Author's Note: Here it is! I've been working on this for a while now and I feel the first chapter is finally decent enough to share. Please let me know what you think, and if this is good enough to go on!
I only wish I owned all of this. A girl can dream.
It had been a long day. Castle and Beckett had solved a case, had drinks, and now, finally, Beckett was home. Castle had insisted on walking her up, claiming that "there were crazy people out at this hour". She'd asked him to stay for a drink, not really ready to be alone, but he'd gotten a call from Alexis and hurried off.
After pouring a glass of wine, a surprise knock on the door had jarred Beckett from her thoughts. She smiled to herself, assuming that Castle had changed his mind about staying, and hurried for the door.
She was greeted by Josh, her boyfriend that she always seemed to be forgetting about.
"Josh!" She said, trying not to sound too shocked at seeing him.
He smiled and rested a hand on the door frame. "Are you going to let me in?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.
It wasn't who she'd expected, but Beckett couldn't help being thankful for a bit of company. "Of course," She stepped aside, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I actually needed to ask you something anyway."
"Shoot," The doctor said, facing her.
Kate stood beside him and turned to face him. She pushed away the thought that she had sat like this, looking at Rick, so many times before.
"Well, Detective Ryan… you know him, he's finally set a date for his wedding, and I was going to ask you to be my plus one. It's just two weeks from now. Soon, I know, but Jenny couldn't figure out an exact time that would work for her family until now. So….?" Beckett smiled slightly, awaiting his answer.
Josh sighed deeply and shook his head. "Kate," He said, trying to find eye contact with his girlfriend. "You know that I'm on-call all the time. There's no way I can sacrifice an entire day away from the hospital."
"One day, Josh. I am asking you for one day!" She answered quickly. She wasn't in the mood to argue, but she was even less in the mood to be blown off for this wedding.
"Baby, you know I would be there if I could. With my job, I just don't control this kind of thing."
Beckett ran a hand through her hair and sighed in exasperation. "I just want one day." She said again; her voice was soft now, almost begging. "I don't want to go to this wedding alone. I don't want to be that awkward person without a date in all of the pictures. Is that selfish of me? Maybe, but it's true."
"Kate, I'll be saving lives. Are you telling me that going to a wedding is more important than that?" Josh spoke confidently, using his regular excuse.
With a long sigh, the detective nodded in agreement. "I guess you're right. Besides, Castle's been whining about not having a date for weeks. I can just go with him."
At this, Josh narrowed his eyes. "You're going to go with the writer?" He asked, as if the very idea was ridiculous.
"I'll go with Rick, yes." Kate said sharply, daring Josh to question her further.
He took her silent dare. "You don't think that's a little… inappropriate?"
"How so?" Beckett said, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"You have a boyfriend, Kate." He deadpanned.
"I'm aware," Beckett was quickly growing angry. Her voice was filled with dark sarcasm. "And he won't even sacrifice one day to come to a good friend's wedding with me." Her words dripped with venom.
"Kate…" His voice rose and he took a step towards her.
"Don't make this a big deal, Josh. It doesn't mean anything. Castle and I are friends. We can go to this wedding as friends." She didn't waver, and stood directly in front of her boyfriend.
Josh seemed to lose a bit of his confidence. "I… I don't think I'm comfortable with that."
Kate turned around to head across the room and fall into a seat on the couch. "If you can't come with me, I'm going with Castle." Her mind was completely made up now. Josh's arguments wouldn't affect her.
"How about this?" He started, walking to stand in front of the couch. "You choose. Castle or me?"
"What are you talking about?" Beckett reached for the TV remote, but Josh stepped in front of the screen.
"Who would you choose?"
"What does that mean? Choose for what?" Kate placed her full attention on the doctor.
"Just choose…" His voice was low, and almost threatening.
His eyes taunted Beckett and in that moment, her choice was unbelievably easy. "Castle," She blurted, before she could control her words.
Josh's expression fell. Kate realized what she'd done and tried to backtrack.
"Josh, I didn't mean… I just, we're partners. I was angry and…"
"No, Kate." The man's voice was soft. He took a seat beside her and looked down at his lap. "We both know it's always been Castle."
Beckett couldn't find any words as Josh kissed her forehead, stood, and headed out the door. Without actually saying it out loud, she knew that their relationship was over. It had been heading that way for a while now.
As she settled further into the couch, Josh's words rang clearly in her mind.
It's always been Castle.
Always.
Kate drew a breath and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Maybe she could talk Castle into coming over, just for a drink, for some company.
She hesitated as she scrolled through her contacts. Of course, not, she thought as she set the phone down beside her, Castle's contact name still highlighted.
Calling him over was wildly inappropriate, especially when she'd just ended her relationship with Josh. Besides, she knew that if her partner came over when she was emotionally vulnerable and slightly intoxicated, a number of bad things could happen.
But would they really be bad things at all?
Kate shook the idea again from her head and went into her bathroom to run a hot bath. She grabbed one of her favorite books, which just happened to be penned by Richard Castle, and waited for the tub to fill up.
A thought occurred to her as she went back to the living room to grab her wine glass. Maybe she should just text Castle. Just in case…
Reaching for her phone, she shot a quick text to the writer.
K: Still looking for a date to the wedding?
She carried the phone with her into the bathroom and set in on the side table as she undressed and slid into the tub. Her phone vibrated only seconds later, and she reached for it, careful to hold it above the water.
R: Mother's been jumping at the idea, but yes. Definitely still looking.
Kate smiled at the thought of Martha at a wedding. Her dramatic personality would be at its very best. The one thought that refused to leave her mind was that Castle was incapable of finding a date. He really was the most eligible of bachelors. Girls were literally jumping at him, and yet, Castle couldn't find a date. The idea had all kinds of holes in it, but Beckett ignored this as she typed a reply text.
K: Looks like I need a date now too.
The next reply from Rick came at an almost unbelievable speed.
R: Something happened with Josh?
Kate wasn't sure how much she would tell Rick, but before she knew it, she was pouring everything into the text.
K: We broke up. He couldn't give up one day to come with me to the wedding. It wasn't worth it. Never was.
R: I'm sorry. Want me to come over? I'll bring comfort food. :)
Castle's reply made Beckett smile to herself. Castle could be unbearably sweet, and despite how bad the idea might be, she really did love the idea of Castle and comfort food.
K: You don't have anything else to do?
She wanted his company, but she didn't want to sound too needy. That wasn't her.
R: Nothing that's more important. I'll be there in 20 minutes.
At his quick answer, Kate came to the realization that she was lounging in the tub, her hair a mess, and Rick Castle would be standing at her door in only 20 minutes. She rushed out of the tub and into her bedroom to try to make herself look presentable.
Author's Note: Bam, said the lady! I'm so excited about this story. I won't be updating as often as I did on After the Storm. I'll probably have a new chapter up weekly. But never fear, fewer updates does mean that the chapters will be longer. Please do let me know if you like this so far though. I adore your opinions.