A/N: So, here's PeterGunn's prompt. I said it would be quick, didn't I? ;) Thanks to those of you who reviewed the last chapter, and have added this story to your alerts/favourites.
"Remember, this is meant to be a casual dinner, Castle – you don't need to wear a tux, or tails, or a bow tie or anything like that. Just a shirt, blazer and jeans will be fine."
"I know, I got it. I'm just getting ready now – nothing too fancy, I promise. And then I'll be at yours in twenty minutes to pick you up."
"Okay, I'll see you soon," Kate replied, "I love you."
"I love you too," Rick said.
"Wear blue," she requested on impulse. "You look good in blue."
"Blue it is," he muttered before she hung up and turned back to the mirror, picking up another bobby pin to secure the bun she'd been in the middle of twisting her hair into when he'd called to ask again what the requirements were for his dinner attire. They were eating with her father and her Aunt Theresa, at her behest. She had been asking about meeting 'Little Katie's fiancé' for a few months and her visit to the city made it almost impossible to put off.
After the minor debacle before she'd announced their engagement in the paper, he was a little afraid – and very worried – about meeting her formidable aunt for the first time. When she'd first mentioned it, trying to inform him of the event nonchalantly in the middle of a conversation about something else entirely, he'd practically balked at the idea.
Her limitations on his wardrobe had been brought into existence because she knew, without him even having to tell her, that he was anxious to impress. She hadn't even told him yet about how he was likely to suffer an interrogation from Aunt Theresa, who was sure to still have her doubts about Castle's loyalty. She just hoped that her dad's presence would help to calm her sometimes over-zealous and impetuous relative.
He knocked and waited patiently to hear the sound of her high heels clacking on the floorboards, signalling her approach to open the door for him. After a few moments of standing in expectation, he simply shrugged and pulled out his key to let himself in, pausing as he saw her suddenly appear in the doorway to her bedroom, holding two dresses.
"Oh, you're here, sorry I didn't hear the door."
"I figured, so I let myself in," Castle replied, wondering why his fiancé was still wearing the white shirt he'd gifted her. It hung open, giving him an enticing display of her underwear. With a view like that, he wasn't going to complain though.
Feeling his gaze, she explained, "I'm stuck deciding between three dresses." Making her point, she held up the two hangers in her hands. "I won't be long," she promised, "You can wait out here, or if you want-" She cut off and pointed back into the bedroom. Without another word, she dashed back into the bedroom, feet barely seeming to leave the floor.
Staring bemusedly after her, Rick allowed himself a moment to chuckle before strolling into her bedroom and seating himself on the bed as she held one of the dresses, a simple black, mid-length thing, in front of her body and looked critically at her reflection. After a moment, she switched and brought another dress in front of her body, the one that she'd worn when they had had both of their parents at the Loft for dinner.
"What do you think? Better than the black one?"
"It looks great," he answered without pause, remembering old advice about how it was murder to hesitate when a woman asked you how she looked.
"Great?"
"Kate, you always look fantastic. I thought that it didn't matter what you wore-"
"-I said that it doesn't matter what you wear," she corrected. "Trust me, my aunt's going to be far more interested in what you say and what you do."
"Because that makes me feel so much better," he muttered. He was already dreading questions about his previous two marriages and all of his lewd appearances on Page Six. The only thing he knew about the Aunt he was going to meet tonight was that she had been very vocal about his fidelity when the news outlets were reporting that he'd rekindled his relationship with Gina (yet again). And what he inferred from that was that Theresa Beckett was very protective over her niece, a truly terrifying prospect.
Rolling her eyes, Kate turned to face him, stepping forwards and smoothing her hands over the shoulder pads of his open blazer. "It'll be fine, Castle. Relax."
"Trying to," he replied, giving her a rueful grin as he put his hands on her hips and tugged her closer. Sitting on the bed with her standing between his legs, gave him such a perfect view up and down her. He swallowed a moment as his restless hands noticed that she wasn't wearing any old underwear; but a thong instead. "You know, you could just wear what you're wearing now."
"Your shirt?"
He nodded, fingers toying with one of the open edges before sneaking inside it to brush against the soft skin stretched over her hip and bring her out in gooseflesh. "Or nothing," he added, flicking his eyes up to gauge her reaction.
"I bet you'd like that," she grumbled, wishing he could be serious enough to just help her pick a dress out so they could be on their way. They were probably late already.
"It would definitely help relax me," Castle replied, looking downward significantly enough that she followed his gaze and noticed the defined bulge in the front of his jeans.
For the first time, she noticed what he was wearing – dark wash jeans, a powder-blue dress shirt complete with navy tie and a perfectly cut blazer. She gulped, feeling heat flash through her. Seeing him in blue just always did it for her.
Her reaction didn't go unnoticed by him and he pushed up from the bed, bringing his body into close quarters with hers. Removing the shirt with light fingers, he said, "How about we see how no clothes at all looks before we decide between the dresses, huh?"
Beckett's only response was a high-pitched moan as his lips touched her shoulder for the shortest of seconds before attaching to her neck.
"Ten minutes," she told him breathlessly as her hands tangled in his hair.
A/N: I've got no idea where the storyline for this came from, but hopefully you all liked it. Let me know what you thought.
