The bad thing about not being able to watch Castle until 1am is that I go to sleep with plot ideas in my head and then FORGET THEM IN THE MORNING
Disclaimer: I've been in a semi-permanent blizzard since about 10am this morning. LA does not have these issues.
Kate's spent more time at his apartment this month than she has at her own, has more clothes in his wardrobe than he does, and really he's thought about it (before and after she showed up at his front door, soaking wet, if he's really honest with himself), but he just hasn't asked her. It's not that they need to be married, because they don't. But he wakes one morning and the thought has rooted in his brain. He needs to ask her. It doesn't matter if he doesn't have a ring. Doesn't matter – he just needs to know. He waits until Kate's eyes open, green and soft and wide, and he rolls over until he's above her. She smiles, wraps her arms around his neck. His thumbs stroke along her forehead, watch her eyes flick across his features. Castle loves these moments, those quiet mornings when there's no murder, no case, no meetings. Just Kate and him.
"Kate-"
The sharp trill of her phone interrupts him, and Kate closes her eyes in regret. They open again, full of apology as she reaches for the phone. She traces his mouth with her thumb, answers the phone with a swipe of her finger. "Beckett?" Her hand travels along his jaw, soft against his stubble, runs her fingers through the hairs at the back of his neck. "Yeah, we'll be there in half an hour."
He sighs, the moment long since passed, rolls over. Another time.
They think they've got the guy. He's pushed into the back of a car and driven away. The flashing lights make his eyes and his head hurt, doesn't help that there's Kate's blood on his hands. She's okay, insists she's okay, but the bullet grazed her arm and the damn thing wouldn't stop bleeding. Of course, he panicked to the point of Kate shoving him out of the ambulance while she gets stitched up. And now he's waiting. She emerges with a smile, an apology and a hello all in one. He returns it, reaches out for her hand. She leans against him, nose at his collarbone.
"I'm okay, Castle. Honestly."
"I know. I do, I just-"
"I know." She leans up on her tiptoes, presses her mouth against his, warm and close. "I know, it's fine. I'm fine. We're all fine."
And maybe it's not the right time, maybe it's not romantic or personal, or anything at all like he imagined it, but he opens his mouth to ask her again. Of course, like usual, the world finds way to interrupt. Last month, it was a body. Today, the empty warehouse behind them explodes.
It's the morning after she (officially) moved in, and she's standing in front of the mirror, dressed in a soft sweater and a pair of jeans (he's not looking at her ass, he's not. Okay, maybe he is), and she's trying to work out whether to have her hair up or down. He distracts her, hands on her hips, slipping under the hem of her jumper, mouth against the soft skin of her neck. "Put it up. I like taking it out again."
"Or I could just leave it down and save you the trouble."
He takes her hair in her hands, starts with a French braid. She lets him, stands there and watches their reflection in his – their - mirror. It's not the first time she's let him do her hair, was quite surprised at how good he was at this. Of course, with a daughter of his own she's not surprised. "Hairband." She hands him one, his fingers brushing against hers.
And then there's a wave of nausea, and she pulls away from him, stumbles towards the bathroom door, falls to the floor by the toilet. She groans as her stomach heaves, feels Castle's hands pushing her hair away from her face, his other hand rubbing circles on her back.
"Kate?"
Kate rests her head against the cool porcelain, fumbles out with her hand for some tissue. "Castle-"
"Take it easy, Kate. Just breathe."
"No, I think… it's okay. I'm okay." She sits backwards, sags against the wall with a sigh. "Castle."
"Yeah, Kate?"
"Why am I throwing up?"
Castle moves to sit next to her wraps his arm around her shoulders. "Well, you could have picked up a bug. The celebratory Chinese yesterday. Probably just a twenty four hour bug."
"But there's no bug going around, I'm hardly sick, you know that. And we've ordered from that Chinese before and it's been fine."
"Well, if you're going to throw every theory-"
"No, no, it's – how many mornings do you think I forgot my birth control?"
"I – don't know. I haven't really paid attention. Kate, are you-"
"I – it makes sense? I know I haven't been all too… careful with it. There's been mornings when it's just completely slipped my mind."
He thinks he should ask her now. She's pregnant and he should, but then… he did the same with Meredith, didn't he? When they found out about Alexis he more or less proposed on the spot, and he'd probably go to the eight and the ninth and probably the tenth circle of hell if he did it again for Kate. He doesn't get the chance to say anything anyway. She's pushing him away and reaching for the toilet again.
Oscar Malachy Castle is born on a beautiful May morning, the sunlight just about peeking over the horizon, filling the room with a wonderful golden light. His son, his son, is cradled in his palm, blue eyes blinking up at him with wonder. Kate's leaning against his side, surprisingly awake for someone who'd spent the past six hours in labour. It's peaceful, just the three of them. Alexis and Martha are both on their way of course, no doubt they'd come bursting in eventually.
"Kate…"
"Yeah?"
"He's perfect."
"Won't be when he's older. He's going to grow up to a stubborn mix of both of us. He's going to drive us crazy." She laughed quietly, stroking a finger down his palm, watching his fingers curl around her own. "But he is, he's absolutely perfect."
"You're absolutely perfect." She nudges her forehead against his shoulder. "You are though. Kate-"
"Dad!"
He looks up to Alexis and Martha, with a sigh that he tries to make happy. He was so close. Damnit.
He marches into the precinct with a single minded determination. Oscar gurgles at him on the ride up in the elevator, waves his tiny fist around in his pram. The elevator dings at the floor for Homicide, the doors slide open and he's pushing Oscar out before the doors are even fully open. Kate's standing in front of the board, arm across her stomach, fingers pressed to her mouth. Concentrating.
"Kate!"
She turns around at the sound of his voice, smiles as they approach. "Hey, Castle." She crouches down to Oscar's height, pulls at the straps until he's free and she can lift him out. "How's my little man?"
"He's drooling, but that's not why I'm here." She looks from Oscar to him, with a questioning hum. "I know it's been a while, and I probably should have done this a long time ago, but-"
"Hey, Castle!" Ryan's approaching them from the interrogation rooms. "You come to help?"
"No – no, I was asking Kate something, but-"
Oscar's already reaching for Ryan, reaching away from Kate towards him. Ryan takes him easily, long practiced in the art of babies with his three daughters back at home. Kate's attention is back to the murder board, her eyes flicking over it briefly before turning back to Castle. "You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Can I talk to you?"
"Sure. I wanted a coffee anyway. Ryan-"
"Oscar and me are good. I'll come get you if he gets upset."
They almost make it to the coffee room (if by almost you mean one step away from the murder board, then yes, almost made it) before they're rudely interrupted. Yet again.
"Yo, Castle."
"Oh, for…" Castle grumbles, turning away from Esposito's approach.
Kate raises an eyebrow at him, seemingly amused and confused at the same time, but he shakes his head. "Bro, you should visit more often."
"Only if I stop getting interrupted." He hisses, folding his arms and perching on the edge of Kate's desk. "Can't get a word in edgeways."
"Aw, does Castle need a hug?" Esposito taunts, turning towards him with his arms folded.
"Castle needs to ask Kate to marry him, but apparently nobody's going to let him say anything."
"What?" all three of them say at the same time, Ryan and Esposito's eyes bugging out.
"Do you know how many times I have tried to ask you to marry me, Kate?" She shakes her head numbly, staring at him. "This is the fifth. The first time, there was a body. Second time that damn warehouse exploded. Third time you were throwing up in the toilet because of Oscar, and the last time was the day Oscar was born and Alexis and Martha turned up. And I said, I told myself, this morning – I was going to come in this morning and I was going to ask you. But first Ryan turned up, and then Esposito, and knowing my luck Oscar's going to grow a tail or a wormhole's going to open up and we'll all die, but before we do, or he does, Kate, will you marry me?"
Kate launches herself at him, wraps her arms around his neck and pressing herself close against him. "Oh, Castle. Of course I'll marry you."