Again, set mid season 4.

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

"Beckett?" someone called, nudging Beckett's shoulder, ""Beckett, wake up."

"Hmm…" Beckett responded, becoming aware of movement at her side as she slowly returned to consciousness.

"Castle? What are you doing here?" Beckett asked as she realised who it was jostling her awake as she lifted her head and took in her surroundings. Dammit, she thought, she'd fallen asleep at her desk at the precinct again.

"I called several times and you didn't answer so I was worried. I called the boys and they said you were still here when they left so I thought I should come check on you, make sure you actually planned on going home for the evening," Castle replied, taking his seat at Beckett's desk while she rubbed her face, trying to wake herself up properly.

"What's the time?"

"After ten."

She groaned, she can't have been asleep for long but it was still time she had wasted sleeping that she could've used more productively. She'd been meaning to go home several hours ago, had sent Castle home before that as he wasn't needed for paperwork and she'd wanted to give him a chance to see his family since they'd been so busy lately. She'd only meant to stay a couple hours, get some work done while she had a chance but she must've fallen asleep.

"Thanks, for coming to find me," Beckett smiled, looking up from her unfinished paperwork. She still wasn't used to how much he cared for her and how much he seemed to like looking after her.

Castle smiled back at her, glad she wasn't angry that he'd come back to the precinct for her even after she'd sent him home.

Beckett looked down at the pile of folders on her desk, groaning again when she realised how little she'd gotten through this evening.

"What?" Castle asked, watching her closely, concerned she'd been overworking herself lately. They'd had back to back cases leaving little time for paperwork so Castle knew that Beckett would take advantage of this small amount of case free time to make a dent in the paperwork which is why he figured he'd still find her here so late at night.

"There's still so much do to," Beckett said, her voice muffled as she buried her face in her hands and rested them back against her desk.

"But it can wait until morning," Castle replied, realising the look in her eyes meant that she intended to stay and do more work.

"But we'll no doubt get a murder and then we'll be solving that, which not only means no time for this paperwork, but more once we solve the next case," Beckett replied sullenly, gesturing to the ever increasing pile of paperwork already on her desk. This was definitely her least favourite part of the job.

"If we get another case tomorrow, you'll want to be well rested, right?"

"Castle, in my job, there's no such thing as well rested," Beckett laughed, shaking her head at him but knowing he had a point, she would need some proper sleep soon, she was exhausted.

He laughed in return because he knew it was true, being a detective, and following one, was a sleepless job, "okay, so you may be right about that but you at least need some sleep, you can't keep going on coffee and naps on your desk."

"Fine," Beckett replied, too tired right now to really argue and the thought of her bed was highly appealing. She leaned over to switch off her computer and was grabbing her keys and jacket when Castle spoke.

"Wait, really, you're listening to me, you're going to go home and sleep?" Castle asked, slightly shocked that he'd gotten through to her so easily.

"I am, now let's go quickly before I change my mind," Beckett said, causing Castle to laugh as he stood himself.

Beckett walked over to the elevator and pressed the call button while Castle waited beside her, "I'm taking you home, by the way."

"Castle, no, you don't have to do that," Beckett replied, not because she didn't want him to but because she didn't want to cause him extra hassle after he'd already come here looking for her.

"I know, but you're exhausted and I want to," Castle answered, smiling at her as they stepped into the elevator.

Beckett couldn't help smiling at him in return, this man who loved her so much and she knew would do anything for her, even if it was just taking her home when she was working too hard.

"Is there a reason you were trying to call me?" Beckett asked when they were in the elevator and she realised that Castle hadn't mentioned the reason he'd been trying to contact her.

"I was just checking on you," he said and then he paused, "and I was going to see if you wanted to get dinner with me," Castle replied shyly and Beckett was surprised to see that he looked nervous.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Castle replied quickly, "and I can see how tired you are, so the dinner thing isn't a question anymore, I'm going to take you home so you can sleep."

"You're actually encouraging me to miss a meal?" Beckett asked, shocked since he was usually always trying to feed her, "are you sure you're okay?"

Castle laughed, "of course I'm not letting you skip a meal, we're going to stop and pick something up on the way home so you can at least have some food before you sleep."

"Castle, really, you don't have to," Beckett replied, her heart swelling at the idea of him caring so much as they walked towards her car.

"I know and I'm driving," Castle replied, holding out his hands for the keys.

When Beckett just stood there, staring him down, not wanting to hand over the keys, Castle continued, "it's either that or we get a cab."

"Fine," Beckett acquiesced, handing over the keys to Castle who could only grin as he watched Beckett walk around to the passenger door as he climbed into the driver's seat.

By the time they arrived at Beckett's apartment, she was half asleep against the window and Castle had to nudge her shoulder again to wake her and let her know that they'd arrived.

"Thanks," Beckett smiled, taking the keys back from Castle so she could let them into her apartment building. She half expected him to leave then but she should've known better as he followed her inside, the bag of Chinese food he'd bought on the way in his hand.

Beckett let them both into her apartment where Castle headed straight for the kitchen to serve her food so she could eat quickly and then sleep.

"I'm just going to change," Beckett said, motioning towards her bedroom door as Castle nodded in reply, already setting out the food on a plate for her.

"Have you eaten?" Beckett asked as she walked back into the room to see a single plate piled with food, waiting for her on the kitchen counter.

"I..ummm.." Castle replied, his muddled reply not just the result of the sleep attire Beckett was now dressed in. He'd been planning to have dinner with her tonight but now he's not sure if he should say that he hadn't eaten since he'd been waiting for her, had thought of their potential dinner together tonight was more important than he'd let on earlier.

"I'll take that as a no," Beckett said as she made her way into the kitchen and grabbed another plate out before she handed it to him, "and there's enough for two. You said you wanted to have dinner together, didn't you? So let's have dinner together."

Castle smiled widely, piling more food onto his plate as she stood watching him.

Castle's original plan for the evening had been to ask Beckett out on a date, but that had changed when he hadn't been able to contact her. And this, sitting here with Beckett eating Chinese food while she was in her pajamas, smiling at him so openly, was so much better.

It didn't take them long to eat their food, both aware that it was getting late and they needed sleep so soon Castle was standing at her door, ready to leave.

"Thank you, for everything," Beckett smiled, the same smile that she'd given him at the bank that day and Castle's heart rate picked up at how beautiful she looked when her face was so open like this. This smile was the one that told him how much she cared for him in return.

"Always," Castle smiled, Beckett blushing at the deeper meaning she could hear in his words which only made him smile wider.

"Tomorrow night, my shout, at Remy's?" Beckett asked, surprising herself as the words came out of her mouth but she wanted to say thanks for tonight and that seemed like a good way to do it.

"Yeah?" Castle asked, not entirely sure what she was asking but it certainly sounded like a good thing. Their trips to Remy's were usually unplanned, a quick meal during a case when they needed a break and food, but this, this pre planning, made it seem like so much more.

"Yeah?" Beckett asked and when Castle nodded, the same smile spread across Beckett's face again, "great."

"I'll see you tomorrow then," and it was Castle's turn to surprise them both as he leaned over and placed a kiss on Beckett's cheek, lingering slightly longer than strictly necessary.

"Goodnight, Kate," Castle said as he pulled back, smiling tentatively at her when he noticed she was still smiling.

"Goodnight, Rick," she replied, leaning over to place a kiss of her own on his cheek and when she pulled back, Castle was now the one smiling at her with a look so open and happy, it left no doubt about his feelings for her.

His eyes lingered on her for a moment longer before he turned and left. Beckett closed the door behind him, leaning against it as she closed her eyes. She knew there and then that tomorrow evening wasn't going to be just dinner between friends and that it was going to end with more than a kiss on the cheek but for once, she was more excited than scared at that thought.

What did you think? :)