A/N: Mushy fluff feels and Mad Love playing loudly on a long drive, this has been my day! Thank you again for playing along.
He blocked her path to the doorway, knowing the entire time that it was fruitless. If she really wanted to, Kate could knock him on his ass in three seconds flat, leap over him and kick her way through the door to freedom.
She was badass that way. But he still blocked her path, his eyes pleading.
"Stay." He felt his back collide with the wood and she laughed when he flinched.
"You just shoved me off of your desk, I think I wore out my welcome." Kate ran her fingers the length of his chest, making him shiver and letting him know she was teasing.
"It was the fish." She rolled her eyes and he sighed. "I'll be good, no more fishlet distractions." Though his body still felt on edge from catching the little...thing staring at them.
"Fishlet?"
"Like piglet, you know? Baby fish." He shrugged, he thought it sounded cute.
"I think when they're baby fish we call them eggs." She grinned evilly, her fingers toying with his buttons, "Or Caviar."
"That's -" He rolled his tongue suddenly feeling queasy.
"True." She laughed, "Now move out of my way, kiss me and let me go home."
"Are you really going to..."
"Leave you alone with the fish? Yes, I am." She winked at him, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt in either hand, "You two can have some male bonding time."
Using all her strength, and a lot of his own in a way that never ever made sense to him, Kate maneuvered Castle away from the front door.
He didn't want male bonding time, he wanted her to stay and ... protect him. But he didn't know how to voice that. Even his internal aliens are real it's all a big conspiracy voices were yelling at him that he had lost his mind.
"But-"
"Castle." She groaned, her head dropping onto his chest. "Please don't make me regret buying the thing for you already."
"It's just..."
"What?" She looked up, her eager eyes finding the mildly panicky blue of his and trying to infuse some of her calm into him through the intensity of her gaze.
"It keeps staring at me." He mumbled the words, knowing how they sounded.
"It's a fish, it's what they do." She pushed him away and turned for the door, throwing her scarf over her shoulder as she went. "They swim, they eat fish food, they swim some more and they stare."
"It's like he can see right through to my soul." Castle shuddered, reaching for her again but freezing when she levelled him with a look.
"Maybe it can." She grinned buttoning the last button and stepping back into him for her goodbye kiss.
"That's not funny." He grumbled, holding tight to her elbows and meeting her lips briefly. When she tried to pull back he squeezed, "You really have to leave?"
"Yes." She kissed him again, short and sweet. "Be brave Castle, you've got this." She patted him on the head, "After all, it's just a little bitty fish."
He pouted, "That keeps staring at me."
"If it bothers you that much, cover it with a sheet and call me," She wiped the smudge of her lipstick from his bottom lip, opened the door and stepped into the hall, "I promise I'll talk you through it."
Kate turned leaving him staring after her fading smile, the swirl of chestnut hair, Burberry and denim, heading for the elevator.
"You promise?" He called, feeling ridiculous, sounding it and not caring one little bit.
"Partners remember." She stepped out of sight as the doors closed, her parting words echoing down the corridor, "I've got your back against the demon spawn."
