#70
Bless you. Beckett
— ANONYMOUS
Kate shifted on her side, wincing as her muscles pulled and the bruises flared. Her ribs ached. Last night she hadn't given it a second thought, battered as she was, caught up in him. Now she wished she'd taken a few more precautions, maybe not done that thing with her-
The knock on her door startled her. She groaned and took a fortifying breath before bracing her hands on her knees and pushing off the couch.
Ow. Everything hurt. Stung. She had gone toe to toe with a hired assassin and it showed in the lurid bruises that lit up her ribs and back. Even if Castle hadn't noticed.
She was still not entirely happy at being shoved into his closet.
The knock came at the door again - she was too slow, but she couldn't do a damn thing about it. Kate eased forward and finally leaned against the door, checking the peephole.
Castle. Goofy man, smiling like an idiot into the fisheye.
She huffed but flipped the deadbolt, twisted the knob to allow him inside. Castle had his hands behind his back but before she could peek, he was catching the side of her face in a hand and kissing her senseless.
She barely breathed, stunned silly by the force of his presence and the heat of his mouth on hers. When she moaned, it was both pain and pleasure, and it pulled him away from her.
She found herself leaning out after him, but he touched her bottom lip with his thumb and her eyes fluttered open.
His eyes searched hers. "You're beautiful, you know."
She flushed and dropped back flat on her bare feet, brought her hand up to cradle his. He made her combust - and then he said something like that and it went through her like quicklime.
"Kate? Brought you something."
She blinked and saw he was bringing a shopping bag out from behind his back, hidden all this time. She glanced up at him, narrowing her eyes, and he smiled his secret smile, shoulders wriggling like a little boy.
"Come on," he said, taking her hand that was around his, tugging her towards the couch. She came after him, part of her faintly recognizing that he was like a drug - he had anesthetized her bruises with a kiss.
This was getting ridiculous. She felt ridiculous. She felt like she was eighteen again and filled with hope. Or at least that heady sense that nothing bad could possibly happen to her.
Though she was wary of what he had in that bag. Was he already bringing a little spice into the bedroom?
Castle sat close enough that his knees nudged hers, but he opened up the bag and started pulling things out. Epsom salts, chemical ice packs, icy hot and tiger balm, rib tape.
Her mouth dropped open and she darted her eyes up to his.
"Thought maybe you needed some doctoring. Or nursing?" His eyebrows danced. "I could be your naughty nurse."
Kate laughed, bringing her hand to her mouth to shake her head at him. She swallowed hard past the tightness in her throat and leaned in to him, kissed him very softly, for how tender she felt towards him.
"Bless you," she whispered.
She hadn't thought he had even noticed.
—–
