2012:
There was a certain warmth that came with this time of year, and it made him so happy and cozy. The lights and the music; the smell of treats cooking. He loved it all.
What made it even better was the fact he could finally celebrate the holiday with the person he loved. Replacing her regular coffee with one flavored with peppermint, leaving gingerbread cookies on her desk for an afternoon snack, even their nightly ritual of watching movies cuddled on the couch had become Christmas-themed.
Sure, they had to keep it secret at work, but that was no problem. He could be subtle.
"Here, brought you a refill," He says handing over the to-go cup one morning a week before Christmas.
"Oh, thank you," Kate smiles, taking a drink, smiling at the sweet, warm drink. "So, I got her records back, and other than a DUI charge when she was nineteen, everything is clean. I don't get it. On paper, she seems like the most upstanding citizen."
"That's the mystery," Castle starts, sitting on the edge of the desk next to her. "A young adult, who seems put together, turns up dead with a hit from a Puerto Rican gang on her."
"Hey, Javi! Anything?" Kate asks, calling across the room to her partner who was on the phone with a contact who he thought could help. Esposito shakes his head quickly, not breaking his conversation.
"Great," Kate sighs. Her phone chimes and Lanie's text message pops up. "Come on, maybe Lanie has something for us."
They stand and head for the elevator, pausing to wait for it. A note on the wall prompts them to look up and hung in the doorframe is a sprig of mistletoe.
Kate looks around, suddenly scared. "We don't have to do this do we?" She hisses.
"Come on, Beckett! It's tradition!" Castle smiles, stepping close to her. They've gathered a small audience, and Kate is visibly more worried.
"Castle we can't," she whispers just for them.
He leans in and kisses her cheek, and everyone around them groans in disgust, as if they were going to witness something more. "They never said it had to be on the lips!" He explains loudly.
Kate relaxes, thankful for his quick thinking and easy cover.
Just then, the elevator arrives and they step inside.
"That was close," Kate whispers.
"Too close," Castle agrees. "But since we're here and alone-" he smiles wolfishly at her, leans down, and kisses her fully on the lips.
.
.
.
2023
The tree ornaments were carefully arranged in boxes, some wrapped in newspaper, others tucked in the foam dividers. Christmas music shuffled over the speaker set up on a bookshelf, changing from Billy Joel to Bing Crosby.
"Daddy! Dad," look at this!" Austin calls, pointing to the ornament he'd just placed on the tree.
"Cool dude," Castle praises. "Stay here and help mommy, okay? I need to go to my office for a minute."
Satisfied all five kids, and his wife, were occupied, he sneaks off to his office to gather things for a secret plan.
"Here, Nemo," Kate says, handing her daughter another ornament. "Make sure you spread them out, okay? We want to fill as much space as possible."
She'd divided the tree in fifths and given each of her kids a section to decorate. So far, its goal od eliminating fights over ornament placement was working.
"Mommy, me next, okay?" Danielle says.
"Yes, you next," Kate says, grabbing another ornament to start the assembly line over again.
Slowly but surely, the tree filled with decorations both handmade and store-bought.
"See? It says 1999. Alexis made this when she was in kindergarten!" Kate explains, pointing out the tiny date at the bottom of a snowman made of popsicle sticks her son holds out to her.
"I'm gonna put it next to mine," Liam says, putting it on the tree next to a pipecleaner snowflake he'd made at school just a week prior.
"I love it, bubby!" Kate says.
In the back of her mind, Kate registers the song changing over the speakers, but over her kids talking, she can't hear it clearly.
"Beckett? Come here," Castle calls.
She stands and pulls down her shirt. "Keep going, guys. It's Mia's turn." She follows her husband's voice and finds him hidden around a bookshelf leaning against the doorway of the living room and hallway. He has a Santa hat on his head, that stands out against the solid colored sweater and dark jeans he wore "Hey. What's up?"
He smiles, pointing to the ceiling where he'd tapped a sprig of mistletoe. She giggles, stepping close to him, laying a hand on his waist. She can hear the music now, young Michael Jackson's falsetto filling the room.
"I saw mommy kissing Santa Clause, underneath the mistletoe last night…"
"Ho, ho, ho,'' Castle husks against her mouth as he pulls her close and kisses her.