Chapter 22 – Night Time Writing

Disclaimer - Not mine, but I like to pretend they are.

His breath hitched as he saw her sitting up in his bed, wearing his clothes - patiently waiting for her wine, movie and him. Kate crooked a finger at him, daring him to bed.

Castle hesitated for a moment, it was the first time he had caught a glimpse of the scar shaped by the bullet to the chest, her chest. He gave a wry smile the shirt he gave picked out for her was translucent in the evening light. She looked stunning, alluring, a bit mysterious. Normally his eyes would have travelled southward, looking for a temperature reading, but tonight he was fixated on the sniper's tattoo.

The first night at Kate's apartment he had seen the tail end of the scar that marred her ribs. He wasn't sure if at the time he ignored it because the entire evening was such a delightful surprise or because it didn't look so 'real.' Castle began fighting an internal battle - the scars were supposed to be unimportant. He wanted them not to matter. Castle was failing miserably, bile rose in his throat as he thought about her body crumpling to the grass. He choked it back down his throat.

Kate followed the line of his eyes to her chest. She reached for him. Taking his strong hand in hers, drawing him to her. Bringing his hand to rest over the remains of the bullet wound. Castle ran his thumb over the rough outline of the point of entry: selfishly grateful that the thin scrap of cotton prevented him from feeling ever ridge and ripple.

The pink ting of the remaining angry scar tissue of the bullet's entry point enraged him. A cold sweat decorated his face. Kate ran a thumb across his brow "This one takes a little getting used to…"

He picked up where her voice trailed off "…this one is different, so close to the heart. Your heart."

With her free hand she reached past him, the need for a drink was strong. She welcomed the red liquid into her mouth. She shared a sip with him, all the time his thumb grazing over the sniper's tattoo. Kate set down the glass, tipped his head up. She softly placed a kiss on his lips, letting the taste of wine mingle between them.

Her hands travelled further south, tugging at the waists of his jeans, wrapping her hands around his shirt as she freed it from his jeans. "Don't you think you should take all this off?"

Rick buried his face in her chest, kissing the bullet hole through the protective layer of cotton, stammering out a gruff "protection."

Kate kissed the top of his head "I'm on the pill."

Laughter rumbled out of Rick's body. He slid his body up, pressing against hers. His mouth landed behind her ear, that spot right before the hair line and began to making lazy circles with his tongue "Good to know, but not that kind. Protection from you…..it's only Date #2."

With lighting speed Kate flipped and pinned Rick on his back. Well placed knees on each bicep, ankles wrapped underneath his body and heels hooked in at the base of his spine made it challenging for him to move. Her take-down didn't prevent him from laughing "Something I said?"

She ignored his question and began peppering kisses across his jaw, playfully teasing his lips with her tongue while carefully brushing the back of her hands up and down his chest, bringing one hand up to torment the sweet spot behind his earlobe. His resolve was fading.

Who was he kidding he was about to scream uncle. He told his hands to remain still. They disobeyed as they explored the small of her back, slipping inside her shorts.

Kate caught the depths of desire held in his eyes. She continued her assault by dipping her head to his mouth, taking it hostage. He pressed his himself up against her. Rick wanted his center to meet hers. He feathered his fingers across her bum.

He moaned her name, slow and long.

Kate broke off the kiss, rolled off of him and grabbed her wine. "Well then 'Farm Boy', you better plan Date #4 soon."

Rick emerged from the bathroom in very green - Green Hornet t-shirt and contrasting white Stinger boxers that read 'Feel the Sting.'

Kate burst out with laughter "Really? 'Feel the Sting?'" Smirking as she flipped back the covers next to her "Come to bed, movie time."

Castle bounced onto the bed, the wine in her glass sloshed up to the rim of the glass and thankfully slid back down. "Close one." He hit play and snuggled closer to her. His hand brushed up against a cold hard ply-able fabric. He dug deeper under her pillow and tugged.

Kate wore a guilty smile, stilled his hand "My purse."

His brow wrinkled as he asked "Your purse?"

She lifted her glass to her lips taking another sip of wine. "Well, really it's about my gun."

A worried frown took over Castle's face. He rested an arm across her stomach "I get it, but I need to find a way for you to be safe here. I have Alexis and my Mother to think about. They come and go, make noise…." His voice trailed off, he couldn't come out and say 'I can't have you shooting one of them.'

Kate's face contorted, she knew what he was thinking. What if she heard a noise, grabbed her gun, saw an 'intruder' shot first and asked questions later.

Rick squeezed her tightly. "How about you give the gun to me, I lock it in my safe and give you the code. Similar set up as at Ben's bar."

Kate pulled out her gun and carefully handed it to Rick. She knew she needed to lighten the mood "Keep all your millions in there?"

Rick was relieved she was agreeing "Just one. Help yourself."

Kate woke to the soft glow of a laptop. It took a moment for Kate to orientate to her surroundings, her eyes settled on Rick tapping away. "Watch ya doing?"

"Writing"

"What?"

"About us."

Kate brought the covers up to her neck as she snuggled deeper into his bed. "Us/us? Not Nikki and Rook?"

He continued typing as he nodded his head in agreement.

"Read to me?"

Still typing, "I'm not good with that, it's still just notes and feelings. It's completely lacking in structure."

"I don't mind."

"Remember it's a jumping off points to be flushed out later - writing in the rawest form, my perspective of tonight at Ben's."

Kate grinned at him, "Make it worth your while."

Between the look on her face and the tone in her voice – she had him. He began to read.

I thought I knew every way you wore you're hair – tonight it hung loose in corkscrew curls. Free, relaxed, frail, indestructible, and ready to run. Your voice faltered as you started to sing. I wanted to stand up and sing along with you. Give you the strength to carry on, but I didn't know the song. Turned out you didn't need me. You had the strength within you. Your voice grew stronger as you fingered the strings. You stroked the strings like a man making love to a woman for the first time.

Why didn't I know you could sing? Really sing.

Your affection for your gun concerns me.

I broke into a thousand pieces when I saw the sniper's tattoo. I wanted to throw up and kiss it away - all at the same time.

I will do ANYTHING to prevent you from running straight at them.

Castle looked up from his laptop. Was his last line a warning or a confession? Turned out it didn't matter – she was asleep.

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