PROPINQUITY
CHAPTER TWELVE

"You ready for this?" Kate teased the following week, fingers laced through his as they stood in front of an apartment door. She could tell that Rick was nervous; his palm was clammy, and his leg had bounced during the whole car ride over. She squeezed his hand and smiled up at him when he looked at her. "You okay?"

Castle cleared his throat and nodded. "Sure. I'm fine. It's, ah...it's been awhile since I've met a girl's parents."

Kate chuckled and handed him the bouquet of flowers they'd picked up. "You don't have anything to worry about. Mom already loves you, and Dad…well…he's a little protective..." She trailed off, and bit back a smile as his eyes widened in horror. "I'm kidding, Rick," she insisted. "They're going to love you."

"If you say so," he muttered before knocking on the door.

It opened just moments later, much faster than it usually did, and she suspected that her mom had been standing on the other side, waiting. Kate just raised an eyebrow even as she was pulled into a hug. "Mom," she greeted her, eyes catching her dad with a bemused look on his face. When Kate pulled back, she turned to Castle, who was just standing there, flowers in hand. "Dad, this is Rick." She reached back and took his free hand, shaking it slightly to get him to look at her. "Hey."

Castle blinked and cleared his throat, then dropped Kate's hand to hold it out for her parents. "Mr. Beckett, nice to meet you."

"Please, call me Jim." He shook Castle's proffered hand, then turned to his wife. "Johanna's been looking forward to meeting you."

Castle threw Kate a smirk before turning to the older woman. "The pleasure's all mine."

Kate rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's apparent personality change. He'd been giving her grief ever since she'd mentioned her mom's love of his books; if he ever remembered that they'd met before, that she herself had gotten a book signed by him, he'd be insufferable. Considering his tendency to snoop, she was surprised he hadn't found her collection of his books. No, those were tucked away in the back of her closet, safely hidden from his prying eyes.

She nudged his shoulder. "You're not at a book signing, Castle," she teased. "You don't have to turn on the charm."

"Oh, but it definitely doesn't hurt," Johanna argued with a smile, taking Castle's arm and leading him into the living room. "So Rick, you must be excited for the next book to be released?"

"I am, yes. Although every release means I'm running out of time to finish the next one." He glanced back at Kate, motioned for her to follow him, but she just smiled and shook her head.

"She hasn't stopped talking about this all week," Jim said under his breath, as he and Kate detoured through the kitchen.

Kate picked up the plate of hors d'oeuvres from the counter and followed her dad to the living room. "Yeah, he hasn't either." She joined her boyfriend on the couch, painfully aware of her mom's eyes following her every move. Instead of curling her feet beneath her, or tucking her toes under Castle's thigh like she typically would, she occupied herself with cheese and crackers. "So, Castle, has my mom grilled you about Storm's next adventure yet?"

"Yes, and I told her what I tell you: no special privileges just because you know me." He stole a cracker from her plate. "Derrick's adventures are my secret until I'm ready for them to be uncovered."

Kate scoffed. He was right, he refused to give her any spoilers. What he didn't know, however, was that sometimes he talked in his sleep. She had yet to uncover any major plot points; lately, though, he'd been muttering the word "heat." She wasn't sure what it meant, but she'd vowed to find out.

She relaxed into the couch as he talked to her parents, watching, marveling at how he was acting. She'd watched Castle with fans and the families and kids at the hospital, and while he was always polite and gracious in public, tonight she was seeing a side of him she'd only seen in private. He was open, relaxed, unguarded. He answered questions about his writing and his work with the hospital honestly, and asked her parents about their work.

Kate had told him about her dad's addiction, how he'd spent a year in rehab, returned to law when getting out. At the insistence of Johanna, Jim had scaled back the number of clients; his absence had affected his reputation enough, though, that people were hesitant to hire him as a corporate lawyer. So, they opened their own practice.

"Kate tells me you're both civil rights lawyers? Can I ask what led you to that?"

"Of course," Johanna piped up. "Jim used to be a corporate lawyer, but he, uh, left that about twelve years ago." Her gaze drifted to Kate.

"I told him, Mom," Kate confirmed.

"I was in rehab for a year," Jim said. "When I was gone…" He trailed off, but after a nod from his wife, he continued. "My license was suspended, of course. I could have been disbarred, but Johanna went before the bar association and argued for suspension because I voluntarily entered rehab. But it affected Katie and Jo, as well; Jo was scrutinized at the DA's office, where she worked."

"That's one reason I went into PR," Kate interjected, glancing at Castle. "The press was awful. They absolutely crucified us, Mom and Dad in particular. It's one reason I went all the way to Stanford, to get some distance. But we've seen what bad press can do to someone's reputation. Even after Dad came back, there were still editorials and articles about whether he should be able to practice again."

"I left the DA's office a few months into Jim's rehab. They wouldn't let me in the courtroom, only wanted me in the office. I was basically a glorified paralegal, and they micromanaged the hell out of my work. So, I left."

"Why civil rights?"

Johanna set her plate down and took a sip of water, cleared her throat. "I saw too many people get put behind bars, or get handed unreasonable sentences, just because their lawyer was some court-appointed kid. Or worse, a burned-out defense attorney." She settled back in her chair. "Why do you think most lawyers go into the profession, Rick?"

Castle shrugged. "Mine does it for the money, I'm sure. He gets plenty from me. At least, he did," he added with a glance at Kate.

Johanna shook her head. "Everyone I knew at the DA's office joined to make a difference. They wanted to clean up the streets, make the bad guys pay." She chuckled. "Except one guy, but he was just a power-hungry ass. But in my time there, I realized it was less about justice, and more about politics. They only cared about conviction rates and not the little guy, and I didn't like that. So I decided to dedicate myself to help the little guy, and Jim joined as soon as he got his license back."

Castle smiled. "That's very admirable. If there's anything I can do to help, please, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Rick. Katie, help me bring dinner to the table?"

Kate nudged Castle's shoulder when he smirked at her, and stood to join her mother in the kitchen. "Mom-"

"I told you so." Johanna pointed her finger at Kate, a grin on her face. "I knew he was a good guy. I told you so right from the start, but you didn't believe me. You thought it was an act."

"I know, I know. Can we eat, please?" Kate grabbed the water pitcher and started filling the glasses on the table.

Johanna grabbed Kate's arm when she returned to the kitchen. "In all seriousness, Kate, he's a great guy. He has a good heart, and the press loves him. You should be proud of yourself for what you did."

"Yeah." Kate sighed and looked at Castle, who was deep in conversation with her dad. "He did the work, I just know the right people." She tore her gaze from him and turned it back to her mom, who was smirking at her. "What?"

"Have you told him?"

Kate's brow furrowed. "Told him what?"

Johanna crossed her arms, her smirk growing into a smile. "Oh, Katie. You two remind me of your father and I when we started dating. Couldn't keep our hands off each other-"

"Mom!"

"-I couldn't stop looking at him or thinking about him." She leaned against the counter. "You're in love."

"I-" Kate paused, then sighed and shoved her hands in her pockets. "I don't know," she confessed, her voice quiet so it didn't carry into the living room. She really liked him, but, love? The desire to wake up with him every day, to have him be the last person she sees every night? She loved spending time with him, wanted him when they were apart. Every time they were together it was great, passionate. She simply couldn't get enough of him, physical and otherwise.

After Johanna called the men to the dinner table, Kate lifted her lips in a reassuring smile at Castle's inquisitive eyebrow raise. And after he pressed his lips to hers and asked if she was okay, smiling at her assurances that she was, she found herself missing his touch when he let go so he could sit across from her.

Love?

If she wasn't already, she mused, she was well on her way.

"You okay, Kate?"

Kate turned and smiled when Castle set his hand on her knee, and leaned over to brush a kiss to his cheek. "Yeah, I am. Just tired, a little nervous."

Castle squeezed her knee, his brows furrowed. "Nervous? You've come with me to events before."

"As your PR rep, though." She snuck her hand beneath his to curl her fingers around his. "Not as your girlfriend."

"True." He brushed a kiss against her cheek, pulling away when the limo pulled to a stop. "Ready?"

Kate was no stranger to events, having gone to plenty both alone and with someone. And she'd accompanied Castle on several in her brief tenure as Black Pawn's employee. But not only was this Castle's own book launch, he'd informed her that this was the first one in which is date wasn't just arm candy that would turn into a one night stand.

Plus, it was their first one as a couple. A very public couple.

Their first attempt at a real date had been a disaster. He'd tried to take her to dinner at a restaurant where he knew the owner, later explaining that he thought it would be discreet. He'd been spotted by a few patrons, however, who had demanded pictures and autographs, refusing to leave them alone until he complied. They hadn't stayed to eat dinner, instead getting their food to go and taking it back to her apartment

Later in the night, she'd assured him that it was one of the best dates she'd been on, after escaping the fans. They could be comfortable and relaxed; she'd even spilled wine on her dress, which Castle had taken great pleasure in peeling off her.

"Can't do this in a restaurant," she'd gasped when he'd settled between her legs.

Kate was shaken from her reverie by the car door opening, and Castle squeezed her hand once more before sliding out to meet the flashbulbs and reporters. She wiped her palms on her dress before taking his outstretched hand and following him out of the car.

"Are you two serious?"

"What's the nature of your relationship?"

"Care to comment on the rumors that you started sleeping together when she was employed by Black Pawn?"

"Is it true you're writing your next book about her?"

Kate's head snapped to look at Castle at the last question, but before she should pull him inside and grill him about it, he was speaking to the reporters.

"-is our business, and we ask that you respect our desire for privacy. While Kate has attended many public events in her career, long before we met, we would like to navigate our relationship without interference. Thank you, and be sure to purchase Storm's Last Stand when it is released."

She followed him into the bookstore where the party was being held, hand firmly in his, but when he pulled her into a quiet corner she poked his chest. "What the hell was that about your next book?" she snapped.

Castle grinned and grabbed her finger. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Oh, I'm surprised, all right." She tugged her hand out of his grasp and crossed her arms. While, as a fan of his books she was excited, the reporter had suggested that the book would be about her. And that was most definitely not something he'd mentioned. "What was he talking about?"

"Look, Kate, you know I've been struggling with the next Storm book." He glanced around before pulling her closer to the wall. "And you know I've been working on something new, a new character."

Kate just raised her eyebrows at him.

"She's kind of based on you."

"Kind of?"

"Can we talk about this later? I have a book to sell and asses to kiss." When Kate rolled her eyes and turned to join the party, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back. "Hey. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was waiting until I was done writing."

Kate pursed her lips and considered him. He did look concerned, his brows furrowed, and his thumb was brushing circles along the back of her hand. It was something he did to be comforting, and while she usually found it soothing, tonight she squeezed his hand to make him stop. "I wish you would have mentioned something before now. Buy me a drink to make up for it?"

Castle tugged her closer and leaned down to brush his lips at the corner of her mouth. "Of course. We'll talk?"

"Later." She followed him into the crowded room, where they chatted with a variety of attendees, from editors to other writers to the store employees. She continued to be amazed at his ability to talk to anyone about anything; he was excellent at small talk, his easygoing nature contagious. He was focused and engaged with everyone, and after a while she squeezed his hand before letting go, and mingling on her own.

"Kate!"

She turned at the sound of her name and saw Lanie with her apparently-on-right-now boyfriend, and she joined them at the bar. "Hey guys," she greeted them, ordering a vodka martini. "Enjoying the party?"

Javi signaled for a drink. "Yeah, your boy knows how to throw one. I'm not one for murder books, but if he keeps inviting me to these, I could learn to like them."

Kate glanced at Lanie in confusion. "I thought Black Pawn would have invited you?" While Kate hadn't been hired back by Black Pawn after the Gina fiasco, at Castle's insistence, they'd hired Lanie to finish out the pre-book release PR.

"Nope. Well, not before Castle invited Javi." Lanie shrugged. "It doesn't matter, we're here, aren't we?"

"Why did Rick-" Kate shook her head. "Never mind. I'm glad you're here. Add a little normalcy to this." She jumped when she felt a hand at her back, and when she turned to see Castle slide to her side, she nudged an elbow into his ribs. "I thought you were ass-kissing?"

"Kissing ass and taking names," Castle teased, plucking her drink from her hand and stealing a sip. "I'm glad you two made it," he said to Lanie and Javi.

"Free drinks and meeting famous people?" Javi chuckled. "You can follow me and Ryan around for years if this is how you bribe us."

Kate stepped away from her boyfriend's side so she could glare at him. "I'm sorry, what?"

Castle blushed. "We were going to talk about this later."

"Well, later is now." She crossed her arms. "You're following around Javi and his partner? As in, shadowing them at work? Where they solve murders?"

"Yeah, isn't it cool?"

"Castle."

"Okay." He guided Kate to sit at the bar, and signaled for drinks. "My new character is based on you, at least personality and looks-wise. She's smart, sensitive, sexy. She doesn't take no for an answer, which makes her perfect for her chosen career as homicide detective."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "Hence you following around the guys. You'll be careful, right?"

"Of course. They won't let anything happen to me."

"Unless you annoy us too much," Javi piped up from behind her.

Kate shot a glare back at him. "Not helping. Rick, does the word 'heat' have anything to do with this character of yours?" she asked, turning back to her boyfriend.

Castle grinned. "Yeah, it's her name. Nikki Heat. How'd you guess?"

"You're shitting me." Kate pinched the bridge of her nose to try and cut off the headache that was forming. "That's a stripper's name."

"No, it's a cop name, with great title potential. Just imagine: Summer Heat, Heat Wave, In Heat."

Kate just scoffed and rolled her eyes at his excitement. Well, that explained the talking in his sleep, at least. "Rick-"

"Oh!" Castle jumped out of his seat and took Kate's hand. "Come here. I've been dying to introduce you to Dennis LeHane."

By the time they left the party it was late, so late that Kate almost fell asleep in the limo. As it was, she and Castle practically held each other up as they made the trek to his apartment. Neither of them had the energy to do anything besides change clothes and climb into bed. Even Castle's goodnight kiss, which usually led to something more, was chaste.

Kate let out a sigh when Castle pressed against her back and banded an arm around her waist. That was quickly becoming a favorite way to fall asleep; none of the guys she'd been with had been cuddlers, but with Castle behind her, it felt good. Right. And after her talk with her mom the previous week, she'd come to realize that her feelings for Castle had moved far past the "like" stage. She had no idea how Castle felt, besides liking her. She didn't know if or when he might get restless, or miss his playboy ways.

As she drifted off to sleep, she felt Castle's lips against the back of her head, his breath ruffle her hair with a whisper. She couldn't make out what he said, if anything, but her lips turned up in a smile and she snuggled even closer to him.

I love you.

"Kate?"

Her eyes popped open at the sound of his voice, soft, surprised. Shit, did she say that out loud? She turned to face him, inched back enough so she could see his face properly in the moonlight. He looked serious, his brows raised just a little bit, the fatigue gone from his eyes.

He reached a tentative hand to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing a path along the ridge of her cheekbone. "You...you love me?" he asked. His voice cracked on the last word and he sounded so small, so hopeful, that her eyes watered.

"Yes." She mirrored his pose, caressed the stubble on his cheeks; while he shaved more often now than when they'd first met, she loved when he let it grow for a few days. "I love you, Rick," she confirmed, little more than a whisper. "I don't know when it happened, and I can't explain how I know. I just...I love you."

Castle's grin lit up his face, the whole room, and he surged forward to capture her lips in his. "I love you too," he breathed when they parted, his forehead on hers. "Shit, Kate. I can't imagine what my life would be like without you." He kissed her again, slow and deep, nudging her to her back and chuckling when her hips lifted against his. "I love you. I love you so damn much."

She chased him when he pulled away, but when his hands worked their way under her top she grinned and helped him slip it off. "I thought you were too tired," she teased, echoing his lament from earlier.

Castle gave her a look, but the glint in his eye betrayed his true emotion. "The woman I love loves me back," he said, as if it was obvious. "I want to show her just how much I love her."

"I lo-" She gasped when he tugged her panties down and settled between her legs, his tongue sweeping along her. "Shit! Come here." She slid her fingers through his hair when he kissed her again, her mouth opening at the insistent press of his tongue.

"Say it again," Castle gasped against her cheek when they parted, and his lips trailed across her cheek, her nose, her chin. "Kate. Say it again."

"I love you," she breathed, arching when he slid into her. "I love you." They moved together seamlessly, bodies in a well-practiced dance. "I love you."

-FIN-

A/N: And thus (finally) concludes my 2015 Winter Hiatus Ficathon entry! As always, I am eternally grateful to Callie, without whom this fic would never have seen the light of day. Her brainstorming has gotten me through many a block, whether a full chapter block or just a "what word am I looking for" block. Most of all, thank you for the likes, follows, tweets, reviews, and most of all, for reading!