So this clearly won't be done in time for the Winter Ficathon, but that's okay - hopefully you all don't mind reading a Christmas fic in *checks watch* March. I fell into a depressive episode the last couple of months and then got distracted by an SVU reunion, but I'm getting back to regular updates on this story.
If you're still reading - thank you!
Kate reads the hesitation all over Castle's face when they step into the room for the first time. She'd heard the receptionist say there would only be one queen-sized bed in the room, but it didn't register until right this second when they were both confronted with the stark reality of it right there in the middle of the room.
No cot, no couch, just one bed and a chair — that's definitely not fit for sleeping — to go along with the small table in the corner. She supposes one of them could sleep on the floor but that sounds less than ideal.
The tension crackles between them like static electricity and it's too much for her to bear right now, on top of everything else she's been fighting against the last several months.
"I have a gym bag in the car with some sweats," she says flatly. "I'm gonna grab it and then take a shower."
The abrupt change in her demeanor — again — doesn't seem to faze him. "Okay. What do you want to do about dinner?"
She shrugs. "Whatever you want is fine with me."
Beckett returns to their room 15 minutes later, completely chilled to the bone, a gym bag slung over her shoulder. She reaches for the doorknob, a curse falling from her mouth when she remembers Castle still has both key cards.
She knocks on the door, hears him shuffling inside the room. A group of young coeds whoop a little further down the hallway and she shakes her head in mirth. Ah, to be young and carefree again.
The door swings open a moment later and she finds Castle deliciously — uh, sufficiently — more rumpled than he was when she left. He's removed his jacket and rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, his hair askew as if he's been running his hands through it.
Perfectly kissable. Damn it.
She swallows hard. "Forgot the keycard," she says sheepishly.
"You were gone awhile," he observes without judgment. "Almost sent out a search party." She catches the glint of his eyes before he turns away from the doorframe.
"Yeah, just needed a minute to get my bearings," she admits, following him through the door. The line of his back ripples with tension, but he doesn't say anything to that.
She sighs, tossing her bag onto the bed, next to the spot where the room service menu and his cell phone lay. Beckett shrugs out of her coat, shivering a little, and drapes it over the back of the chair.
"So. Dinner?" she asks casually, glancing at him as she unzips her bag.
"Right," he claps his hands together, blue eyes sparkling in delight. "There's a great little pizza place here in town with the best pies - "
Beckett cocks her head, surprised. "You've been here before?"
He nods. "Some small weekend trips. There are no shortage of wineries and waterfalls around here, so Alexis, Mother and I have come up a few times."
"That's sweet, Castle."
He looks pleased. "What about you?" he asks, settling down onto the edge of the bed.
She shakes her head. "Just once on a weekend trip. I toured Cornell with my parents when I was applying to colleges." Kate smiles a little at the bittersweet memory. It had been one of her favorite trips she'd ever taken with her parents. The two of them had been completely taken with the small artsy college town, dragging her to local hotspots all over town, like Collegetown Bagels and Cinemapolis. They'd been stoked at the prospect of her going to school there, especially close to home, but she'd completely fallen for Stanford and never looked back — until Johanna died.
"What's the name of this pizza place?" she asks.
"Sammy's," he groans a little in pleasure, hands fisting at his side, and it startles her, makes her mouth go dry.
Off the look on her face, he clears his throat. "It's really good and just a couple of miles from here. If they're not delivering, we can stick with the room service menu."
Beckett fists her clothes in her hand, still recovering from his reaction. "Sounds good." She licks her lips. "I'm gonna take a shower. I need to warm up a little."
Actually, she needs to cool down, put some space between them, but he doesn't need to know that.
"I have an extra sweatshirt in here," she points to her duffel, "It's pretty baggy so it would probably fit you."
He shrugs, looks down at his shirt. "I'm fine."
She lifts an eyebrow, dragging her gaze down the length of him. "You're going to sleep in those clothes?" A button-down and a pair of slacks sound like the absolute worst way to sleep.
And she'd know, from the few times she's caught some sleep at the precinct without a change of comfortable clothes in her locker.
He frowns. "I didn't really think about that," he admits, scraping a hand through his hair.
"It's there if you need it." She bites down on her lip. "I don't, uh, have any extra pants though."
A flush climbs up his neck and it's kind of adorable. "I think I'll manage," he scrapes out.
"Yeah," she lets out quickly. The sooner she can duck into another room and get her nerves under control, the better. "I'm gonna - " she nods to the bathroom, her hands wrapped around her small bundle of clothes.
He lifts his phone, flashes it with the flick of his wrist. "I'll order the pizza."
Kate takes her time in the shower, thoroughly defrosting her body with 30 minutes of scalding hot water. The hotel's brand of shampoo and conditioner is a little drying on her hair, but nothing she can't fix with a 20-minute deep conditioner when they get back to the city.
She doesn't have a comb handy either, so she decides to scrunch her damp hair in the palm of her hands so there's a more wave to it. Not ideal and it'll be frizzy as hell tomorrow, but it'll do.
When she steps out of the bathroom, warm and relaxed, she barrels right into Castle, who's headed for the door to the room.
"Sorry," they exclaim in unison as she jumps back, hands raised in front of her. A flush creeps up the apple of her cheeks and the tips of her fingers tingle with the unexpected contact.
"I, um," he stutters, looking flustered. He brushes it away with the shake of his head, starts again. "The pizza's here," Castle explains, nudging his head toward the door.
"Ah," she says awkwardly, biting down on her bottom lip.
"So I'm gonna - "
"Yeah, you should get that," she replies lamely. God, what is wrong with her? "I have some cash - "
"Negative, Ghost Rider," he shakes his head. "I gave them my card over the phone."
She narrows her eyes. "Fine, but breakfast is on me tomorrow."
A very Castle-like grin forms on his face that puts her much more at ease than she was 10 second ago. "You've got yourself a deal. You know, there's this incredible waffle place in the Commons -"
"Castle," she interrupts, smashing her lips together to suppress a smile. Of course the man has a favorite waffle place in town. "I think the pizza guy might take off with our food if you don't answer the door soon."
"Right, good call."
She chuckles to herself as she leaves him there in the short hallway, padding softly over to the bed, collapsing onto it gracelessly. Kate fishes around for the TV remote while she waits for him, rolling her eyes at the sounds of his conversation. Always making friends.
Four minutes later, she's settled on an old rerun of Seinfeld when he finally returns, three boxes in his hands and a plastic bag dangling off his wrist.
"Did you make a new friend, Castle?" she teases, propping her elbow onto her knee before she rests her chin on her open palm.
"As a matter of fact, I did, Beckett," he replies, indignantly. She rolls her eyes at that, pushing away from the bed toward the siren call of greasy cheese.
"Are we hosting a room party and you forgot to tell me?" she asks, amused.
He doesn't get her joke, his forehead wrinkling in confusion. "No, why?"
Her eyes dip down to the spread and back up at him. "You ordered, what, two large pizzas and some cheesy bread?" She reaches over, rustles through the plastic bag. "And four sodas?"
"Hey, you never know," he protests. "We could be stuck here for days, Beckett."
"No, Castle. We will be going home tomorrow." Even if they have to walk home, she cannot spend another night alone in this room with him.
Kate looks down at the table, shoulders drooping in realization. "You didn't happen to ask if that had any plates, did you?"
"Um, interesting, no," he replies regretfully. "Let me walk down to the front desk and see if they have anything."
She nods. "Better hurry before I eat all the cbread." Her stomach rumbles in agreement.
His mouth drops open in feigned shock. "Beckett, you wouldn't."
She lifts an eyebrow, challenging him. "You sure about that, Castle?"
"No."
And then he's out the door in a flash.