A/N: Oh, my god, you guys. I am seriously speechless with the overwhelming response to this story. I am so so glad you like my crazy idea and so pumped to write this new story. Really. Thank you so much!
Disclaimer: Castle is not mine.
Hiding my Heart
Chapter 2
"Katie?"
She heard Emily's voice sounding through the apartment as her sister let herself in. Kate had just gotten home from the precinct and was about to take a shower and get ready for Emily's party. The girl had been so excited all week, texting her several times a day with ideas of where to celebrate her birthday, and had finally decided on a club in Chelsea just the night before.
"Bathroom." She called out, taking her necklace off and setting it on the counter. She had had a long day of paperwork and was actually looking forward to going out tonight. She needed to relax and this would be the perfect opportunity.
"Hey." Emily poked her head in and smiled at her. "Do you mind if I get ready here? Then we can go together." Her light brown hair was coming out of her loose ponytail, the strands framing her face. The smile playing on her lips lit up her blue eyes, so much like their father's.
"You're just making up an excuse to raid my closet, Em. I'm onto you." Kate narrowed her eyes playfully at her sister before pulling her in for a hug. "Happy birthday, bug." She whispered in Emily's ear, feeling the young woman – now as tall as she was – hug her back tightly.
"Thanks, sis." She said and Kate thought she saw a hint of tears in her eyes, but decided to let it go. "I can't believe you're actually going this year. It's going to be so much fun, Katie. I just know it." Emily beamed at her and Kate shook her head, amused. "So… can I check out your closet, dearest sister of mine?"
"Will it make any difference if I say no?" Kate laughed when she shook her head. "Then go ahead. Just don't take the clothes laid out on my bed." She called out as Emily stormed out of the bathroom.
"Thanks, Katie." She called back. "And don't hog all the hot water." She added when Kate turned the shower on.
Her little sister was turning 21 today. Twenty-one years old. Time went by so fast.
The club was packed. Kate had to maneuver around people so not to bump into anyone as Emily dragged her across the dance floor. They had just gotten in and her sister was all but jumping up and down with excitement to order herself her first alcoholic beverage. Kate tagged along, amused by her antics, but vowed to herself to keep an eye on Emily all night. Of legal age or not, she was still her baby sister and she had to look out for her.
Her friend Lanie from work had agreed to meet her at the club, so Kate wouldn't be stuck with a bunch of college co-eds all night. Not that she really minded; she actually liked Emily's friends, but sometimes the age difference was glaringly obvious, especially in circumstances like this. Besides, she just wanted Emily to have fun tonight and not worry about keeping her company like she usually did.
The lights shining on the dance floor made her feel like she was walking in slow motion and the walk to the bar seemed endless. When they finally arrived at the counter, Kate let out a sigh of relief when she saw Lanie already there sipping a martini.
"Hey, girl." Lanie smiled at her when Kate and Emily approached. "And hello to you birthday girl." She pulled Emily into a hug. "Can't believe you're 21 already, little Beckett."
"I know, right?" Emily grinned happily and signaled the bartender. "Excuse me." She called out, ready to order her first drink of the night.
"Hey, Ms. Twenty-One. Careful tonight, alright?" Kate put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze. "Have fun, but try not to get too carried away."
"Don't worry about me, Katie. You know I'm a good girl." She winked at her and Kate rolled her eyes with a smile. The bartender came back and handed them their drinks. "Thanks, handsome." She smiled at the guy behind the counter and paid for their drinks, not giving Kate time to reach for her wallet.
"Em, it's your birthday. Let me buy you a drink." Kate complained, but Emily just touch her glass to her sister's and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Next round is on you, then, big sister." She gave Kate a peck on the cheek and made her way to the dance floor to find her friends. "And try to have some fun." She called out over her shoulder, making Lanie laugh quietly.
"That girl is going to give you gray hairs soon, honey." Lanie teases, taking another sip from her martini.
"Oh, don't even say that. She's an adult now, can you believe it?" Kate laughed and sipped her vodka and tonic. "Remember when she was that tall, awkward 15-year-old? Wasn't that like, yesterday?"
"They grow up so fast. And you did a good job with her, Kate." Lanie nudged Kate's side as they leaned against the counter, facing the dance floor. "I'm sure your parents would be really proud."
"Yeah." Kate sighed, looking down at the clear liquid in her glass. "I just wish they were here to see her, you know? They missed out on so much." She took another sip, this time a big one, feeling the vodka burn down her throat. "Anyway, let's dance?" She suggested and finished her drink in another two gulps. Lanie downed the rest of her martini and grinned.
"That's my girl. Come on." They left their empty glasses on the counter and made their way to the dance floor.
A couple of hours later, Kate decided to take a break from dancing. She was sweaty and she was sure her carefully applied make up was ruined, so she figured a visit to the ladies room was a good idea. Lanie had found a dance partner and was busy seducing the guy – cute too, Kate thought with a smile, remembering how she had given Lanie two thumbs up as she had excused herself – so Kate thought she would take a breather and maybe get a drink. Her feet were killing her already and she was starting to regret wearing those ridiculously high heels. Pushing the door into the ladies room, she relieved herself first – thanking whatever higher power was out there that there was no line – and then reapplied her makeup. She had arrived at the club with her hair up in a messy, stylish bun, but that had gone to hell already. Not having the patience to do it up again, she just pulled the clips out of her hair and decided to leave it down. Checking herself out in the mirror, she pushed her hair behind her ear, wondering if it was time to get a haircut. It was already past her shoulders and sometimes it was impractical with her line of work.
Deeming herself presentable again, Kate smiled at her reflection, adding one last touch of lipstick, and left the ladies room. Looking down at her purse, trying to close it, she didn't notice when a guy stepped out of the men's room and crossed her path. The collision made her clutch fall down and her things scatter all over the floor.
"Oh, god, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you." She heard the guy apologizing, but shook her head, looking up to offer him a friendly smile.
"No, it was my fault. Don't… hey." Her smile grew when she realized who was picking up her things. Rick Castle was busy collecting her cell phone and only looked up when she greeted him.
"Kate." His slow smile made the butterflies in her stomach do a tap dance number and she found herself looking into his blue eyes, his face suddenly too close to hers. "Hi." He breathed and stood up, handing over her things. "What are you doing here?" He touched her elbow and guided her out of the way, where people were trying to get into the ladies room.
"It's my sister's birthday. What are you doing here?"
They hadn't seen each other since that morning in Central Park four days ago. Kate hadn't expected him to call – okay, maybe she had, but when there was no sign of him after two days, she gave up and decided to get on with her life – and had been incredibly busy at the precinct, investigating a double murder. She usually forgot about it during the day, but every night, as she crawled into bed with one of his books, she recalled every detail of their encounter on that snowy Monday morning.
"Oh, it's a publicity thing. My publicist ordered me to go out and be seen. Have a life." He explained with a laugh and Kate nodded, chuckling. "I'm sorry I didn't call, by the way. I meant to, I promise. But Alexis came down with a nasty cold and Jamie caught it from her…" He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "Anyway, it's been an eventful couple of days. That's why I didn't call." His hand left her elbow to travel to the small of her back, guiding her back to the bar.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I meant to call you too, but I've been crazy busy at work these past few days." She told him as they walked through the throngs of people dancing. She was acutely aware of his hand on the small of her back and could feel the warmth emanating from it and seeping into her body. "I'm only here tonight because of Emily. She would never forgive me if I missed her 21st birthday party." She offered him a small smile and he smiled back, signaling the bartender.
"Well, I'll have to thank her for that. Do you want something to drink?" He asked, his hand still on the small of her back.
"Sure. Vodka and tonic?" She told the bartender and turned back to him, waiting for him to finish his order. "So how are the kids? Are they feeling better?" She asked when he looked back at her, resting her elbow on the counter and head on her hand.
"Yeah, thank god. My mother is babysitting tonight and I promised to do a movie marathon with them tomorrow to make up for tonight." He explained and she nodded with a small smile. He seemed to be such a nice guy and a really good dad; so completely different than what she had thought he would be, based on what she had read online. "They talked about you a lot these past few days. Especially Jamie. I think he is in love." He grinned at her teasingly and she nudged his side, laughing. "Well, you know what they say, good taste runs in the family."
"Really, Mr. Castle? They say?" She teased, accepting her drink from the bartender. Rick paid for the drinks and turned back to her, grinning.
"Of course. And you know you can't argue with those sayings." He said and they toasted.
"Of course." She rolled her eyes and shook her head, amused. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger on her neck for a few seconds.
"I'm really glad I found you again, Kate." He said softly and she would have missed it if he hadn't been standing so close to her. When had they gotten so close again?
"Right back at you." She gave him a somewhat shy smile and he beamed at her, their eyes locking on one another.
"Katie, there you are. I've been looking all over for you." Emily's voice interrupted them and Kate was the first to look away, wondering what the hell had just happened. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt. I'll just talk to you later, Katie."
"No, Em, that's okay. What is it?" Kate swallowed hard, trying to get her breathing under control. What the hell had just happened a moment ago and why was she feeling so breathless? She chanced a glance to her left and found Rick running his hand through his hair, apparently struggling like she was.
"Nothing, just wanted to check on you. Hadn't seen you in a while and I found Lanie dancing rather close to this guy, if you know what I mean." Emily smirked and Kate laughed, nodding.
"Yeah, I thought I should give them some privacy." She grinned and took a sip of her drink. "By the way, Rick, this is my sister Emily. Em, this is my friend Rick."
"Oh, so you're the famous Emily." Rick smiled at her. "Happy birthday."
"Thanks, Rick. It's nice to meet you. Take good care of my sister here." She nudged Kate's side and ordered another drink. "I'll talk to you later, Katie. Have fun." She said, paying for her drink and walked back to the dance floor. Kate chuckled when she gave her two thumbs up and mouthed "Totally approved" before losing herself in the crowd.
"Quite a character, your sister." Rick commented after a moment and Kate nodded, chuckling.
"Yeah, you can say that again." She leaned her back against the counter and took another sip of her drink. Now that their moment had been broken, her throat suddenly felt like the Sahara desert and she didn't quite know what to say.
"So, can I have this dance, Detective Beckett?" He asked after a couple of minutes and she sighed relieved. Finishing off her drink and putting the empty glass on the counter, she took his outstretched hand.
"Lead the way, Mr. Castle." She grinned at him and bit her lip in anticipation when his fingers threaded through hers.
He led her through the crowd until he found a more secluded spot on the other end of the dance floor that wasn't so crowded. Kate didn't recognize the song that was playing, but it was upbeat and she soon found herself moving to the rhythm. Rick kept a respectful distance from her at first, but a few minutes later, she felt his hands find home at her hips. The contact startled her and she felt her body stiffen for half a second, before relaxing and covering one of his hands with hers.
With her high heels, they were practically the same height and after a few minutes, they were dancing so close together that she could feel all the lines of his body against hers. It was exhilarating. She tried to chalk it up to not being with anyone for a while, but deep down, she knew it wasn't just that. There was a current, a magnetic force between them that she couldn't quite explain and, frankly, right at that moment, she didn't care. After six songs, she felt his hands move and his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer. She could feel his chest pressed against her back and it was all she could do not to turn around in his arms, even though the alcohol in her system and this energy between them begged her to do it.
"You're so beautiful, Kate."
His voice was suddenly in her ear and he was nuzzling her neck and she had to use all of her will power and restraint to not turn around and kiss him senseless. If she did that now, it could ruin everything. All she did instead was lean her head back on his shoulder and lace her fingers through his where they rested on her stomach. He took advantage of that and gently placed a kiss on her neck, making her sigh involuntarily.
This was getting way out of control.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped away from his arms, but he didn't let her go very far.
"What's wrong?" He asked and she shook her head, allowing him to still entwine their fingers.
"Nothing. Maybe…" She swallowed, trying to get her traitorous body under control. "Maybe we should go get something to drink?" Ice water preferably, she added in her mind.
"Alright, sure."
He looked confused and she felt bad for breaking their moment, but she didn't want to do something that she would just end up regretting later. Tugging on his hand, she led them through the crowd back to the bar. When they reached the lit up counter, she sighed heavily and bit her lip, closing her eyes for a moment. Signaling the bartender, she ordered some Coke with lots of ice. She needed to think straight again and her alcohol filled mind was not helping.
"Kate," His touch on her hips brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up at him. "I'm sorry if I did something to upset you back there. I guess I got a little carried away and…"
"No, no. Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. I just…" She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm not very good at this." She confessed sheepishly. "I didn't want to do something I could possibly regret later, you know? After having too much to drink and all." She accepted the Coke from the bartender and was about to pay when Rick beat her to it. "Thanks." She murmured, counting the seconds for him to run from her. She had totally ruined this, she knew it.
"Hey, look at me." He said gently, touching her chin. "You're right and I guess you did the right thing." He gave her a small smile and she looked down at her glass again. "I like you, Kate. I really do. And maybe we should take this one step at a time?" He offered, but it ended up sounding like a question. "I mean, if you want to, that is." He added quickly and she looked up at him again, only to find him looking insecure and unsure.
"No, I do, I do. I'm sorry for ruining the moment back there." She offered him a shy smile and he shook his head, chuckling. Touching her hips again, he moved her until she was standing in front of him and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Is this okay?" He asked quietly and she nodded, relaxing into him. He seemed to find his confidence again and wrapped his arms around her waist again, giving her a light kiss on the cheek. "Can I take you out sometime soon?"
"Yeah." She nodded and covered his hand with hers before turning her head to look at him. "I'd like that." She smiled at him when his eyes lit up and squeezed his hand. Leaning in, she repeated his earlier move and kissed his cheek. "I'd really like that."
A/N: So... thoughts?
