This story is au. Linchpin is set in early season 4 instead of before. It made me think that if there had been an extra nudge for C&B then they could have gotten together earlier. This is a bit OOC for the two though.

Castle sits slumped in his seat beside of Beckett's desk. Unlike every other day he doesn't stare at her while she does paper work or play Angry Birds on his phone. He simply stares at the ground his face void of emotion and his bright blue eyes have become a empty grey. When the boys walk over to the desk he doesn't move or say anything.

"Excuse us Beckett but we are going to take Castle into the break room to talk." Ryan politely says to her.

"What are you going to talk about Ryan?" Beckett asks as she looks up from her paper work to look at him; a small smile on her face oh how she loves to mess with them.

"Um... we uh, football! You know manly sports and stuff." Beckett schools her features as she tries not to laugh at Ryan's stuttering. Ryan winces as Esposito slaps him on the back of the head.

"We are just going to talk okay? So we are going to go now." Esposito says to Beckett leaving no room for any other questions as he pulls Castle from his chair and pushes him in the direction of the break room.

Beckett sat at her desk staring after them before looking down at the coffee cup on her desk. Castle hadn't refilled it all day. So deciding she needs another cup she grabs her mug and creeps quietly to the break room door listening to what is going on inside.

-inside-

Esposito pushes Castle down into a chair at a table. He and Ryan stand in front of Castle with their arms crossed in front of their chests. With their backs to the door and Castle now staring at the table, none of them see Beckett approach. Esposito is the first to speak.

"Bro, what is wrong with you?"

Ryan speaks next his soft tone a contrast to the sharp tone of Esposito's voice. "Yea man you've been mopping around for like a week. What's up with you?"

Castle looks up at them with his empty eyes his face still showing no emotion. "The freezer, then the bomb, then the funeral, then the three months without hearing from her, and then this case. Sofia could have shot her right in front of me. I would've had to watch her die again. The only thing that I could have done was watch; it was my fault and she could have died. It just got to me. The only reason I'm here is to be with Kate. I just need to be near her to keep my active imagination from running alternate scenarios through my head." He stops there, they all know that those scenarios end with Kate dead. "Seeing her walk off with Dr. Motorcycle Boy after it all hurt just a little bit more than usual."

"Castle you have got to quit moping around her and locking yourself in your office at the loft." Castle looks at Esposito with a confused look.

"How did you know that?" He says loudly.

"Alexis asked us to talk to you seeing as how you won't talk to her." Ryan answers him.

"You know why it hurts so much? It's because you love her but you're to afraid to admit it!" Esposito says to him. Castle stands up abruptly and and advances on Esposito, stopping less than a foot away, anger swarming through his veins.

"You think I don't know that I'm in love with her? I know! I love her so much that I would die for her. I did tell her the day that a bullet went through her heart. She says she doesn't remember so I haven't told her again because she told me that some things aren't worth remembering. I haven't told her again because I am afraid of rejection and the possibility that she might ask me to leave. The thought of having to live without her is much worse than the thought of never telling her again." He ends his rant with a puff and takes a step back from Esposito. He hadn't even realized that he had gotten that close but it felt good to have finally gotten that off his chest. "Sorry." He says to Esposito. "I'm not going to tell her. If Josh makes her happy I'm not going to interfere."

"Dude have you not noticed anything different about Beckett lately?" Ryan asks incredulously.

"Um no?"

"She broke up with Josh."

"What! No she didn't you are just messing with me, that's not cool guys." Castle looks at them with a scowl on his face and sees movement behind them.

"They aren't lying she did break up with him." The boys split so that Castle is looking between them to see Beckett standing in the doorway.

"How long have you been standing out there?" He asks as she walks the rest of the way into the room and the boys slipping out.

"The whole time." She says it quietly and looks down at the floor suddenly feeling embarrassed for ease dropping.

"The whole time." He pauses. "So you heard all of that?"

"Yea, I did." She looks up at him and stares into his eyes. "Did you mean it."

"Yes I did. I do love you." Before he knows what is happening Beckett is in his arms and her mouth is on his. When he realizes that Kate Beckett is kissing him he tightens his arms around her and begins to respond to her. He runs his tongue across her bottom lip seeking entrance that she grants immediately. They both moan as their tongues meet, winding together. He bites her bottom lip and then soothes it with his tongue. They break apart with a pop when oxygen becomes necessary; their foreheads resting together.

"I love you to Castle." She say breathlessly. "I love you too!"

He dives back in pouring all his emotions into his kiss. His hands roam her back drifting lower and lower till his hands slip into the back pockets of her jeans pulling her to him. She moans as their bodies line up to one another. She can feel the contours of his chest as it is pushed against hers. Her hands slide from his chest to the back of his head holding him against her. They separate enough for her to say three words that could rival 'I love you'.

"Take me home, Castle."