Author's Note-Like I could resist! Such an adorable picture and so much promise in it. This little snippet of a fic is based on the picture attached to this story. Enjoy NYLF xx
Rick was just drifting into sleep when the sound of teeny tiny socked feet padding across the floor of the master bedroom filled his ears. He leaned up, careful to to disturb a peacefully sleeping Kate, and watched as his son stood at the bottom of their bed, his tiny face red and tearstained.
"Hey, Buddy." Castle whispered. "You okay?"
"Bad dream, Daddy." The little boy murmured. Rick smiled gently.
"You wanna talk about it?" Rick asked gently, slowly moving so he was sat on the edge of the bed, in front of his four year old.
"Mama was there and the dragons and they didn't like her and she didn't catch them and they ate-ed her and I tried to call for you but you weren't there and Lexi wasn't or grams or anyone else." He rambled, his voice getting louder despite his attempts at staying quiet.
"Hey, it's okay." Rick assured the little boy gently, ruffling his hair with one hand while the other gently wiped away his tears. "Come here." He gently scooped up his son and held him close. "Now, we don't wanna wake mama, do we?" He felt the little boy shake his head against him. "So, how about I take you up to bed and read you another story?"
"Can, can I stay here with you?" He looked up at Rick with his complicated cacophony of green, brown and gold eyes, so much like his mother, and Rick felt his resolve slipping.
"Just tonight, okay? Tomorrow you go back in your own bed." The child nodded enthusiastically. "Okay then. But no waking mama." Rick slowly made his way back up the bed, tucking their little boy in between himself and Kate. The little boy was asleep in seconds.
"You're a good daddy." Kate murmured softly. Rick smiled.
"And you're a good faker, missus. I thought you were asleep." Kate opened her eyes slowly and looked at him with the most tender smile.
"You're wonderful." Rick chuckled softly, slowly leaning in to capture her lips in a sweet kiss.
"And you're shattered. Get some sleep, Kate." Rick tucked their boy into his chest and slung an arm around Kate's waist.
"M'kay." She murmured, settling back in, wrapping her arm around their son to rest on Rick's elbow.
Rick watched mother and son sleep for a moment before letting himself join them. He'd never let their son know just how much both his parents enjoyed it when he spent the night in their bed.