Chapter 5 – Pants

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"Castle that story SO does not earn my pants. For my pants I expect something grander and Castlesque."

"Castlesque? I doubt that is a word." Arching a brow and flashing his baby blues, "In an effort avoid our first engagement fight I have the perfect well planned proposal for your pants." Laughing heartily Rick, "I was so proud of myself."

Rick's body began to slip off the swing as his active imagination vividly recalled the events of his botched proposal.

Placing her hands on his knees, Kate pushed Rick back onto his swing. "Are you going to share or are you going to laugh until you fall off that swing?"

Gathering his wits, "Do you recall when I was held captive in the loft after the unfortunate skiing incident?"

"Was that the time you were helpless, needy and whiny? Whereas, I was the QUEEN trickster."

"Beckett, you do know tricksters are almost always male?"

"What about Khandroma?"

"You amaze me, a Tibetan rainbow-clad, sky-going-goddess."

"I do read…. Coyote, Kitsune, Ārohirohi, Fraus, Mohini….should I go on?"

"You don't happen to have a Mohini costume of sorts do you?"

Leaning in closely, her breath seductively danced across Rick's ear, "Castle, do you think you could handle this femme fatale in costume?"

Gulping repeatedly, Rick sputtered, "My first attempt at proposing during my incapacitation was going to be with my remote control helicopter. When I suggested a helicopter ride to Ryan you said it was big and over the top. I thought I would prove to you helicopters could be romantic and intimate. The helicopter was going to land at your feet and flash in Morse code 'marry me' followed up with 'open me.' The ring was around the pilot's neck."

"You are ridiculous, I don't know Morris code." Pondering his story for a moment, Kate crossed her arms and leaned back on her swing. Sizing him up she asked with her detective voice, "Wait a minute, didn't I come home to you sprawled out on your belly scrambling after a shattered 'copter?"

'I prefer stomach."

"Fine, spread-eagle on your stomach like a turtle stuck on its back." Narrowing her eyes at Rick and staring him dead in the eye "Didn't you shriek at me to go away when I bent down to help you up?"

"I was conducting a test landing, heard your key in the door, panicked and hit the off button. I dove to the floor and attempted to catch the helicopter, missed and it smashed to the ground. You called out my name and I frantically crawled on all fours trying to recover the ring before you saw it."

Kate's body shook with laughter.

"I couldn't move fast enough so I flattening my body to the floor, hoping that it was covering the ring."

Tears of laughter began streaming down her cheeks, "Now that is a story worthy of pants."

Castle joined in Kate's laughter as he wiped away her tears, "Wait there is more."

Kate shook her head in disbelief, "More?"

"Remember the tank that I sent into the bedroom?"

"When I called you a pervert as you spied on me with the embedded camera?"

"Totally worth it, that lingerie set is so sexy." Castle's mind momentarily wandered as he thought of Kate in lingerie.

Rolling her eyes at him and wiping the last of her tears from her cheeks, "Stay on point Castle, the tank."

"The ring was inside the tank. I planted a microphone inside the tank and I was all set to say 'Will you marry me?' You yelled out 'pervert' put a cramp in my plans. I decided not to propose, it didn't seem like I was going to get a 'yes' out of you at that moment."

Grinning at him, "I was more likely to smash that tank than anything."

"I do know one proposal you might have said yes to."

"Do tell."

"Remember my birthday party?"

Nodding with a huge smile on her face, "A great night. I was so relieved you appreciated the little trick we all played on you."

"I know, when you were standing there in the 'murderers' apartment, surrounded by our friends and family, looking drop dead gorgeous all worried that you had gone too far. I wanted to say 'Marry me.' I wasn't going to ask you I was going to make it a statement in front of everyone. I wasn't sure it was private and intimate enough. Instead I held my breath and stalled, making you more nervous until I blurted out 'Best birthday ever.'"

Pulling his swing to hers, Kate let out a husky little, "I'm glad it was just us."