contravened reality.
Castle/Beckett AU
P1/?
"[…] what if we didn't have those last six years…"
FIRST CHAPTERS WILL ALWAYS BE SMALL, IN CASE THERE ISN'T A GREAT RESPONSE - WILL BE DELETED.
QUICKLY TYPED UP, ALL SPELLING ERRORS ARE MY OWN.
"Kate, have you ever thought about how different everything would be - for us? Like if we didn't meet when we did or go through all those ordeals together."
"Uhm…"She started, raising one of her eyebrows at him in slight confusion.
Kate put her book on the table and sat up straighter, cracking her back as she does. Castle let out a breath and clasped his hands together to prevent them from flying around comically.
"What if we didn't have those last six years of bringing justice to the victims, deciphering through the madness to find the true story, my perfectly timed comic relief," Kate laughs at that, "All the life-threatening situations that have inevitably brought us here. Would we even be together if all of that didn't happen? Would we even have met? Beckett?"
1997
Beckett?
Beckett?!
Kate jumped slightly, losing her balance for a moment. Having drifted off into her thoughts for a few minutes too long.
Walking briskly to the front counter, she took her coffee from the barista and flashed her a quick smile.
"Thank you so much! I'm in such a hurry."She garbled, squeezing through the crowd behind her. "Don't work too hard!" She added over her shoulder, her long dark hair billowing behind her almost obscuring her from the patrons inside.
Settling herself into one of the many identical, worn out wooden chairs. Kate hid behind her waterfall of long locks for a few moments and then quietly letting out a long held in breath. All those years of diligently sneaking in and out of the house having paid off, not that she didn't already know that.
Settling her coffee and strawberry muffin on the right side of her rickety desk, Kate let out another quiet sigh. Her eyes drifted up to the lecturer speaking at the front of the large room.
"Hey… is this Legal Ethics…?"A voice whispered suddenly from her right.
Kate gripped the edge of her desk, her nails digging into the splintered edges and the smooth steel frame. Usually as smooth as jazz, this time she barely contained the yelp that was scraping it's way up her vocal cords.
"Sorry girl, bit of a jumper hmm?"
Once she got control of her bearings, Kate chuckled quietly turning to the source of the voice beside her.
A young woman with dark brown hair that cascaded halfway down her back, straight to a T with a feathered fringe and caramel skin. Her mouth opened to reveal a bright smile and an infectious laugh.
"Yeah…ah, this is Legal Ethics. "Kate laughed, running her fingers through her tresses to briefly collect herself.
The other woman returned to her own styrofoam cup of coffee, she took a long sip and then opened her text from her bag and set it up on her desk.
After about an hour and a half, the lecturer suggested a brief recess so that everyone can grab something to eat or have a rest if they wanted. Tucking her stuff into her bag, Kate was in the process of tying her hair up when the same woman grabbed her attention again.
"Hey, uhh since I'm kinda new to this campus do you wanna hang? Maybe show me where all the beef showers?"She laughed, waggling her eyebrows.
Finishing her ponytail and picking up her now empty coffee cup, Kate laughed at the woman's brashness. "Yeah sure, sounds fun. I'm Kate by the way." She said, extending her hand.
The other woman grinned widely, thrilled.(And a little over-bearing) "My names Lanie. Let's grab a coffee because either he is the most boring lecturer I've ever had or that was the most boring dream I've ever had…either way I need my caffeine.
"I think we're going to get on just fine." Kate laughed.
Both women grabbed their own coats before making their way to one of the on-campus cafe's.
Walking the back way was a lot quicker as long as you didn't mind getting a little dirt on your feet; kicking a few rocks out of her path, Kate watched Lanie stumble over a half-sunken dirt hole, perhaps not safer though. Lanie made a dirty comment about the dirt and a certain shrub of bushes that made Kate nearly choke on her laughter and run into a group of people.
"Whoa Becks! Had too much to drink already?"They teased lightly.
Shaking her head, she waved them away before continuing to walk. Lanie raised her signature eyebrow (she may not have known her long but she knew that much)in a silent question. Brushing her off Kate just said that most people knew her from either her parents jobs or some social event that has taken place.
"And no." Answering Lanie's question before she even asked.
Lanie closed her mouth and gently gnawed on her bottom lip in thought.
"I was just gonna ask if he was delicious as he is funny."She smirked.
Kate laughed throatily. "No one here is worth dating anyway…frat boys and keggers all year round. Whoo!"She said sarcastically.
Lanie laughed and Kate joined in.
When they got to the front of the line, the same barista was there. She grinned when she saw Kate and tilted her head to the side, placing two fingers against her temple. "Hmm…let me guess…the usual? "
Kate rolled her eyes playfully, "but of course."
After Lanie ordered her own coffee - a double shot caramel latte (don't forget the extra whipped cream!) Kate was leaning against the other counter, talking to the friendly barista.
"So, are we still going to that masquerade party this weekend?"Kate asked, gently blowing against the steam coming from the top of her coffee before taking a sip.
"Last I checked. Oh my god you're not bailing on me, are you?! Because that would be really unfair especially because I cov-"
"Yes. Yes, I am. Calm down. I was just going to check with you if it was okay that Lanie tagged along?" Kate said, setting down her coffee and not-so-subtly pointing towards her.
Lanie was currently talking very animatedly to another girl at the counter about the outfit she was wearing and how she got it on sale.
"Of course! Just make sure you meet at my dorm, okay?"
Kate nodded, "Sounds like a plan. Seeya, Jenny."
Walking back to Lanie, Kate handed her her coffee before wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"Hope you like masks." She smirked.
Lanie lifted her drink to her mouth before turning slightly towards Kate and quirking her eyebrow."This isn't a sex thing, right?"
Kate shook her head and laughed.