SPOILERS FOR 5X04. What if Beckett had reached the phone before Castle?

In The Hamptons

Castle and Beckett had been sitting outside, relaxing and drinking their coffees, even though it was way too hot for it, when Castle noticed a missing call from Ryan.

"Call him back?" he asked his partner.

"Aren't you supposed to be writing?" she shot back, amused.

"Oh please, everyone knows how much I procrastinate." He answered with a wave of his right hand, while the other was busy dialing.

Ryan picked up after two rings, and Castle put him on speaker so Beckett could hear the conversation as well. Ryan proceeded then to tell Castle about how he, Esposito and Lanie (the latter very unwillingly) were down in the morgue, trying to figure out who Beckett's boyfriend was. Castle warned them of what Beckett's reaction would be to that, while she, sitting on his right side, held in a chuckle.

"Pfft, like we're afraid of Beckett." Esposito exclaimed.

"Besides, how's she going to find out?" Ryan chimed in.

Castle went for the phone, knowing how his partner would react, but she was faster.

"Want to repeat that, Esposito?" She snapped at the phone menacingly.

Lanie's head shot up from the papers she was reading.

"Is that Beckett's voice I just heard?"

"Wha- I don't... Beckett?"

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. She shouldn't have done that.

"Aren't you supposed to be with your boyfriend?"

Castle and Beckett looked at each other, startled. Well, no escaping now. He nodded at her, and she turned her attention back to the phone.

"I am."

There was silence, before three voices loudly exclaimed "What?" in almost unison.

"I am with my boyfriend. I'm in the Hamptons. With Castle." She went on, and Castle was grateful that she did not see the silly grin that went up on his face at her word choice. Boyfriend. Geez, that would still take quite some time to get used to. Back in New York, the two detectives were too stunned to say anything, so the ME took the lead.

"Girl, I'mma smack you up if you don't explain what in the world is going on. NOW."

Castle cut in. "I think it's already very clear, isn't it?"

"But, you two- but how... wait, when was it?" Esposito went from confused to surprised to unusually eager.

"What?" Beckett asked, confused.

"The day you two got together, when was it? There's a pool, Beckett!"

"I'm not even gracing you with an answer. See y'all on monday." With that, she hung up the phone.

"That went well." Castle muttered.

"Eh, I guess it was bound to happen sometime. Could've taken a little longer, though." she said, sipping on the last of her coffee.

"Yeah." he agreed.

It was silent for a minute.

"So... race you back? Looser makes dinner."

He didn't even finish his sentence and she was already running for the house.

"Hey, that's cheating! Beckett!" He stumbled off his seat and tried to catch up, but she was almost at the door by now. "Not fair! I demand a re-match!"

"Beckett!"

I am so, so, so sorry for writing and publishing this poor excuse of a story. But the sneak peeks got me so giddy, that it was either writing or running around my house screaming in fangirl delight. So when I was done writing, I decided there wasn't harm in sharing. Also, sorry for the crappiest title in the history of titles.