The bar is nearly empty, with just a few regulars left sipping beer in the shadows. It's been a good night thinks Castle as he helps himself to a shot of whisky. In fact Castle is just beginning to enjoy the role of bartender, when Kevin comes in looking a massive wreck and sporting a split lip.
InstinctivelyCastle can tell that something's not right and that Kevin has had a rough night. His brain begins to whirl with ludicrous ideas and reasons for this late night visit to the Old Haunt, most of them involving ninjas.
Castle pours the man a drink, which is downed immediately.
Castles decides to test out his new found barmen powers of advice giving and listening as he refills the glass but is unsure where to start so for a while they just sit in silence, although technically Castle is standing. In the end Castle decides to say something annoying just to break the tension. "Fighting again really" says castle pretending to sound like a disappointed mother.
"Just let me drink in peace will you" says Kevin giving him a hard stare that says 'I don't want to talk about it so don't try to mess with me '. Reading the mood castle natters on about this and that for a while trying to cheer Kevin up.
"Are you sure you don't want to talk?" asks castle refilling his glass. "You know me always ready for some major gossip." Kevin keeps mute.
"You know the way I see it" Castle says making little sense as he pours another glass of whisky "Is that you can either look at the glass as being half empty or half full" he holds the glass up to the light for dramatic effect.
Kevin glances at the drink in castles hand "are you going to drink that he asks?"
Castle swigs the whisky down and looks around the bar for a while as if trying to locate something.
A hand reaches for the bottle. Being the less inebriated of the two Castle is quicker and manages to move it out of his grasp and instead hands him a tiny cocktail umbrella.
"What's this for?" He asks confused
Castle shrugs "I just thought it might cheer you up"
Kevin looks at it and twirls it about for a while before chuckling loudly. Castle looks at him confused "something funny?"
"It's pink" he laughs again.
"She dumped me" he says eventually. His eyes fixed on his glass.
Castle is astonished by these words. They had seemed so great together, they always do.
Helping himself to a glass of whiskey he tries to be supportive "I'm sure she'll come around, just give it some time"
"Nope it's over for good" he says sounding oddly relived. Kevin's eyes meet Castles.
"I just couldn't make it work with her, I wasn't myself you know" he says smiling sadly. Kevin takes another swig from his glass, draining it dry.
A thought suddenly occurs to Castle as Kevin dabs a piece of ice over his damaged lip "did she hit you?" he asked loudly glancing around the now empty bar "she did didn't she"
"I deserved it" said Kevin finally.
"What did you do?"
"I just told her the truth"
Castles eyes narrow as he asks "Was there someone else?" accidently hitting the nail on the head.
Kevin doesn't say anything but his look confirms it.
"Someone from work?"
Kevin says nothing, reveals nothing. Castles resolve breaking he takes a swig strait from the bottle and swears, his mind immediately jumping to its own conclusions.
"Beckett?"
"No" Kevin sounds embarrassed.
Castle looks at him confused "then who?"
Eventually Kevin manages to speak. His voice is low and barely audible but Castle catches it anyway.
"Esposito"