Kate Beckett turned herself and looked at the pair of them in the mirror hanging on his closet door. "Look at us Castle." she said to him shaking her head. He beamed. He couldn't believe it. She really was invested in this. In them. This was really happening. Sure they now had issues they had to work out but they could do it together. It was nothing time couldn't fix and to Castle, they had all the time in the world.
He looked in the mirror as she instructed, a smile as big a the Cheshire cat on his face."I know don't we look cute?" He half giggled. Kate laughed at his joy. They did look cute cuddled together again, but not the point she was looking for.
"Yes, but I also mean really look at us. We're a mess." she stated. Castle continued to look at them in the mirror. His hair was everywhere and big bags hung under his eyes from tears over the past days. He then looked at Kate. Her hair was stat-icky from the rain of yesterday and an utterly knotted, tangled, mess. Heavy, dark, bags also hung under her eyes for the same reason as his but despite her thinking herself a mess, Castle couldn't think of her as anything but utterly beautiful.
"I think you look beautiful, but I'll always think you're beautiful." He said sweetly and then kissed her cheek. Castle was overjoyed as he watched the pink of a blush creep up on Beckett's face both from his words and his action, but still she held true to her goal.
"We need a shower." She said to him, that oh so familiar authoritative tone lacing her voice. Kate got up off the bed and walked herself to the small bathroom attached to him room. She turned to him, leaning on the door frame, arms across her chest. "You comin' Castle?" She raised an eyebrow suggestively at him. It was like he was super charged. Like a gun had gone off, Castle flew out of his bed to his attached bathroom to join his now more then just a partner for a shower. He flicked on the light and they both winced against it. It had been very dim still in his bedroom with only a rays of sunlight breaking through his curtains and now he could see her in full light for the first time.
Once he got a view of her back he grabbed her by the hips and began to inspect what appeared to be a large yellow bruise over most of her back. "What happened here?" He asked gently running his fingers over the skin so as not to hurt her. He should have expected something to show from her fight the day before, it's just to him Kate Beckett has always seemed so...immune? No, that wasn't the word he was looking for. But despite everything they'd been through she never seemed to show a scratch other than the sniper incident, or that time they nearly froze to death. But hand to hand? He'd always thought she couldn't be touched. She whirled around, checking her back in the mirror. There was in fact a large bruise on her back. Faint but it was there.
"Well I did get thrown around on that rooftop a lot and I was hanging on for my life with one arm at one point. My body is killing me." She stated as she began to roll her neck and shoulders trying to work out the knots. "Thank God for Kevlar at the very least or I'd be hurting a lot more." She tried to joke. It seemed Castle's coping mechanism of humor was rubbing off. It did seem to help a little. Castle walked up behind her placing his hands on her shoulders and kissing the side of her neck gently. To his surprise, Kate rolled her head back to rest on his shoulder and turned to nuzzle his neck in return.
"C'mon, I know how to fix this." He said, leading her towards his shower. He turned on the water and adjusted it so the temperature was as hot as one could stand and then taking her hands, led her into the shower. He stood so that the water fell over his shoulder and landed square onto hers, having her face away from him so that he could scrub and massage her shoulders and back. "Hope you don't mind smelling like a man." He said with a chuckle and she laughed too as he squeezed some of his body wash out onto his hands and began to rub it over her back. He worked his thumbs into her shoulders, neck, and other knotted areas as he washed her, paying careful mind to the tender bruised areas. He felt as her body relaxed under his hands and knew he was doing a good job. Once he had finished scrubbing and rubbing her down he let her rinse. The small smile that seemed to permanently remain on her lips was quite refreshing from the scowl that seemed to occupy there the few days previous. It filled Castle with utter joy.
He watched as the water flowed down her body, washing away the soap suds. He couldn't help but be aroused. His hands reached out and he took a step towards her. She looked up when he moved, a devious grin on her face. Oh, he knew that look. He was growing to love it more and more. Before he could touch her she grabbed the body wash. "Not so fast big boy. My turn." She said squeezing some of the liquid soap out onto her hand. He loved it when she took charge. She slapped her soapy hand gently against his chest, pushing him against the back wall of the shower. An even bigger grin now rested on Castle's face, if that were even possible. "What are you all smiles about?" She asked him noticing this difference. It was like his eyes were sparkling in an almost boastful way.
"You called me big." He said in his usual cheeky tone. Kate immediately rolled her eyes at him.
"Oh get over yourself Castle." She laughed at his childishness before pushing him back up against the shower wall for a deep kiss. She let her hands wander his body, kneading the muscles of his chest as she went. Castle let his eyes fall shut and his head swim with her. Her hands wandered lower tormenting him. He wanted her so bad. Just when he was about to to fight back and take her as his, she stopped. "All finished." She said, a satisfied smirk on her face. Castle frowned at her. He had thoroughly been enjoying that. "Oh don't look so disappointed. Now, are you going to wash my hair, or am I? Because I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy that massage earlier." a hint of longing in her tone. Did she just seriously ask him that? If this is what life was to be like from now on Castle almost wondered if this wasn't a dream but that he'd died and gone to heaven.
"Of course I'll wash your hair." He exclaimed excitedly, like a little boy that was told he could wash his grandpas shiny roadster. She laughed at him again before turning to present her back and hair to him again. Castle squirted some of his usual two in one shampoo out onto his hand before he began lathering it into Kate's tangled locks of hair. She let a relaxed moan escape as he began to work his fingers against her scalp. Not even in his dreams did he ever think he'd get to do this. He relished as he felt the silky smoothness run through his fingertips. She leaned her head back into his hands and her eyes fell shut, the water falling onto both of them. He decided he had worked the shampoo through and that Beckett deserved a taste of her own medicine so he stopped, right when she really seemed to be getting into it. "All finished." He repeated her earlier words back to her. She turned her head quick to face him, a disappointed look on her face much like the one he had minutes earlier. He stepped aside so she could rinse, a smile that said got you back on his face. He began to be mesmerized again by the flow of the water and soap down her body and decided that he should just wash his hair to distract himself. The sooner they were out of the shower, the sooner they were back in the bedroom where he could do all the manner of things he was thinking of right now.
While he was rinsing his hair, Kate got out and began toweling off and ran a brush of his she had found through her hair. Then a problem occurred to her that had completely slipped their minds the past forty or so minutes. "Castle, what am I going to wear?" He heard her call from his bedroom. He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower beginning to towel off.
"I think I much prefer you naked." He replied as he came to join her in his bedroom. She tried not to laugh at his joke but failed as she attempted to be serious.
"No, seriously, what can I wear? My clothes are still soaked." Castle took a few steps past her to look into his closet and found a t-shirt, a big, grey, baggy sweater, and a pair of navy blue sweats.
"These should do till I can get those washed for you." he said, handing them to her. She looked slightly dissatisfied at the clothing before taking them and starting to put them on. They would have to do. Castle decided that from the sound of rain pounding the windows, the sunlight they had seen earlier must have just been a tease of days to come. Today would be a lazy day and so he would match Beckett in her sweat suit. Once he was dressed he looked at Kate for the first time in her new attire and made a wonderful discovery. Since he had now seen her naked, it didn't matter how unrevealing her clothes were, he could still see that naked figure before him when ever he wanted.
She turned to face him then, like she could feel his eyes on her and caught him gawking. "What are you staring at so hungrily?" She asked him. He froze out of habit but reminded himself how much fun he could have now. He walked up to her bringing his lips level with her ear.
"Just you, I can see you naked now when ever I want." He whispered seductively into her ear. She immediately blushed at hearing this new information but in true Beckett fashion, she shook it off and changed the subject, clearing her throat before she spoke.
"Speaking of hungrily." She started, satisfied the blush was gone, she faced him and continued. "I'm starving." Of course. Castle didn't remember the last time he saw her eat something and he doubted she'd be able to remember. After all the things she had been through there was only one thing he could think of making her for breakfast. Emergency cheer up pancakes. With a twist of course or if Alexis found out she'd be jealous. Alexis! Oh no! Castle's mind began to race. How would he explain this? Was there need for explanation? It was then that his phone rang. There on the screen for his phone was his daughters face. Kate, completely unaware of the inner turmoil he just went through, watched as he quickly darted over to his bedside table and snatched up the phone, answering it.
"Hello? Oh hi honey." Castle was surprised to be getting a call from his daughter who was supposed to have been home. As it turned out she had so much fun at the graduation party she ended up sleeping over at one of her trusted friend's houses. She had tried to call several times and left several messages on his phone to inform him but he never picked up so she guessed he called it a night. "Oh okay, that's great. What time are you going to be home by? Do you know?" Castle asked his daughter, now ecstatic that he knew they had the house to themselves, it was like the stars aligned for him today. She informed him she would be home around lunch time. He looked at the clock for the first time today and saw that it was 9:30 am. Lots of time. "Okay sweetie, thanks for keeping me informed. I'll see you later. Love you too. Bye" Castle held the end call button on his phone and looked back up to Kate. "I love my daughter." he said to her before linking her arm with his and began to head for the kitchen. "Now lets make you some pancakes." He nearly sung. "That sound's great." She replied, placing a hand on his arm and gladly followed.
A/N: I'd just like to say thank you again for the positive reviews, followers, and favorites this story has gotten. Being my first, I wasn't sure what to expect. I do plan on this story getting more plot heavy as it picks up steam and that should come in the next few chapters. I won't give too much away because the suspense is half the fun.