Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.

Castle groaned yet again as the ball he'd just bowled ended up in the gutter. This was not the way he'd envisioned tonight going at all.

He'd been the one to originally suggest this, going bowling as a group, as a way to wind down after their last case but he was definitely regretting his suggestion now.

His plan, if it could even be called that, had been to impress Beckett with his bowling skills and he's not really sure what he expected to happen after that but he certainly didn't expect to be losing the game right now.

His plan doesn't even really make sense now that he actually thinks about it, how would being good at bowling change what Beckett thought of him? Maybe it is changing her opinion of him but it's probably for the worse because she is laughing at him a lot and his failure to throw the ball straight.

He sat down in a huff while Esposito got up to bowl next, Lanie cheering him on while Jenny and Ryan say opposite giggling quietly together.

"It's okay, Castle," Beckett said, moving to take the seat next to him, her hand landing on his knee, "someone has to lose and it's funniest when it's you."

Castle gave Beckett a look in return for her words which only caused Beckett to laugh. Castle pouted at her laugh but she didn't say any more, squeezing his knee lightly before she stood because she was next.

He figured the only upside of the evening (apart from being able to spend the night out with his friends and Beckett) was the fact that he can't remember ever seeing her smile so much. Even if it was at his expense.

XXX

"Are you okay? You seemed kind of down earlier?" It had been on her mind all night and she'd been trying to build up the courage to ask him ever since they'd left the bowling alley together as he'd offered her a ride home. They were at her door now, Castle insisting on walking her up, so it was her last chance to say anything before the night was over.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just," he paused, did he really want to say what his plan had been? "I was trying to impress you." The last part he mumbled while looking down but Beckett still heard.

"You were trying to impress me?" she asked, a look of surprise on her face.

Yeah?" he replied but it came out sounding more like a question.

"Why did you feel like you needed to impress me?" Did he not know what she already thought of him?

"I just…I wanted to show you…I don't know what I was thinking but I thought if I impressed you, maybe you'd finally see me, give us a chance." What was he saying? That certainly wasn't what he meant to say but the truth couldn't be stopped. She probably already knew that he wanted them to have a chance at being more than they are now. I mean, how can she not when he follows her around every day and he's certain that now whenever he looks at her, the love shining from his eyes could hardly be interpreted as anything else.

"I do see you," Beckett replied softly, reaching out to lift his chin so he was properly looking at her again.

"You do?" Castle asked, not sure if he really believed her. She was the first woman, since Kyra, to see past his public persona to who he really was beneath that but did she really see all of him?

"I do, and how good you are at bowling isn't going to change how I feel about you."

His breath caught in his throat, how she feels about him?

Apparently the question was evident on his face so she continued, "you're a kind, funny, caring man and a wonderful father. I've read every single one of your books, more than once, so you know I'm not lying when I tell you you're a brilliant writer and I wouldn't want anyone else for a partner."

All the words were just spilling out of her and she couldn't stop them.

Castle could only stand there looking stunned as she stopped talking. Was this really happening? Were they really standing on her doorstep while she told him what she really thought about him? And then his mind caught up to her last sentence. She wouldn't want anyone else for a partner? Did she mean just at work or a partner in everything?

Several minutes passed and Castle still stood there staring at her, his mind not yet capable of forming coherent thoughts and producing words.

"Castle?" Beckett asked, the silence finally getting to her as she grew more and more nervous that he hadn't spoken.

Castle's mouth opened but still no words came out.

Beckett looked down at her feet, finally losing her nerve that had helped her speak before, not sure what to do now.

"Did you really mean everything you said?" Castle asked, so quietly that Beckett was sure she'd imagined it until she looked up again and saw the hesitant look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Castle, for making you doubt me but yes I did mean what I said, every word of it."

The smile that broke out across Castle's face was one she'd never seen before, one that was so open, so beautiful and filled with so much love that her breath caught.

"Thank you, it means a lot to hear you say that," Castle replied and she could hear in his voice how much he really meant the words.

"You're welcome but you should've already known that's what I thought of you, I shouldn't have hidden that sort of thing from you."

"It's okay-" Beckett cut him off.

"No, it's not, I shouldn't have made you think that you needed to impress me for me to notice you." Tonight had really shown Beckett what her actions were doing to Castle and it was time to face that and let him know how she really feels about him.

"I…" He really wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"I like you, I really like you and maybe next time we go bowling, it could be just the two of us? Or we could go to the movies, or out for drinks, or have dinner together-" Castle cut her off before she could go on any more.

"Are you asking me out?" Castle asked, some teasing now in his voice because he knew that's exactly what she was doing which surprised him to no end. He always thought that when (if) the time finally came, he'd be the one doing the asking out.

"I am," Beckett replied, smiling shyly up at him, their height difference more obvious since she was only wearing flats.

"Then I accept," Castle grinned, not being able to stop the smile spreading across his face at the fact that Katherine Beckett, the love of his life, had just asked him out on a date.

"Yeah?" she asked, more confidence in her voice now.

"Definitely," he replied, giddy with excitement that they were finally going to have a chance together.

"Before I leave detective, can I ask you one thing in return?" Castle asked, knowing he was going to have to leave her soon but something she'd said earlier came back to his mind.

"And what is that?" Beckett asked, curious to what he may have to say.

"Have you really read all of my books?"

He got the answer he was looking for when she blushed in response.

Thoughts?