Author's Note: Bozeman is awesome! I almost went there, but decided on WSU instead

OOOOOOOOO

Breakfast was leisurely for Beckett, who had already eaten a light meal earlier, but not so leisurely for Castle, who had last eaten a tuna sandwich the day before. He ate the eggs she'd brought to the table first, and then when she put a waffle, smothered in crushed strawberries and plenty of whipped cream he wolfed that down as well. Then, when she pushed the rest of her waffle across the table toward him with an amused and gentle smile, he polished that off, too. Only then did he sigh and lean back slightly in the chair.

"Better?" Beckett asked him.

"Absolutely."

He heaved himself to his feet and started to pick up the dishes from the table.

"I can do that."

Castle shook his head.

"You cooked."

"I don't mind."

"I know, and I appreciate it. But if I help now, when I feel up to it, I won't feel so guilty if I don't help later."

She shrugged and decided that made sense. But she kind of liked taking care of him. For that matter, though, she liked letting him take care of her, too.

"In that case, you can load the dishwasher. But don't start it, because it won't be full."

"Yes, Ma'am." He passed behind her with the coffee pot and leaned over and refilled her almost empty cup. When he was done, he stopped long enough to brush a kiss against her temple – the one on the uninjured side of her face. "What are your plans for today?"

"I'm going to spend it with you," she replied.

"Just what I wanted to hear."

"And I'm going to finish some paperwork."

"Awww..."

Beckett chuckled.

"But mostly spend time with you."

"That's better."

She hid her smile behind the coffee cup as she took a sip.

"Do you have anything you need to do?"

"Take a shower. Shave?" he asked, hopefully, as he loaded the dishwasher.

"Are you sure your face is going to be able to handle that?"

His smile was only for her.

"You have a gentle touch."

"Just make sure you don't get your head wet."

"I will," he promised. "Or…"

"Or?"

He came over and caught her hand.

"Or you could join me. I prefer to shave in the shower, after all…"

She hesitated, but he'd expected that, so he hadn't actually tugged on her hand or anything, figuring he'd let her decide what she wanted to do. Beckett felt a slight thrill go through her at the thought. She doubted he was up to everything he probably thought that he was, but there wasn't any false modesty between them – they were both adults and both of them had definitely enjoyed themselves earlier. She knew that with his mom and daughter coming home soon she wasn't going to have him to herself very long and why not enjoy the time they had? All this went through her head fairly quickly as he held her hand and Beckett smiled at his somewhat shocked expression when she stood up.

"Sounds good," she said, intertwining her fingers in his. "Let's go."

He got over his surprise quickly and grinned cheerfully as the two of them headed for the bathroom.

OOOOOOOOOO

As mornings went, it was about as good as either of them could remember having in quite a while. They stayed in the shower until the hot water ran out; plenty of time, though, for them to have a chance to explore and learn about each other. Beckett's shower had a rail – almost certainly installed by a former tenant who had been worried about slipping or taking a fall – and that solid rail was convenient for times when one of them would make the other's knees turn to goo at a caress or a kiss. There was a lot of giggling and splashing as they lathered each other with care and somehow Beckett even made shaving him more sensual than he'd ever believed – although she'd smiled and declined his offer to reciprocate and shave her. When the water turned cold and their ardor was far too hot to be denied, they'd dried off and ended up back in her bed, just as eager as before, but far more knowledgeable in how to make the other squirm with pleasure. Mindful of each other's injuries, they still fulfilled the promises of the many smoldering looks and teasing remarks that had come in the years they'd known each other.

Eventually, sated in every way but now hungry again, the two dressed in lounge clothing and made a simple lunch of sandwiches and then cuddled on the couch to eat. Beckett leaned comfortably into him, but didn't let him put his arm over her shoulder since she knew it would strain the muscles already injured. Instead, she held his hand in her own, resting both of them on his thigh and ate one-handed just like he did.

"You're really going to do paperwork?" he asked around a mouthful of sandwich.

"It needs to be done," Kate told him. "Now that you're feeling a bit better, we're going to eventually need a couple of statements from you. Maybe we can do that tomorrow. I'd rather you were more lucid."

"I'm lucid now."

She smiled.

"I'm going to feed you another painkiller and let you go back to sleep. The more sleep you get the better you'll look when your mom and Alexis come home."

"You don't think watching you do paperwork will put me to sleep?" he teased, gently.

"I think I would be a distraction that might keep you awake."

"Whatever you want, Kate," he told her, agreeably. He decided that she was probably right, anyway. Her hand on his thigh was a distraction – a very good distraction, but a distraction – and he'd fight sleep just to be able to spend time with her. "I can sleep out here, though, right?"

"I'd like the company."

Beckett was thinking about how much pain he'd been in earlier when he'd woken, and she didn't want him to be sorry for this latest round of loving. Besides, she needed to get the work done, and he was just as much a distraction for her as she might be for him.

They finished eating and Castle went into the bedroom and brought back a blanket and pillow, while Kate went the other direction to get him one of the potent painkillers and herself a couple of aspirin. Her head was just beginning to ache a little and the pills would take the edge off. She gave Castle a half tablet – to keep the pain in check and help him sleep, but not enough to knock him as flat as before – and he washed it down with the last of his tea from their lunch.

"So are you going to tell the others about us?" he asked, waiting for her to settle back on the sofa and then stretching out on his back like she told him to, but with his pillow against her thigh so he could be close to her.

"Lanie will know the minute she sees the triumphant gleam in your eyes," Beckett told him, pulling the blanket over him and brushing her fingers against his cheek. He might prove to be a distraction, after all, even if he slept.

"Is there one?" he asked her, concerned.

She smiled to show him she'd only been teasing.

"No."

"There won't be," Castle promised, sincerely.

"I know, Rick." She cupped his cheek with her palm. "They'll all know about us eventually – probably your mom and Alexis will, too. It's fine with me."

She'd had plenty of time to think about the two of them together, after all – and what she'd tell her friends. At least she knew they all liked him.

He reached up and caught her hand without moving any more than necessary.

"I'll be your conquest, Kate," he said, reminding her of words exchanged when they'd first met. "You can parade me around as much as you want."

"You already are," she told him, taking her hand back so she could pull out her laptop. "Now go to sleep and get healthy."

He smiled up at her, and then closed his eyes, content to be where he was and with her. He could sleep for a while if that was what she wanted.

Beckett rested her free hand on his chest and turned her attention back to her paperwork.