Chapter 3:

Nighttime Texts and Snuggling

After leaving the morgue, Kate immediately went home and readied herself for bed. She wanted to get plenty of rest for tomorrow, because she didn't know what the day would bring. She was pretty sure that being anywhere near Castle in his stripper gear while he was doing his dances was going to cause some well known issues in her sleeping hours. However, after several hours of tossing and turning, she decided to give up.

Her phone buzzed next to her on the nightstand. Lifting her head from the pillow, she gazed at the clock to see what time it was. 3 AM. Who in the hell would be texting her at this hour?

Blinking, she picked up the phone. It was from Castle.

Hey Kate, it read, are you awake?

Yes. What's up?

I can't sleep. I'm starting to get a little nervous about tomorrow.

Kate sighed again, for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day.

Do you want to talk about it?

Not if you're too tired. I'm just really wired all of the sudden. Mother and Alexis are gone, and they don't know about the case. I kind of miss them.

And what do you want me to do about it?

I don't know. I guess I'm starting to have doubts about this whole thing. You're right. This whole thing could be potentially dangerous for us both. I want to protect you.

Kate snorted at that, but felt compelled to reply.

You do know that I'm the one with the gun, right? Not much can happen to me. It's you I'm worried about.

Look, I know this is kind of random, and you can feel free to say no. But will you come over tonight? You can take my room and I'll sleep on the couch. I think I'd feel better knowing someone was there for me….with me.

You're a big boy, remember? I thought you weren't scared to stay at home by yourself? I don't know, Castle. That might not be such a good idea.

I promise if you come over, I'll be the perfect gentleman. I won't make any passes at you and leave you alone when you want to sleep. All I want right now is some company.

And I'm supposed to believe this coming from one of the world's most sought after men? Come on, Castle. I may be dense sometimes, but I wasn't born yesterday.

What will it take for you to believe me when I say I won't try anything?

Fine. If I decide to come, you owe me a day of complete silence while I do paperwork. You have no idea how annoying it is to have you constantly interrupting me.

Deal. So, how soon can you be over here?

I don't know. I haven't completely decided if I'm coming over yet or not.

It was then that the conversation ground to a halt. Kate lay in bed alone, weighing her options. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to see if she could get him to relax, and he seemed serious enough about not wanting to fool around with her. So what was the problem?

It's not him I'm worried about, she thought honestly. I'm more worried about what I'd do.

She knew that he needed his rest though, and seeing as it continued to get later in the evening, she worried that he might be too exhausted to function in the morning when it came down to learning the choreography.

Before she even realized it, she was already out of bed, getting dressed and grabbing her keys.

Since when did I suddenly drop everything to be with this man? she asked herself. I must be going crazy.

When Castle didn't hear any more word from Kate, he figured that she was simply ignoring his request. He began to chastise himself for it harshly, thinking that he might have damaged their already fragile friendship.

However, a few minutes into his argument with himself, he heard a very soft knock on the door.

Did I just hear something? He dared to hope, straining to hear any more sounds of possible movement. Sure enough, the knock sounded again, slightly bolder this time. Castle sprang toward the door, praying that it was Kate. He could barely contain himself when he saw her on the other side of the door.

"Kate! You came! I didn't think you would," he exclaimed excitedly, secretly damning himself for betraying how relieved he really was.

"Yeah, well, you didn't really leave me that much of a choice, did you? I mean, it was either I came and you could relax, or I didn't and you would stay wired all night and then be exhausted in the morning. I need you as focused as possible. I can't afford for you to mess this up."

"I know, Kate. We've been over this."

"So why don't Martha and Alexis know about the case? I figured that as soon as you accepted the position, you would have told them."

"Well, with Alexis, my reasoning is easy. She's already privy enough to my social life, including sexual exploits. I don't think involving her in this one is going to make that kid any less scarred than she already is. As for Mother, well…she'd probably think it's some dumb macho stunt that I'm pulling just to get your attention."

Which it totally is, he added silently to himself.

"Well, isn't it?"

Damn.

"I told you, I was doing this purely for the research. I've never done any undercover work, and this is my chance to really see what it's like. If I impress you, it's just a bonus."

She stepped up to him then, making sure that she stood close enough to where their noses touched. She watched the flash of surprise play across his features as he registered how close to her he actually stood.

"Oh, really?" she countered, narrowing her eyes in a mock menacing glare. "Are you sure about that?"

Castle took a moment to collect himself before he spoke. She was so damn close to him right now! Her scent was driving him absolutely crazy. He loved that scent on her. As he continued to watch her, she drew her lower lip between her teeth, worrying it and causing it to redden as she released it. He was suddenly tempted to lean in and soothe it with his own lips, teeth and tongue, which would surely be the most carnal of actions. He'd had a sample a few months ago when they were attempting to create a diversion to rescue Ryan and Esposito, but he never fully got to taste her the way he wanted to, the way he's always wanted.

What in the hell has gotten into me? Kate wondered to herself. I need to get a grip. God, the way he's looking at me...it's almost like he wants to rip my clothes off. Not that I'd object if he wanted to...STOP!

He stepped back from her then, breaking the spell. She blinked, almost confused at his sudden movement.

What in the hell is going on here? they both contemplated separately.

Castle cleared his throat. "So, uh….do you want to watch a movie or something? I can put something in and make some popcorn while you sit on the couch."

"No popcorn, but a movie's fine. Maybe it will help you relax some. You're entirely too jumpy to be able to sleep. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

"Okay. You choose the movie. Alexis has left her collection in the bookcase."

After looking through what seemed like thousands of movies, Kate finally settled on Breakfast at Tiffany's. While she settled herself on one end of the couch, Castle prepared the movie for viewing, which placed him with his back to her.

Damn, he's got a nice ass!

"Shit."

Castle turned to look at her, puzzled. "I'm sorry?"

Kate shook her head, simply horrified that she said anything. "Nothing. You about ready yet? I'm not getting any younger here."

"Yep," Castle replied, walking toward her and laying himself down on the other side of the couch. He noticed Kate sitting rigid a few feet away, looking completely tense and uncomfortable. He motioned to her.

"Come here."

"I'm fine where I am, thank you."

"That can't possibly be true. You don't look comfortable at all. Look, I don't bite. I'm not going to fool around with you. I just want you to be comfortable and enjoy yourself while you watch the movie."

She eyed him suspiciously, then slid toward him, stopping a few inches away.

Halfway through the movie, she reclined, half laying on top of him and snuggled into the warmth of his T shirt. His heartbeat lulled her to sleep, and one of her hands snaked underneath his shirt to touch bare skin. His arms wrapped around her, as if to protect her. He soon found himself dozing as well, comforted by her presence in his arms.

A/N: And yet another chapter! I'm so excited by the seriously overwhelming responses I've been getting ever since I've posted this story. My Droid has been going off almost nonstop with all of the emails alerting me to your responses. I love you guys so much, and appreciate the time you take to write your opinions and support. :D