Author's Note-Just, give this chapter a chance. It's short and doesn't really tell you a lot but it has a reason so just, go with it? NYLF xx
Castle was walking past Kate's room, his bedroom, a few days later- she'd moved into his bedroom while Rick had moved upstairs to stop Kate having to walk up the stairs while she stayed at his- when he heard a muffled whimper followed by a growl of utter dissatisfaction.
"Kate?" Rick asked, tapping on the closed door. "Everything okay?"
"Fine." Kate replied, her teeth clearly gritted.
"Is there something I can help with?"
Kate moaned in pain and frustration both and Castle took a breath before opening the door slowly.
"Kate?" Rick peered around the door to find Kate, her face flushed and tear stained, facing the mirror, trying to work her arms into her shirt.
So far, Rick had lent her his button downs, the easiest thing for her to get herself into by herself, and Lanie had been around to help her if she needed. However, Lanie was working today and Rick had still been asleep when she woke up so she'd tried to get herself dressed in her own clothes, something Rick had had Lanie pick up for her after he had gotten her home.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Castle asked concernedly, crossing the room to stand behind her, his gaze never once leaving her face to notice she was stood in only her jeans and cherry red, lace trimmed bra.
"I can't." Kate whispered dejectedly. She'd been struggling with her limitations frequently enough but he'd never seen her in tears over them.
"All you have to do is ask Kate, I'll help you."
Kate met his concerned gaze in the mirror, her flat feet making her more than a head shorter than him and making her look so much younger. "What, I'm supposed to wake my friend up, a guy who in the grand scheme of things I barely know, and ask him to put my shirt on for me?"
Rick smiled softly. "If that's what you need Kate, yeah. I don't mind. I am curious how you got your bra on, and why you're wearing one with cracked ribs though."
"The three ribs I cracked are lower than the line of my bra. It doesn't affect them. And I was so bored of not wearing one, it makes me self conscious."
That he knew, he'd seen it written across her face every time they were in a room together.
"And how did you get it on?" Rick asked, his writer's brain making him ask the potentially awkward question despite his better judgement.
"Front closure." Kate revealed shyly.
"Ah." Rick smiled. "So, shirt then?"
"Rick, really, I can't ask you to dress me."
"You aren't asking." He reminded her gently. "Kate you're injured, let me help you in any way I can."
She glared at him for a long moment, long enough to make Rick's smile turn slightly self-conscious, before sighing deeply,, the goose bumps on her skin making the decision for her.
"Fine." She whispered, utterly mortified.
Rick chuckled as he took the shirt from her fingers. "Don't tense so much, you'll only hurt yourself further. Relax." He practically whispered in her ear.
Kate shuddered. Easy for you to say she thought to herself. He wasn't the one being dressed by someone he found himself thinking about more and more often lately.
Rick gently took her hand in his and eased it into the sleeve of her shirt before repeating the process with the other. With slow and fluid movements, he carefully drew the fabric up her arms and settled it on her shoulders, gently pressing a kiss to her shoulder blade once it was in place. Kate sighed softly.
"Turn around." Rick murmured softly, not wanting to break their moment.
Kate briefly considered turning the offer down, but quickly squashed that notion. She slowly turned in place to face him, watching his face as he slowly fastened all of her buttons for her.
He drew the shirt closed around her bust to fasten the last button, his knuckles gently brushing her chest, making Kate's breath hitch, causing her to wince gently.
"Sorry." He whispered, slipping the last disk through the hole with a smile. "There. Better?"
Kate nodded. "Thank you."
Rick shook his head, gently stroking the back of his finger down her cheek. "Any time."
He hesitated for a moment before screwing up his courage and leaning in slowly, ever so gently capturing her lips with his own, shocking them both.
He barely got to kiss her for a few seconds before she drew back on a sharply inhaled breath, covering her mouth with her hand, keeping her eyes tightly shut.
"Kate?" He asked cautiously.
"We, we shouldn't have done that." She murmured, still not looking at him.
"Why? Kate, we're both adults, we're both single..."
"No. We, we shouldn't have..." Kate sighed, opening her eyes slowly, Rick's heart dropping when he saw the tears she'd been hiding. "I'm, I'm gonna go home. I, I'll see you around Rick." She murmured, tearful and defeated.
With that she abruptly left the room, leaving Rick dazed and confused.