Piece By Piece
I was prompted to write a follow-up to my AU of the 7x06 AU, Pick Me Up At the Lost and Found, so if you haven't read that, I'd highly suggest it. Thanks for reading!
Summary: A look at how AU!Castle and AU!Beckett build each other up piece by piece.
She lets herself into his place, marveling at how easily the action comes to her when just a few months ago, even the idea would've seemed absurd. For any number of reasons.
Now she has free reign to use her key to let herself into Richard Castle's home whenever she feels like it. Since he's usually the one leading her in at the end of their days, typically she only makes use of it if she's been working late and deems it still acceptable to come over, but she's been known to slip in early some mornings just to wake him up more pleasantly than his mother might.
Martha Rodgers is… something, that's for sure.
She still shudders at the memory of letting herself into the loft one particularly late night, only to see far more of Martha than she'd ever, ever wanted to. Thankfully Rick was dead to the world for all of it, and the two women mutually agreed never to speak of it again.
It's nice, though, even knowing she runs the risk of getting an eyeful. Nicer than she would've expected, especially after a mere five months in a relationship with this man.
"Castle, I'm here," she calls, hanging her coat in the front closet and stepping out of her shoes. Her toes rejoice as they touch the smooth hardwood, reminding her yet again what a bad decision it was to try to break in new pumps on a day she knew she'd be giving presentations at 1PP. Beckett takes a minute to crack her toes and wiggle actual feeling back into them before padding toward his office.
"Please tell me you ordered dinner already, because I am starv- ing?" she trails off as soon as she sees the phone at his ear and the incredulous smile on his face.
He looks like Halloween, Christmas, and his birthday have all come at once and made him the guest of honor at an exclusive party. If he's talking to his publisher, she'll be amazed. Castle's relationship with said publisher is getting back on track thanks to the new book that's due out in just a couple weeks, but it's still frosty at times. He doesn't smile like this when he's on the phone with Gina.
Impulse has her needing a taste of that smile, no matter who's put it there.
Lifting onto her toes, she paints a delicate swathe across his lips with hers. His low rumble of delight is enough to bring her closer, palms skimming the soft cotton of his shirt at his ribcage before her hands fall to his waistline and she tucks herself against him.
He laughs softly, looping his arm around her back, the motion automatic now after so many months. "Ah, no, pumpkin. I was just saying hi to Kate. She just walked in."
He's talking to his daughter? No wonder he's so happy. It's been slow-going, making progress with his daughter. So many of his early attempts were rebuffed entirely, and others ended in him sitting with his hands over his eyes, lamenting his failures as a parent. She tries not to take sides, especially since she's never met the girl, but it hurts her to see him hurt. Today must be an exceptionally good day.
"Yeah," he breathes, laughing again lightly. "Yeah it is."
Beckett feels his lips touch her hair, the gesture almost absentminded, and she scoots closer. His elation fills her up, easing the fatigue of her long day.
"I can't wait, either. Okay, go have dinner, we're gonna do the same. I will. I love you, too."
He hangs up, slipping his phone onto his desk before embracing her fully. She relishes in the hug. After five months with this man, the strength of his arms isn't a surprise anymore, but each hug he offers her overwhelms her with contentment, with a love that still blows her away.
"Hey," she whispers, lacing her fingers at the small of his back and lifting her chin. "Good talk with Alexis?"
Castle squeezes her again, sloping his mouth over hers eagerly. His tongue laps at her lip, only to retreat when she echoes the gesture, humming into his mouth.
"Mhmm," he palms her hip. "Great talk. Good day at work?"
"Mmm, long day at work." She kisses him again, silencing any possibility for more shoptalk. He'll be back in his chair beside her in the morning; he can find out about work things then.
His desk offers her a ledge to perch on as she drags his hips closer. God knows she should be able to keep her hands off him by now, but should and can are two vastly different things and her hands delve under his t-shirt to get to his skin. He's warm to the touch, solid, too, and she watches his eyes flutter shut with each trail of her knuckles against his sides.
Skimming a kiss over his jaw, she swipes her tongue along his Adam's apple, feeling his throat work as he swallows.
He tugs her shirt out from her waistband, smoothing his hand over her belly. She sucks in a breath, stomach clenching underneath his fingers.
"Missed you today," he rumbles, dipping his head to kiss her neck.
"Missed you, too, Castle," she breathes. She means it, too, which is stupid because she woke in his arms this morning. She kissed him goodbye over her kitchen island fourteen hours ago, reminding him to lock up on his way to his meeting at Black Pawn. But here she is, practically trembling in anticipation of having his skin against hers.
Rick's mouth trails down her neck, dipping into the gap in her collar, making her arch against him with each slide of his tongue. The graze of his teeth isn't enough to leave a mark – he'll leave them in less visible places, she knows – but it sends a shudder through her.
"You gonna open my blouse with your teeth?" she teases, scratching lightly at the small of his back. Something about that spot just gets him.
His hips jerk against hers, drawing a breathy groan from her lips. Her eyes flutter shut at the touch of his mouth on her clavicle. Now that spot gets her.
"I might. S'that a challenge?"
"Uh huh. Go for it, hot shot." She grins, poking her tongue between her teeth.
Accepting the dare, his tongue trails down to the first button, nose nudging her skin. She giggles breathlessly.
"No cheating," she warns, arching into his hand anyway. He has great hands.
"Never, Captain," he purrs, managing to actually get her top button undone with his mouth. Oh, she shouldn't doubt him or that talented mouth of his.
"Rick –"
The buzzer cuts her off.
Castle swears under his breath. "That'd be our dinner, the one you asked about earlier."
She laughs tightly, palming the back of his head. "You did order."
"I ordered."
"Good. Go – are you okay to go get it?" Rocking her hips, her eyes drop between them.
Castle grunts, blowing a raspberry on her chest. She laughs, scratching his scalp gently.
"Funny, Beckett. I got it. Hold this thought?"
"Thought held," she promises, squeezing his neck.
Still, he kisses her hard, leaving her breathless before he scampers to the door to retrieve their food.
"Where are we eating?" she calls, sliding off his desk. Her legs wobble slightly, but keep her upright.
"Bed?"
Rolling her eyes. "No, Castle. Garlic bread in bed is a no-no."
He heaves a sigh. "Fine, Beckett. You and your rules."
Dipping her head, she grins. "Set the table, rule breaker. I'm going to change my clothes and then I wanna hear about your talk with Alexis."
Somehow after being with Richard Castle, she's become the type of girl who plays footsie and holds hands at the table. She's no sooner picked up her fork than his fingers slot through hers and her foot curls around his ankle.
"Thanks for dinner," she murmurs, spearing a piece of lettuce from their shared Caesar salad.
Rick squeezes her hand, stealing a kiss. "Sorry I forgot to mention it after I got off the phone."
Grinning impishly, she sneaks another kiss. "You had other priorities. Good ones."
"Nice to know you're a fan."
Cute, Rick, cute. He's more than aware that she's a fan.
"Speaking of fans… everything okay with the book?"
"Uh huh. Today was just about finalizing things, making sure everything's ready. And it is. Ready to astound the world."
Brushing her thumb over his, she nods. He's nervous about the book, about his return to writing the genre he does best, but he'll see soon enough how good he is.
"Thanks to you," he adds, eyes soft on hers.
"You did it all on your own," she denies, chewing another bite delicately.
"But you're my inspiration."
Blush stains her cheeks. "Castle, I just gave you access – not like that," she groans at his leer, "and then you wrote the words."
"Words I wouldn't have without you."
Leaning her forehead against his, she shuts her eyes. There's so much they wouldn't have without each other. "So Alexis is coming for the launch?"
He clears his throat, rubbing his nose against hers before pulling back to continue his meal. "Yeah she is. She's excited to meet you."
"She is?"
Castle smiles. "You thought she wouldn't be?"
"I… well, I don't know. I've never, I mean she's the first … daughter of a boyfriend I've ever met."
"You're freaking out, aren't you?"
Laughing softly, she nods. "Little bit, yeah."
His toes skirt underneath the hem of her yoga pants. "Now you know how I felt meeting your dad."
"Oh, come on, Dad wasn't that bad. And he even caught you leaving my apartment first thing in the morning," she teases, kissing him quickly. "This is your daughter. The daughter you're finally getting back on an even keel with. I don't want to mess that up for you if she doesn't like me."
"Kate, if anyone messes things up with Alexis, it's me. And I like to think I'm getting better about not doing that."
Disentangling their fingers, she swipes at the corner of his mouth, lifting his lips. "You are. When's she coming in?"
He tells her quietly. "She asked for extra time off so we could have a few days together before the release. She hasn't done that for me since she first moved to California."
"Then you'll enjoy it. You'll do all the father daughter things you've wanted to do since she moved, and you'll make up for the last couple years. Make her trip about the two of you, not contingent on me."
A mysterious smile lights his eyes, but he simply nods and she doesn't ask. "Still, have dinner with us when she gets in? So you don't meet for the first time on the red carpet. 'Cause that'd be awkward and weird."
Yeah, he's telling her. Agreeing softly, she seals the deal with a quick kiss.
"Now eat, Castle. And after dinner I'll put another button down on and let you pick up where you left off."
He laughs. "Your button down, right? Wearing mine is cheating. The buttons are farther apart."
Taking a bite of her food, she grins. "You'll have to finish your food to find out."