Disclaimer: The wording is mine but the characters aren't

OOOOOOOOO

Dr. Burke would be very interested in Castle's side of the relationship and all the cases he had heard so much about. But Castle had made it clear that he wasn't ready and for once she was going to be the one who waited.

"Is it okay if I call him? I don't think going today would be a good idea."

"Sure." He tried to mask his relief but didn't do a very good job of it. Whatever he didn't want to tell her must be really doing a number on him.

She was caught between compassion, guilt and an irrational disappointment that he wouldn't talk to her about it.

OOOOOOOOO

"That's weird."

"What's weird?" Her tone made him reconsider his diction. Perhaps it wasn't wise to tell a woman she was weird when she was putting on her make up. Meredith would have strangled him by now. There I go again, he felt like shaking his head. I have to stop comparing Kate to everyone.

"You're so fast," he backpedaled. "Alexis and I timed Mother once. It took her almost twenty minutes to put on her face, even with all the practice."

She paused then shrugged and finished flicking on a few last strokes of mascara.

"When you get a lot of early morning calls you learn to get ready in a hurry. And I can honestly say that I wouldn't be complaining if I looked as good as your mother when I'm her age."

"Don't let her hear you when you talk about age," he warned her.

They returned to silence. Even with him watching her it was a comfortable silence. Wow he really had grown on her. She didn't even care that he had seen her without makeup.

"I just have to get dressed and get coffee." He offered a minute later.

"And shave," she observed.

"Since working at the precinct, I have gotten a lot faster." He rubbed at his face absently. She turned, finished with her own make up. She hesitantly reached out and ran her fingers over his chin.

"Bristly."

"Itchy," he agreed. "Do you have a razor I could borrow?"

"Why would I?" she asked with a head tilted. "I don't do keepsakes," she offered, dropping her hand before her traitor fingers could start to explore. "All of Josh's stuff left with him."

"That's okay. I have resorted to using my daughter's spare a few times."

She snorted at that image.

"They're actually really easy to shave with," he defended himself. "Plus if we have to give Lanie another show, I don't want to rub you raw."

She hummed.

"That's kind, but stubble would look better."

"I guess."

She raised her arms and let her hair fall free from the messy bun she had thrown it up in when she washed her face. She took her brush and began to brush quickly. He was silent but she could feel his eyes on her.

She quirked an eyebrow at him and he smiled nostalgically.

"I remember brushing Alexis' hair when she was little. She has never had short hair. After Meredith left it took us both a while to get used to it. There were a few tears even from Alexis. But she was so patient with me. I miss it now. She started doing her own hair as soon before she even finished elementary."

When she had first called him Mr. Mom, she really had no idea.

She held out the brush to him and he looked from it to her in confusion.

"Just this once."

His face lit up and she felt something flutter nervously in her.

He took it and stepped behind her. He started from the bottoms and even with just his right hand he managed to navigate the snarls with an amazing gentleness. She just relaxed and enjoyed his ministrations. If she had tried it one handed she was pretty sure she would have pulled out a few hairs by now. He was good.

"I've always liked your hair," he rumbled out of the blue.

"I know. You weren't subtle."

"Richard Castle, playboy author extraordinaire doesn't do subtle. Plus I didn't think I would get away with it even if I tried." He put the brush back in her hand. "Detective."

"Apparently he doesn't do modest either."

"Looks like Mike is in on it," Castle sighed as he stepped into the elevator after her. The officer at the front desk actually rolled his chair to get a better view until the elevator doors finally hid them from his amused scrutiny.

That made seven strange looks already. Three of them at once when he went to call a taxi in front of his building and had raised his left hand without thinking. He had dragged Kate's hand up too, causing her to hiss in surprise.

"Castle!"

The people on the sidewalk had zeroed in on them and their wrists when Kate tried to shake the pain out.

"Sorry!"

Then there was the couple getting out of the taxi and the driver himself.

"I can't believe it made it to the lobby by morning."

"The boys probably put up a notice in the locker room."

"Didn't need to. Do you remember how many people were watching yesterday? Over half the division was there."

He rolled his head over and off the back wall to look over at her. She mirrored his position and gave him a smile.

"Five hours," he checked his watch, "twelve minutes."

"Bring it on."