FACT.
I hate this one.

With a passion burning inside my soul.

Just throwing that out there.
But Y is going to be fabulous, so I will make up for this crap.

X
Xena

"Castle," Kate greeted, entering his study, closing the door with a soft click behind her. He stopped his typing, looking up and shutting his laptop, more than happy to give her his undivided attention.

"Hey," he said back, leaning back in his chair and allowing her room to step between him and the desk. She did so, scooting onto the edge of the desk and seating herself there, letting him wheel himself between her legs. Wordlessly he kissed her knee, resting his hands on her thighs. "What's up?"

"Well Esposito just called me," she told him, ominously.

"Did a body drop?" Castle perked his head up.

"No."

"Did Vice throw one our way?"

"No."

"Did…Esposito need your Apple Pie recipe? What?" She let out a light chuckle before growing serious again.

"We wanted to know what time the Halloween party was."

Oh, shit.

"Kate, I was going to tell you-"

"Why didn't you? It's in a week?" Her anger was less passive now and it was starting to show in her voice. Castle pulled away, dropping back, defeated into his chair and rubbing his face with a hand.

"I was going to tell you tonight," he told her, sighing. His plan was unraveling before his eyes. He had tonight all planned- candles, her favorite French restaurant delivered, the loft to themselves. He was going to tell her about the party, and he was hoping it could be their first hosting as a couple. He had her key made and everything.

He felt it through the denim of his jeans- the metal had been living in his pocket for a month now- it was time he asked her.

"I'm sorry," he told her, instead.

"It's okay," she told him, reaching for him. She could have pushed it further but she didn't want to fight.

"So will you come?" he asked, scooting closer once again and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Might." She says, because she's still a little stung he hadn't told her and it was amusing watching him squirm.

"Please?"

"Fine."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"Costumes are-

"Mandatory," she finished for him, earning a smile.

"What are you-"

"Not saying," she cut him off again, a wicked grin of her own in place.

"You have to, so we can coordinate."

"What, like you as salt and me as pepper?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of me as Peter Pan and you as Princess Tiger Lily."

"Absolutely not."

"Elizabeth Swan and Will Turner?"

"Uh-uh."

"Peanut butter and Jelly." She merely shook her head.

"Ball and chain?" Castle waggled his eyebrows, playfully, and she smacked his arm, biting her lip to stop the laughter that threatened to spew. "Me as the host and you as the hostess?"

"Excuse me?" she was caught off guard by the implication, and the serious look he was now wearing.

"Will you help Alexis and I set up?" He asked. His plan was obviously ruined, he would have to improvise.

"Of course," she answered, cocking her head to the side, curious at his line of questioning.

"Will you get ready here? For the party I mean."

"Sure?"

"I can move all of my clothes out of my closet, we can stop pretending like it's mine anymore and you can fit your costume in there." Her eyes closed to suspicious slits as she tried to figure him out. "And I can clear out a shelf or two in the bathroom you are slowly conquering as your own and you can put your make up in there."

"What are you getting at, Rick?"

"Move in."

"What?" She was shocked, but she didn't seem angry, for which Castle was relieved.

"Move in, Kate. Let's throw this party together, in our home."

"Yeah," She told him, her eyes looking at him but glazing over as she lost herself in thought. "Yeah, I will."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She came back to earth, smiling warmly at him as she grew comfortable with the idea. Not that she hadn't thought about it before- cause she had. All the time. Often. Wondered why she was paying rent at a place she visited once or twice a week, why she had more clothes in his closet than she did hers.

She was so relieved to stop pretending that this wasn't inevitable- that it wasn't right, that it wasn't exactly what she wanted.

"Alexis-" she began, as she realized the girl. She needed Alexis's approval, for everything, and this was no exception.

"Cornered me yesterday, furious that I hadn't asked you already." Kate smiled at the image, knowing how well Alexis could rip into her father. "So what are you going to be?"

"I haven't picked yet," he admitted.

"Well who are you usually?"

"Depends. I like dressing up as dead writers. You know, Poe, Shakespeare, Baudelaire." She couldn't stop the musical laugh that erupted. "You?"

"A homicide detective, Castle. I dress up as a homicide detective."

"Nahh," he said, after faking a moment of consideration. "That won't do. I could be the plug, you could be the socket!"

"Castle," she said, complete with a condescending look.

"What do you want to be?"

"Well…" she looked at him sideways, as if deciding whether or not to share her thoughts. After a half beat of examination, she continued, warily. "For the first eight years of my life, I dressed up as Xena."

It was all Castle could do not to choke on the air he was breathing. "Xena the Princess Warrior?"

"No, Xena the Warrior Princess," she corrected, before she could stop herself.

"That may be the hottest this you have ever said ever," he informed her. "I think we should do it."

"What?"

"You, as Xena."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, Castle."

"Oh, yes, Kate." He picked up his phone, dialing the name of his costume man.

"If you-"

"Oh, I am."

I know, you thought I was kidding or something.
Anyways.

Review, even if it's negative.
pleaseandthankyou.