Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Prompt #41: Magic - He didn't want ordinary, and he never got it with her.

Words: 674

He lived in a world of money and sparkling champagne. So when he heard her say his name, he only assumed that she was there for an autograph.

Hearing that he was wanted for questioning in regards to a murder was something new.

She kept his interest, which was something in and of itself.

She wasn't ho-hum ordinary. She was something entirely fresh and different.

It piqued his interest.

Shadowing a homicide detective might not be a bouquet of roses for everyone, but Castle loved it. And it wasn't about gathering information for his newest character.

Okay, not entirely about gathering information.

Mostly it was about her.

Every day with her was magic. Every day brought out new emotions, new expressions, new witty jokes and comebacks that had his mind spinning to absorb and counter. Each and every moment with her showed Castle just how much of a mystery she was.

That was the reason he kept coming back at first. He wanted to know more about her.

Of course she couldn't make it easy for him. Four long years to cultivate a friendship that he treasured almost as much as his family, and she made him work each day for it.

Then he fell in love. He had to fall in love with a sassy homicide detective who took none of his crap. How unconventional of him.

But then again, he never did like conventional life. It wasn't nearly as fun as he liked.

He had to move slowly. A new feeling for him, the perpetual playboy. But for Kate, he went slow.

He waited four years. Four years, three exes between them, long nights of loneliness, and several near-death experiences before daring to confront her with his feelings. And even then, he feared her rejection.

This was a new fear for him. Rejection from a publisher was one thing; he could always resend it after some tweaking.

If Kate rejected him, he was done. She'd said it before, she was a once-and-done kind of girl. No second chances if he crashed and burned.

She did reject him. Loudly and soundly. He left, knowing that nothing on this earth would ever change her mind.

But then she appeared at his doorstep, rain in her hair and love in her eyes, like some wayward enchantress looking for shelter from the storm. He resisted her charms at first - shielding his broken heart from the cruelty a one-night stand would do to him and her and them - but when she broke down and admitted that she needed him, wanted him, loved him, he couldn't hold back anymore. He accepted the dangers and brought this enchantress into his arms and into his bed.

What happened that night was magic, pure and simple. He could only hope that come morning, she hadn't disappeared in the sunlight along with his dreams.

When she didn't, he dared to believe that this magic was destined to last.

He was right. It lasted longer than anything else he'd ever been a part of, except maybe the magic of his daughter's own life.

Long enough for him to get down on one knee in front of God and everybody at the precinct to propose to her. Long enough to meet her at the altar, with her looking like a radiant princess in her white dress and him more nervous than he'd been the first time tying the knot, to enchange their vows of "Always." Long enough to bring a child into the world, and after a time, have another one as well. Long enough to see those children grow up, grow wise, and have children of their own.

Richard Castle truly believed in magic of all kinds. Even the most ordinary of moments has a different type of sparkle to them, making them as extraordinary as the woman he loved with all his heart.

Then again, when you're with your special someone, nothing is ever ordinary.

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