A Very Castle Christmas
Chapter Four
Kate keeps her eyes tightly shut as the morning sun slowly invades her bedroom, gradually dragging her from a deep sleep. She stretches, smiling when the slight movement results in Castle pulling her closer, mumbling a good morning into her hair. She turns over so that she is facing him, her breasts bumping deliciously against his bare chest. He brushes the hair out of her face as his sleepy blue eyes smile into hers.
"So tell me, Kate," Castle whispers, planting a soft kiss on her mouth. "Am I forgiven?"
"I don't know…" she responds teasingly, running her hand over his chest. "What else have you got?"
"Ooh, Detective Beckett, is that a challenge? You know, I do like a good challenge," he growls as he leans over and kisses her throat, eliciting a soft moan from Kate.
She searches for a snappy reply, but before she can think of one, her eye catches the clock on the bedside table.
"Oh no! Castle, it's after 8:00. I have to be to work in less than half an hour!" She leaps out of the bed and rushes into the bathroom. It takes her less than two minutes to brush her teeth and run a comb through her hair before pulling it back into a loose ponytail. She races past the bed, and quickly grabs the first outfit she comes across in her closet, throwing it on in record time.
She turns back right before leaving the room. The sight of Castle sitting in the middle of her rumpled bed, the sheet settled at his naked waist, has her strongly re-considering her rush into work. And when he runs his hand through his already tousled hair, she actually takes two steps back into the room. Before she can reach the bed, however, her phone vibrates in her pocket.
She pulls it out, looks at the screen and groans. "It's Espo. I gotta go." she says, the disappointment in her tone matching the expression on Castle's face. "I guess I'll see you at the station, in what? About an hour?"
"Actually, I'm not coming in this morning."
She is sliding on her coat, but pauses at his words. "Oh. Everything okay?"
"Yep. I just have a little Christmas shopping to do."
"Oh. Well why don't you wait until after work? We could go together. I need some ideas on what to get your mother."
"Sure, we can do that too. But," he says with a wink, "I have a very special present to pick up this morning."
"Hey, Lanie. Any more news on our vic?" Kate asks as she walks into the morgue a few hours later.
Lanie is sitting on a stool writing notes. A male body lies on the metal autopsy table nearby. "Nope," she answers without looking up. "Seems like a pretty straightforward gunshot wound to me. But I'll know more after I get the toxology report back." Slapping the pen down, she finally looks up.
She smiles at Kate, then looks around. "Where's Castle? Now that you two are dating, you've been joined at the hip even more than before. If that's possible."
"He, um, is out Christmas shopping. That's why I'm here actually."
"You're here because Castle's out Christmas shopping? Is that a problem?"
"Yes, it's a problem! He's out buying my Christmas present."
"You're going to have to help me out here, because I still don't see the problem."
"The problem is, I have no idea what to get him. We are obviously exchanging presents this year. It's just…I know it sounds silly, but this is our first Christmas together and I want to get him a gift that represents where we are in our relationship. I don't want to get him something that's too casual."
"Well, I see your-"
"Then again," Kate continues, as she starts to pace restlessly, "I don't want to get anything too serious."
"True, that would-"
"That could make him uncomfortable. I mean, what if I get him a serious gift, and he gives me a casual one? Then he'll feel bad. Or what if I get him a casual gift, and he gets me a serious one? Then he will think I'm not as committed to this relationship as he is. And what if-"
"Kate. Kate!" Lanie yells when she doesn't respond the first time. "Stop talking. And please stop that pacing around. You're making me dizzy. That's better," she says when Kate stops in her tracks.
"Sorry. I know. I'm making too much of this, aren't I?"
Lanie gives her a serious look. "No, you're right. This is your first Christmas together. The wrong gift could ruin everything." Lanie fights back a smile at the look of panic that she sees in her friends eye's as her words sink in. "What you need to do is to find out what kind of gift Castle is getting you. Then you will know what type of gift to get him. Simple."
"No, it's not simple. How exactly am I supposed to do that?"
"You know what I'd do? I'd give it a couple of days, then figure out where he put your present. Check it out, put it back. He'll never know and you will know exactly what type of gift to get him. See? Simple."
Kate looks at her friend incredulously. "That's your advice? To go snooping through his place searching for my present?"
"Do you have a better idea?"
Did she have a better idea? No. But she would think of one, because there was absolutely no way she was going to go snooping through Castle's loft looking for her Christmas present!
