[Castle: Drabble] "Time for Two" [Beckett/Castle, G]
Title: Time for Two
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: writerverse phase 21, challenge 28, prompt 18 ‘returning alone’
Word Count: 528
Fandom: Castle
Pairing(s): Rick Castle/Kate Beckett
Setting: very post-series
Summary: It’s too quiet.
Time for Two
The car was very quiet.
Its manufacturer claimed it would be, that this model boasted increased soundproofing to the cabin, in addition to the smoother engine. Normally, Castle did all of his driving in the heart of New York City - between his apartment, the PI office, Alexis’s apartment, the 12th precinct, Joanna’s dorm - that he didn’t even notice.
But today, it was quiet.
The scenery rolled by, almost silently. He drove slightly over the speed limit - being married to a cop couldn’t take away all his fun - but he hadn’t passed another car for miles.
It was interesting, Castle thought, how quickly driving by himself could feel lonely.
Alexis had always preferred walking or taking the subway, even when she was little. Driving had always been something he did alone, while Alexis was in school or he was out on a book-signing tour. It had always been a good way to clear his head, to be alone with his thoughts.
But now, he was painfully aware that he was the only person in the car.
Still lost in thought, Castle pulled into the precinct’s parking garage and parked carefully in the spot marked Cpt. Beckett. He nodded absently to the officers he passed on the way in, but headed straight to the captain’s office.
“Silence,” he said.
Beckett did not look up from her paperwork. “Are you looking for silence?” she asked. “Or complaining about it? Because if it’s the first one, you’ve come to the wrong place.”
“It’s the second one,” said Castle. “It’s too quiet at home. It’s too quiet in the car.”
She did look up, smiling. “That’s because I’m sure you three were playing who can sing the loudest all the way back to school.”
“Not all the way,” he protested. “We stopped for ice cream in Binghamton.”
“Of course you did.”
“It’s just…” he said, then sighed. “Quiet. They’ve all left us, Kate.”
“They have not,” his wife said, completely unsympathetic. “Alexis and her family are only a few blocks away. Joanna’s residency is a whole three hours away, yes, but she’s on her last year, and she’s already taken a job at literally the nearest hospital to our apartment. That’s half of our children, which is pretty good odds, even if the twins do end up living in Australia, or something.”
“Why, have they said something about that to you?”
“Castle,” she said, with fond exasperation. “They are not leaving us. They call or text or video chat just about every day. But sometimes, they are going to have their own stuff going on, and you are going to just have to deal with it.”
“Or we could just have another kid?” he suggested, with an eager smile.
“Hell, no,” Beckett laughed. “Four of your spawn in the world is more than enough.”
“Three of those spawn are yours, too,” he protested.
“You know,” she said, “maybe the silence isn’t all bad. After all, there are a few activities that are… just for two.”
“Oh,” said Castle, then offered a playful leer. “So, when do you get off work?”
His wife laughed. “About fifteen minutes.”
He smiled back. “I’ll wait with you.”
THE END
Current Mood:
mellow
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: writerverse phase 21, challenge 28, prompt 18 ‘returning alone’
Word Count: 528
Fandom: Castle
Pairing(s): Rick Castle/Kate Beckett
Setting: very post-series
Summary: It’s too quiet.
Time for Two
The car was very quiet.
Its manufacturer claimed it would be, that this model boasted increased soundproofing to the cabin, in addition to the smoother engine. Normally, Castle did all of his driving in the heart of New York City - between his apartment, the PI office, Alexis’s apartment, the 12th precinct, Joanna’s dorm - that he didn’t even notice.
But today, it was quiet.
The scenery rolled by, almost silently. He drove slightly over the speed limit - being married to a cop couldn’t take away all his fun - but he hadn’t passed another car for miles.
It was interesting, Castle thought, how quickly driving by himself could feel lonely.
Alexis had always preferred walking or taking the subway, even when she was little. Driving had always been something he did alone, while Alexis was in school or he was out on a book-signing tour. It had always been a good way to clear his head, to be alone with his thoughts.
But now, he was painfully aware that he was the only person in the car.
Still lost in thought, Castle pulled into the precinct’s parking garage and parked carefully in the spot marked Cpt. Beckett. He nodded absently to the officers he passed on the way in, but headed straight to the captain’s office.
“Silence,” he said.
Beckett did not look up from her paperwork. “Are you looking for silence?” she asked. “Or complaining about it? Because if it’s the first one, you’ve come to the wrong place.”
“It’s the second one,” said Castle. “It’s too quiet at home. It’s too quiet in the car.”
She did look up, smiling. “That’s because I’m sure you three were playing who can sing the loudest all the way back to school.”
“Not all the way,” he protested. “We stopped for ice cream in Binghamton.”
“Of course you did.”
“It’s just…” he said, then sighed. “Quiet. They’ve all left us, Kate.”
“They have not,” his wife said, completely unsympathetic. “Alexis and her family are only a few blocks away. Joanna’s residency is a whole three hours away, yes, but she’s on her last year, and she’s already taken a job at literally the nearest hospital to our apartment. That’s half of our children, which is pretty good odds, even if the twins do end up living in Australia, or something.”
“Why, have they said something about that to you?”
“Castle,” she said, with fond exasperation. “They are not leaving us. They call or text or video chat just about every day. But sometimes, they are going to have their own stuff going on, and you are going to just have to deal with it.”
“Or we could just have another kid?” he suggested, with an eager smile.
“Hell, no,” Beckett laughed. “Four of your spawn in the world is more than enough.”
“Three of those spawn are yours, too,” he protested.
“You know,” she said, “maybe the silence isn’t all bad. After all, there are a few activities that are… just for two.”
“Oh,” said Castle, then offered a playful leer. “So, when do you get off work?”
His wife laughed. “About fifteen minutes.”
He smiled back. “I’ll wait with you.”
THE END
Current Mood:
mellow