A/N: Back in November, DanahNYPD suggested that I write a story based on the song "Last Night Last" by Lady Antebellum. I was originally going to write it as a one-shot, but it just became so much more. I'd like to dedicate this story to LittleLizzieZentara. She has been amazingly supportive over the past couple of weeks, beta-reading this story, letting me bounce ideas off of her, analyzing the Castle episodes with me, discussing old movies and sci-fi... She's the greatest online friend a person could ask for. So thanks Liz! You're the best! :)

Warnings: This story contains heavy smut. If you don't like that sort of thing, you should click the back button on your browser now.

Disclaimer: Castle belongs to ABC studios and Andrew Marlowe. The song "Last Night Last" belongs to Lady Antebellum and Capitol Records Nashville. This fanfiction story is the only thing that belongs to me.

As everyone is ushered into the pavilion of the Central Park Boathouse, Castle and Beckett link their arms together and admire the room. Three hanging chandeliers illuminate the round tables surrounding the dance floor, which are covered in multicolored peonies and fancy crystal dishes. Numerous candles create a healthy yellow glow which is perfect for photos and the beautiful woodwork adds a rustic look to the setting, making it seem as if they're entering a charming countryside inn. It's a nice change from the fast-paced, busy, and often mechanical world of downtown New York.

They soon find their seats at a table located near the front, close to the wedding party's table. Cute little place cards mark the spots where they're supposed to sit, so they slowly slide the chairs out and then collapse into them.

Castle looks into Kate's eyes, almost getting lost in the hazel depths. Staring into her eyes is a hobby of his, but unfortunately she usually notices...

She raises an eyebrow, silently asking why he's watching her.

"So, um, I was just thinking about..." He's at a loss for what to say. Normally he's really good at thinking on the spot, but her eyes have disarmed him. He grabs his napkin to give his hands something to do and then quickly looks around for a topic of conversation. "Isn't this reception great?" Whew.

"Yeah, Kevin and Jenny did a really nice job, didn't they?" She tilts her head up to look at the intricate wooden ceiling.

Castle follows her gaze.

"You know, I have the sudden urge to climb up there and sit on the rafters."

She looks back at him with a bemused expression on her face and a smile forcing its way to the surface.

"I could drop buckets of water on unsuspecting people," he says seriously.

She lets out a cheerful laugh, the corners of her eyes crinkling. He loves that. The napkin drops from his fingers and suddenly he's lost in her eyes again; he can't help it.

Thankfully his trance is broken by Lanie, her date, Toby, and two of Jenny's friends who all arrive at the same time and sit down at the table with them. Lanie makes sure to sit next to Kate, despite the fact that her place card is two seats over.

"What are you two lovebirds talking about?"

Beckett rolls her eyes and Castle just smiles. It must be physically impossible for Lanie to not tease them.

After a few minutes of small talk, the Master of Ceremonies walks in and picks up the microphone by the sound equipment, tapping it twice.

"Good evening everybody, if I could have your attention please, the festivities are about to begin," he says in a thick New York accent.

When the room quiets down, he continues.

"Well, it's the moment you've all been waiting for, so without further ado, may I announce your bride and groom, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan!" He gestures toward the French doors just as they open.

Ryan and Jenny receive a loud applause when they enter the reception hall. They couldn't look happier as they interlock their fingers and walk out onto the dance floor.

The MC joins them and shakes their hands while the professional photographers flutter about, snapping photos of everybody.

"Doesn't she look gorgeous everybody?" the MC speaks into the microphone, causing the crowd to burst into cheers again. Jenny blushes slightly and Ryan leans in to whisper in her ear.

"He's right. You're absolutely stunning."

She kisses him on the cheek.

The MC puts his arm around Ryan's shoulders and leans in close.

"Okay, repeat after me: Even though this party is only a few hours-"

"Even though this party is only a few hours," Ryan echoes.

"My love for you is forever."

"My love for you is forever."

Then the MC says, "Now everybody say 'Awww'!" The wedding guests oblige.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as loud as you can, make some noise for your bride and groom this evening as they dance together for the first time as husband and wife!"

Esposito yells, "Don't trip!" from his seat near the dance floor.

The crowd laughs and Ryan shoots him a quick glare as "A Wink and a Smile" by Harry Connick Jr. starts to play over the speakers.

Moments later, Kevin and Jenny are twirling around the dance floor, performing the waltz they've been working on for the past six months.

Just the sound of your voice

The light in your eyes

Ryan picks Jenny up by the waist and spins her around, earning several cheers. When he sets her down, they settle back into their routine. They don't even have to think about the steps – they just stare into each other's eyes and follow their hearts.

Kate clasps her hands together and tries not to cry with joy. That's how love should be. That's how love is. She knows this – she stares into Castle's eyes all the time. He doesn't know, of course. She usually sneaks a glance or two when he's already looking at her, making it seem as if she's only looking at him because what he's doing is "creepy." But nothing could be farther from the truth. His eyes keep her grounded. His eyes can turn a terrible day into a perfect day. And when he's looking at her with that familiar twinkle in his eye, her heartbeat increases and she swears she starts to blush. Every time. It's like she's sixteen again. Young, dumb, and in love.

She turns her head to watch her partner, appreciating his defined cheekbones and his little half-smile that she loves so much.

We're so far away from yesterday

Together with a wink and smile

Castle grins as the happy couple continues to dance. Despite his two failed marriages, he always enjoys going to weddings. There's just something about celebrating the love between two people that fills him with hope – hope that he'll find "The One". He glances over at Kate, who, upon being caught, immediately looks back at the dance floor, blushing slightly. It's obvious that she's been looking at him again. It's adorable. "Who knows Castle? Maybe third time's the charm." Looking at the pink tinge on Kate's cheeks, he knows that she's right. The third time will be the charm, as long as it's with her.

We go together like a wink and a smile

As they finish off the dance, Ryan shoots Jenny an exaggerated wink and she grins at him before bursting into a fit of laughter, her tousled blonde hair framing her face perfectly. He captures her lips with his own and the crowd erupts into applause.

While clapping, Castle turns to Kate and asks, "Wasn't that song in Sleepless In Seattle?"

She smirks. "You are such a girl!"

But, if truth be told, she actually likes that he's so in touch with his feminine side. It's endearing and sweet and if she wasn't so good at hiding her feelings, she might even say that she loves him for it.

"Now ladies and gentlemen, you are all invited to come out to the dance floor for the next song!" the MC says just as the soothing violin notes of a Frank Sinatra melody escape into the air.

Kevin and Jenny hold each other close and sway together while other couples start to join them.

Castle holds his arm out to Beckett.

"Shall we?"

She links her arm through his as she's done a thousand times before and they walk out onto the dance floor. He immediately takes her hand and whirls her around before pulling her back into his arms, putting his hands on her waist, and leading them back and forth to the music.

I'll be loving you, always

With a love that's true, always

It's almost as though the song was meant for them. Though unspoken, they both know that "always" is their code for so much more. "I love you," "I want to be with you," "You're everything to me," "I want to spend forever with you," etc. etc. They're not stupid; the subtext isn't exactly hidden, after all. In fact, they have both gone out of their way to say the innocent word to each other. It's a lot easier than saying the actual phrase, especially since the first and only time it was said, it didn't work out very well...

When Kate was shot, they both thought that it would be the last time they saw each other. Castle said that he loved her, just as the life drained out of her. But before she fell unconscious, she smiled. If those were going to be the last words she ever heard, at least she could die in peace, knowing that he felt the same way.

In some ways, that moment in the cemetery is the clearest moment of Kate's life. She knew exactly what she wanted, and it was staring down at her. Nothing else mattered.

Then she was saved. Reality took over. She couldn't admit that she heard him – what if he didn't mean it? What if he did? What did it mean? She was recovering and didn't want to deal with it, so she lied. "You don't remember... the gunshot?" "No." And once she lied to him, she couldn't take it back. She wanted to, oh how she wanted to; she couldn't bear to see him in so much pain – pain that she had caused. She has spent the last few months regretting one tiny word. If she had just said "yes", things might have been different. But now life is complicated and confusing. Now every time he looks at her, there's a hint of sadness just beneath his cool exterior, as if he can't help but remember that fateful day. Remember watching her die. Remember her not remembering.

It's unbearable, watching him wait for her to be ready. She wants to be ready, she really does, but she isn't.

When the things you've planned need a helping hand

I will understand, always

Kate steps a little closer to him, sliding her hands up from his shoulders to his neck. He's surprised by her action, but quickly catches on, pulling her even closer and linking his hands together behind her back. She leans her head on his shoulder and shuts her eyes.

Castle has always been there for her. He keeps her from falling into oblivion. He saves her from herself. He's always saving her, time and time again. He pulled the wires out of the bomb, he held her as they nearly froze to death, he pulled her out of that airplane hanger... She wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him.

When she was hellbent on finding the son-of-a-bitch who ordered the hit on her mother, he was there to stop her. He was the voice of reason, and although she hated him for it, he was right. She did crawl inside her mother's murder. She did hide there. She is scared to find out who she is without it. And he's the only one who noticed.

He always notices.

But will he understand?

Days may not be fair, always
That's when I'll be there, always

Castle feels the weight of her head against his body. He turns his head slightly and takes a deep breath – she smells of roses and lavender and cherries and chocolate and the wind rolling over a field of sunflowers in the spring... Perfection. He takes another breath and her brunette locks tickle his cheek. He's just died and gone to Heaven.

As Kate's hands lightly caress the base of his neck, he thinks about how she's always there for him. She always makes his day better. An arch of her eyebrow, a note of her lyrical laugh, the way she thinks he's "sweet".

When he broke up with Gina, Beckett was there to comfort him, even though she didn't know why he needed comforting. Somehow she just sensed that he was having a bad day. She brought him home to board the "comfort food train" and pulled flowers out of her jacket and this just made him love her even more. It's always been her. The bimbos, the one-night-stands, Gina – they were just distractions.

He's found his soul mate; he just hopes that she's found hers.

Not for just an hour, not for just a day
Not for just a year, but always

He's smelling her hair. She should stop him, she really should, but... She likes it. Kate likes the way his breath heats the skin of her scalp and she loves the way he smiles into her hair. She pushes her head up a bit, leaning into his mouth. He presses an almost imperceptible kiss to her head and suddenly she's overwhelmed.

Kate can't imagine her life without Castle and always wants to be there with him, but she's scared as hell. That wall is still there and it's not just going to go away. What if they start a relationship and it doesn't work out because she's not able to fully let him into her heart? To cross that line with him when she's still being held back by her mother's case wouldn't be fair to him and it certainly wouldn't be fair to her. She needs to put that case to rest before she can have any semblance of normalcy in her life.

But then, what if they started a relationship and it did work? This is the more likely solution. Castle would help her through the good and the bad, she could lean on him for support, he would make her pancakes in the morning, and kiss her hair just like he's doing now. Maybe she needs that.

He said it himself: "Always." Forever. He said it to her after they kissed and he said it again when they huddled together for warmth in that god-forsaken freezer. Two of the most important moments of her life, and they both involve him and a word that is a very close synonym for "I love you"? It can't be a coincidence.

He'll wait forever if that's what it takes. Maybe she just has to take the leap.

Kate opens her eyes and tilts her head up to look him in the eyes. He doesn't smile, but his eyes sparkle down at her. Her heart melts.

Days may not be fair, always
That's when I'll be there, always

They share a gaze for what seems like an eternity, each looking into the other's soul. They don't blink, they don't move forward, they just stare. A staring contest without the humor. Who can show their love the longest?

Castle's life was turned upside down when he met Kate. With her badge and her gun and her quick wit, he was immediately smitten. She got under his skin, and now she resides there, sending tingles over his skin when she smiles, setting his nerve endings on fire when she flirts. She's a part of him, and if he ever lost her, he would be losing part of himself.

He loves her with all of his heart, and even though she can't remember, he knows that she knows. When she's ready for more, he'll be there. He will wait forever – as long as she's still breathing, he will be her faithful partner, companion, and lover.

Not for just an hour, not just a day
Not for just a year, but always

As the song ends, they sway together, and in that moment, they start to lean in close. Her eyes flick down to his lips, and he looks at her with uncertainty. She just smiles and slides her hand up through his hair, pulling him down to her. Their lips are inches apart and it's the most exquisite feeling in the world. Everything falls away. It's just the two of them spinning in slow circles on the dance floor. He leans down the last few inches and brushes his lips against hers, barely touching them for a split second. Her breath grazes his mouth as she sighs.

They're just on the precipice of giving into their desire when the unspeakable happens.

The beautiful, romantic, Frank Sinatra song becomes a crazy techno beat, the Master of Ceremonies says something about "getting their groove on" while waiting for their food, and a groomsman accidentally bumps into Kate when he gets a bit overzealous with his side-snapping.

They jump apart abruptly and rush off the dance floor. Kate smooths her gray dress and tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Castle draws in a shuddery breath. As they sit back down at their table, they can't look at each other. They almost kissed, but now the enchanting spell is broken.

What now?

A/N: Coming up in chapter 2: The reason you clicked on this story in the first place – SMUT! (In an interesting location...)

Disclaimer: "A Wink and a Smile" by Harry Connick Jr. and "Always" by Frank Sinatra belong to their respective owners, not me.

You can follow me on Twitter at MissRainbowPie.