Title: For His Eyes Only

Author: mindy35

Rating: T-ish, minor sexy stuff

Disclaimer: I blame Marlowe for all the awesomeness. And ABC for paying for all the awesomeness.

Spoilers: Nothing major

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Summary: Castle and Beckett share their first Christmas Eve together. (My idea of what Kate could give Castle in the upcoming X-mas ep.)

-x-x-x-

He exited his bathroom to find Beckett waiting on the bed, legs crossed and eyes expectant. A flat, rectangular box topped with a large red bow was sitting in her lap.

Castle stopped, lips tugging upwards in a grin. "What's this?"

She gave a lopsided smile, glancing down at her full lap. "In my family, you always get to open one present on Christmas Eve."

"Wow," he mused, continuing on his path to the bed, "must've been cool growing up Beckett."

"It was."

"My mother didn't even let me pick 'em up and shake 'em," he told her, unfastening his watch and setting it on the bedside cabinet. "She wouldn't even let me guess what was inside."

"Probably to preserve her own sanity," she muttered, scooting back to make room for him.

"You jest, but you'll see tomorrow." Castle settled opposite her on the mattress, legs likewise crossed. "She's a complete Christmas killjoy."

"Anyway." Beckett picked the box up in both hands, held it towards him. "This is the present I want you to open tonight."

Castle tipped his head to one side. "I don't get to choose?"

"No."

He frowned slightly. "Growing up, did you get to choose which one you opened early?"

"Yes."

"So why don't I get to choose? Seems a little unfair."

"Because, Castle," she sighed, placing the present in his lap, "I want you to open this one."

"Why this one?" He picked it up, was about to shake it.

Beckett put out a hand to stop him. "No. Don't shake it."

Castle blinked at her then lifted the box to his ear, listening for clues. "Well, why this one?"

"Let's just say," she murmured, a faint pink staining her cheeks, "that I'd rather you didn't open this particular gift in front of your family, in front of either of our families."

"O-o-oh, is it…" his brows waggled, his inner imp emerging, "somethin' saucy? Is it a sexy Mrs Claus costume? A pair of red and green fur-lined cuffs? A pair of those giant elf ears?"

Her head cocked at him, her brows knit. "Okay, I get why you would look turned on by the first two, but the last one?"

"The elf ears would be for me."

"That doesn't make it okay."

"But it is something adult?" he pressed, grin growing irrepressibly. "I mean, right? That's why you want me to open it now?"

"It's something private," she told him, deliberately adding some weight to her tone. "Something I want kept between us."

"It's edible lingerie, isn't it? The stuff that tastes like cherry vodka?"

"Okay, I think I understand why your mom prohibited guessing games."

"But the anticipation is the best part!" he gushed gleefully before swiftly switching gears. "You should know this about me now…" he lowered his voice, leaning across the box towards her, "I enjoy a long, slow, tantalizing build…"

His mouth was nearing hers, their breaths beginning to mingle but Beckett shoved the box against his chest, suspending his seduction. "Well, build over. Just open it. I'm nervous enough about this."

His eyes narrowed. "Nervous?"

She waved a hand at the red and silver adorned box. "Just rip it off, Castle."

Castle sat back on the bed, blue eyes flicking over her white nightshirt. "You're talking about the present, yes?"

Beckett said nothing, eyes darkening and jaw clenching.

Castle got the message, "You are. Right—" and began ripping at the red bow and elegant wrapping paper.

She watched him uncover a white box, open it and smooth away the tissue paper. She swallowed as he lifted the frame from the box with slowly escalating awe.

"Oh. Oh…Wow."

In the plain black frame were two sketches, the lines raw and unfinished but drawn with skill and obvious attention. Despite their lack of definition, her figure and face, both fuller and younger, were instantly recognizable. She sat, on a cushion, her back against a sun-soaked wall, knees hugged to her chest and ankles crisscrossed. In the first, her face was downcast, one hand lifting to her temple, tucking away a lank lock of hair. In the second, she was laughing, head hurled back and eyes alight. In both, Kate Beckett was as naked as the day she entered the world.

Castle looked up at her, eyes brimming with emotion. "I—…wow."

She flicked her eyes at the artwork, saying in a soft voice, "Remember I once told you I—"

"Posed as a life model?" he finished, voice also hushed. "Did you honestly think when you uttered that sentence that I would ever in my right mind forget it?"

"Well…" she shrugged a shoulder, gave a small smile, "this was the result. Or rather, a friend in the class gave me these preliminary sketches. I could never bring myself to throw them out so I…" She watched his eyes move back to the twin portraits of her younger self. "What do you think?"

"Of what exactly?" he murmured, one hand hovering over the sketches but not daring to touch. "The artistry involved or—"

"No. No, I mean…" she shook her head, releasing a shy laugh, "I don't know. I…hope you like them."

"Like them?" His eyes lifted to hers again, his mouth working wordlessly for a moment or two. "I'm…speechless. Literally…and actually…speechless."

"Really?"

"Except to ask…"

"So not really."

"Hm…?"

"Ask what?"

He hesitated, brows drawn inwards. "Who drew these?"

"Why?"

"Because…it's you," he replied, soft and insistent. "It's like…your essence. Whoever it was must have known you pretty well to draw you like this."

"Like I said, a friend."

"A close friend?"

She smiled a closed-lipped smile. "What're you asking, Castle?"

His eyebrows began inching towards his hairline. "A…boy…friend?"

"A girlfriend," she clarified indulgently. "By which I mean a friend who was female. Okay?"

"Okay." Castle nodded, released a breath and went back to studying his gift. "Okay, good. No that's…very good…"

Beckett shifted round to his side, leaning a cheek on his shoulder. "You like them a lot better now that you know that, huh?"

"Well…" He shrugged and continued his study.

"What?" she asked when she looked up and saw a shadow pass over his face.

"In this one." He pointed to the first sketch, the one with her face half hidden. "You look sad. Like when I met you."

She paused, glancing at the sketch before returning her gaze to his face. "This was about two months after my mom's death." She smiled slightly, draping an arm across his shoulder, letting her fingers play with the hair at the nape of his neck. "I went a bit wild in the aftermath, did some things I probably wouldn't do again."

"So you wouldn't consent to being a life model again?" he asked, looking down at her with a warm twinkle in his eye. "Not even in a…cosy, private setting? I certainly wouldn't make you sit on the floor, not when I have this big, luxurious bed."

Beckett snorted softly, her smile growing. "Drawing is not one of your talents, Castle. I've seen the evidence myself."

"Where? When?"

"You doodle when you're thinking sometimes. Spaceships. Superheroes. The little sloth creature from Ice Age. Trust me, the art world is not missing out."

"If it was one of my talents though…would you allow me commit your essence to paper?"

"You've already done that. With words. Four books' worth of them."

"Well, I needed to employ quite a few. If I was to try and capture…" he propped the portrait on his knee, facing her old self towards her new self, "this."

Her eyes remained fixed on his face. "So then I take it you prefer my gift to Christmas-themed sex-toys?"

"I even prefer it to the giant elf ears."

"I should hope so." She took the portrait from him, leaning over the side of the bed and carefully placing it against the bedside cabinet. "Because there is no place for that freakishness in our sexlife."

"After our little Nebula 9 misadventure, I gotta agree," he muttered then looked suddenly dismayed as she straightened and faced him. "But…I didn't get you a pre-Christmas present. I just got you one. And it's great but…you can't have it now cos then you won't have one to open tomorrow."

"That's okay, Castle." She slipped into his lap, dropping her voice to a suggestive purr. "Maybe you can give me…something else tonight instead?"

"Hm…" His arms wove around her body, palms sliding up her back as her body settled against his. "I think I can rise to that challenge…"

She leaned in, leisurely plucking at his top lip with both of hers. "You know what I want, right?"

"Don't I always?"

"Yeah, y'do."

"And I promise," he murmured between slow, wet kisses, "I'll remember next year…I'll get you a…a spectacular Christmas Eve present next year." He kissed her mouth once, twice, three times before his lips headed down the column of her neck which stretched instinctively to receive his attention. "I have a couple of photographer friends," he told her, breath hot against her skin, "maybe next year…mm, maybe I can convince one of them to photograph me shirtless." He paused, peering upwards as he felt her smiling against his temple. "Am I to infer from that smile that you like the idea of memorializing my stunning physique sans clothing?"

She ran a hand over his hair. "No, I just…I like the use of 'next year'."

He smiled. "Me too." Castle ducked his head to resume his seduction of her neck but paused, straightening to ask: "You like the idea of me shirtless too though, right?"

Beckett bit her lip but it did nothing to stem her smile. "Always, Castle," she whispered against his mouth, both hands dropping to tug at the hem of his t-shirt. "Always..."

"Good. Because that feeling," he whispered back, hands peeling her shirt from her body, "is entirely mutual." His t-shirt came off first, followed by her nightshirt. And when they were pressed together, naked chest to naked chest, he kissed her soft and slow and murmured in a low voice, "Thank you for my present. I'll treasure it always."

"And keep it for your eyes only."

"Oh, mine alone, believe me."

Beckett smiled, arms wrapped tight about his neck, legs curling about his body. "Merry Christmas, Castle."

Castle smiled back, gaze roaming her face briefly before he leant in and planted a light kiss on the tip of her nose. "Merry Christmas, my Kate."

END.