"Your kisses are like laughter, bubbling over my skin."

December 2014

There is applause.

They might even be on their feet but he cannot tear his eyes from her up there behind the podium. He wishes his view was the same as theirs, that she could throw her eyes out into the crowd and see him and he could give her some kind of universal signal of always and you rock and damn, my wife is extraordinary, just for her to see and smile at. He wishes, but she wanted him here.

She kept hold of his hand right until the last second, bound up tight with antisipation and needing him close, she almost tugged him beyond the red curtains that drape the length of the makeshift stage. She's giddy and forceful in her grip, excited because the benefit is a roaring success before she even takes to the stage and gives the speech.

But she did and everyone that can stand is on their feet and he might have tears in his eyes because of her words and he's heard that speech so many times and yet never, ever, at all the way he heard it tonight.

Castle applauds along with everyone else. Swallowing thickly, he waits for her return.

Then she's there.

She bounds off the stage, giddy and light and straight into his arms.

He has to stumble back to absorb the impact.

Her feet bounce, her smile is wide and just bordering on the crazy manic side, consumed with relief. Her arms wrap around him, squeeze him tight enough to make him wheeze and she gives this great, heaving post traumatic event sigh straight into his ear that makes him hug her back.

Then she makes a sound about as close to a squeal as Kate will ever make. Ah, screw it, it's a squeal, no denying it, she laughs and squeals, hugs him hard and smiles up at him so very pleased with herself.

She pulls back, kisses his lips with a smacking sound that makes him laugh. A great, big, mwaaah to his mouth that seems to latch her enthusiasm onto him, skin to skin, like osmosis, he takes on her emotions and giggles with her.

She kisses his cheeks and his nose and wraps her arms around him and squeals again.

It's a magical night. Kisses and giggles and her, vibrating with excitement in his arms.

He pulls back slowly, holds her face to see her smile, "So ... speech went well?"

She laughs again, nods into the warm palms of his large hands and grins. "You can say it," she breathes out, eyes suddenly brighter, "I don't mind."

Castle draws her in, shaky grip, sweaty palms, beautiful woman and all. He presses his lips to the shell of her ear, says the words quietly, only for her, knowing what it takes, what it costs for her to hear them, "I told you so."

She drops her head to his shoulder for a brief second and then the laughter bubbles back up inside her. The kisses following close behind.