I was struggling with It's Just Research so I wrote this instead. It's pretty much the complete opposite of So Very Close.
Enjoy!
Edit: Now has a sequel!
Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.
It hadn't even been a week since they'd decided to give whatever it was between them a chance and now basically everyone they knew had already found out about their relationship. They were trying to keep it a secret, they really were, but apparently they weren't very good at it.
First to find out had been Beckett's elderly neighbour who happened to arrive home at precisely the wrong moment to find Beckett pushed up against her front door with Castle attacking her neck and her arms around his body, holding him close. Beckett had gone over to apologise a few days later for what the woman had witnessed and was shocked when the old woman replied with "It's about time."
Next was Lanie, who had arrived that next morning to take Beckett out for breakfast since they both had the day off. When she had made the plans, Beckett already knew that Castle was taking her out on their first date the previous evening and she had planned to Lanie everything. She didn't think Castle would still be at her place the next morning and she didn't think Lanie had expected an almost naked Richard Castle opening the door instead of her. He'd stupidly answered the door without even checking who it was, he'd been trying to be sweet by letting her sleep longer but that hadn't exactly worked out as planned.
They'd both agreed to take things slow but things had escalated quickly once they'd arrived back at her apartment. They hadn't been able to keep their hands off each other and wanting to take things slow had turned into a night in bed, with neither of them getting much sleep. She was just glad Castle had had the presence of mind to put pants on before he'd opened the door.
Two days later Ryan found them in a similar position as Beckett's neighbor, expect this time they were in one of the usually deserted back corridors at the precinct. Who knows why Ryan was down there in the first place, they didn't ask, they were all too busy trying to avoid looking each other in the eye. They wouldn't have even known Ryan was there if he hadn't gasped so loudly when he spotted them. He quickly assured them that he wouldn't tell anyone and then he was gone again, they probably traumatised the poor guy.
They obviously shouldn't have been doing what they were while at work but they couldn't help themselves. Apparently after trying to keep their hands off each other for four years, they now felt the need to be in constant contact with each other which was a big problem when they're at the precinct and they're trying to keep their relationship a secret.
Luckily, neither Martha nor Alexis caught them in a compromising position. They could both tell something was different because of how happy he'd been the past few days. When they asked him if his good mood had anything to do with Detective Beckett, he didn't try and hide it. They were of course happy for him and all four of them, Beckett included, had dinner together that same night. No one said anything when Beckett was still there the next morning.
Beckett called her father and told him herself otherwise with the luck they were having, he would've found out somehow too and she didn't want to traumatize her father either from what he might've seen or walked in on if he didn't already know.
It was Castle's fault Esposito found out too. Apparently Castle's brain took a while to wake up in the morning just like earlier that week. Esposito found about them when he called Beckett about a body and Castle had answered her phone. He hadn't even thought about it, he'd just heard the phone ringing and answered it, even saying "Castle" and not "Beckett's phone" as he did so. Of course Espo had known exactly what Castle answering her phone at 3am had meant and they were teased endlessly when they finally did arrive at the crime scene.
Gates finding out was embarrassing and they were glad that Castle was still allowed to stay at the precinct once she knew. Her finding out happened in several stages.
First there was Gates overhearing Beckett call someone "babe" on the phone. Beckett could've been talking to anyone but it just so happened that Castle hadn't been around at the time.
Then there was Beckett feeling the need to leave several feet of space between Castle and herself whenever they were in their captain's presence. That in itself was suspicious because they never stood that far apart, ever.
There was also the fact that they both seemed inordinately happy recently and all this information was piling up to point to one thing, they'd finally got their act together and were now sleeping together.
This went only went on for about a week before Gates found Beckett in one of the deserted corridors, alone this time. Beckett couldn't help thinking when she saw her that the deserted corridors were meant to be deserted, that's why she'd come down here, so why were people always finding her?
It had been a tough couple of days and it was wearing Beckett and her team down. She'd wanted some alone time, just to clear her head so she could think straight. She was tired and had gotten into an argument with Castle before she'd told him to leave and went to be by herself.
Gates had seen what had happened, knew that Beckett was over working herself, and went to find the detective to tell her to go home and take a break.
Gates had ignored the tears in Beckett eyes and had told her to go find Castle and for both of them to leave and get some rest. Gates knew by then what was going on between Castle and Beckett but decided not to comment on it just yet, saying that she wanted him to leave too because didn't want Castle running wild around her precinct without Beckett to reign him in. Beckett wasn't sure then whether Gates knew or not, but she certainly found out the next day.
She is going to be forever embarrassed about how she knew that Gates really did know. It was rather similar to how Ryan found out actually, except Beckett's shirt had a couple of buttons undone this time and they were in the observation room, not a corridor. They hadn't expected anyone to walk in because Ryan and Esposito were interrogating their suspect and how was Beckett supposed to stop herself from touching Castle when they were alone?
Gates told them to leave and return when they were more presentable and could control themselves. She said that Ryan and Esposito could handle the rest of their case and that if they didn't behave themselves from now on, Castle would be kicked out permanently.
After all that, they decided not to try and hide their relationship anymore, they weren't very good at it anyway. And besides, this way they got to act like a couple in public, except not when Gates was around of course.
What did you think?