Lanie and Esposito met up with Castle in their hotel lobby, after spending an afternoon on the set of Heat Wave.
"Castle, that was a blast. Thank you for inviting us." Lanie was all smiles.
"Yeah, Castle, very cool. Ryan is going to be such a girl about this when we get back."
"He could have come. I invited him. He's the one with the fiance and the wedding to-do list. I do feel bad that he wasn't here though."
Esposito nudged Lanie toward the elevator, and waggled his eyebrows at her. "Last night in L.A."
Lanie put a hand on Castle's arm before she turned to follow Esposito. "Oh, and Castle, even though this Nikki was fun, I like yours a lot more."
"Thank you. Finally, a voice of reason. Speaking of Nikki . . . Have you seen Kate? I thought she was coming back with you."
"She should be here any minute. She was still talking to Valerie when we left. Valerie's driver was going to give her a lift."
Kate came up behind Castle, just as Lanie and Esposito disappeared into the elevator.
Castle turned and saw her. "Hey, there you are."
"Hey. Where are they going?"
"We have officially been ditched. Apparently, they have other plans for the evening. It's still early. Do you want to come up?" He glanced at her, realizing how predictably cliché his statement sounded. "I mean, we can watch a movie if you want, or we could go out if you feel like getting a drink." He closed his eyes, and shook his head. He gave her a look that said 'I know how this sounds, give me a break'.
She laughed at him. "I am too tired to go out. A movie sounds great though, and your suite sounds so much better than mine. Your place it is." They started walking toward the elevator, and she nudged him with her shoulder. "I bet you've got a great mini bar."
"There's nothing mini about it."
She laughed at him, and let it pass, knowing that this time his words were intentional.
"Large screen TV, fresh flowers, hot tub, fresh baked cookies. . ."
"Stop bragging. I already agreed that your room is superior." She punched her floor number. "I am going to go shower and change clothes first."
The doors slid open on her floor. "Remember. Hot tub. Bathing suits optional."
She tossed him a disapproving look over her shoulder. "I'll be up in a few."
He opened the door before she had a chance to knock. She shifted uneasily, as he held the door open a minute before inviting her in.
She looked so far removed from the detective he was with the greater part of the day. Her hair was in a loose ponytail, with damp tendrils that escaped it framing her face. She hadn't bothered reapplying her makeup, and she was wearing jeans and an oversized sweater that looked so soft it made him want to reach out and touch her. Or, maybe it was just the overall softness of her whole look that made him feel that way. It was rare that he got to see the real Kate. He forgot about the breathless feeling that overcomes him when he gets a glimpse of this side of her.
He shook it off before the pause became awkward. "Come in. Please."
She followed him inside, and hesitated a minute as she looked around. "Wow, you weren't exaggerating. Only the best, right?"
"Absolutely." He plucked a tulip out of the vase next to the door, and handed it to her with a flourish. "Welcome to the penthouse."
She took it carefully, and studied him for a second, before turning her attention to the flower. She couldn't explain it. Her heart was beating wildly. It was just him, in a cozy hotel suite, jeans, bare feet, snug t-shirt showing off his broad shoulders and muscular arms. She was sure she was blushing, or at least broadcasting her erratic heartbeat across the massive, impeccably decorated room.
"So . . . dinner? movie? What's your poison?"
She gave him a strange look, and shrugged. "Yeah, dinner's fine."
"Room service it is. I'll find the menu." He smiled in that little boy way of his, and gestured toward the sitting area. "You have to try it." She looked at him like he had grown a second head, but he wasn't deterred. "Seriously, go ahead. You'll thank me for it."
"You're still bragging?"
"I'm trying not too, but it's just too good. Just try it. Please?"
She shook her head, muttering to herself as she made her way to the chair. She sat down in the middle of the big over-stuffed, butter-soft leather sofa. "Oh. Wow."
"Right? I am totally buying one of these as soon as I get home." He sat down next to her, and put his feet up on the table in front of them. He held his hand over his phone. "Go ahead, try it. You have to go for the full effect."
She didn't bother protesting this time. She leaned forward to remove her shoes, at the same time he stretched his arms across the back of the sofa, sinking into the leather, and letting go of his stress, taking advantage of the rare opportunity presented to him, and trying to forget how wrong Hollywood is getting his book. Room Service finally took him off hold, and he proceeded to order what sounded like everything on the menu.
When she leaned back, and placed her feet on the table next to his, she was suddenly enveloped in one of his arms. They both stiffened for an instant, but he didn't move his arm, and she didn't bother threatening him with what would happen if he didn't move it. Neither moved, neither said anything, and eventually she felt herself relax into his arm.
He nodded toward her bare feet on the table. "Really? Pink?"
She wiggled her toes, and he smiled.
She felt a warmth spread through her. "This is nice." Since when did a smile and a pair of strong arms melt her insides? She decided that was a complicated matter, and would rather put off analyzing it.
He let his hand rest on her shoulder. "It is. I miss this."
She gave him a look that he read correctly as 'we don't really normally do this'.
"I know, but I still miss it."
She thought about what he said, and she knew he was telling the truth, because she felt the same way. This is what was missing.
They shared their dinner over a really bad sci-fi movie, and discussions of work, books, Hollywood, family, but mostly speculations of Lanie and Esposito's specific extracurricular activities at any given moment. Castle kept her laughing with his impressions of the happy couple, that were raunchy enough to make her blush at times. She would definitely see Esposito under a new light when they were back at the precinct. She left him alone for less than five minutes for a trip to the bathroom, and she came back to find him prank calling their room. She stole his phone and ended the call on the first ring.
"Are you twelve?"
She sat back down in the spot she previously vacated, no closer, but to his surprise, no further away. He casually wrapped his arm behind her again, and she curled her legs under her and to her side.
"Gees, I'm just trying to have some fun."
"Just watch the movie," She leaned against him slightly. "and leave them alone. They are busy."
She tried to stay awake through the awful movie, but the big dinner, and the relaxed atmosphere, had her eyes feeling heavy. She found her attention focused less on the movie, and more on the repetitive motion of Castle's hand absently brushing her arm with his fingertips. She finally let sleep win her over, and she relaxed against him.
Once she fell asleep, it was easy to pull on her gently so her head rolled onto his shoulder. He watched the rest of the movie in utter peace, not really absorbing any of it, as most of his senses were focused on the woman sleeping next to him. He could feel her soft breath on his neck, and the tickle of her hair against his cheek. He curled his arm around her shoulder, and simply enjoyed the feeling of holding her close.
He eventually dozed off, mesmerized by her steady breathing. When he woke, Kate had rolled onto her side, and was curled up against him, her cheek resting against his chest, her fingers holding on to the fabric of his shirt at his waist. He found that his fingers had entwined themselves in the soft curls that had come loose from her ponytail.
He thought he felt her move slightly, or maybe she just started to and then froze when she realized where she was. He kept still for a few minutes, all of his senses focused on her. He could definitely detect a change in her breathing. He gathered the loose strands of hair that had fallen across her face and tucked them behind her ear. "Kathryn Beckett, I never had you pegged as a snuggler."
She sat up, slowly, not ready to pay the consequences for the indulgence of several hours spent in his arms. "Oh, god." She swallowed, and lifted her cheek off his chest. She finally looked at him. "I'm sorry." She was no longer reclining against him, but she was not eager to completely distance herself from him completely.
She was still angled toward him, and he turned and squared his shoulders up with hers. He noticed that the wide neck of her sweater had slipped slightly off her shoulder, and he resisted the urge to reach out and brush his fingers against the bare skin. "About what? It was late. It was a long day. We fell asleep watching a movie."
She noticed the emotions flicker across his face, and the way he looked at her made her heart speed up uncomfortably. She was sitting inches from him, heart beating wildly, afraid to take a breath because she knew it would come out unsteady. The thought crossed her mind that he was having some of the same reactions, and that just made her even more unsure of what to do next.
He narrowed his eyes, watching her carefully. "Are you ok?" He touched her hand.
She let out a shaky breath. "I don't know. I feel like I should be apologizing." She tilted her head to the side, really trying to read his reaction. "Last night . . . it wasn't just that I was tired. I was relaxed . . . for the first time in a long time. I don't even think relaxed is the right word. It just felt . . . right, natural?" She rolled her eyes, and looked down at her hands. "I don't know what I am trying to say. For once, I didn't feel like I had to pretend things were different than they are."
He put his fingers under her chin, and nudged it up until he could see her eyes. "Thank you. That means a lot. The invitation is always open." He let his fingers curl around her jaw until he was cupping her face in his hand. "Things just are what they are. Pretending that something is, or is not, there doesn't change anything."
She didn't say anything more. She had too much spinning around in her head to even begin to figure out what happened, or what changed, or why she volunteered so much unsolicited information. She tried not to break eye contact, but she wanted to desperately. She felt like she was giving away too much. She searched frantically for a way to get them back on track, to end the endless waiting for one of them to take it another step forward. She smiled at him. "So . . . you'll call me when the new couch is delivered?"
"Absolutely. You will be the first to know . . . well, except mother and Alexis." He seemed relieved at first that the standoff was broken, but then something changed. He let his hands slip down to her shoulders suddenly, and moved back from her, creating some much needed distance. He was suddenly feeling very flustered and confused. "I think I need to get some air."