Spoiler alert in case you aren't up to date with the episodes: Reference to the end scene in 5x17.
Castle flung the door open to the loft, bags in hand. He quickly made his way to the kitchen and put everything he had gotten at the store away. He grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and poured her a glass of the Sprite and grabbed her pack of the fruit snacks. After setting those on the counter he booked it up the stairs to grab Tylenol for her, hoping that it would reduce her fever. He came back down the stairs and grabbed the fruit snacks and the glass of Sprite and made his way to the bedroom.
When he entered the room the only light was from the bed side lamp that was turned on the lowest setting. She lay on her stomach, head turned away from the door. Her arms were sprawled out all over the bed and her hair was a heap of curls spread across the pillows.
He made his way over to the bed, setting everything on the bedside table and moving his hand in slow circles on her back. She stirred, tucking her head further into the pillows, trying to find more darkness but not succeeding.
"Hey," he whispered softly. He didn't want to force her to wake up, but she needed to take medicine to get her fever under control.
She winced as she opened her eyes. The light from the lamp on the bedside table was too much for her throbbing head. He moved to sit on the side of the bed next to her hip, never removing his hand from her back. He took his other hand and pushed the curtain of hair lining her face away so that he revealed half her face. She slowly turned onto her side, wrapping her small figure around his waist.
"I brought you some Tylenol since you're running a fever. I also brought some fruit snack. Your dad said that would help to sooth your stomach."
"Thanks," she mumbled. Her voice was practically gone and he shushed her with his lips on hers. "Don't kiss me, you'll get sick," she whispered. He just smiled at her and leaned in for a kiss again.
"Let's get medicine in you. Then I have a little bit of a surprise for you."
She rolled over the rest of the way so that she was on her back, and then tried to sit up. Her body was stiff and not moving how it usually does. Luckily he was right there, ready and happy to help. He put two white pills in one hand and the glass of Sprite in the other, then leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "Be right back." He ran out the room into his study.
He returned just as she was swallowing the second pill and opening the fruit snacks. His arms were filled with blankets and pillows. When he entered the room he promptly threw them all on the bed making her laugh. "I thought we could make a fort on the bed." She smiled up at him, watching him in amazement. He was so wonderful at taking care of her and she was so grateful for him being there. She needed more of it. She needed him to be here, and loved the fact that when she was sick she had someone right there ready to run out and get her anything she needs. She also had someone who would make her a fort in bed and cuddle up with her.
"You said you had a surprise for me?" She whispered. He smiled, very excited for this surprise. He had been saving this for about two years hoping that one day he would get to show it to her.
"Do you remember when you told me about getting your tonsils taken out when you were young?" She nodded remembering the conversation they had at her desk two years ago. "Ok,well after that I decided to try out Temptation Lane, just to see what it was all about and why you loved it so much." She blushed at the thought that he was taking an interest in what she was interested in. Even before they were together he cared so much about her. He continued, "Well, I obviously already had being with you at the top of my bucket list so I DVR'ed a few of the episodes in case something like this every happened." He trailed off toward the end of the sentence because he was not sure if he had over stepped or not.
"Are you telling me that two years later you have old episodes of Temptation Lane for us to watch right now?" It took everything she had to get the sentence out, but she wasn't going to leave him hanging and make him tell the whole story by himself. He looked timid, but he nodded. He was pretty sure he hadn't over-stepped, but didn't know what to expect from her when she is sick. Then she smiled. It was the biggest smile he had seen on her face. The grin was ear-to-ear and he gratefully returned the smile. They sat there for a moment basking in the eye contact until he finally broke it.
He began arranging the pillows and blankets all around the bed and grabbed the remote control. He settled back against the head board with blankets sprawled across his legs and pillows around his back and on his sides. She moved over and settled into his side, resting her head against his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. He flipped on the television in the bedroom and turned on the DVR going to the saved episodes of Temptation Lane.
"Sorry there aren't that many. I only saved a few episodes because I had other things I was recording."
"Like every episode of Game of Thrones?"
"Hey! That is important and you know it!"
She smiled into his shoulder as he moved his arms around his shoulders and tightened his grip.
"Maybe when we're done with this I'll get you hooked on Game of Thrones," he mumbled under his breath, making her smile grow.
There was a lot of heat coming off of her body and he realized he hadn't asked how she was feeling. "Hey," he started moving her back a little bit so he could see her face. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything else?"
She nodded her head no. "Maybe just a little more rest. And a little more of this," she said, settling back onto his chest.
The heat radiating off her body was incredibly hot and her voice sounded like it was the most painful thing ever to talk, but he didn't pry. He hoped that if there was something wrong she would not shut him out. If the day so far was an indicator, he was right.
She was out before the theme song on the show was done and he followed her into sleep quickly. The peace could only last for so long.
I still have about four hours until 5x19 airs here, but here it to what is certain to be a great episode and 100 more amazing episodes!