Inspired by a piece of Random-Ship's fanart and written to celebrate her birthday, which can be found at random-ship dot tumblr dot com slash post slash 86807818088.
Hey Castle, you in the mood for a nap?
The answer is always yes, of course. Whether they're "napping" or actually napping, how could he ever pass up the chance to cuddle up to the warmth of his wife for a little while on a rare day off? He'll take it, every day of the week and twice on Sunday (and as it just so happens, it's Sunday).
He's already reclining on the bed, awaiting her return from the bathroom, and honestly, what's taking so long? He tamps down his impatience, the inevitable result of a particularly draining week spent apart; his writing deadline combined with Kate's late nights at the precinct had worked in conjunction to run them ragged. They've had almost no downtime together, so yeah, he's more than ready for some quality time simply being close to her, in whatever the capacity.
He hears movement from the bathroom then, running water and her soft steps about the space. The door finally opens and before he can draw a breath, she's bounding onto the bed and on top of him, straddling his hips and smiling so wide, her face looks like it may split in two.
"Uhhh…what's up, Beckett?"
"I'll give you three guesses. Go."
What on earth is she playing at? Her grin is positively giddy, her entire body vibrating with some mysterious energy. But he loves seeing her like this, playful and teasing and unabashedly happy, so he'll play along willingly.
"Okay. Ummm…oh, I know! They're making Naked Heat into a movie."
She laughs at his suggestion, and it's such a bright, sunny sound, he finds himself laughing along with her. She shakes her head though, "As lovely an idea as that is, no, that's not it. Besides, I think Nikki and Rook are better suited to the written word than they are the big screen."
She leans down and kisses him then, soft and sweet, his very own Nikki Heat come to life, only more gorgeous and radiant and real than any character that fills the pages of his imagination. She pulls away but doesn't go far, waiting expectantly for his next idea.
"Okay, then how about…ooooh! You made a special trip out and bought me some of my favorite ice cream? You can admit it, you like the potato chip fudge, too."
"I confess, it was much better than I was expecting it to be. But no, that's not it, although we may have to get some soon. You know, since I might be getting weird cravings and all."
He's so busy formulating his next guess, he almost misses her completely blatant hint, but then the implication hits home, and his eyes go wide.
"Kate…are you telling me…are you pregnant?"
She simply smiles and nods, and he's just as speechless, because oh God…a baby? A little bit of him, and hopefully a whole lot of her. Best surprise ever.
As he sits up and draws her near, her hands cup his face and she presses her lips to his, and oh, how he adores this woman. He sees it now, the unmistakable glow that surrounds her, and he wonders, how was that not his first guess?
They're both crying, their tears of joy mingling as their lips brush and noses bump together. He pulls back to take her in, his beautiful, beautiful wife, her eyes shiny and her nose a little reddened. She's never looked so stunning to him as she does at this moment.
"Oh, Kate. We're having a baby."
She can only murmur uh huh in response before she's kissing him again, their shared bliss converging where their lips meet over and over.
Their joy finally escalates into something closer to passion, a desperate need taking over, their desire dictating their next movements. He rolls her beneath him and sets about undressing her, taking extra time to reverently kiss the flat expanse of her belly, the manifestation of their love for each other still unseen, but there all the same.
There will be no napping today…only celebrating.
Thank you for reading...as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.