Spirit of the Season - Castle
Summary: Castle sets out to help Kate rediscover the magic of the holiday season. But, there are two sides to every story.
Author's note: This is what I would like to call a 'Partner Piece' to lms2457's "Spirit of the Season - Beckett" which is, in its basic form, the same story, just told from Kate's point of view. You really should check that one out. You might be missing something quite awesome. ;)
Disclaimer: Castle is in AWM's capable hands. I just play around with the toys, and promise to set them back as I found them... when I'm finished.
Again to my buddy Li. How boring would my life be if I hadn't gone to that Star Trek convention? LOL
DAY TWO - SNOWFLAKES
December 1, 2012
Castle wasn't sure how long he had sat at Kate's desk, busy typing out the next mess Rook had gotten Nikki into. He could've stayed at home and done the same there, but he didn't want to be alone. It had been hard to be alone after dealing with Tyson, knowing the man had actually been in his loft and he was never aware of being watched.
So, here he sat, writing, and hoping he wasn't being too much of a bother to Kate. She'd come in today, and like always, he followed, with hopes of cracking this case.
They had made plans for the day, but when she insisted on coming in, he couldn't argue. She was here for justice, and sometimes, justice had a time limit.
So he wrote, watching the events unfold as Nikki and Rook found justice for another family in their version of New York. Funny thing, it was, how the character Eunice had ended up being so much a part of their investigation, when he'd only planned on her having a cameo, much like Malcolm and Reynolds.
He heard Kate's voice, and it took a few moments before he realized she was speaking to him and not Ryan or Esposito. He looked up, feeling a little ashamed that he'd ignored her.
She smiled, and maybe he didn't feel so bad. Her smile had a way of making him feel so much better, no matter what the circumstance.
"You were really into it, huh?"
Honestly, he didn't know how to answer the question. Yeah, he was, but he wasn't at the same time. "I guess I was, it was all going pretty fast in my head. I think it might actually end up being something. But we'll see what happens when I look at it again in a couple of days, you know?"
She thought her answer over and he saw when the light glittered in her eyes. "I guess I do. It's like with the board. Sometimes you're just so close to it you can't see it. Truthfully, I think I'm about there now."
Suddenly, Castle was more than aware of the kink in the middle of his back. He leaned back in his chair and stretched, hoping to work it out before it decided to turn into a cramp. "You about ready to go?" He asked, hoping she was ready for dinner like he was. And then the snowflake display at Sacks Fifth Avenue... but Kate didn't know about the latter.
"Just about, I think. A few more notations to make in the paperwork. But I'm definitely getting there, and fast."
He couldn't have been happier to hear her answer. Tonight would be awesome. "I'll grab us some coffee before we go," he said and made his way to the break room.
When he got into the break room, he took one of the napkins and wrote the word 'snowflakes' on it. At the end of the table, he saw there was one last cookie on the tray Jenny had sent to the gang in homicide. He grabbed it and set it on the napkin while he got his and Kate's coffee.
It took him a few moments, but he finally worked out carrying both mugs of coffee in one hand, and the napkin-wrapped cookie in the other.
As he approached Kate's desk, he set the coffee and cookie by her keyboard, then sat in his chair. "There was a lone cookie left in there, and it asked me to let you eat it."
She shook her head and smirked so adorably. "You go ahead, I don't need it," she answered.
Castle wasn't going to have any of that. She had been deep in work mode and hadn't eaten good all day. "You've had like three gummy bears since lunch."
When Kate turned back to argue the point, he was ready to stand his ground. And the weird thing, was that she stopped and settled back. "Oh, all right, fine. But if you're really going to feed me, Castle, you're going to have to come up with something better than cookies."
That's his girl. "What's better than cookies?" Seriously. He thought she knew him better than this.
Then, she bit into the cookie, and the way she slightly tilted her back and closed her eyes had him enthralled. Wow. She really was hungry to have that look on her face over a cookie. But then again, it was chocolate.
Suddenly, her eyes popped open. "What?"
He'd been caught staring. Again. Oops. And she was wearing a bit of the cookie on the corner of her lips. That was kind of sexy.
But this wasn't the place to start that line of thinking.
"You have chocolate," he said, leaning forward to brush at the corner of her mouth with his thumb. "Right there."
She pulled back, and so did he, remembering where they were. Yeah, smack in the middle of the precinct.
"I can handle a napkin, Castle," she snapped, but it still wasn't quite a snap. Oh. She wanted to kiss him.
It was too bad, really. He wanted to kiss her as well, and he was pretty sure a handshake wouldn't do the trick this time.
Kate picked up the napkin he'd had the cookie wrapped in, and went to wipe any remaining chocolate face. But then she stopped.
She saw the writing, and read it a few times before she looked up at him. She seemed so confused, but then, the realization glimmered on her features.
Awesome. She got it, she remembered the note from when they went to Rockefeller Center. He couldn't have been happier and was pretty sure it was written all over his face.
Kate narrowed her eyes at Castle, like she was about to threaten him, but he'd grown immune to that particular version of glare a long time ago. She sighed and went back to her work, he guessed to finish the last few pages, so they could leave.
He watched her for a time, observing how she held her pen and made the long strokes across the paper as she wrote notes and signed her name. "You're just going to do the creepy staring until I give up and leave, aren't you?" She asked, never looking up to meet his eyes.
He would never figure out how she knew when he was staring at her. "Pretty much."
She rolled her eyes, then smiled. He could tell she wanted out of here just as badly as he, and he figured she was also curious about what the note meant.
Finally, Kate filed the finished papers and grabbed her bag. Castle was right there with her, holding her coat open so to help her into it.
He carefully reached in to pull her hair out from under the collar, and his fingers came in contact with her neck. He really loved her neck. But then, there really wasn't any part of her he didn't like.
"Behave." Castle barely heard the word when she breathed it.
It was just an innocent touch... where was her mind this evening? He shrugged and stepped away, then followed her out of the precinct.
They'd walked almost two blocks away from the building before he finally reached out and took her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers.
They'd agreed earlier in the day to eat out at the little Italian place a few blocks up. Castle knew it was one of her favorite places, and they were almost there. He could see the sign about another block away.
Still, he wanted to speak with her for just a moment before they went inside, just to re-connect, since their day had been so suddenly pulled out from under him.
He stopped and moved in front of her. "Kate?"
"It's snowing," she said quietly.
Where did that come from? His eyes widened as he looked up.
Well, that wasn't planned, but it sure made the evening a little more awesome. He looked back at her, and loved how much she was here, with him, in this moment.
He laughed quietly, then said, "Not what I had in mind, but I think I like this better. Yeah, actually I think I like this a lot better."
The snowflakes flittered and drifted slowly to the ground. He knew it wasn't enough to stick, but it left a light dusting all around.
And on Kate. Wow. She was beautiful. Not that she was ever not beautiful, but the snowflakes in her eyelashes and in her hair just did something.
It definitely took his breath away.
She grinned at him, and he was pretty sure he was grinning right back at her. He took a small step closer to her. "You have snowflakes on your eyelashes."
Kate giggled. She just kept doing one amazing thing after another this evening.
"Great," she said, "Suddenly my life is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical."
And then, she had to go there. Castle sighed, still smiling. He knew she wouldn't know about the teasing that he grew up with, but it still stung a little.
"Not funny Beckett. Do you have any idea how ribbing a kid can take for that? Especially when his mother makes a living in musicals?"
Oh, he didn't mean to make her feel guilty, and that's exactly what he saw in her eyes. He should have kept his mouth shut.
Then, Kate took his hand and leaned into him. He loved the feel of her body against his and it took the gloom out of the moment.
The snow seemed to be falling a little thicker, and he couldn't help himself. "Taste the snow."
"What?" She asked, and there was the 'do you think I'm crazy?' look.
"Taste the snow," he said again. He knew she was a kid at one point in her life, and it was part he'd seen rarely in her. She needed to reach back and find her inner child.
She blinked, seemed to get a little offended, and that's not what he intended. "It's frozen water Castle, it doesn't taste like anything."
"Not the point, Beckett. You know that." Come on, Kate, live in the moment, find little Katie and let her come out to play.
Her look didn't change. "This is New York City Castle, it's probably dirty."
Wow. He laughed, and probably snorted, totally caught off-guard by her words. "It's falling out of the sky, Kate. I'm not saying lick it off the sidewalk."
The way she laughed, he knew she caught the visual. Castle tried to glare at her, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. Then again, the mood was a little off.
"You don't have to be such a little kid, you know," she said, and he heard the challenge in her voice.
"Or you could start." His reply came out a little more sarcastic than he intended, but there it was. He wanted her to let go, be free in the snowfall.
Then, she stuck her tongue out.
And if that didn't come unexpectedly, then the snowflake that landed perfectly on her tongue was right out of the ball park.
She startled backwards, then laughed, and he laughed with her. That was more like it. She was getting there.
He lost himself in her again, when she held her arms out and tilted her head back, twirling in the middle of the sidewalk, catching snowflakes on her tongue. She didn't seem to have a care in the world and that was exactly where he wanted to bring her.
Kate stopped after a time, then stumbled toward him and he caught her. She relaxed into him and he continued to laugh, loving so much how she let go and was still there, letting the child within out to play.
She hugged him, and he hugged her back, swaying back and forth "I love you," he said into her hair. It was everything and not enough. He hoped she'd find a way to tell him the same at some point, but he could wait.
Until then, he could tell by the light in her eyes and the spark in her smile that she loved him.
"Come on, let's get food into you." Castle gently brushed her hair out of her face. He took her hand again, and walked the rest of the way into the restaurant.
And it wasn't lost on him when she let him lead the way.