Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop
"Let me come with you."
They were lying in bed, her head resting on his arm as he ran his fingers over her shoulder. Outside the window that he had opened the blinds to, snow was starting to drift over the city. First snow of the season, coming later than usual thanks to a long fall. It was magical, seeing the flakes flutter past their window.
"Worried about the dresses, Rick?" she teased, turning her head to press a kiss to his chest through the fabric of his t-shirt. "Because I have one all picked out already."
"You do?"
Kate nodded. "I do. Bright orange with this nice tie-dyed ribbon around my waist. I mean, I think it's perfect. Al can wear neon pink; it'd match really well."
"God, you had better be joking," Castle said, flipping them so he was braced over her. "Tell me you're joking, Kate. Please."
She hummed, shaking her head. "Why would I ever joke about my wedding dress? I think orange would be charming, off-setting the snow that's probably still going to be on the ground in March. Maybe we could have turquoise accents," she mused, trying to pretend he wasn't pressing her into the mattress with his weight, that his lips weren't that close to hers. "They'd look nice with orange and pink, right?"
Castle cut her off with a kiss, stealing the rest of the teasing words from her mouth as she giggled against his lips. "You're horrible. I have no idea why I'm attaching myself to you for the rest of my life."
"Cause you're foolish and you have money that I want. Gonna marry you, kill you, then roll around in your riches," she responded, trying and failing to squirm out from under him. "Modern day black widow."
"And what about breaking Al's heart when I'm found dead somewhere?" he asked, keeping her in place with his hips, nudging his nose against her neck.
"Then I'm sure your riches will comfort her too. Pay for therapy and all that."
He groaned, letting his forehead hit hers. "Now I'm not sure if I'm worried about the dress or you killing me in my sleep."
"Probably should go with both," she said, tipping her head back so she could brush her lips over his before he captured them hotly. "Need to go get Al dressed."
"She can wait ten minutes," Castle growled, fingers moving from her collarbone down to the hem of her shirt, slipping under the fabric and up to slope of her breast, muffling her gasp. "I need ten minutes."
"That all?" Kate managed, arching up as continued his path across her body. "Thought you had more staying power than ten minutes."
Before he could prove anything other than that the tips of his fingers had the ability to spark electricity down her side, the door to the bedroom creaked open, letting in a stream of light from the study and one very-awake Al. This time, Kate groaned as he shifted off her, hands skimming over her stomach before tugging the shirt back into place.
"Later," she whispered before Al jumped onto the bed with them. "Morning, kid!" she greeted the girl climbing over them as if they were rocks until she can drop into the space between them.
Al's feet kicked out, connecting with Castle's shins as she burrowed into the pillows. "Morning!"
"What has you up so early," Castle asked, threading his hand through her tangled curls.
"Dress day, silly." Al rolled over, hiding her face in the blankets. "Got to get a dress for the wedding."
"What wedding?" Kate teased, getting out of bed with a yawn – mornings were not her thing. "You getting married, Al?"
The girl took her mother's spot, flipping the covers over her head so that she could wrap them around her body. "Not me! Gosh, you two are so weird."
Kate brushed her teeth, untangled her hair and started braiding it as she came back into the bedroom. Al was missing, probably sent off to get dressed by Castle, but the man was still stretch out under the covers, watching her. "What?"
"Just you. Just you, Kate."
"You're getting sappy, Rick?" she asked, using her teeth to pull the hair elastic off her wrist so she could twine it around the end of the braid. She knelt on his side of the bed, swinging her other leg over his hips.
His hands inch up, hold onto her waist, teasing her shirt up again. "Think we've got time now?" he asked, lifting his head up to nip along her jaw.
Kate leaned her head down, giving him easier access to her neck, moaning softly as he nibbled on the long line of her throat. "Make it fast, stud."
With her permission still ringing in his mind, Castle pushed the rest of the sheets down with his feet, flipping them over. "Tell me if…" he started, trailing hot open-mouthed kisses down the crook of her neck to the bit of skin exposed by her t-shirt.
"I know," Kate sighed, tunneling her fingers into his hair. "Less talk, more action before Al gets back."
Kate never thought she'd be getting married. The thought had crossed her mind a few times before Al was born but never after. The whole pregnant-by-one-night-stand-stranger had ruined the normal steps taken to get to a wedding: dating, a nice dinner out at their favorite restaurant where he got down on one knee and popped the question with a pretty diamond ring, hiring a company to plan the event, and living happily ever after.
She wouldn't trade her path with Castle and Al for anything, as twisted and tangled as it was. Especially seeing her daughter come prancing out of one of the dressing rooms in the second dress, doing a twirl before coming to a full halt in front of Kate and Lanie.
"Pretty," Kate said, reaching out to brush a finger over the skirt, soft satin. "Think this is the one, kid?"
Al tilted her head, looking over her shoulder into the mirror. "Don't know. Maybe." Then she touched Kate's knee. "Where's your dress?"
"Haven't found it yet. Erin is getting some more."
"Your mother is picky," Lanie added, looking up from her phone.
Kate gave her friend a shove on her shoulder. "I'm allowed to be. Bride and all that."
"Mom," Al started, twisting the skirt of the dress in her hands before Kate tapped them, stopping her. "I'm happy."
Kate bent forward, scooping Al up onto her knees. "Oh, me too, Al. Me too."
"Here's a few more we can try, Kate," said Erin, rounding the corner with a handful of white and ivory fabric between her hands. "Well, Miss Alexandra, that dress is very pretty."
Al slid off her mother's lap, spinning around with her arms out. "Thank you!"
"You coming in to try dresses on with Mom or are you going to wait out here with Lanie?"
"Out here. Want to be surprised," Al said with a nod.
Lanie patted the extra chair next to her. "Come on up, chica. Let's see how Mom cleans up with this batch."
Mom wasn't being picky. Kate had to keep telling herself that. She wasn't. She just wanted it to be right. And she was barely holding it together as the sweet bridal consultant chattered about fabric and silhouettes and accessories. All Kate could think of was how her own mom wasn't around to tell off certain dresses or reach for tissues when The One came around.
"I know you said no mermaid dresses but trust me on this one," Erin said with a smile. "Just give it a chance."
She didn't look in the mirror in the room as Erin snugged the bodice up around her, tying something in the back of the gown. Kate's fingers rubbed the side of the dress, felt the loops and swirls of embroidery under her palm. There's softer, lighter fabric just below her fingers but she didn't bend down to feel it.
"Oh, Mom," Al sighs, eyes going wide when Erin opened the dressing room door. She scrambled off the chair, using Lanie's thigh as leverage, dropping onto her bare feet. "Beautiful, Mom."
Kate glanced at Lanie, found her friend's mouth gaping, and had to turn around to check the mirror to see what had caused the reactions. The dress was strapless, the sweetheart neckline covering enough of her breasts to be modest but still giving a hint of cleavage in the center. The bodice was fitted down to her hips, covered in embroidered lace and sparkling sequins dotted throughout the fabric; subtle but still enough to catch the light. At the curve of her thighs, the tulle skirt billowed out around her calves in three tiers, each one ending a little lower than the previous one.
"So?" she said, spinning a little to see Lanie and Al behind her. "What do you think?"
"Girl, that's it," Lanie managed, a smile taking over her face. "That's the one."
"Al?" Kate asked, turning to her daughter, still standing in shock a few steps away from Kate. "Yes or no?" The same question she asked with every new dress to the one person in the room that really mattered. The other would have to wait a few months to see it.
"Oh, yes, Mom," Al breathed, walking over to hug her arms around Kate's middle. "Yes, Mom. Yes."
Kate tipped her head back, wiping away the lone tear that dripped over her cheek. "Looks like a winner," she told Erin.
Erin gave a little cheer then said something about going to find some accessory options.
"Didn't think you were a corset girl," Lanie said, uncrossing her legs and pointing at Kate's back. "But it works."
She's right. The back was a laced-up corset-style, the ribbon hanging down onto the tiers of tulle. Kate takes a moment to pull on the ribbon, not enough to loosen the bow that Erin tied carefully, but enough to feel the smooth fabric slip through her fingers. She also didn't think the train, long but not nearly cathedral length, would have jived with her but it worked.
"One down, one to go," Kate said, brushing her hand over Al's head. "What do you think, kid? That the one or do we need to get Erin to find some more for you to try on?"
The dress on Al was white as well, tea-length, with little cap sleeves of organza. The top is a faux-wrap, ruched satin tucking a belt embellished with beaded flowers and flowers. The girl's hair, loose despite Kate's wish to ponytail it for the trip, settled on her shoulders, a warm brown contrast to the crisp white.
Blue eyes meeting Kate's hazel in the mirror, Al nodded. "It's perfect."
Erin returned, holding a few hangers with more tulle and organza clipped neatly in one hand, the other balancing what appeared to be tiaras and hair clips and a few dozen necklaces looped over her wrist. "Let's see what we can do to make you sparkle, Kate."
Surprising herself, Kate waved Erin off. "No veil. No jewelry. We're good."
The consultant hesitated and Kate wasn't sure if it was the loss of a larger commission or merely shock. "We do have one short veil that would look absolutely stunning with the dress. And a necklace would really bring it together."
Kate shook her head. "Thanks, but no. I'm sure my…" she paused, still tripping mentally over the word, "fiancée will have some present tucked away. No need to ruin another one of those time-honored wedding traditions on him."
"If you're sure…" Erin trailed off, turning away with her armful of fake diamonds and fabric. "Let me put this on a cart and we'll get you back into normal clothes. Both of you," she added with a wink toward Al.
Lanie got up, took hold of Al's hand. "I'll get this chica changed. You want a picture for your dad or someone?"
"No." Kate smiled, softened the word the second time. "No need to let it leak out that Richard Castle's getting married. Our secret, right, Al?"
"Right!"
Five minutes later, Kate's back in her jeans, deep red sweater, and tall black boots, helping Al shrug into her jacket and scarf. Lanie had left to find the car that Castle had insisted they take and Kate was fairly certain her friend was flirting with the driver, a cute boy named William. William who was probably flushed a bright red as Lanie dropped innuendo after innuendo.
Kate ignored the actual price of the dresses as she slid her card across the pale marble counter near the cash register. She'd had that fight with Castle last week when she had told him about the appointment. She refused to budge on the fact that she'd cover the dresses for her and Al. Anything else was fair game for him and her dad to bicker over as far as expenses went. Tucking the receipt with the first fitting date into her wallet, Kate gathered up Al from where she was ogling at another bride and headed out to find Lanie.
Sure enough, there was the medical examiner, huddled into her jacket, looking up at the tall driver despite the snow still falling steadily.
"Lanie, leave William alone and get in," Kate said firmly, giving her friend a nudge toward the back seat of the car.
She gets an eye-roll in response as Lanie moves toward the back door, opening it for Al before she gets in.
"Where to next, Miss Beckett?" William asked, the blush fading as Lanie left.
"Let's get Lanie home first. Then there's a coffee shop a few blocks from here." Kate circled the still-open door. "And William? It's Kate. How many times…?"
"Every time, Miss Beckett. Habit," the boy returned closing the door behind Kate and going to get in the front seat.
Outside of Lanie's building, Kate scooted out, letting her friend out of the car. "Thanks, Lanie. For coming with us."
Lanie grabbed Kate up in a hug, one that Kate returned just as fiercely. "No problem, sweetie. Tell your man I said hi."
William stayed outside of the building long enough to make sure Lanie got into the lobby before driving off in the direction of the coffee shop. It wasn't a necessary stop but one that Kate wanted. Coffee was nice – they had a latte machine back at the loft that she could use – and the pastries were good but it was the principle. Their coffee shop.
"Want anything, kid?" she asked Al when William braked against the curb.
"Cookies!" Al said. "And a brownie. And-"
"Pick one."
The girl's face fell but Kate held her own against the sad-puppy look being shot at her. "Brownie. With sprinkles."
"Think Rick wants a brownie too?"
"Duh. It's Rick," Al said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Kate reached back into the car, ruffling Al's hair. "Three brownies it is then. Be right back."
Al was already halfway through her brownie by the time Kate unlocked the front door of the loft, letting the hyper child in. The girl had adjusted to the extra space of the loft easily, spreading out over the bedroom she had chosen upstairs, making it her own with things from home and things that Castle had surprised her with. Kate still had trouble believing that her old home, the one that she had grown up in, wasn't the place she'd be going home to each night. But knowing that the sweet man she was going to marry had decided to keep paying the rent in order for Al to have it once she grew up was comforting; Kate wanted that place to be in the family.
"Go do homework, kid," Kate said, aiming Al toward the dining room table. "Finish your brownie and work on your math."
"Don't like math," Al whined, sitting at the table anyway.
Kate fixed her daughter with another one of what Castle called her detective-looks until Al sighed. "Just ten minutes of homework then you can take a break." Waiting until Al pulled the little packet of addition problems toward her, Kate moved into the study, opening the door that Castle had closed.
"Hey you," she whispered, drawing his eyes up from his laptop screen. "Brought you a present." She reached into the bag, grabbed hold of one of the brownies.
"You're enough," he said, realizing too late just how cheesy that sounded.
She drew the brownie from the bag, waving it in front of him. "Oh, then I guess I'll keep this," she hummed, biting into the dessert.
He got up, rounding the desk quickly to try and snag the brownie from her hand. "You're so mean to me."
"Mmm… But you love me," Kate said, using his forearms to reach his lips.
Castle can taste the chocolate and frosting as he darted his tongue into her mouth. "Yes. Yes, I do."
"Early for that."
"Never too early if I mean it." He pulled back enough to give them both time to breath before going back for another series of peppered kisses. "Every. Single. Time."
"Even if the dress is orange and Al's wearing hot pink?"
"Even if."
Kate stepped away before things got too far for them to move back from with Al just outside at the table. "God, you really do love me."
"Well, maybe I'll only like you if you show up in orange," he murmured, hand wrapping around her wrist to bring the rest of the brownie up to his mouth.
"Good thing it's white like every other wedding dress," Kate sighed, feeling his lips brush her fingertips.
"Then yeah. It's love."