Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Andrew W. Marlowe, though they have found their own way into my heart.

1.(IN)DEPENDENT

A loud pounding on the front door woke Kate from her deep slumber. She peeked at her alarm clock. 2:58 am. She checked her cell phone in case she had missed any calls from the precinct. Nope, nothing. The loud knocking echoed through the quiet apartment again. With great effort, she got out of bed and stumbled in the dark to the foyer. Opening the front door a crack, Beckett peeped out into the hallway. Castle, of course.

They had closed a case just a few hours ago and it had worn them all out. Castle and she had agreed that each would sleep in their own homes that night. They couldn't be together 24/7. As much as she loved him, it wasn't healthy for their relationship, especially at its early stage. They'd been together for four months and she could count with the fingers of her hands the nights they had spent apart. She still had some digits to spare. They needed some boundaries, be able to be alone for a few hours from time to time. They needed some peace and quiet, more she than he. Beckett was used to her independence and the last few months not only had Castle kept following her every move around work, they now spent most of their free time together as well. So, she thought, a few hours of rest separated should do them good.

Apparently Castle wasn't keeping his part of the bargain. He stood in the hallway in his PJs, pouting at her with puppy-dog eyes and bed hair. Kate lifted her gaze to the ceiling and sighed in exasperation. Closing the door, she waited a long moment before removing the security chain —just to make him suffer—, and opened it again. She put both her hands on her hips and bore him with a cold glare. He stood speechless as he bit down on his lip, looking all miserable.

"And?" she snapped. "Where's the emergency?" she asked with irony.

His gaze flicked down to his hands for a second before looking up at her again.

"I missed you…" he mumbled. "I couldn't sleep." Beckett waited for the rest she knew was coming. "…Can I come in?" Castle murmured pitifully.

She scowled at him for a very long minute. He just stood there very still, looking like an innocent kid who had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. She knew he knew there was the possibility she would send him back home and not feel remorse at all. She should have sent him home. Instead, very slowly, she moved aside to let him through. Castle took a hesitant step forward before he hurried inside. Kate locked the door behind him, and without glancing at him, she walked past the writer and got back into bed.

When he entered the bedroom, she heard him shuffle his feet silently across the floor. Making no sound, he took off his shoes, and lay down next to her under the covers. Beckett rolled onto her side, turning her back to him. Castle didn't move for the next few minutes. She could barely hear him breathe. When she thought he had been punished long enough, she reached back and took his hand, putting his arm around her waist. Castle immediately snuggled behind her and held her close. Kate felt him burrow his face into her hair and breathe in her scent. Then he brushed a kiss over her jaw. Reaching down, she patted his hand on her stomach and laced her fingers with his.

"Didn't see you brought anything with you…," she wondered in a low murmur. "Just out of curiosity… You planning on going in your pajamas to work tomorrow morning?"

So, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading!