"He hates me Lanie"
"Who?"
"Esposito, all I wanted to do was keep them alive and doing so I've lost my best friend"
"Ryan what the hell has happened?"
"Don't you know?"
"If I knew you think I'd be asking?"
"Yeah right and stop giving me that look"
"What look?"
"That look you normally save for Castle's theories, or when Castle and Beckett have a moment then brush it off"
"Ryan"
"Yeah"
"Shut up and get on with the saving their lives story?"
"Oh right yeah, well in short. Castle left, Beckett found out where the person who hired that assassin is, she decided to go but without backup and with telling Gates"
"Typical Beckett"
"Anyway, she asked me and Espo to come along and He said yes but I stayed behind and told Gates, we went to that building and when we got there Esposito was unconscious – he's ok by the way - and we just saved Beckett from falling off the building – during which she was screaming Castle's name by the way – and the people who got them in said positions fled when they saw us, upon coming back to the station Esposito got suspended, Beckett resigned and left and now Esposito hates me"
"That stupid bastard"
So that was how I got here, dripping wet and standing outside the wooden door that leads to his apartment. Fuming. Eloquent speech prepared saying about how fucking stupid it was to risk his life like that – carefully avoiding the small fact that you know. I'm still in love with him. Idiot.
I knock three times and practically growl "Javi".
Then he opens the door and my eloquent speech disappears leaving me with.
"You dummy, you big stupid dummy"
"Lanie…" He seems ashamed – he should be.
"Do you have any idea – any idea how I'd feel if you, If the next body on my table was yours?" Tears start to stream down my face as I remember those nightmares.
"It'd break me Javi, it would destroy me, I'd rather it be me on there than you! Do you have any idea? Then you go running off risking your moronic backside on stupid rogue work, so stupid, so stupid, you dummy, you and your over-sized ego and you, and your…"
It all starts to turn into unintelligible drabble and I do what I've wanted to do for so long. I don't know what it is – maybe some deep intelligent reason like the prospect of losing him or maybe because he looks so damn good or maybe even a combination of the two but I grab him by his jacket and kiss him furiously.
It doesn't take a second for him to respond in kind, our mouths move as one, bodies flush against the other, he emits a predatory growl and I moan as his tongue glides along my lip. Our tongues fight for dominance and I feel him smile against my lips as mine fights his – so unlike those bimbo's from the bar – He pulls me into the apartment and I slam the door behind us – which he promptly presses me into. After a few minutes we both come up for air and just stare into each overs eyes.
"God I love you Chica"
"I love you dummy"
"Mind if we don't make that a permanent name?"
"Sorry dummy"
"I'll withhold sex"
"Yeah right"
"Yeah you're right"
"You bet it – dummy"
I smile into the following kiss.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next morning~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunlight streams on my face as I groggily open my eyes. There's a warm heavy thing draped across my waist and I'm completely naked. Then I remember and can't stop the satisfied smile on my face. I flip over and just stare at his face. The colour of his skin reminds me of coffee filled with plenty of cream – just the way I like it.
"Chica stop watching me sleep"
"Fine I'll put some clothes on and make some pancakes"
"Screw pancakes stay here"
"I'll bring you pancakes in bed – with extra whipped cream"
"That's why I love you"
I laugh, shove on one of his old t-shirts that smell of sweat and hotdogs – I don't even want to know – and pad into the kitchen. From where I call Kate.
"Hey"
"You sound happy"
"I am happy – very happy"
"Say hi to Castle for me"
"Shut up Lanie"
"Took you long enough"
"Is something wrong I haven't heard you sound this happy since – oh say hi to Esposito for me"
"Shut up Kate"
"Took you long enough"
"Hey I actually went out with him"
"And you broke up and had this weird pining thing going on"
"You'd know all about that"
"I've got to go I have"
"Pancakes, same"
"Yeah that, and Alexis will be home and we need to clean up"
"Didn't think you'd have it in you"
"I hope your pancakes burn"
"Bye Kate"
"Later Lanie"
I put the phone down more satisfied than in months. Thinking about Kate and Castle and Javi waiting for me.
They say good things come to those who wait.
I second that.