A little moment drawn from my own experience with dancing with my father when I had a nightmare when I was younger.
Music awoke Alexis. It wasn't blaring or anything. There was just a soft tune that was drifting through the loft just loud enough to pull the teenager from her slumber. Checking the clock, Alexis rolled out of bed wondering what on earth her father and Beckett would be doing listening to music at two in the morning. She moved quietly out of her room and to the landing of the stairs as she didn't want to disturb them and to have a quick escape if they were doing something she didn't want to see. What she was saw had her smiling.
They had moved back the couches and coffee table to make a large clear space. Castle had his arm around Beckett's waist and his other hand held hers against his chest. Beckett had her arm wrapped tightly around Castle with her head resting in the crock of his neck. Both were swaying to the music that softly flowed from the radio they had set up in the living room. The look on both their faces made Alexis breathless. They both looked like anything and everything they could ever want in the world was right in each other's arms. They looked blissful. No peaceful. Hell Alexis couldn't find the right word to describe the look they both wore. All she knew was that it made her heart ache, but in a good way. It was an ache of happiness that they both were so happy and finally together.
Smiling, Alexis sat to watch for a little while longer. It was such a joyous sight to see really. She couldn't ever recall stumbling upon something as sweet as this either her mother or Gina. Alexis strained to hear the lyrics of the song. It was something jazzy and soulful sounding a lot like how Beckett did when she sang. Alexis watched in awe as Beckett lifted her head to stare at Castle with wetness in her eyes as the singer said something about finding home. They shared a brief kiss but Alexis could feel the heat all the way up the stairs before they broke apart smiling. Beckett glanced up and spotted Alexis. Before the teenager could scramble up and back into her room she heard her father.
"Alexis." Castle called out as Beckett stepped out of his arms and started to the kitchen. "Can't sleep?"
Since she was caught, Alexis made her way down the stairs, "I heard music."
"Come on then." He held out a hand for her, "I want to dance with my baby girl."
Smiling, Alexis took his hand and was swept into his arms causing her to laugh. "I'm not much of a baby anymore."
"Yes no more days of you standing on my shoes to dance." Castle smiled into her hair as they began to sway to the music. "But you will always be my baby, Alexis. No matter how old you get. Remember that."
"I will." Alexis mumbled into his chest, holding on as she didn't want this moment to end for a very long time.