Notes: The song is "Puzzle I Am" by Hugh Dillon, and I love that man to death. Go check out his show Flashpoint if you have the time. The new U.S. airdates are supposed to be released soon! Anyway, this fic, the song has been kicking around in my brain for about a week, and it kind of just hit me how Casketty it was.

Disclaimers: I don't own the song or the Castle crew, sorry guys.


She sat at the bar idly sipping her Cosmo and letting her eyes follow the path of the couple across the room from her. It came as no surprise to her when the two had showed up together, he looking sleek in the simple black tuxedo (Armani she guessed) and she embodying the term goddess. Her one shouldered Grecian style dress flattered every curve on her form; the waves of plum fabric fell around her, while braids of the fabric criss-crossed over her middle and accentuated her slim waist. Lanie herself was enamored, and it was her girl rocking the floor length gown.

"Hola Chica," Javier whispered, sliding onto the stool next to her and dropping a quick kiss onto her cheek.

"Damn her and those legs. Seriously, Javi, who is born with legs like that?" she gruffed as she leaned into his side. "They fit together so well."

"I like your legs just fine."

"Oh shut it, Javi. I know you're trying to stay out of trouble with that one, but it's just a statement of facts; that girl has legs that every double x wants and every xy wants to look at," she shot back, nudging him good naturedly with her elbow. "Points though, for not commenting on them at all."

Never settle down my baby
Never settle up
Just lock the doors
Drive like crazy
'Til the wheels fall off

"Would you care to dance?"

"Trying to charm me again Mr. Castle?" she teased, gracefully accepting his hand and letting him lead her to the middle of the dance floor.

"Always, my dear detective," he answered, pulling her close and looping one arm loosely around her and splaying his hand posessively across her lower back; the other found purchase in her left hand where he laced their fingers together.

She snaked her arm around his side, between his shirt and jacket, and completed the embrace. "Lanie's gonna stare a hole through us," she murmured as she tucked their other arms between them and her head under his chin.

"Let her," he grinned, hugging her tighter. They began to sway to the music, not keeping time and really not caring. They were in their bubble.

And you change my mind now honey
Reconfigured my soul
Disrupted my corruption
I closed my eyes and let go

"Those two have figured it out, right?" Jenny asked as she snuggled into Kevin's side. "I mean, they are just about as perfect for each other as we are, and it would be a total shame if they missed out."

"They've always known, but yeah, I think they've finally gotten their heads out of their respective asses and acted on it. It was getting pretty bad at work; I was thinking about taking a machete in just to cut through the tension," he joked.

"They're cute. I'm glad." The bride grinned up at her groom and pecked his cheek.

And you look so beautiful
When you, you don't give a damn
You had the missing piece to the, the puzzle I am
The puzzle I am

"In the spirit of honesty, I think you should know I desperately want to kiss you right now," he whispered into her ear, nuzzling the loose tendrils of hair back behind it.

"Then you should probably kiss me," she returned just as quietly, placing a feather light kiss on his jaw.

"Maybe I will." His hand trailed up her spine and sent shivers back down it. "We'd give Lanie a coronary."

She leaned back and quirked her eyebrow at him. "I think she deserves a mild heart attack right about now. Don't you think?"

He gave her a devilish grin and threaded his fingers through the soft curls flowing down her back, feeling one of the bobby pins he'd watched her put in come loose. "Sorry."

"Don't care, don't care one bit."

Her brilliant smile was all the invitation he really needed, and he leaned in to capture her lips in a soft kiss.

And there were no easy answers
Nothing was what it seemed
That applies to everyone else
Except you and me

Lanie whacked her boyfriend hard across the chest and it took all of her willpower to not couple that move with a spit take. After clearing her throat of the wayward alcohol she leveled a finger at her friends. "They just... Did you... Kissed!"

"Breathe," he wheezed, rubbing at what was sure to be a bruise.

"But... Javi, they kissed... In front of everyone. Oh! Oh, oh, oh, look Javi!" she demanded, grabbing his arm and shaking it. "They're doing it again."

"Chica, you aren't breathing again. I see them over there being totally not conspicuous, yes."

When I caught up to you honey
That time in the past
We re-wrote the future and we
We started from scratch

"You were right, Kev." Jenny squeezed his hand under the table. "I don't know her as well as you guys do, but she deserves to be as happy as she is right now."

"Yeah, but it's kinda weird. You're not supposed to be confronted with the fact that Mom and Dad actually have sex. It's just one of those thing you never ever have to think about."

"Grow up, Kev, she's younger than you." She poked his bicep and scrunched her nose up at him. "Honestly, you and Javier act like four-year-olds."

"You don't have to work with those two, Jen. Mom and Dad is totally accurate."

And you look so beautiful
When you, you don't give a damn
And you had the missing piece to the, the puzzle I am
The puzzle I am

"Feel better now that you've gotten that out of your system?"

"Nope, I just want to kiss you more now." He rested his forehead against hers and let his eyes slip shut. "Obviously that was a bad idea."

"Was not," she said matter-of-factly, moving to press her face into the side of his neck to hide her grin.

"Liar. You want to kiss me again too."

"Ask yourself this: When don't I want to kiss you?" she retorted, nipping at his ear as she pulled away. "Come on, it's getting late."

We were so reckless honey
When opportunity knocked
We took the wheel and drove like crazy
And we, we still haven't stopped

"God, those two need to just skip the pretense and get married already. Hell, I'd even keep myself from killing her if they went off and eloped on us!"

"Nah, you'd still kill her, come on Chica, lets go get one last dance in. I think Jenny and Ryan are ready to get out of here." He nodded to Kevin and Jenny before leading the woman on his arm out to the dance floor. "You can plot against them later, dance with me Chica."

She tore her gaze away from the couple, right as they reached the newlyweds. "You'll help with the plotting?"

We shined a little light in the shadows
Took the night from the day
Smile a little more than I used to
And I like it that way

"Thank you for a lovely evening, Mr. Castle," Kate teased, wrapping her shawl around her shoulders.

"I aim to please," he replied as they exited the reception hand-in-hand. "Are you hungry?"

"I could kill for a burger right about now. Remy's?" She bit her lip and looked up at him expectantly. "Oh, and a milkshake. I need real food."

"Marry me."

And you are so beautiful
When you, you don't give a damn
You had the missing piece to the, the puzzle I am
The puzzle I am

"When?"

"May."

"Make it June and you have a deal," she fired back, reaching up to remove the pins in her hair.

"Tomorrow?"

"June." She shook her hair and looked back over at him. "Sticking point."

He halted in his steps and looked at her; she turned back to him when the action pulled her back toward him. "Do you actually mean that?"

"That June is a sticking point? Yes."

"No, not that. The marrying me thing, are you saying yes?"

She let a puff of air out against the chill in the air and smiled at him. "Get me a ring and you get your answer."

He growled and swung her into his arms before placing a searing kiss on her lips. "You get your ring when we get back to the loft."

The puzzle I am
Yeah, the puzzle I am
The puzzle I am
Yeah, the puzzle I am


Secondary note: I think I'm incapable of writing anything but proposal fics right now! Which sucks for those of you waiting on an update for Etre, and it WILL happen, I just still don't know when.