Authors Note: This is a small song fic based on moments shared by Beckett and Castle in the immediate aftermath of her showing up at his door.
The song this story is based on is "Open Your Eyes" by Andrew Belle
Note: I have no BETA and all mistakes are my own. I am not associated with ABC or Castle in anyway. None of the characters belong to me, I just enjoy playing with them in my world :)
Open your eyes now
It's time to see
If you can reach me
Beckett awoke to the light streaming through a small crack in the curtains. The line of golden sunlight danced across her arm warming her. She followed the line with her eyes and smiled when she noticed the dark blue sheets she was tangled in, and the big hand tangled around her waist. She shifted slightly loving the feel of his hand splayed across her bare stomach.
Kate Beckett wasn't a person who really gave herself in to happiness, but this morning she could say that she was well and truly happy.
She reached down and tangled her fingers with his, blushing at the memory of what those fingers had done to her the night before. She felt his fingers tighten around hers as he tugged her further into himself.
"Morning" he whispered into her hair, nuzzling his nose slightly into her neck. The feel of this soft breath warm on her skin making her sigh contently. Kate shifted in his arms, turning to face him.
"Good morning" she smiled as her hand traced the contours of his face and over his still closed eyes.
"Mmmm, this really is the best wakeup call I've ever gotten" he smiled, slowly opening his eyes.
The depth of them surprised her. Sure, she had stared into Castle's eyes before but never so closely and so intimately. The deep blue of them amazed her. She slowly leaned in and slid her lips over his, tracing her free hand lightly over his cheek and into his hair to play with the tufts at the base of his neck. She moaned slightly as his hand skimmed down her side, lightly over her breasts and waist and landed on her hip tugging her closer to him.
Kate gasped at the feel of him, so firm and solid beneath her fingers and she smiled to herself, wasn't he always just that in her life, firm and solid, no matter what.
Open your eyes now
It's time to leave me
Open your eyes now
It's time to see
If you still believe in me
"Kate, you need to stop…now" Castle hissed a warning as her hand slowly traced up his thigh underneath the solid wood table, his hand slipping as he tried to grip his wine glass.
Kate stared at him, her eyes widening in a look of innocence, "I have no idea what you're talking about" she whispered back at him, licking her lips slowly. She knew it was cruel, of course she did, but God help her if she could stop herself. The feel of him pressed so close to her at the crowded dinner table was intoxicating. She wished with everything in her that everyone else would just find a reason to leave.
"Yo Castle, you okay bro, or do we need to get you a sippy cup" Esposito laughed motioning at the small drops of red wine staining the table cloth.
The sound of Esposito's voice jarred Kate back to reality and she slowly drew her hand away from his leg. "Yeah Castle, you okay there" she laughed.
"Guys, give Castle a break" Ryan sighed, "if I was hearing the story of how my partner almost fell off a roof top I'd be a little jittery too."
The reality of the situation Kate had been in not 3 days before settled over the table and the small group fell into an uncomfortable silence. Esposito shifted his eyes to the table as Lanie laid a comforting hand over his.
The dinner was supposed to be a happy occasion, the first group gathering since Kate resigned, but Esposito had shown up still moody with Ryan, slipping choice words like 'snitch', 'traitor' and 'Gates' lapdog' into every other sentence until Kate had felt it time to remind him that if Ryan hadn't been there she would have slipped to her death while he has lying unconscious on the floor. The thought had sobered them all up very quickly and the two men had reached an uneasy truce, even if Ryan felt like he was still walking on eggshells around his partner.
That's when Castle had demanded to hear the story of what had happened on the rooftop. He knew Kate's version of course, but he wanted the full story from all angles. Writers curse, but somewhere in between hearing about Esposito getting knocked out and Kate running out and up to the rooftop he had felt her small hand on his thigh, trying to distract him either from the reality of the story or because she found him too much to resist, he was personally hoping for option number two.
The story bothered him, of course it did, but it was also the same story that had led her to his door sopping wet that night, and the selfish part of him was thankful that it had.
Open your life now
I'll try to be all that you need me to be
"Come on Castle, she's going to be home any minute" Kate yelled from the bedroom, slightly panicked.
Castle smiled at her use of the word 'home'. She'd been living there since that night, 2 days and 6 hours to be exact and in those 2 days Alexis had been gone, partying with her friends like a normal high school graduate. Tonight she was due home. Kate was nervous and Castle thought it was cute as all hell.
She stuck her head out the bedroom door, slipping both arms into her black cardigan as she headed to the kitchen.
"Relax babe, she's going to be fine with us" he said as he gestured between the two of them using the wooden spoon he had been stirring the rice with for effect.
"Babe?" she smirked walking over to him, "I didn't know we were using pet names already" Sliding over to him she wrapped her arms around his waist feeling the warmth of him under her hands.
"Does that mean I get to call you Kitten?' she smiled leaning up to kiss him. Her lips lingered over his and her tongue darted out to touch him. She felt his mouth open up to her and she sighed into him as he pulled her closer, bringing his hand up to cup the back of her head.
He brought his free hand round to the small of her back and pulled her in closer trying to leave as little space between them as possible. She let out a low moan that became an involuntary squeak as she heard the front door fling open.
"Dad, I'm…woah!" Alexis yelled out as Kate flew back from Castle and turned to the kitchen island, desperately looking for something to stir or cut.
"Hi Sweetie" Castle smiled, squeezing Kate's backside as he walked past her towards Alexis causing Kate to jump a few feet in the air and level him with a menacing glare.
"How was it? Lots of booze and boys I assume?"
"Nice try Dad" Alexis smiled warily hugging her father, "but you're not getting it out of me that easily"
"Fine, you may have won this round but I have other interrogation techniques and I'm not afraid to use them young lady."
"Sure, sure old man" she laughed, patting the front of his shirt as she stepped past him towards Kate, "Hi Detective Beckett, I didn't expect to see you here." Alexis said levelling a wary stare at Kate.
"Alexis, Honey, Kate's joining us for dinner tonight, is that okay with you?"
"Sure, let me go throw my things upstairs and wash up, I'll join you in a minute"
Kate watched Alexis bound up the stairs before dropping her head to the cool surface of the kitchen island.
"Ugh, she hates me!"
"She doesn't hate you, she was just surprised to see you here, that's all" Castle said walking over to her and running a soothing hand down her back.
"Actually," Kate and Castle jumped apart at the sound of his daughter's voice coming down the stairs, "it's neither. What I was really thinking was, this is way overdue and try not to hurt each other." Alexis finished, standing in front of them before pulling Kate into a stiff hug.
"Dad, you're happy, Kate, you're happy. So if you guys are happy then I'm happy" Alexis smiled before popping a cherry tomato into her mouth.
She'll be a star now
I will follow her lead
She'll be a scar now
I will still let her bleed
"Kate, you have to go back"
"Castle, can you just drop it! I'm not going back to the 12th. I'm done there, I told you, I just want you"
"Kate I know you joined the force because of your mom but you're so much more than a vendetta Kate. You're a brilliant cop. You bring hope and comfort to victims, justice to the dead and more than that Kate, you're happy when you're there."
"You're wrong Rick, I'm happy when I'm with you"
"As flattered as I am, I can't be your everything Kate. It's not healthy and eventually it's not going to be enough for you. I don't want you to turn around one day and realise what you gave up to be with me. Besides, it doesn't have to be a choice between me and the job. It's always been you, me and the job and you love it that way"
Kate sighed "What if I'm not strong enough to resist going after her killer again. I don't want to fight at the expense of my life, of you, of happiness"
"Kate, you are the most stubborn woman I have ever met, infuriatingly so, and if you decide not to let this thing rule you, I guarantee you that it won't"
Open your eyes now
And try to speak
Like you can see meOpen your eyes now
I'll try to be almost everything you need me to be
She stood outside his door, tears threatening to spill over. "Breathe Kate, just breathe" she told herself over and over. When she finally thought she had it under control she reached out and twisted the door knob to his place, their place? She honestly wasn't sure; it had all begun to blend into one so quickly and so seamlessly.
The living room and kitchen were in darkness but she spotted a soft glow coming from the study.
"Castle?" she called out as she made her way to the door. She reached it and found him sat behind his desk smiling up at her lazily.
"Hey gorgeous" Kate felt a pull in the pit of her stomach. Whenever he called her that she seemed to just melt. She honestly wasn't the kind of girl who ever needed anyone, until she needed Castle. He had crept under her skin in that deliciously annoying way of his that left her irritated but needing more of him.
She walked over to him and sat down in his lap wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck.
"Hi" she whispered, placing soft kisses at the spot where his neck met his ear. She felt him shiver under her.
He reached back, cupping her face in his hands and staring deep into her eyes. "So…tell me what happened"
'How does he do that' she thought, 'How does he just know'. She should have realised she would never be able to hide behind her walls again. He had smashed them to pieces and she was left standing behind the ruins of them, vulnerable but loved.
She took a deep breath and exhaled, "She said I can come back, but she's making me go through basic training again and she won't give me my gun back until I graduate from training! She's so infuriating Castle! I am more than capable of doing my job and she treats me like an untrained, inept kid!" The frustration she was feeling towards Gates caused her eyes to glaze over again as tears threatened to spill from them.
"Kate, it's going to be okay" he smiled at her before brushing a stray piece of hair from her face. "You'll get through basic training and you'll come out stronger than before. You always do" He said before dipping his head to meet her lips in a soft caress.
She sighed into his mouth, loving the feel of his tongue sliding against hers. She reluctantly pulled away before placing her forehead on his.
"I love you, you know that right?" Her declaration caused him to pull his forehead away from hers. He looked her deeply in the eyes before pulling her in for a searing kiss.
"I know, but I love to hear you say it." He breathed out between kisses.
She'll be a star now
I will follow her lead
She'll be a scar now
I will still let her bleed
All over me
Thanks for reading, as always reviews are much appreciated :)