Long Day

A post-Boom AU

Caskett

With sore feet and aching shoulders, she followed Castle through the lobby of his building, careful not to crowd his back, but relying on his proximity to keep her from getting lost in her exhaustion. God, she was tired.

She'd been awake since four, at a crime scene first and then in and out of the precinct running down leads once the sky began to lighten. There was nothing she was looking forward to more than getting home. Even if it wasn't really her home.

Yes, Castle's place was homey and welcoming enough, but she was still a guest. She still felt like a visitor no matter how many times Castle had told her to make herself comfortable in the last week.

"Are you okay?"

Beckett blinked, looking up to find her shadow watching her, his face soft, thoughtful.

"What?"

He shook his head. "You look tired, that's all. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Oh, he was sweet, sweeter than his usual cocky smile and devil-may-care attitude indicated. Though to be fair, he seemed to have lost a lot of that bravado since her apartment went up in flames around her.

"You sure know how to flatter a girl, Castle," she drawled, allowing her lips to lift as he sputtered and stammered a protest.

"No-I-that's not what I meant."

She hummed, nudging his elbow with hers. "I know, thank you. I'm giving you a hard time." She managed a grin. "I'm just tired, like you said. Long day."

He nodded, gesturing for her to walk ahead of him onto the elevator.

"Not all of us got to sleep in," she added, lowering her chin in teasing. "Some of us had to go to work early."

"Hey, I didn't sleep too late. I just didn't wake up hours before sunrise."

She snorted, shaking her head. "You love playing cop until it comes to working our hours."

"And doing your paperwork, too," he added, grinning. "I'll happily avoid that."

Beckett rolled her eyes, but his levity had done the trick. Weariness wasn't quite as heavy on her shoulders anymore.

"Jokes aside, is there anything I can do?" he asked, following her out of the elevator once it reached their floor.

She bit her lip, touched by the sincerity in his voice. He really did want to make this easier for her.

"Anything you need?" he continued. "Besides dinner, of course. I'm going to start that as soon as we get inside. Unless you just want to go to bed, but you should really have something at least, even if it's just toast."

Beckett shook her head. "No, food sounds great," she said, reaching into her pocket for the key he'd pressed into her palm the night she first came home with him.

Castle's head bobbed in agreement. "I can hold off if you want a few minutes to yourself to relax, too."

She had wanted that for most of the afternoon, but as she studied his face, another idea was starting to take shape. Another means of unwinding. One he probably wouldn't object to, she was sure.

"Hold off on starting dinner for a little bit," she murmured as they stepped into the loft. "I want to jump in the shower."

"Sure." He took her coat for her, hanging it up beside his in the closet by the front door. It didn't escape her how good their things looked lined up beside one another. "I'll change before I figure out what we're having, so you can take your time."

She exhaled, gathering the courage to say what she was thinking.

"Actually, I have another idea." Her fingers closed around his and she gave his hand a firm tug, starting toward his bedroom with him in tow.

"Beckett?"

She turned at the uncertainty in his voice, pulling him close to her body and touching her lips to his without pausing to rethink the action.

"Come with me," she said against his mouth. "We can both unwind."

She brushed her lips over his again, offering a smile to banish the uncertainty and awe from his face. He was still staring at her, still stunned, but she didn't think he was turning her down.

"Although personally, I think we should work each other up first," she added, rubbing her hands over his sides. "What do you think?"

"Beck-Kate." He cleared his throat, his hands falling to her hips. "This isn't–I know you're still dealing with everything, but–"

She shook her head, reading the question in his eyes even as he stumbled trying to say it, nudging his nose with hers.

"I just want to make sure you're not going to shoot me," he blurted, grinning at her bark of laughter. "This is purely self-preservation talking, Beckett."

She returned his smile, thumbing his sides. "No gun. No shooting you. I'm sure, Castle," she said, meeting his eyes, letting him see the promise in her gaze. It might not be the best idea, but she wasn't making the decision because her apartment had exploded, or because she'd nearly died. She just needed him, wanted him. "I'm sure."

He needed no other encouragement, no other assurance. His fingers twitched on her hips before he yanked her in closer, covering her mouth with his, stealing her breath with the press of his lips.

"In that case," he breathed against her mouth. "I'll wash your back. And the rest of you, too."

She stepped deeper into his bedroom, moving toward what she assumed was his bathroom (she hoped he would stop her if she was steering them toward his closet, but his eyes were a little too wild with want for her to be certain of that).

They just barely managed to avoid climbing into the shower in their clothes.

He moved with a bounce in his step that hadn't been there before he'd pinned her hands over her head against his shower wall and made her shudder and moan his name. She couldn't blame him though, she was feeling relaxed and lazy for the first time in entirely too long, clad in his hoodie and a pair of pajama pants that slipped down her hips as she walked.

"Okay, dinner is served," Castle announced with a flourish that made her smile, moving around the peninsula and placing their plates on the countertop in front of her. "Sorry it's almost midnight."

Beckett hooked two fingers in the waistband of his lounge pants and tugged him closer.

"Mmm, I'm not. We worked up more of an appetite this way. And I'll sleep well when I finally do get to bed."

He grinned, pushing her hair away from her face, the gesture tender and sweet. He continued to surprise her. There was no trace of the cocky asshole she had expected to see after the first time they slept together, instead he'd been attentive and soft, touchy but respectful. Exactly as he'd been before they fell into bed, maybe even better.

Kate lifted her chin, leaning into the affection, inviting the soft press of his lips.

"Hmm, well in that case, enjoy," Castle said between kisses. "And we'll see about dessert after that."

She grinned, patting his ass. "Oh, I already know I want that, too."

Prompt from Anonymous: Turning this (bunysliper tumblr post 168340945187 shed-thought-she-would-want-to-retreat-to-his) short Fluffy Friday post into a longer story. You can also see the photo inspiration as the cover to the story here!

I would be remiss if I didn't say Happy 10th Anniversary to Castle. This wonderful show has brought me so much joy, taught me so much about myself, and continues to make me smile each day. Thank you all for reading, for encouraging, and for sharing this special story with me.