A/N: I have a bunch of one shots that I never post here, so I thought I'd make a collection! If anyone wants to see one, you can leave a prompt in the comments, or message me on tumblr (soprano193). Enjoy!

No Space

How did kids do it? She had fallen asleep with her back to her husband, her arms wrapped around their sick daughter while he comforted their son. Now, Oliver's foot had found the middle of Castle's back, pushing her husband to the center of the bed. Elizabeth was facing the bathroom, her arm thrown over her head so she could reach Kate's ear. And she held onto it with all her might, pinching it between her thumb and forefinger as she drifted back to sleep.

As a result, Kate found herself closer to her husband than she had been in weeks. It wasn't either of their faults that their relationship had been put on a back burner. Between a case at work with a deranged serial killer that offered no leads, and taking care of their sick kids, she felt like they hadn't really talked in ages. Instead, they talked about her case, the kids, and household duties before falling into bed together and whispering a halfhearted "goodnight" as they both drifted off into dreamless slumbers. So it was strange now to find herself eye to eye with Castle.

His face was illuminated by the night light they left on her side of the bed, placed there at Beth's request. His eyes were open, studying her, and she almost wanted to ask him why he was up. The release of her ear reminded her exactly why he was up, and she let out an airy chuckle at her own expense. Now free, she moved her head closer to his, their noses touching. He lifted his head and pressed three light kisses in a row down her face, first on her forehead, then on her nose making her giggle, and finally on her lips. He wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her even closer to him, his eyes wandering over her face. "I've missed you."

She ran her fingers over his cheek, watching him lean into her touch. "Yeah. I was thinking of calling out tomorrow. Everyone knows the kids have been sick, it wouldn't be a big leap." She played with his hair. "I just want to sleep in, wrapped in your arms just once to make up for the week we've had."

"Mmmmm, I second that." His groan was deep, and she could feel it rumbling in his chest against hers. "Except maybe tomorrow we can do it without the kids. Take a nap while they're at school."

Her eyes grew wide, and she flicked his ear, the only movement she felt comfortable doing so she wouldn't jostle the other occupants of the bed awake. "Castle!" She hissed, jerking her head and indicating the sleeping body behind her. "There are little ears!"

He chuckled. "My intentions were pure! I meant a real nap, sleeping while I held you close to me. Get your head out of the gutter!" She laughed as he chastised her, his voice no louder than a whisper. She tucked her head beneath his chin, moving even closer to him, listening to his heartbeat. She felt him arch his back, pushing closer to her. "Your son has bony feet. He keeps pressing it into the same spot and it really hurts."

She chuckled softly. "Well, your daughter keeps pulling my hair, and that really hurts." She pecked him on the cheek. "I'll give you a backrub tomorrow though, take care of any knots you get tonight." She caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she offered, something she knew drove him crazy.

"You promise?" His face lit up with anticipation as he looked down at her.

She laughed now, quieting only as she felt Beth stir behind her. "Yes, I promise." She lowered her voice to a whisper again. "You won't get any sleep with these monsters in bed with us. You should try to rest while you can."

Their lips met in a slow kiss, one that fused them together and removed the rest of the empty space between them. When they released each other she tucked herself back into him, wanting to stay as close to him as possible. "Goodnight, Kate. I love you."

She grinned against him. "I love you too." As his breathing slowed, she thought about his words. I've missed you. They hung in the air around her, echoed in the now silent bedroom. They had a busy week, but she couldn't use it as an excuse. She saw him every day. She had to do something to make sure he knew that she still cared for him too, shift the focus to him. Even just ten minutes at the end of their day to focus on them had the potential to make a difference. It annoyed her that it took him saying it for her to understand it, for her to realize why she was so short this week. As usual, he put words to her feelings when she couldn't. Because truth be told, she had missed him too.

Prompt: Things you said with no space between us.