Synopsis: Esposito knows about Kate and Rick. A little tex-mex sex and mayhem.
A/N: My 25th fanfic story, help me celebrate by reviewing!
She's decided he really is crazy.
"Castle, this isn't funny."
He has, in his terms, "made a Beckett burrito." Twenty minutes ago, when she was still in that all-too-pliable place between sleep and awareness, he had pushed her body over the edge of the sheet and rolled her up in it, immobilizing her long arms and wrapping her up until only her head and feet stick out. He's lying next to her and she is too close to his body to unroll herself in the right direction.
She's pretty sure as long as they are together he's always going to be unpredictable.
He's spent a while focusing on her feet, which drives her crazy. She's ticklish and he knows it, and now without coffee, and growing more uncomfortable by the minute, she's irritated. Sensing it, he moves to her head, smoothing out her hair, she wiggles trying to pull herself free. She didn't think he'd keep her like this so long.
"Castle, I'm going to be late. We're going to be late. Again."
"Hmm, Kate, there is always a reason to get out of bed, and never a good enough excuse to stay in bed," he kisses her and she arches as much as she can, compulsed to wrap her arms around him, pull her to him, but she can't because he's turned her into his own personal mummy.
He's taking the opportunity to run a hand down her body, over her breasts, "Hey!" she says, indignant and breaking their kiss, "None of that until you let me go."
He wraps his arms around her swathed form, and her neck bends back to the mattress with the inability to sit up, giving him greater access to his favorite spot, "Oh Kate, you know I'm not going to let you go." She can't stay mad when he's hitting that spot under her ear, if she were standing, her knees would be buckling now, as it is, she can't keep quiet.
"Castle, please, this is not fair."
"Say it, Kate," he demands.
He's pillowing her head in the curve of his elbow, cutting off her answer with a hard kiss, she can't even back away. His tongue is so far in her mouth she has to turn her head to dislodge him and catch her breath.
"Unwrap me, Castle."
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
They were late to arrive on scene.
Again.
Esposito isn't subtle anymore, he's down right passive-aggressive, trying to get them to the point of being uncomfortable until they just confess. Like squeezing a suspect.
"Hickey's showing," he says by way of greeting and Kate can't help but put her hand on her turtleneck but Castle's just shaking his head at her.
Kate cocks her head and glares at Esposito. Truth is, she feels guilty and it shows. But she's annoyed with Espo's lack of respect.
She's doing her usual inspection of the scene and the body, but Kate's really considering Lanie.
"What?" Lanie finally asks.
"It's Espo, he's driving me crazy."
Lanie lifts her eyebrows, "me too, girl."
Kate gives her an exasperated face, "I don't think we mean this the same way."
"We'd better not, "agrees her friend with a smile.
"Either tell him about you and Castle and get it over with, or quit getting caught, you know he thinks of you like a sister."
oxoxoxoxoxox
All four of them are standing at the murder board asking the questions and trying to connect their ideas. They've determined they need to locate one suspect, and they need to go over the phone records of the victim. She surprises them with her division of labor.
"Espo you're with me. Ryan and Castle, you take the phone records." She can see Castle start to protest and glares at him as she grabs her coat.
oxoxoxoxoxox
Beckett pulls the car off the road and onto the bridge median midway to their intended address.
"What are you doing?" Espo questions.
"I have something to tell you."
Suddenly she doesn't know how to start and he's looking at her in expectation.
"I'm . . . Castle and I. . ." and then she's frustrated herself, "Ah, hell . . . Castle and I are in love."
He's silent a moment and she realizes she has no idea what to expect.
"Jeez girl," he says slowly, "does this mean it's over between us?" He's teasing her.
It's enough to break the tension and a smile breaks over her face. She puts her chin to her chest and laughs.
"Really," he continues softly," it's about time, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"So you love him?"
She nods.
"And you're willing to put up with his ass?" He's joking.
But not really.
"Yeah."
There's a moment of silence. They both look straight ahead, out the windshield.
"He knows what will happen if he hurts you?"
Saying nothing, she turns her head to smile at him as she starts the car.
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
The two investigations converge in the conversation at lunch. It's serve-yourself Thai food. Castle pulls on the arm of the chair closest to him when she comes in the room.
She knows they're under scrutiny now, but there isn't much she can do to communicate that to Castle.
"So we found several patterns in the vics phone records, he was contacting a dry cleaning establishment at least twice a week for the last six months," Ryan's all business.
"A dry cleaner? Why?" It's no sooner out of her mouth when she feels it.
His hand is on her thigh.
She's certain the slightest flitter of surprise has just crossed her face and she's just now figured out that he's been strategic in where he wants her to sit in this little arrangement. She licks her lips, reaches for more food to hide the fact that she is feeling his finger rub little circles along the inside of her thigh. She tenses and takes a moment to push back her chair, hoping it's warning enough.
It's gives them away.
The scrape of the chair is the last sound to punctuate the air. These men are detectives and they aren't stupid.
And now, it's the elephant in the room. All three of them look at her and then look away, trying to find a distraction.
"We'll, ah, we'll need to go check out the dry cleaners," Ryan says awkwardly.
"Okay," but even she knows she's failing at a normal tone, "I'm going to go question the suspect we brought in." She pushes back from the table and leaves the room.
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Espo tosses down his chopsticks and they land with a clatter on the table. His tone is chastising.
"Dude, leave her with a little dignity."
"Wha-at?"
Kevin looks puzzled.
"She told me." Esposito says flatly.
"She told you what?"
He nods his head, "She told me about the two of you."
Castle's suspicious, this feels like a trap. He's not sure if she would do such a thing, although he's never fully understood the relationship between the two detectives, he knows better than to try to pit them against each other. There's some kind of mutual loyalty that runs deep between them.
Esposito reads him, "Look dude, she told me told me she's in love with you."
He smiles, she did tell Esposito.
"She told you and not me?" Ryan sounds hurt.
"Hey bro, Castle and Beckett are in love," he turns to inform the younger detective but there's danger in his eyes as he turns to Castle to continue, "and they are not going to act like teenagers with hormones in this department."
Castle swallows, both detectives watching him.
"He's going to respect her like he wants his daughter's boyfriends to do."
"There's no need to bring . . ." Castle starts, but he's being cut off by the threat of Esposito's finger on the table, punctuating each statement to come out of his mouth.
"Beckett isn't coming in late to work anymore."
Castle stares at him.
"She won't be hiding marks on her neck."
Ryan looks disgusted, but Espo continues.
"She won't be fending off unwanted advances." His finger hits the table, "At lunch. In front of her team."
He thinks Espo has a better death stare than Beckett, although he would NEVER tell her. Instead he visibly swallows.
"That make sense to you?" and then, half second later he adds, "bro?"
It doesn't sound brotherly.
"Yeah," Castle's voice is barely a whisper, "makes sense."
"Good." Now Esposito's voice is unnaturally loud, "I'm glad we had this little talk, let's go bring our suspect up from holding, Castle can clean-up," he pushes Ryan through the door ahead of him and hisses one final statement out in warning.
"My girlfriend is a coroner; I can make anything look like an accident."
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
It is still dark when she hears the alarm on his phone. She checks the time and thinks he must have set it wrong.
But then he's rolled over, nuzzling the back of her neck.
They may not have been together all that long, but she knows what this move means.
"Castle?"
He's barely awake and while he is progressing in his intent with her, it is definitely with less enthusiasm than their regular encounters. It seems it's too early for him and she's suspicious.
"Castle? Did you set the alarm for this?"
"Um hmm."
"Why?"
"Gotta be on time today."
She sits up and turns to face him. "Okay, what is going on?"
He groggily props himself against the headboard, leans his head back, and looks up at the ceiling.
"I just think we've been late a lot lately," he lies.
"What did Esposito say to you?"
It shouldn't be a surprise that Kate can read him.
"Nothing, he just reminded me that you are extraordinary," he looks her in the eyes and smiles at her, "and I told him I agreed."
She smiles at him as he pulls her closer to kiss her. Yeah, it's early enough to do this and still get to work on time.