As they lapse into silence, Kate can feel the weight of all the questions Lanie is attempting to hold back.

The ME topped up her glass, her eyes drifting sideways as she pressed her lips together.

"You can say it." Kate said after a pregnant pause, barely audible in the hush of Lanie's living room.

"Say what?" she feigned innocence, still not meeting Kate's eyes. Another sip of wine.

"The things you're not saying."

"Honey, there's a lot of things I'm not saying."

"You know which ones I'm talking about."

"Do I?"

Kate plucked a chocolate-dipped strawberry from the bowl sitting between them, bit off the tip and sprawled back against the couch.

"What'sgoingonwithyouandCastle?" Lanie mumbled, unable to resist, the words spilling from her mouth before she can swallow them back. She's seen the tension, the flirting, but she was absolutely positive that all the best moments happen when she's not around.

"So predictable."

"Don't deflect."

"I'm not de-"

"Stop it."

She tucked her knees up below her chin, hugged them, nuzzled her nose against the soft fabric of her leggings.

Lanie waited, toying with the leaves of a strawberry but not actually eating it.

"I don't know?"

The ME waited for the sentence to finish itself off and when it didn't, she raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know? Question mark? Becks, I think you'd know better than anybody what's happenin' with you two."

"I really don't. We just- do our thing?"

"Your thing?"

"Yeah- wait, no. No. No, no. Not that thing. Other things."

"OTHER THINGS?"

"Lanie. Nothing sexual."

"Apart from the eye sex?"

"Lanie. Wait, wait, you notice that?"

"Sweetie, everybody notices. We watch you mentally undressing each other and we smile because it's kinda cute, apart from the whole naked-Castle-in-a-thought-bubble-above-your-head thing."

"You... I... ugh."

A crimson blush had crept its way across Kate's cheeks and she briefly buried her nose in the crook of her elbow.

"Don't worry. I won't bring it up again."

"Thank you."

Kate ate another strawberry, chewing as she closed her eyes.

"?" Lanie rushed, seemingly unable to stop herself from asking the questions that have probably been lingering in the back of her head for months.

Beckett shot her 'the look', all narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

"I don't count."

"If you had to hazard a guess?"

"This is ridiculous."

"Say it."

"I'm not telling you."

"Say it."

"I refuse."

"Say it."

"More than twenty."

"Say i- wait. Woah. That many?"

"Shut up."

Lanie bumped her shoulder against her friend's, and Kate shot her a smile, her eyes crinkling around the corners.

"I bet you have the corner of that page folded down so you can flip to it whenever you want."

"No!" Kate protested, swigging another mouthfull of wine and swishing the bubbles around her mouth.

"Mm-hm." Lanie hummed, watching her face become a whole new shade of red.

"...I have a paper clip on it. Doesn't crease the paper."