Pillow Talk

Disclaimer: If they were mine, there would be a lot more of this. lol But seriously, I couldn't be happier with Castle right now. :)

Summary: Kate and Castle spend time together, in bed.

A/N: For you sex-crazed kids out there, this is what a real relationship is like. You can still be intimate without humping the life out of each other.

But then... I may be a bit biased, since I found and married my own Castle before there was such a critter. :)

Kate knew something was different when she stepped inside her apartment. It was late, and all she wanted to do was to go straight to bed, but something wasn't right.

Quietly, she walked through her living room, and peeked around the open door into her bedroom. She found that Castle had already made himself comfortable on the bed. He was in a shirt and his boxers, his laptop perched on his lap, as he typed away. It warmed her heart that he decided to surprise her in such a way.

"Hey," she said as she sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to shake it too much. He was obviously deep into whatever it was Nikki and Rook were doing.

After a moment, he stopped and looked up with a smile, "Hey. How did the day go?"

"It was fine, just the same old thing, nothing Castle-flavored or I would have called." She reached down and took off her boots and socks, stretching her feet for a moment before she crawled across the bed to his side. "How about you?"

"Just writing," he answered, then closed his laptop and set it on the nightstand. "I did get a few chapters finished, so Gina will be pleased. I'll email them to her later."

He took her under his arm and rubbed her shoulder as he kissed the top of her head. "You look tired. Here, take my spot."

Kate moved over into the warm spot Castle had just left and watched as he moved down the bed and sat next to her feet. He took her right foot, kneading it gently with his hands. It felt wonderful.

"So, tell me about your day," he said after a few moments.

She opened her eyes, just realizing she'd closed them. "What?"

"Your day? Tell me about it."

He found that spot on her arch that was knotted up and breathed in deeply as he rubbed it. This foot massage was definitely making it hard to concentrate on talking. "Um... I thought I did that already."

"Sort of, but I want details," he said as he worked up to her ankle, "How many times did you get the evil eye from Gates? How many times did Ryan call Jenny? Did Espo sneak off to talk with Lanie again?"

It took her a few seconds, but Kate finally found her voice again. "None, at least five, and yes."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." Castle dropped her foot and took the other one, "I'll continue when you start talking."

"You're such a brat sometimes, you know that?" she asked, "Jenny called at like, 10:30 and Ryan disappeared for a few hours, claimed an emergency of some sort."

"They're making a baby, I bet," he suggested, waggling his eyebrows. "He and Jenny will make great parents."

"Yeah, they will," Kate agreed, laughing a little at Castle's antics. He started massaging her foot again, going between firm strokes and light, not-quite-tickling, strokes from her toes to her heel. She wanted to go to sleep, but knew he wasn't finished.

"Tell me more."

She had to think about that for a time. Really, it was a normal, non-exciting day, and it was still different, having someone so interested in everything she did. It was a comfort, of sorts, and she really did enjoy his attention.

"Gates seemed pleased with everything today. She did give me a strange look when I turned in the last of the paperwork on Bracken's case... it was like she knows something."

"Yeah, I wouldn't worry about that," Castle cut in, as he really worked on her arch, "With her background in IA, she may know more than what she's letting on about a lot of things. You never know."

"True." She watched Castle, wondering if he'd said something to the captain, but decided to let it drop. It really didn't matter.

"What about your day?" she asked. "I hope you haven't been here in your boxers all day."

He smiled and started working on her calf muscles. "If you must know, soon after you left the loft this morning, I went to the park and walked around for a while. I actually ran into Alexis and Max... I think I may have embarrassed her. She thought that I was following them around, but I finally got it through to her that I was honestly just taking a walk. You know, that it was a coincidence we even crossed paths." He sighed and dragged his fingers through his hair, "I guess I'll just not say anything to her next time, just let them have their time alone."

Kate could see the hurt and confusion in his eyes. "You know, it might have been that she wasn't ready for you to meet Max yet." She took her leg from his grasp and smiled. She felt so light and relaxed now, and wanted him to feel the same. "Come on, Castle, trade places."

She moved over to let him sit against the headboard again, and once he was settled, Kate sat cross-legged, facing him. She took one of his hands and began with his fingers, working each one down to his palm. "Sometimes, it takes a little bit to work up the courage to bring a guy you like to meet your father." Her lip slipped between her teeth as she smiled and said, "Especially if you're the father in question..."

He laughed a little as he watched her, and his eyes were becoming heavy-lidded. "Yeah, I guess I do bring some of that on myself, don't I?"

"You said it, not me." Kate moved on to his palm, "So what else happened?"

Castle shook his head and sighed as he answered, "I went home, sulked for a while, since my baby girl is obviously all grown up, and decided to come here."

Kate looked at him, quirking her eyebrow upward. That wasn't the whole story, and she knew it.

"Okay, okay," he admitted, "I built a blanket fort in my office and drowned my sorrows in ice cream before I came over here."

"You poor baby," she said, then kissed the middle of his palm. "Did you leave the fort up?"

"Huh?"

Lost him again. "I asked, did you leave the fort up? You know, is it still standing in your office?"

"OH. Oh... um... no. I figured Mother would come in and wonder what kind of psychotic episode I had if left it, so I took it down."

"Too bad," she said, then took his other hand in hers, kneading his palm, "We could've had fun in there."

His eyes widened, "I can always make another one. We could make one here..."

Kate looked at the clock. "Castle, it's almost eleven o'clock. We're definitely not making one tonight."

"But we will at some point in the future?" he asked, looking like a little boy at Christmas.

How could she say no? "At some point. Just not tonight. I'm really tired, and I have to work tomorrow."

Castle took his hand from hers and gently stroked her cheek, "Then let's get some sleep. I think it's been a long day for both of us."

He kissed her on the forehead and settled under the covers. "You coming, Kate? You might be over-dressed."

She rolled her eyes and patted his cheek, "Just give me a few, Castle. I'll be with you soon."

Kate smiled and watched him as she grabbed a sleep shirt and left the room. He looked so peaceful curled up in her bed, and it felt so good, having this openness between them. No secrets, no lies, just them, enjoying the time together.