Christmassy addition to this little deaf!Beckett universe because the idea wouldn't leave me alone and it's the only vaguely coherent thing I've managed to write in a little while.

For Bogi - how did I get so lucky as to have you as a friend? 3

This is set their first Christmas after they get together, so I think that would make this season 4 sort of time? My own timeline is confusing me terribly oh dear

He's dancing around the kitchen, tossing ingredients into the huge saucepan simmering on the induction hob, and crooning along to Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby. He dips a spoon into the mixture, taste-tests the mulled wine and hums around the mouthful.

He swallows hurriedly - doesn't want to miss his favourite part. "Santa, honey… one little thing I really need: the deed… to a plat-in-um miiine."

He spins around to the rhythm of the music to find his girlfriend (...! Yeah, he can't believe it either) laughing at his less than graceful routine from where she sits with her advanced copy of his latest manuscript.

"Are you singing?" She asks, and for a second he wants to be sad for her, for the loss of her hearing but there's nothing but light in her eyes and he's not going to be the one to darken the mood. So he just nods, grinning and ladles out a little of the Christmas drink for her to try.

"Thoughts?" He signs.

"Mmm - it's good. Needs a little more citrus though, I think?" She's leaning over the worktop to grab some orange rind even as she speaks, flings the peel with precise aim into the pan across the kitchen from her. "What song?"

He flushes a little, and she lifts up in her seat, stretches the span of the counter so she can prod him into giving her the answer. "Santa Baby," he tells her, blood crawling to his cheeks and he's sure the apples of them are burning as brightly red as the Christmas hat perched on his head. Delighted mirth diffuses across her features, smile wide and toothy and childlike and eyes sparking with amusement.

"How very manly of you, Castle." She teases, taming her grin into a smirk.

"Just shows how secure I am in my masculinity," he counters, checking his concoction briefly before leaning on the worktop, elbows resting on the cool surface.

"With good reason, too." Her eyebrows lift suggestively and he preens a little, can't help it. As he saw it, his options were a) gloat, or b) take her on the counter right this second - perhaps preferable in some ways, but Alexis is home and Kate is loud. Really loud, even if she claims he must be exaggerating. "Are you a good singer?"

He hums, distracted by his train of thought.

"Castle. Can you sing?"

"Wha-?" Oh. "I'm not bad," he confesses.

"I wish I could hear it," she sighs and he looks up at her warily. It's not mournful though, not sinking into the pit of depression that still sometimes pulls her under. Just an honest utterance, a fact. "We could have dueted, Castle. I used to love singing. Sang in a choir as a kid, every Christmas until…"

She trails off but he knows exactly what's implied. Recognises how hard this season is for her since her mother's murder, even though she's trying her hardest to immerse herself in his traditions, celebrate with him.

"Have you tried singing since the explosion?" She shakes her head no, but her nose wrinkles a little as if in conflict with her answer.

"Well. Only in the shower. Alone."

"I'd love to hear you." It's a silent suggestion without pressure and he prays she takes it as such, doesn't want to push her into it if she's uncomfortable.

"No," she says; for the first time today that aching melancholy bleeds into her tone and the lugubrious words into little more than a heavy exhale. "I don't think I can anymore. You know I still struggle with volume and pitch sometimes. Don't want to be reminded of another thing I've lost."

He circles the island in a few short strides and steals the sadness from her lips until she's smiling against his mouth once more.

A few weeks ago, when she'd told him about her struggle with the holiday, he'd promised her he'd help her find the joy in Christmas again-

-and now he has an idea.

"Castle, I thought we were gonna stay in…" She's not really complaining per se but there's definitely a whine to her tone, the bite of her lip implying just what her plans for the evening had been.

If he weren't so excited for the night to play out, he'd be inclined to give in and just spend it tangled in bed with her. But he is, so...

"Nope. Come on, I told the Ryan and Espo we'd meet them at the Old Haunt."

She looks even more disgruntled at that, muttering complaints under her breath - only she hasn't been great at that since her hearing loss, so he heard every one of her grumbles about being turned down in favour of drinks with the boys. ("Hmph, see if you get to unwrap me when we get home tonight," is one that catches his attention in particular. Maybe he's not the only one that had special plans for this evening…)

It's Christmas Eve and their chances of getting a cab are slim to none so he calls the car service, dragging a reluctant Kate out of the loft by the hand and awkwardly signing with the other - meaningless nonsense in an attempt to illicit a smile. He succeeds in drawing one from her, though she hides it behind a curtain of her hair as she dips her head forward. Still. Mission accomplished.

He knows there's more to her disinclination to go out tonight than a simple urge to spend it in bed, he's not stupid, he understands her… He's just hoping that tonight will turn things around for her, if only a little.

"Karaoke night?" Beckett hisses as they reach the entrance to the bar he'd bought on a whim after Ryan had told him it was destined to become a TJ McChucklenuts. Castle winces at the further souring of her mood despite having expected it. He hopes the outcome is worth her current bitterness.

She's not pleased right now, that's for sure. Espo and Ryan make eye contact with him as they hug her hello, the three men sharing discreet nods in honour of their little scheme.

Time wears on and Kate's loosened up a little, had a couple of glasses of that wine she likes and - oh, she must be less irritated with him now because her hand is suddenly on his thigh, nails scratching against the denim of his jeans.

Castle figures this is the time to act.

"Come on, Beckett. Our turn," he signs, pulls her to her feet and has her halfway to the stage before she knows what's happening.

"Rick, no!" He stops immediately, lifts a hand to brush her hair back and she may be upset with him but it doesn't stop her from leaning into his touch. "I can't, I told you a few weeks ago, I-"

"You don't have to sing if you don't want to, sweetheart, though I'd love it if you did." His thumb slides across her cheek, drops so that he's cradling her jaw.

The few seconds before she gives in stretch out for an eternity but eventually she nods, covers his hand with hers and laces their fingers before guiding him up to the little stage that he's had set up for tonight.

"Fairytale of New York okay with you?"

"Perfect." She signs back before reverting to speech. "Means I get to vehemently and vitriolically insult you in revenge for this."

"You love me really," he insists, drops a kiss to her forehead.

"God knows why." She smiles slightly and squeezes his hand, and then they're up.

Her eyes are on him as he starts singing, pulling ridiculous facial expressions for her benefit, but he can see everyone moving into position from the corner of his eye. When it's her turn, her gaze still doesn't stray. It strikes him Kate Beckett is self conscious, thinking she's desperately out of tune; the truth of it is that her voice is gorgeous, the occasional flat note far less frequent than most of the people who have claimed the microphone this evening. "Beautiful." He tells her as their voices join. They blend well, he thinks.

Kate grins shyly and ducks her head, bashful. But then it's time, and he inclines his head away from the stage, directing her to look at the audience.

In front of them stand nearly everyone from the Twelfth and a few others, guys Ryan knows from the Emerald Society - and they're all signing along to the song, Espo holding a banner aloft with 'Boys of the NYPD Choir' scrawled across it (and damn it, Castle knew he should have written that himself. Javi's writing is near illegible) and Karpowski standing a couple of rows back and waving a sign saying 'Girls too!'. It's like some weird dance routine, the crowd of arms and faces a sea of movement and Castle is so glad he'd roped everyone into this so soon after the idea had struck, because practice really does make perfect. Everyone is in time, in sync, all the people she'd worked with for so long and a couple of her current FBI crowd here to support her and it's even better than he'd thought it would be.

Kate's hand comes up to cover her mouth and she turns to him, laughing with tears in her eyes as she takes it all in. "Thank you, Castle. You - I - I have no words." He hopes maybe she feels some of that Christmas magic she's been missing for such a long time.

In the end, she misses out on singing the slurs she'd been so excited about - she's too busy kissing him, instead.

So I thought the idea was cute, haha - not so sure about the execution though.

Hope you enjoyed!

Merry Christmas, in case I don't post anything else before the 25th! :) And Happy Hanukkah/Holidays/whatever you celebrate. Just. Be happy, haha.

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