Mistletoe

"Wow, Mom. You look really nice," Reece says with wide eyes when she comes out of the office and her heart warms a little at her son's words.

"Thank you, sweetheart," she presses a quick kiss to the top of his head and walks the short distance to the closet by the door to grab her heels.

"I still don't understand why you won't bring us with you," Jake pouts, still upset that both she and Castle insisted that they needed a babysitter and Kate rolls her eyes. Really, he should be thankful Alexis could make it and that they didn't need to call a stranger they didn't know. Usually, she would have had no problem leaving them home alone for an evening if Lily were here but she had been invited to a sleep over party. Lily is fifteen and she trusts that if ever something were to happen in the short time they were gone that she'd know what to do. But her boys are barely in their teens and she'd needed some reassurance that they were safe. She didn't want to spend the whole night wondering if they'd set the loft on fire or if they'd hurt themselves somehow.

The doorbell rings just as she slips on her heels and Kate opens the door for Alexis.

"You look stunning, Kate," Alexis comments as soon as she sees her and Kate feels the warmth creep up her cheek, pulls Castle's daughter into a hug. Alexis is in her thirties now but it's hard to remember she isn't a child anymore.

"Thank you," she answers, letting Alexis in.

"Hey, guys," she greets, waving over to the boys who sit at the kitchen counter.

"Alexis!" Jake jumps from the stool and rushes over to his oldest sister for a hug, forgetting all about the fact that he was upset a minute ago over someone coming over to look after him and Reece.

She sees Rick walk out of the office a few moments later and she can't help but appreciate how handsome he looks, and still ruggedly so.

They've been invited to the Mayor's charity ball for the evening what with Kate being Senator and Castle being a well-known public figure. They decided to make sort of a date out of it, seeing as they don't get much alone time these days. For some reason, she'd always thought that once the kids hit their teenage years they'd be out of the loft as often as they could manage. It turns out that even when they aren't home, they still end up having to be driven around everywhere around the city, whether it be for Jake's soccer games, Reece's karate practices or Lily's basketball. She's one of the tallest girls in her class and she discovered pretty early how fast she could be.

Kate has to admit, she and her Dad are a bit disappointed none of them have wanted to join baseball yet. Maybe someday.

She's lost in her thoughts and doesn't notice Castle making his way behind her. "How about we skip the party and I book us a room at the Four Seasons instead?" he whispers in her ear, his breath tickling her skin, his scent engulfing her. He makes an enticing offer and she grins, can't say she doesn't consider it but she has responsibilities and people are expecting her to show up at this event.

"You know I can't," she says, turning in his arms and lacing her arms around his neck. "But maybe if the boys are asleep when we get back..." she lifts a brow suggestively and Castle's eyes sparkle, his gaze drifting down to her lips-

"Ewww!" Jake calls out, just like he does every single time he sees them even close to kissing.

Castle groans, shaking his head and Kate chuckles. This is exactly why they need a night to themselves. They separate reluctantly and Rick moves to hug his daughter.

"Thank you so much for coming over, Pumpkin." Alexis shakes her head, insists it was no trouble at all.

Castle holds her coat out to her once they make it to the door and wish the three of them a good night, hugging them tight before they leave.

When the door closes behind then, Castle laces her fingers with his and pulls her back before she can head towards the elevator.

"You look absolutely beautiful, by the way," he comments, brushing one of the loose strands of her hair behind her ear. Sometimes he wonders how on earth he got so lucky.

"You look rather dashing yourself, Castle."

She's about to tug him towards the elevator but Castle resists, pulls her in a bit closer and lifts his eyes up to the ceiling. Kate follows his gaze and chuckles when she finds a piece of mistletoe conveniently hanging from over the door. When she looks back down he's grinning, that soft smile he only ever wears for her or his children.

"You put that up there purposefully, didn't you?" Kate asks, lifting a single brow at the question but she raises her arms and sifts her fingers through the short hair at his nape.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Castle says, not the least bit convincing.

But she doesn't care. She loves this man and how silly he is, how festive he gets and how he puts up mistletoe above their door despite the fact the he knows he doesn't need any excuse to kiss her.

She doesn't need to reach up on her toes now that she's in her heels and she lays her lips over his, nipping softly at his bottom lip when his hands tighten in her hair. Rick groans at the scratch of her nails at the base of his skull and she takes the opportunity to seek his tongue, caress it with hers.

Having a mild, impromptu make out session under the mistletoe with her husband before their party might not have been the best of ideas because it only takes a few seconds for her to get worked up, for his touch to light the embers in her lower abdomen.

They're a bit late to party but there are enough people there that she hopes no one really notices. It's the fact that her hair is slightly disheveled and the back of his shirt a bit untucked that's a tad more worrisome.

But she can't say she regrets it. Not one bit.