A/N: A little fluff you may enjoy. Leave a review if you please. I write for fun so be kind :)
Kate hears him end the call and her eyes follow his body as he enters the spacious living room and sits down beside her.
"So, the bad news is that the next flight that I could get us on is at 5 pm tomorrow. But, the good news," he says with a wiggle of his eyebrows, "is that we have an extra free night to relax. Maybe we could get that massage…"
"Castle," She responds in warning.
"Ok, no couples massage, but we might as well take advantage of the free time. What would you like to do? Want to get something to eat?"
She knows he's trying not to push, and he wants to please her. Especially after everything that's happened with Royce and the case. It's sweet really, the way he tries to make her smile and she feels a familiar warmth spread through her chest.
"You know what I'd like to do?"
"What? Name it and we'll do it," he's quick to respond.
"I'd like to go take a walk on the beach."
He deflates a little, "Oh, ok sure. I'll stay here and wait for you then. I can have dinner here when you get back. "
"Castle, I was kind of hoping you'd come with..." she says in question.
Just like that, his face lights up again, "Yeah, of course. Let's go."
It's late enough in the evening that most of the swimmers and tourists are gone from the beach. The sun is lowering on the horizon but hasn't set quite yet and still provides a radiating warmth to their skin despite the breeze from the ocean.
The sand near the water's edge is damp, compact and the perfect consistency to walk on barefoot. Beckett halts their progress as she takes his forearm and reaches down with the other hand to remove her sandals. When she's done he reaches down and does the same.
Seeing as they are mostly alone they decide to leave their shoes there as they continue down the shoreline.
"It's beautiful out here," Kate says looking out at the rolling waves.
"Yes, it is. I've always loved the peace of the ocean."
"Is that why you bought your house in the Hamptons?"
He pauses to glance at the water. "I think at first it was more about just being able to buy it. But later, it became a second home to us. Alexis and I have made so many traditions there and that's what makes it special now...But, at night when Alexis goes go to bed, I like to go back out and sit by myself on the sand and listen to the waves crashing to shore. Contemplate life and all."
"You contemplating life?" she teases.
"Haha," he responds in a mock tone.
"Actually it does sounds nice."
Rick hummed his approval. "You know, there is an open offer for you to come out any time," he says softly glancing over to her.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
"Really?"
He catches the side of her smile as she looks down at the sand. "Yes, really."
They walk in silence for a few moments, watching the seagulls swoop and rise as they look for dinner. Every now and then Kate reaches down to pick up a shell and holds her palm out for Castle to see her treasures.
"Want to sit for a minute and watch the sunset?" he asks tentatively.
"Sure."
They sit side by side, a tranquil peace falling over both of them. It's so nice to be with him. Everything seems better, even when they don't talk, things just always feel right with him.
She's had feelings for him probably longer than she'd like to admit. What he did for her, following her out here on this rogue mission just cements the feelings she's tried to push aside. What she felt for him over a year ago was real and they've only grown closer since. Last night she came so close to crossing that line with him. Too close, but at the same time, part of her wishes he would have still been on the couch when she'd opened her door.
Castle watches as she silently wiggles her toes in and out of the sand, and the sun nears the horizon in front of them.
"So, if you don't want to talk about it that's fine, but, um… are you doing ok? With all of this, with...Royce?"
She sighs before she responds and for a brief moment, he regrets the question.
"You know, I almost feel like I grieved a little when he betrayed me before. I mean he was still alive, but the trust was broken, the relationship had changed. At least now I know that he was turning his life around, that he was doing good and helping people again. He was getting back to being the man I knew him to be. And, thanks to your help we got justice for him. The rest will just take time."
He's not sure what compels him to do it, not after he spooked her last night, but he reaches over and takes her hand. "I'm here. Anything you need Kate."
Her eyes travel from their linked hands up to his face and finally land on his eyes; the blue intensified by the reflection of the water. He holds her gaze, adoration shining back at her, the intensity of their connection causing her to delay her response.
"I know you are. Thank you," she says with a squeeze of his hand.
After a moment he releases her, remembering there is a clear line he can't cross. He shouldn't cross. She's spoken for and he will not be that man, though it seems to be getting harder every day.
As the sun sets and the sky reaches its peak array of colors, Castle pulls out his phone and takes a picture. Then he turns and silently catches one of Kate as she's focused on the view. Her skin and hair shine golden amber in the sun's fading glow. She's gorgeous.
It's not long before the first shimmers of starlight fill the sky and the air grows crisp.
"Ready to head back?" he wonders aloud.
"Yeah, let's go. I'm getting hungry...but I'm not really in the mood to go out anywhere."
"How about we go back to the room and order room service?"
"Burgers and fries?" she inquires.
"And ice cream?"
She smiles wide, "sounds perfect."
He rises from his spot, brushes off the sand from his hands before offering one to her to help her up.
"Oohh, we can watch a movie while we eat!" he says excitedly.
She shakes her head with a repressed smile. "As long as it's not Star Wars again."
As they walk the temperature continues to drop. From the corner of his eye, he sees her shiver. He stops to quickly unzip his grey hoodie and then jogs to catch up to her again.
"Here, it's getting chilly," Castle says stretching the garment towards her.
"I'm fine," she replies seeing that he was left in only his v-neck tee.
"Kate," he says with pleading eyes.
She takes the sweatshirt and pulls it around her shoulders. "Thank you."
It smells of his cologne, and it's still warm from his body.
She doesn't want to have to give it back.
He orders the food as soon as they return to the suite. Beckett excuses herself to shower and Rick takes advantage of the time to check in with Alexis.
He's just finished setting out the food on the coffee table when she joins him, dressed in the same leggings from last night, a fresh t-shirt and his sweatshirt. Her hair is starting to dry and soft curls are forming and framing her face.
He has to physically make himself take a breath and look away.
Dinner was fun, the two of them casual and comfortable with one another. He even had her laughing before the night's end. He was careful not to get too close, not to push or put them in the position they were in the previous evening. How he'd longed to kiss her last night.
Now, Beckett has said goodnight and gone back to her room. Castle is turning out the last of the lights when he notices a white folded paper on the floor. Thinking it was a note they had written while working on the case he picks it up and opens it.
It's the note from Royce.
He refolds it quickly, doing his best to suppress his desire to see what it says and instead walks towards Kate's door to give it to her.
As he gets closer he hears her voice.
"I know that but Lanie..."
He decides to give her the peace she deserves but before he can walk away, he's captured back by her next words. "He's my partner, he's… he's my best friend...besides you. I'm just so afraid I'll ruin everything...I can't lose him, Lanie."
His heart is racing, pounding, in his chest and his mind is imagining a million things she could be talking about. He hopes, he hopes with all that he is that this means she feels it too. Feels the connection that they share. He hopes that she doesn't have some horrible thing to tell him but that she wants to actually be with him.
He comes back from his thoughts and realizes that he needs to get away from her door. Now. He shouldn't listen anymore, shouldn't betray her trust.
He walks briskly back to his room and closes the door. Castle collapses onto the bed and lets his eyes close while he tries to reign in his emotions. He doesn't want to get ahead of himself. He doesn't want to be let down. This is something his heart has desired for so long.
When he opens his eyes, he realizes that he's still holding the letter. There's a new crease in the middle from where he unintentionally squeezed it in his fist. With what he's just heard, he feels weak. Weak in the most beautiful of ways, but his resolve is thin and he feels incapable of putting the letter down now.
So he opens it.