DESTINED - BECKETT X CASTLE | AU | P1/?

QUICKLY TYPED UP - ALL SPELLING ERRORS ARE MY OWN

He could feel the cold beginning to roll in wrapping itself around unsuspecting victims, shaking them in their tracks.

There was the rusty squeak of metal before Rick was biting his tongue, a sharp pain throbbing in his hand. Kneeling on the ground he took his injured hand in his other and put slight pressure on it.

There was another squeak of metal, the chains scraping against each other and tangling loosely. Soft, cold hands gently touched his arm hesitantly. "Are you okay?" A quiet voice whispered.

Rick looked up quickly, his light eyes falling on familiar warm ones. A worried crease forming in between her eyebrows. Quickly as he could he kneeled in front of her and wrapped his - not wounded - hand around hers and smiled softly.

"I'm okay. The swing just caught my hand "

Yet, still her worry lines deepened at the confirmation of him being hurt and her bottom lip dropped slightly. She turned his larger hand over in her two smaller ones.

Sometimes it took his breath away when she made a particular facial expression or said a certain word - the resemblance of her mother was uncanny. When she had turned his hand over he could feel her small, cold fingers digging into his wrist and pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Where are your gloves, Miss Beckett? Hmm?" He shook his head, ticking another similarity.

Taking his own gloves off and holding them out to her, she gave him a quizzical look but took them from him nonetheless. She held them for a few seconds still staring at him. Rick laughed, a wide smile appearing on his lips.

"Here." He said, helping her put on his gloves; they completely engulfed her small hands.

She gave him a goofy grin, tucking a rebellious strand of dark brown hair behind her ear before playing with the fingers of his gloves.

"Okay, so its not the most ideal solution but its only until we get you another pair of gloves...where are your gloves?!" He stood, tucking his hands into his coat pockets in order to escape the biting cold and lilting his eyebrow.

The girl giggled, looking up at him and shrugging. "I had them at mum's work." She answered, moving her hands to underneath her chin and giving him a cheeky smile.

Rick looked at his watch quickly before taking her hand in one of his own.

Settling in the rickety chair beside Kate's desk, she smiled and pointed to her blue gloves that were currently residing next to the ornament of elephants. Rick laughed when he spotted them, picking them up and handing them to her.

"I should know better than to second guess a Beckett."

Walking in from the breakroom with her coffee in one hand and her phone in the other. Her eyes lit up when she spotted the two figures around her desk.

"Oh hey guys! I was just about to call you." She told Rick.

Putting her mug of steaming hot liquid on the table in front of her, she ran her fingers through her daughter's hair gently, her eyes falling on the Styrofoam cup of coffee that Rick had brought for her.

"Thanks for looking after Evelyn for me for me, Castle..."

Taking a sip from his own coffee, Rick shook his head quickly before putting it back down. "You know I don't mind. I get to fill her mind with useful information." He winked at Eve.

Kate bit her lip to stifle a laugh that was trying to work it's way through her lips. She watched then both for a few seconds before she spoke.

"So, uh...I'll see you Monday?" She asked quietly.

Eve watched the exchange; her eyes taking in everything - observant as always. Now wearing her well-sized gloves she went back to playing with the edges.

Rick nodded in agreement, handing her the coffee he had bought on the way. His fingers gently brushing the inside of her palm, softly grazing along the side of her wrist slowly. Their eyes never left each other during the whole exchange. They broke away suddenly startled when a loud giggle sounded between them and a hand shot up into the air.

"Look! Mummy I put my glove on funny!" Eve's face was lit up, a wide smile spreading across her small face at the sight of the crooked glove.

Rick laughed throatily, "Such a gift." The words escaping before he could stop himself.

Eve only had eyes for her mother though, wide green eyes watching her as she waved the glove in front of Kate.

Kate's eyes fell down to Eve as soon as she had spoke, taking in Rick's words with a hidden smile. "...Yeah, I know." Pressing a kiss to her daughter's cheek. "Say bye to Castle, honey."

Eve stood up and ran over to him as quickly as she could in the small amount of space between the chair and his side of the desk. Wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "Thank you for the pizza and the ice cream and ... the books." She whispered the last word as though it were a secret.

Rick was momentarily shocked, freezing for a few seconds before wrapping his arms back around the little girl briefly, then Eve ran back to Kate. She turned her face into her mother's coat, her dark locks falling to cover her face shyly.

Kate tucked a strand of dark curls behind Eve's ear as she waved goodbye to Rick, he smiled as he stood and turned to leave with his coffee in hand.

When the elevator doors closed behind him, Kate turned to face Eve and squatted down to be similar height to her. Sweeping another strand of hair behind her daughter's ear, Kate stroked her thumb across her cheek a small smile appearing on her rosy lips.

"You starting to warm up to Castle?" She asked softly, her eyes watching her daughter closely.

Eve looked up at her when she spoke, leaning closer so that she could play with the top buttons on the front of Kate's coat.

"Yes, I like him a lot."

Kate smiled leaning her forehead against Eve's gently, before pulling back and pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she stood to her full height.

"Yeah...me too." She said quietly.