CASTLE FanFiction: You, Me, and the City of Angels (CHAPTER 14)
Title: You, Me, and the City of Angels
Author: heatxwave10
Rating: NC-17 (MA) ***Explicit adult themes (Chapter 13 ONLY and for freedom later), some language***
Genre(s): Romance, Friendship
Characters/Pairings: Castle/Beckett, gilmpse of Lanie/Esposito
Spoilers: Everything to date is fair game.
Disclaimer: Castle isn't mine, never will be mine.
Summary: Castle has to go to LA to deal with business concerning the Heat Wave movie, and he wants his favorite detective to accompany him. Will this trip lead to something more for our favorite duo? AU starting late season 3.
ALL CHAPTERS
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
A/N: Okay, so the truth is that this chapter has been finished for a while and long since posted on FanFiction. However, I can also confess that I waited to post this here and held it hostage because nobody commented on the last chapter. I hope I didn't scare everyone away with the smut.
Anywho, here's the next. I've decided that I'm going to throw in some insight from the New York side of things. So, I kicked off this chapter with a quick Esplanie-ish moment. (Remember, they're still together in this universe.)
Now commence thee to reading! =)
P.S. Any and all errors are my own. Feel free to point them out fo rme to fix.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
CHAPTER 14
Lanie Parish was a persistent woman, and she wasn't the type to appreciate ignored phone calls. But after an afternoon and an evening of text messages and multiple phone calls to her best friend-none of which had been answered-her patience was wearing thin.
"Ugh!" she groaned, slamming her cell phone down on the kitchen counter. "Kate Beckett, what the hell is going on?" she muttered.
This had already been stressful at the morgue all day-a triple homicide and a suicide that all happened in one night and had her up at the crack of dawn to examine the bodies. Javier had been pretty grumpy all day, too, since he and Ryan were the investigators in charge of the perplexing case. The tension had been bad enough that all three of them started snapping at one another when the two detectives came to the morgue that afternoon for autopsy results.
All Lanie wanted after a day like that was to talk to her best friend. Was that too much to ask?
"You okay, chica?" Esposito called from the living room.
"Yes, I'm fine," the ME sighed exasperatedly, making her way over to take a seat next to her boyfriend. "But I know a certain detective who won't be fine if she doesn't call me back. I've been trying to get a hold of her all day."
"Maybe she's busy," he shrugged, picking up the remote from the coffee table to flip through TV channels again.
"She's on vacation, and it's about 7:00 in LA. What could she possibly be doing that would keep her busy?"
"I don't know. She and Castle must be having a pretty good time, though."
"They better be," she said, scooting closer to him and relaxing as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I hope this means she finally got up the nerve to jump his bones. God knows they've waited long enough."
"Well, this is Castle and Beckett we're talking about. They're going on three years now, so I doubt it."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
With the conversation dropped, she rested her head on his shoulder and settled into watching the television with him. They both desperately needed to unwind after the day they'd had.
"Oh . . . my God," Rick panted as Kate collapsed next to him in bed, catching her breath as well.
It was later in the week, Friday evening to be exact. They were both tangled in the sheets and one another, slick with perspiration, hearts both beating wildly from the physical activity and other reasons. Kate could only laugh when she caught his appearance: completely disheveled hair and a dumbfounded expression on his face. For some reason, his various expressions of surprise had always amused her. She had to admit, this post-sex image was her new favorite.
"When you said you could do that," he continued, "I had no idea . . . I just . . . holy crap, Kate!"
"Believe me, you haven't even seen half of my tricks, Castle," she pointed out, leaning over to kiss him heatedly.
"I know, but still-I've never seen a woman do that, and I've been with a lot of women."
"Thanks for reminding me of that," she deadpanned.
He shook his head quickly and pulled her close to cradle her in his arms. "Sorry. You know what I mean, though. That was . . . amazing."
His lips descended on hers again, capturing them sweetly, while he ran his fingers through her hair. He relished in the soft moan he drew from her before pulling away slightly. However, before they could get too comfortable, they were interrupted by the sound of Kate's cell phone ringing-again (if she hadn't been so preoccupied, she would have turned it on silent).
With a groan, she decided to quit ignoring her persistent caller and reached over to pick it up from the nightstand.
"Beckett," she answered, trying her best to get rid of the sex-induced husk in her voice.
"Girl, it's about damn time you picked up!" a familiar-not to mention irritated-voice greeted her. "What exactly have you been doing all day that you can't spare two minutes to answer a text?"
"Lanie!" Kate said quickly with surprise, turning to glace at Castle with a look that said, 'It sounds like she knows something. What do we do?' "Yeah, sorry, I've not had my phone on me all day, and I was just about to check it," she lied. Was the ME buying it?
"Mhmm." Nope, Lanie was definitely not buying it.
Dammit! Come on, Kate. Think!
"Lanie . . ."
Yeah, that's good. Play the annoyed 'I can't believe you would think I'm lying' card.
"Don't 'Lanie' me," the ME chastised. "Something juicy is going on, and I can tell by your evasiveness. Contrary to popular belief, you're not that good an actress. Now, spill."
But Kate held her ground. She wasn't letting this thing with Castle get out so quickly, even if it meant lying to her best friend. "There's nothing to tell, I can assure you."
"Then, why have you been avoiding my calls all afternoon?"
"Sometimes people on vacation prefer to not have to deal with everyone and everything. They just want to relax and have fun. I'm no exception, so if my leaving my phone behind offends you, just remember that next time you're on a trip and people back home keep calling you. Don't get me wrong. You're my best friend, but sometimes I just need 'me' time."
"Yes, and I'm sure Castle's making sure of that." Kate could hear the suggestion in her friend's tone and let out a groan.
"I told you, this trip has nothing to do with that."
"I know, but that doesn't mean nothing's changed. Has anything happened since . . . that conversation we had the other morning? At least tell me you've made some kind of progress with him."
Kate closed her eyes slowly. Lanie was too determined for her own good sometimes. "Oh, sure," she said dryly. "Wedding's this weekend; figured we might as well elope while we're here all alone. What do you think?"
"Fine," Lanie huffed her disapproval at her friend's sarcasm. "I'll believe you for now. But, that doesn't mean I'm letting you off the hook. I know there's something you're not telling me, and I'm gonna find out eventually."
"If you say so. Now, if you'll excuse me, Castle and I just finished dinner and he's bringing out dessert now, so I gotta go," Kate fibbed.
"Okay. Don't be a stranger, though, all right? Castle, too. We miss you both around here when you're gone. Even Javi's been kind of mopey without you guys to help with cases."
"I promise, we'll keep in touch."
"Good."
There was a pause before Kate heard a sound in the background on Lanie's end of the line. "You coming to bed, babe?"
Lanie had apparently pulled the phone away from her mouth and replied, "Yeah. Be there in a sec."
"Don't take too long, though."
"Javi, what did I tell you this afternoon? Now, patience."
"Sorry," Lanie murmured, returning to her conversation with Kate. "Men have one-track minds, if you know what I mean."
"Believe me, I know," the detective responded, turning her head to smirk at Rick. He eyed her curiously at that, eager to know the connotations of her words, but she just shook her head at him. "Speaking of which, Castle's kind of insistent on me trying this dessert he made for us, so I'm going to get off here. Besides, it wouldn't be fair for you to keep Esposito waiting any longer."
"Alright. Talk to you later, then. Bye."
"Bye."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Kate hung up the phone and set it back down on the nightstand. She sat there for a moment, eyes closed, massaging her temples. Thankfully, Rick wasn't pressing her about the phone call.
"I really don't think we're going to be able to keep this thing from her or the boys very long," she finally spoke.
"You mean us?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. They're all too smart and persistent for their own goods."
"Well, at least I got her off my back for a little while."
"True."
There was a brief moment of silence between the couple. Suddenly, a cocky, amused grin spread across the writer's face.
"So, dessert, huh?" he asked. "Exactly what kind of dessert did you have in mind, Detective?"
With a saucy smile, she rolled over to him and sat up to straddle his lap. "Let's just say the kind that requires absolutely no clothing whatsoever," she said, her voice a suggestive, somewhat husky whisper.
"You mean, not even some whipped cream or something else kinky?"
Light laughter rang from her throat at his antics. "Not this time, but only because I'm too eager to have you now," she replied, leaning over to capture his mouth in a heated kiss.
"Fine, that's cool. But . . ."
His voice trailed off and she let out a tiny yelp as, in a sudden movement, he flipped them over so that he over her.
"I get to be on top this time," he declared smugly.
Their eyes met, and it took a moment for him to register that she was giggling. Kate Beckett was giggling! Not that he was complaining, because he loved hearing her laugh and seeing her smile, but it was just so unusual to see her like this.
"And what makes you think I'm going to let you stay this way?" she challenged playfully.
"Because this is the one thing you don't seem to mind me being in control of sometimes," he answered easily before leaning down to kiss her.
Her legs wrapped around his waist while her arms wrapped encircled his neck. She then threaded her fingers through his hair as she deepened the kiss. "You know, you might actually be right," she admitted.
The next morning found Rick wide awake and restless at 6:00. He and Kate had dozed off early and ended up sleeping through the night. That said, he was completely wired, not only from all of the intense and-oh, God, amazing-sex, but also from the week in general. They had spent Tuesday afternoon out on the beach, taking in the sun and eventually changing into swimwear to take a dip in the ocean. (He'd tried the skinny dipping offer again, but she refused-damn neighbors!) Wednesday, they went further into the city and spent the afternoon perusing the glitzy shops on Rodeo Drive. Thursday was perhaps more uneventful, yet relaxing nonetheless. He spent a good part of the day writing and editing the new draft of his book while she read the new material and gave him more feedback.
Then, just the previous day, most of his morning and afternoon was spent doing publicity. He had a book signing first thing, followed by an interview on a local radio talk show that Paula had scheduled. Kate had decided to join him this time, simply to get a better glimpse into his career life and to keep herself from being cooped up. However, he could tell she hadn't found it as enjoyable or interesting as she apparently thought it would be. Still, he had certainly made it up to her later that night.
Feeling energized and inspired, he pressed a kiss to Kate's forehead before gingerly removing the covers from himself and climbing out of the bed. After finding a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, he grabbed his laptop and made his way downstairs and to the living room.
With the final edit for Heat Rises nearly finished, he decided that it was time to take a break and limber himself up with a little writing yoga for the next book. The scene that had popped into his head had potential to make it into number four, but it was really just some free writing to get the juices flowing for when he actually sat down to outline the full story.
Nikki and Rook were taking a walk through Central Park, discussing the current case. However, the conversation ended up taking a different turn and became more about them. It hadn't actually occurred to him until just that moment, but he hadn't yet written the first "I love you" for the couple. Their relationship had finally stabled into something exclusive by the end of the third book, unlike in the first two, so why the hell not?
But did he really want to make that first love confession this cheesy and cliché? It just wasn't his style. Perhaps he could write it in a lighter tone, something less serious yet still meaningful . . .
"Hey," a familiar voice broke Rick from his reverie while a pair of arms slid around his neck. He craned his neck to find Kate, donning one of his large t-shirts (that made him smile), standing behind the couch where he was sitting.
"Oh, hey," he greeted, leaning up for a quick kiss. "What are you doing up? I wanted to let you sleep. It's barely 7:00 now."
"Too keyed-up, I guess," she shrugged, walking around the couch to sit next to him. "I wonder whose fault that is," she smirked.
"Before you go playing the blame game, I'll have you know that it's your fault that I'm feeling the same way. So, ha!" he declared, pointing an accusatory finger at her.
She shook her head and muttered, "Ten years old."
He gasped dramatically. "Ten? You mean I've been upgraded? I'm glad you think so highly of me. Just remember, you are seven years younger than I am, so that makes you three."
She slapped him playfully. "You're a jackass."
"Yes, but I'm your jackass, and you loooove me."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine, Rick," she said, standing up and turning to walk toward the kitchen. "And to think I was going to make you breakfast. I guess you'll just have to fend for yourself now."
"Oh, really?" He set his laptop down on the coffee table in front of him and followed her. "What if I make you change your mind again?" he husked, coming up behind her and planting his hands on her waist. His mouth came to her ear, gently nibbling at the lobe.
"N-not gonna happen," she replied breathlessly, failing to sound firm in any way as his lips moved down to find just that spot on her neck that made her shiver.
"Oh, I think it might."
Unable to resist, she turned in his arms and grabbed the collar of his t-shirt to pull him in for a heated kiss. She smiled against his lips when she felt him respond. One of his hands slid up the shirt of his she had stolen, caressing her back along her spine, while the other ran through her hair. God, he drove her crazy. But she liked it. More than liked it, she loved it.
Loved it.
Love.
"You're still a jackass," she whispered, resting her forehead against his.
"And you still love me," he countered.
She arched an eyebrow. "Do I?"
"I think you do."
"And if I said that you're right?"
"Well, then I'll just have to tell you my little secret."
"And that would be . . . ?"
"That I love you, too," he said softly.
At that moment, her throat seemed to dry up, and her heart began beating wildly. It was as if she were back in high school again, feeling the same butterflies form in her stomach that she had felt the first time she kissed a boy. Yet, as much as this man standing in front of her made her feel like the hopeless, lovesick teenager she used to be years ago, she found that she enjoyed the feeling immensely.
But once she noticed the passion and emotion in his eyes as he gazed at her, the last of her walls crumbled completely.
"Say it again," she told him.
"Kate Beckett, you extraordinary woman," he began, "I. Love. You."
Each word was punctuated with a sweet kiss, and each kiss she relished in. Up until that moment, she hadn't thought it was possible for his lips to feel any more soft and warm against hers than they already were.
"Richard Castle, you obnoxious, annoying, pain-in-the-ass, childish, kind, sweet, wonderful man," she spoke, "I love you, too."
She could see him practically glowing as she said it. His smile was broad and his blue eyes were shimmering. Without further hesitation, she brought her lips to his again, this time deeper and with much more emotion. With love.
They were both breathless as they released one another.
Rick released a light chuckle. "Well, if I was ridiculously happy before, then it's nothing compared to how happy I am now."
"Do you really mean that, or are you just saying that to bribe me into making breakfast?" Kate teased.
"Oh, come on, you know the answer to that." A pause. "Of course, I'm trying to bribe you into making breakfast."
She stepped back, folding her arms across her chest and raising her eyebrows at him.
"Okay, and I meant it, too," he amended, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I love you," he whispered into her ear.
"You already said that."
"I know, but I wanted to say it again, because . . . well, I love you."
"Fine, I love you, too," she said, giving him one last peck on the lips before waving him off dismissively. "Now, scram so I can have some space to cook."
"Tsk, tsk. So bossy," he shook his head as he turned back to the living room. She watched him walk away for a moment, taking a moment to appreciate the view from behind before calling after him.
"Hey, Castle?"
"Yeah?" he replied from the other room.
"I really do love you."
"I know."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
A/N: So, how did I do? I'm very nervous about the last bit. I wanted that I Love You moment to be . . . them. I'm sure it's incredibly cheesy, just like the rest of this story, but I didn't want to make it some big, grand, cliche event. I just don't see it being like that for them realistically. I think it feels much more natural this way. But that's just my opinion. That said, I would love to hear your thoughts now. So, don't hesitate to hit that comments section =)
Author: heatxwave10
Rating: NC-17 (MA) ***Explicit adult themes (Chapter 13 ONLY and for freedom later), some language***
Genre(s): Romance, Friendship
Characters/Pairings: Castle/Beckett, gilmpse of Lanie/Esposito
Spoilers: Everything to date is fair game.
Disclaimer: Castle isn't mine, never will be mine.
Summary: Castle has to go to LA to deal with business concerning the Heat Wave movie, and he wants his favorite detective to accompany him. Will this trip lead to something more for our favorite duo? AU starting late season 3.
ALL CHAPTERS
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
A/N: Okay, so the truth is that this chapter has been finished for a while and long since posted on FanFiction. However, I can also confess that I waited to post this here and held it hostage because nobody commented on the last chapter. I hope I didn't scare everyone away with the smut.
Anywho, here's the next. I've decided that I'm going to throw in some insight from the New York side of things. So, I kicked off this chapter with a quick Esplanie-ish moment. (Remember, they're still together in this universe.)
Now commence thee to reading! =)
P.S. Any and all errors are my own. Feel free to point them out fo rme to fix.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
CHAPTER 14
Lanie Parish was a persistent woman, and she wasn't the type to appreciate ignored phone calls. But after an afternoon and an evening of text messages and multiple phone calls to her best friend-none of which had been answered-her patience was wearing thin.
"Ugh!" she groaned, slamming her cell phone down on the kitchen counter. "Kate Beckett, what the hell is going on?" she muttered.
This had already been stressful at the morgue all day-a triple homicide and a suicide that all happened in one night and had her up at the crack of dawn to examine the bodies. Javier had been pretty grumpy all day, too, since he and Ryan were the investigators in charge of the perplexing case. The tension had been bad enough that all three of them started snapping at one another when the two detectives came to the morgue that afternoon for autopsy results.
All Lanie wanted after a day like that was to talk to her best friend. Was that too much to ask?
"You okay, chica?" Esposito called from the living room.
"Yes, I'm fine," the ME sighed exasperatedly, making her way over to take a seat next to her boyfriend. "But I know a certain detective who won't be fine if she doesn't call me back. I've been trying to get a hold of her all day."
"Maybe she's busy," he shrugged, picking up the remote from the coffee table to flip through TV channels again.
"She's on vacation, and it's about 7:00 in LA. What could she possibly be doing that would keep her busy?"
"I don't know. She and Castle must be having a pretty good time, though."
"They better be," she said, scooting closer to him and relaxing as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I hope this means she finally got up the nerve to jump his bones. God knows they've waited long enough."
"Well, this is Castle and Beckett we're talking about. They're going on three years now, so I doubt it."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
With the conversation dropped, she rested her head on his shoulder and settled into watching the television with him. They both desperately needed to unwind after the day they'd had.
"Oh . . . my God," Rick panted as Kate collapsed next to him in bed, catching her breath as well.
It was later in the week, Friday evening to be exact. They were both tangled in the sheets and one another, slick with perspiration, hearts both beating wildly from the physical activity and other reasons. Kate could only laugh when she caught his appearance: completely disheveled hair and a dumbfounded expression on his face. For some reason, his various expressions of surprise had always amused her. She had to admit, this post-sex image was her new favorite.
"When you said you could do that," he continued, "I had no idea . . . I just . . . holy crap, Kate!"
"Believe me, you haven't even seen half of my tricks, Castle," she pointed out, leaning over to kiss him heatedly.
"I know, but still-I've never seen a woman do that, and I've been with a lot of women."
"Thanks for reminding me of that," she deadpanned.
He shook his head quickly and pulled her close to cradle her in his arms. "Sorry. You know what I mean, though. That was . . . amazing."
His lips descended on hers again, capturing them sweetly, while he ran his fingers through her hair. He relished in the soft moan he drew from her before pulling away slightly. However, before they could get too comfortable, they were interrupted by the sound of Kate's cell phone ringing-again (if she hadn't been so preoccupied, she would have turned it on silent).
With a groan, she decided to quit ignoring her persistent caller and reached over to pick it up from the nightstand.
"Beckett," she answered, trying her best to get rid of the sex-induced husk in her voice.
"Girl, it's about damn time you picked up!" a familiar-not to mention irritated-voice greeted her. "What exactly have you been doing all day that you can't spare two minutes to answer a text?"
"Lanie!" Kate said quickly with surprise, turning to glace at Castle with a look that said, 'It sounds like she knows something. What do we do?' "Yeah, sorry, I've not had my phone on me all day, and I was just about to check it," she lied. Was the ME buying it?
"Mhmm." Nope, Lanie was definitely not buying it.
Dammit! Come on, Kate. Think!
"Lanie . . ."
Yeah, that's good. Play the annoyed 'I can't believe you would think I'm lying' card.
"Don't 'Lanie' me," the ME chastised. "Something juicy is going on, and I can tell by your evasiveness. Contrary to popular belief, you're not that good an actress. Now, spill."
But Kate held her ground. She wasn't letting this thing with Castle get out so quickly, even if it meant lying to her best friend. "There's nothing to tell, I can assure you."
"Then, why have you been avoiding my calls all afternoon?"
"Sometimes people on vacation prefer to not have to deal with everyone and everything. They just want to relax and have fun. I'm no exception, so if my leaving my phone behind offends you, just remember that next time you're on a trip and people back home keep calling you. Don't get me wrong. You're my best friend, but sometimes I just need 'me' time."
"Yes, and I'm sure Castle's making sure of that." Kate could hear the suggestion in her friend's tone and let out a groan.
"I told you, this trip has nothing to do with that."
"I know, but that doesn't mean nothing's changed. Has anything happened since . . . that conversation we had the other morning? At least tell me you've made some kind of progress with him."
Kate closed her eyes slowly. Lanie was too determined for her own good sometimes. "Oh, sure," she said dryly. "Wedding's this weekend; figured we might as well elope while we're here all alone. What do you think?"
"Fine," Lanie huffed her disapproval at her friend's sarcasm. "I'll believe you for now. But, that doesn't mean I'm letting you off the hook. I know there's something you're not telling me, and I'm gonna find out eventually."
"If you say so. Now, if you'll excuse me, Castle and I just finished dinner and he's bringing out dessert now, so I gotta go," Kate fibbed.
"Okay. Don't be a stranger, though, all right? Castle, too. We miss you both around here when you're gone. Even Javi's been kind of mopey without you guys to help with cases."
"I promise, we'll keep in touch."
"Good."
There was a pause before Kate heard a sound in the background on Lanie's end of the line. "You coming to bed, babe?"
Lanie had apparently pulled the phone away from her mouth and replied, "Yeah. Be there in a sec."
"Don't take too long, though."
"Javi, what did I tell you this afternoon? Now, patience."
"Sorry," Lanie murmured, returning to her conversation with Kate. "Men have one-track minds, if you know what I mean."
"Believe me, I know," the detective responded, turning her head to smirk at Rick. He eyed her curiously at that, eager to know the connotations of her words, but she just shook her head at him. "Speaking of which, Castle's kind of insistent on me trying this dessert he made for us, so I'm going to get off here. Besides, it wouldn't be fair for you to keep Esposito waiting any longer."
"Alright. Talk to you later, then. Bye."
"Bye."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Kate hung up the phone and set it back down on the nightstand. She sat there for a moment, eyes closed, massaging her temples. Thankfully, Rick wasn't pressing her about the phone call.
"I really don't think we're going to be able to keep this thing from her or the boys very long," she finally spoke.
"You mean us?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. They're all too smart and persistent for their own goods."
"Well, at least I got her off my back for a little while."
"True."
There was a brief moment of silence between the couple. Suddenly, a cocky, amused grin spread across the writer's face.
"So, dessert, huh?" he asked. "Exactly what kind of dessert did you have in mind, Detective?"
With a saucy smile, she rolled over to him and sat up to straddle his lap. "Let's just say the kind that requires absolutely no clothing whatsoever," she said, her voice a suggestive, somewhat husky whisper.
"You mean, not even some whipped cream or something else kinky?"
Light laughter rang from her throat at his antics. "Not this time, but only because I'm too eager to have you now," she replied, leaning over to capture his mouth in a heated kiss.
"Fine, that's cool. But . . ."
His voice trailed off and she let out a tiny yelp as, in a sudden movement, he flipped them over so that he over her.
"I get to be on top this time," he declared smugly.
Their eyes met, and it took a moment for him to register that she was giggling. Kate Beckett was giggling! Not that he was complaining, because he loved hearing her laugh and seeing her smile, but it was just so unusual to see her like this.
"And what makes you think I'm going to let you stay this way?" she challenged playfully.
"Because this is the one thing you don't seem to mind me being in control of sometimes," he answered easily before leaning down to kiss her.
Her legs wrapped around his waist while her arms wrapped encircled his neck. She then threaded her fingers through his hair as she deepened the kiss. "You know, you might actually be right," she admitted.
The next morning found Rick wide awake and restless at 6:00. He and Kate had dozed off early and ended up sleeping through the night. That said, he was completely wired, not only from all of the intense and-oh, God, amazing-sex, but also from the week in general. They had spent Tuesday afternoon out on the beach, taking in the sun and eventually changing into swimwear to take a dip in the ocean. (He'd tried the skinny dipping offer again, but she refused-damn neighbors!) Wednesday, they went further into the city and spent the afternoon perusing the glitzy shops on Rodeo Drive. Thursday was perhaps more uneventful, yet relaxing nonetheless. He spent a good part of the day writing and editing the new draft of his book while she read the new material and gave him more feedback.
Then, just the previous day, most of his morning and afternoon was spent doing publicity. He had a book signing first thing, followed by an interview on a local radio talk show that Paula had scheduled. Kate had decided to join him this time, simply to get a better glimpse into his career life and to keep herself from being cooped up. However, he could tell she hadn't found it as enjoyable or interesting as she apparently thought it would be. Still, he had certainly made it up to her later that night.
Feeling energized and inspired, he pressed a kiss to Kate's forehead before gingerly removing the covers from himself and climbing out of the bed. After finding a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, he grabbed his laptop and made his way downstairs and to the living room.
With the final edit for Heat Rises nearly finished, he decided that it was time to take a break and limber himself up with a little writing yoga for the next book. The scene that had popped into his head had potential to make it into number four, but it was really just some free writing to get the juices flowing for when he actually sat down to outline the full story.
Nikki and Rook were taking a walk through Central Park, discussing the current case. However, the conversation ended up taking a different turn and became more about them. It hadn't actually occurred to him until just that moment, but he hadn't yet written the first "I love you" for the couple. Their relationship had finally stabled into something exclusive by the end of the third book, unlike in the first two, so why the hell not?
But did he really want to make that first love confession this cheesy and cliché? It just wasn't his style. Perhaps he could write it in a lighter tone, something less serious yet still meaningful . . .
"Hey," a familiar voice broke Rick from his reverie while a pair of arms slid around his neck. He craned his neck to find Kate, donning one of his large t-shirts (that made him smile), standing behind the couch where he was sitting.
"Oh, hey," he greeted, leaning up for a quick kiss. "What are you doing up? I wanted to let you sleep. It's barely 7:00 now."
"Too keyed-up, I guess," she shrugged, walking around the couch to sit next to him. "I wonder whose fault that is," she smirked.
"Before you go playing the blame game, I'll have you know that it's your fault that I'm feeling the same way. So, ha!" he declared, pointing an accusatory finger at her.
She shook her head and muttered, "Ten years old."
He gasped dramatically. "Ten? You mean I've been upgraded? I'm glad you think so highly of me. Just remember, you are seven years younger than I am, so that makes you three."
She slapped him playfully. "You're a jackass."
"Yes, but I'm your jackass, and you loooove me."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine, Rick," she said, standing up and turning to walk toward the kitchen. "And to think I was going to make you breakfast. I guess you'll just have to fend for yourself now."
"Oh, really?" He set his laptop down on the coffee table in front of him and followed her. "What if I make you change your mind again?" he husked, coming up behind her and planting his hands on her waist. His mouth came to her ear, gently nibbling at the lobe.
"N-not gonna happen," she replied breathlessly, failing to sound firm in any way as his lips moved down to find just that spot on her neck that made her shiver.
"Oh, I think it might."
Unable to resist, she turned in his arms and grabbed the collar of his t-shirt to pull him in for a heated kiss. She smiled against his lips when she felt him respond. One of his hands slid up the shirt of his she had stolen, caressing her back along her spine, while the other ran through her hair. God, he drove her crazy. But she liked it. More than liked it, she loved it.
Loved it.
Love.
"You're still a jackass," she whispered, resting her forehead against his.
"And you still love me," he countered.
She arched an eyebrow. "Do I?"
"I think you do."
"And if I said that you're right?"
"Well, then I'll just have to tell you my little secret."
"And that would be . . . ?"
"That I love you, too," he said softly.
At that moment, her throat seemed to dry up, and her heart began beating wildly. It was as if she were back in high school again, feeling the same butterflies form in her stomach that she had felt the first time she kissed a boy. Yet, as much as this man standing in front of her made her feel like the hopeless, lovesick teenager she used to be years ago, she found that she enjoyed the feeling immensely.
But once she noticed the passion and emotion in his eyes as he gazed at her, the last of her walls crumbled completely.
"Say it again," she told him.
"Kate Beckett, you extraordinary woman," he began, "I. Love. You."
Each word was punctuated with a sweet kiss, and each kiss she relished in. Up until that moment, she hadn't thought it was possible for his lips to feel any more soft and warm against hers than they already were.
"Richard Castle, you obnoxious, annoying, pain-in-the-ass, childish, kind, sweet, wonderful man," she spoke, "I love you, too."
She could see him practically glowing as she said it. His smile was broad and his blue eyes were shimmering. Without further hesitation, she brought her lips to his again, this time deeper and with much more emotion. With love.
They were both breathless as they released one another.
Rick released a light chuckle. "Well, if I was ridiculously happy before, then it's nothing compared to how happy I am now."
"Do you really mean that, or are you just saying that to bribe me into making breakfast?" Kate teased.
"Oh, come on, you know the answer to that." A pause. "Of course, I'm trying to bribe you into making breakfast."
She stepped back, folding her arms across her chest and raising her eyebrows at him.
"Okay, and I meant it, too," he amended, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I love you," he whispered into her ear.
"You already said that."
"I know, but I wanted to say it again, because . . . well, I love you."
"Fine, I love you, too," she said, giving him one last peck on the lips before waving him off dismissively. "Now, scram so I can have some space to cook."
"Tsk, tsk. So bossy," he shook his head as he turned back to the living room. She watched him walk away for a moment, taking a moment to appreciate the view from behind before calling after him.
"Hey, Castle?"
"Yeah?" he replied from the other room.
"I really do love you."
"I know."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
A/N: So, how did I do? I'm very nervous about the last bit. I wanted that I Love You moment to be . . . them. I'm sure it's incredibly cheesy, just like the rest of this story, but I didn't want to make it some big, grand, cliche event. I just don't see it being like that for them realistically. I think it feels much more natural this way. But that's just my opinion. That said, I would love to hear your thoughts now. So, don't hesitate to hit that comments section =)