Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
It was a well-known stereotype that cops hated paperwork. Well, as much as she hated being cast into a mould, Kate Beckett fit the label perfectly. The only bad thing about successfully solving a case was the paperwork that followed quickly behind it. However, the pile of paper from Kate's last case was beginning to dissipate, and she couldn't be more pleased. So determined on finishing the formalities quickly Kate Beckett jumped a mile high when a large box of takeaway food from the local Chinese shop landed next to her left elbow.
"It's been a long day, and a long case. I thought you might like some easy dinner." Richard Castle sat in the seat beside Kate's desk and placed his own takeaway box beside him.
Kate smiled gratefully, gathering her paperwork into a messy pile and placing it on the far corner of her desk. "Thank you."
Rick grinned and studied his partner who was now examining the contents of her box. She had tied her hair into a lazy bun on the back of her head and had changed from her usual work outfit into sweatpants and a long sleeved purple shirt. He himself was still in his regular casual suit. He began to dig into his food and it wasn't long before he felt uncomfortable. As happy as he was in the company of Kate, he wasn't a big fan of silence when there was nothing in particular to be silent about, not even when they were both eating.
"So, Detective, did you always want to be a cop?" He glanced over to where she sat, delicately picking out a piece of meat of her food, preparing to eat.
Kate looked up from her Chinese and stared at the famous novelist. "That's a bit random. What brought that on?"
Castle shrugged and twirled a noodle around his chopstick, slurping it into his mouth. "Can't a guy be curious?"
"You're not a guy, you're a child." Kate's tone was meant to sound berating, but the effect was lost as she tried to hide a smirk.
He made a sound of hurt, and Kate glanced back to see his world-famous puppy dog face staring back at her.
Trying not to laugh out loud, she laid her chopsticks over her food and leaned back in her chair, raising her arms and linking her fingers behind her head. "Alright, I'll humour you, but just this once.
"Yes, I think that I've always wanted to be a cop – amongst other childhood fantasies such as ballerina, hairdresser, florist, fireman… all the usual stuff. But I really discovered a passion for police-work after my mother's death. Her death threw into sharp relief that being in the police force isn't just about getting an answer… it's about getting the right answer."
The writer raised his eyebrows, wondering whether Kate realised that she was threading the chain of her necklace through her fingers as she spoke. "And here I was expecting a one- or two-word answer. I shall never underestimate you again." He too rested his chopsticks on top of his takeaway box and began to bow to Kate as one would bow to a statue of Buddha.
Kate couldn't hold in her laughter. Reaching across her desk, she lightly slapped Castle across the top of his head with a warning to stop being an idiot.
Grinning, he sat up and resumed eating his dinner.
"What about you? Were you always going to be a best-selling author, man-about-town, man-child?" she asked a few minutes later.
"Why, wouldn't you like to know, Detective?" he said, smirking. As her eyebrows raised slowly, one by one, he stopped smirking and leaned towards her like he was about to share a deep and dark secret, motioning for her to do the same.
Against her better judgement, Kate grinned and leaned forward to meet him.
"Yes." He chuckled and both leaned back into their seats, picking up their food boxes on the way. "No, seriously, I haven't always wanted to be a writer, but the idea was planted in my brain very early. I started writing little stories when I was about eight, and by the time I was sixteen, I was pumping out a few decent novellas every now and then. And that just kept building during college, and well." He shrugged and took a bite of Chinese. "Now I'm best-selling author, man-about-town and man-child," he said through his food.
"And disgusting. Don't forget that."
Castle hurriedly swallowed and cracked a half-grin, which, in turn, made Kate smile into her sweet and sour pork in noodles.
"What would your least favourite job be?" Kate asked.
Taking another bite of his meal, Castle considered her question while he chewed. "Filing in an office." To emphasise his point, he made a face like someone carrying a plate of rotting fruit and cheese had just walked into the room. "That'd be so boring! Same old dull work, day in, day out... yucky. That or being a waiter. I don't think waiting would be quite as terrible because there'd be something a little different happening each day, as well as new people to meet. But filing, I believe, would be the worst job of history."
Kate openly laughed. "I should have guessed. The famed Richard Castle would never like to do dull work."
Rick raised his eyebrows a little, unsure whether to take Beckett's remark as a compliment or an insult. Deciding that a compliment would best appeal to his ego, he took the comment that way. "Thank you!"
Rolling her eyes, Kate looked into her takeaway container and saw, sadly, that it was empty. Sighing, she spun in her chair and reached into a drawer, blindly rummaging. She noted that Castle had also finished his food and was watching her with interest. "Ah ha!" she cried and triumphantly produced two bags of gummy bears. "Dessert?"
Castle took a bag with a grin and opened it, spilling its contents onto his corner of Kate's desk. "So, what about you? What's your idea of the worst job in history?" He grinned again, picking out all the blue and red bears and putting them to the side. He selected a yellow bear and began to nibble on its ear. "Always save the best til last," he muttered.
Not quite rolling her eyes, Beckett picked a bear – she didn't pay attention to its colour – and chewed it quickly. "Easy. Sexual assault department, downstairs."
For a second, Rick wasn't sure whether she was making a very bad, dirty joke, but he quickly realised she was talking about NYPD's sexual assault department. "Oh."
"I once knew someone who transferred to Homicide from Sexual Assault. He said that he preferred working in murder to sexual assault because, even though rape victims and murder victims are both gone forever, a rape victim still has to go through the motions of being alive. In murder, while it's terrible to see families of victims having to try to live a normal life, it's worse seeing a victim try and bring him- or herself back to a regular routine. I think, to see that day in, day out, would be one of the worst jobs ever." Kate briefly closed her eyes and reached for another gummy bear and chewed it slowly.
Their light-hearted conversation had quickly changed its tone. "Way to put a dampener on a party, Beckett." Castle tried to smirk, but it came out more of a grimace.
Kate smiled wanly. "Sorry. But you did ask."
"I did. And I have now changed my opinion on the worst job ever." After a slight pause, he asked brightly, "Wanna play strip poker?"
At the unexpected change of topic, Kate laughed. "Really, Castle? You want to play strip poker?"
He waggled his eyebrows.
"No, Castle, thank you. I don't even want to play gummy bear poker. It's the end of a long day, and I think I'm going to go home, pour myself a glass of wine, run a bath and read a good book for a few hours."
"I recommend Storm Fall. On second thoughts, if you want, I'll come with you and read it to you as we lie soaking in your tub, drinking good wine. I also give excellent back massages," he added, as if hoping that the last few words would coax Kate into something they both knew she would never agree to. Not in this stage of their relationship, anyway.
She laughed predictably and stood up, grabbing both their takeaway boxes and her bag of gummy bears. "No."
Castle's grin faded as he stood, taking their coats. "Fine. I'll just go home to my lonely, boring little house, watch some boring movies with a bottle of whipped cream for company."
Rolling her eyes, Kate ignored Rick's pout and started walking towards the elevator, dropping the used Chinese boxes in the bin on the way. "Your house is definitely not boring. Your mother is probably prancing around the house with a margarita in one hand and a script in the other, causing as much ruckus as one woman can."
At this, Castle's grin disappeared completely, replaced with fear.
"And it's a Tuesday, a school night, so Alexis will be home. I'm sure she'll watch a dull movie and eat whipped cream with you."
He chuckled. "True."
They reached the elevator, and Beckett reached out and pressed the down button. The doors opened immediately and they both entered the car, Castle pressing the ground button as he did so. They stood with their backs facing the NYPD crest emblazoned on the back of the car, watching the doors slide together.
When the doors buzzed open on ground floor, the pair walked in tandem out of the elevator and out the front door of the building. Kate realised, as soon as she stepped out into the crisp night air, that she was not wearing her coat. Rick realised this in the same instance and helped her into the coat he had taken from the back of her desk chair.
"Until tomorrow, Detective," he said, smiling, donning his own coat and wrapping it around himself tightly.
Smirking, Kate replied, "Night, Castle."
Both smiling at what had become a regular exchange for them, they parted ways, walking in opposite directions to their homes.
Hey guys, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed.
At the moment, this is a one-shot. I do have a plan for a second chapter, but I'm not sure whether that will happen yet... we'll see.
Kudos go to one of my good mates, Milly, for doing a quick read-through for me!
One last note: I've used a paraphrased quote from Jodi Picoult's The Tenth Circle in this fic ("I once knew someone who transferred..." etc etc). Good book. I recommend it.
Anyway, thanks for reading! Review, if you feel like it.