AN: Caskett Appreciation Week 2020 day 5: include a (favourite) quote - "Here I am. Roguishly handsome and at your service. What do you need?"
She felt absolutely awful. Her nose was so stuffed, her head felt like it was gonna fall off her neck due to its heaviness, her throat was constricted, and just taking a breath was like running a marathon. All in all, Kate Beckett was miserable. She had been laid up in bed for almost a week now, unable to get up for more than going to the bathroom.
It had all started with a murder earlier in the week. The victim had been found in the Hudson, which meant that she had stood outside for hours. That in itself hadn't been much different from the usual. But then the wind had started to pick up and get colder. And to make it even worse, it had started pouring rain, too. By the time they had been able to get into the warmth of the heated squad car and return to the precinct, she was soaked through and shivering.
Over the next couple days, the snottering had started and she had begun to feel drained of all energy. Her mind also hadn't been working as fast as it normally would have. When she had nearly fallen asleep at her desk, Gates had sent her home on sick leave.
She had reluctantly done so, gotten home, went to bed, and slept for hours. That is, until a knock at her door woke her up.
Castle had stood in front of her door, a Tupperware with what turned out to be soup in it in one hand and his to-go bag in the other. He had marched right past her to the kitchen to warm up the food. She didn't even have the energy to squabble with him so she had just let him, going back to sleep on the couch herself.
In the next few hours, Castle had made her eat and drink, cleaned the kitchen and the living room - being careful not to wake her -, and gone to the grocery store two blocks away to get her the supplies she would need to get through the week. She was so grateful to have him around in times like this.
It now was four days later. Beckett could feel that the worst of it had almost passed and she was glad for it. She couldn't wait to go back to work. Oh, and to have coffee again!
She could hear a key being put into her front door lock, it being turned, and then the door softly opening and closing. Castle must be back.
He rounded the corner and gave her a small smile. "Here I am. Roguishly handsome and at your service. What do you need?"
She tried to return the smile in greeting. "Hey. Some tea?" She had to get her caffeine and fluids in some kind of way, right.
"Of course." He put on the kettle and prepared the tea just the way she liked it. Once finished, he put the mug on the coffee table and sat down next to her.
"Thanks. Don't sit too close, I don't wanna infect you."
He moved even closer. "Too late. And, let's be honest, if I haven't got it by now, I won't by sitting near you today."
She hummed and leaned more into his warmth. She might miss this once she was healthy again. Who was she kidding, she definitely was going to miss this. Being close, taking care of each other, being together all throughout the day. They already did all of that at work, but this was different. It was more intimate.
"Stop thinking so much." Busted. "What's on your mind?"
"I was just thinking about how kind you are, taking care of me this week," she responded. "Thank you."
"Always."