AN: Thank you all for the support and follows!
Chapter Four
She watches as he opens the door to his loft to let them both in, and she suddenly feels the slight nervousness that comes with spending time with the Castles. It isn't that she is not comfortable with his family, she really is. They have always been very welcoming, it's just that she sometimes feels overwhelmed and undeserving.
"Hey Dad! Welcome home." Alexis smiles at them from the couch, "Hi Kate, I'm glad you could make it."
"Hey Alexis, thank you for the invite" Kate smiles back at the girl, "Oh and welcome back, how was Europe?"
Castle takes off his jacket and hangs it and moves to take Beckett's jacket as well.
"It was great! We had so much fun." she says excitedly as she leans up to give her dad a kiss.
"You have to tell me all about it sometimes, specially if there are hot Europeans involved?" she wiggles her eyebrows at Alexis as she takes a seat next to Castle on the couch.
"There better not be!" Castle wraps a protective arm around his daughter.
"Of course not" but she nods silently to Kate who tries to stifle her smile.
"Oh don't you worry darling, I have enough stories for the both of us" cuts in Martha as she steps from behind the kitchen island.
Castle groans and Kate laughs as she stands to great Martha who embraces her in a crushing hug, "We're happy to have you with us tonight, been dull around here kiddo"
"You just came back!" argues Castle and Martha just waves him off.
Kate laughs again, "Thank you Martha, I'm happy to be here."
"Can we eat now? I'm starving" Alexis chips in.
"Let's go ladies" Castles stands heading to the kitchen island and he carries some of the plates over to the dinning table.
Dinner was light and fun, they joked around mostly at Castle's expense. Kate always felt overwhelmed by the acceptance and sense of belonging she felt at those little dinners his family invites her to.
When they were all done with dinner, they all got up to clear the dishes but Kate interjected, "Martha, Alexis you guys made this lovely meal, Castle and I will clear this"
"Its no trou-" Alexis tries.
"Please, it's the least I can do"
"You don't have to tell me twice" Martha stands.
Kate smiles at that as she glances at Castle who is looking at her funny, she lefts an eyebrow in question.
He smiles all wide, "Let's clear the dishes"
"Well Kiddos this was just lovely but I have other affairs to attend to and you my darling" she kisses Kate's cheek, "don't be a stranger"
Kate smiles at the sincerity of her words, "Wouldn't dream of it Martha"
"Alexis, there is dessert over there, from that French bistro" Castle says to his daughter as he loads the dishes into the dishwasher.
"Actually if you guys don't mind I'll steal an éclair and head over to Paige. We are both going to different schools by the end of the summer and we just want to capitalize on the time we have left"
"No, please don't let us interrupt your plans" says Kate while looking at the girl suspiciously, but then she brings over the pastries box for Alexis to choose from.
"Don't be late, pumpkin" adds Castle as she gives him a kiss on the cheek and then turns around to Kate and gives her a kiss as well.
"Don't let him eat all the éclairs Kate, and I still have to tell you about all the wild nights I had in Europe" throws Alexis as she heads to the door.
"Not listening! Not listening!" Castle breaks into a mantra as her holds his hands to his ears.
They both laugh at him.
The door clicks. Silence. Nerves.
He looks at her and smiles softly.
She threads her fingers together in front of her and bites the inside of her cheek, "So…"
"So…" god she is messing with his head lately! He doesn't know what to think, he doesn't want to push but when she looks at him like that. He just doesn't know how not to go to her, they need a distraction.
"Coffee and dessert?" he says clapping his hands together as if he just had a great idea.
She knows what he is doing, she knows that its her fault that he is keeping himself at bay. So she decides she will push a little, maybe he will see. Maybe he will understand.
She titles her head in mock questions when she says with a flirty tone, "I though I wasn't getting any?"
Yep. Definitely messing with his head.
"You still have a gun, don't you?" he bites back.
And she smiles wide at that.
"So where is this alleged Chocolate millefeuille you lured me here with?"
"Lured?" he scuffs but grabs a plate for the dessert anyways and nudges it her way while he goes to make them coffees.
"Are you denying it?" she questions with a poker face.
"Yes! Yes I am!"
She just offers him a teasing smile as she takes one of the Chocolate millefeuille and one raspberry éclair for him, his favorite, into their shared plate. She turns around to watch him finish off their coffees.
"You know, you made me into a coffee snob. I don't even like the coffee at my apartment anymore" she leans back on one of the counters, enjoying the coffee aroma lingering in the air.
He glances at her, "Is that a complaint, Detective?" he lifts an eyebrow, "Because you could have fooled me."
She lost track of this conversation- He looks good in grey, makes his eyes bluer…
When she doesn't say anything back he glances again and she staring at him. He smiles. She catches herself and ducks her head a little.
He holds up their mugs and heads to one of the bar stools, she follows with their dessert plate.
She takes a sip of her coffee and hums, "definitely not complaining"
He has a smug smile on his face as he reaches for his éclair.
She digs into the Chocolate millefeuille with her fork and the chocolate filling oozes out into the sides, with her other hand she runs a finger into the buttery chocolate filling and brings it to her mouth. He just stares and she blushes a little when she watches him watching her.
He shakes his head a little trying to break his train of thought, "So you didn't tell me what happened with the case after I left"
"We think it's the associate that was up for partnership, they were competing for the position and the victim was blackmailing him" she fills him in on her day as they eat their desserts.
"Confession?" he asks.
"Hopefully tomorrow. Want to sit in?"
"I'll be there"
She nods. They stare at each other. Again.
She smiles and adds pointing to the door, "I…I should get going, early day tomorrow"
He wants her to stay- Don't push. "Okay…"
"Thanks for tonight, I needed that" she says as she moves to get her jacket.
"Kate, you know you are always welcome here" he says sternly.
She smiles warmly at him then turns to put on the jacket he is holding out for her, his fingers linger a second longer than necessary on her shoulders.
She turns around. Standing closer now and when they look into each others eyes this time; she can feel the hope in his eyes reflected in her. She feels a need to reinforce that, for him. For her.
So she leans in and kisses his cheek, starts to pull back then stops midway when she feels him leaning in towards her instead, copying her, to leave a kiss on her cheek. He lingers there slightly and she holds her breath, nose against his cheek, she inhales slowly. He is everywhere.
Her head turns across his cheek, noses now against each other's, lips falling into place. soft.
They pull back just enough to brush their lips against each other; he leans in again just as softly catching her lower lip between his just for a second. They stand their foreheads against each other's, breathing the same air, eyes closed.
She can hear the swallow of his throat and her breathing, its too much and yet not enough.
"Goodnight Castle" she manages to say, eyes still closed. Only opening them after she pulls back away from him.
"Night Kate"
The door's click is unregistered.
AN: Please review, would love to hear some feedback on where to take this story. ^_^