Transparency (Castle)
TITLE: Transparency
RATING: PG-13
WORD COUNT: ~500
SUMMARY: A wedding reception, a glass elevator, and an audience of three.
DISCLAIMER: ABC Studios owns Castle and everything it encompasses. This is a work of fan fiction, and thus derives no profit or material benefit therefrom.
Their departure did not go unnoticed, nor did that of the detective who followed at a distance to watch them from the mezzanine balcony.
"Javier Esposito, where do you think you're going?" came a sharp voice from behind him.
With a jerk of his head, he directed his date's attention to what had drawn his: an elevator with glass on three sides, now beginning its ascent. "Look."
"Well, whaddya know." Hands splayed on her hips, Lanie clucked her tongue, then shook her head as a delighted smile spread over her face. "About damn time, if you ask me."
He turned to her, his eyes bright. "I know, right? All this week I was thinking I might have to say something to somebody."
"Tension you could cut with a knife, huh?"
He leaned against the balcony rail with a snort of amusement. "Cut it? You could eat it with one of them little wooden spoons they use for free samples at the ice cream shop."
"Hey, where did everyone go?"
Esposito turned to his partner. "Bro, haven't you got a wedding reception to be at?"
"Yeah, well, when everyone starts leaving, I start to wonder what's going on. You'd think my best man could at least have stuck around long enough to give a toast or something. What gives?"
"Mom and Dad seem to have finally crossed the threshold." Again he gestured towards the elevator.
"Whoa!"
"They're really going at it now."
"Making up for lost time, looks like."
"Making up for something."
Ryan turned to his companions. "You think they realize anyone standing in the atrium can see them?"
"You wanna be the one to interrupt them?" Lanie replied. "No way in hell am I gonna try to stop that runaway train. Their UST even made me hot and bothered. "
Esposito's eyebrows shot up with interest. "Really?"
"Are either of them even staying in the hotel?"
Ryan grinned. "Castle's got a room on the twenty-fifth floor. Don't think Beckett was planning on staying the night."
"I have a feeling her plans just did a yooey. Ain't no way Castle's letting her go before morning."
"If then."
"Guess we'll find out for sure when we see those empty chairs at the brunch tomorrow." They bumped fists.
Her gaze still on the elevator's closely entwined passengers, Lanie remarked, "If they don't get there soon..."
"Think they'll make it to Castle's room before clothes start coming off?"
Esposito glared at his partner. "Dude."
"Castle, probably not. My girl's got a little more self-control."
"Couldn't prove it by me." Lanie conceded his point with a sidelong glance and a murmur.
"That is Castle she's... um..." Ryan exhaled with a gust. "'Kissing' seems so inadequate for what they're doing."
"Upstaged at your own wedding, man."
He shrugged. "I'm not complaining."
By now the elevator was too far above them for the passengers to be easily distinguishable. With a mutual sigh of relief tinged with delight, the three onlookers turned away, trusting their friends to fate and the inexorable tug of nature. Extending one arm to Lanie, Esposito clapped his partner on the shoulder with his other hand. "C'mon, bro. Let's go see about that toast."
RATING: PG-13
WORD COUNT: ~500
SUMMARY: A wedding reception, a glass elevator, and an audience of three.
DISCLAIMER: ABC Studios owns Castle and everything it encompasses. This is a work of fan fiction, and thus derives no profit or material benefit therefrom.
Their departure did not go unnoticed, nor did that of the detective who followed at a distance to watch them from the mezzanine balcony.
"Javier Esposito, where do you think you're going?" came a sharp voice from behind him.
With a jerk of his head, he directed his date's attention to what had drawn his: an elevator with glass on three sides, now beginning its ascent. "Look."
"Well, whaddya know." Hands splayed on her hips, Lanie clucked her tongue, then shook her head as a delighted smile spread over her face. "About damn time, if you ask me."
He turned to her, his eyes bright. "I know, right? All this week I was thinking I might have to say something to somebody."
"Tension you could cut with a knife, huh?"
He leaned against the balcony rail with a snort of amusement. "Cut it? You could eat it with one of them little wooden spoons they use for free samples at the ice cream shop."
"Hey, where did everyone go?"
Esposito turned to his partner. "Bro, haven't you got a wedding reception to be at?"
"Yeah, well, when everyone starts leaving, I start to wonder what's going on. You'd think my best man could at least have stuck around long enough to give a toast or something. What gives?"
"Mom and Dad seem to have finally crossed the threshold." Again he gestured towards the elevator.
"Whoa!"
"They're really going at it now."
"Making up for lost time, looks like."
"Making up for something."
Ryan turned to his companions. "You think they realize anyone standing in the atrium can see them?"
"You wanna be the one to interrupt them?" Lanie replied. "No way in hell am I gonna try to stop that runaway train. Their UST even made me hot and bothered. "
Esposito's eyebrows shot up with interest. "Really?"
"Are either of them even staying in the hotel?"
Ryan grinned. "Castle's got a room on the twenty-fifth floor. Don't think Beckett was planning on staying the night."
"I have a feeling her plans just did a yooey. Ain't no way Castle's letting her go before morning."
"If then."
"Guess we'll find out for sure when we see those empty chairs at the brunch tomorrow." They bumped fists.
Her gaze still on the elevator's closely entwined passengers, Lanie remarked, "If they don't get there soon..."
"Think they'll make it to Castle's room before clothes start coming off?"
Esposito glared at his partner. "Dude."
"Castle, probably not. My girl's got a little more self-control."
"Couldn't prove it by me." Lanie conceded his point with a sidelong glance and a murmur.
"That is Castle she's... um..." Ryan exhaled with a gust. "'Kissing' seems so inadequate for what they're doing."
"Upstaged at your own wedding, man."
He shrugged. "I'm not complaining."
By now the elevator was too far above them for the passengers to be easily distinguishable. With a mutual sigh of relief tinged with delight, the three onlookers turned away, trusting their friends to fate and the inexorable tug of nature. Extending one arm to Lanie, Esposito clapped his partner on the shoulder with his other hand. "C'mon, bro. Let's go see about that toast."