AN: This short one-shot came to my mind. I don't know if you are gonna like it at all but I just thought to share it with you guys. I think it's kind of stupid and perhaps not very meaningful but you can share your own opinion. Please write what you think about it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Castle
Pet names
Richard Castle didn't like his name that much but he just loved it when Kate called him. He loved hearing his own name from her lips and the way she pronounced it. He could never get tired of listening to her saying it. He just loved it when she turned to him and called him no matter what pet name she used. And she had called him so many different ways during the past years. She had called him Rick and Richard or just Castle. He was remembering all the names she had called him during the years.
At first he was Mr. Castle for her. That was what she called him. She pronounced his name with a cold and distant tone, trying to be professional at work. And she definitely sounded professional to him. She acted all professional and distant around him, and sometimes even cold. As if she was trying to seem intimidating and cold but she wasn't fooling anyone. Certainly not him because he knew it was all just an act. She was obviously just trying to protect herself but in the end he won her. That was when he became just Castle for her. She finally dropped the mister from his name. He was ruggedly handsome and she obviously couldn't resist his charm any longer. So it was just Castle - a short and simple but still a bit official. Sometimes she called his name with annoyed tone when she was angry at him for something and sometimes she used a more normal one. The better she knew him the warmer her tone got when she pronounced his name. He just warmed her heart with his charm and boyish smile.
So many times she had called his name and he remembered all of them clearly. He was still Richard Castle for her when she was angry at him. Even though she usually called him just Castle when she was angry that rule didn't apply. And boy, she was angry and annoyed very often. For instance, she called him that way when she arrested him. Calling him by a full name certainly meant she was angry. It meant that he was in trouble because she was furious at him for something. It meant he had done something wrong. And that happened quite often. Well, boys will be boys. That was a proper excuse for his childish behavior. That and the fact he just loved annoying her. Well, he just loved hearing his name from her lips so he didn't mind making her angry from time to time. Just to hear her screaming his name.
Then she called him Ricky. Several times at that. And that was one of his favorite. He remembered it pretty vividly in his mind. Calling him Ricky meant she was in a playful and giddy mood. She called him that way when she teased him about the case. And he just loved the playful Beckett. She was so fun to be around.
But then he was Castle again. And he became quite an expert of knowing her mood just by the way she said his name. When she called him Castle with a sweet and playful tone, emphasizing on the vowels of his name meant she had a surprise. Just like when she called him "Ohh, Castle" and told him they were going to a strip club. The way she pronounced it - it was so sexy and endearing. But that strip club didn't turn out as he expected though. She had even called him honey back then. Honey with a sarcastic tone and a mocking demeanor. And in that moment he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if she called him honey not in a mocking demeanor but for real.
So many memories of her calling him Castle came to his mind. He was Castle with an exclamation mark when he started telling one of his stories and she wanted to make him stop. She exclaimed his name with a stern tone, calling him Castle just to make him stop talking. She did that a lot. He was a bit talkative sometimes. Okay, probably most of the time. He was also Castle with a question mark and a puzzled look on her face. That was when he was about to show her something case-related. To prove his theory in front of her. A simple Castle with a threatening tone and a death glare meant only trouble. Trouble for him, of course. For instance when she asked him to change the name of Nikki Heat, the main character of his book that was based on her. A stern shout of Castle when she was bossing him around. She would say "Castle, stay put" and he had to obey and stay still but he didn't do it all the time, of course. Where was the fun in that? Or she would say "Castle, road trip" and he would gladly follow her around. Back then he was ready to follow her anywhere. But his favorite one has always been "Castle, are you coming?" Because coming out of her mouth always made him think for the other meaning of the word. The more inappropriate one. And besides, she had something like a special gift - no matter what she said, she could always make it sound so sexy and dirty. Well, maybe it wasn't her gift, maybe it was all because of his wild imagination. She also stuttered his name with such a surprise when he caught her reading the book. That was one of his favorite, too. He had caught her off guards and that was rare. Because she was always so self-controlled or at least she acted that way around him. Of course she was acting all innocent, pretending she wasn't reading it but he knew her so very well. She couldn't fool him.
And there was a simple Rick. When they got together she started calling him that way from time to time. She called him Rick on rare occasions. But he still love it. Rick meant special. She had called him Rick when she told him she loved him for the first time. She called him Castle when she needed him and Rick when she wanted him. Castle when they almost froze in each other's arms. A loud scream of his name when she was in danger. And a squeaky high pitched Castle certainly meant that he was in danger. A simple and calm Castle when she just called him. And a hot breathy Rick when she wanted him.
But Rick wasn't the only pet name she called him during the years. He was a Scaramouche when she taught him how to shoot. He remembered that pretty vividly. And how the hell could he forget!? Back then he made quite a show and pretended he was incompetent of shooting in order to make her teach him. And he got what he wanted - she was all over him, teaching him how to shoot. One time he was also a kitten. She called him that way just to tease him when she heard his ex wife calling him that way. He definitely didn't like that one. She had even called him a jackass when he teased her about the character based on her.
And then when he proposed her she called him by full name. It was the first time she said his full name and she said it with such sweetness in her voice. Her tone was filled with joy, love and care. And he loved that.
After that he was so many things. She called him a cowboy once when they were in that dude ranch. He was also a private dick. She called him that when they played the lonely girl and the private investigator. He liked her innuendo, which was not very subtle at that. There was this one time when she called him Mr. Beckett. He made a face when he heard her saying it but she was only joking so he quickly forgave her. He was also a babe. She called him babe with so much love and sweetness in her voice. Babe was special. She called him that way only when they were at home. When they were all alone. And he loved that. He loved that she called him Castle when they were at work, staying professional and respectful of him. And then he was jus Rick or babe at home. She made it seem so special.
But no matter which pet name she used to call him, he just loved it. He was in owe of her and her voice, the sweetness in her tone. The way she pronounced his name. He just loved her so much. No matter what. Always.