"Kate, Kate, Kate!"
She turns to find Alexis bouncing down the stairs, hair swinging behind her as she moves. The girl slides across the floor, coming to a halt only when she almost collides into the stool and has to brace herself with one hand on Kate's arm and the other on the island.
"What, what, what?" she laughs.
The girl looks up at her seriously. "I have a question."
"And I might have an answer," she says just as seriously, accompanying it with a curt nod.
"Will you take me dress shopping?"
Kate blinks. "Dress shopping?"
"Yeah," Alexis nods. "Jamie's birthday party is next weekend and it's fancy themed and I have dresses but none that I want to wear because I need something new and fancy."
"If it's okay with your dad then I'd love to take you." She smiles, and Alexis beams in front of her.
"If what's okay with your dad?" Castle asks as he walks in from the office, a smile of his own on his face as he looks at the two of them. He stops next to Kate, a soft hand resting on the small of her back that sends shivers down her spine.
Alexis doesn't notice the hitch in Kate's breathing and jumps over to her father, pulling out her best puppy dog eyes. "Can Kate take me dress shopping for Jamie's party? Please, daddy?"
She watches as he tilts his head up, puts a hand on his chin as he pretends to consider her. They both already know that he won't have a problem with it; he can hardly deny those baby blues.
"You're sure you don't want my expertise?" he teases, looking at Alexis. "I have pretty good style if I do say so myself."
"Dad."
"I'm kidding—well, no, I do think I have excellent taste. But of course Kate can take you shopping, as long as it's okay with her."
Alexis rushes to hug him. "She already said yes, thank you thank you!"
And then she's off, running upstairs to get dressed and leaving the adults in the kitchen. Kate shakes her head, amused, and Castle watches her with a smile.
"So, you really think you're prepared for this?"
Kate laughs. "This isn't my first rodeo, Castle. I've gone out with her before."
He tuts, smirking. "Oh, no, not when she's dress shopping. She's very picky, very specific about what she likes when it comes to party dresses," he tells her. "One time I suggested this adorable pink dress and she yelled at me."
"Her hair's red, Castle."
"So!" he defends. "That's what she said, but she looked very cute. Pink looks just fine."
"I have no doubts about that," Kate agrees, glancing behind her. "But apparently she doesn't like the pink dresses right now. She'll grow out of that."
"Really?"
"They usually do," she offers before hopping off the stool. "Coffee?"
"Coming right up." He smiles, eyes on her as she joins him in the kitchen and grabs a poptart. "That's not nutritious."
She opens the package and stuffs some into her mouth. "It is delicious though," she grins.
"You're killing me."
"Technically I'm killing myself if you say that my strawberry poptart is so bad."
He grabs the box, pointing to the cover. "It's strawberry flavored death, Kate."
"That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?"
"See if you still think I'm being dramatic when your organs all fail!"
She scoffs. "One poptart isn't going to kill my kidneys or anything." Moving closer to him, their faces mere inches apart, she holds out the poptart. His eyes widen and she realizes that this is probably edging closer to crossing the line they've been dancing around. But she recovers, swallowing as she tears her eyes away from his. "Bite of death?"
He blinks for a few seconds and she thinks she's put her foot in her mouth, made it weird, but then he takes a bite.
"Death could be worse," he decides, causing her to break out into a smile.
She matches it. "Glad to hear that."
They hold each others stares for a while longer than is strictly necessary, eyes sparkling, before she finally breaks it, finishing her poptart as she makes her way back around the island. She's the one taking this slow, this thing they haven't talked about but they're both aware is looming somewhere beneath the surface.
But she doesn't want to take it slow.
She doesn't have much time to dwell on anything before Alexis returns, dressed in a yellow and white summer dress, her hair still in a braid from last night. The girl looks adorable.
"Well don't you look pretty," she says, smiling at the small blush on Alexis's cheeks.
She beams. "Thanks, Kate! Are you ready to go?"
Castle laughs. "It's barely noon, pumpkin. You don't have to go right now, you know."
"Yes we do," she argues. "What if all the good dresses are gone by later? I need to get it as soon as possible!"
Kate tries to hold in her laughter as she moves away from him and towards the door. Picking her flats from the pile she pulls them on, brushing some non-existent lint from her skinny jeans as she stands.
"I'm ready when you are, Alexis."
Alexis bounces towards Kate, ready to make a dash for the door when Castle's voice calls her back. "Hey now, I don't get a hug?"
The girl laughs but runs back anyway. "Sorry, daddy," she says as she squeezes his chest.
"Much better." He nods, then guides Alexis back to the door, stopping in front of Kate. He pulls his wallet from his jeans and plucks a debit card out, slipping it to her. "If you see a dress you like, you should definitely get it too."
She shakes her head. "This trip is for Alexis, but thank you."
He's already done so much for her; it's not like she even needs a dress.
Alexis grabs her hand and tugs, pulling her towards the door, and Kate shoots Castle an amused smile as they leave.
The little boutique Castle mentioned, the one Alexis goes to most often apparently, isn't exactly little. It's brightly decorated, shades of pink splattered in different designs, and she can see why Alexis likes it so much. There are chandeliers on the ceiling and—what she assumes to be fake—diamond embellishments carefully detailing the space.
Rows and rows of dresses line the walls, more racks sitting in a nice line in the center of the room too; it seems as though they're almost categorized by color as opposed to size, but upon closer inspection she realizes that's just a coincidence and they're not all color coded.
"So," she says, looking down at Alexis. "What kind of dress did you have in mind?"
The girl shrugs. "I'm not sure. Something pretty," she tells her, and Kate laughs; almost everything in here meets that general requirement.
"Okay, we can do that. Color?"
Alexis hums, eyes scanning the room with her hand on her chin. "Blue!"
Kate smiles, immediately thinking about how whatever blue dress they pick out is going to bring out the girl's eyes even more. She's fairly certain she'd look good in anything, any color, but blue definitely seems like a good fit.
She nods. "Blue it is."
She realizes, upon perusing the racks for fifteen minutes, that there are many blue dresses. Some big, some small, baby blue, royal blue, and just about every blue in between. Turquoise and cerulean, even, though Alexis has ruled them out on the grounds that they're "too blue."
"What about this one?" she asks, holding out a navy blue baby doll dress.
Alexis shakes her head. "Too dark, I think," she sighs, then holding up her own blue dress. "Do you think this would look good on me?"
Kate laughs. "Maybe in eight years," she tells her, taking note of the neckline and overall fit of the dress. It's more suited for a teenager than it is an eight year old, and she's pretty sure Castle would kill her if she let Alexis buy it. "You take this rack, I'll take that one, and we'll meet back here in ten minutes so you can try some on?"
"Deal!" the girl exclaims happily, putting her hands in the middle, waiting expectantly for Kate to do the same. She puts her hands on top of Alexis's and smiles when she lifts them up, as if they're in a team huddle. "Break!"
Ten minutes whirl by and they meet back up in the center, both of their arms full with a number of potential dresses. Kate notices, however, there are a few outliers in Alexis's pile. She sees not only blue but black, white, and a deep red. They look suspiciously like adult dresses.
"Alexis," she hedges, eyes flitting down to the objects in question. "What are those?"
The girl smiles happily up at her. "Your dresses."
"I'm not getting a dress, you are," she reminds.
"You have to at least try on some dresses with me!" Alexis states matter-of-factly, turning to her with the same puppy dog eyes she'd used on her father earlier. "Please, Kate, just try them on?"
She tries to resist, tries to just say no because she really shouldn't be trying on dresses—the fact that she really has no idea what size she even is anymore is irrelevant—but she can't turn down that face. Alexis's eyes widen, and she even pouts her lips, gives her a hopeful expression.
Oh what the hell. She can try on a few dresses to make the girl feel better about trying on her own.
"Alright, alright," she acquiesces, smiling when Alexis bounces on her feet. "Hand 'em over, kid."
She grabs the dresses from the girl and looks them over, noticing that they're all fancy and in three very romantic colors. Whether this was intentional or pure coincidence, she doesn't know. The kid's perceptive; she wouldn't put it past her to have figured out that something's changed between the adults. She lets out a small chuckle; maybe she should ask Alexis what's going on between them since she's not entirely sure herself.
"Okay, you, go try those on," she says, shaking her head at herself. She nudges Alexis towards one of the changing rooms, making sure she has all of the dresses she needs. "And I want to see them all!"
She turns back, pointing at Kate. "Me too!"
She should've seen that one coming.
The changing areas are, as expected, also adorable. Deep pink curtains and a light, almost pale pink interior. She thumbs through the tags on the dresses to check the sizes, making sure to avoid the price tag because then she won't even want to try them on, and hangs them on the back of the door while she strips. Alexis must have just grabbed some as she went, because none of them are the same size. The white dress is the first one she grabs; it's a size three, which she's pretty sure is still going to be too big, but it's cute. A sweetheart neckline, a cinched waist, and a high-low hemline.
As expected, she steps into it and has to hold it up, but true to her word she emerges from the room.
Alexis is standing there in one of the darker blue dresses. "That's adorable," Kate says, watching with a laugh as the girl just wrinkles her nose. "Don't like it?"
"It's too... blue," she says, and Kate laughs, unsure of how exactly a blue dress can be too blue. Alexis's eyes roam over Kate. "I picked the wrong size."
"It's okay." She waves her off. "Two others to go, right?"
Alexis nods. "Right! Take two!"
They go into their respective changing rooms to try on their next dress. Kate picks up the red dress; this one's a size one, which seems slightly better than the white dress, and she shrugs it on. It's a bit snug but it fits—not too long ago this would be hanging off of her thin frame and she smiles that this is no longer the case. It's definitely for a more... intimate occasion, however. With lace covering the entire dress and cut outs embedded into the design at the ribs, it definitely makes a statement.
Something akin to take me in these kitten heels, probably.
She stands outside the dressing room waiting for Alexis, unconsciously sucking her stomach in. It's a habit, one she wishes she could break, but the cut outs make her more self conscious than she'd like.
"Alexis," she calls, knocking on the side of the room. "Let me see!"
"No!"
"Why not?" There's a humph, grumbling. "I didn't quite catch that."
"It doesn't look good," the girl sighs.
Kate shakes her head. "I'm sure you look beautiful," she says instead. "Besides, I'm in the red dress that you're making me try on, so get your little butt out here."
That gets the curtain rustling, and seconds later Alexis bounces out in one of the thicker, ruffly dresses.
"Kate, you look so pretty!" she squeals, eyes wide as she takes in the red dress she's wearing. "I love it!"
She laughs, looking down at the offending dress. "I don't think I have anywhere to actually wear this, but it is a very nice dress," she agrees. "What's wrong with that one?"
"The ruffles," Alexis groans, her voice so disgusted that Kate can't even hold in her laughter. "I look like little bo peep! All I need is the sheep and that cane she carries and that'd be me."
Kate covers her mouth to conceal the continuing laughter, her other hand turning the girl around and shoving her back into the fitting room.
"Go, one more," she instructs, rolling her eyes at the exaggerated sigh she gets.
She's too much.
The black dress is last; a size two, and it fits like a glove when she puts it on. It's—wow.
She always says that clothes look different on the body than they do on the rack, but this is something else. It's closer to a cocktail dress, almost completely out of place among all of the fancy prom-looking dresses that fill the store. It's a subtler sweetheart neckline than the white dress, and everything from the neckline down is solid black. From the top of the bust line to the neck is transparent black lace, designs weaved throughout to make a floral-esque pattern without being overly floral.
A part of her feels out of place in it, like she has no reason to be wearing it—and she really doesn't—but she likes it.
Alexis meets her outside the changing rooms and both of their eyes light up when they see the other.
"You look beautiful, Alexis," Kate says first, taking in the girl's dress.
It's sky blue; the top is solid and ruched, while the bottom flows out into a white fabric covered in detailed lace, the same sky blue. There's tulle beneath it, giving the dress volume, and there's a cute belt that sits just below the chest. It really is adorable, and the color brings out Alexis's eyes just as she'd suspected it would.
Alexis gives her a shy smile, then turns her gaze down to the dress, her fingers playing with the edges. "You think?"
"I do." She nods, smiling. "That's definitely the one."
"Thanks, Kate," Alexis breathes, joy clear in her features. Her eyes then look over Kate's dress again, a grin splitting her face. "You look so pretty. You have to get it!"
Her mouth opens. "What? No, I—"
"Kate you haaave to," she says, leaning forward as she speaks. "It looks too good! Daddy said you should get one!"
"Yeah, but this is a trip for you. I only tried these on because you asked."
"And because I asked we realized how perfect that dress is for you," Alexis counters, a brow raised. She smirks. "Dad would love it too."
Kate's eyes widen. "I—what?"
Alexis laughs. "Don't be silly, Kate, he thinks you're pretty too. He'd agree with me!"
Oh. She means in terms of the dress. Okay.
Kate still shakes her head, repeats multiple times that she's not here for a dress, she has no need for a dress, and she absolutely has nowhere to actually wear this one.
She walks out of the boutique with a defeated sigh, a smug little girl, and a bag containing two dresses.
"I'm not modeling it for you, Castle," she huffs, watching as he continues to pout.
"But Kate," he whines. "Alexis is showing me hers!"
"She's your daughter, and the one who's actually going to be wearing the dress somewhere."
"Ah, but if you weren't planning on wearing the dress you wouldn't have gotten it."
She shakes her head. "Have you met Alexis? I said no but she looked like she was about to cry on cue."
He lets out a bubbling laugh. "She only pulls that one out when she really wants someone to do something," he tells her. "It must be one hell of a dress. See, now you have to show me."
"Nope. Not happening."
"What if you just show me the dress but don't model it for me?"
She considers him, then cocks her head. "Then you're going to want to see it on me after I show you," she counters.
"I won't! Scouts honor."
"Were you a scout?"
He pauses. "Well, not technically—"
She raises a brow, shakes her head. "Doesn't count then."
"Please, Kate? Do it for Alexis!"
She's about to roll her eyes, tell him that he can't use Alexis as a bargaining chip to get her to show the dress, but she's saved when the girl in question's footsteps are heard above, and then she's bouncing down the stairs.
"Look, it's Alexis," she deflects, turning away from him and towards the staircase.
His eyes follow hers to his daughter, a smile breaking onto his face as she makes her way to them. The dress is flowing with each step she takes, the hem bouncing, and her hair falls over her shoulders, a nice contrast to the baby blue of the fabric.
"You look beautiful, Pumpkin." He can't take his eyes off of his little girl. "The dress is perfect."
Alexis's gaze drops and she shifts on the balls of her feet. "Kate helped me pick it out!" she says happily, looking to her.
"She did a very nice job," he agrees, pulling her into his side. "You'll be the best dressed at Jamie's party for sure."
"I hope so!" Alexis twists her body until she can get a good look at Kate. "I helped Kate pick out her dress too, daddy!"
Castle grins. "Did you now?"
Kate suppresses her groan; she knows where this is going.
"Uh huh! It's really pretty. Kate looks like a princess in it." She pauses. "A sophisticated princess in a cocktail dress!"
"It's a cocktail dress?" he asks, eyes shooting her her.
She sighs. "It is a cocktail dress," she confirms. "But I'm still not trying it on for you."
"But now you have something to wear to events!"
Her brows wrinkle. "Events?"
"You know, book related events. There's a few coming up and they're in the evening. Alexis normally stays with mother and I'm stuck going alone, but now that you've got this stunning cocktail dress, I'll have a date!"
"What makes you think I'd be your date?"
His eyes sparkle and oh if it doesn't do things to her. She really wishes she could say she wasn't affected by him, by these little taunts, but she is. They're on this line right now, toeing it ever so slowly, taking a few steps forward and then back again. She still doesn't know what it means for them, but she sure as hell wants to find out.
"I'd find a way to persuade you, I'm sure."
She bites her bottom lip, shaking her head. "Whatever you say, Castle."
"Hey," he greets quietly later that night as she sits on the couch. "Wine?"
She gives him a grateful smile. "Thanks," she murmurs, taking the glass from him. "Alexis asleep?"
He nods. "Knocked right out. Dress shopping wears 'em out, apparently."
"It was definitely an adventure," she laughs. "Fun, though."
There's a pause, a silence that surrounds them for a few minutes.
"I'm sorry about earlier," he breathes, his voice cutting into the air.
She turns, arches a brow. "For what?"
"Harping on and on about you modeling the dress. You really don't have to, Kate. I wasn't trying to make it seem like you had to try it on for me as some kind of compensation or anything."
"What? No, Castle, I didn't think you were," she assures him. "Nothing to apologize for."
He lets out a breath. "Are you sure? I know the banter is our thing but I wasn't sure if I'd gone too far or—"
"Not at all, okay? I'd let you know if it was."
Another silence takes over before she lets out a laugh.
"What are we doing?"
He looks at her. "What?"
"This, Castle." She gestures between the two of them. "Us. What are we doing?"
She's been keeping quiet, letting it go on. The heated glances, the brushing of their hands when they walk next to each other, the fleeting feeling of his fingers on the small of her back when he guides her somewhere. She's been going with whatever it was that's happening between them, but she realizes now that she doesn't want to wait. She doesn't want to just wonder where they stand; she wants to know.
He places his glass on the coffee table and turns more fully towards her, and she does the same, leaning against the back cushions of the couch.
"We're... we're us."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't—I don't want to rush you into anything, Kate," he whispers. "I don't want this to be something you regret because you think you owe me or because you aren't ready."
She pauses. "Is this something you'd regret?"
She holds her breath while she waits for an answer, dread swimming around as she wonders whether or not this is something he even wants. Sure, they're friends, really great friends at that, but she's... well, she's who she is.
"No," he says, firmly. "I wouldn't."
"No?" she murmurs.
He shakes his head, lets one hand brush against her own. "No. I don't know when it happened, when we started teasing this line, but I don't want to go back." He closes his fingers around her hand, uses his thumb to rub circles in the space between her thumb and index finger. "You're extraordinary, Kate. You're amazing with Alexis, you're strong, you're smart—hell, smarter than me most of the time." That gets a chuckle out of her. "There's nothing I'd love more than to explore this, explore us."
Her lips tug up at the corners, her heart slamming against her ribs.
"I don't want to go back either," she admits quietly, eyes downcast. "I'm not—I'm not sure how good I'll be at this."
He laughs. "I've been married twice, remember?"
She rolls her eyes, exhaling. "I don't know if I'm ready for a full on... relationship just yet," she sighs. She wants to be, though, and she thinks she's almost there. "So if you don't... don't want to wait I understand—"
His hand finds purchase at the bottom of her jaw, fingers brushing against her cheek. He tips her chin, forcing her to bring her gaze back up, to look at him.
"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," he says. "As long as you need. You're worth the wait."
Her cheeks flush, heat rushing to the surface. She brings one of her hands to rest over his, her head dipping into the palm of his hand. The corners of her mouth twist up in a soft smile.
"You were right," she says then. "I do owe you, still."
"Kate—"
She shakes her head. "I do. But I don't want this because I think it'll be some kind of repayment," she promises. "I want this because of who you are, Castle. The sweet man who took a chance on a damaged girl, took her home, and helped her get back on her feet. The incredible father who's raised one hell of a little girl. The guy who can make me laugh even when I feel like crumbling."
"I've never been more grateful for a book tour than I am for that one."
"Me either," she smiles. Her eyes flick from his and down to his mouth, the urge to just kiss him becoming increasingly overwhelming. "You know, I might not be ready for all that comes with a relationship, but that doesn't mean we have to forgo everything."
He hums. "And what are we allowed to do?"
She grins, closing the space between them, finally covering his lips with hers. They're unbelievably soft, just as she imagined they would be, and her eyes fall closed when one of his hands rakes through her hair. It's soft, sweet, and they're both smiling when they pull apart, their foreheads resting against each other.
"So kisses are allowed?" he murmurs quietly.
She nods against him. "Definitely allowed."
He hums in reply, pressing another kiss to her lips before she curls into him, her cheek against his chest.
"Perfect."
You're all amazing, thank you.