Kate wakes up before sunrise, disoriented, sweaty. She flips blankets off her torso, shivers when cool air hits damp skin, leans over the edge of the bed to grope for her shirt.
Castle stirs behind her. He grumbles about the disturbance, rolls onto his side. "Kate?"
"Sorry. Go back to sleep," she says. She's got the sleeves upright, buttons visible. She can't bring herself to put it on. Doesn't want to go.
"What're you doing?" His voice is slurred with sleep.
She chances a glance behind her. "I should get going."
He's on his elbow, head propped up on a fist. He rubs an eye, pushes a frown.
She doesn't like how unsurprised he seems. "You said Alexis would be back," she explains. "I don't want her…I'm not ready to—"
"Not for hours." Castle cuts her off, scoots right up behind her but doesn't touch.
She turns back to her shirt, a twisted rope across her lap. She takes a deep breath, drags her hair into a tangled knot at the base of her neck. "I'm not sure how to do this."
He drops his eyes, retreats back to his pillow. He's all shadows and sharp angles, his adam's apple bobbing with a swallow. "Alright," he says on an exhale.
"No, Castle." Kate slumps, her back an arched silhouette against the window and all the city lights. "I don't mean I don't want to. I just…" She doesn't finish the thought, lets it hang there in the space between them. All that space where words should go.
He lays his palm low, flat on her spine. "Stay," he says.
She wonders if he'll always be the one to take the leaps first. Wonders when this hesitation will fall away because this is Castle and it's all been too long in coming.
This is them now.
She puts her chin on her shoulder, watches him a moment in her periphery. Smiles wide.
His hand is warm, heavy. It slides down to her hip, fingernails trailing along the inside of her forearm pulling goosebumps to the surface. He kisses her shoulder blade. Rests there until he points words into her ear. "Stay, Kate." Humid breath disturbs the fine hairs curled around her ear. "We'll figure it out."