They stumble into each other in the darkness of her bedroom. She stops to switch on a light and he doesn't. Right hands still clasped he smacks right into her back, awkwardly twisting her arm around, and she laughs. Kate Beckett laughs - beautiful, smoky, and low. So contained that if he had been two feet away he would have missed it. It thrums up his arm and imbues his chest. It clutches at him and pushes the air out of his lungs in a huff strong enough ruffle the stands of her hair in front of his face. Pushes everything else in him out that isn't her. She takes up all the free spaces, this woman who's leading him into her bed. Never had he pictured this.
He's thought about being with her. Of course he has. Like every time he catches that smile she saves for when his back is turned, when she thinks he doesn't see. How could he not lose time fantasizing about new and inventive ways to make her smile? But never had her bedroom, **her bedroom**, come into his mind. It would have been taking too much, an invasion. And yet here he is - Kate leading him by hand into her bed. It gets him. Make his eyes briefly threaten to betray him with moisture. They had sex, now she is offering him intimacy.
She goes to the trunk on the other side of the bed and produces an extra pillow. She never lets go of his hand, just drags him with her. This is curious. Kate's not remotely clingy, dislikes that trait in people. She's not even really a toucher. So what's this about? He wants to ask her but then she might take her hand away. She tosses the pillow on the vacant side, *his side*, and pulls hers from its encroachment of the middle so that they're even. Switches off the light, pulls back the covers, slides in, never letting go of his hand. He stands over her momentarily. This will only work one way without letting go. He starts to crawl over her. She stops him when she finally takes her hand back. Damn.
"Take off your pants."
Oh. Excitement tingles at the back of his neck. Only she doesn't mean it like that. She's not wrong. He'd smother if he tried to sleep in blue jeans. He takes them off, drapes them over the chair and starts to move around to his side. Wait, uh-uh. He had the right idea the first time, hand or no hand. He crawls over her. Slowly. He gets what he's looking for. The shimmer of a smile she tries valiantly to hide in the darkness. He pauses over her. Looks at her mouth a nice long while and fights the urge to take it. Right. That's not why he's here. Sleep. Intimacy. That's what they're doing. When his eyes drift back to hers they're still tracked on his mouth. Yeah, she wants him too. He pecks a kiss on her forehead and rolls away leaving her rumbling another near inaudible laugh in his wake. Makes him proud.
Kate's no cuddler. Of course she wouldn't be. He's neither surprised nor disappointed. So when she rolls over on her side towards him, draws a knee up to touch his thigh, brings her head somewhat near his on the pillow and wiggles a cool finger inside the torn seam of his t-shirt to touch his skin, he gulps and almost giggles. His thumb finds the soft, inner part of her elbow in return. Castle falls asleep to the steady in-and-out of Kate's breathing in his ear. The most reassuring sound in the world.
IVIVIVIVIVI
The tittering clash of her cell phone vibrating on her nightstand wakes Kate up. Anything worth texting at, judging by the dim slate blue of the sky, 6:00 am must be important. She glances Castle's way to see if he's still asleep. Lashes shadowing his cheeks, tufts of wild hair sticking out and falling across his forehead, soft, steady exhalations coming from slightly parted lips - he was asleep. And damn he looked cute. Her bed suited him. She resists the urge to poke him, wake him up, just so she can see what color blue his eyes are this morning. What shade they are when they are in her bed. Her money's on cerulean. She'll find out soon enough. She rolls away and grabs for her phone.
It's from Esposito:
'Shooters in custody. U were right. Not after you.'
Kate is relieved. She honestly didn't think that bullet was intended for her. One doesn't go from professional hit men to snipers to a wild-eyed maniac taking potshots on the street. Even still he did almost succeed in killing her.
It would be quicker to call him but she doesn't want to wake Castle or get out of bed.
'How'd you get him?'
She waits, draws her knees up and hooks an arm around them. Takes only 60 seconds for his reply.
'Was after the guy next to u. Tried again after we took his statement. 2 gsws. In icu. Should be ok.'
She should have been there. She should be there now with them, part of the takedown, but of course Gates isn't going to call her in on the takedown of someone who *might* have tried to kill her. Protocol.
'Thanks for letting me know.'
She's off until a body drops. For the first time in, well she doesn't really remember how long, she's happy to have a little bit of free time. Has nothing to do with the man next to her. Sure it doesn't.
'Want me to text castle?'
She can't help her grin.
'No. I'll tell him.'
She will tell him. But for now she'll let him sleep. She'll let him sleep while she thinks of the best way to wake him up.
IVIVIVIVIVI
Mmm. Coffee. And lips. And tongue and fingers. Oh my. Then it stops. His eyes scratch open to find the reason. His hands are apparently considerably more advanced than his brain because when he focuses his eyes he finds Beckett straddling him and his own, obviously very intelligent hands, worked halfway up her back under her shirt. She leans forward and he thinks she is going to kiss him. She places long fingers on either side of his face instead and pears in. Her eyes flick back and forth as if they were reading something written on his irises before she's satisfied with what she finds there and pulls away.
"Hmm, that's what I thought."
She mumbles it low, clearly not meant for him, but he wants to know what secrets she and his eyes are keeping from him.
"What is?"
"Hmm?" She looks almost startled like she hadn't meant to say that out loud. "Nothing."
He starts to push, has the words on his tongue at the ready, and then remembers himself. No pushing. He refocuses his attention to the warm flesh under his fingers. Runs his hands up until he can almost touch her shoulders and lifts his knees so that she slides down closer to him. She comes willingly and places an open mouth above his collarbone. Want springs in him violent and needy. He restrains the urge to clasp her to him and never let her go. He closes his eyes and enjoys the feel of her lungs expanding under his hands and then releasing hot on his skin.
"I got a text from Esposito."
Woman's got to learn to pick her moments. Now is not the time to be bringing up Esposito.
"They got the guy."
He pulls her away from him and sits up.
"They got him. Was he after you? Is this connected to…" He doesn't want to say it. Doesn't want to drag her mother's murder into bed with them.
"No. I must have just gotten in the way. He was going for the guy walking next to us. Ryan and Esposito took his statement after the incident and when he left the precinct the shooter tried again. Shooter's in custody and the guy's in ICU. Two gunshot wounds but Espo said he should recover."
Relief like a river washes over him; cleanses his soul. The shooter wasn't after her. She's alright. At least for right now, for today, she's alright. He crushes her to him, sticks his face in her neck and bites down on the words bubbling up. He knows he shouldn't say them but she has to know. He's lucky now to have her, to hold her in his arms and feel her breathe. If the next time she's not so lucky she has to know.
"Kate –" The emotional gravel in his own voice makes him stop, impossible to continue.
"I know, Castle."
Does she know? Does she know how much he loves her?
She pulls away, kisses the corner of his eye, and by the time his eyes are open again she's already halfway across the room.
"Where are you going?"
"To get a shower."
"Can I come?"
"In your dreams, Castle."
Yep, that's true. He wants to follow her. She turns back to him before she closes the door, enigmatic smile on her face, the one she hides.
"I made you coffee."
She does know. And she loves him too.
A/N: This has not been betaed. All mistakes grammatical and otherwise are mine.
