Set during season 4. Just a random one-shot that popped into my head. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.
It started like any other movie night, the both of them sitting side by side on the couch, a bowl of popcorn resting across their thighs as the movie played on the screen in front of them. Beckett's head ended up resting on Castle's shoulder which wasn't exactly new either as they'd become more and more comfortable around each other.
What was different though was when halfway through the movie, Beckett had lifted her head from Castle's shoulder to ask him a question and had found Castle's face only inches from her own.
Nothing could've stopped her from what she did next as she leant forward, closing the distance between them and pressing her lips to his.
Their lips moved together, their bodies shifting to press closer together and it was only when she heard Castle moan that she realised exactly what she was doing.
"I'm so sorry," Beckett said as she pulled back abruptly, hands flying to her mouth.
"Kate-" Castle started but Beckett cut him off.
"I don't know what I was thinking," Beckett continued, her eyes wide, her words muffled by her hands still in front of her mouth.
Castle tried to interrupt her but she pulled away from him and stood, now pacing back and forth in front of him, clearly beginning to panic.
"Kate?" Castle asked again, his heart pounding as he realised what this situation could mean for their friendship, that it could possibly be over.
That thought spurred Castle into action and he stood, blocking Beckett's path so she was forced to stop right in front of him.
Castle could tell Beckett was about to turn away from him so he spoke again, "please."
The way he said "please", how desperate it sounded, caught Beckett's attention so she stopped and looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.
"Please don't freak out, but we need to talk about this," Castle said, trying to keep his voice steady as his heart continued to pound as he stood face to face with her.
"No, we don't, I shouldn't have kissed you," Beckett said, starting to really panic now, this wasn't how it was meant to happen at all.
"And why shouldn't you have kissed me?" Castle asked, trying to figure out what was going through her mind. She'd kissed him, he knows she'd enjoyed it, so why exactly was she wanting to forget about it now. He knew she was scared, he was too, but maybe if he could figure out what she was so scared of, he could help her get passed that fear and they could finally have a chance of being together.
"Because I lied to you," Beckett finally answered and Castle noticed that her hands were shaking. What had she lied about?
"Lied to me? About what?"
"I heard you," Beckett replied, finally saying the words that she'd been wanting to say ever since he'd returned to the precinct after the summer.
Those words, the three he'd told her, had been on her mind for months. Ever since she'd woken up in that hospital bed, the thought of what he'd said to her was never far from her mind. At first, it was too much to think about, was too mixed up with the gunshot and the bullet and almost dying and it was hard to think about without the spiraling fear clutching at her heart.
But with time, things got easier and she was able to more clearly separate the events of that day so the fear of what had happened and the fear that his words evoked were two entirely different things.
"Heard me what?" Castle asked, now extremely confused about the turn their conversation had taken.
"The day I was shot, I heard what you said to me, I heard you say that you…how you felt about me." Even now, she couldn't bring herself to say that word even though she knew she felt that way for him in return.
Castle's breath caught in his throat at her words, she'd heard him but lied about it?
"But you said you didn't remember?" Castle asked once he found he could speak again.
"I lied," Beckett answered, looking down as she spoke, ashamed of what she'd done, but she was done with all the lies, he needed to know the truth, "and I'm so sorry for that but you deserved to know the truth."
When he hadn't said anything, Beckett looked up again and this time it was her breath that caught as she saw the clear hurt written all over Castle's face.
"I'm so sorry," she said again, hoping he could see how very sorry she was, how she hadn't meant to hurt him like this.
"Why?" Castle asked, his voice catching on the one word, showing how hurt he really was.
"Because I'd been shot, and I was scared, and I couldn't handle your words at the time," Beckett replied, her voice sounding much steadier than she felt.
"But you can now?" Castle asked, wondering why she'd chosen now to tell him.
"I don't know but I do know that you deserve the truth, and I shouldn't have kissed you without knowing it."
"Why did you kiss me then?" Castle asked, hurt by what he'd just told her but he needed to know because if she felt this thing between them too, they might still have a chance to be together. He'd gotten the impression that she wanted him to wait for her and maybe this is what they've been waiting for all along.
"I…" Why had she kissed him? He'd been so close that she could feel his breath on her face and he'd been looking at her with such adoration that she hadn't been able to stop herself from pressing her lips to his, wanting to show him that she cared from him just as much as he cared for her. He was her best friend and her partner and just maybe she was ready for more than that.
"Please, talk to me," Castle pleaded when she hadn't continued, he needed to know now what she was thinking.
"Because I'm in love with you."
Castle was the one to kiss her this time, his lips moving desperately over hers, trying to pour everything he felt for her through his lips and into hers.
"I love you too," he gasped out before his lips were back on hers.
The kiss slowed after that before they eventually pulled back until their foreheads were pressed together, their breath mingling between them.
"You love me?" Castle asked hesitantly, not quite believing that what was happening was real.
"I do," Beckett replied, a smile on her face as she pressed a quick kiss to his lips and those were two words that Castle couldn't help but hope would be used again sometime in their near future.
"And you love me?" Beckett asked hesitantly, unsure if he'd still feel the same way after everything that's happened since her shooting.
"Always," he replied, leaning forward to kiss her again.
"Does this mean I get to take you out on a date?" Castle asked when they'd broken apart again but were still standing close to each other.
"I'd be okay with that," Beckett said, smiling up at Castle with so much love and happiness that he was powerless to resist the urge to kiss her again.
With both their confessions of love out in the open, and a promise of a future now together, Beckett led Castle to her bedroom where they both planned on showing how much they truly loved each other.
What did you think?