Updated - I changed the ending because I didn't like what I had written before. Hopefully this is better.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.
The first thing Rick Castle thought when he slowly started to wake up was that he felt warm. Really warm. As he became more aware of his surroundings, he realized he had his arms around something. No, wait, someone. His eyes slid open and he saw the stunning Detective Kate Beckett with her hand resting on his midsection, still asleep. Looking down at the arm he had wrapped around her, the wedding ring on his finger caught his eye. He smiled and thought I'm the luckiest man alive. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath inhaling the scent of her shampoo, and drifted back to sleep.
Castle's eyes snapped open. He was cold and as he looked around his room, he saw that the bed next to him was empty. Shit, he thought, laying his head back down on his pillow. Not again.
For several months, Castle had been having dreams about Kate. They were infrequent at first but as time went on, they came more and more often. Lately, it was almost every night and they were vivid. They weren't always dirty (although those did make their fair share of appearances). Mostly the two of them were doing normal, everyday things. Things they did all the time, actually, just with more affection and kissing. Sighing loudly, he got out of bed and headed for a cold shower.
An hour later, he strolled into the 12th precinct holding 2 cups of coffee and a pastry for Beckett. Sitting down in his chair and trying to sound happier than he felt, he said, "Morning, Detective."
Kate looked up from her paperwork, took one of the cups from him and smiled. "Hi Castle. What are you doing here? We don't have a case."
"I know," he said. "I was bored at home so I decided to come bother you." The truth was, he needed to be near her. If he couldn't be with her like he was in his dreams, he at least wanted to be as close to her as possible. Besides, he hadn't been getting much sleep. He found that once he woke up after one of those dreams, he would lay awake for hours going over every detail in his mind. Sometimes, if he thought about them hard enough, they almost felt real.
Rolling her eyes, she said sarcastically, "Great, can't wait."
Kate was pleasantly surprised though; he didn't bother her at all. He sat quietly playing with his phone, occasionally looking up at her, smiling when their eyes met. After a couple of hours, she noticed he was being a little too quiet. When she looked up at him again, she saw that he had dozed off. He had his elbow on the arm of his chair with his head resting on his hand, and he looked adorable. Wait, what? she thought. Where did that come from?
She caught herself thinking things like that more and more often. Not only about him looking adorable either; sometimes she would think he was sweet or funny or generous. Really hot a few times too, she remembered with a smile on her face. She never said these things out loud, however - his ego was big enough.
Her stomach growled, reminding her it was time for lunch. Kate stood up and put on her coat, grabbed her wallet from the desk drawer and debated how to wake Castle. After considering shouting next to his ear and shoving his elbow off the chair, she decided to be nice for once. She bent down in front of his chair and put both of her hands on his knees.
"Castle?" Getting no response, she tried again, squeezing his knees and shaking them gently. "Castle? Wake up, let's go grab some food."
Without opening his eyes, he reached up, putting his hands on either side of her face. Kate startled but couldn't move fast enough. Before she knew it, he leaned forward and kissed her.
He kissed her. In the middle of the precinct. And it was incredible.
As he pulled away, his eyes slipped open. Kate tried to stay calm as she whispered harshly, "Castle, what the hell are you doing?"
"Hm?" he responded. Clearly he was confused, so she removed his hands from her face for him and they both stood.
"I said, what the hell are you doing? You just kissed me in front of everyone!"
His eyes opened widely and he whispered back, "Oh my God, this is real? I swear Beckett, I thought I was dreaming!"
Kate blushed furiously. She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the elevator. Mortified, she needed to escape as quickly as possible. Once they were safely behind closed doors, she shoved him against the elevator wall.
"Ow!" he exclaimed. "What was that for?"
"You thought you were dreaming?" she cried. "Since when do you dream about kissing me in front of all of my co-workers?"
"Look, I'm really sorry," Rick said. "I promise, I didn't mean to embarrass you." He looked down at the ground, clearly uncomfortable.
'Let's just go get lunch. We can talk about it more there." She pushed the button for the lobby and the elevator started to descend.
Twenty minutes later, they sat in booth at Remy's. After they ordered, Kate looked at Castle, waiting for him to explain. Rick avoided her gaze, looking everywhere but her eyes.
"Castle…" she began. After a few moments, he looked up at her. "What's going on?"
Kate genuinely looked concerned so Rick sighed and started at the beginning.
"Ok fine," he said. "I'll tell you but… it's humiliating. You can't tell anyone. Promise?"
She nodded. "Of course."
"For the last 6 or 7 months, I've been having a lot of dreams. About you." She opened her mouth to protest but he held up his hand, cutting her off. "Not like that, Kate."
She closed her mouth, feeling dumb for assuming. That is, until she saw the twinkle in his eye and small smile starting to form. "At least, not all the time."
She kicked his foot under the table and he acted hurt. "Seriously, though, it's not like that. We're just doing ordinary things like cooking meals together or walking through Central Park or watching movies," he said, trailing off.
She prompted him to continue. "And…"
Rubbing his hands over his eyes, he continued. "And -"
Just then, the waitress set their food down on the table. "You kids enjoy," she said cheerfully.
Castle looked relieved. He hoped he could eat in peace without revealing the rest.
"Oh no," Kate said. "Finish your sentence."
"But my fries will get cold…" he whined. He was desperate to get out of this.
"Hurry up then," she replied. Sitting with her hands on her lap, she waited.
"Fine…" he grumbled. "I was going to say that even though we're just doing all of these boring things, I'm having a great time because I'm with you. We're… together… so I get to hug you and kiss you and sit with my arm around you." He dropped his face into his hands, getting to the craziest part. He decided since he was already in this deep, he may as well tell her everything. "Sometimes, like in the one I had last night, we're married."
When Kate didn't say anything for a minute, Rick looked up. She was biting her lip nervously, unsure how to respond.
"Wow," she said quietly. "Married? Really?"
Nodding slowly, he chuckled, "I always wake up the happiest after those."
"Rick, I don't know what to say," she said. "This is…"
"It's idiotic, I know," he finished for her. "Trust me. That's usually how I feel once I realize I'm alone."
"I was going to say… unexpected," she said. "I've never been fake-married before. Am I a good fake-wife?" Even though she was teasing, she wasn't mocking him.
He reached across the table and took her hand. "You're the best wife I could ask for, real or fake," he said seriously.
For the second time in less than an hour, Beckett's face turned bright red. Flustered, she said, "Do you think you're dreaming again, Castle? Because you're not."
"I know," he said simply, " but apparently it's hard for me to tell the difference these days so I'm going to say what I feel and see what happens. I'll probably make a giant ass of myself but I do that often enough anyway. See, if I was dreaming right now, you would come over to my side of the booth, kiss me and tell me what an incredible husband I am. Since I'm obviously awake, we can just eat our food. Easy enough."
He picked up his burger, took a bite and shrugged his shoulders. Beckett looked at him like he was crazy.
She sat quietly, deep in thought for a few minutes, ignoring her lunch. Finally, she stood up, moved around the table and sat next to Castle. He swallowed and looked at her carefully. Wait… maybe this is a dream? he thought. This is so confusing.
Placing her hand on his arm, Kate looked him in the eye and said, "Rick, you really are something else." She leaned forward and kissed him, pulling back before he knew what hit him.
He slipped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tightly up against him. He kissed her temple and whispered into her ear, "Come over for dinner tonight."
Kate smiled and whispered back, "Can I find out more about these dreams of yours?"
After a moment, he replied, "Only if we can call it a date."
"Deal." She pulled her plate towards her and they finished eating side by side.
After they paid and walked outside, Castle stopped her by grabbing her hand. "I'm going to head home and get things ready for tonight. Call me when you're done?"
"Sure," she said. "With no distractions, I might actually finish at a respectable time." She poked his side with her free hand until he gave in and smiled. "The only thing that will stop me is a body, so keep your fingers crossed."
"I'll cross everything I possibly can, Detective," he said with a grin. With that, they went their separate ways - Castle to the grocery store on the way to his apartment and Beckett back to work.
###
Several hours later, as Rick was putting the finishing touches on dinner, he heard a knock at the door. Kate had sent him a text letting him know when she left the precinct. Opening the door, he ushered her in and took her coat.
"It smells great in here, Castle. What did you make?" she asked.
"I didn't know what you'd be in the mood for so I made a few different things," he said as they walked to the table.
Kate stopped in her tracks and gasped. The table was covered with food. Rick pulled out her chair and said, "Hope you're hungry!"
They piled up their plates and dug in. After they were both stuffed, Kate sat back in her chair and sighed. "I don't think I've ever eaten that much in one sitting," she said. Standing, she picked up a few dishes and started walking to the kitchen.
"Leave it," Rick said. "I'll clean up later."
"I don't mind," she said. "You did all the cooking - the least I can do is help with the dishes."
Rick got up to help and together, they piled leftovers in the fridge, rinsed the plates and loaded the dishwasher. He refilled their wine glasses and they walked to the living room. Kate flopped down in the corner of the L-shaped sofa, closing her eyes as soon as her head rested back. He smiled, sitting halfway down the long side, facing her. He pulled her legs up to his lap and started rubbing one of her feet.
Without thinking, Kate moaned. Out loud. Rick's jaw dropped but he continued rubbing circles on her arch.
"Oh god, Rick, that feels amazing," she said.
He shook his head as he stared at her. This woman is going to kill me. "Maybe if your shoes didn't double as torture devices, your feet wouldn't hurt so much."
She nudged him with her free foot. "Oh quiet, you love my shoes."
"You have no idea," he mumbled.
They sat quietly for a few minutes until Kate said, "So, still up for the talk we started earlier?"
"Wow," he said. "You must really be curious to just bring it up so bluntly like that."
"What do you mean?" she asked. "We just talked about this a few hours ago."
"Yeah but before today, when had we ever talked about how we feel about each other?" he asked.
He was right and she knew it. "I'm trying to change that," she replied. "There have been too many times when I wanted to say something and didn't, because I was afraid of how you'd react. I don't want to feel like that anymore."
"I have to say, I'm surprised. But I like it," Castle said. "Can I ask you something first?"
"Of course you can."
"Do you ever have dreams about me too?" He watched her reaction carefully. "About us?"
He could see her lip just barely moving, chewing on the inside of it as she debated her answer. He had already revealed so much to her today, she decided she should be willing to give a little too. Finally, she replied honestly, "Yes, I do."
"Really?" he asked, surprised.
Nodding, she said, "Not as often as it sounds like you do but yes, occasionally."
"Ok then, I have an idea," he said. "We're turning this into a game. We take turns asking questions about each other's dreams. First person to refuse to answer loses."
"Rick, no," she said, rolling her eyes. "That's not how this was supposed to work!"
"Hey, I've already told you way more than you've told me," he said. "If you really want more details, you have to play."
Kate considered his offer. What the hell, she decided. Surely her dreams weren't as embarrassing as his - she knew how his imagination worked.
"What does the winner get?" she asked.
He thought for a moment. "I don't know, whatever the winner chooses I guess."
"Ok," she said. "I'm in."
Rick grinned - he couldn't believe his luck. If he was going to humiliate himself, he wanted to get some secrets out of her too. "Ladies first," he said.
She had been thinking about this conversation all afternoon so she had her first question ready. "Do your dreams go in chronological order?" she asked. "Like one long story broken into pieces?"
He shook his head. "No, they're pretty random. Over the course of, say, 5 dreams, we'll be married in the first, dating in the second, old and gray in the third, getting engaged in the fourth, having kids in the fifth. They aren't connected to each other at all. Each one is its own little world."
She nodded and after a few quiet moments, he started again. "Ok, my turn." Taking her question, he asked, "How about yours? One long story or lots of short ones?"
"So far, they've been in order," she said. "Dating first, then engaged, then married…" She trailed off.
"Kids?" he asked.
"No way, save it for your next question," she said with a smile. "Your rules, remember?"
Rolling his eyes, he said, "Fine. Your turn."
"Have you dreamed about proposing?" she asked.
Rick looked at her with so much love in his eyes, she couldn't breathe. "So many times, I've lost count. And they were all great - you said yes in every single one."
"Your turn," she said, hoping he wouldn't notice the blush creeping up her face. Again.
He did notice, of course, but he let it go. "Have you dreamed about us having kids?" he asked, returning to his previous question. He also switched and started rubbing her other foot at the same time.
Kate looked at him intently and answered, "Not yet, but I'm sure I'll get there eventually." She looked down at her hands in her lap and quietly asked her next question. "What are some of the ways you proposed?"
Rick took a deep breath and thought back. "Sometimes it was over the top, like on the scoreboard at Yankee Stadium or with a flash mob in Times Square. Sometimes it was more standard - you know, flowers, dinner and a show and then down on one knee. Others weren't planned at all." He chuckled. "Once I dreamed that we were just laying in bed on a Sunday morning and I couldn't keep it from falling out of my mouth. I'd never been less articulate in my life. I didn't even have a ring that time." He paused and smiled, lost in thought. Continuing, he said, "I had a few creative ideas in there too. Spelling it out with Scrabble tiles while you were busy kicking my ass, or sending you on a scavenger hunt all over the city. That one was funny, it took you all day and you got so frustrated." Laughing again, he looked at her and realized how much he had been rambling. "Sorry, I'll shut up now."
"No, it's ok," she said. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know." She held out a hand until he took it in his, squeezing when he did. "Your turn."
He had to think about his next question for a minute. Finally he asked, "How do you feel when you wake up and realize it wasn't real?"
It was Kate's turn to think. Slowly, she said, "At first, I would feel… relieved, I guess." When she saw his face fall, she quickly added, "That was only in the beginning though, when I couldn't admit to myself yet that there could be something… real… between us." His expression changed from sadness to interest, waiting for her to continue. Oh boy, she thought. This is some hole I've dug myself into. "It was a little too overwhelming. Now when it happens, I feel happier right when I wake up but more… disappointed when I figure it out. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, I understand," he said. "I have a similar reaction. Ok, your turn."
Her face turned a slightly darker shade of pink and he could guess what she was thinking. He decided to help her out. "You want to know about the dirty ones, don't you?" Trying to get her to relax, he smiled and tickled her foot.
Her eyes shifted to meet his and if he hadn't been looking so closely, he might have missed the slight nod.
"Well, you have to ask a question so I know how to answer," he said smiling. "Don't worry, I'm sure it will be more awkward for me than for you."
Taking a deep breath, she went for it. "Am I… good?"
Rick's eyes just about dropped out of his head. "Are you serious? Of course you're good. You're so mind-blowingly good, it's incredible. Why would you ever think that you would be anything less? Remember, this is my imagination we're talking about, where my wildest fantasies come to life."
"I don't know," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I've been… self-conscious lately. You know, I have a few more… imperfections… than I did the last time I got naked with anyone."
Rick leaned forward to place his hands on either side of her face, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. "Kate Beckett, listen to me. You are the most gorgeous and perfect human being to have ever walked on this earth. No amount of scar tissue can change that. Understand?"
Her eyes were shining with unshed tears and she could only nod, not trusting her voice.
"Besides," he continued, "anyone who would think less of you because of a few battle wounds is an asshole who doesn't deserve you anyway."
She smiled, turning her head slightly to kiss the palm of his hand. "Thanks, Rick."
They sat, quietly looking into each other's eyes until Kate looked away. "Your turn," she said.
"Just for this one question, you can say no and it won't mean you lose," he prefaced. She narrowed her eyes and waited. "Do you ever have those kind of dreams about us?" He held his breath waiting for her answer.
Her expression softened and she said, "I have, yes." She could tell he wanted to ask for specifics but also wanted to play by the rules. She decided to elaborate, but just a little bit. "Let's just say, we were both very… satisfied… in the end."
"I can promise you, Detective, that would certainly be true in real life as well," Rick said with a grin. "I would make sure of it."
"Calm down, Castle," she replied.
"Back to Castle now, huh? I see how it goes," he joked. "Ok fine, I'll let it go. For now. It's your turn anyway."
"Actually, I can't think of anything else right now. You can go again," she said.
Rick thought for a minute before saying, "You know, I'm having trouble coming up with anything too. Must be the bottle of wine we polished off." Smiling, he held up the empty bottle, shaking it for the full effect. "Does that mean we both win or we both lose?"
She replied, "I think it's more fun if we both win."
"I agree," he said. "You choose your prize first."
Burying her face in her hands, Kate laughed out loud. "I actually have one idea but you're going to think it's stupid."
Oh this has to be good, he thought. "No, I won't," he said, somehow keeping a straight face. "I promise!"
She looked up at him, weighing her options. "Okay," she gave in. "There's something I've always wanted to ask you, even before we met. I would feel really weird asking under any other circumstance but since I get anything I want and you promised not to laugh…"
Rick made an 'X' over his chest. "Cross my heart, I won't laugh."
She still stayed quiet, biting her lower lip.
"Look, Kate, whatever it is, you know I'll do it." He was dying of curiosity by this point. "Haven't you figured out that I can't say no to you?"
Her heart started to beat faster as she realized the truth behind his statement. He would do anything she asked of him, no matter what, and she knew it.
"Well now it's just going to sound silly," she said. "Fine. I wanted to know… can I look through your wallet?"
Rick's face was frozen in a look of surprise. "That's it?" he asked. "That's your embarrassing request?"
"See?" she said. "I told you it was stupid!"
"No no, it's not stupid at all," he said. "I just don't get what the big deal is - I snoop through your stuff all the time." He smiled as she kicked him, her feet still propped up on his lap. He held them down with one hand while he reached into his back pocket. Handing her his wallet, he said, "Knock yourself out. I'm going to get more wine." Standing, he set her feet on the couch and picked up the empty bottle.
Kate waited until he was in the kitchen before looking down at the object in her hands. She didn't know why but ever since she became a fan, she had wondered about what he kept in there. Opening it, she noticed the bi-fold design. There were spots for cards on both sides, room to slide things in behind them and the space along the back for cash. She started with the cash, counting a little over $300. Hm, she thought. I would've guessed he carried more. She noticed a few receipts tucked in there too - one from their lunch earlier that day plus a few other take-out places. Moving on to the card slots, she first pulled out his driver's license.
"Find anything interesting?" he asked, walking back toward the couch.
"Cute picture on your ID," she said without thinking. Trying to backpedal, she stammered, "Um, I mean, most people look really terrible. Yours isn't half-bad."
"Smooth," he said, rolling his eyes. "I bet yours is better. You're the most photogenic person I've ever met."
"Go see for yourself," she said. "My purse is by the door."
Rick studied her. "Is this a trick?" he asked.
"No, it's not a trick," she said. "I'm snooping through your stuff so if you want, you can do the same with mine."
Before she could change her mind, he quickly moved to the entry and picked up her bag. Sitting back down and pulling her feet back on his lap, he opened it and started poking around. "You don't normally carry a purse. Why did you bring one tonight?" he asked.
"Well, it's not practical to lug it around at work so I just keep my license, a credit card and some cash in a small wallet that fits in my pocket. I'll sometimes carry this one around when I'm off duty and might need more than that." she replied.
He found her wallet and opened it, taking out her license. "See?" he pointed. "Your picture is gorgeous."
She rolled her eyes and kept looking through his card slots. She found a black American Express card, which she held up as she said, "Look at you, high roller. Should I start calling you Rich Uncle Pennybags now?"
"The Monopoly guy? Really?" he asked straight-faced. "You're hilarious. I'm not that old."
She chuckled to herself as she slid the card back in its place.
"You can have one, you know," he said casually.
"Ha!" she laughed. "Yeah right, I'm pretty sure you have to make more money than a cop to get one of these bad boys."
"I'm serious," he said. "Would you take it if I got you one? You deserve the money Nikki Heat has made just as much as I do and let me tell you, it's been a lot."
Kate could only stare, her mouth hanging open. She was speechless. This was absolutely not what she had in mind when she asked to pry into his personal belongings.
"Look, you can say no if you want," Rick said. "I just want you to know, the option is out there." He went back to looking through her bag, pulling out typical girly things and setting them on the coffee table - a comb, a few tampons, some make-up. He found a bottle of lotion and opened it, squirting some into one hand. "Is this how you get your skin to be so soft?" he asked quietly, smelling his hands. Reading the label, he added, "I might have to get some of this for myself…"
"Castle, are you honestly offering to give me one of your credit cards?" Kate asked, still not quite believing her ears.
"Kate, I want to give you your share of the Nikki Heat profits however I can," he said. "If you're willing to take a credit card, great. If you'd let me put it right in your bank account, I could arrange that too. It doesn't feel right keeping it all for myself when you're the reason I have it."
"I let you buy me things sometimes…" she said halfheartedly.
"One dress and 4 years of coffee?" he asked. "Beckett, these books have made millions."
"Hey, you put up $100,000 trying to catch my mom's killer. Don't forget about that," she said.
Rick shook his head, looking down and remembering that case. "I would've paid ten times that if it meant we could end it all."
Squeezing his hand, Kate said, "I know you would." After a few quiet moments, she added, "Ok, I'll do it."
"Do what?"
"I'll take the card," she said. "If you want me to have it, I'll take it."
"Really?" He was shocked. "You will?"
"Yes, now drop it before I change my mind," she said, smiling.
"I'll be right back." He jumped off the sofa and practically ran to his office, returning in less than a minute. "Here," he said, handing her an envelope.
She took it but didn't open it, staring at him in disbelief.
"Open it."
Tearing the end, she pulled out a piece of paper that, as she expected, had a credit card attached.
"How long have you had this?" she asked suspiciously.
"Far longer than you care to know," he said. "Now if you don't mind, I want to get back to your purse." Sitting back down, he opened her bag and pulled out a few more things. She had a variety of gum and mints so he had to ask, "Oral fixation?"
Rolling her eyes, she replied, "More like good breath fixation." Looking down at the card in her hand, she still couldn't believe what had just happened. They both knew she would never use it but just the fact that he wanted her to have it and she willingly accepted it was a big step for them.
Getting back to Rick's wallet, she had to laugh when she pulled out another card. "Of course you would have a library card, wouldn't you?"
"Doesn't everyone?"
"I do but no, I would say most people don't," she said.
He pulled out her cell phone and held it up. Eyebrows raised, he silently asked for permission.
"Go for it," she said.
Sliding his finger across the screen, he unlocked it and started investigating. "Your apps are so boring!" he exclaimed.
"Don't download anything," she warned, "or you'll be sorry."
He flipped through her photo album and noticed she didn't have any pictures of the two of them. "Come here," he said, holding out his hand.
"What are you doing?" she said with a worried look.
"Just come sit by me." He tugged on her hand until she sat right next to him. Putting his arm around her shoulder, he squeezed until they were cheek to cheek. "On the count of three," he said. "One… two… three."
Right before he snapped the picture, Rick turned and kissed her cheek. They both laughed when they saw the screen - Kate had a surprised look on her face, jaw dropped and eyes wide. "Oh I have to send this to myself," he said, texting the photo to his number. "It's totally going to be your caller ID."
Kate shook her head and smiled. "Just make sure no one at the station sees it or I'll never hear the end of it."
"Deal." He set her phone on the couch next to him and went back to her purse.
Well well well, what do we have here?" Rick said in a sing-song voice. Still sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, she turned to see him holding her toothbrush. "Don't tell me - another part of your 'good breath fixation' excuse? Or were you hoping to need this tonight and/or tomorrow morning?" He waited for her answer, eyebrows raised.
Kate tossed his wallet on the coffee table, where it landed among the contents of her purse. Smiling, she leaned in until their noses were nearly touching. He froze, not quite sure what was happening. "I'll tell you what, Castle," she said, "I'm going to pick your prize for you."
It took him a minute to register that she had spoken. Blinking a few times, he answered, "Uh, ok?"
She closed the small distance between them and kissed him, gently at first but soon her hands were running through his hair, pulling him closer. When they both pulled away, they realized they had slid down the couch and Castle was laying mostly on top of her.
"Oh, I'm, uh, sorry Kate, I didn't mean..." he stammered.
Chuckling, she kept him close when he tried to sit up. "It's ok, Rick - really," she said. "Speaking of my toothbrush..." After giving him another short kiss, she stood, picked it up from the table, and walked toward his office.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"What does it look like?" Kate replied, holding up her toothbrush. "Just wait there, I'll be right back."
Castle had to shake his head - this couldn't really be happening... right? Rubbing his eyes, he tried to calm his nerves as he waited for her to come back.
A few minutes later, she walked out of his office wearing a pair of his pajama pants and a t-shirt.
"Are you wearing my clothes?" he asked. This was definitely the strangest thing that had happened to him in a long time.
"Do you mind? I don't want to sleep in my work clothes."
"Sleep? Here?"
"Yes! Why do you think I brought a toothbrush if I didn't plan on sleeping here?" She really needed him to catch up.
"Ok..." he said slowly. "I guess I'll go brush my own teeth then?" It sounded more like a question than a statement. She nodded so he stood and walked across the room, looking back at Kate several times.
After he was through the door, Kate picked up his wallet again. She pulled out an old picture from the space behind his credit cards. It was Alexis, maybe 4 or 5 years old. She looked so cute with her braided pigtails and polka-dot dress. As she slid it back in its place, it got caught on another picture. Pulling it out, she saw herself. Her breath caught as her hand covered her mouth. How long has he been carrying around her picture? She tried to think back to when it was taken... At a bar somewhere, they had gone out to celebrate after a hard case. She was sitting across the table from him, probably talking to Lanie. She was laughing, eyes bright and sparkling. It made sense that this is how he'd want to think of her.
"Are you mad?"
Her head popped up and she saw Rick standing in the doorway.
"No," she said quietly. "Why would I be mad?"
"I didn't tell you because I figured you'd think it was creepy," he said with a small smile. "You just looked so happy, I couldn't help but try to capture it."
"That's really sweet," Kate said. Looking back at the picture, she continued, "I hadn't laughed like this for a long time before I met you." Holding out her hand, she waited for him to cross the room and take it. She tugged him down so he was sitting next to her, and then nudged his shoulders until he laid down. She pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and wedged her way next to him. There wasn't quite enough room so she ended up half on top of him, but neither of them were complaining.
They stayed quiet for a few minutes. Kate enjoyed listening to his heartbeat, letting it lull her to sleep.
"Kate?"
"Hm?"
"I'm not going to wake up alone again, am I?" he asked quietly.
"No, Rick," she replied. "You won't. I'll still be here - I promise."