A/N: Besides the usual disclaimers of not owning Castle, I'd like to add that this short one shot was written under the influence of cold/allergy medication. It was written just for fun and is completely based on Penny Johnson Jerald's Tweet:

btwprod Had to get the name of Nathan's lip balm. No man should have lips that soft:) Jealous!

LOL! I'm sorry but that raised enough eyebrows and created enough speculation that I just COULDN'T let it go.

Kiss and Tell

by DeBo81

"Oh my god." Ryan muttered. "Javi come here."

Javier Esposito shot his partner with a curious glance before joining him at the window to the lounge. "What? Mom and Dad fighting again?"

"Uhhhhhhhhh, no, no I wouldn't call that fighting."

Esposito turned his face to the glass and strained to see through the almost shut slits of the blinds. Castle and Beckett were in the lounge making their morning coffee. What was so interesting about that?

But then she laughed, no giggled, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"That's new."

Ryan nodded. "No kidding. A second ago he was rubbing her arms."

"You don't think they..."

"They do have a certain glow."

As they watched, Kate finished stirring her coffee and placed it back on the counter as Rick wrapped her in his arms. She took a quick peek over Castle's shoulder, likely making sure they were alone, and then tipped her smiling lips up to meet his.

"Daaaaaaaamn!" Epso turned to his partner in disbelief. "I thought they'd never get themselves together."

Just then, the sound of high heels clicking across the floor came towards them. Gates!

Ryan moved away from the window quickly, intending to intercept, but she'd already seen the couple through the open door. The Captain picked up her pace while pointing a silencing finger at both Ryan and Esposito who followed her.

"Am I interrupting something Detective Beckett?"

Castle and Beckett jumped away from each other quickly. Their faces were flushed and they sported matching "deer in the headlights" expressions.

Beckett stuttered some incoherent words and turned to Rick with a silent plea for help.

"Captain, I can explain."

"I'm sure you can, Mr. Castle. But I have two functioning eyes. I know an office affair when I see it."

Kate made brief eye contact with her partners lurking in the doorway before dropping her gaze to the floor.

"Office affair? No, no Captain. I know it looks like that but, um, no."

Captain Gates folded her arms across her chest and shifted her weight back onto one foot. "Well then, by all means, Mr. Castle, please enlighten me with what I know will be a creative and convenient explanation."

"You see, um, I, uh I was just telling Beckett, here, good morning."

"Yes, we could all see that."

"But it's not what you think. Kissing her good morning was for cultural research. See, for my next book, I'm involving a group of hippies that are very, um, open, yeah, with how they greet and welcome friends. And um Rook and Heat uhhhhhh..."

Everyone was staring at Castle incredulously, when all of a sudden he sprinted across the room, cupped both of Ryan's cheeks, told him, "Good morning Ryan!", and planted a big noisy kiss right on his lips.

Kevin pushed him away in disgust and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. "Dude!"

Castle turned to Javier with open arms. "Javi! How was your weekend?"

"Bro, touch me and I will shoot you."

When Rick turned back to Gates she was looking more pissed then ever. So why he did what he did next, no one would ever know.

One, two, three steps across the room, and Rick was toe to toe with his "boss".

"You wouldn't." She said through pursed lips. But in one fluid movement he did. Rick's left arm encircled her suit clad waist. His right hand pushed her hair back behind her ear, and he dipped her back into a slow, soft kiss."

Gates clutched his shoulders for stability during the long seconds he held her in the embrace. When he righted her again, no one spoke. No one moved. They just waited in stunned silence, waiting to see what kind of wrath the captain would bring down.

Victoria Gates stood a little taller, and tugged down the sides of her jacket. "Mr. Castle, I don't think I need to tell you how inappropriate this type of behavior is."

"No Sir." He swallowed deeply.

She took a deep breath, and actually licked her lips. "Then I suggest that if you want to remain a part of the team here at the 12th, in the future, you and Detective Beckett will keep all of your 'cultural research' at home.

Without looking back, the stern woman hurried from the room.

Esposito couldn't hold in the sudden burst of laughter that bubbled up. "You have some serious cojones, Dude."

Kate pushed her hair back and appeared to breath for the first time since the interruption.

Ryan was in disbelief. "Did you just kiss your way out of trouble, with Iron Gates?"

"I think I did."

Beckett finished composing herself and headed toward the door, leaving the three shocked men in her wake. "He's just that good."

The End