins, nuzzling his mouth again lazily. "Yes, dear."
After a few half-kisses, she slides away slightly. In the dim light, he sees her fingers curl around the package of M&Ms before she returns to settle against his chest again.
"Snack?"
"Sure." His mouth pops open for her to feed him.
Beckett rolls her eyes but pushes an M&M between his lips. Her thumb skids along his lower lip, retreating as soon as he puckers to return the affection.
Tease.
He murmurs as much amidst one particularly loud trailer, but the wicked grin on her face tells him she knows what he's said anyway.
Another piece of candy bumps his lips. This time he manages to catch the pad of her index finger with the very tip of his tongue as he accepts the offering. He feels her breath catch at the contact, but she doesn't move closer. It's a game of delayed gratification, so to speak. He's fairly certain they won't be doing that in this theater tonight; Kate's exhibitionist streak has mostly been tamed.
"Cute," she mutters.
"Returning the favor."
"Uh huh." His insolence earns him another piece of chocolate and the easy press of her lips.
The theater darkens again as the final trailer fades out and the intro music for the feature film begins. Kate grins against his mouth, turning her head slightly so he can see which movie they won't be watching this evening.
"Oh this was a good choice," he breathes. It's a romantic comedy, a typical date movie. One they never watch even for free.
"Uh huh," she agrees, squirming in her seat. "Figured the reviews were bad enough that there wouldn't be many people in here a month after release."
Their lips brush again. "So smart, Captain Beckett. I think you get smarter every day."
Kate's fingers curl around his shirt collar, her mouth colliding hard against his. The promotion's still new, the title still foreign to her, but he's been waiting years to call her that and he takes every opportunity to do so.
He pulls on her lip gently, tracing its fullness with a swipe of his tongue. The taste of chocolate clings to her mouth; he needs more. More chocolate, more glimpses of the red wine she had at dinner, more of her.
His wife scoots closer, brushing the backs of her fingers across his throat. Her hand's cool against his heated skin and the contrast makes him shiver.
"Like that?" she whispers, flicking her tongue over his lip this time.
"Uh huh."
Finally his hands remember they work, one splaying across her lower back, keeping her against him, the other sliding through her hair. He doesn't let her go far, even as she retreats from the kiss to suck air into her lungs. Instead, his mouth slides across her chin, nipping lightly at her jawline before moving to her neck.
Kate groans, gripping his shirt tighter. "Do not leave a mark, Castle."
Pressing an open-mouthed kiss to her neck, he grins. "It'll go away by Monday."
"Uh huh," she murmurs. "And do you want to explain why you gave me a hickey to the boys when they get home from their sleepover?"
O-oh, yeah she has a point. Explaining love bites to two twelve year old boys isn't on his list of priorities just yet. Still, he nuzzles the spot on her neck.
"I'll be careful."
His wife grunts, palming the back of his head. "Damn well better be," she mutters, arching into his mouth.
"Always am, Beckett." He kisses her neck again lightly, tongue darting out. Her perfume has long-since faded away, giving him only the sweetness and tang of her skin.
"And yet, somehow, we ended up with three kids," she drawls, voice low against his ear.
They both know the boys were a result of her seduction on their anniversary, but he'll let it slide this time.
"Well, the time traveler said –"
"Well, your wife is saying shut up and kiss me."
His mouth flattens against hers again.
The throat clearing behind her takes him by surprise, but he simply cups Kate's cheek and goes in for another kiss. Whoever's near them probably just needs a throat lozenge. They must've come in late and decided to sit on their row for some reason.
Beckett giggles against his lips when the throat clears again.
"Maybe I should share the water with them."
"Mhmm, maybe." He slips his hand under her shirt, smoothing against the plane of her stomach and moving upward carefully. She shivers against his hand.
"Second base already, hmm?" She tilts her head, kissing the center of his chin. "Ambitious."
Still she rocks into his hand, encouraging him to move higher.
"You know m-me," he stutters as her mouth trails over his neck. "Opportunity is knockin –"
"Sir, ma'am, we're going to have to ask you to leave."
Beckett jumps to her feet as the voice cuts through a quiet moment in the movie. His hand drops less than subtly as she tries to adjust her clothing, push her mussed hair behind her ears, and look professional.
"What um, is there a problem?" Smooth, Kate, very smooth. Better than him, of course, considering he's going to need to cover his lap with his jacket before he goes anywhere. She at least manages to make her voice strong, no-nonsense, as she faces two theater employees. Did they really warrant two people?
"We've received complaints about your behavio –" The taller figure begins, only to be interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Oh my god, Mom? Dad?"
Kate recoils. "Riley?"
"I – you're the ones – you've been – eww. Eww." Their fifteen year old daughter's face twists in disgust.
He's only able to look around in horror. Yes, both he and Kate had known she was working tonight, but this… this was not what they'd expected to happen. Isn't she usually on concessions?
His wife's hand clamps around his arm. "We'll be going now. We're… I'm sorry."
She practically drags him out of his seat, shoving his jacket against his belly and hissing to get moving.
Still, he stops in front of his daughter – his traumatized baby girl. She won't look him in the eye, of course, but he kisses the side of her head anyway. He's had reservations about his daughter working so early in her teens, but this scenario was never one of the reasons. "Sorry, sweetheart. Ice cream sundaes when you get home? Make it up to you?"
"Dad, go," she pleads, shuddering. "Just… eww, go."
Kate rounds back to hug their daughter quickly. "Sorry, Riley."
"Not making it better, Mom." Her head ducks in embarrassment, a mannerism stolen from Kate herself.
"Don't hate us, please."
"Mom," Riley hisses in warning. "I'm still working."
"Going, we're going. And the car will be waiting for you when you get off work," she adds over her shoulder.
It's the only thing he's put his foot down about; if his child is working late, she's going to be taking a car home, not walking, not taking a cab, and not getting on the subway.
Riley looks mortified at the reminder, though.
His wife's arm curls through his and she yanks him down the stairs and out of the theater.
"That was," she breathes once they're on the sidewalk, navigating their way around excited moviegoers.
"The best date ever?" he asks before she has the chance to finish her thought.
"Castle! We got kicked out of the movie by our daughter. That was humiliating."
He grins, glancing around to make sure their teenager won't bust them again before he pulls her in for another kiss. Beckett sighs, leaning into him.
"Come on, you know it was fun while it lasted."
She grins into his mouth finally. "Yeah it was. Wanna go home and do it some more?"
"At least until Riley comes home."
His wife laughs, pressing her forehead against his. "Oh, she's not going to even look at us until tomorrow night. She's going to run to her room and call the rest of her friends to fill them in on how gross we are."
"Mmm, true. Come on, then, let's go home and be gross some more."
Kate laughs again, stealing one last kiss before they get moving. "Let's go."
