It's been a few days since their argument on the side of the road, where she confessed that she wants him and he looked as if he was going to kiss her. The temperature has dropped significantly since then, winter hitting the woods full force. They've both been staying indoors, in their respective cabins, but have kept in touch through texts and calls.
Today, though, the sky is clear and the sun is peeking through the grey of the clouds, offering a hint of warmth on her face when she emerges from the cabin. She calls him when she's already on her way, lying and saying she's driving into town for groceries when he asks where she's headed.
"What about you?" she inquires, hoping he's free, hoping her plans have a chance.
"Well, mother and I went on a walk earlier this morning, just to get her moving. She had physical therapy yesterday, which seems to wipe her out. Even though they're just working on her arm-"
"Castle, be nice," she scolds, listening to him huff, likely pouting.
"Anyway, she's not up for much else today other than teaching an acting class via Zoom for the next few hours," he reveals, causing her heart to leap with success. "So I will likely be… hoping you are free post grocery store trip."
"I might be," she muses, chewing on the corner of her lip as she puts her car in park in front of his rental cabin.
"Well then, Detective Beckett, what do you say I come over and make you a fabulous dinner?" he proposes.
Kate emerges from her car and begins the quick trek to his door. "I wouldn't mind that. Maybe I should circle back, take you grocery shopping with me."
"Ooh, good idea!" he exclaims. "Let me just - oh, hold on, someone's knocking."
"Really?" she asks, tucking her hand back into her pocket and listening to him coming closer to the door.
"Yeah, I'm not sure who…" The door swings open and his smile widens in surprise, then delight, the phone still pressed to his ear as he reaches for her. "Kate."
"Morning," she chuckles, accepting the hook of his arm around her shoulders. They've never greeted each other with hugs before, but she allows the pull of her body into the solid warmth of his, humming as her chilled nose touches the heat of his throat.
The drop in temperature has her side throbbing a little more than usual, but she settles for hooking her hands at his hips, thumbs snagging in the belt loops of his jeans.
"You look beautiful today," he murmurs, his words buried in the loose curls of her hair, his lips skimming the chilled shell of her ear.
She shivers and shakes her head, brushes her thumbs to the strong bones of his hips. "Are you available for more than groceries and dinner?"
He draws back to look down at her in intrigue, finally ending the call and tucking his phone into his back pocket. "Of course, let me tell my-"
"Katherine!"
"Mother," he finishes on a sigh, stepping aside to invite her in and make room for the sashaying form of Martha Rodgers to greet her.
"Oh darling, you're looking lovely this morning!" she declares, wrapping Kate in her delicate arm and silk robe, spinning her around as best as she can.
"Thank you, Martha," she chuckles, returning his mother's one-armed embrace.
Castle closes the front door and touches the small of Kate's back. "I'm just going to change."
"No rush," she assures him, watching him hurry from the entry to a short hallway nonetheless, skidding into the first door on the left.
When she turns her attention back to Martha, the other woman is studying her all too knowingly.
"I see you two are doing a lot better," his mother states, a hopeful gleam in her gaze, but a hint of trepidation shimmering there as well. Kate is the woman who caused her son a world of trouble, she knows. It is not just Castle's heart she is handling anymore, but a package deal of a mother and daughter's too.
"We are," Kate nods. "We've… been talking through a lot of things, working past some of the harder parts of our relationship."
"Relationship," Martha says, as if testing the word, a hint of delight in her voice. "That's encouraging."
"Martha, I won't hurt him again. Not like that," she swears quietly, her breath coming out in a rush. "I know after my shooting, I-"
"Oh, honey," his mother sighs, cutting her off and extending her hand to touch Kate's shoulder, holding to it firmly. "You're both human and I know that. We all make mistakes, hurt the people we love. It's how we move forward that matters," she presses, tender but more serious than Beckett is used to witnessing. "And if my son's disposition since the first time we ran into you just three weeks ago now is any indication… you're doing right by him. Therefore, by me. You're family and we're just glad to have you back."
The lump in her throat makes it hard to speak at first, hard to find the words. Castle's reappearance into the room saves her the trouble, a scarf around his neck and boots on now. His eyes flicker between the two women, the concern in his gaze immediate.
"Thank you, Martha," she says, feeling his mother's hand squeeze her shoulder before letting go.
"Anytime, kiddo. So, what's on the agenda for today?"
"I've got a few things planned," Kate reveals, earning the tilt of Castle's head, but she merely nods to the door. "Ready?"
"Uh, yes," he decides, jogging up to them and giving his mother a peck on the cheek. "Call if you need anything."
"Oh, hush. I will be fine and very busy," Martha assures them with a wave of her hand. "At least now I can do my vocal exercises in peace."
"Yes, please do them in my absence," Rick mutters, reaching for the front door and ushering Kate outside.
"Have fun," Martha calls. "I won't wait up."
Castle rolls his eyes and tugs the door shut behind him. "Sorry."
"Don't be," she grins, leading him to the Crown Vic. "Nice to know I have you to myself all day."
His eyebrows hitch, but he looks pleasantly surprised as he pauses by the passenger door. "Big plans for me, Beckett?"
She winks at him over the hood of her car. "You have no idea."
"I feel tricked," Castle mutters, clinging to her hands with a vice grip.
Kate hums a laugh at him, letting him cut off the circulation in her fingers with the force of his own. They're gliding at a glacial speed across the frozen lake in her backyard; she's rarely seem him so nervous, so unsteady on his feet.
"Come on, you're doing so well," she praises, stroking her thumbs along the gloved edges of his.
A cloud of air appears in front of his lips as he huffs, but he doesn't let go, doesn't stop skating along with her.
After they left his and Martha's rental cabin, they went to the local grocery store, shopped for whatever recipe he has up his sleeve for dinner, but before returning to her dad's cabin, she pulled into the sports equipment store. She helped him pick out a pair of ice skates, lacing them for him as he tried a few different kinds on. He winced each time he caught a glimpse of the blades. She calmed his trepidation with the fit of her hand in his and the lean of her chin on his shoulder while they browsed.
He didn't truly protest until she handed her credit card to the guy at the register before he could withdraw his own.
"Kate," he reprimanded under his breath, but she pressed her lips to his cheek.
"Let me show you a good time, Castle."
He didn't argue after that, fisting his hand in the back of her coat instead.
He whined about the idea of ice skating the entire drive home, but she promised him a night of cuddling on her couch afterwards and his complaints softened to muttered grumblings from the passenger seat.
"I'm going to fall," he groans now, holding tightly to her hands. They've only been on the ice for fifteen minutes, their bodies face to face, her guiding him, and he's been terrified the entire time. "And I'm going to take you down with me and it will hurt for both of us-"
Kate sighs, bracing herself before letting her body drop to the ice.
Castle yelps, but goes down with her, sliding forward until he's practically on top of her. One of his knees skids into the ice, an elbow following as he tries to regain balance. She braces herself with a hand at her back, the other around his waist, knees bracketing his hips as he collapses into her.
"Ow," he curses into her cheek, breathing heavy. "Why would you sabotage me like this?"
She rolls her eyes. "Was it really that bad?"
He grunts, tries to shift onto his knees, but only ends up stumbling further into her. Kate sits up to hold him steady, allowing him to ease both knees to the ice and sit back against his heels.
"Okay," he says, exhaling a stabilizing breath and clutching her shoulders. "Not so bad. Cold, but bearable. Are you okay?"
"Fine," she nods, splaying her hands at his ribcage. "Ass is getting a bit chilled."
He grins but scrambles to get his feet back beneath him, reclaiming her hands to help her up with him.
"Now, stop being afraid to fall," she lectures lightly, tugging on his hands and resuming her backwards skate. "And just glide with me for a bit."
"Fine," he grumbles, but the corner of his mouth is twitching upwards and he's watching her from beneath the fringe of his lashes.
Within the hour, he's skating slowly but without the assistance of her hands in his. She warns him not to drift too far to the left side of the lake, where the ice has been thinner in years past, but she rarely has to worry about him being far from her. He stays close, talking with her about Christmases past with his daughter, his mother, and listening intently when she reluctantly shares a few of the brighter memories from her own holiday seasons with her parents. His fingers flirt with hers, their shoulders always brushing, and he stops more than once to adjust the beanie on her head, the scarf around her neck.
"Gotta stay warm, Beckett," he murmurs, covering her ears with the soft wool of her cap, skimming her jaw as he tucks the scarf in closer to her throat.
Flicking her eyes to his mouth, she asks, "Are you warm enough?"
The teasing evaporates from his features.
"I - yes?" he replies, causing her smile to spread. He drops his hands from her scarf to catch her fingers, leading her this time as he drifts slowly backwards. "You're cruel."
She scoffs. "You started it. All the touching-"
"I can't help it. Do you know how long I've wanted to touch you and not even - not just like that," he huffs at the arch of her brow. "Just, the way I get to touch you now. Like we're - like you're-"
"Yours," she fills in for him, pursing her lips as he sucks in a quiet breath.
"Kate, I'm-" He stutters to a stop, brow dipping in confusion as a sudden crack interrupts his words.
She knows that sound.
"Castle," she gasps, eyes flying to the ice beneath his skates, the multiplying cracks spreading there. She moves to pull him forward, but they both know it's too late for that.
He uses the clasp of their hands to shove her back as the ice gives way beneath him and he goes under the water.