After their shower, the couple got cozy in their pajamas then went downstairs to make dinner. Kevin was hoping to impress Alexis with his cooking skills by making chicken parmesan. She insisted that he was bluffing about his abilities because his kitchen was always stocked with leftover takeout and frozen pizzas rather than ingredients, but it was his busy schedule that kept homecooked meals from being part of his routine.
Kevin got started by breading the chicken cutlets while Alexis set up a speaker to provide a soundtrack for their cooking. As he poured some oil into a skillet, he heard the first notes of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" ring out. Waiting for the pan to heat up, he looked up to see his girlfriend dancing and twirling through the kitchen as she gathered everything she needed to put together a salad.
Kevin was awestruck. The stunning redhead radiated joy and warmth; she was sunshine for his soul. It was such a simple, domestic moment and yet it slammed into him. He was in love with her. A year before, Kevin had been going through the hardest time of his life, watching his marriage fall apart, but in such a short time it had completely turned around and he was the happiest he could remember feeling. The change could only be attributed to Alexis's presence in his life. He thanked his lucky stars that she had seen something in him even when he had been shrouded in misery. Lost in thought, Kevin missed when Alexis started speaking to him.
He was brought back to reality when her hand waved in front of his face. "Earth to Kevin," Alexis got his attention. "You okay, space cadet?"
A bright smile spread across Kevin's face as he looked into her blue doe eyes. "I'm good. I'm really good."
He snuck a quick, chaste kiss against her lips. "So, is that a yes on the olives?" Alexis asked while gesturing to the salad bowl.
Kevin nodded his assent before returning his attention back to pan frying the chicken. He was still processing his realization of just how invested in his relationship with Alexis he was. A horrifying consequence of that dawned on him. If this was going to last, they were going to have to tell her dad. Since the February poker game, Castle had been teasing him about his secret girlfriend and asking for details. Which for obvious reasons Kevin had declined to provide. There was no chance of him taking the news well, but maybe they could come up with a plan to minimize the fallout.
Soon their meal was ready, and the couple was sitting down to eat. Kevin tried to put the thoughts out of his head, wanting to wait until their vacation was over to bring it up to Alexis. He thought and hoped that she would be in agreement with his perception of how their relationship was progressing, but he didn't want to risk a serious conversation spoiling what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend.
After taking her first bite Alexis complimented, "Mmm. I've got to give you credit. This is delicious."
Kevin smiled at her praise, proud to have proven his skill in the kitchen. "High praise from someone with such discerning tastes. Oh wait, I'm pretty sure I heard you say the same thing about Taco Bell last week."
"Hey! That doesn't count. I'd barely slept in days studying for midterms. I was delirious," Alexis defended herself with a laugh.
"You were adorable," he retorted.
On his way home from the precinct after a late night, Kevin had delivered the fast food to Alexis who was holed up in her campus library. He'd found her at a study table pouting at a textbook and looking frazzled, her beautiful red locks tangled in a messy top knot and her body lost in the oversized gray sweats she was wearing. She was always so put together, so it was a treat getting to see a side of her she normally kept hidden.
"You are crazy," Alexis accused. "I was a mess. I found a Cheeto in my bra that day."
"I'm not crazy. I'm just in love with you," Kevin was surprised by the words as they came out of his own mouth.
He hadn't meant to say that, but it had just slipped out. Suddenly terrified of having just messed everything up, Kevin watched Alexis carefully, unconsciously holding his breath. She was staring back at him, her blue eyes wide and her full pink lips slightly parted as her jaw dropped ever so slightly. Blood rushed to her cheeks causing her usually milky skin to become rosy and flushed. As she opened her mouth to speak, he was teetering on a razor's edge between relief and rejection.
"Well, that's good, because I'm in love with you too," Alexis responded to his admission with one of her own.
Relief it was. Kevin inhaled deeply at her response and reached across the table taking her smaller hand in his, intertwining their fingers. The couple's gazes were still locked, and they sat silently for a moment, just taking each other in.
"So, does this mean we need to start thinking of a way to tell people about us?" he asked tentatively.
Alexis wrinkled her nose at the question, "Yes, but it's not going to be fun. Dad will have the biggest temper tantrum."
"I'm pretty sure most of his ire will be directed at me, so if I disappear mysteriously anytime soon, just know that he did it," Kevin said only mostly joking.
"He does have the skills to get away with it. And the connections. It's really not even worth the effort of trying to prove he's behind it," she shrugged as she teased him.
"At least I might get a bigger part in his next Nikki Heat novel as the victim," he played along before asking seriously, "But really, how do you want to go about delivering the news?"
"I should probably find a night this week to have dinner at the loft this week. It'll give him a little time to process so he doesn't cause a scene at the precinct. And I know that Grams will be supportive since she already sort of knows about us. Kate is a wildcard though, I'm not sure how she'll react. Maybe I can talk to her separately first to get a read on her. I really don't want this to cause any trouble for you at work," Alexis was rambling, having instinctually begun searching for the optimal plan.
"Hey," Kevin interrupted before she could work herself up, "we're doing this together. I can handle whatever Castle throws at me. Beckett will be professional even if she is upset with me and she can keep him in line. She's gotten even better at that since they got married."
"I'm glad you've got Esposito there to watch your back at least," she remarked.
"This is one bullet I don't think he's willing to take for me," Kevin replied then offered, "I could be there to tell them with you or talk to Beckett first if you want me to. It seems wrong to send you in alone."
"You're sweet, but it's probably better if we don't spring it on my dad. Next time I have dinner with him though, I'm bringing you to take all the heat," Alexis reassured him.
"Castle's going to have to get used to seeing us together, because I'm not going anywhere unless you decide to get rid of me," he promised earnestly.
It scared him to realize how easily she could break his heart, but he was excited too. Kevin hadn't believed he'd be able to open himself up and be so vulnerable with someone again. Emotion had become synonymous with pain, so he'd done his best to avoid it altogether. Alexis had reminded him of the love to be gained from taking the emotional risk of being known.
"Oh, I'm keeping you," she proclaimed beaming at him, "so he's going to have to come around."
"I'm going to be looking over my shoulder at work all week, waiting for him to come after me. This will be exhausting," Kevin predicted.
"Well, I guess we better make the most of our last night here then," she replied suggestively.
"But since we're already having a serious conversation, I have a very important question for you," Alexis declared sounding resigned.
Kevin was frightened by her tone until she was unable to suppress a grin any longer and she continued cheerfully, "We have a second set of laser tag guns and vests here. Would you care to duel?"
"Oh, hell yeah!"
A/N: This chapter is short because writing is hard.
