ESKIMO KISS: The rubbing of one's nose against another's as a sign of affection.

Feb 2015

"We gotta stop meeting like this."

Castle's eyes flicked up from the mirror, the attentive focus on his hair lost at the sight of her and Kate laughed, glad, pleased she could capture his attention away from his silken locks. It was a slow, muffled sound that followed her into the room, stumbling through the bathroom door with bleary eyes and leaden limbs.

Though her feet landed heavily, no grace just need, she reached for him, her hands fisting in his fresh blue shirt, sighing as the strength of her grip drew him closer.

He looked delicious, all morning crisp and warm from the shower, he smelled it too. The worry lines appeared before the smile and she knew what he was seeing. She looked exhausted. She felt it.

"Are you just getting in?" It was hard not to sense the tone of concern, his lips warm at her ear. Castle wrapped his arms around her waist slinking his fingers into her back pockets. It was a little snug, keeping him tight against her, and mm, warm, and Kate fell into him with ease, her chest aligning, hearts colliding thanks to her heels and his bare feet, her arms slipping up around his neck.

"Yeah. Are you heading out?" Her head fell forwards, mouth muffled by his collar, her nose sneaking into the gap between material and skin. Kate inhaled and snuffled against him sending goosebumps erupting out past his throat and down his arms.

"I have a meeting in twenty minutes." Castle breathed into her hair, running his hand over the small of her back as she swayed.

Kate yawned, nodded against him and mumbled, "And I have to be back at the twelfth by twelve." She huffed a laugh as she stumbled over the numbers, too many f's and v's for her sleepy tongue. She closed her eyes against his skin, leaning heavily into his arms.

"I feel like I haven't seen you -"

"I know." She whined, sighing into his skin again, "Me too. I don't like it."

Castle smiled into her hair at the sleep drawn confession. His hands roaming slowly up her back, massaging the tight curl of muscle at the base of her spine. "Almost sounds like you miss me." He teased, lips pressing at her ear. Their schedules were just not the best right now, book meetings and a gruelling case - that he was absent from more than present for - their days and nights were pretty hit and miss, not ideal for newlyweds.

"I do miss you, Rick." Her muffled mumble came at him with such a tone of melancholy that he couldn't let it slide.

"No more meetings after today," he promised himself aloud, laying a quick kiss to her head when her fingers clenched in response, "get some sleep, solve your case, and I'll let you take me away for the weekend."

Castle smiled against her skin when she laughed, "What's in it for me?"

"You can drive?"

"I always drive."

"My delightful company."

"Mmm'g'on?"

"Breakfast in bed?"

"Might get messy."

"Me in bed."

"Definitely - " she yawned long and low, " - messy."

"You're falling asleep on your feet, Beckett." He hummed, "Go get some sleep."

"Mmhmm, but you smell good." She sighed deeply and clung tighter for a few seconds longer. "Tuck me in?"

Castle laughed, and started the slow walk back towards the bed, ten or so steps that must have felt like a marathon to the woman in his arms, her body becoming looser and more limp by the moment.

"If I tuck you in I'll never leave."

"I have no problem with that." She yawned again, "You do smell really good." The deep snuffling sniff across his collarbone drew the aroma of soap and citrus and something far deeper, more eternal underneath it, into her system. It was warmth, seduction and comfort, and the sweet smell of it pushed aside the tired ache through her muscles. "Something different?"

"No, just me." Castle laughed again, got her to the edge of the bed - her side- and drew her arms from around his neck, "You know you're powerless to resist me," he replied sarcastically as she dropped, a dead weight, to the sheets, "my manly fragrance must be lulling you to sleep."

"S'not manly," she chuckled, kicking off her boots and pushing Castle away when he reached for the hem of her shirt, "it's sweet and - mm - floral? You smell pretty."

"What every man wants to hear." He leaned over her and drew up the covers, leaving her fully dressed. He watched her lashes flutter and barely try to stay open, but her hands rose and claimed his face, smile barely there across her lips when she pulled him down, mouth puckered for a kiss

Before he even reached her face she was asleep.

Kate's fingers stayed curled behind his ears and Castle found himself forced to unhook them, tucking her hands in he dipped to press his forehead to Kate's, swiping the tip of his nose across hers once, twice, three times before standing.

He stroked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down at her in the bed, she was working too hard, he was caught up with book tours and meetings and missing his wife. They hadn't been married that long, hadn't even had a proper honeymoon, and an Eskimo kiss didn't quite make up for the real thing.

Castle touched his fingers to his lips and dropped them to her forehead, smiling, watching her sleep. They'd do better, they'd take the time. They'd make the time.

He paused at the threshold, head tilted, almost as absorbed in her slumber as she was. Ah, hell, maybe he'd skip the meeting and just crawl in with her.