One Week
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or the song (One Week belongs to Barenaked Ladies).
AN: I was driving in the car when this song came on and as I sang along I realized how well it would probably describe Beckett and Castle's relationship if they ever got together – and even if they don't.
It's been one week since you looked at me
cocked your head to the side and said I'm angry.
"You just don't get it Castle," I ground out. "I'm angry."
"Get what? You're angry why?" Castle tried to pair a puppy dog look of confusion with his question.
"Get WHAT?" I looked at him as if he was insane. What did he mean 'get what?' It was so obvious!
"Sheesh," Castle held up both hands in defense and backed away, heading towards the break room door.
"That's right Castle, leave." I beckoned towards the door. "Why don't you try and think it over and you can come back when you've figured it out."
Five days since you laughed at me
saying get that together come back and see me.
"Can I come back? :(" I stared at the text message on her phone. I'd been receiving similar messages from Castle over the past two days after I had kicked him out of the precinct. Personally, I'd been surprised he'd stayed away as long has he had. I figured he have waltzed back through the door the next morning.
Ignoring it like usual, I went back to my normal workout. I had a hard time convincing people to spar with me after Demming, so I was usually stuck with just the punching bags for company.
After another burst of punches, I stepped back and grabbed my water bottle. Noticing movement out of the corner of my eye, I swiveled around to face the door just as Castle was trying to sneak into the room.
"Seriously Castle?" I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Come on, I figured we could maybe work it out up here," he used his arm to wave around at the gym.
"You want to spar with me?" Now I couldn't hide my shock (or my laughter).
"You don't think I can take you?"
Now my laugher was full force. "Trust me Castle, you won't last a minute." Okay, I was really thinking 2 seconds, but can't destroy his ego in one go.
"Try me."
Three days since the living room
I realized it's all my fault, but couldn't tell you
Two days later I was just cleaning up from dinner when there was a knock at her door. Moving over, she peered carefully through the peephole. Castle. He was holding a colourful bunch of flowers and waving them at the door.
"Come on Beckett. I know you're right there." Castle whined at the door.
I was busy contemplating if I could really put up with him right now or if I should just move away from the door.
"Seriously Beckett. I can see your feet - you're blocking the light under the door." Castle made a big show of tilting his head to look down.
"Ugh," I shook her head but opened the door a crack. "What?"
"Look, I brought you flowers!" Castle shoved them towards me, almost squishing them into the door.
"Why?"
"Well," here Castle fumbled. "Because?" he finally answered.
"So you figured it out?"
"Umm..." Castle looked a little sheepish. "Not really. But I figure I should bring you flowers?" The last part started out as a statement but ended as a question.
He looked surprised when the door opened further, but I just reached out and grabbed the flowers before shutting the door in his face, but not before he saw the small smile sneak across my face.
Yesterday you'd forgiven me
but it'll still be two days till I say I'm sorry
"You're still not shadowing her?" I was surprised to arrive home and see my dad busy typing away at his laptop. He had rarely been home before me on a weekday since he'd started shadowing Beckett.
"Nope," Castle just shook his head.
"Hmm," I tilted my head at him, causing him to look up questionly from his work. "You don't seem upset about that."
"I'm not," Castle gave me a smile before turning back to his laptop.
"Oookay..." I gave her dad a strange look. "Are things all good between you know?"
"Nope, but they will be." Castle just grinned at his computer. "You'll see."
Hold it now and watch the hoodwink
As I make you stop, think
You'll think you're looking at Aquaman
I summon fish to the dish, although I like the Chalet Swiss
I like the sushi 'cause it's never touched a frying pan
Hot like wasabi when I bust rhymes
Big like Leann Rimes
Because I'm all about value
Bert Kaempfert's got the mad hits
You try to match wits
You try to hold me but I bust through
Gonna make a break and take a fake
I'd like a stinkin achin shake
I like vanilla, it's the finest of the flavours
Gotta see the show, cause then you'll know
The vertigo is gonna grow
Cause it's so dangerous, you'll have to sign a waiver
How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad
Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad
I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral
Can't understand what I mean?
Well, you soon will
I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve
I have a history of taking off my shirt
It's been one week since you looked at me
Threw your arms in the air and said you're crazy
"You just don't get it Castle," Beckett ground out. "I'm angry."
"Get what? You're angry why?" I looked at her confused. I couldn't figure out for the life of me what was going on. Normally I could follow her trains of thought no problem. But today, right now? I was completely lost. What was she talking about? I started frantically going over everything that had happened that morning. Did I bring her coffee and get the order right? I did have to replace the bearclaw with a glazed donut as they were out...
"Get WHAT?" Yikes, she looks mad. Angry. Furious. And really really hot.
"Sheesh," I held up my hands in defense, moving backwards towards the door trying to get her to relax by my antics. Was the coffee decaffeinated? Super caffeinated? (Was that possible?)
"That's right Castle, leave." She pointed towards the door "Why don't you try and think it over and you can come back when you've figured it out."
Deciding now was as good a time as any to back out and it would give me a chance to figure out what I'd done wrong (and to maybe question Esposito and Ryan to see if they knew) I left.
Five days since you tackled me
I've still got the rug burns on both my knees
I'd given up staying away and had headed into the precinct even though I knew she'd be mad. I didn't find her at her desk or in the break room, but I did find Ryan. He clued me in that she was upstairs working out her frustration on some punching bags.
Heading to the gym, I tried to scope out her mood, by sneaking into the room. Of course, being the Detective and hyper-sensitive individual she is, I didn't make it more than a foot into the room before she swung around to stare at me.
"Seriously Castle?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Come on, I figured we could maybe work it out up here," I gestured at the gym we stood in.
"You want to spar with me?" Was she laughing at me?
"You don't think I can take you?"
Yep, she was definitely laughing. ""Trust me Castle, you won't last a minute."
"Try me." I'm not sure I even completely got those words out of my mouth before I was on the ground. Man she's fast.
It wasn't 5 minutes later that I was limping down the stairs. Who knew you could get rug burn on those exercise mats? I guess that's what happens when you get tackled in jeans.
It's been three days since the afternoon
You realized it's not my fault not a moment too soon
While this exile from the precinct had been really good for my writing (I can't remember the last time I produced so much work in so little time) I was itching to get back. Decided maybe it was time to just accept some of the responsibility (based on what everyone had come up with, maybe it was just a combination of things?) I went and bought a huge bouquet of flowers before heading to her apartment and knocking on the door.
"Come on Beckett. I know you're right there." I called out once I saw two shapes interrupt the light sneaking out the bottom of her door into the hallway.
"Seriously Beckett. I can see your feet - you're blocking the light under the door." I made a big show of tilting my head and staring down at the bottom of her door. Luckily it worked, and she opened the door a crack.
"What?"
"Look, I brought you flowers!" I shoved them towards her, trying to get her to open the door more. I mean, it was really just cracked open. I could see half an eyeball.
"Why?"
"Well," here I have to admit I fumbled. I wasn't expecting that question. "Because?" I finally answered.
"So you figured it out?"
"Umm..." I didn't really want to admit I hadn't, but figured accepting part of the blame was worth it if it got me back shadowing her. "Not really. But I figure I should bring you flowers?" I meant that as a statement, but watching her expression it came out more like a question. Normally I have no trouble with words, but there's something about Beckett that makes me tongue-tied.
I was shocked when she started to open the door further. Finally, she was going to let me in. But instead, she just grabbed the flowers from me before slamming it shut in my face. But that's okay, I thought grinning. She smiled before she shut it. Oh yeah, things were looking good.
Yesterday you'd forgiven me
And now I sit back and wait till you say you're sorry
"You're still not shadowing her?" I heard my daughter enter the apartment.
"Nope," I shook my head and continued typing away on my laptop.
"Hmm," I looked up at her when she paused. "You don't seem upset about that."
"I'm not," I gave Alexis a smile before turning back to my work. I was super inspired now.
"Oookay..." I could feel her staring at me. "Are things all good between you know?"
"Nope, but they will be." I just grinned at my computer. She smiled at me yesterday, things will be fine. But all I said to Alexis was, "You'll see."
Chickity China the Chinese chicken
You have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'
Watchin X-Files with no lights on, we're dans la maison
I hope the Smoking Man's in this one
Like Harrison Ford I'm getting Frantic
Like Sting I'm Tantric
Like Snickers, guaranteed to satisfy
Like Kurasawa I make mad films
Okay I don't make films
But if I did they'd have a samurai
Gonna get a set of better clubs
Gonna find the kind with tiny nubs just so my
irons aren't always flying off the back-swing
Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon
Cause that cartoon has got the boom anime babes
that make me think the wrong thing
How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad
Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad
I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral
Can't understand what I mean? You soon will
I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve
I have a history of losing my shirt
It's been one week since you looked at me
Dropped your arms to your sides and said I'm sorry
"I'm sorry."
The text came out of no where. Well, that's not true. I knew she was close to forgiving me. Besides, if I'm not at shadowing her, she doesn't get her coffee and bear claw delivered - and she can't go too long without her caffeine and sugar.
Before I thought it over, I had replied, "What for?"
"ARRRRGGGGGGG!" was the responding text. I just laughed.
Five days since I laughed at you
and said You just did just what I thought you were gonna do
Two days later I walked back into the precinct, coffee and bear claw in hand as a peace offering. I swear I saw her drool when I approached her desk and held them out. She practically yanked them from my hands.
Laughing as I sat down in my chair, I told her "You just did what I thought you were gonna do."
Three days since the living room
We realized we're both to blame, but what could we do?
The case wasn't going well, and after getting told I was "creepy" for watching her one too many times today I had decided to go home and work on my book, or maybe play guitar hero instead.
I have to admit I wasn't that surprised when she showed up later that night out of ideas and hoping to run theories with me. What can I say? I"m irresistible.
"Really? You're coming here?" I said to her after ushering her into my living room.
"Really Castle?" She replied, giving me one of her looks.
I think that was when we both knew that we were both to blame, but what could we do?
Yesterday you just smiled at me
Cause it'll still be two days till we say we're sorry
It'll still be two days till we say we're sorry
It'll still be two days till we say we're sorry
"Just forget it Castle," Beckett shook her head as she moved about the break room preparing coffee.
"Why can't you just say you're sorry?" I sat at the counter watching her.
"I did, remember the message?"
"Oh that doesn't count." I shook my head. "Text messages are meaningless. Everyone just types whatever, whenever. Come on, can't you just say it?"
"What about you Castle? When are you going to say it?"
"Me? I don't have anything to be sorry for," I held my head high.
"Really Castle? You want to go there now?" Beckett raised an eyebrow as she leaned back on the counter by the espresso machine, cupping her cup close to her chest.
But she wasn't angry. Nope, this was just our normal bickering now. And that's when I knew everything would be alright.
The End.
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