Unique In All the World
"I am looking for friends. What does that mean - tame?"
"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. "It means to establish ties."
"To establish ties?"
"Just that," said the fox. "To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world..."
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
Kate is a little short of breath when the elevator lets her off on their floor. She has a moment of niggling worry - what if there's permanent damage? - but it disappears beneath the surface as she fishes her keys out of her bag. It's late, she aches across her chest, but she's alive and she's home.
Castle is asleep on the couch when she comes through the door. He must have been waiting up for her. She didn't tell him she was nearly killed by a computer. Let that come later.
Kate closes the door softly, a tight grip on the knob to keep it from clicking - not because it would wake Castle, she plans on doing that anyway, but because it just might disturb their restless son.
Kate's shoulders release when she manages to keep her entrance quiet, and she lowers the bag very gently to the floor. She lifts one foot to unzip her boot, then the other, and places her shoes beside the door near the coat closet. She slides out of her jacket, making sure to move slowly. But her breaths are easy; everything's fine.
The clock on the oven glows the time, nearly two in the morning, and she rolls her head on her neck, wincing as the knots tighten. She hides a yawn with her hand and glances towards the stairs, listening, but thankfully she doesn't hear a thing.
Kate moves towards her husband on the couch, leaning over to comb her fingers through his hair. The flop of his bags back over his forehead causes him to stir, and she slowly puts a knee into the cushion to balance over him, smiling as he wakes.
"Mm, Kate, hi."
"Hi," she whispers, sinking down to sit with one foot tucked under her. As he stirs, she finds herself still combing through his hair, touching him for no reason.
"Is it pretty late?" he says, his words sleep-heavy. The sound of him makes her body rouse, as if orienting to the timber of his voice.
"Pretty late," she admits. Her fingers curl behind his ear, stroke the soft shell, the down of his earlobe. He blinks slowly and watches her, and she leans her shoulder against the back of the couch, tucks in closer. "Interesting case."
"Hm?" His eyes slip shut only to flare again.
"Your kind of case."
"Oh?" he grins, but he still hasn't moved. She notes the book on his chest, The Thin Man, and she's pretty sure he's read it a thousand times. Means he was just waiting for her, waiting up on the couch in the quiet.
Her heart flips to picture it, and she's usually not that kind of girl. "Astronaut was killed - on Mars."
"No!" he gasps, sitting upright, disturbing her fingers and the book.
She smirks, pressing her lips together to keep from laughing. She doesn't want to wake their son, or the baby, but it is so very lovely to tease her partner. She lays The Thin Man on the coffee table just to stall for time.
"Kate," he hisses. "Come on. Don't be mean. Details."
She keeps a closed mouth, averting her eyes and shrugging. He growls and comes for her. She tries not to gasp, but gives it up to his mouth, and he swallows her moan after it as his hands clutch at her ribs.
She's pressed back to the couch, and she shifts her leg out from under her to draw her knee up to his waist. He breaks his kiss to touch his lips at her jaw, nipping with his teeth, and she lifts her chin to drive him down her neck. Castle's hands are busy, sliding under her black turtleneck and spanning her waist, thumbs rubbing just under her bra.
She makes some kind of noise, can't hold it in, and Castle lifts above her, making her open her eyes. His are pale in the golden lamplight of the living room, a blue flame of curiosity.
"Kate. Give."
"Give?" she mumbles, breathing hard and they just got started.
"On Mars."
She laughs, too loud, and slaps a hand over her own mouth, groaning as the sound echoes in the living room. He tugs on her elbow and wriggles into her hips, and she gasps, but it does the trick.
"Training facility - for the Mars Project - they had a murder-"
"Oh, the Mars Project? Seriously? I applied for that; they turned me down."
She scowls up into his face. "You applied? Where was I?"
His face burns and he lowers his head, presses a kiss against her bare stomach, her turtleneck still rucked up by his hands.
"Castle."
"We were in a fight."
"So you were gonna go to Mars-"
Thumbs skitter over her abs. "I was rejected. Now, murder?"
"Mm, murder. (Why would they ever reject you? You're perfect)." She sighs and he licks her stomach, making her hips pitch up into his hands. "The-the simulation... oh, yes - filled with gases that simulate a non-breathable atmosphere. S-seriously, Castle, God."
"Non-breathable atmosphere?"
She catches a breath, dizzy with it. "They were all in suits. We had to suit up too; I got pictures on my phone, walking through the sim of this barren planet." And then trapped by the AI computer and the clouds of gas pouring in- "Oh, Castle, I really missed you today."
He lays his chin on her stomach and smooths his fingers over her skin, and then he crawls up and kisses her very softly. "We missed you too."
"Ellery did okay after I left?" she whispers.
"Gave her the bottles. She wasn't super happy, but I think we all loved seeing you at lunch."
"Yeah," she breathes out. Strange how halfway through that Mars simulation, all she could think about was how giddy Castle would have been, how adorably annoying when not flat-out aggravating, but at the same time - longing to be home with them. She came home for lunch to nurse Ellery, and entirely forgot to mention the whole Mars set-up, absorbed by her family. "Lunch. Montgomery said it won't be a problem. Every day."
"Good. So Mars?" His eyebrows dance, and his palms slide up her ribs. Every inch of skin is sensitive, even now, and she finds herself arching into his touch.
"Mars," she says faintly, clutching his biceps as he hovers above her. "Kiss me first."
Castle leaves a lingering kiss on her lips and then he moves to stand. "No need to do this out here," he murmurs. "I can torture the details out of you in there."
"And not wake the baby," she hums, catching the hand he holds out to her. A laugh as she realizes she meant Dash. "Or the other baby."
Castle grins, lifts her to her feet, and she finds herself wrapped in his arms, his embrace like a balm she didn't know she needed. She's not a hugger, but he's turned her into one.
"You smell like space and rain," he says softly.
She laughs, muffling the sound in his neck.
"Your hair is damp," he whispers, fingers cupping the back of her skull, combing through her hair.
"It's snowing a little, spitting snow," she starts. "Or it was. I missed you."
"How sentimental you are when it's past your bedtime, Kate Castle."
She grins and presses that into his skin as well, sighing when his fingers massage at her scalp and down to her neck. She goes boneless when he works the muscles on either side of her spine, her body unresistant to his probing fingers.
"Feels good," she mumbles, laying her cheek against his shoulder. Her arms drop; she can barely hang on to him, fingers tucked into his belt loops. Even her hips are loose, like her joints might shift out of place.
Suddenly, the whole day has caught up to her, heavy and hard, and she sags against him.
He catches her. "Come on. Time for bed, babe."
She grunts at the pet name, but she's too tired to protest much. Castle pushes her back, waiting for her to get her balance, and then he leads her back down the hall towards their bedroom.