“Leaving on a Jet Plane”
By December21st
Fandom: Castle
Rating: G
Pairing: Castle / Beckett
Warnings: Fluff. Written in a hurry. Probably not very good.
Summary: I'm leavin' on a jet plane; I don't know when I'll be back again. Response to
castleland challenge "Castle Manifesto" with a theme of Castle/Beckett. With apologies to Peter, Paul and Mary; John Denver; and Michelle Featherstone.
Beckett feels his lips on hers, softly drawing her out of a restful sleep. She smiles before she even opens her eyes, feeling his hand cupping her cheek as he kisses her. The kiss is gentle and chaste, and she's surprised that it even woke her up at all. The first thing she sees are Rick's eyes, looking at her as though he's memorizing her every feature.
"Morning," Rick murmurs, as though on some level he's still trying not to wake her.
"Morning," Kate replies, equally quiet, and leans into the wake-up kiss. It lasts a few minutes until Castle reluctantly pulls away, taking a step towards the door.
"The taxi should be here in a few minutes," he informs her, and she gradually realizes that he's not only awake before her, but that he's already showered and dressed. He even put on his coat before he came in to wake her up to say goodbye. Her glance flickers briefly at the luggage sitting just outside the bedroom door. For one brief moment, she'd forgotten that he's leaving.
"What time is it?" Beckett asks, gathering her thoughts.
"Dawn," Castle answers, a typical poetic answer to a practical question.
Kate doesn't ask him if he has to go; she's not some sniveling child who can't face practical realities. That doesn't mean she wants to face them, however. She wants to pull Rick back into bed and let sleep overtake them both, cradled in softness and warmth. Instead she pulls on the robe draped over the footboard as she gets to her feet.
"I miss you," Rick tells her, and there's a catch in his voice. The look on his face is indescribable.
Kate steps over to where he's standing, kisses him again longingly for just a moment, and smiles her most dazzling smile at him, blinking back the tears that glisten at the corners of her eyes. "I'll be waiting right here for you to come home," she tells him. She wraps her arms around him in a full-bodied hug, resting her head on his shoulder. She doesn't want to ever let him go.
"I wish I didn't have to go," Rick tells her, talking into her hair. She wishes the same thing, but she's not going to say that. She's not going to make this any harder on him than it already is.
"Castle." Beckett pulls back so she's looking at him, so she can see his face. "I want you to know that I've never felt this way before. There's never been anyone, ever, who's made me feel the way you make me feel. "
"I know," he assures her, cupping her chin in his hand and kissing her again. She wraps her arms around him like she'll never be able to hold him again.
"And, well, I thought about what you said last night. And you're right, the women before me, they're not part of your life any more. You've proven that. So, when you come back, if you want to give me a ring, I'll wear it.
Rick beams at her, kissing her thoroughly. They back up until the backs of her knees hit the edge of the bed. She sits on the edge of the bed, slightly breathless. And he backs away from her, his eyes telling her how much he wishes he wasn't.
"Until I get back, dream about us together. Dream about our life together, and how happy we're going to be." And then Castle slips out the bedroom door, closing it behind him. And Kate Beckett returns to bed and dreams.