"Our smiles should touch now."
September 2014
The wind lifts her hair, sends strands cascading about her face in a frantic rush. The lackadaisical breeze flutters around them and douses her in the beautifully intoxicating aroma of summer and the man she loves, Kate smiles, feeling Castle's lips caress the back of her neck.
She's falling into his chest, holding onto his hands as they curve around her waist to pull her as near as possible and she laughs, loud and still awed, turning her smile towards him so he can kiss the edge of it.
He wraps her up and snuffles into the crook of her neck, warm and contented and pleased with himself as they are slowly surrounded by their family and friends. Congratulating them, the people she loves laugh loudly, happy in the moment, happy for her and they swarm around the couple as they stand center stage, clinging to each other.
He's sweet, all soft touches and whispered breath colliding hotly with her skin, Castle, taking his time and making her forget the waiting congregation even as they close in, threatening to tug them apart and get the ball rolling.
Everyone in their lives seems to be in a hurry to get them married.
Though he planned the whole thing, Castle's content at her side, to linger, to hang on a few more seconds, because they've waited this long and yes, yes she wants to run down the aisle and not so much drag him - he's as eager as she is for it to happen - but to hold his hand and (good god, she feels a bit ridiculous even thinking it) skip to the altar!
She won't, and she'll probably only confess her imaginings of the two of them hand in hand, like carefree teens, when they are coiled around each other in darkness, but right now she's wrapped up in his arms and, oh, she could stand just like this forever.
He's relaxed, kind and gentle with the soothing sweep of his hands and warm when her skin prickles with goosebumps of awareness, he chases the chill right out of her body, her blood, her life.
Quietly, among a cacophony of excitement, he keeps her close.
Her head tips back with the brush of his fingers under her chin and he kisses her neck again, her jaw, the side of her cheek, lighting fires and sparking lightning and every other analogy she can think of to describe the way he ignites the love between them, the way he drives the happiness out over her flesh.
Laughing, he's almost vibrating at her back, giddy and ready, so ready for whatever it is that he has planned and she shivers right into his embrace, smiling wide and ignoring the world, even as they touch at the edges of their bubble, threatening not to pop it, but to make it expand, including everyone they know.
It settles over her, laps at her like sizzling water in a hot bath, they're getting married today and he planned the whole thing, and maybe, finally, he's gotten her back for his birthday and now, now they get to have this, an actual beautiful outdoor, simplistic wedding because last time was...
"Stop it." He hums at her ear and she knows he's right, doesn't even question him feeling the change within her as the memories surge. He strokes his fingers over the back of her hands, coils her thumbs protectively within his palms and reminds her with the warmth of his hands that they say so much without saying a word. They speak volumes with each quiet touch.
Kate pushes back and huffs a soft sound of amusement, delight and surrender and happiness all, closing her eyes as he sweeps his mouth over her skin, finding that telltale thudding beat just behind her ear and laving it with his tongue.
She doesn't need to think about why fors and what-ifs when she has this.
Him.
When she has Castle and all the ways he loves her, the ways they love each other as an antidote to the pain of the past and a guiding light toward their future. When she has this, everything else fades into nothing.
And oh, he's so very good at distracting her, mouth hot and warm and teasing, that for a few seconds she's almost oblivious to the catcalls and - ugh, Lanie Parish that had to be you - wolf whistle that erupts behind them.
Castle spends an ecstatic and oblivious moment paying homage to the way her heartbeat speeds up because of him, just for him, steadfastly ignoring the rambunctious loons they call family. But a throat clears and he groans along the length of her collarbone, hot vibrations of pleasure like needles darting through her system and his fingers tighten at her waist, not wanting to let her go.
He grumbles, something about honeymoons and do not disturb signs and all over again it hits her.
They're getting married.
Today!