Once she finally forces him – and herself – out of her bed by nine that morning, they both get dressed and ready to head back to his loft. It's Christmas Eve and she doesn't want him away from his family for too long.
She has to be at work by noon and Castle had revealed the night before that he and Alexis had decided they were going to have a special 'Christmas Eve lunch' to celebrate, so she could celebrate a piece of Christmas with them. Just thinking about the gesture made her want to induce round five, but if they wanted to attend this lunch she knew his daughter was likely up and working on right now, they needed to leave her apartment already.
Castle steps into the bathroom after they've managed – with some difficulty – to get dressed and Kate slips open her nightstand drawer while she has the chance, finding his gift nestled safely inside and tucking it into her coat pocket, deep where he won't feel it if he nudges up against her.
They leave her apartment minutes later, forgoing a cab despite the harsh winter temperature to walk through the city, admiring the hints of the holiday scattered along the street. And even though he can't see the various decorations or the jubilance exuding from the young children that skip by like she can, she knows he can hear the Christmas music, the bell ringers for the Salvation Army stationed at nearly every corner. She can see how the mere atmosphere lights up his entire face while they trek through the icy sidewalks like lovers, behavior she can't even be ashamed of as she leans into his side, stealing kisses from his lips, and smiling like an idiot.
By the time they make it to his building in SoHo, he's practically glowing and it has her heart swelling, but her cheeks burning. Because he's making it look really obvious that he just got laid.
Alexis is in the kitchen when they walk through the door by ten, cooking something that smells delightful just as Kate had suspected. Castle takes her coat for her, hangs it beside his in the closet, eliciting a strange, pleasant flutter low in her stomach.
"Well, look who's doing the walk of shame," Alexis smirks once they come into view and Kate feels her cheeks heat once more at the knowing look in his daughter's eyes while she arranges a dish covered in cranberries and pecans.
"Alexis," Castle huffs, his own embarrassment filling his cheeks, and his daughter laughs, alight with amusement, and Kate feels her mortification disintegrate.
If Alexis approves of him spending the night at her place, committing to this relationship in a way that makes it all the more serious, than she can tease all she likes.
"Anyway," Kate chuckles, abandoning Castle's side to stroll up to his daughter's. Benny is already perched on one side of the girl, hoping for a stray piece of food to fall. "What have you got?"
"This is upside-down apple French toast with cranberries and pecans," Alexis explains and wow, his daughter could be a chef by the looks of it. "I figured we could sort of do a brunch. There's a spinach, mushroom, and cheese casserole on the table that I made last night, and the cookies should be done soon."
"Pumpkin, I said lunch, not a feast," Castle says, grinning while Alexis rolls her eyes and waves him off with a butter knife.
"I wanted to make it special since Kate can't come to dinner, besides Christmas always puts me in a cooking mood," his daughter shrugs, offering Kate a smile. "There's some other stuff on the table too, the more traditional dishes, just in case you don't like any of the new stuff I tried out, like this," she murmurs, pointing to the delectable looking French toast combo in front of her, and Kate shakes her head, wraps a loose arm around the girl's shoulders.
"It's perfect. Thank you," Kate assures her and Alexis immediately abandons her cooked creation to return Beckett's embrace.
"No, thank you," his daughter whispers, giving her a knowing glance from beneath her lashes that Kate doesn't have to see twice to understand, squeezing the girl's shoulder in silent response.
Brunch with Castle and his daughter is just as comfortable as she expected. She fills her plate with at least one serving from every dish Alexis made and Castle does the same, but still manages to steal at least four forkfuls of her cranberry covered toast.
"Where's Martha?" Kate asks, guilt sparking in her gut at her failure to notice the older woman's lack of presence, but Martha is almost always away while Kate's over, dedicating her most valuable time to her acting school, and life coaching on the side apparently.
"She's Christmas Eve caroling all day long with her acting troupe," Castle informs her. "It's her most important, non-family tradition."
"She'll be home in time to open presents, Dad," Alexis placates as she rises from the table, taking her plate to the sink.
"Strict on traditions, Castle?" Kate teases, following suit and standing with her empty plate, grabbing Castle's as well on her way to the kitchen.
"No, I just like a little structure is all," he grumbles, but his lips are quirked while he eases from the dining room table.
Kate's phone chimes as she's giving her plate a quick rinse under the faucet and she worries her bottom lip between her teeth, lifting her eyes to see Castle already approaching.
"Time to go?" he murmurs, draping a hand at her hip while Alexis sidesteps them with a wink in Kate's direction and heads towards the living room, snatching the remote and settling down on the couch.
"Not yet, that sound was just a reminder I set so I could keep track of time," she explains, leaning into his side. "But do you think I could hand out my gifts early?" she asks, a bit shyly. She doesn't want to impose on any of his traditions and Martha isn't even here yet, but this is the closet thing to Christmas she's had in 15 years and she doesn't want to miss the potential magic of Castle opening her gift.
"Of course," he assures her quickly. "Meet you by the tree."
Kate grins and strolls back towards the coat closet, easing the door open to retrieve the neatly wrapped box from her pocket, smoothing out a small crinkle in the snowflake covered paper, and following him and his daughter to sit around the Christmas tree.
"Which presents are we opening?" Alexis queries, transferring from the couch to take a seat on the ottoman, Benny faithfully at her feet.
"Just mine," Kate assures her, watching Alexis's face constrict with sudden horror.
"I didn't get you anything," she whispers, a hand to her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Kate. I didn't think-"
Kate strides up to stand in front of the girl and places two hands on her shoulders. "I didn't want anything. Welcoming me into your family has been more than enough, okay?"
Oh - oh no, his daughter's ice blue eyes are filling up with moisture and she hadn't meant to make her cry. But then Alexis's arms are around her waist, giving her a tight hug Kate can hardly return while Benny nuzzles her calf.
"I feel like I'm missing a very sweet moment over here," Castle whines and both women laugh, separating so Kate can make her way towards the presents scattered decoratively around the bottom of the tree. She plucks the smallest one from the stash, handing it to Alexis before lowering herself down beside Rick, placing the gift she's kept for him at her apartment in his hand.
"I told you I didn't need anything," he murmurs the reprimand and she leans in, coiling her fingers at the defined muscle of his bicep while she dusts her smile over his cheek.
"Too late," she smirks, eliciting a delighted spark in his eyes before they return to the present in his hand.
"Oh wow," Alexis exclaims from a few feet away, holding up the simple, golden pendant, allowing it to shimmer under the glow of the Christmas.
"You like it?" Kate hedges, covering Castle's hand with gratitude when it curls over her knee in reassurance. "I know it isn't much, but it seemed like your style, so-"
"No, no, I love it! It's perfect, thank you," Alexis beams, already latching the chain around her neck
"One down," Castle teases and Kate flicks his ear, biting her lip in anticipation as she watches him begin to unwrap the small box, tracing the lid with his thumb once the Christmas themed paper is gone.
"Don't let me drop anything or open it upside down," he warns and she chuckles, murmuring a promise while he finally flips the lid open.
There's a layer of tissue paper atop the soft cushioning the bottom of the box provides that he removes without trouble. The tingles of nerves and excitement swirl in her stomach when his fingers curl around the wristband of the watch, his brow furrowing in concentration as he eases it from its confines and studies the grey band, the silver plated face. His eyes widen once he comes across the strip of Braille in the middle, the disks that work as numbers to display the time.
"Whoa, that's so cool," Alexis murmurs, coming around to peer over Kate's shoulders and gain a better look. "It looks so futuristic."
Castle is still silent, caught up in his examination, but his eyes have softened into an expression of awe she recognizes and she breathes in relief.
"Yeah, it seemed right up your dad's alley," Kate chuckles. "The little disks, they rotate with the time so you can feel it change. But if you don't like it, we can go look at other versions or I can just return it and find you something-"
He interrupts her with the sweet press of his mouth, the strong curl of his arm at her shoulders tugging her into his side.
"I love you," he mumbles against her lips and her heart soars with the words. "I love you so much, Kate."
She kisses him back, knowing his daughter is watching but making sure he can taste the response on her lips.
"Love you too," she whispers, smiling and stroking her fingers down his jaw while his remain melded at her nape, brushing over her spine.
He beams at her, his eyes bursting with light and happiness, and he turns them back to the watch still in his hand, looking down at the unseen accessory with gratitude.
"Put it on me?"
Kate helps him adjust the watch on his wrist while he fiddles with the tiny knobs that control the disks, modifying the correct time, checking to be certain with a swipe of his thumb across the silver surface.
"How did you find this?" he asks once he's satisfied with his efforts.
"Lots of online searching," she admits, propping her chin on his shoulder, admiring the fit of the watch on his wrist. "There's an organization trying to improve the selection on these kinds of things for the blind."
"Finally," Alexis mutters, moving to plop onto the couch, patting the spot beside her, giving Benny the permission to join. "I bought him a special watch once, he hated it."
"Not true," Castle argues, holding up a finger in protest. "I appreciated the gesture and it was a nice watch, I assume, but it felt like a watch I should be wearing when I'm 70."
"He said I bought him an old man's watch and then proceeded to have a mini mid life crisis," Alexis corrects, smirking at Castle's baffled expression.
"It talked! I don't want a watch that talks to me!"
"I was fifteen! I was just trying to make you happy!"
"Alright, cool it, you two," Kate chuckles. "The talking watch is a thing of the past."
"But the scars it left me with are still very present."
Kate has to duck to miss the throw pillow Alexis chucks at him.
"Taking cheap shots at the blind guy," Castle huffs when the pillow smacks him in the chin. "I thought I raised you better than that."
The chime of Kate's phone interrupts Alexis's follow up remark and she sighs, already knowing it's her reminder that she needs to leave.
"Play hooky," Castle murmurs in her ear and she huffs a laugh, but shakes her head.
"Wish I could, but there's no wiggle room when it comes to Christmas shifts," Kate sighs, unfolding her legs from beneath her and standing up to stretch.
"Thanks again for the gift, Kate," Alexis says as she rises from the couch to hug her goodbye. "And for having lunch with us."
"It was a pleasure," Beckett replies, brushing a hand over Alexis's silk red hair before pulling away.
Castle walks her to the door, Benny trailing behind them, and she takes her time slipping her arms through the coat he holds out for her, stalling. She never thought she would enjoy Christmas again, not after her mother's death and especially not after her father's, but for the first time in too long, she wishes she hadn't signed up for the Christmas shift.
"Come back tonight, if you want to." His hand on her face is more than familiar now. The way he tracks lightly along her skin, her features, searching her expression with the tips of his fingers surprisingly comforting.
She doesn't expect him to place a key in her palm and her eyebrows hitch beneath his thumb at the cool brass in her hand.
"Now you won't have to knock and Benny won't have to wake the entire household to alert us of your arrival," he shrugs, smiling down at her a little nervously. She's only been offered a key by one other man and she still remembers the panic that had clawed through her chest, the overwhelming urge to run; she hadn't accepted that key to Will Sorenson's apartment.
But her fingers curl around Castle's.
"I'll see what I can do, but promise not to wait up for me," she urges under her breath. "I rarely ever make it home at a decent hour on Christmas Eve."
He sighs. "I promise, but I'll leave my bedroom door open, feel free to awaken me with a surprise ravishing."
"Eww, lower your voice, Dad," Alexis groans from the couch and Kate hides her laughter in his cheek.
"Again, I'll see what I can do. Now, go sit on the couch with Alexis and Benny and enjoy today's special airing of It's A Wonderful Life."
She smothers his pout with a kiss before pulling away to tuck the key safely into her coat pocket.
"Be safe," he whispers and she turns her face into the palm still residing at her cheek, pressing her lips to the soft skin.
"I'll do my best. Enjoy dinner with your family."
"I'll try," he mumbles on an exaggerated exhale, opening the door for her, and she's almost tempted to find a way to stay, to be part of a family again.
She smears one last smile to his cheek and hurries down the hall before she's late instead.
Her shift ended at nine, but by then, she was buried in a homicide investigation that takes another three hours. By midnight, she's dead on her feet and ordered out of the precinct by Montgomery, who isn't even supposed to be there himself. Too tired to argue, she gathers her things, shrugs on her coat, and exits the Twelfth with a foreign sense of relief.
Kate hadn't planned to return to the loft, but finds herself driving there on autopilot, parking her Crown Vic on his street, and greeting Vincent the doorman with a tired smile. She inserts her key in his door and slips soundlessly inside the darkened loft at one a.m.
She doesn't bother with hanging her coat in the closet, dropping it to the armchair instead while her feet drag her through his office, to the cracked door of his bedroom. Kate feels her heart soften at the open door, remembering his words from earlier but never actually expecting him to act on the courtesy, and pushes it open the rest of the way. Castle's asleep, thankfully; his face smashed into the pillow, his arm extended over the empty side of the bed, and she takes it as invitation.
She sheds her work clothes and rummages through his bureau for one of his t-shirts, and then she's sliding into his bed, slipping under his sheets, under that outstretched arm, and curling up against the warmth of his side.
"Kate?" he slurs, opening his eyes to her, squinting through the darkness, and she hums, combs a hand through his hair.
"Go back to sleep," she whispers and he nods, using the arm around her to draw her in closer as he shifts on his side.
She smiles into his chest as he snuggles her close and drapes a thigh over her leg. If she wasn't so exhausted, she would roll them over, spend some proper time in his bed, but having the shell of his body around her, eradicating the winter chill from her bones and embracing her in the sheer sense of home, is just as satisfactory.
"Merry Christmas, Kate," he mumbles, drifting back to sleep again, and she sighs, drops a kiss to the hollow of his throat.
"Merry Christmas, Castle."