Take Me Home

A/N: Super short one, but I LOVE this song and felt it was so fitting for poor Demming. :)

—-

He will try to take away my pain

And he just might make me smile

But the whole time I'm wishing he was you instead

Taylor Swift, Haunted

—-

Kate was tired. But not just that weary, sleep-deprived kind of tired when your eyes can't stay open and your brain feels foggy. She was exhausted. Her bones and muscles were being crushed with fatigue; her whole body felt like it weighed fifty extra pounds as she sluggishly dragged herself through the precinct hallway to the elevator, desperate to keep her momentum but wary enough not to physically fall forward.

These cases were catching up to her. The energy she threw into solving them was draining her dry, until she felt like nothing but a husk that could crumble at any second.

But she did have one bright spot in her day.

She thought about his tousled brown hair. His bright, mischievous eyes. His playful demeanor, and how he always seemed to know what to say and when to say it.

"Can I ride down with you?" Tom asked behind her ear.

Kate flinched, her reverie unexpectedly disrupted. He'd startled her, and she wasn't easily startled. It was unsettling. "Oh. Hi."

He turned down the corner of his mouth apologetically. "Sorry. Didn't mean to sneak up on you."

She tried to smile at him, but she wasn't quite sure what face she was making. She just hoped it wasn't a sneer or a grimace. "No, it's okay. Just heading home."

He pressed the button for her. She must have been standing there waiting for something to happen. She must have forgotten to press it herself. God, she was losing it.

"Can I give you a lift?" he asked, just as the elevator dinged. They stepped into the car, while Kate tried to think of a polite response.

"Thanks, but um… I think I've got it."

He snickered, and the doors closed. He stood arm to arm with her, her bag and coat slung over the opposite arm. "No offense, but… you look dead on your feet."

This time, she knew she grinned. "That obvious, huh?"

She caught his eye and it dawned on her that he'd been watching her. "Yeah."

Inhaling deeply, Kate shook her head. She hadn't meant to let herself get so out of hand with this case. She hadn't wanted to spend all night last night in front of the murder board, but it just… happened.

Castle had stayed until almost midnight. And then, as if he'd known she was still there, he'd brought her coffee at six that morning. He was thoughtful like that. It was like he was able to anticipate her every need without her needing to verbalize it. He was a great partner in that respect. The best, actually.

Kate leaned against the back of the elevator, her head thunking dramatically against the faux wood. She let her eyes drift closed, and smiled as Tom's hand intertwined with hers. It was such a subtle gesture. Friendly, caring, loving.

"You know… you might be right," she mumbled finally, and the elevator doors opened. She opened her eyes with them, but kept her sight trained on the parking garage ahead.

It wasn't Tom's hand she was holding.

It was Castle's.

"Take me home," she whispered, and wished it were really only that easy.