Author's Note: I am so sorry for not posting last week as planned but RL (in the form of Covid) got in the way. I'm on the mend now and just trying to catch up on what I wasn't able to do the last week. Anyway, without further ado, the next chapter.
Then Came Love
Chapter 43
"Girl, you are coming with me."
Kate blinked at Lanie, who had just appeared in the bullpen and made this announcement without so much as a preamble, let alone a greeting. "Hello to you too, Lanie."
Lanie waved a hand. "Yes, hello, now you and I are going out for dinner."
"We are?"
Her friend narrowed her eyes. "We are," she confirmed. "It's been weeks since you and I have had an actual talk and I know a lot's happened and you don't have an active case right now and your shift is over. So finish up whatever paperwork you're doing and then you are coming with me."
Kate supposed she really shouldn't be surprised. She and Lanie hadn't had much time to talk about anything outside of work recently partly because, she had to admit, a lot of her free time outside of the precinct had been sort of monopolized by Castle, with her own willing agreement. "Well, since you ask so nicely," she responded dryly.
"Asking what?" Castle inserted as he approached her desk to greet Lanie from where he'd been idly chatting with a couple uniforms. "Hey, Lanie. What brings you to the precinct?"
"I'm kidnapping our girl here to take her out for dinner," Lanie answered. "Girl talk, you know. And I promise to bring her back in one piece before curfew."
Kate rolled her eyes. "I'm standing right here, you know."
Castle only grinned. "Beckett can take care of herself but thanks for the assurance."
"Good answer, you're learning," Lanie eyed him approvingly.
"I try."
Kate turned off her computer and gathered up her things. "It looks like I have dinner plans. I'll talk to you later, Castle."
"I should be heading home for dinner with Alexis anyway. Have fun."
Castle waved her and Lanie off, as did the boys, and then she and Lanie were heading out of the precinct.
Possibly due to her condition, Lanie deferred to her in picking a restaurant and Kate settled on a pizza place because she'd been thinking about pizza for most of the day. She was half-expecting to be interrogated on the short drive to the restaurant and immediately upon sitting down but to her credit (or something), Lanie waited until after they'd placed their food orders before fixing Kate with one of her inquiring looks. "Well?" she prompted after a moment.
"Well, what?" Kate feigned ignorance.
"Don't make me smack you and you know I'll do it too. You and Castle, that's what. And you had Thanksgiving dinner with your dad and Castle and his family–how did that go?"
Kate hid a smile as she answered blandly, "Well, the food was delicious. Castle and Alexis are actually really good cooks and they made enough food to feed the whole precinct."
"Very funny, Beckett. Now spill. Was it awkward at first or was it all just one big happy family from the get-go? What did your dad think?"
By now, Kate knew that trying to avoid Lanie's questions was a futile exercise and talking about their Thanksgiving was fairly easy. "It was a bit of a rocky start. My dad and Martha didn't exactly see eye to eye from the beginning." She made a small face. "They're very different–well, you know what my dad is like and Martha's very direct and not always subtle either."
"Yeah, I did wonder how your dad would get along with Martha. Not that I know her well but she seems very flamboyant and your dad, well, isn't."
That was an understatement. Kate gave a rueful little smile. "That's one way of putting it so yeah, there were a couple moments early on where I thought I might have to throw myself between them as a physical buffer but–"
"Where was Castle in all this? Didn't he help?"
"He and Alexis both tried–Alexis, in particular, was probably a life-saver–and thanks to her, my dad and Martha got past the tension and after that, everything went well."
"What does your dad think about all this, anyway? About Castle?"
"Oh, my dad likes Castle. They're getting to be fast friends. It's a little disturbing," Kate added wryly. "My dad's obviously a great source of information about me and you know what Castle's like. I'm going to have to threaten my dad into not sharing too many stories about me."
"I can almost imagine how much Castle is going to pout about that."
Kate had to grin. "Well, he's just going to have to learn to live with his disappointment."
Lanie eyed her. "Uh huh," she drawled. "So you and Castle are doing well? Are you guys having hot sex yet?"
Kate choked a little on air. She really should have expected that Lanie would approach the subject with her usual tact and discretion but somehow, she hadn't been. As it was, she coughed and tried, very hard, not to think about the sex but the memories, the images, flooded her mind of their own volition, thoughts about his hands and his mouth and his tongue–oh god, his tongue… She felt tell-tale heat creeping into her cheeks.
Lanie let out a cackle of triumphant glee. "You are, I knew it! You are so having sex with Castle!"
Kate blushed hotly. "Lanie!" she hissed. "Must you broadcast the news to the whole restaurant? I'm not sure people heard you in Times Square." Not that Lanie had really been that loud and thankfully, they were seated in a corner and a quick glance around had assured her that no one appeared to have heard Lanie's outburst but still.
Lanie attempted without much success to moderate her smirk but she did, at least, lower her voice a little as she waggled her brows. "You're sleeping with Castle. It's about damn time. So, is it as good as you remembered it?"
Damn it, how had she allowed herself to get cornered into this? Not that there'd really been any 'allowing' about it; as Kate well knew, probably the only way to have avoided this talk with Lanie would have been to cut off the friendship entirely, which wasn't going to happen (although at the moment, the thought was rather tempting). "I'm not talking about this," she said repressively.
Predictably, her attempt at discouraging Lanie affected her friend not at all. (She didn't know why she tried sometimes. That line about the definition of insanity came to mind.) Lanie pasted on an exaggerated pout. "After all those months of repressed sexual tension between you and Castle… I mean, really, there were times when I thought the looks he gave you were enough to make anyone spontaneously combust."
She was well aware of the power of Castle's gaze. It was a little amazing how just one look from him could make her whole body flush with heat–and it was even worse now that she knew just how… good they were together, knew just how it felt to have him around her, inside her. "Lanie…"
Lanie smirked. "Ooh, Beckett, you are blushing. He's that good, huh?"
Kate huffed in some exasperation. "Yes, he's good. It's… amazing." It had only been a few days and every time, he seemed to redefine what she'd thought she'd known about good sex.
"Amazing, huh," Lanie drawled, her expression so smug Kate half-expected her to punch the air in triumph. "Wow, you really are smitten, aren't you." It wasn't a question.
She really was. She tried to tamp down the silly, girlish thrill she felt at the thought, rallying with an attempt at crispness, "What makes you say that? Good sex doesn't necessarily mean that much."
Lanie gave her a look. "Uh huh, pull the other one, Beckett. This is me, remember, and how long have I known you?"
She didn't bother to answer the rhetorical question and anyway, Lanie barely paused before continuing, "I remember the way you looked when you talked about Will and I can see the way you look now, talking about Castle, and the difference is obvious."
Kate bit the inside of her lip. Damn it, where had her vaunted poker face gone when she needed it? Admittedly, Lanie was her best friend and knew her better than most people, but still. "Okay, so being with Castle is different."
Fortunately, before Lanie could press any further, Kate was given a momentary reprieve as their food arrived and Kate reacted with a surge of gratitude that was as much about relief at the distraction as it was hunger.
But of course, her reprieve couldn't last forever, just long enough though that she had started to relax a little, helped by the food, but then Lanie asked, "So when will you be moving in with Castle?"
She was thankful that she wasn't actively chewing because if she had been, she might have choked or spit out her food or something. As it was, she coughed in shock and stared at her apparently-insane friend. "What? Why would you even ask that?"
"It's a valid question. You're sleeping together now so wouldn't it be easier to just move in rather than having to do the walk of shame every morning?"
"Lanie! We've only been together for a month!" And they had only been sleeping together a couple days but she didn't specify that. "I can't–it's too soon to even think about that!"
Lanie shrugged a little. "I'm not saying you should move in with Castle tomorrow, just wondering when you will. And now that you're actually having sex, I can't believe you don't want to be spending as much time as possible rolling around in bed with him."
"I am not going to move in with Castle just to have more sex," she almost hissed.
Lanie smirked. "No, the sex would just be a perk."
"It's way too soon for that. I never even thought about moving in with Will and he and I were together for six months."
Her friend sobered. "I actually wasn't thinking only about the sex, you know. All kidding aside, things are different for you and Castle because you're having a baby together. That changes the equation from a normal new relationship and you can't tell me it doesn't."
Her hand dropped to her stomach, not that she'd needed Lanie's mention of the baby to think about her. It was true that the baby made everything about her relationship with Castle different, more… significant, more fraught.
And she couldn't seem to help the little kindling of something like fear in her chest because at the thought of moving in with Castle, taking such a big step forward in their relationship. She wasn't sure she knew how to trust in their relationship lasting. What if they were in a honeymoon phase of their relationship and things couldn't really stay as good as they were now? What if he got tired of dealing with her issues, her reluctance to trust, her doubts? What if he realized he would be better off with someone more… fun, less complicated, less haunted by the death of her mom?
"Kate, you have your thinking face on. What's bothering you now?"
She made a small face. "Moving in with Castle, it's just… too much, too soon, Lanie."
"Maybe it is for now but what about as you get further along and will need more help, let alone when the baby comes? I know you hate admitting it but you shouldn't have to take care of him or her all alone and–"
"Her," she corrected automatically. "We're having a girl."
That made Lanie break off, her expression changing as she emitted a little squeal. "A girl! Oh, that's great! Congratulations!"
Kate couldn't help her smile. "Thanks, Lanie. I didn't think I really had a preference but it just… feels right to have a girl, somehow." Although she supposed if she'd been having a boy, that would have felt right too with how much she already loved the Sprout. Just having a healthy baby, that was all she really cared about, as Castle had said.
"A girl, oh, she's going to be such a little sweetie-pie," Lanie crooned before straightening up and going on after a little pause, "And isn't it lucky that Castle already has experience taking care of a baby girl?"
She should have known that Lanie wouldn't be distracted for long. "Lanie…"
Lanie waved a hand. "Okay, okay, I'll stop pestering you, for now. Just think about it, okay? Think about it seriously." She paused and then added with a small smirk, "For the baby, if not for the sex."
Kate rolled her eyes but a small smile escaped anyway. Lanie was irrepressible. "You have a one-track mind, you know that?"
"I prefer to call it persistence," Lanie corrected. "Now, how have you been feeling lately? Is the nausea all gone? Have you been having headaches, any dizziness?"
Kate answered with more candor than when she'd answered either her dad's or Martha's questions about how she was feeling–or even to Castle too. In spite of–or maybe because of–everything, she didn't feel comfortable talking to Castle about all her physical changes and discomforts. Some things she didn't need to share, not even with him.
And Lanie was clearly in doctor mode, anyway, and the rest of dinner passed with much more ease.
Kate was already more than halfway towards the loft before she consciously realized where she was going, where she'd subconsciously directed her car after her dinner with Lanie. Oh. She hadn't planned it and obviously Castle wouldn't be expecting her but, well, she couldn't quite seem to deny the wish, the compulsion, to see him.
And oh fine, the wish not to spend the night alone. It was absurd. She and Castle had only spent a total of two nights together but even so, already, her bed seemed cavernously empty on the couple nights she'd spent without him. It was ridiculous, irrational, for her to already feel as if something was missing in her own apartment because a man wasn't in it but somehow, it also seemed to be true. She didn't like admitting it but there it was.
And there she was, pulling up outside of his building and already planning to spend the night. She really did have it bad.
But for all her anticipation of the rest of the evening and the night, she found her steps slowing, a species of tension seizing her, the moment she stepped out of the elevator at the top floor, Castle's door made conspicuous by the large wreath on it. She should have thought, expected it, somehow, but she hadn't. She tried not to dwell on Christmas–tried as much as possible to avoid the plethora of holiday displays all around the city and for once, her job helped with that because most crime scenes were not in places that decorated for the holidays and the precinct, predominantly male bastion that it was, usually didn't do much in the way of decoration either. This was her first time at the loft since Thanksgiving but somehow, she hadn't stopped to wonder if Castle would have put his Christmas decorations up yet. She guessed, too, that Castle would go all out for Christmas. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad, she thought hopefully. If it was just a tree off in one corner, it wouldn't be so bad. She could handle that.
She set her jaw a little. She wasn't going to be scared away by some Christmas decorations.
But even so, she found herself inwardly steeling herself as she knocked on the door–an instinct which proved to be almost prescient when the door was opened almost immediately by Castle and she caught her first glimpse of the inside of the loft. Her stomach seemed to drop inside her.
"Beckett!"
She focused on Castle. "Hope you don't mind me stopping by unannounced. I just finished having dinner with Lanie and well, I was in the neighborhood," she explained inanely.
"You know you're always welcome," he assured her, the words commonplace, but his look as he tugged her inside was not and neither was the kiss he gave her in greeting, a kiss that suggested it had been weeks since they'd seen each other, rather than a mere handful of hours.
As usual, his kiss effectively wiped her mind clear of thought and distracted her but even so, once the kiss ended and he released her, stepping back, the full effect of the loft's decorations almost had her flinching. For a split second, she could have turned right around and fled, the emotions, the painful memories bombarding her.
It wasn't just a tree. The loft looked rather like a Christmas store had exploded inside with decorations visible everywhere. There was a towering Christmas tree off to one side, circled by a miniature train set and a heap of presents, Christmas lights strung up along the bookshelves leading to Castle's office, and a festive garland festooned the railing of the staircase. Not even the kitchen was free of some decorations with a few ornaments and holiday cards adorning the refrigerator door and a snowman centerpiece had pride of place on the dining table.
Oh god, she couldn't stand it, felt her throat tightening alarmingly and for a moment, she honestly thought she might cry, start to wail like some fractious baby. It was just… too much.
But she swallowed back the stupid lump in her throat and firmed her jaw. She would not–could not–simply turn tail and run from a few–more than a few–Christmas decorations. It was stupid and irrational and childish and petty, almost as if she resented other people who could feel merry and who found the holiday decorations lifted their spirits–and it wasn't like that. It was only because to her, all the decorations did was remind her of what she'd lost–her mother–and would never have again–that sense of whole family closeness. As much as her relationship with her dad had been repaired, the holidays–especially Christmas–were still, always difficult because the holidays–especially Christmas–had never–could never–be repaired or fixed. She didn't resent other people their happiness; she just… hated having the reminder of what she'd lost thrown in her face because it hurt.
She was stuck now, could hardly leave, having just arrived. (Why oh why hadn't she considered that the loft might not be so comforting at this season after all? Lulled into a false sense of security because Thanksgiving had gone so well.) And now, she was here. And Castle was looking at her because she really should say something.
"Wow, you really like Christmas, don't you?" she commented, trying to sound dry.
Castle glanced around. "How can you tell?" he quipped. "Actually, this isn't even all the decorations we have and Alexis and I haven't made the gingerbread house yet so that's not on display either. You should have seen the place when Alexis was little and we really went all out."
She managed not to gape at him. "This isn't going all out?"
He gave her a look of mock offense. "Do you have so low an opinion of how excessive I can be?"
"My mistake." Oh god, how had she not considered this too, that Christmas or their different attitudes towards Christmas was another way in which she and Castle were very different people? Castle clearly was so much into Christmas that he might as well be one of Santa Claus's elves while she–well, she might not be Ebenezer Scrooge per se but she also hadn't celebrated Christmas in the last decade. Her Christmas plans consisted of having dinner with her dad on Christmas Eve at either his or her own apartment (neither of which were decorated), during which they both studiously pretended that it was just one of their normal dinners and afterwards, they had a very low-key exchange of gifts. And on Christmas Day itself, she volunteered to work. (She had volunteered again this year but hadn't yet heard back from the Captain and was rather expecting her offer to be refused, given her condition, but she was trying not to think about it.)
"So where are Alexis and Martha?" she hurriedly asked, trying to change the subject.
"My mother's out with Chet and Alexis is upstairs doing her homework," he answered easily. "Can I get you anything, tea, dessert?"
"Tea would be good, thanks."
While Castle retreated to the kitchen to make her tea, she found herself heading to the tree, as if drawn by an invisible–and masochistic–magnet. (Why oh why was she doing this to herself?) And yet, somehow there she was, in front of the tree.
Such a lovely tree too. She swallowed back a ridiculous tightness in her throat, ignoring the cold seeping into her chest. It would have been easier if the tree had been ostentatious, impersonal, display for display's sake. But of course, knowing Castle, it was no such thing. Oh, some of the ornaments were obviously delicate and expensive–Limoges and Swarovski or of that ilk–but most of the ornaments were of the simpler variety, showed signs of wear and careful handling. These were ornaments that were loved. Many of them appeared to be hand-made, no doubt by a younger Alexis.
This was a family's tree. Like the trees she'd had at home growing up, with ornaments made by her childish self, the ones she and her parents had bought together on trips, various gifts they'd received over the years, ornaments with sentimental value more than any monetary value.
One ornament in particular had her throat closing, her hand going to her stomach. Because the ornament bore the words, "Baby's First Christmas," and featured a picture of a tiny baby Alexis, with a tuft of reddish-blonde hair and big blue eyes. Oh. Oh god. It occurred to her that next year, a similar ornament would no doubt be joining Alexis's baby ornament on the tree, with a picture of the Sprout on her first Christmas.
Next year, Kate told herself, she would simply have to get over her petty, unworthy dread of the holidays, for the baby. Next year, she could do better, be better. She could ease into it, right, take it slow for the next couple years until the Sprout was old enough to remember and actually care about Christmas?
She had been so focused on the tree, on Alexis's baby picture, that she was taken by surprise when Castle joined her, sliding an arm around her shoulders. And she was too preoccupied with fighting her reaction that she couldn't relax into his embrace or lean into him. But she didn't want to dim Castle's apparent enthusiasm for the holiday so she firmly resolved to hide her feelings. She could do that. She had to do that. She refused–flat out refused–to dampen Castle's Christmas with her own stupid issues. He didn't deserve that.
His gaze followed hers to Alexis's baby picture and she was relieved that apparently, her poker face was still operating well enough that Castle didn't appear to sense any of her roiling emotions. "I always said Alexis was the cutest baby in the history of the world, but I'm betting the Sprout will give Alexis a run for her money, might even become the new reigning champion cutest baby."
They both started a little at the sound of a groan. "Da-ad, not that again." they turned to see Alexis who had come padding down the stairs in time to hear Castle's last few words. She turned to Kate with a smile. "Oh, hi, Kate. I didn't know you were here. I've been asking my dad to stop putting up that baby ornament for years but he just won't listen," she added with a look of half-teasing exasperation at her dad. She brightened up. "Oh, but maybe he'll listen to you."
Castle too turned to Kate. "Will you please tell Alexis that there is nothing embarrassing about having been the world's cutest baby?"
"Da-ad," Alexis drew the word out with a sigh this time.
This teasing exchange allowed Kate to muster up a smile. "Stop giving Alexis a hard time, Castle," she scolded mildly. "Did you finish your homework, Alexis?" she changed the subject, settling at random on what first came to mind to get them off the subject of the holiday.
"Almost. I just came down to get a drink and a snack," Alexis answered, moving towards the kitchen.
The adults joined her, taking seats at the island, as Kate sipped her tea and accepted the cookie Alexis offered her.
Alexis and Castle fell easily back into what Kate guessed was a continuing conversation from earlier, something to do with Alexis's friends Paige and Taylor. Just part of the ongoing father-daughter conversation between the girl and her dad, who was clearly up to date on every aspect of his daughter's life. He really was such a good dad.
Listening to this mundane exchange allowed her to relax, helped by the fact that she could keep her eyes focused on Castle and Alexis (and on her mug of tea), so she even managed to join Alexis in some mild ribbing of Castle, making him bridle in mock offense. "You know, I really don't think it's fair that you two are ganging up on me like this." He clapped a hand to his chest melodramatically. "'Oh, how sharper than a serpent's tooth it is, to have a thankless child!'"
"'Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth; I love your majesty according to my bond, nor more nor less,'" Alexis immediately responded, a smile playing on her lips.
Castle nodded approvingly. "Very good, grasshopper. I've trained you well."
"Actually, I think it was Grams who trained me on that," Alexis quipped. "I'll tell her you said so."
"Grams doesn't need the encouragement."
Kate had to laugh at Castle's characteristic barb about his mother, struck by it all the more now that she knew why Martha lived in the loft, what Castle had done for his mother. He was very good at hiding just how generous he was. For all his displays of egotism, he was surprisingly reticent, even humble, when it came to the things he did that really showed the kind of man he was. It was… strangely endearing somehow.
Alexis only grinned. "I'll tell her you said that too."
Castle made a face at his daughter. "Now you're just trying to get me in trouble with Grams, aren't you?"
"Yup," Alexis admitted, giving him a cheeky smirk. "And you make it so easy too."
"You see what I have to put up with?" Castle addressed Kate affecting dismay. "I hope the baby will be more respectful of her father."
"Ask my dad how respectful I was as a teenager," Kate advised him wryly. "So I wouldn't bet on it."
"That settles it," Castle declared. "The baby can just never become a teenager, that's all."
"Good luck with that, Peter Pan," Kate teased.
Alexis laughed. "As much as I'm enjoying this, I should probably get back to my homework. Good night, Kate. Night, Dad."
The girl gave Kate a quick half-hug and dropped a kiss on Castle's cheek before running lightly up the stairs.
Castle watched her go with the soft, barely there smile Kate mentally termed his Alexis look before he blinked. "She's so responsible, I don't know where she gets it."
"Clearly not from you," she quipped.
He only laughed. "Definitely not from me and not from Meredith either."
Kate hesitated, not entirely sure how to respond to this reference to his ex-wife. She did want to know more about Meredith and Meredith's relationship with Alexis, as well as Castle himself, but it didn't seem like the time to ask.
"She's a good kid."
"She really is," he paused and then added, waggling his brows at her. "And she's also conveniently left us alone."
She bit her lip to hide a smile. "So she has," she observed with mock thoughtfulness. "What did you have in mind?"
"We could watch some TV or a movie," he suggested.
"We could," she agreed, pretending to think about it, and she wasn't sure if she was leaning towards him or he was leaning towards her but somehow the distance between them had shrunk, been reduced to bare inches. "Any other suggestions to pass the time?"
"Let me think about it," he murmured and she just saw his smirk before they were kissing and her eyes were falling closed of their own volition as she sank into his kiss. And as always, when they were kissing, she forgot all her doubts, could only be sure that being with him like this was where she most wanted to be, where she belonged.
His lips moved on, feathering delicate kisses along her chin and down her throat and her head fell back on a strangled moan. Oh, oh god… by now, he knew all the most sensitive spots on her body, knew where to kiss her and touch her to reduce her knees to jelly.
"Cas–sle," she panted, his name half-broken by a gasp as he lightly grazed his teeth against her pulse point, sending sensation rocketing through her. "Wait. Alexis…" Who was right upstairs and they were making out in full view of not just the stairs but also the front door, if Martha returned home.
He lifted his head, straightening up a little, and she felt an absurd stab of loss at the sudden distance between them. "She's upstairs and she usually doesn't come back down again."
"But she could."
His lips twisted slightly. "Fair enough. So, do you want to take this into my room that has walls and a door?"
She huffed a soft laugh at the phrasing. "Walls and a door, huh? Gee, how can I resist such a charming invitation?"
"Well, I am known for my charm."
"Cute, Castle." She slid off the stool, standing up. "So, are you going to show me your room or what?"
That invitation had him standing up so fast he almost tripped over his own feet and she bit back a laugh but then he was catching her hand and bringing her with him through his office and into his bedroom–which she'd never actually seen before.
It was probably the most overtly masculine room in the loft (unsurprisingly) with earthy, understated colors and animal prints on the walls and not a single Christmas decoration in sight. Oh, here, she could relax. All the more reason for her to spend most of her time in the loft in his bedroom over the next few weeks, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Lanie's commented in her head. In his bedroom and in the very large, inviting bed that was the focus of the room. Mm, yes, the bed…
Then he was turning to her, his arms sliding around her waist as he kissed her and she lost all interest in the appearance of his bedroom, was focused only on him, on his hands and his mouth and his body as they stumbled towards his bed. And then she was in his bed as first her clothes and then his seemed to melt away and then it was all heat and pleasure, oh so much pleasure, until it all coalesced into blinding bliss, leaving her boneless and breathless and tucked snugly in the curve of his body.
Mmm… She let her eyes close, finally (belatedly) noting the smooth luxury of his sheets and the comfort of his mattress. She could get used to this, she thought fuzzily.
She felt Castle nuzzle a light kiss to the back of her neck, igniting a small wave of heat sluicing through her–amazingly, considering how sated she was. A little hum of pleasure escaped her throat as she wriggled a little closer to him and his arm that had been lazily draped over her waist tightened as she caught his hand in hers so she was almost clutching his arm to her, holding it in the valley between the rounded curve of her stomach and her breasts.
Behind her, she felt more than heard Castle give a little yawn, his body settling in that way she already knew signaled approaching drowsiness. "Stay here tonight?" he half-murmured.
She wasn't sure she had it in her to actually get up and leave and she'd rather assumed she would spend the night even before she'd arrived. "Mm hmm," she agreed, "but wake me early enough to go home to change before work."
"Mm, 'kay. And you should bring some clothes over, leave them here," he mumbled.
Wait, what? She blinked her eyes open, tugged fully awake at his suggestion. He hadn't–he wasn't–suggesting she move in, she told herself–which was true enough. He was only being practical, really. It would be easier to spend the night if she had a few clothes here so she wouldn't always need to be dropping off at her apartment before going into the precinct.
He gave another little yawn. "I'll clear some space for you," he offered against her hair, his voice a little slurred as he slid closer to sleep and after a couple minutes, she could tell from the deep, even cadence of his breathing, the almost imperceptible change in his body's stance, that he was asleep.
How was it that after just a handful of nights she was already so familiar with not only his body but his sleeping habits, the way his body felt around hers when he slept? It was an intimate, precious knowledge, this familiarity with him, what it felt like to sleep in the same bed with him. And it felt… oddly right, in a way she wasn't sure she'd ever felt before since she'd never been that comfortable with sharing a bed with someone else before, not even with Will. Will hadn't been one for cuddling and she and Will had generally kept to their own sides of the bed to sleep. It didn't surprise her to find that Castle was much more given to cuddling, tactile person that he was; what did surprise her was how much she liked it herself. Maybe it was something about the lingering novelty of it or just being in the honeymoon period but at least for now, she did like it.
She shifted a little to make herself more comfortable and soon enough, she was following Castle into slumber.
~To be continued…~
A/N 2: Thank you, as always, to all readers and reviewers.
