for, again, the almost birthday girl...less than 24hours!
Disclaimer: i own nothing! but i spent the day baking cookies...and i own those...or i did before i ate them!
She doesn't believe in signs from the universe, she really honestly doesn't, fate is a foreign concept and destiny is one of those things she laughs at, but, as she roamed the streets looking for the perfect gift, something must have been on her side.
She's just about to give in, give up and go home, admit defeat (as much as it kills her) and let him pester her for the next year about all the ways she sucks at present giving, but that's when she hears it.
The music, soft at first, then louder as she turns trying to catch where its coming from. She knows it, the tune, cant quite catch it though as she tilts her head following the source.
Santa honey,
I want a yacht and really that's not a lot,
been an angel all year.
And its that word.
His word.
Angel.
His word for her and she turns towards the source. She cant help but laugh because she's standing outside a lingerie shop. He always claims to have been mystically guided by the universe and she wonders if maybe he has some power over it as well…it's almost as if he planned it.
She smirks, her hand creeping to her face to cover it as she thinks back to the hotel and promising lingerie that didn't exist, that leads her to thinking about the precinct (she still hasn't lived that down yet, probably wont if Castle doesn't stop bragging about it) and her bike and when she pinned him against her door. Then there was her bed, their first time in her bed, that image has her completely lost….
"Excuse me."
She jumps as a tiny little old woman appears out of nowhere next to her, her cheeks flushing, caught out in a dirty mind parade of sexy Castle images, she realises she is smiling like a lunatic at this tiny woman.
"Could you?" the little woman, hunched forwards, points to her scarf which is trapped under her foot "I just chased it down."
"You chased it?" She bends and picks up the scarf handing it to the woman who smiles back at her broadly. She stops and stares at the woman in admiration, chasing down a scarf.
"Buy it for him dear."
"I'm sorry, what?" then she is staring in shock.
"Whoever it was had you smiling the way you were a minute ago deserves a treat," she winked, the little old lady winked, "go buy it for him, I'd be in there myself if I was 10 years younger." she patted Kates arm before strolling off.
Kate laughed watching the old woman leave, thinking ten years younger would make her about 70.
She turns on the spot and strides into the lingerie store and finds the perfect thing within seconds.
She doesn't believe in fate and the universe having magical powers, she does not, under any circumstances, believe the CIA is behind every conspiracy on the planet and aliens do not control the weather.
She does however believe in Castle, his ingenious mind and silly plots, and the minute she sees the item she buys, she cant help but wonder if he hasn't spent the last two weeks putting subliminal messages in her head.
Angel…hmmm.
…...
When she returns to the loft, tiny bag in hand, she finds the place deserted and the majority of the party preparation done without her.
She mentally fist pumps the fact she avoided it, she would have helped with the food, she would, but if there is one area she's happy to admit he excels and she doesn't, it's in the party details.
She checks the fridge and its fully stocked with trays of food and drinks, he was adamant no catering, he wanted to do it himself.
She smiles flicking up the corner of one of the trays and sneaking something chocolaty from underneath.
She spots the note when she closes the fridge door, finger in her mouth sucking off chocolate as she reads.
Went Christmas shopping with Alexis, whatever you have just eaten has completely ruined my display and you will need to make it up to me, in naughty and disgustingly decadent ways and I have to go because someone is reading over my shoulder and jangling their bracelet at me.
What on earth made you buy her that?
Love you x
She dips back into the fridge for another chocolate cream filled thing (the display is already ruined apparently and they taste so good) and realises she has the place to herself for a while.
She grabs the bag and heads to their bedroom…his bedroom…his bedroom, for a trial run.
She checks the time, three hours until people arrive, it gives her time to be thorough, she takes a shower, washes her hair, dries it and curls it. Small silver pins lift sections away from her face but leave the majority of it to cascade loose and free around her.
She takes time applying make up, not her usual style, wanting to add to the ethereal feel she dusts silver shimmer across her cheeks, just enough to make them shine and twinkle in the soft bedroom light.
Then she turns to the bag and slips out the very small box.
It was the most perfect thing she saw, and though it was kind of cliché to buy your boyfriend (oh god) lingerie as a gift, she had promised him on several occasions she was would wear it.
The closest she had come so far was black silk stockings, she had worn them to the precinct and that resulted in…she didn't really want to think about that, Ryan and Esposito still couldn't quite meet her eye.
She pushes those images from her mind and slips the white baby doll over her head, avoiding her hair, the bikini briefs go on next and she turns to the mirror, she dusts more shimmer across the top of demi cups of the bra.
The soft satin is split down the centre, flowing out in angled curtains either side of her chest.
That was why she picked this one, they reminded her of wings, angel wings. She dusts another long line of silver shimmer powder down the centre of her body avoiding the material as it flares, then she steps back.
The sheer white material settles across her skin, skimming her hips and flutters lightly as she moves.
Its almost exactly how she imagined it, but not quite, there's something missing she cant quite put her finger…
"You better not be waiting for somebody else!"
She splutters, jumping as he talks and turns to glare at him, but he's smiling in the doorway, no malice, just humour and something warm that flows from his gaze.
"God Castle!" she says turning to him, hand over her heart, he loves to catch her by surprise and lately he's gotten very good at sneaking up on her, in more ways than one.
"No goddess, definitely goddess." his eyes are focused on her legs as she starts to walk towards him.
"I was actually going for angel." she says, her voice teasing, so easily they flow from normal to tease, this is why they keep getting caught. That and the fact that no matter how much time they spend together, they cant manage to keep their hands off each other.
His face snaps up, whiplash fast as he meets her gaze, a dazzling smile lights his face at her words.
"I knew you liked it when I called you that." his tone mirrors hers as she stops in front of him, slipping her fingers up and pushing off his coat, letting it drop to the floor.
"You ruined your Christmas surprise you know?"
He shakes his head "No I don't think I did," he says lifting his hand, one finger presses against her just below the middle of the bra and glides down her chest, leaving a fiery trail to her stomach "just how I dreamed it." he tugs on the material of her negligee.
"You dreamt about this?" she asks as his hands span her waist, pulling her close, she goes to him, willingly, happily to kiss his face and…
"Only there were three of you," she pulls back and whacks him across the shoulder laughing.
"Let me guess," she says "you asked us to call you Charlie."
He laughs, "No I only need one angel." he pulls her back, tugging against her mild resistance smiling, stubborn woman.
"You started out as three, Kate, Beckett and my naughty Detective, but then you merged, all of you flowing into one until…"
She reached for him, her hands at the collar of his shirt as she starts to kiss his neck
"Mmm? Until what?"
"Until there was just you."
"Which me was it?" she asks her lips finding the end of his collar bone, nipping at in warning, waiting for him to speak and get himself into trouble.
The many varying versions of herself that lived in his head often got him into trouble, though she cant help but gloat at the fact its her, all her, in his mind, occupying his thoughts and his dreams.
His hand slips from her waist and into her hair, soft fingers gliding past her ear and catching through the curls. His thumb angles her chin, tipping her head so she stares up at him.
"You." he says his other hand rising, he lays it over her chest smiling "This you. Shiny, glittery, angel Kate."
She grins at him, resting her head in his hand as it cups her cheek
"You came and said you wanted to grant me a wish."
"In that order?" she asks her eyes wide.
She can see the raw desire hit him, watches it like a wave that crashes over him from head to toe, his pupils grow larger, darkening his eyes until they are almost black, hungry for her. Little spots of red appear on his cheeks, and his hands tighten against her.
She presses against him, squirms into his body, feeling exactly how effected he is by her words before placing a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw.
Then she raises herself up and giggles in his ear, soft huffs of air that make him shiver, his hand lifting and moving through the split at the front of her top, finding the skin beneath.
"Angels don't grant wishes Castle, that's fairies." she whispers.
"You said I could have anything I wanted." he said in an awed whisper, ignoring her, his hands spanning her waist, fingers warm and smooth as he let them glide over her stomach. He cant keep his hands off this part of her because it allows full contact with the palms of his hands, he can spread his fingers flat against her and roam, staying connected.
His nails graze the edge of her bikini briefs, tugging slightly, he makes no move to remove them, but the implication is clear, and it sucks all the air from her lungs.
"Mmm…that…doesn't sound like…me." she struggles around the words, swallowing down some of the fire he has ignited, it does her no good, it just settles lower, burns a path through her chest and sits in her stomach licking flames across her body.
Softly teasingly, but eager and demanding she moves and opens a button on his shirt, he's touching skin and she wants to do the same.
He laughs.
It has become a battle between them when they do this, both eager for the feel of hands on skin, inevitably one will beat the other, today he has her at a disadvantage, her body is laid almost bare before him.
"So what did you ask for?" She undoes a button and kisses at the skin she sets free, trailing her tongue over it.
"A speed boat?" She repeats the motion with each button, a soft open mouthed kiss to the skin beneath.
He shakes his head.
"A hot air balloon?" she kisses him again and he shudders his response as he feels her teeth graze the centre of his chest. Her hands drop lower and tug the button of his jeans.
"No…no hot air balloo…"
"Ooo I know" she says lifting up her hands to slip around his neck, falling into their usual place with ease, she drifts her nails through his hair, he likes when she does that, she hears the slow steady moan as she pulls her fingers around his head to sit just below his ears, she can pull him in for a kiss so easily from here, but she doesn't, not yet.
"The ability to fly." she states confident in her answer, pulling him down closer, but he holds back, his hands leave her stomach and catch at her wrists holding them in place, he slides them up her arms until he is holding her shoulders.
"No I asked for you, just…you."
They stare at each other, an eternity in a heartbeat of time as he watches her, he cant help but fall into her eyes, tipping forward until his forehead rests against hers.
"Well that was a waste" she says leaning away.
She watches as his face balks, his eyes scrunch in worry, she doesn't understand why, the tease was in her tone, she was sure it was and by now he should know, but the panicked look on his face has her wondering
"You have me…" she smiles widely, the smile that takes his breath away, the one that lays her love bare and her heart open before him.
It knocks him off his feet, staggers him, it's all he can do to keep breathing and not scoop her up in his arms, but he realises he can scoop her up if he wants to, oh and he really wants to.
His arms reach for her to lift her, carry her to bed, but she's still smiling that smile and rather than scooping her up he wraps his arms around her pulling her tight. He buries his face in her hair, inhaling deeply.
He does have her, he knows he does. He pulls back from her then, his need for her to strong now, he yanks her hand, smiling as she laughs at him, going with it though because she is feeling it too.
"How long?" she asks as they drop onto the bed. He moves so she's laying under him, hair spread across the pillow.
"Long enough, we've done it in less than ten minutes before!" he smiles fondly at the memory until she pokes him, he looks down and she's smiling up at him. She widens her eyes waiting for an answer as she grins at him.
"How long?" He leans past her to the clock on the bedside table "An hour."
"We'll have to save time, shower together."
"Not in this." he says pulling the strap of the negligee down her shoulder, replacing it with kisses.
"No, not with this on." she says quietly lifting off the bed towards his lips, she's thinking about watching water trickle down his body and is finding it hard to keep track of his words.
"Keep this." he mumbles as he moves to the other shoulder, teeth removing the strap this time.
"For what?" she breathes as his hands slip low and tugs at the briefs.
"Forever."
…...
They push it quite a lot time wise, he's still drying his hair when he answers the door to the first arrivals, no socks and very giddy.
She catches him as he runs for the door, pulls the zipper up on his jeans, shaking her head at him as he scoots past her.
She of course is composure personified and her years of getting dressed on the fly means she looks (gorgeous, beautiful, amazing,) pristine, perfect and shimmery. That sparkly stuff she dusted on herself went everywhere, and it's a nightmare to get off.
He greets Lanie, Ryan and Jenny, ignoring the looks they throw him as they walk in, and the fact Kate's standing in his kitchen hiding a smirk behind her hand, chewing on her thumb as she watches.
Its only later when Esposito arrives, he drew the short straw and is on call tonight, and turns to him, does he realise they didn't do a very good job.
"Bro, are you wearing body glitter?" Esposito scrunches his eyes giving him an appraising look.
