I once built a model of a castle for a history project and it was awesome but I don't own the show Castle.
I also don't own this song which is "Sweet Thing" by Keith Urban
-o-o-o-
"I held open the car door for you,
then you climbed inside and slid on over
to the other side… I thought my, oh my…"
-o-o-o-
Kate watched out of the corner of her eye as Castle appeared at the door of the break room and then hesitated. She thought he'd gone in there to make coffee but he was empty handed, loitering on the edge of her vision. Her attention was drawn back to her computer screen as a window popped up indicating her search had got a hit, but she remained mindful of Castle's presence as he approached her desk and sat down slowly, almost cautiously. She could feel his gaze on her as she clicked through the file on the computer but didn't acknowledge him until she noticed him trying to surreptitiously wipe his palms on his pants.
"You okay?" she asked with a glance in his direction.
"What?" he answered, seemingly startled, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."
She narrowed her eyes at him.
"You sure about that?" she asked with a pointed look at his hands as he tried again to wipe away his sweaty palms.
He glanced around, his eyes darting to the surrounding desks, then took a deep breath before asking quietly, "Will you have dinner with me tomorrow?"
Now it was her turn to be startled. Dinner? With him? As in a…?
"You mean like a date?" She could feel her heart pounding as if she'd just had to chase a suspect through Central Park on foot.
A date was a crossroads, an acknowledgement that the feelings between them went deeper than friends or partners. It could be the start of something new and incredible or the end of everything they had.
"Yeah, of sorts," Castle said, watching her nervously and gauging her reaction.
"Of sorts?"
"I was thinking that we could see how it goes and then we could decide if we wanted to call it a date and maybe try it again sometime, or we could decide to call it two friends enjoying a night out and there would be no consequences and nothing would have to change."
Kate looked at him sitting there in his chair next to her desk. After everything that had happened, everything that had changed, her life had finally settled into some semblance of normalcy again. A new normal that was here to stay and they'd all adjusted to it, but it still felt fragile in a way. Like the smallest change could send it all crashing down again. Did she dare agree to try this now? Because as much as he wanted to believe they had the option of walking away afterwards with no consequences and without changing anything, they both knew that would be impossible. Either way something was going to change.
But maybe now was the time to take a chance with something else new. The recent upheaval had calmed but complacency hadn't set in. They hadn't yet returned to the trenches in their old stalemate of pretending there wasn't anything more than friendship and partnership between them. Long ago they'd dug and fortified those trenches and it would be easy to fall back into them and take up those positions again, where neither retreated and neither advanced, but they both sat, day in and day out, eyeing the no-man's-land between them and wondering what it would be like to surrender the fight.
All she knew was that all of that pretending and wondering and waiting were exhausting. And what was the point, anyway? Whatever this thing between them was, it clearly wasn't going away. So why keep fighting it?
She watched him, anxiously watching her, and thought that perhaps the time had finally come to take a deep breath and dive.
"Um, yeah, okay."
"Yeah?" His eyes lit up in surprise and he smiled hopefully.
"Yeah, I mean, as long as I'm not tied up with this case or anything."
"Oh, don't worry. I think you'll have it all wrapped up by then." He nodded to the computer screen where another search result had popped up, this one finally giving them the connection they'd been looking for.
"That son of a bitch lied to us," she growled under her breath.
She grabbed her phone and called Ryan to have him and Esposito bring in their new number one suspect and turned back to Castle.
"You want to stick around and see what he's got to say for himself?" she asked as she leaned back in her chair and enjoyed the spark of adrenaline and anticipation she experienced when a case finally started to come together.
He glanced at his watch. "Wish I could but I promised Alexis we'd make pizzas for dinner and that I'd help her brainstorm ideas for her history project." He smiled softly with a faraway look in his eyes. "She's always had the best school projects, ever since the paper-mache lobster in kindergarten, and now that it's her senior year it needs to be extra good, go out with a bang."
He stood and she followed suit, grabbing her empty coffee mug to go get a refill.
"So unless something comes up, I'll pick you up at your place at seven tomorrow night?"
"Oh, are you not coming in tomorrow?" Inwardly she cringed and hoped that had come out sounding more surprised than disappointed.
"I've got a meeting in the morning and then I thought it would be better if we didn't see each other until the evening, you know, let the anticipation and excitement build…" he trailed off with an easy grin and a suggestive eyebrow waggle.
"So, until tomorrow, Detective Beckett," he said, and with a tip of his imaginary hat, he turned and headed for the elevator.
-o-o-o-
It was quarter after seven by the time Castle's red Ferrari pulled up in front of her apartment building the following evening. He found her leaning against the wall outside with her arms crossed in front of her, doing her best to look bored and unimpressed by him and his car, though secretly she'd hoped that when he said he'd pick her up he'd meant in this car and not a taxi.
"Wow, ready and waiting outside. Are you excited, Detective?" he asked, climbing out of the car and rounding the hood to meet her on the sidewalk.
"You're late," she said with a pointed glance down at her father's watch.
"I know, but when I saw them I just had to stop and get you this." He leaned over to grab something off the passenger seat and when he turned back around he was holding a bright yellow sunflower. He smiled and held it out for her, but she just stared at it for a moment before lifting her eyes back to his.
"A sunflower?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes." He frowned at her unexpected reaction before a hopeful smile spread across his face and lit up his eyes. "Because you're the sunshine in my life?"
She rolled her eyes at his cheesy remark and pressed her lips together to suppress her smile.
"It's just, I would have thought that after writing Flowers for Your Grave you'd think twice about bringing a woman a sunflower on a first date."
His smile faded as realization sank in. "Oh, yeah."
"Especially when you met that woman because someone murdered a girl and used her body to recreate the crime scene from the book."
"Right. Yeah, I didn't think of that." He was frowning at the flower now, creases marring his forehead, disappointment and doubt clouding the light in his eyes.
Kate sighed and stepped closer to him, feeling like a bit of a bitch, chastising him for what had simply been a kind gesture. Sometimes her nerves got to her, made her come off as a bit condescending when she had only meant to tease him. And she felt ridiculous for being nervous. It was only Castle. She'd spent more time with him than anyone else in the last few years.
She reached for the sunflower and he let her gently slide the rough stem from his fingers.
"But I know that reminding me of murder wasn't your intention so it's actually kind of sweet." She gave him a small, apologetic smile and gently ran her finger over a golden petal. The night wasn't exactly off to a great start but as she glanced back up at him she noticed him awkwardly shifting his feet and realized he was nervous too. They were trying to play it cool but they both recognized the magnitude of what this night could mean.
He shrugged and shoved his hands in his coat pockets.
"Yeah, it's just, I was driving by this flower shop and I saw them outside and they made me think of your eyes, because you've got these gold flecks around your irises, like sunflower petals around the center… I didn't think of my book or murder, just you."
She stared at him a little taken aback and silently cursed him for making her melt a little inside. Damn, now that was really sweet.
After a moment she cleared her throat and looked away. She noticed her neighbor, Mrs. Adams, coming out of the building and smiled in greeting. The grey-haired woman peered at Castle through her bifocal lenses, looking him up and down and doing little to hide her interest. As she turned to head down the street she gave Kate a nod of approval, her eyes twinkling knowingly at the two of them.
…
Castle noticed a faint blush appear on Kate's cheeks as she watched her neighbor walked down the street and wondered what the older woman had done to make Kate blush like that. Then he wondered if it was possible Kate had ever looked more beautiful than she did in that moment, with the light breeze gently blowing a loose curl against her softly glowing cheek and the sunflower cradled in her hands.
He took a second to commit the sight before him to memory before he spoke and the moment slipped away.
"We should get going. We have a reservation."
She nodded and he pulled open the passenger side door for her. He held it while she climbed in and she smiled up at him in thanks as he gently shut the door after her.
The sudden screech of tires further down the street caught his attention as he walked around the car and he turned to see a guy leaning out the window of his car, shouting and gesticulating wildly at a cyclist who was ignoring him and riding away.
He shook his head and when he turned back to his own car, Kate was sitting in the driver's seat. She was holding her hand out for the keys, a grin playing on her lips and lights dancing in her eyes.
"What…But…I…" he started to protest but then gave in and, with a dramatic sigh and a scowl, placed the keys in her open palm. As he made his way back around the car, the pretense of a scowl was quickly replaced by a wide smile. Kate Beckett was a constant surprise, and he wouldn't want it any other way.
Kate grinned in victory as she turned the key in the ignition and adjusted the rearview mirror. She turned to Castle as he climbed in and picked up the sunflower from where she'd left it on the passenger seat.
"So, where are we going?" she asked.
"Just drive. I'll tell you where you need to turn."
…
Castle's directions brought them to a small Thai place in the Village. After expertly parking the car, Kate handed the keys back over to Castle with a thrilled smile. There was something about being behind the wheel of that car, feeling the power of the gas pedal under her foot, that made her blood rush and made her glad to be alive.
Castle reached for the door handle and paused, his fingers resting on the latch while he fiddled with the keys in his other hand.
"Is this alright? You do like Thai food, don't you? If not we can go somewhere else. Anywhere else. Wherever you want." He spoke quickly, his words and sentences running together and she almost laughed at him. She was so used to him being cool and confident that his flustered nervousness was kind of adorable.
"This is fine, Castle," she assured him, "I love Thai food."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Okay then."
…
The restaurant was full but not crowded and they were seated at a table upstairs, the enticing scent of rice, cooking meat and spices wafting up from the kitchen below. Kate looked around at the soft honey colored walls adorned with bright pictures of a Thai fishing village. A beautifully painted intricate pattern of lotus flowers ran along the top of the walls and she noticed the same pattern was embroidered on the edge of the tablecloth. A small, clear bowl sat in the middle of each table with a tea light candle floating on the water inside, while round, paper lanterns glowed overhead. The place had a warm, cozy feel, yet at the same time it was light and airy.
She looked back to Castle and found him watching her. His blue eyes were twinkling with the reflected candlelight and a small smile played across his lips.
"How did you find this place?" she asked him.
"My roommate freshman year. He grew up around here and this was his comfort food. Whenever he was stressed, their food was the only thing he'd eat. During midterms and finals he'd order enough food to last a couple days and stuff our tiny fridge full of it."
As he was talking she shifted and her foot accidently brushed against his leg under the table.
His voice faltered for a moment and his eyes flew to hers. A small enigmatic smile graced her lips and she did it again, intentionally this time, before resting both her feet under her own chair. He cleared his throat and continued.
"He was kind of an odd guy and I don't think I ever saw him again after we moved out, but he introduced me to the best Thai place in the city and for that I will be forever grateful."
Silence settled in as they studied the menu and sipped at their water. She could feel him sneaking glances at her over the top of his menu and flashed back to the first case she had, grudgingly, worked with him. The Tisdale case, the one with the sunflowers she'd mentioned earlier, the one that had started everything. They'd sat together at the precinct reading through his crazy fan mail and he'd snuck glances at her over the letters. Then he'd read her like a book and it had thrown her how someone she had just met could see right through her defenses and get straight to the heart of why she'd become a cop.
Kate glanced up and caught him looking at her again. His eyes darted back down to the menu again and she smiled and shook her head. It was amazing how far they'd come.
He'd grown from her annoying shadow to her most trusted friend and partner. And all along the way he'd been stealing her heart, piece by piece, without her realization or consent, until he held more of her than anyone else ever had. Probably more than he even knew.
Castle looked up again and this time she was the one caught staring.
"What?" he asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
But she just smiled and shook her head as the waitress came to take their orders.
…
"So," Castle said leaning forward after the waitress had gone and resting his elbows on the edge of the table, "tell me about the first date you ever went on."
Kate laughed softly at the unexpected request. "What? Why?"
"I'm just curious," he said lightly, "I want to know."
She eyed his suspiciously for a moment.
"This isn't 'research' for Nikki Heat, is it?"
"No, just my personal curiosity about you." She could see in his eyes that he was being serious. He genuinely just wanted to know. She hesitated for a moment longer before giving a tiny shrug of her shoulder and acquiescing.
"I was a sophomore in high school," she started only to pause as his eyes widened in surprise.
"What?" she questioned him.
He shook his head. "That's just later than I was expecting. I thought all the boys would have been after you as soon as that first hint of hormones kicked in."
She could feel the beginnings of a blush forming at his indirect compliment and took a quick sip of water to try to hide it.
"You asked about the first date I ever went on," her eyes sparkled mischievously at him as she spoke, "not the first time I was ever asked out on a date."
He grinned at her over the rim of his own water glass. "Oh?"
"I told you before, orthodontia played a major role in my life during my middle school years and it was not attractive. And then in eighth grade when I finally got the braces off, I had this crazy growth spurt. I was already taller than most of the boys and then suddenly I was towering over them. And I was skinny and really awkward and the teachers made me sit in the back row so that I didn't block anyone's view of the board. It really was not a great time for me." She grimaced at the memories that were coming back to her now but Castle smiled, silently encouraging her to continue.
"When I started high school, the boys began catching up to me in height and things got somewhat better, but I always remembered who had made fun of me for the braces and being so tall, which was pretty much all of them at one point or another, so I always turned them down." She grinned, clearly proud of her younger self.
"So who was it that was finally able to win you over?"
"Freddy Jones. He went to a different middle school so he hadn't witnessed any of those horrors. And he was so cute. He had curly blonde hair and these amazing blue eyes. All my friends were really jealous." She trailed off with a dreamy look in her eyes and a faint smile playing at her lips.
Castle's voice brought her back to the present. "What happened on the date?"
Her smile turned into a frown. "He brought me to watch him play basketball with his friends at the park and he insisted on being on the skins team so that he could take off his shirt in front of me." She rolled her eyes. "He was actually really good and he became captain of the varsity team later, but it was boring just sitting there watching them."
"Not the date you had in mind."
"No, and then it just got worse."
Castle raised his eyebrows, intrigued now.
"At halftime they took a break and he bought hot dogs and lemonade for us to have for lunch, which I told him was a bad idea but-"
"He didn't listen."
"Of course not. It was late September during a stretch of Indian summer and probably almost ninety degrees out and he ate two hot dogs and drank a large lemonade in less than ten minutes." Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she spoke. "Then they started playing again and he lasted about five minutes before throwing up in the middle of the court."
"Ugh."
"Yeah. And his friends all bailed and went to find another court to play on and left me there with him. I had to call his mom to come get him. And when she got there she was fussing over him, calling him her 'poor little baby' and saying things like 'Mommy's going to take care of you and make your tummy feel all better' even though he was pretty much fine by that point."
Castle couldn't help but laugh. "He must have been mortified."
"Yeah," Kate said, laughing softly with him. "He was so embarrassed by it he didn't speak directly to me again until senior year when he actually asked me to sign his year book."
"Wow."
"Yeah."
They were both still chuckling softly when the waitress set their steaming plates in front of them. They both jumped slightly, startled by her sudden presence. Neither had noticed her approach.
…
"So, what about your first date?" Kate asked as she stabbed a piece of pineapple from her stir-fry.
"Her name was Lucy Knox. I was twelve and she was fourteen. Her mother worked on the costumes for some of the productions my mother was in back then, so we'd see each other around and hang out backstage at rehearsals sometimes. I had a crush on her for a while and one day I finally got up the nerve to ask her out and she said yes."
He frowned slightly as he continued. "She was probably just humoring me or she said yes because she had a thing for milkshakes or something, but I didn't question it at the time." He paused for a moment as he speared and ate a forkful of noodles. "We went to the Stardust Diner the next day and it actually went pretty well, so when we went back to the theatre later I tried to kiss her behind one of the racks of costumes."
Kate arched an eyebrow at him. "And what did she do?"
"She let me," Castle said with a proud, self-satisfied smile. "But then she pushed me away and laughed and told me I should try again once I started shaving."
He reached across the table and tried to steal a piece of pineapple off her plate but she swatted his hand away.
"And did you ever try again?"
"Well, I avoided her for a while after that, went to the library or stayed at home instead of hanging out around the theatre. Next time I saw her, a couple months later, she was making out with an usher by the back door during the closing scene so I didn't stick around. And then the show closed and her mother moved on to work for another production and I didn't see her again until about ten years ago."
"What happened ten years ago?"
"She showed up at one of my book signings, asked if I remembered her and gave me her number."
He stopped to take a drink of water and Kate knew it was more for the dramatic pause than actual thirst. He was his mother's son at heart. He smiled at the look she gave him and continued.
"We went to the Stardust Diner again, got caught up on what had happened in our lives and, well, when I kissed her again she didn't laugh or push me away."
She studied him for a moment and scowled.
"You slept with her, didn't you?" she asked accusingly.
Castle shrugged and the corner of his mouth twisted up into a smile of confession. "It was for old time's sake."
She rolled her eyes. "I don't think you can say it was for old time's sake if it never actually happened in the old times."
"Hmm, you may have a point there." He leaned back pretending to contemplate her point and she took advantage of his moment of inattentiveness to steal a noodle from his plate.
"Okay, so you do have a point," he conceded and pushed his plate closer to her, offering her another bite of his meal. "But that was ten years ago and I don't do things like that anymore."
"Things like what?" she asked as she stabbed a piece of chicken and then pushed her own plate to the center of the table next to his.
"One night stands, autographing chests, borrowing police horses," he listed and he was finally able to snag a piece of pineapple off her plate.
"You know, you never have told me the story of your Lady Godiva act," she said with a playful grin.
"Yeah, well, don't get your hopes up. It's probably not as interesting as you think it is."
Kate leaned forward in anticipation and raised an eyebrow when he remained silent.
Castle shook his head and laughed softly. "Oh, no. It's going to take more than a smile and a signature Beckett eyebrow quirk to get me to spill that story."
"More than that to get you to tell a story you just admitted isn't very interesting?"
"Hey, I didn't say it wasn't interesting. I just meant it probably isn't as scandalous as you're imagining."
"Please," she scoffed, "that is a sight I am trying desperately not to imagine."
"Why? Are you scared you'll like it?" he teased with a suggestive smirk.
She laughed and shook her head. "Not even the slightest."
"Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that."
They finished their meal and while Castle settled the check, Kate told him she'd meet him outside and made a quick detour to the restroom.
As she washed her hands, she glanced up at her reflection in the mirror above the sink and was surprised to see that she was smiling. She was having a really great time she realized. She hadn't expected the night to go poorly but after the initial awkwardness she hadn't expected it to go as well as it was. So well that she apparently couldn't stop smiling.
Kate ran a hand through her hair and took a moment to look at herself critically. Her smile was still in place, her cheeks had a light pink rosiness to them and her eyes were shining brightly. She was happy, but more than that, she was relaxed and almost carefree, like for the first time in a long while she'd let go of the weights she usually carried. And she knew that that had everything to do with her partner.
For so long she'd fought her feelings for him and convinced herself that a relationship with him would be a complicated disaster. But being out with him like this tonight just felt right somehow, like it was the natural progression of their relationship. She knew one good date didn't guarantee they'd make it to forever, but maybe if she stopped overanalyzing and they took it a day at a time, they'd have a chance.
…
When Kate stepped outside a few minutes later, Castle was waiting for her on the sidewalk holding two startlingly large ice cream cones.
"Oh god, Castle, I don't think I can eat anything more after that meal."
"Come on, I only got us smalls."
"Those are the smalls?" she asked, gaping at him.
"Yeah." He turned and gestured at the sign on the shop next door. Carla's it said in fancy, looping script, and below that: The biggest ice cream cones in the Big Apple. There were a few other people out front with similarly large cones and a few with slightly astonished expressions as they looked at their desserts. A small boy stood beside the door with his arms crossed and a stubbornly determined look on his face as he told his parents that yes, he would be able to eat the whole thing by himself.
Castle grinned as he turned back and handed her one of the cones. "Mocha chip for you, my lady."
She took a bite and almost moaned as the flavors hit her tongue. Sweet, creamy coffee ice cream and quite possibly the best chocolate chips she'd ever tasted.
…
Castle watched, captivated, as her tongue darted out to taste the ice cream. Her eyes lit up and he had to smile at her obvious enjoyment.
"Good?"
She nodded emphatically. "What kind do you have?"
"Chocolate caramel swirl."
He took a bite of his own cone and gestured down the street away from where the car was parked.
"You want to walk a bit?"
She agreed and they set off in companionable silence enjoying the ice cream and each other's company. They walked down the block and then circled back toward the car around a small, tree lined park. As they approached the car Castle found himself wishing they could keep walking. He wasn't quite ready to get back in the car to take her home and bring their night to an end.
He glanced over at Kate trying to think of something else to suggest and saw that she was staring intently at her ice cream, a thoughtful, almost puzzled, expression on her face.
"Is there something wrong with it?" he asked gesturing towards the cone in her hand.
"What?"
"Your ice cream. You're looking at it kinda weirdly."
"Oh, no, it's just… It tastes a little funny. Not bad, just odd. Not what I expected." She lifted it to her nose and sniffed, a few wrinkles appearing across her brow as she contemplated it. "It smells a bit odd, too."
"Let me see," he said nodding toward the dessert in her hand.
Kate raised it closer to him and then with a quick flick of her wrist the ice cream collided with his face. The cold, creamy mocha chip ended up all over his nose and chin and around and in his mouth which was hanging open in shock. He blinked at her and felt a chocolate chip slide off his chin. She was laughing at him. A head back, mouth open, eyes squeezed shut, full body laugh he'd never heard from her before.
When the shock wore off he pulled her now mostly empty cone from her fingers and tossed it in a nearby trash bin along with what was left of his own. When Castle turned back to her, she was leaning against the side of the car for support, grinning at him in amusement and still chuckling softly. He stalked back to her and planted his hands on the car on either side of her hips, effectively trapping her in place. Her grin faded as she looked at him in surprise and from where he was standing, only a few inches away from her, he could see her eyes widen and darken slightly, the golden flecks glinting back at him.
"You think that was funny, Detective?" he asked her, his voice low and audacious despite the fact that the lower half of his face was still covered in sticky, melting ice cream.
"Yeah," she answered, her own voice low and, he was pleased to note, a little breathless.
She barely had time to register that he was moving again before his lips, sweet and cold and slightly sticky, met her own. She gasped and his tongue brushed against hers briefly. She could taste a heady mixture of coffee and chocolate and underneath that, Castle.
He pulled away, but only long enough to run a trail of kisses along her jaw, over her chin and up to her ear before reclaiming her lips with his own again. His hands cradled her hips and she grasped the fabric of his coat, drawing him closer. He sighed into the kiss as his chest pressed against hers, content to stay with her like that for the rest of the night, until a blaring horn and wolf whistles from a passing car jerked them back to reality. They were making out against the side of his car on a street in New York City.
He took a small step back and their eyes met for a brief second before she looked away, a pink flush spreading across her face. He laughed softly as the pink made the shiny splotches of caramel brown stand out more prominently against her skin.
"Look who's got ice cream all over their face now." Her eyes flew back to him and she raised a hand to her cheek, her fingertips coming away covered in the gooey ice cream.
Castle grinned as she stared at him and he took advantage of the situation and quickly kissed her again.
"You're right. It is pretty funny," he said as he pulled back but she didn't move or speak, her green eyes still wide with surprise.
They stood there on the sidewalk, under the glow of the streetlight for several long moments watching each other. He searched the depths of her eyes for some indication of what she was thinking, what she was feeling.
He hadn't intended for the kiss to get so heated but she had kissed him back just as passionately. And now there was no way they could call this a night out between friends, if that had ever really been a possibility. Kissing with no guard to distract and no one to rescue changed things and there would be consequences, good or bad.
His heart pounded and he knew that this was the moment that would make them or break them.
Another moment passed before a small smile graced her lips. She stepped forward and leaned up to press a soft, sweet kiss against his mouth. When she drew back she lingered, their breaths mingling in the few inches separating their lips. She reached up and traced the line of his jaw with her fingers and laughed lightly, breaking the silence that had stretched between them.
"I think we're going to need some napkins," Kate said as she stepped backwards and held up her fingers for him to see. They were covered with melted ice cream and he realized that both their faces were still coated with the sweet stickiness as well.
He laughed too, at the situation and at the feelings of happiness and relief bubbling over inside him. She wasn't telling him off and she wasn't walking away.
"Good thing I grabbed so many," he said as he reached into his pocket for the stack of paper napkins he'd gotten with the ice creams.
He handed her half and they tried as best they could to clean the sticky mess off themselves. They would need soap and water later but for now it would have to do.
Castle threw the used napkins in the trash bin and joined her leaning against the side of the car. He tentatively reached out to take her hand and as he laced his fingers with hers she turned to look at him.
"Are we really doing this?" he asked quietly, "Giving us a chance?"
She took a deep breath then nodded. "I'm in if you're in."
He tugged her against him and kissed her slowly and reverently, with a promise behind every caress. "Oh, I'm in. I am definitely in."
…
Castle turned down her street a little while later and found a miraculously open spot on the street just a short distance from her building. Kate had let him drive this time. It was his car after all, and as much as she enjoyed being behind the wheel, it was also nice to just sit back, feel the wind in her hair and watch the city go by.
He killed the engine and reached to undo his seatbelt but she laid her hand over his on the buckle before he could.
"You need to stay in the car, Castle."
If you get out of the car you're going to come up to my apartment and if you come up to my apartment…
He looked in her eyes and seemed to be able to tell exactly what she was thinking. He nodded and gave her an understanding smile that to her surprise lacked all trace of smugness.
"I had a really good time tonight, Kate," he told her, his blue eyes shining warmly, and he flipped his hand so that they were palm to palm and he could thread his fingers with hers.
"Me too," she whispered and she leaned over and pressed her lips to his. She'd meant it to be a quick kiss goodnight but that intention flew out of her mind the moment his tongue brushed against her bottom lip. She groaned softly and let him deepen the kiss, her hand threading through his hair as she held him to her. He still tasted like chocolate. It was intoxicating.
His hand cupped her face, his thumb brushing across her cheekbone in a sweet caress that was almost at odds with the things his mouth was doing to her and somewhere in the back of her mind she thought maybe him coming up to her apartment wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.
Even as she thought it she could feel the pressure of him on her lips receding. He pulled away slowly, his eyes still closed and took a deep, calming breath. She leaned her head into his warm palm against her cheek and sighed softly, contently.
His eyes fluttered open and he smiled at her, a slow, sweet smile she liked to believe he reserved just for her. When he spoke his voice was low and gentle.
"I'd like to do this again sometime… All of it," he clarified, as he ran his thumb over the swell of her lower lip, "not just the finally being able to kiss you and touch you part."
"I'd like that, too," she whispered and reluctantly pulled away back to her own side of the car.
"What are you doing tomorrow night?"
Kate shrugged. "I might be solving a murder or I might be going on another date with this guy I know."
He grinned. "Another date, huh? This guy must be pretty special."
"Yeah, he is," she said softly as she climbed out of the car. She leaned into the back and grabbed the sunflower that had somehow survived the night on the backseat and when she stood, she held his gaze for a moment before she spoke again. "We've only been on one date so far but I think I've already fallen for him."
A look of shocked disbelief settled on his face and the corners of her mouth quirked up into a smile.
"Goodnight, Castle," she said and headed for her apartment. As she opened the front door of her building, she turned back to look at him. He was sitting in the car and watching her, a wide smile of utter delight stretched across his face. She felt her own smile grow in response and wondered if perhaps she had just been on her last first date.
Thanks for reading! Thoughts? Let me know.
I don't know where all this fluffiness from but I had a lot of fun writing this one. I made up the restaurant and ice cream place but the Stardust Diner is a real place. I ate there on one of my first visits to NYC and I've remembered it ever since.