Note: None of these characters are mine

It's Broccoli for You

She's not sure what possessed her to do it. Had you suggested it to her last year, she'd have thought you were crazy. Heck, had you suggested it even two minutes before she walked into her kitchen and saw the chocolate chips, she'd have laughed in your face. Yet, she'd done it. From scratch. It had felt natural. Initiating displays of affection was not normally her cup of tea. Not that this was a display of affection. It was just polite. Do you hear me? She was just being polite.

"Here." Kate leaned around into the back seat of the car and emerged a second later holding a plastic wrapped plate. She shoved it into Castle's hands and proceeded to stare intently out the front window, waiting for the green light.

Castle peered down at the plate, and gingerly lifted the corner of the plastic wrap. What was underneath the plastic both shocked and delighted him.

"You baked me cookies? Why?"

"Well it is your birthday, isn't it?" Castle hadn't told anyone about his birthday. It was one of the few secrets he kept carefully guarded from the nagging press and rabid fans.

Of course, he'd filled out extensive forms for the city when he'd first started at the 12th. And Kate Beckett was resourceful.

"But you didn't bake me cookies last year on my birthday."

"Say thank you and shut up, Castle." Castle leaned back in his seat, grinning, as the light turned green and Kate sped forward.

"I can't wait to tell Ryan and Esposito! They'll be so jealous!"

Kate whipped around to glare at Castle for a moment, before turning back to the road.

"Don't you dare, Castle," she warned, brandishing a finger at him, "Or next year, I'm making you broccoli for your birthday instead."

"Yes ma'am."

Now she'd done it. She'd gone and put her foot in her mouth. "Next year." One of the cardinal rules for keeping Castle at bay was letting him think that she could terminate this partnership at any time. She couldn't have him knowing that his spot in her heart… I mean, his spot at the precinct… was guaranteed for as long as he wanted it. Forever would be preferable. "Next year." Geesh. The fresh cookie smell must be going to her head. Maybe he hadn't noticed.

Beckett glanced over at Castle. A smug grin was practically eating his face (which was, coincidentally, eating a cookie).

He had definitely noticed. Crap.

Two hours later they were back at the precinct. Kate had practically thrown her bag and coat on her desk and then run off to find Lanie, in the hopes of repairing her sanity.

A sane person doesn't go around saying things like "next year." Not to a man like him. Not to a man who practically shouts his love for her through the daily exchange of caffeinated beverages. Not to a self-proclaimed sidekick (who is undeniably a full-fledged partner). A sane person doesn't go around saying things like that when said sane person spends her days warding off thoughts of a lifetime with a man like him. More specifically, an eternity with him (let's be honest, no other man would do).

The next twenty minutes were mostly "Oh my god, I can't believe I did that!" and "What kind of crazy person bakes Richard Castle cookies? Cookies for goodness sake!" and then plenty of "Honey, that man would eat dry rocks if you baked them for him" and "Girl, if it's his birthday, maybe he'll let you see him in his birthday suit!"

Kate made her way back to the bull pen, feeling slightly more stable. Slightly more sane. Totally ready to pretend she had no idea why Castle was grinning like a madman and staring at her whenever she wasn't looking.

That sanity lasted for all of thirty seconds, until she stepped out of the elevator to be greeted by, "Yo, Boss! Why don't you ever bake me cookies on my birthday?"

She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at Esposito, who was standing a few feet away, holding a cookie. One of her cookies.

She's going to kill him. Just so you know. She apologizes to all the faithful readers out there who will miss his books, and to all the crazy fans who will never get their chests autographed. But there's really no other choice. He crossed a line, and she must squash him. Like a bug. Yes, she'll definitely kill him. As soon as she stops blushing. As soon as her skin returns to a normal human shade.

"Castle!" Castle and Ryan, who'd were both sitting at her desk with their mouths full of cookies, looked up at her innocently.

Ryan smiled (looking slightly like a chipmunk, which would have been funny if she didn't have murder on the brain). "Yeah, Beckett. Why does Castle get cookies and we don't?"

Beckett opened her mouth to snap at them (or possibly bite their heads off), but Castle cut her off.

"I guess she just loves me more than she loves you guys."

Damn him. So blasted nonchalant. Like he doesn't know that her insides go all fluttery whenever he gets within ten feet of her. Like he doesn't know that she loves the boys like brothers but she loves him like… well…definitely not like a brother. She hasn't had a single platonic thought for him in years. Why on earth did she choose today to crawl out of her self-induced shell of solitude? And the cookies! If she's going to all but admit that she's nuts for him, why bother with the cookies? Huh? Why not go all out? The things she'd do to him…he definitely wouldn't be laughing.

Kate took a quick step towards Castle, who flinched. But she didn't hit him. Instead, she snatched the plate of cookies off her desk and strode into the break room, where a clan of rookie cops was gathered around the coffee machine. Without a word, she placed (ok, ok, maybe she slammed) the cookies down on the counter. They looked at her with a mixture of awe and terror as she stared them down, daring them to question the unexpected turn of break room events. With a nod, she walked back out the break room, sat in her chair, pulled out a stack of paperwork, and proceeded to pretend that there weren't two very confused detectives and a writer staring at her.

If you can't keep your cookies to yourself, then no cookies for you.

As the day came to a close, Castle plopped down next to Beckett and proceeded to annoy her into finally acknowledging him. She chose to ignore the plate of cookies sitting next to him.

"What do you want, Castle? I have paperwork to finish." She nonchalantly took a sip of water, pulling off a near-believable impression of someone who doesn't care.

"Come home with me tonight." Beckett may or may not have choked violently on her water. Just for a second. Maybe. "We're just having a low key birthday dinner."

"Castle," Kate tried to speak, but Castle interrupted her.

"Alexis is cooking dinner, which is sweet. Martha is baking the cake, which is also sweet, and will most likely be inedible. Oh, I have a good idea! Maybe next year you could make the cake?" He winked at her (so of course she blushed… again).

"Round out my trio of favorite ladies? Please?"

"No" was on the tip of her tongue. She'd swear on a stack of bibles that there was no way she was spending the evening with him. She was going to say no, even though he'd winked. Even though he wanted to spend his birthday with her. Even had though he braved the rookie vultures to rescue his birthday cookies. But then "next year" slipped off his tongue, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like it was fact. Like of course he'd be here next year on his birthday. With her. Like maybe he was already counting on forever. Damn him.

"No way, Castle." Castle's face fell. She gathered up her things and walked away. When she reached the elevator, she turned back towards him, smiling.

"I already told you – next year you're getting broccoli."

Thanks for reading!