Dazzled by You
The clatter and clang of cookware isn't the most comforting thing to wake up to, but in the Castle household, it's almost a given. She's used to it by now, used to the chaos that comes from having three children (and a husband who almost qualifies as a fourth child) between the ages of three and nearly seven. Not that she would want them any other way; the insanity and sense of adventure is half the fun of being a part of this family.
That said, she hopes the kitchen isn't completely destroyed when she slips from beneath her bedcovers and decides to start her day. Scrubbing the floors tends to put a damper on one's enthusiasm, especially when it has to happen before coffee.
"Can I just check, Daddy? She might be 'wake."
Her husband's response doesn't quite make its way to her ears, but she suspects she already knows what it was when she hears the slap of small feet on the floor outside her bedroom door.
Kate smiles, turning her cheek into her pillow and feigning sleep just in case her daughter wants the satisfaction of waking her up. At six, Lily is fond of gentle wake up calls, climbing onto the bed beside Kate and whispering her name - unlike her brothers, who are more likely to pounce and run away than anything else.
Sure enough, she feels the bed dip on Rick's side, and a small hand brushes up and down her arm.
"Momma, are you 'wake?" she whispers. "It's not early anymore."
It is, but Kate knows it's not nearly as early as it could be. Given that she'd gotten in from the precinct at an hour so late it could be considered early, she's grateful for that small mercy.
"Daddy's making coffee," Lily adds, squirming higher on the mattress.
Her daughter knows her too well, knows what she responds to, and Kate peeks an eye open to find Lily grinning down at her.
"Hi, Mommy. I knew you'd wake up for coffee!"
"Hi, baby," Kate murmurs. Her eyes stray from her daughter's face to check the clock on her nightstand. Not as early as she'd thought, but still not late by any stretch. "What're you guys doing out there?"
Lily hesitates, glancing over her shoulder. "Uhh… nothin?"
Kate smothers a laugh. Crazy girl. "Uh huh. It smells pretty good to be nothing," she teases, making a show of taking a deep breath as she pushes herself up. "Wait, do I smell Daddy's famous waffles? The ones he makes on holidays. Is it a holiday?"
Kate's tongue pokes into her cheek. She knows what day it is. It would be hard to forget given that Rick's been dropping hints about his plans for almost a week.
Her daughter rocks back on her knees, bounding off the bed without a word. It's only when she reaches Kate's bedroom door that she calls, "Come see!"
Kate only waits a beat before she throws the covers off and allows her feet to land on the carpet. Her trip to the bathroom is quick, and after grabbing her robe off the chair in the corner, she makes her way out of her room.
Castle's waiting for her with a mug in his hand and a proud smile on his face. Their fingers brush as he hands the coffee over, the move practiced and sweet. He dips his head, touching his lips to hers before she can take her first sip.
"Surprise," Rick rumbles against her mouth, taking another kiss when she presses closer.
She chuckles, slipping her hands up his sides, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Surprise is right. Babe, this is too much; breakfast and decorations?" she asks, looking around the room, taking in the pink, red, and white heart streamers, the handmade placemats, the absurd number of roses spread throughout the room.
And thankfully – mercifully – an intact kitchen, and neither of her boys covered in breakfast ingredients. For the most part; she sees enough flour on their cheeks to know they'd helped in the preparation of the waffles.
"Never too much, Kate," her husband promises, stroking his hand up and down her back. "Not for you."
She accepts sticky hugs and kisses from her boys, brushing her hands over their hair as the boys bound around their legs. "Do you like it?" they ask in near-unison, grinning at each other.
Her fingers skim Reece's cheek, then Jake's, before she beckons her daughter closer, wrapping all three of her kids in another hug.
"I love it. I can't believe you guys did all this. Thank you," she adds, bumping kisses to their foreheads.
Her kids beam, squirming out of her arms and scattering around the room.
"Less eat now!" Jake calls, already darting to the table. Reece follows his brother, climbing up beside him. They reach toward the center of the table, helping themselves to some of the fruit in the closest bowl.
Lily giggles, running the other way, disappearing up the stairs to her bedroom. "Presents first!"
"Lil's going to put me to shame with her gift," Rick murmurs, dropping a kiss on Kate's shoulder. She exhales, leaning into her husband, resting her back against his chest. "But I'll try once they're down for the count."
"Can't wait," she grins, thinking about the present she's stashed in her lingerie drawer – one of them anyway. "Happy Valentine's Day, Rick."
His lips curl against her robe, his arm tightening around her waist. "Happy Valentine's Day. Now prepared to be dazzled by this meal and everything else we have planned for the day."