A/N: Hey, well the title is pretty obvious but I hope they are not that OCC. This is set sometime in the first season.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything here ABC studios and Andrew W. Marlowe does.
Girl Talk
"You do know everyone sees it, right?" Lanie Parish asked her best friend detective Kate Beckett as they slipped into a booth at one of their favourite restaurants.
"Sees what?" Kate asked, as she looked at the menu.
"C'mon girl, it's obvious," Lanie told her.
"Obvious as a knife sticking out of someone chest and saying it's not murder?"
"Yes, preciously,"
"Ok, so what's your point?"
"My point is to please hurry up and kiss the guy for god sakes!"
"Oh, please, not this again," she rolled her eyes.
"Yes, this again, you are either completely clueless or totally stubborn because everyone sees it."
"Define everyone?"
"Me, Esposito, Ryan, Montgomery...."
"What? You're kidding,"
"No I ain't. How many times have people asked you if you are together?"
"Why is that important?"
"Because it is,"
"A few times," Kate replied. Lanie stared at her in disbelief. "Okay, maybe more times than I would like," she finally confessed.
"Really?"
"Lanie, since when do you interrogate people,"
"Since people don't admit their feelings for a particular person which is so obvious to everyone else."
"Ok, ok I hear you. What would you like me to do?"
"What I would do, tell him,"
"Tell him how I really feel?"
"Yeah and you should sleep with him,"
"Lanie he's obnoxious, arrogant and a child trapped inside a grown man's body."
"Well at least his good looking," Lanie smiled.
"So why don't you date him then?" Kate replied, sarcastically.
"Because he doesn't want me, he wants you, like I said obvious," Lanie shrugged. The waiter came over and took their order. Kate thought of what her best friend said and was considering taking her advice when her phone rang.
"If that's Castle tell him I said hi," Lanie told her as Kate answered the phone, giving her an eye roll.
"Beckett," she answered.
"Do you really need to answer the phone like that when you know it's me," Castle asked.
"I hope you called for work related reasons," Kate replied, ignoring his reply.
"Actually no I didn't I just wanted to ask you something," he said. Kate saw Lanie give her a smile and flutter her eyelids.
"Lanie says hi," Kate muttered.
"Oh, you're having some girl talk, huh? Are you talking about me again?"
"No we're not."
"That's just heartbreaking."
"You're so egocentric."
"Thank you... I think," Castle said sweetly.
"It wasn't a compliment."
"I know, how sad, so what are you two doing? Painting your nails, watching chick flicks and/or having pillow fights because, that just so sounds so hot right now," Castle drabbled on.
"In your dreams Castle," Kate murmured.
"Every night, Beckett you like playing this game as much as I do," Castle smirked.
"What game are you referring too?"
"The one where you pretend you hate me but you actually love me and would marry me in a heartbeat."
"How many soap operas have you watched today?"
"None actually I just wanted to know what you're favourite is out of black or white?"
"More pulp for your fiction again," Kate said, rolling her eyes.
"You are my muse, remember?"
"Say that again and I will shoot you the next time I see you," she said sarcastically. "Well for your question I would say white." She added.
"Oh, I thought you would have said black, that's ok I can change it."
"Whoa, wait, why?"
"Because you just said white that's all," Castle said, enjoying that he had Kate on edge.
"What if I changed it to black?"
"Oh I see now, you do want to please me sometimes," Castle purred to her on the phone.
"Castle, goodbye," she said, hanging up before he could answer.
"What did he want?" Lanie asked.
"Something for his book, that's all," Kate told her.
"Really?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at her.
"It's Castle, remember?" Kate reminded her.
"Yeah, I know," Lanie replied, as their meals got brought to them. Just as Kate was taking a bite out of her meal she stopped half way to her mouth and sighed in annoyance.
"Castle," she muttered.
"Yes, honey, I know you like him," Lanie assured her.
"No, I mean, Castle," Kate told her, gesturing behind Lanie. Lanie turned to see Castle coming towards them with hands like he was surrendering and glanced back at Kate. She looked infuriated at him as he came up to their table and rolled her eyes at him.
"I thought you were having pillow fights and painting your nails," Castle said, grabbing a chair from another table and sat in between them. "How are you, Dr. Parish?"
"I'm fine, Castle, how are you?"
"Great, just being here," he grinned and turned to Kate. She glared at him from the table, looking even more infuriated by the second.
"Why are you here?" she asked him angrily, before he could reply, she added "No, better question how did you know I was here?"
"Some little bird told me," Castle beamed at her.
"I'm going to kill them," she muttered angrily to herself.
"It wasn't their fault, someone else told me where you liked to eat," he said, grabbing fries from Kate's plate. She slapped his hand away from her food.
"Tell me, why are you here?" she asked, in annoyance.
"Research," Castle replied.
"You already have research; you follow me around like a stray dog at work all day!" Kate reminded him.
"Oh, you're so nice, she always gets like this when she's annoyed," Castle said, talking to Lanie, who was just watching them.
"And now you're here, when I'm not a work," Kate muttered, heatedly, "Don't you have a book to write?"
"Yeah, but I need more depth to Nikki Heat, I need to know how she would act when she's not a work," Castle clarified to her.
"Yeah, right," Kate scoffed.
"Can I get a take away container, please?" Lanie asked a waiter, walking by, grinning as she was watching Kate and Castle argue. They didn't realize what was happening around them let alone between them.
"Just pretend I'm not here," Castle asked her and sat back on his chair. Kate just glared at him. The waiter came back with a container and Lanie started to put her food into it.
"Where are you going?" Kate asked, worriedly, also starting to gather her stuff.
"I think you guys need to sort this out," she said, winking at Kate, standing up from her chair.
"No, don't leave," she cried out, making some people in the restaurant start to look at them.
"No, don't leave, I would be great to see her with her best friend," Castle cried out suddenly. Kate glared at him even more annoyed than she was already. Kate noticed some people laughed at Castle's comment.
"Castle, shut up," Kate hissed at him. "If you leave me Lanie, I-um don't know what I will do with him," Kate whispered, gesturing to Castle.
"Just remember what I told you," Lanie grinned at her. Castle took her seat across from Kate.
"Please let this be a horrible dream," Kate whispered to herself.
"Call me for details," Lanie smiled at Kate and walked out leaving Castle behind with her. He gave her his trademark grin and leaned forward.
"You realise we're alone in a nice restaurant, now?" Castle said,
"Really?" she said, sarcastically.
"Oh, detective you should be happy isn't this is what your always wanted?"
"Not really," Kate snapped. "Can I get vodka please?" she asked the waiter walking by she saw Castle grabbing a notepad from his breast pocket.
"So what sort of vodka, martini. You look like a martini girl?" Castle asked, writing it down. Kate growled under her breath. "Stop!" she suddenly cried out. A couple in the next table looked at them in annoyance.
"Can you please take your wife somewhere else?" An old man asked Castle politely.
"I'm not his wife," she answered, firmly.
"Ok, partner then, whatever you young ones call it these days," he corrected himself.
"It's okay; she'll be fine soon she just really wants her drink," Castle told him, he nodded in understanding and went back to talking to his wife. Kate's drink came and she calmly drank it while Castle was watching her. After she drank a quarter of it she stared back at Castle.
"Ok, what do you want to know?" she asked, leaning forward on her seat.
"Who do you think would win in a fight, cat woman or wonder woman?" Castle asked. Kate laughed in the ridiculous of the question and sighed.
"I reckon wonder woman," she replied and drank the rest of her drink. "What does that have to do with your research?"
"Nothing, detective just making conversation," Castle smiled at her. Surprisingly she returned the smile back to Castle and started eating her meal again. "Can I...?" he asked, and Kate nodded. He grabbed a napkin and placed a fries on his napkin.
"Thanks," he said. They ate in silence for a few minutes and finished. The waiter came back around and grabbed Kate's plate. "Can I get red wine please, the best bottle you have," Castle asked, before the waiter walked away with the dishes. Kate narrowed his eyes at him.
The waiter came back and gave Castle a bottle of red wine, two wine glasses and wine holder. Castle poured Kate a glass for her and winked at her. She rolled her eyes in response.
"Do you ever give up?" she asked.
"No, never will and not planning to," Castle replied.
"Well, you are going to be waiting a long time."
"I'm very patient," Castle smiled.
Kate snorted. "No you're not,"
"With you I am," Castle grinned at her. She couldn't help but smile a little. She narrowed her at him again. Although she was secretly flattered by his undeniable presence and the fact he was writing a character based on her.
"So Castle, is this another one of your attempts to get to talk about my personal life?"
"What? No, of course not, I just improvised and this happened," he replied, he took a swig of the wine. He felt the taste soothe his throat as he watched the detective drink hers. He loved watching her, the way her eyes reflected her mood made her seem mysterious and irresistible to peel the layers of her life, professional and personal. He liked that he learned certain things about as he shadowed her, like a stray dog, unfortunately that her description she chose for him.
"So, where's Alexis and Martha?" Kate asked him.
"They are both at the theatre," he replied, staring back at her.
"Anything you know?"
"Something about a woman trapped inside a man's body..."
"Gee, wouldn't that be a great character for a novel?" Kate mocked.
"Yeah, but a bit to over used in many forms," Castle joked, making Kate chuckle. They sat in silence again.
"Good wine," Kate commented.
"I know," Castle replied, filling her glass before she could protest.
"Been here before?"
"Too many times for reasons those are not related to my novels."
"Took one of your bimbo girlfriends here, what a surprise," she said, rolling her eyes. She waited for Castle's childish antics but only looked up to see him looking a little disappointed in her.
"No it was actually Alexis, it's one of her favourite restaurants as well," Castle finally said.
"Oh," Kate replied, feeling embarrassed about her assumption. "Sorry," she apologised, looking directly at Castle. He smiled at her.
"That's okay, given my charming reputation I don't really blame you for assuming," he said. She returned the smile. "You want to dessert?" he asked, gesturing a waiter to come over. Kate was about to get out of seat as the waiter came over. "Do you by any chance have gummy bears on the menu?" he asked, watching Kate's reaction. The waiter nodded and explained that they had a whole range of sweets to accompany any dessert. Kate narrowed her eyes at him and sat back down.
"Give us the best ice cream, chocolate for me....and?"
"Rocky road," Kate answered.
"Thanks," Castle said to the waiter and left.
"How did you know?"
"I did my research," he replied.
"You've been looking in my desk again, have you?"
"No, detective I have been researching,"
"That's not exactly a denial."
"Research."
"Sugar coating won't help."
"Why detective do I hear a nasty tone in your voice?"
"You'll be hearing more than that we are alone," Kate said firmly.
"Is that an offer?"
"No, it's a..."
"Here you go," the waiter came with their dessert and set it down in front of them. The rocky road ice cream with gummy bears sprinkled on top in front of Beckett made her stop in midsentence. Castle smiled at her and she looked up and met his eyes. "Enjoy," the waiter said, giving Castle a wink. He nodded to him.
"You were saying?"
"Shut up Castle," she said, taking her spoon and taking a bite of the ice cream. "I'm going to kill you after this," she said, glaring at her.
"Looking forward to it," he replied, still watching her.
"So much for my girl talk with Lanie," Beckett said.
"You can always pretend I'm Lanie," he suggested. Beckett laughed.
"Oh, that would be your only wish right now," she joked.
"One of many," Castle admitted. "One would be that we would be a bed right now making extremely hot love and you calling me Ricky," he grinned. Kate glared at him, but he could a shadow of a smile forming. Without another word, they both ate their dessert in silence.
Fin.
A/N: Thank for reading. Remember to review.