Chapter 9: L.O.V.E
Disclaimer: I am home for Canadian thanksgiving this weekend, and I'm sure Andrew Marlowe is not, which means unfortunately I'm still not him and don't own Castle.
Dinner and desserts plates had long since been cleared away. Kate had lost count on how many drinks Castle had gotten her throughout the night, and how many insanely fun dances they had shared. After Jenny and Ryan's first dance as a married couple things had started to pick up and it seemed like they would never slow down at this rate. Kate was sitting at her table, nursing another drink. She was slightly tipsy, nothing too in over her head, but she certainly wouldn't be in any shape to drive a car if someone handed her a set of keys right then and there.
Her heels were kicked off her feet under the table, Ryan, Esposito and Castle all talking and joking around at the head table reserved for Jenny, Ryan and their close family, Lanie was off getting another drink or on the dance floor most likely. But as her best friend sat down in the seat beside her and slid a drink in her direction across the table, Kate knew this was not going to be good.
"I love a martini as much as the next girl Lanie, but I think I'm good on the drink front." Kate told her, eying the martini Lanie had brought her, and her almost empty drink she currently had.
"Kate, come on girl. Live a little. What fun is a wedding with an open bar if you don't take advantage of it?" Lanie laughed, holding her own martini up for Kate to cheers. Lanie did have a point. Kate couldn't remember the last time she had drank a little more than she should and had a little fun with it. And with that she picked up the martini and clinked Lanie's glass with her own before taking a large sip.
"You're right Lanie. I mean how often do I let my guard down and have a little fun?" She asked taking another large sip of her martini.
"So are you going to tell me what really happened this weekend with Writer Boy or do I need to get you another drink to get it out of you?"
"Lanie!" Kate exclaimed. "I already told you nothing happened, and another drink isn't going to change that."
"I believe you right now as much as I believe Castle's crazy CIA theories. And we both know how much truth they hold." Lanie exclaimed.
"Lanie, I'm serious. Would I lie to you?" Kate managed to get out, still laughing at Lanie's comment on Castle's CIA theories, she'd like to think that even if she were lying, she was more believable than if Castle were spouting one of his inane theories.
"Yes, yes you would Kate Beckett. I know that nothing is the last thing that happened this weekend. You disappear with Castle after the ceremony, his hands have been on you at every chance tonight, you happy and laughing more than I've ever seen you. And don't even think for a second I haven't noticed you fixing his tux and running your hands all over him all night."
"Lanie, you've officially lost it." Kate replied before downing her martini and slamming the glass down on the table. "Nothing has changed, and maybe I'm tolerating him a little more because I'm technically his date to this thing, but we are still the same old Kate and Rick."
"Same old Kate and Rick my ass, hunny, but if you don't want to tell me that's fine. I know I'll get all the juicy details out of you one of these days. And speaking of juicy details here comes Writer Boy himself," Lanie finished as Rick walked over toward them, giving one of Kate's shoulders a squeeze and running his hand across her upper back before taking the seat next to her.
"I don't think I want to know what you two are discussing, but it's Writer Man Lanie. Writer Man," Castle said before recognizing L.O.V.E begin to play through the speakers. "I'll let this one slide though Lanie, simply because I need to pull my lovely date onto the dance floor with me for this one." He said grasping Kate's hand in his own as she quickly pushed her heels back onto her feet before he pulled her to the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her.
Lanie took note of the song as Castle whisked Kate away. She shook her head and laughed slightly, before Esposito led her to the dance floor as well.
"Castle pulling me out here to dance with you while this is playing is not the most subtle thing ever you know," Kate said, relishing in the feeling of his hands on her back, her own over his shoulders and one of her hands toying with the hairs at the base of his head, while his traced small patterns at the small of her back.
"Katherine Beckett, making some assumptions now are we?" He asked his hot breath not missed on her ear, or the gentle nip he made after finishing his statement.
"No, I mean- Castle, obviously not," she tried to get out, still flustered due being caught by him, "I just mean, others could assume things Castle, obviously I'm not assuming you're in love with me, because you couldn't be. We've only been together for days, sure we've known each other for years, but you cannot be in love with me." Castle could feel her tense under his hands as she continued to rant on, he was dying to cut her off with a kiss, but he knew then he's be in even more trouble.
"Kate, stop, breathe. I didn't mean anything by that comment or making you come dance to this song with me. Slow down, I'm not saying it yet, don't worry. I just needed an excuse to get you back into my arms." He finished placing a light kiss on her cheek as Kate let out a breathe of air.
"I'm sorry, Rick. I just freaked out a little there. This whole thing is still new and-"
"I'm cutting you off, this is a talk for a different night, tonight is supposed to be fun and light and we can talk about these things at a later date. For now I am completely content with you being right here and the two of us dancing." He said as the song came to a close and the next one began. It was One and Only by Adele, Kate realized.
"I love this song," She said placing her head on his shoulder, letting him gently sway the two of them to the music.
"It reminds me of us," Castle replied, placing a kiss to her temple. Her smile growing as she thought about the lyrics of the song and what he was implying. Most of the wedding guests were also dancing, mingling at the bar, or had already left the festivities, since it was getting closer to midnight.
"Tired?" He asked as they headed back to their seats after a few more songs.
"A little bit, been an eventful weekend." She replied.
"Just let me know if you want to head back up to our room." He said and she nodded in agreement. The last thing Kate wanted to do was leave from the party early. But with the late nights and early mornings she had dealt with this weekend she could think of anything better than curling up in bed right now.
Lanie, Esposito, Kevin and Jenny came to sit with them not much later, and after over an hour of talk between the six of them, Rick noticed Kate was almost falling asleep in her chair, his arm wrapped around her shoulders and her head laid upon his shoulder. Her eyes were shut lightly, and he knew she wasn't asleep yet, but it wouldn't be much longer until she would be.
"I hate to be the downer of this party, but my date is falling asleep over her, and I ought to get her back to our room." Castle said.
"I'm not asleep Castle," Kate mumbled. "Just resting my eyes."
"Tired our girl out much this weekend Castle?" Lanie asked. "She used to be the life of the party."
"And our room Castle? Don't think we missed that one." Esposito added.
"You guys are crazy." Kate said, lifting her head off Castles shoulder and standing up. "Goodnight guys," Castle said. "See you two at the precinct Tuesday," He added noting toward Lanie and Esposito. "And you guys have a wonderful trip. See you both when your back. It was a great night." He finished patting Ryan on the back.
"It really was guys. The ceremony was beautiful and tonight was great." Kate said with a smile, before the two of them headed out of the banquet hall.
"Did you have fun tonight?" He asked her, placing a kiss to her temple as they stood waiting for the elevator.
"I did. The ceremony was wonderful, and you are a lovely dance partner Castle." She smiled.
"Well, this just means I will have to take you out for dinner and dancing once we are back in New York, then doesn't it?" Kate simply smiled and nodded as the elevator doors opened in front of them and they stepped in before Castle pressed the button for their floor and to close the doors. As he stepped in front of her, taking advantage of the empty elevator to wrap his arms around her back and place his lips on her own. The kiss was sweet and tender, want and need of their kiss earlier in the day faded away. As Castle pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers, Kate reached down to pull her heels off of her feet.
"These have got to go," she said as she did so.
"Sore?" Castle asked placing a kiss to her temple as the elevator dinged, signaling the arrival to their floor. He let her lead the way out of the elevator and down the hall, his hand reclaiming what now seemed like his spot on her lower back.
"Running around all day catching murders in them is one thing, but dancing the night away in them is another, I don't remember the last time my feet have been this sore."
"Well you are in for a treat tonight then aren't you." Castle said opening the door to their suite. "Go grab a seat on the couch, I'm going to grab us both some water and then I'll come join you." He finished before disappearing toward the kitchenette.
Kate sat with her back against the one are of the couch, he legs stretched over the length. Castle reappeared with two glasses of water, as promised, setting them on the coffee table before flipping on the fireplace and sitting on the couch with her feet in his lap. He slowly began to massage on of them, Kate letting her head drop back at the sensation.
"What did I do to deserve this?" She asked.
"You were a lovely date tonight Kate, it's the least I can do. Imagine I had to do this thing alone? Or worse, had to bring someone else and watch you with another guy all night? I wouldn't have made it through." He responded, continuing to work the tight muscles of her feet.
"Well to be honest, I'm glad I didn't have to see some girl on your arm tonight either." Kate admitted. "But I think Lanie and Esposito may be on to us."
"Think?" He asked with a laugh. "Kate those two have been speculating things for years, and there's been nothing to speculate about. Now that there is something, they are going to have a field day." Kate simply laughed at his statement.
"I think I'd be more worried if they didn't catch on." She replied.
Castle smiled at her, turning his attention back to her calves that he had now worked up to massaging. He noticed her head lay back against the arm of the couch, and after a solid 10 minutes of silence between them, he was sure that she had fallen asleep. He carefully slipped out from under her legs to kneel next to the arm of the couch he head rested upon.
"Kate, wake up," He whispered, brushing her hair back from her face as she stirred and opened her eyes slowly to him.
"Way to put me to sleep with that massage Castle." She joked, moving to climb of the couch and stretch as she got up. "But thank you for it, it was amazing." She said placing her arms around his shoulders and pulling him in for a kiss.
"Let's get you to bed sleepy head," he said. She simply nodded and followed him toward the master bedroom of the suite.
After taking their turns in the washroom, Castle crawled into the bed next to an already sleeping Kate.
"Sweet dreams," He whispered, placing a kiss to her temple before she turned and cuddled into his side. He wrapped an arm around her, before being lulled to sleep himself, her cherry scent surrounding him and a smile gracing his lips.
Many thanks to all those who added and alert or favourite and especially those who reviewed. I love hearing from you guys. So keep the reviews coming! This was definitely one of my favourites to write, and this is that chapter I planned the story around. It came from the idea of Castle and Beckett dancing and Ryan and Jenny's wedding, and turned into all of this!
So for those still reading, you may have noticed that the wedding is over, but the story hasn't come to a close quite yet. I have two more chapters planned out after this, and a possibility of an epilogue. I am still undecided on that. But just a heads up that this One and Only is starting to come to a close. Not to worry though, because I have a few other stories up my sleeve for after this one!
I hope everyone enjoyed this as always, and as always I hope you all leave me some of your thoughts on the chapter!
