Set middle of s4 around christmas. Hope those of you who celebrate had a great christmas and those who didn't hope you had a great holiday! Until next time, xxxx
Kate's getting ready for the annual Christmas party at the precinct. The one she had always just spent a few minutes at in order to wish her colleagues a happy holidays and show appearance for her captain, until Castle had started shadowing her, that is. That first year when he started shadowing her he wouldn't accept her going home that soon. Once she told him she didn't want to stay longer he asked why and she'd just said she wasn't a big fan of Christmas. Which had been her first mistake. She'd managed to get him to drop the why by giving him one of her deathly stares, but it hadn't stopped him from trying to make the party more pleasurable.
Last year they'd stayed almost the whole party, and once she'd left to leave he'd convinced her to let him walk her home. The way he'd looked at her when they said goodbye that night had told her one of the secrets she'd tried convincing herself wasn't true, that he wanted to kiss her. That they were more than just partners.
Now, a year later, a shot to her chest and another death experience richer, she knows he loves her. And deep down she wants to tell him. The fear of not being ready is stopping her, the fear of not being enough. She takes a deep breath and finishes the last few touches on her makeup before twirling towards her door.
She takes a cab to the precinct, thinking of the walk her and Castle had last year, she can't help but hope for another one this year. Especially since it feels like they're closer than ever. When she arrives he's the first one she's looking for, and eventually finds him hiding from Gates in the break room.
She chuckles when she sees him eyeing the captain who was still, quoting him, 'warming up to' him. "Hey," she says.
He jumps at the sound her voice and it makes her chuckle even more. "Thank god you're here, I was starting to think you'd never show."
"Jeez Castle, we saw each other a couple hours ago," she teases, shaking her head.
"Not like that, I'm pretty sure Gates would kick me out of here if she found me here and you weren't here to protect me," he says and that makes her laugh even more.
"Don't worry, I'm here now," she mocks him and while he tries to act annoyed she sees the glimpse of happiness in his blues. "Come on, let's go get a couple drinks." She grabs a hold of his arm and pulls him with her as they exit the break room.
A little later, into the evening, Kate finds Lanie looking at her with a smirk and while she listens to what Castle is saying about his new book idea she tries to figure out what the hell her best friend is so smug about. That's when the M.E. points up at the ceiling and so Kate looks up… only to see the green plant with the red bow stare down at her. She feels her eyes widen and she suddenly understands what her best friend has in mind.
"What's wrong?" Castle asks before following her gaze and seeing the same thing she's seeing.
"Uh, nothing," she says quickly and looks towards her best friend with a stare.
He clears his throat and looks away from her, she watches him gulp and scratching his hairline.
"I'll get us some coffee," she says and walks away, breaking all the rules of mistletoes.
As she's waiting for the coffee to brew she feels a smack to her arm and she twirls quicker than normally to find who dared smack her.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Lanie hisses and Kate gives her a questioning look. Her best friend crosses her arms and gives her a stare. "Why didn't you kiss him?"
"Wha- why should I?" she says dumbfoundedly.
"Hello?! Because you're crazy about him!"
"Shut up, I'm not," Kate says stubbornly.
Lanie shakes her head. "You're both too stubborn for your own good."
The M.E. walks away then and Kate takes a deep breath, trying to make sense of what just happened. Grabbing onto the cups she sets her steps back towards her partner who's waiting for her on another spot than the one they'd found themselves standing at earlier. When she's handing him his coffee they start talking about his book idea again, none of them mentioning before.
Later, when she's yawning, he offers to follow her home, and she can't find it in herself to not accept it. They say goodbye to their friends and wish them all a happy holiday before they head for the elevators.
"So, how are you celebrating this year's Christmas?" Castle asks and she bites her lip.
"I've got work," she admits.
"Wait," he stops. "Didn't you get the Christmas shift last year?"
She shrugs her shoulders as she keeps walking, forcing him to pick up the speed again. "It's not a big deal. Anyway, how's the gift shopping going? Got the best gift for Alexis yet?" she asks, trying to get him to think about something else, other than her taking the christmas shift.
It was the perfect distraction, he didn't ask again about the shift. Then again, she can still see the question in his eyes, he's just choosing not to push. And for that she's grateful.
"So," he says, taking a deep breath. "Here we are."
They stop outside her building and she feels sad it's come to an end so soon. "Here we are," she murmurs with a nod. Just as she's about to say night he opens his mouth and she keeps quiet.
"You know… I don't really like breaking the rules of Christmas, but I didn't want to make you uncomfortable at the precinct either so I'll just…" she freezes when he leans down and pretty soon she's feeling his lips touch her cheek in a gentle kiss.
She feels static run through her skin and while he's already leaning away again she's touching her cheek with her fingertips. It tingles.
"So, uh, until tomorrow," Castle says and starts to turn.
Once he's taking a step away from her she's grabbing a hold of his hand. He turns around and gives her a questioning look, all while her mind is racing with thoughts. A few of them thinking back to that night when they had to act as drunken lovers to save their friends. Another few of them thinking of that day in the cemetery when he told her about his feelings. Then she thinks about her lie in the hospital, how he'd looked so devastated when she had said she didn't remember. She thinks about that quite often, how he'd been so filled with hope before her lie had left her mouth.
"What's wrong?" Castle asks when she's still quiet after a few minutes have passed.
She locks eyes with him and sees his confusion along with the small hope and she feels herself pull towards him. He's as frozen as she was minutes earlier as she stands onto her toes and connects her lips with his for just a mere second before she pulls away again. It couldn't really count as a kiss, more like a quick, careful peck. She leans back on her heels as she looks up at him through her eye lashes, fearful of what he'll say and do. If he'll reject her. For a few seconds they just stood there, looking at each other. Castle looks shocked before something sparkles in his blues and he leans down again to carefully claim her lips in a gentle tug with his own, asking permission with his small tug. Permission she grants by moving her lips with his as the kiss turns into a full blown kiss.
As they pull apart she can't help but smile up at him, biting her lip. "That's more like a mistletoe kiss, don't you think?"
"Definitely," he agrees and she twirls her hair around her fingers.
She stands on her toes to peck his lips one last time. "Until tomorrow, Rick."
"Until tomorrow, Kate," she hears him say before the door closes behind her. She can feel her walls trembling, and she can't wait till tomorrow when she's already planning on telling him she thinks the walls are coming down. Or at least admit to him being inside them rather than outside. She bites her lip. Maybe she could text him to meet her outside the precinct and give him a good morning kiss before they go inside. Or maybe she should just kiss him in the elevator.
"Yeah," she mumbles for herself. That's what I'll do.
THE END
