Castle starts towards baggage claim with his heart pitter-pattering in his chest, excitement twining through his veins and anticipation catching his breath as he scans the area for red hair.
"Daddy!"
He spins on his heel, finds Alexis racing towards him from the opposite direction. Kate is hot on her heels and his mother is trailing after them both with a smile.
Rick drops his carry-on just in time to catch his daughter when she leaps for him, her arms immediately latching around his neck and her legs around his waist.
"Pumpkin!" he chuckles through his joy at being reunited with his child, gripping her in a tight embrace until she draws back to beam at him. "Have you grown since I was gone? I swear you look an entire inch taller."
Alexis's eyes goes comically wide, her lips parting to form an 'o' shape. "Can we memsure me when we get home?"
"Measure. And of course we can. He squeezes her leg before bending to deposit her back to her feet with one last peck of his lips to her forehead. "I bet you passed your last mark on the wall."
"Kate messured me once while you were gone too, Daddy! I showed her how to mark the wall just like you do it!" Alexis tells him proudly and Castle can't control the idiotic grin tugging on his lips. But before he can lift his gaze, find the woman who spent more than half of his time away at his loft, she's stepping into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and burying her smile against his throat.
"Hey," he chuckles, banding his arms around her in return and skimming his lips to her cheek. "Miss me?"
"Not at all," she lies, pulling back to reveal that gorgeous smile she normally tries to hide, all bright eyes and gleaming teeth.
"Daddy, aren't you gonna kiss her?" Alexis pipes up from his side, watching them expectantly. Kate chokes on a laugh, instantly untangling herself from him as her cheeks catch fire.
"Alexis," she chastises softly.
Castle arches one of his eyebrows. "Am I missing something?"
"Gram said you and Kate are like a Disney princess movie now," Alexis explains.
Kate washes a hand over her face, shooting a scowl at his mother while she brushes past. She squeezes Kate's shoulder as she goes, doing little to hide her amusement over a predicament she's apparently created in his absence.
"For the record, it was an accident," Martha states, drawing him into a quick embrace and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "You must tell us all about the tour, darling."
"On the way home," he nods, but his gaze quickly returns to his daughter and his… his girlfriend? Is he allowed to call Kate his girlfriend yet? "How are Kate and I a Disney movie?"
"Castle," Beckett groans, but Alexis bounces at his side, her toothy grin widening.
"Because you kiss now," she proclaims, reaching for his fingers. "And if you're a Disney movie, I want Kate to be Belle from Beauty and the Beast. You can be the beast, Daddy."
Kate snorts a laugh and steps past him for the moving carousel of luggage.
"And what does that make you?" he huffs, following after Kate for his bag, allowing Alexis to swing their linked hands while they walk. "Chip the teacup? Then Gram can be Ms. Potts."
Alexis giggles and nods excitedly. "Yeah! Gram can be-"
"I am not that teapot," his mother scoffs, her bright blue pumps clicking as she bypasses him to sidle up alongside Kate, leaning in to whisper something in his best friend's ear. He can't hear, but it makes her laugh, the caramel curls of her hair sliding from her shoulders to hide the smile on her face.
"Kate likes books like Belle does," Alexis adds, as if she feels she needs to prove her point. "She read to me lots'a nights in a row while you were gone!"
"She did?" he replies, his heart pounding with adoration that flushes through his veins with every beat. He knew that Kate spent ample time with Alexis over the past two weeks, but it sounds like they've become closer than he expected, than he could have hoped for.
"Yeah! She read me bedtime stories, sometimes Gram did too, but-" Alexis cups her hands over her mouth, waits for Castle to pause and bend to allow his daughter the privacy of his ear. "I like when Kate reads to me better."
Castle chuckles and reaches to reclaim Alexis's hand. "That's okay, Pumpkin. I'm glad Kate got to spend so much time with you while I was gone."
"I wish she didn't have to work or she coulda been there more, but she's gotta help catch the bad guys."
"She's kind of like Batman," he nods in reply, watching said hero snag his large black suitcase from the moving cart and haul it over the edge and onto the floor with impressive ease. "The city needs her."
Alexis gasps and bounces on her toes again beside him. "That's even better than a princess!"
"Totally," Castle agrees, the two of them finally joining his mother and Kate. He accepts the extended handle of his suitcase, grazing the knuckles of her hand with his fingertips before she can let go.
They intended to take him out for a special welcome home dinner after picking him up from the airport that afternoon, but the subtle smudges of purple beneath his eyes, the hints of exhaustion lining his face, convince her that a night out isn't exactly what Castle's craving before he can speak the truth himself.
"I actually just want to go home, if that's okay," he murmurs to his mother as they exit the airport, slipping into a sleek, black town car that is becoming all too familiar to her. "I appreciate the gesture, Mother, truly. I'm just eager to be home again for a little while."
"Whatever you want is perfectly fine, kiddo," Martha assures him, patting the arm looped through hers. "We can still order in if you'd like."
Rick shoots his mother a grateful smile before she climbs into the front seat, already beginning to chat with the driver while Castle settles in the back next to Alexis.
He falls asleep with the length of his arm stretched across the top of the seat, his hand grazing the back of Kate's neck and his daughter curled against his side.
"Daddy," Alexis whispers when the car comes to a halt outside of the loft, rising onto her knees after Kate frees her from the seatbelt, and patting his face. "Daddy, wake up. We're home."
Castle blinks awake, musters a quick smile for Alexis and reflexively curls his fingers in Kate's hair. "Sorry, Pumpkin. Did I fall asleep on you?"
"Yeah, you slept the entire ride home," Alexis drawls, before arching her slim brow. "Did you have a good nap?"
Kate chuckles and eases open her door, hearing the husk of Castle's sleep drenched tone as he answers his daughter. She eases out of the car and retrieves his suitcase from the trunk before he can think to protest, tugging on the handle of his door next.
Alexis is already climbing over him to get out of the vehicle, causing Castle to grunt when she lands a knee to his stomach. But his daughter is smiling at Kate like she has a secret, all devious and sparkly-eyed. Can't be good if Rick has anything to do with it. Beckett sighs, extends her hand to the man watching her with the same, lazy mischief in his gaze.
"Come on, sleepyhead," she prompts, allowing him to lace their fingers while he accepts the embrace of her hand, emerging from the car to stand with her on the sidewalk. Martha is bidding the driver a farewell and Kate thoughtlessly lifts her fingers to the paper-thin skin beneath his eyes before they start for his building, dusting the tip of her thumb to the evidence of his exhaustion. "You okay?"
His lips rise for her, a genuine smile, and his hand curls around her wrist. He holds it there as he turns his head to brush a kiss to the whorls of her fingers.
"Fine, just tired. I never sleep well during the tours," he explains, his thumb skating down the inside of her wrist, caressing the line of her pulse. "But I'll hibernate for a day or two, bounce back in no time at all. By the way, when do I get to kiss you?"
Kate rolls her eyes. "Is that all you think about?"
"Yes."
"Darlings, enough with the loitering," Martha calls, already entering the lobby with Alexis skipping along behind her.
"Later," she murmurs, tugging on his hand, and she means it.
It's been two weeks and she's missed him, his mouth, and she has no intentions of leaving until she's welcomed him home properly.
Alexis remains glued to his side for the rest of his evening and that suits him just fine. He's missed his baby bird and the daily phone calls were never enough to satisfy the ache that came with being away from his child.
He missed Kate too, a lot, and he's pretty sure she missed him too. She doesn't stray far from him during his first night back. She stays tucked in close beside him on the couch while the four of them enjoy their takeout dinner from the comfort of the living room and stands close enough for her hip to bump his as they clean up and wash silverware in the sink.
His mother wished them all a goodnight after dinner, sharing a wink with Alexis that has Kate burying her head in her hands before sauntering out the door.
Once Alexis's bedtime approaches, his daughter reaches for Kate's hand as well before they can ascend the stairs. His little girl's eyes are uncertain, a little shy, but Kate doesn't hesitate in accepting Alexis's unspoken request, and he follows his two girls up the stairs.
"I'm so happy you're home, Daddy," Alexis yawns while he tucks her in, her eyes already struggling to stay open.
Rick takes a seat on the edge of her bed and brushes back her bangs to drop a kiss to her forehead.
"Me too, Pumpkin. No more book tours for a while, I promise," he whispers, even though he knows Paula already wants to kill him for declining the opportunity to continue the tour internationally. Kate leans against his side, her hip digging into the edge of his shoulder. Because, of course, she knows of the dilemma, was the one to help talk him through it last night when he was overwrought with indecision.
"I could always take Alexis with me, let her see Europe," he debated, but he could feel Kate's hesitation to agree before she spoke it.
"I don't think it's a bad idea," she hedged.
"But?" he prompted, holding his breath while he waited for it.
"But I don't know if it's the best idea for a three year old," Kate reasoned quietly. "And it's not just signings when it comes to these tours, right? It's business meetings, consistent travel, late nights..."
He sighed, knew she was right, knew what he wanted to do all along.
"You could come with us, explore the most beautiful cities with Alexis while you wait for me to be free," he mused, smirking at her snort of disapproval.
"You know I have work and Alexis has school," she reminded him.
He leaned back in his hotel bed, pouting. "I know. I should let you go, it's getting late."
"Yeah, but Rick?"
He hummed his acknowledgement, feeling the desire to at least try to sleep creeping up on him.
"I kinda don't want you to be gone for a whole month either," she admitted, not even attempting to disguise the truth of it.
He told Paula his decision the next morning.
"Good," Alexis mumbles, closing her eyes and shifting deeper into the plush of her comforter. "Love you, Daddy. Love you, Kate."
"Love you too," they manage to chorus. He smirks up at her, but Kate's already ducking her head, hiding behind the curtain of her hair.
He waits a few minutes, watching his daughter drift into dreamland, her face slack and peaceful, her breathing even, before he carefully rises from the bed and follows Kate back out into the hall.
He lets her make it a few steps towards the stairway, just far enough away from his daughter's room, and then he snags her wrist, reeling her into the curl of his arm around her waist. He's certain he'll have to coax her into his embrace, into allowing him the taste of her mouth, but Kate doesn't even try to stop him.
To his surprise, it's the exact opposite and he isn't the one to initiate their first kiss.
The sway of her body into his is effortless, a single move forward that has her hands capturing his face and her lips seeking his. Castle hums in approval, in relief, at the glorious press of her mouth fitting against his, the all-encompassing sensation of coming home that he finds in the embrace of her arms.
"I missed you," she gasps, arching on her toes and kissing him again, kissing him hard and desperate before he can respond. Castle slowly backs her into the wall, represses his moan at the fit of her body curving so tightly against his.
"I'll never leave again," he gets out, smiling at the breathless puff of her laughter spilling from her lips onto his. "Stay the night?"
"Rick," she sighs, hesitating, and he presses in deeper, his hips cradling hers.
"Still going slow," he reminds her, promises her.
He wants her, he's sure she can feel just how badly he wants her, but he's in no rush to move forward in their relationship until they're both ready for it. He wants to do this right, the way it should have been done five years ago; he's waited too long, hoped too much, to risk screwing this up now.
He whispers a kiss along her cheek. "I just don't want to tell you goodbye yet."
Because Kate Beckett is his last, always has been, if he's being honest with himself, and she's worth waiting for.
"Okay," she murmurs, her nose colliding with his as she nods, her lips brushing his blossoming smile. It has frissons of electricity sparking from every point of contact, snapping through his synapses, and jolting through his veins. "Then don't."
Castle twines their fingers as he leads her downstairs, through his office and to his bedroom. It's only their fourth, totally innocent sleepover, but when Kate releases his hand and drifts into his en suite, it's with surprising ease, already so at home. He wonders if she spent any time in here while he was away, using his room as a private sanctuary, using his bed-
He glances into the bathroom, noticing her standing over his sink with his toothbrush in her mouth.
"You know, I have an extra toothbrush," he huffs, but Beckett merely winks at him in the mirror.
She used his toothbrush on more than one occasion when they were kids, learning early on that it drove him crazy, only encouraging her to steal the hygiene tool a little too frequently.
She spits out the paste while he changes into his pajamas. "Does it really bug you so much now that you make out with the same mouth your toothbrush is in?" she challenges, swishing some water in her mouth and running his brush under the sink before holding it out to him.
He rolls his eyes and steps forward, snags his toothbrush and presses a kiss to that mouth, tasting the remnants of his whitening wintermint. "I'm getting you a toothbrush tomorrow."
"Purple would be my preferred color choice," she smirks, gliding past him into the bedroom. Huh, that little comment went over easier than he expected.
Castle brushes his teeth in a hurry, dropping their shared toothbrush into the holder before using the restroom and flipping off the bathroom light.
"So how does Alexis know we kiss now?" he asks while they get ready for bed, tossing her one of his t-shirts and a pair of his boxers.
He turns without her having to ask, offering her the privacy to change and busying himself with the zippers of his suitcase, tugging out his toiletries to return to the en suite in the morning, dropping the sealed plastic bag of tiny shampoo and conditioner bottles atop his dresser.
"Your mom let it slip in the car on the ride home two weeks ago, saying how glad she was that I'd kissed her boy while we were both still young," Kate mutters, but there's a flicker of amusement beneath her exasperation. He turns back around once he hears the soft dip of the bed, sees her tossing back the covers and sliding her bared legs beneath the sheets. "She'd been teasing me since the airport because she just knew something was different and I think she underestimates just how smart Alexis is."
"I'll be sure to talk to Alexis about it myself, but how'd she take it?" Castle inquires, crossing the room to climb in on his side of the mattress, bumping legs with her as he slips into the bed. It's just so domestic that he has to bite his tongue to refrain from scaring her off, but… he could get used to this.
He really wants to get used to this.
"I think she's happy about it," Kate murmurs, shifting onto her side and digging her elbow into a pillow, propping her head in her hand. "I think it's easy for her because she's younger, but also because we've been together this long and the only thing changing from her perspective is that we kiss now. Otherwise, we're still just us and as long as that doesn't change, I can't see Alexis having a problem with it."
He can't pinpoint the exact moment the smile consumes his face, only that Kate breathes a laugh at him for it, shaking her head while she hooks her fingers in his t-shirt to tug him down beside her.
"I did want you ask you, though," she mumbles, chewing on the corner of her bottom lip before catching his gaze with reluctance simmering in hers. "Does she ever… does Alexis have hope that you and her mom will get back together? I just - I know kids sometimes don't understand-"
"Kate," he interrupts softly, settling in next to her, mimicking her position and propping on his side to mirror her. "The relationship with Meredith is complicated for Alexis. She's not at an age where she can comprehend why her mom is so absent, but over the last year or so, I do believe she's grown to understand that she's just not a big part of her life. Not like a regular mother, anyway."
Castle frowns through the explanation, the reminder that Alexis will never have the relationship with her mom that she deserves always slashing something open in his chest, a wound born from his daughter's pain and confusion that he doesn't believe will ever fully heal. Not as long as his little girl hurts.
Kate's fingers stroke gently at his throat, feathering at his pulse. Rick blinks, returns to why he opened his and Alexis's personal Pandora's box in the first place.
"But as for me and her mom ever being together? No, she grasped pretty easily that Meredith and I are her parents, but we don't love each other like that. She knows we're friends – though, I use that term loosely – and I actually think she likes that better than the idea of us being a couple," he chuckles, covering the hand Kate has resting at his neck, cradling her knuckles in his palm and tracing her index finger with his thumb.
"Is your ex-wife that horrible?" Kate asks, her apprehension soothed into curiosity. Castle sighs.
"Believe me, you'll see it when you meet her," he mumbles, already cringing at the idea, but… oh, it could be fun to see the woman in his bed, his feisty best friend and badass cop, take on Meredith, put his self-centered ex in her place if only just this once. "It's been over six months since she was here last. Maybe seven? A few weeks before the previous Christmas, if I'm remembering correctly."
"She hasn't seen Alexis since December?" she questions, her brow shooting to her hairline. "Does she call her? Write her? Anything?"
"Well, no," Rick admits, feeling Kate's hand tighten in the collar of his shirt as the disbelief floods her eyes. "When she drops in, it's usually unannounced, a 'surprise' for Alexis," he explains quickly. "Otherwise, it's almost easy to forget she actually exists. So much of Alexis's life has been just me and her."
"I'm starting to see what you mean by horrible," Kate mutters, her arm folding beneath her, pillowing her cheek when she follows its descent. "How could she not want to see her?"
He shakes his head, wishing he had an adequate answer for her. "Question I ask myself every day."
"I won't do that to her." Castle's eyes sweep down to meet the intense gold of her gaze, promise and resolve burning bright in her irises. "I know it's only been a few months-"
"Four months, two and a half weeks," he fills in for her, watching her lips quirk for half a second before she sobers once more, stares up at him with her mouth in a solemn line.
"But this is… this is serious for me. I'm - I know I'm only twenty-four and I won't deny that it scares me to think I'm making decisions that will affect my entire life, but the idea of spending the rest of it with you, with your daughter, it doesn't… it's not as scary as it should be," she gets out, pursing her lips to hide the nerves flickering through her gaze, beating through her chest. "I could belong here, with you."
He feels like a fish out of water, struggling not to gape at her, to throw his arms around her and kiss her senseless, to breathe a sigh of relief. Because his biggest and most consistent fear when it comes to Kate Beckett is the abandonment she inadvertently instilled within him five years ago. It wasn't her fault, he reminds himself, always reminding himself that it was never her fault, but it does have him afraid of how she copes, how she runs.
But she has no intentions of doing that again, she may as well have just reassured him of that. He doesn't wholly believe it quite yet, he can't without the proof of time to back up her words, but this - the desire to try, the honesty, the hope - is honestly all he's wanted since he got her back.
"You already do belong here," he finally replies, drawing her hand up from his collarbone, pressing his lips to her open palm. He musters a smile for her as her fingers splay at his jaw, caressing the jut of his chin and the stubble peppering his skin. "I don't believe in coincidences, Kate. Always knew that if we found each other again, it was going to be for a reason."
For keeps, he's tempted to add.
"It was unavoidable," she mumbles, her fingers traveling the line of his jaw to drift to the back of his neck, the gentle pressure of her hand enough to draw him down, his body already spoiled and seeking the haven of hers. "Inevitable, really. You and me."
"Timing could have been better, but I'm not complaining," he muses, draping his palm at her hip when she eases one of her knees between both of his, hooking her ankle at his calf.
"Yeah, because you're the one who had to stand in front of a church full of wedding guests with your newly ex-fiancé and tell them the ceremony's off," she scoffs, tracing the shell of his ear with her thumb. So much touching tonight. She's usually not one for the excessive contact, that tends to be his vice, but he could get used to this too.
"Our love story is one for the history books," he sighs, chuckling at the roll of her eyes, watching them flutter closed. He cranes his neck to kiss her, sucking on her bottom lip just to hear her hum of approval, feel the subtle ripple of want trailing up her spine. "I'm sorry that I'm too tired to ravish you tonight."
Kate smirks against his mouth and lowers her head back to the pillow. "No shame in just cuddling, baby."
He huffs and nudges her beneath the blankets, stretching past her to turn the lamp on the bedside table off and bathing them in the city-lit darkness. She's still grinning at him, the pale glow of Manhattan seeping in through his bedroom window to douse her in gentle light.
Castle grazes a final kiss to her lips, tastes the stardust on her tongue.
"Wake me before you leave," he murmurs, relaxing into the memory foam of his mattress, grateful for it after two weeks of hotel room hopping. Kate nods her assent, curls her fingers in the neck of his t-shirt again, no intention of letting go.