Capítulo 89: 89. Chapter 89
Castle grunts, opens an eye to early morning sunlight and his wife.
"Rick."
He jerks up, heart pounding at the tone in her voice. "Kate?"
"I need to tell you something."
"Is someone hurt?" He scrapes a hand down his face, scissors his legs to get out of bed.
"No, no," she murmurs, puts her hand on his thigh to keep him there. She squeezes and he glances down, not comprehending.
"What?"
"I did something," she whispers, nudging his leg so she can crawl up with him.
Castle pulls his feet back in bed, watches her with equal parts confusion and want. Her hair is up in a messy pony tail, sweat still slicks her neck, a damp v in her shirt. Kate doesn't get under the covers, but she perches next to him on her knees, practically vibrating with anxiety.
"What did you do?" he says finally, reaching out to take her hand.
She winces, almost a cringe, and it surprises him. He cradles her hand between his, wonders if she fell while she was running, if she broke something. But her hand is unmarred, her fingers are even flexing against his. So nothing's broken.
"Kate. What did you do? Are you hurt?"
"No, not - it's not that. I just - Rafe was out in the kitchen and I kinda did it on impulse. I didn't think it through. But I think it's right."
"Did you kick him out?" he says, blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. She looks like she did something wrong and this is the only thing that makes any sense.
Kate laughs at that, a little bubble of relief, shakes her head. She laces their fingers together and raises their joined hands up in front of his eyes. "You're gonna have to buy me a new ring."
He looks at her smooth finger, the strip of pale skin where it should be. "Oh. Did it go down the sink?"
She bites her lip. "I gave it to Rafe. For Alexis."
His jaw drops.
She stares at him. "I should've run it by you first. I know. I know you hate that. But it was - I talked to Allie this morning when we both were up prowling, and then when I got back from my run, there was Rafe and it just - just happened. I didn't want to wait, because I wasn't sure when I'd have a moment alone with him, but I want - I want Allie to have it."
His daughter has a ring. She's that close to marriage-?
Wait. His daughter has Kate's ring.
"Castle?"
"You want Alexis to have your ring?" he says finally. This - this gorgeous woman. Staring at him like he might be upset, like it could blow up in her face, only it couldn't. It could never be wrong, wanting to give his daughter, his first child something so precious. "Kate."
"Did I do right?" she whispers.
He falls all over her trying to get at her, hug her so tight, dragging her into his lap to take her up into himself where she'll never get hurt, never need to wonder, where he can have her close forever. She squeezes back just as hard, and he can feel the tremble of her fingers at his back as she holds on to him.
"You gave Alexis your ring. Your mother's ring. I didn't - it's your mother's ring."
"And then it was mine, Rick. You made it mine. Now it will be hers."
And then it hits him, even more, what she's done. She's passed it on. She's kept a family tradition, the links - mother to daughter, because Alexis is hers, is just as much hers as Ellery or Dash, and that - that - she's amazing.
He presses his mouth to her ear, her jaw, kissing her hard, too much, because of how this feels, overwhelmed, and then he finds her lips and breaks into them, steals her breath.
Kate surges closer, wrapping her legs around his waist, arms still embracing him, her body flush with his. He can feel the sweat under his fingers at her neck, taste it on her tongue as he robs her of any more words, anything else beautiful and poignant she might possibly say, because he wouldn't be able to survive, couldn't.
Castle holds her close, so close, until they have to breathe, until it's necessary to take a moment and rest, foreheads touching, mouths sharing the same air, her lashes brushing his cheek.
"You are so beautiful," he pants against her, groaning at the feel of her around him. "So beautiful how you love our kids. How you move through this life with me. God, I love you. I love you-"
She seals her mouth over his, absorbing the rest into her kiss, and even as aggressive and claiming as it is, she doesn't use her teeth, doesn't demand more, doesn't push. It's not her kind of kiss, and it's not his either - it's a blend of the both of them. It's still that intense, bordering-edge of need that makes every hard line of his body want to be over her, in her, with her, but it's rich and deep and focused solely on the way their mouths mate rather than anything else.
He moves away again, has to, for his own sanity, crushes her against him. "Why? Tell me why. I want to hear you, your words."
She shudders, her legs squeezing his hips, rocking forward, but her mouth finds his ear. "Because she - she deserves all I can give her."
Castle's hands clench around her ribs, tighter, and she gasps, but keeps going.
"Because she's mine."
"Yes," he says, and drops his head into her neck, breathing in her skin. "You - yes."
"Because she taught me, and because you taught me, how to be a mother."
"Kate," he moans, because that's not right, that can't be right - she taught him-
"Because when you gave me that ring, Castle, it meant more than Be my wife. It meant Share all this with me. Have it with me and no one else. And that's all I wanted. And what I want for her."
He kisses her neck, he's been kissing her neck really, but now he sucks on her sweat-salted skin and licks at the tendon moving against his mouth as she slides her hands up his shirt.
"Rick. Now. I need you now. Please."
He bites into her skin and she shivers. "You and no one else."
Kate strokes two fingers over his right eyelid, feels his grin under her wrist.
"What're you doin'?" he says, rough with exhaustion.
"You got back to sleep, baby. I woke you up," she says back, still draped over his body.
"It's all good, babe."
Her skin burns at the sound of his voice, like that, like that, a richness and a hoarseness to it she knows from one place. Here. Right now. This time, times like this.
She hums at the pet name because he expects it, because she did it again entirely on accident, and he expects her faint disapproval and huff of annoyance, of course he does, and she sees him smile that lazy, drowsy smile of contentment, pleased with himself, his eyes still shut, his face lit by pale morning sun.
His fingers slide slowly up her back and then drops off, hitting the mattress, and he's seriously gone.
Out - just like that.
Kate watches him for a long moment, stretching it out, the warmth of pleasure and rightness, the feel of his body under hers. When her skin starts to cool and her sweat gets itchy, she lifts her lips to his chin, kisses the cleft, the burn of stubble so good against her mouth.
Then she slides off, draws the sheet up around him, smoothing her fingers through the hair at his temple. She has to lean down once more and kiss him again, lightly on the mouth, before stepping away for a shower.
She thinks about him while she goes through the motions, auto-pilot, scrubbing sweat out of her hair, thinking about him, just him, and the way he looks at her and how it was when he proposed - all the times he proposed - and the touch of his mouth that just breaks her apart.
Soap sluices down her back and she winces, stepping away from the shower head, back arched. She hisses and slowly gets in the water again, gritting her teeth as it stings, so badly.
Okay, well now those sappy, warm feelings are swirling right down the drain with all that hot water, but - ah, well - it was worth it. It is worth it.
And it reminds her, randomly, that Dash wanted to have hot tea with her this morning, so she better get going.
She finishes up quickly, shuts off the shower, towels dry. It's rare that she's up before Dashiell, and if Rafe is out there making breakfast, then Dash will probably go ahead and get out of bed. She wants to be the one to go get him, hold his snuggly, warm little body as she carries him into the kitchen.
She dresses in jeans, white tshirt, pulls her hair back wet, smears on a little foundation for the sunscreen in it, finds her eyeliner in the floor after a crazy search, finishes up her makeup.
Castle is still deeply asleep, and even though her back feels a little raw - his hands were all over her, so he might have opened up the scabs - she leans over him and kisses his mouth while he's out.
He tastes good. Maybe it's just her toothpaste and cherry lip gloss the kids gave her for Christmas, but he does. Maybe also because she loves him. So much.
Kate brushes a thumb over his eyebrow, then heads out to get her son.
The tv is on in his room, but Dashiell is curled up alongside his dog, face mashed in between a pillow and a paw. Kate puts a knee on his bed and jiggles the mattress, waking them both.
Dash turns his head, blinking up at her, and then his face spreads in a wide smile. "You come to get me!"
"I did, baby. When did you first wake up?"
"Mm, it had a six at the beginning. You went to run."
"Ohh, did my leaving wake you up?"
He shrugs.
"Have you gone to the bathroom?"
He nods at her and pushes up in bed, shaking hair out of his eyes. "I can get up?"
"Yeah. You want to have some hot tea with me, my little man?"
His grin reappears and he gets to his knees on the bed, arms up to her. He does love to snuggle in the morning, just like a Castle, so she leans over and gathers him up, kissing his face with a loud smack of her lips.
He wraps his legs around her, his arms, wriggles in close to lay his head on her shoulder. His fingers play in her hair like they did when he was a toddler. Mm, she remembers that so well, the little baby fingers at her neck, his babble in her ear, his delight at the world, how he ran full tilt towards everything.
She cups his cheek and kisses him again, then turns for the door, walking out with her growing-up boy. She feels Dashiell gesturing to Rex over her shoulder, looks back to see him urging the dog forward, into the hall.
"Come on, Rex," she murmurs, waiting a moment. The dog comes to heel, tongue lolling, looking up at her. "Good dog. I'll get you some food before we make hot tea."
She snuggles into Dashiell one last time, then puts his feet on the floor, shows him the bag of dog food and the plastic cup Castle used.
"Like this, Mommy?"
She nods as she watches him measure it out, then his careful steps to the dog's dish where he dumps it out.
"Hold it a little closer to the bowl, baby. That way it all gets in there."
"More?"
"One more scoop, just like that. This can be our job in the morning, since you and me get up so early."
"Yeah, I can do that. You feed me and I feed Rex."
She laughs, ruffles his hair, and fills up Rex's water bowl. She sets it down next to his food and he attacks both of them.
"After we have hot tea, we'll probably need to take him out."
"Oh, I did that this morning while you were running," Rafe says, coming down the hall from the direction of the girls' room. "So he should be good."
"Oh, Rafe, thanks."
"Also, I put everything in the microwave to stay warm, but it's the kind of breakfast where you can come and go. Just grab one and heat it up whenever you want."
"You're awesome," she says, grinning at him. "Dash and I were about to have some hot tea. And then we'll grab breakfast. Want to join us?"
She kinda wants to keep this between her and Dash, but she also wants to include Rafe in everything this family does. She doesn't want him to think he's not allowed in.
But he shakes his head. "I - um - I actually am gonna eat with Allie. In there."
Ohh, breakfast in bed. Very sweet. "Sure, go ahead."
He nods and grabs two glasses of orange juice off the counter, which Kate just now notices, then heads past her and Dash for the girls' room again.
Yeah, Ellery can sleep through anything. Still, she's not sure how breakfast in bed in the top bunk is gonna go, but that's up to them.
Dashiell has already grabbed the stool from the bathroom and is dragging it out into the kitchen. He nudges it with his knee up to the counter. "I'm ready, Mommy."
She grins at him and slides up next to him The coffee is already brewed, but she grabs two mugs from the cabinet and gives him one.
They make his hot tea together, just putting the mug of water in the microwave, adding a little milk and honey, then a tea bag. She doesn't have any sanka here, but he likes the English Breakfast tea well enough.
And mostly, her sweet boy just wants to drink hot tea with his Mommy, have the morning alone together. His last morning as a four year old.
She pours the coffee into her mug and slides it over to him, lets him add creamer and sugar, just how she likes it. She's surprised he remembers, but he is a Castle, isn't he? He pays attention to the people he loves.
When Dashiell is done, he stirs the spoon slowly, then slides it back across the counter to her, grinning broadly.
Kate kisses the side of his face, smudges the chapstick from his skin. "Thank you, baby. Want to go out on the balcony and watch the ocean with me?"
"Can my dog come too?"
She glances down at Rex, but he's seriously too big to fall through the slats of the railing. Would he jump it though? She doesn't think so.
"Of course. Come on, Rex." She hands Dashiell his mostly warm mug, watches him carefully as they make their way through the living room. Unlike most dogs she's met, Rex is sedate as he walks behind them, doesn't trip them up, doesn't get in the way.
Kate wraps her fingers around her mug and reaches down to have a hand at Dash's back as he steps over the threshold, making sure he's got it. They stand out onto the balcony together and the wind lifts the scraggly strands of hair off her face, cools her skin.
Dash is watching her when she looks down at him.
"Let's sit together," she says softly, and then places her mug on the little table between the lounge chairs, gets in one. She takes Dash's mug from him, pats the space next to her.
When they're both settled in, she hands his hot tea back to him, picks up her own coffee, blows on it to cool. From the corner of her eye, she sees Dash do the same.
She grins into her first sip, relishing the hit of caffeine and the pleasure of her almost-five-year-old sitting beside her, his legs stretched out next to hers, his shoulder at her arm. mimicking her in every little thing, just like he used to when he was a toddler.
He leans his head against her, a little hum, and she reaches over with her free hand, strokes the side of his face.
Dash glances up at her, a question in his eyes.
She leans in and kisses his forehead. "You are my best boy. And I love you."
He looks like he's about to throw his arms around her, but he remembers his hot tea just in time, and pauses, caught in the middle of longing and caution.
Kate grins, takes his mug and her own, sets them down, and opens her arms. Dashiell crawls into her lap and hugs her hard.
She embraces him, rocking side to side a little.
"I love you, Mommy. Thank you for hot tea. And my dog. I love my dog."
She laughs, and Rex lifts his head from his spot beside the lounge chair, giving her a look.
She grins at Rex. "Yeah, I love your dog too. But you most of all."
"All the ways, Mommy."
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