Disclaimer: Nope.
A/N: This was a prompt from Kayla! I loved the idea of it and turned it into a three-shot.
Also: Thank you so much to everyone that donated to my gofund, I'm letting you know that I start classes on Monday thanks to the extra help and setting up a payment plan. I'm very very happy with how it worked out. I didn't expect to make the deadline but I did. With everyones help. So just once again, thank you.
So again this was a prompt and I enjoyed it so it'll be 3 chapters.
Obviously, I played with their ages some. And the general storyline a bit. So this is very AU.
Saturdays have become something Kate Beckett enjoys. She didn't think she would like doing this. She actually hadn't been too fond of the idea at first. But she's been in therapy for a while, learning how to crawl back out of the hole that her mother's case tossed her into. She's learning to get out of her own head. Which is how she ended up as a volunteer coach to a soccer team of rowdy munchkins. They show her it's not always murder, drugs, guns and fear. There are happier places to spend her time than drowning in a case with no leads.
And she chose to do this. It's been a couple months since the first practice. She looks forward to it now. She enjoys helping the kids and gets a little too into it sometimes on game days. But she maybe enjoys one part a little more than she should. The parents. Parent, actually.
She'd been a little stunned the first day when a tiny redhead in little cleats and knee high socks had shown up. It wasn't so much the girl with bright eyes and a huge smile that threw her off as it was the man holding her hand. She knew him. Not personally but she knew him.
Richard Castle's daughter was on her team. That's not something she'd ever prepared herself for. But the excitement had faded considerably when he'd flashed a smile and asked what had happened to the coach from the year before.
He's been an annoyance ever since. It's been weeks dealing with his looks and the flirting. At first she'd been disgusted, watching him flirt up the moms sitting on the sidelines while his daughter played and then she'd seen him cheer for his little girl. She'd been cheering too, yelling like she does whenever she's too invested in their mock game at the end of every practice. Alexis is smaller than the others but quick and efficient, she played well.
She still does.
But Kate had seen in that moment that all he cares about is his daughter. And from then on, she's okay with him. Not with the fact that he thinks it's okay to stare at her or ask her countless times for her number. But he's alright. She respects the love he has for his daughter and she'll admit that she might have jumped the gun. He doesn't flirt, it's more politeness toward the women that flock him. He's just outnumbered. There's only two other dads and he tries to stick closer to them.
She sees that now. And maybe she smiles back when he catches her gaze. Just out of politeness.
He's still annoying. But she's developed a tolerance. And his daughter is the cutest most polite little girl she's ever met so yeah, she looks forward to seeing them each week.
And today, Alexis scored her first goal. He'd ran out and scooped her up for a hug before the ball ever touched the back of the net and Kate had spent ten minutes yelling at him for disrupting her game and asking him to get back over with the other parents. It was rather cute though.
But now she's sweaty and tired from running back and forth alongside the kids. She wants to go home, take a hot bath and fall into bed. She has an early shift tomorrow.
She gives praise before each child wanders off with their parent, reminding them of the game next week. And she's packing up her stuff when she hears the approach, when she hears a little voice chattering happily.
She's been hoping to avoid this today. But clearly this man has other plans. So she tucks her hair behind her ears and spins to face them. Her heart clenches a little. He's a good father and it makes her miss her own. He's smiling, with Alexis up on his shoulders and at first he's looking up at his daughter, making her think maybe there's a solid soccer related reason for this.
Until she hears their words and the fact that he's telling his daughter to ask something.
With a shy smile, Alexis nods and leans to whisper something in his ear. He almost looks pained by whatever she's said and Kate feels a little like an outsider. She's no more than three feet away from them but she isn't part of whatever is going on. Then suddenly, she is.
"Coach Kate," her heart flutters a little because she still can't believe she's a coach to them, she's who they look up to.
"Yes?"
"Daddy and I always go for ice cream and well I just thought maybe...do you wanna come?" Pale cheeks are flushed red and Beckett knows it's not just from the heat and exertion.
At first her heart swells and just as quickly anger flashes. He used his daughter to get her to say yes? She wants to shove him but she won't. Not while Alexis is on his shoulders. She can't say yes. But she can't say no. Not when those big blue eyes are already expecting it. There's something there she doesn't understand. She doesn't have the story but she's angry when she lifts the soccer ball toward Alexis.
She needs a minute with Richard Castle.
"Hey, uh I actually needed to talk to your dad for a minute. Do you wanna kick a few more goals?" She's already glaring at him but paints on a smile as little hands reach for the ball.
He swings the little girl around easily, efficiently. Making sure she's got her feet under her before he lets go.
As soon as Alexis is out of earshot, she lets loose. Harsh whispers just in case.
"What the hell?!" She barely refrains from shoving him. "You make your daughter ask me out?"
"Whoa, that is -"
"Didn't you get the hint the last time you asked? I'm not interested." It isn't entirely true. Because she's rather fond of his fatherly side. But he doesn't need to know that. She has no desire to be his flavor of the week.
She eyes Alexis for a second, making sure the girl can't hear and judging from the smile on her face, she can't.
When Kate turns back, there's something new in his features. Gone is the playfulness he showcases and in its place there's anger.
"Do you really think I would make my daughter do that?"
"I -"
"Do I like you? Yes, you're stunning. You're amazing with the kids and some of the parents said you're a cop which is so cool but I didn't ask Alexis, she asked me."
"Why would she ask you that?"
"She doesn't have a mom around." He ages ten years as he says it, lines forming on his forehead and her heart breaks. Her stomach drops.
Because neither does she.
"Her mother lives elsewhere. Rarely visits. And Alexis tends to attach herself to female figures she looks up to."
Beckett knows it isn't the same, because this little girl's mother is at least alive but her chest aches anyway. And she feels embarrassment creep up her spine, twist and wrap itself through every limb. She's just made a complete fool of herself.
"I - I'm sorry. I just...you asked last week and have been trying to get my number."
"I tried to tell her that it wasn't a good idea. That you're a cop and -"
"I'll go." She blurts it out, scuffing the toe of her tennis shoe in the grass, her eyes locked on the worn out kicks.
She should buy new ones.
"You will?" The shock is evident in his tone and she feels a little more guilt settle in her stomach as she draws her eyes back up to his face.
"Just an ice cream. And my treat because I accused you of...can we forget that happened?"
He nods, gives her a smile that makes her knees a little weak and then he's giving Alexis a thumbs up. She doesn't know if this is a good idea or not.
But she's getting ice cream with a man and his daughter. She's sweaty and wearing clothes she usually works out in and she's getting ice cream with Richard Castle and little Alexis.
Prompt: Beckett as little Alexis' soccer coach.