A/N: Hey y'all! Sorry for not updating yesterday, didn't really have the time, so here you go! Hope you all enjoy it! Until next time, xxxx
Kate struggles for a while with the new way she's supposed to share details with the writer. At first she's not telling him whenever something's bothering her at work, but he's been pretty good at seeing straight through her and gives her looks whenever he feels it important enough for her to talk about it. It's weird, and nice, to have someone so close. He's staying over every night that she can't come to him and it's both annoying and… cozy. It's kind of sweet how he seems so genuinely interested in everything she does, she's even caught him looking in some of her old photo albums. And she didn't get mad! She's still surprised about that. Anyone else even looking at them would've gotten the boot, not been invited to know the story behind the photos. She thinks back to one specific picture that had ended that first watch, her straddling her motorcycle dressed in leather. If she'd known the effect that one picture had on him… wow.
It feels so different with him than it has done with anyone else. It feels so… so… safe. But at the same kind it's really electric and wild.
"What are you thinking about?"
Kate feels his lips in her hair as the glass of wine is handed to her from behind. She takes the glass with a smile on her lips as she looks up at him.
"Just about us," she says, watching him as he walks around the couch to sit down beside her.
"Us?" he says with one of those big smiles tearing up his face. "What about us?"
She bites her lower lip before taking a sip of the delicious wine. "Maybe I'm trying to figure out what it is that I'm feeling."
"Oh," he says and she sees his eyes turn serious even as his mouth remains in a smile.
She smiles, takes another sip before putting down the glass on her coffee table. Her eyes are trained on her and she knows it, he's observing her just like he always does. She moves closer to him, her hand finding his cheek only to caress her thumb along it.
"I love you," she says and waits for his answer.
She sees the second the words get through to him in his eyes and the happiness is overwhelming. Her thumb still on his cheeks she can feel the stubble and it kind of electrifies her skin. It takes another few seconds before he does anything, and she wonders if that's because of the small shock, but he's not saying anything at first. He leans forward and claims her lips with his. He's kissing her with a fever not like anything he's done earlier and she suspects he's been holding back because, damn, it's hypnotizing and addictive. And when their tongues meet, wow, she's feeling everything even deeper than she has before. She doesn't stop the moan from slipping past her lips and into his, which is the thing that makes him slow down the kiss with a smile that pulls their lips apart.
"Wow," she breathes out.
"I love you too, Kate," he says with a low tone, his breath seemingly out of it from the kiss.
She feels her cheeks burn as she's letting her fingers trace his facial structures. His evening stub sticks against her fingers and it keeps reminding her of the times she can feel it all over her body. Especially…
He interrupts her thoughts with another searing kiss and she lets her leg slide over his thighs in order to straddle him. It doesn't take him long before he puts his hands on her bum and squeezes, which makes her moan again and start moving her hips. He groans and moves his hands to her thighs in order to lift her as he stands up and starts for the bedroom. When they're by her bed he's laying her down softly, slowly letting go of her lips from his as he eyes her with so much admiration and love that it makes her insides melt.
"I love you," he says again and she feels her cheeks burn.
"I love you too, it's scary but I do," she admits and the smile on his lips gets bigger, if that's even possible.
After this, it's all go. Talk is a go, clothes is a go, heaving and moaning the only sounds along with the continuous proclaims of love and admiration and profanities.
Kate hears a phone ring and grabs for it, the second she's got it she's answering. Not awake enough to notice the unfamiliar structure of it.
"Beckett," she grumbles, just thinking it's the precinct.
"H-Kate?" a familiar young voice says with surprise evident.
Oh shoot. "Alexis? I'm sorry, I thought it was my phone that rang," Kate's immediately wide awake and sits up to nudge her boyfriend from his slumber.
"It-'s okay, I just wanted to know when dad's coming home, we've planned going to the museum today," the girl says and Kate quickly glances at the clock on her nightstand. It's ten thirty.
"Oh yeah, he's right here." When Kate looks back to the man beside her and he still hasn't moved she's punching his arm.
"Ow!" he whines and when he looks at her she hands him the phone, mouthing Alexis with a glare. "Oh, hi sweetie," he immediately says into the phone.
Kate slips out of her bed in order to get dressed, it doesn't feel right to be naked when he's talking to his daughter. As soon as she's dressed she's going to her kitchen in order to start on the breakfast. She's thinking scrambled eggs and bacon. Just as the food is seconds away from being ready she hears footsteps approach from behind her.
"Do you have time for breakfast or do you need to leave right away?" she asks, glancing over her shoulder the second she feels his arms go around her.
"Yeah, we do, but we need to hurry a little bit," he mumbles into her hair as his lips are kissing her head.
She furrows her eyebrows. "We? I don't have to hurry just because you are, I can continue eating after you've left."
He chuckles and it confuses her even more. "No, I mean we. Alexis wants you to come with and since you're free I'm not letting you choose," he says and her eyes widen.
"No, I…" she starts but he's cutting her off before she can come up with an excuse as to why she wouldn't come.
"You told me yesterday you wouldn't mind staying in bed all day," he reminds her and she blushes. She did say that.
"Yeah, well, but are you sure Alexis won't mind? I don't want to barge into her time with you. I already feel like I'm taking you away from her at times," she only mumbles the last part as she's scraping down the food onto two plates.
"I know, but I assure you, you're not," he says and she feels his lips against her temple. "She's the one suggesting it this time."
Kate turns to hand him one of the plates and he immediately accepts it before they go to sit down at the table. They eat in silence for a couple of minutes, Kate thinks about the day and what to do. If she refuses it might come off as her not being willing to spend time with his family, but if she goes and she does or says something wrong then his daughter is going to hate her and she can't get in between the two of them. Then again, going with them could be fun. Alexis has shown interest in getting to know her before, especially during the last couple of weeks. The first time they saw each other after Kate got back together with her dad it had looked like the redhead didn't like her very much. Kate hadn't blamed her.
"So, what do you say?"
Castle brings her back to the present and she looks up at him. "I-I…" she feels like her tongue is tied up and she takes the last bite of her breakfast.
He narrows his eyes and she knows that look, it's the one where he's trying to understand her. It's the one that most often observes her every move until he's under her skin and knows her thoughts. Or, at least that's how it feels.
"You're scared," he states after a few minutes, and instead of denying it she bites her lips and looks at her empty plate. "How about this; you come with but if you at any time feel like you need to step away then I'll help you fake a call from the precinct," he says and she looks up at him with her eyebrows raised as she feels a pull at her lips.
"That's…"
"Brilliant," he cuts her off and she laughs.
"No, stupid." She shakes her head and takes a deep breath. "How about you promise me to let me know if I overstep at any time, and also don't leave me alone?" It comes off more of a question and it bothers her how much this stuff still kind of scares her. They've been together for four months and she really has to snap out of it soon. She's detective Kate Beckett for god's sake! Then again, that's her profession, not her emotional life.
The smile on his face tells her everything she needs to know, still, he opens his mouth and gives her his promise.
When she sees the redhead waiting for them at the entrance for the museum all nerves start to bubble up again. She feels his hand hug hers tighter and she wonders if he can sense it too. He probably can. He doesn't let go until he's greeting his daughter with a hug.
"Hey, pumpkin."
"Hey, dad," Alexis immediately hugs him back before she pulls back to look at Kate. "Hi, Kate."
"Hi," Kate greets his daughter with a nervous smile and the girl smiles big back.
"So, you ready to go in?" Castle asks his daughter and she nods.
As they walk in Kate feels his hand sneak into hers again and she bites her lower lip, this isn't the first time they hold hands in public, not since they started dating for real, but it still feels exciting.
Alexis turns out to be their personal guide inside the museum and Kate is absolutely amazed by that girl's brain. She knows so much about almost every item in the museum and Kate can't help but point her out on it.
"Wow, Alexis, how do you know all this stuff?"
The girl smiles big. "Impressed? I've studied the history of most items for extra credit. It's so," she pauses to find the right word, "enticing to read about all these different times and their certain gems."
"Yeah, I can tell," Kate says and the girl blushes.
"Yeah, I don't know where she gets the studying from but she's got the telling talent from me," Castle brags and the two women roll their eyes as they snort. "Oh no."
Kate looks at him with a questioning look, the look on his face telling her something is horrible. "What?" she asks when he isn't answering.
"You two are already ganging up on me, this isn't good," he says with fake concern and both Kate and Alexis start laughing.
Kate leaves his side to hook arms with the girl and the two look at each other with smirks before they turn back to him.
"We don't know what you're talking about," Alexis says before she turns and drags Kate with her to continue their journey.
Kate quickly glances back to catch the absolute adoring look he has on his face and she can feel her cheeks burn slightly as she bites her lip. This is better than she thought.
The rest of the day is exhausting but so much fun. They ended up buying ice cream on their walk home and made dinner together, all three. Martha joined too but Castle wouldn't let her touch the food. He had said something about food poisoning and Martha had just waved her hand and accepted that she would be the one to fill up the wine glasses instead.
Kate's really surprised to feel so comfortable with the whole Castle clan, not that she hadn't when their paths had crossed before, but this time it feels… real. She feels as a part of the family, and it doesn't scare her. Not the way it had this morning. Right now she's sitting on the couch, Castle on one side of her and Alexis on the other, and it doesn't feel the least bit weird. She even feels the redhead lean a bit on her and it's more comforting than she ever would've imagined it is. A small part of her, at the furthest possible place in her mind, she can hear a voice wishing for this family to be hers for real soon. She can't wait.