"Everything is ok down there?" Esposito asked
"Yeah" Lanie answered "right Kate? Everything is right?"
"More than right" Kate said, smiling and then looking at Rick
"Definitely more than right" he confirmed
"What's happening bro?" Ryan asked Esposito
"I have absolutely no idea. I just had one beer but I'm completely lost"
"Don't worry, I only had a soda and I don't understand anything" Jim said
"Let's just say that something everyone knew has finally become clear for some of us" Lanie explained.
"That's much clearer honey, thank you so much" Esposito said, kissing her
Everyone laughed and the evening continued just as it had begun. Jim was sharing some stories about his daughter, much to the delight of Castle and the guys. During a certain police station related story, Rick leaned closer to Kate who was hiding her face in her hands.
"I didn't know you were THAT wild a teenager Kate" he whispered in her ear
"You have absolutely no idea who I really am, you only know the work me" she said
"I can't wait to see the real you" he breathed against her lips before kissing her, right there and then, in front of everyone, making Ryan and Esposito spill the beer they were drinking at that particular moment. Lanie and Jenny had a 'finally' smile on their faces.
"If you're shocked at that, you should have seen them the night that I arrived!" Jim said, laughing at their faces
"Dad!"
"What? That's true! You were practically eating that man's face" her father said innocently.
Kate was so red that she didn't know what to say or how to react. She hid her face in her hands, trying to un-blush as well as she could. Eventually, she decided to just let it go. They would have to get use to her 'eating' Castle's face because she had no intention of stopping. Her father, having noticed how embarrassed she was, quickly changed the subject and asked Jenny about her wedding. Sure enough, everyone was very interested in the advancement of what they already called "the event of the year" in their team. When Kate noticed that they were all busy with something else, she relaxed and leaned back in her chair. She watched her friends and her father interact for a little while. It felt right. Around the table were the people she cared for the most. Of course, she didn't know Jenny that well, but she liked her. Lost in her thoughts, she unconsciously cuddled in Rick's side. Putting his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her even closer, still talking to the others. All the events of the week and her lack of sleep caught up with her and she fell asleep on Rick's shoulder. When he noticed it, he put his jacket on her to keep her warm. Lanie was observing all of that, only pretending to get interested in the wedding plans. She was really happy for her friend. At last, she seemed to have opened her eyes to what was so obvious to everyone else. When she saw Rick put his jacket on Kate, she just knew that he was the right one for her. She wanted to tease her about it but she didn't, recognizing the real thing when she saw it. About half an hour later, yawns were getting more numerous in the team. It was only nine thirty but they had a lot of sleep to catch up on. When they decided to call it a night, Rick tried to wake Kate gently rubbing her back.
"Mmm" she groaned, burying her face deeper in his shoulder
"Kate, you need to wake up" he whispered in her ear
She slowly opened her eyes. She didn't realize where she was right away. For now, she only knew she was really comfortable where she was. When she remembered where she was and who she was with, she sat up suddenly. She was happy when she noticed no one was paying much attention to her. The others seem tired but they had not fallen asleep during their little get together.
"Do you want me to take you home?" Rick asked her when everybody else was going to the door.
"Don't you have to go home to Alexis right now? You hardly saw her this week…"
"She is staying with Ashley tonight" he said, trying to mask his apprehension
"She is going to be fine. You know you can trust her and Ashley is a good boy" she said, gathering her things and taking his hand. "Maybe you could … stay with me tonight? If you want to of course …"
"Really?"he asked
"If you don't want to it's not …"
"No no Kate I would love to, I just want to be sure that's what you want."
"It is what I want" she said, kissing him "you are what I want. It's not as if we will be doing something anyway, I really don't have any energy left" she said, smiling.
"Just to be with you will be enough for me, believe me. You have no idea how long I waited for an opportunity like that" he said, smiling and kissing her lovingly.
Rick was surprise when Kate gave him her keys but he was relieved at the same time. She was way too tired to drive. When they arrived at her place about ten minutes later, her father was already there.
"Do you want anything to eat?" Jim asked.
"Not for me thanks, I'm just going to bed" Kate answered, heading directly to her bedroom. Rick stayed in the kitchen to take a glass of water. When Kate got out of her room, she was wearing her PJs. She went to the living room where she secured her gun and badge in a box hidden in the wall, behind a frame. When she turned around, Rick was waiting for her. She took his hand and pulled him with her to her bedroom. She went directly to bed. Rick undressed to his boxers and joined her in her bed. Instinctively, she cuddled up to him. Five minutes later, they were both fast asleep.
In the morning, Richard Castle woke up to his partner kissing his chest. When she noticed he was awake, she moved up and finally reached his lips. He did not hesitate to participate and soon things heated up.
"Found some new energy Kate?" he asked, breathing roughly between kisses.
"I charged the batteries during the night" she answered, laying on top of him, kissing him again.
He let her be in charge. He was too busy making his hands travel on her upper body under her shirt. He felt her shiver when he reached her breasts. He looked at her and could only find love and desire in her eyes. He took her shirt off and rolled them around so that she was beneath him. "God Kate, you are perfect" he said before kissing her mouth and moving downwards. As he was taking care of her chest, she could not repress the moan of pleasure that had been building in her for a while now. As he was doing wonderful things to her, she buried her hands in his hair and moved one of her legs between his, feeling his more than obvious desire for her. He gasped when he felt her leg and looked up to her. Her eyes were darker than he had ever seen them and she was smiling to him. She sat them without breaking the contact between their bodies. She had her hands on the waistband of his boxers when her cell phone rang. She seemed to freeze. This was not happening. They were not being interrupted again. Rick started to kiss her neck and soon she had forgotten her phone. He was reaching into her panties when her home phone rang. She fall back on the bed, put a pillow on her face and yelled her frustration into it. Rick was as frustrated as she was but he couldn't help but laugh at her reaction… and couldn't help but look at her almost naked body in the morning light. When her cell rang again, she search furiously for it.
"What?" she snapped into her phone. While she listen to the other person on the phone, Rick laid down next to her and caressed her back.
"It was the Captain" she said when she hung up. "I need to go to the precinct. I can't believe it" she added, shaking her head. "I am so sorry Rick, I …"
"Hey, it's ok. I understand. I don't really like it but I understand" he said, kissing her
"I swear that monster is going to have a hell of an interrogation" she said, hugging him and kissing him deeply before heading to the bathroom. When she came back ten minutes later in only a towel, Rick knew that all his efforts to calm himself down were lost. He settled in the bed and just watched her get dressed. When she was ready, she kneeled on the bed next to him. "Will you come to the precinct today?"
"I don't think so, I still have a few things to check for the fundraiser tonight and I told Alexis I'll be at home by 3. Apparently she needs me for something really important" he said
"Oh, ok" Kate answered, clearly disappointed "I'll see you tonight then?"
"Of course you'll see me tonight" he said, kissing her so lovingly that she just wanted to get back into bed with him.
"Rick, I really need to go" she breathed against his lips.
"I know, it's just so you remember me during the day"
"I don't think that will be a problem. My main problem will be to think of anything else but you today" she laughed, giving him a last kiss before getting off the bed and leaving him alone in her bedroom.