Taken from a photo prompt on Tumblr, which can be found at castleincalifornia dot tumblr dot com slash post slash 124030538214.
Gender Blind
"You know, we're going to have to get dressed eventually."
Castle lowers his tablet where he's been perusing the Sunday Book Review and quoting the wittiest snippets, meeting her eyes.
"Says who?"
"Says me. We didn't come out to the Hamptons with the intention of lazing around in our pajamas all weekend."
"Okay, first of all, I object to the term lazing. And second, we did in fact get out of our pajamas yesterday."
"Skinny dipping in the pool doesn't count, Castle."
"Sure it does. And there was nothing lazy about what we did on the double lounger afterward." His brow waggles in a suggestive dance, and it makes Kate laugh in spite of her protests. He's not wrong.
"Oh, you won't hear me disagreeing with you there. Even the peanut was doing acrobatics afterward."
Castle reaches over to nudge the hem of her camisole upward and spread one warm, wide palm over the small bulge that's steadily taking over her midsection.
"Yeah, she was all over the place."
"Yes, he was." She arches an eyebrow at him in challenge.
Her twenty-week ultrasound is days away they're still debating if they want to know the gender. Castle leans toward no, claiming that there are so few true surprises left in this world, why not get the most out of this one? Kate waffles back and forth; some days, she's perfectly content to ride the wave of mystery her husband sells her on so effectively. Other times, her need for order and control takes over and the idea of not knowing sounds like absolute madness.
"She's not going to appreciate that, you know," he singsongs at her.
Her eyes narrow and her lips purse teasingly, a sure sign she's willing to play along.
"Okay, Castle. I'll bite. Why are you so certain we're having a girl?"
He sits up a little straighter at her side, so obviously tickled that she took the bait.
"Beckett, think about it. Look at me, at my family. This little one?" His fingers stroke over the barely there bump, its mass solid under the heat of his hand. "She's just going to be the next in a long line of powerful, extraordinary women."
She shakes her head, her front teeth clamping down on her bottom lip in an attempt to control the pleased flush on her cheeks, but it's of no use. She knows just how deeply he loves and admires her, but his words of praise never fail to move her.
"Of course, I fully acknowledge that I might be wrong, but I couldn't care less. Boy or girl, I'll be thrilled," he adds, his face softening then, something far-off in his eyes and his smile just this side of melancholy. She senses the shift in his mood and weaves her fingers in between his over her belly, their palms kissing her skin.
"What is it?"
He scrunches his face up, a sure sign he's worried she'll think him a bit silly for whatever's on his mind, but in the end, her gentle squeeze and smile are the only encouragement he needs.
"I never thought this would happen for me again. When I divorced Gina, I just figured I wasn't cut out for the married life. And after being a single parent, I vowed that if I ever had more children, I'd only do it with a partner who I could be confident would stay by my side." He sighs, shifting his hand over her midriff and chasing the butterfly movements of their unborn child.
"I love being a dad so much, but as much as I wanted more kids, I had completely given up on that dream. Until you, I mean." His somber expression gives way to something lighter, the process of unburdening himself of his past loneliness cathartic and cleansing.
Her face splits on a painfully wide smile, because she understands completely. The ways in which she's transformed his life, he's done the same for her. Everything is different now, and they have the other to thank for that.
"I get it. For a long time, my job was my life, and it would have been hard to envision myself stepping back from my duties long enough to have a family, but…I dunno. With you, it just feels like the most natural thing in the world to do."
His answering smile is all the response she needs, any lingering sadness swept away by the silky brush of her lips to his, a seal on her vows to him, to be true to him, to be his partner, to love him, always.
He rests his temple against hers, his breath warm against her cheek as he sighs, "You've given me so much Kate. I don't know how to thank you."
They both start when the movement begins again, their child fluttering gently under the combined weight of their hands. It feels like a "hello" of sorts, and Castle leans forward to press his lips to her belly.
"You've got a ways to go kiddo, but I look forward to meeting you in a few months."
Her heart does a flip in her chest, because this man infuses love into every single thing he does for the people in his life. This little one, boy or girl, is already blessed with an amazing dad.
Castle straightens up then. "You know Kate, whatever you want to do next week, I'm game. Whether we find out or not, it's all good. I just can't wait to be a dad again. And I can't believe I get to do it with you this time around. I'm seriously the luckiest guy alive."
She feels the prickle of tears gathering at the corners of her eyes and throws her arms around his shoulders, her murmurs of I'm lucky too buried in his neck as he holds her close.
When she pulls back to meet his eyes, her own are damp but her smile is dazzling.
"Let's be surprised."
Thank you for reading...as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.