A/N: Set sometime near the beginning of season 3.
Castle strode into the precinct and made a beeline to Beckett's desk. She was deep in concentration on the papers in front of her. He sat down
dramatically in the chair next to her desk (which he'd come to think as his chair), and was delighted when she jumped at his lively "Hey!"
She turned towards him, placed her right elbow up on her desk and leaned into it. "Hi," she said, looking annoyed
"Yow. What's your problem?"
"Why are you here?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
He took a breath, looking up at the ceiling and then back at her. "Ehhh, I just thought it was a good day to come in."
"But there's no case."
"I know."
"I'm doing paperwork."
"I see."
"Castle!"
"What? So grumpy."
"I'm not grumpy. Just trying to figure out why you're here." She sat back in her chair, idly playing with her pen.
He looked at her pointedly for a second and she gazed right back. "No reason."
"Oh, writer's block again?" She grinned.
He scoffed, "No! No writer's block!"
She hesitated for a second and then sighed. "So you're just going to sit there and watch me do paperwork?"
"Yep."
She paused for a long moment. "Alright, fine. But you have to be quiet. Don't bug me."
He zipped his lips with an imaginary zipper.
She returned to her paperwork, but only three minutes went by before he spoke again "You know, today is a pretty good day."
He watched nervousness flash across her face before she looked up slowly from her desk. "Why?" she asked.
He paused. It's October 10th..."
"And?"
"Ten, ten, ten! That's not going to happen again for another hundred years!"
He watched the relief on her face as she returned to her paperwork. He smiled to himself.
Today was Kate Beckett's birthday, and if he knew her at all, he knew that she would hate her coworkers knowing it was her birthday. He himself only knew that it was her birthday because Esposito told him the day before.
"Do with that what you will," Esposito had said slyly, winking. Castle secretly appreciated Esposito and Ryan's attempts and getting Beckett and Castle together. "Oh, and try to keep it on the D.L. here at the precinct," he'd added.
Ooh, he could have fun with this. It was the reason why he had come to the precinct that day, the reason why he was watching her do paperwork.
"Hey."
She looked up from her desk with an annoyed look on her face. "If you can't be quiet, I can have you escorted out."
"I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to get lunch."
"Why?" She looked suspicious.
"Why what? I can't take you to lunch?"
"No, yeah. Ok, Lunch sounds good."
He grinned. "Ok! Lunch."
They'd gone to Remy's for lunch. After eating, he suggested pie.
"Ugh, I'm kind of full. I'll take a rain check," she said.
Oh come on. I'll buy you some pie."
"Why?" there was that suspicious look again.
"Do I need a reason?"
"Well, no, I guess not."
"Lemon Meringue? It's your favorite."
"How did you know that was my favorite?"
"If you haven't noticed, I can be kind of observant."
She paused for a moment and evaluated his face. "You know, don't you?"
"Know what?" he batted his eyes innocently at her.
"Come on. You know it's my birthday."
"Today's your birthday?" he said overdramatically.
"Yes, and if you tell the waitress, I'll shoot you."
"Yes, ma'am."
"How did you know?"
"Spidey sense." He grinned.
She smiled back. "Well, thanks for not spreading it around the precinct."
"Hey, would I do that?" he asked innocently
"I don't know Castle. Sometimes you just like to make my life difficult."
"I really wouldn't have though, you know."
She looked at him for a moment, "I know."
"But I did have fun with it." He gave her a sly smile.
"You were teasing me?"
He smiled innocently. "What? Me?"
"Of course you were," she said matter-of-factly to herself.
"Hey, you tease me all the time."
"I do not!"
"Uh-huh, okay," he said sarcastically.
Back at the precinct, they stepped off the elevator.
"Well, I'm going to go," he said.
"Oh, ok." She almost looked disappointed, and then added sarcastically, "I was kind of looking forward to you annoying the heck out of me for the rest of the day."
He looked at her and smiled.
"Thanks, Castle," she said sincerely.
"No problem." He took a step towards her so that he was just inches from her. His right hand reached out to wrap around her left wrist. He leaned in and whispered "Happy birthday." into her right ear, and swept his thumb back and forth once over the sensitive skin of her wrist just below her palm. He heard her inhale sharply.
He let go of her wrist and stepped back a bit. "Just for the record, I wasn't teasing that time."
She watched him with her mouth gaping open as he walked into the elevator and the doors closed behind him.