Barreling Opportunity
It was another long day at the twelfth precinct. They'd wrapped up a case not too long ago, and all that remained was the pesky paperwork for two weeks worth of crime solving. That was a lot of paperwork. But it also signaled the end of the working week for her, and that meant she was eager to wrap it up, go home and get her feet out of her killer heels and prop them up on a fluffy pillow or two. Retrospectively, it had been a bad idea to wear heels this tall, but she hadn't anticipated having to run up a flight of stairs in them.
She pondered these things as she rinsed out her coffee cup in the sink in the break room. She needed a breather, really. There was a crick in her neck and stars in her eyes from the monotony of looking at documents for the last two hours.
Of course, Kate had her very own personalized entertainment system in the form of Rick Castle to break the monotony every so often with random statements that completely derailed her line of thinking. And though that probably set her back a few seconds in her work, the company did not go unappreciated. Not that she told him that.
With a final sigh, she wiped off her hands, and turned to leave the break room. The quicker she got out there, the quicker she'd get to finishing her work. The quicker she did that, the quicker she'd get home. At least that's the lame pep talk she gave herself.
Just as she reached to open the door, before she could so much as gasp, Castle came barreling in and knocked right into her.
They collided with a synchronized 'oomph', and the force of the collision would have knocked her flat on her butt, had he not seized her around the waist. In overcompensation, she lurched into him, her hands around his neck. He staggered backwards with the surprise of her in his arms, and the door snapped shut behind them.
Inertia is a funny thing. She never really liked physics in school. Kate was more fond of learning the ins and outs of chemistry. But she knew about inertia, of course. So she knew it was to blame.
It was totally inertia that had her mashed up against him, both of them against the door. Also inertia that had her lips slip onto his soft, supple ones, which she noticed had parted in surprise. Her heels were only partly to blame that they put her at the perfect height for this to happen. She wasn't sure what to blame, that her lips closed on his, stayed there for a moment longer than physics could explain.
She pulled back abruptly, her hand on her lips, her eyes wide on his. He straightened up against the door, looking equally shocked, his brows almost disappearing under his hair that had so adorably flopped onto his forehead.
"Uh," she said eloquently.
"That was –"
"An accident," she finished, at the same time as he blurted, "Amazing."
"Right," they said, again in sync, making her blush and look away, unable to meet his eyes.
"I was just coming to tell you that I'm leaving," he supplied.
"Oh."
"Got a chapter idea."
"Great. That's great," she said, rocking awkwardly on her heels.
"It is," he nodded, for longer than necessary. "Well, so I should –" he trailed off, pointed his thumb over his shoulder.
"Yeah, and I should –" she said, feeling overwhelmingly awkward, pointing towards the door behind him. That had shut. With the force of their kiss. Collision. She meant collision.
"Okay."
"Okay."
He shifted to the right as she headed towards the door, fortunately avoiding any more awkwardness, if that were even possible.
But just as she reached for the doorknob, she found the door wouldn't budge. Great. Just what she needed. Being stranded in a room that smelled of coffee and Castle. Fantastic.
She was about to turn again, when she happened to look up and realize why the door wasn't opening. His arm was extended, above her shoulder, keeping it closed.
Kate turned in her spot, her hair following a second later – inertia – like one of those shampoo commercials. Unlike one of those shampoo commercials, her face didn't bear a look of utter seduction. Or so she hoped, as she came face to face, nose to nose with Castle. He was closer than she anticipated.
"Castle! Let me go," she glared, or so she hoped. It sounded weak even to her own ears.
"I don't accept the premise."
"What?"
"This," he said, moving his hand that was blocking her exit, and waving it about wildly, "is a lousy premise. And that was a stupid kiss."
"What?" she repeated dumbly, a little hurt and a lot affronted.
"The universe is clearly trying to create an opportunity. I mean, I was literally the opportunity that knocked at your door."
"Knocked?" she huffed in indignation. "You barreled in like bull seeing red. You bulldozed through the door!"
"Semantics."
She glared at him. "Yeah, well you're the one who thought that – that kiss was amazing," she parried, her voice wavering only slightly. She noticed then that he had her riled up, she was breathing fast, and felt flushed. God, he was frustrating. Course, he didn't look to be in better shape either.
"I was caught up in the moment. In hindsight, it was a stupid kiss. Definitely too stupid to be a first kiss."
"First kiss?" she repeated, the implication just settling in.
He nodded excitedly, as if she was finally starting to understand the point he was trying to make. Kate's mouth opened in silent argument, but he must have taken it as further acquiescence.
"The universe just created a brilliant scenario, and then I go home to write a novel, and you go to your desk to write – uh – paperwork? What kind of terrible outcome is that? I would never write something that tragic."
"Tragic?" First he called their kiss amazing, then stupid, and now tragic? Well, she never. This situation seemed comedic, if anything. "The universe is not your novel, Castle."
"That doesn't even make sense."
"Yes, it does."
"Sense is overrated."
"So are your novels."
"That's just mean."
"Bite me."
"I'd rather kiss you."
"Thought you just did."
"Thought you said it was a tragic kiss."
"I said it would have been a tragic outcome."
"Fine then, you said the kiss was stupid."
"It was!"
"Wait, what do you mean 'would have been'?"
"I refuse to let it be tragic."
"You're allowing it to get confusing."
"And I think even the universe with agree."
"It agrees that you're confusing."
"We deserve a take two."
"Take two what?"
"Take two kisses."
"Huh?"
And that was all she was able to get out before his lips were on hers again. There was no inertia to blame, no collisions, no interfering forces of the universe; just the force of Castle's reasoning. But why let logic argue with the story? This seemed like a nice outcome. In this scenario, his lips were devouring hers, slanting over them, parting them, allowing him admission to taste her. She could feel his warmth envelop her; their breaths mingle. They parted only long enough to be able to dive back in, her hands fisted in his lapels drawing him closer, as if they'd left any space between them.
He parted with a pop, his expression as dazed as she felt dizzy.
"That was amazing," he croaked, and she couldn't help but bite her lip, trying to stop the ridiculously smile from blooming."
"Are you going to turn around and call it stupid?"
"No."
"Tragic?"
"Nothing tragic about it. This is a good first kiss."
"Don't cheat."
"Not cheating. Editing."
"You can't just edit the universe."
"Just did," he said smugly.
She huffed.
"For the record, I didn't think the first first kiss was stupid. Or tragic."
"Then why'd you say it was?"
"Got me a second first kiss. I regret nothing."
"Castle," she said, exasperated.
"Kate!" he sang, imitating her tone.
"Don't you have a novel to write?" she said, blushing.
"Yes! I feel inspired!"
"Lucky you."
"What? You're not inspired to finish paperwork?"
She gave him a look for that.
"Hmm. That's not fair."
"Tell me about it."
"We should fix it."
"You offering to do your share for once?"
"Pshht, no."
"Then how do suggest we fix it."
"A third first kiss. We should both feel inspired. I'm all for equality," he said, moving towards her.
She stopped him with her palm to his chest, and reveled in the strong beat of his heart underneath. Only for a second.
"Castle, we're at the precinct."
"Indeed we are."
"This is inappropriate."
"I totally agree."
"We shouldn't be doing it."
"I totally disagree."
"I totally care," she said flatly, gifting him a precious eye roll.
"Fine, but only because it's important to you."
"Huh. Well," she said, looking at him dubiously. "I appreciate that."
"I totally care," he said completely sincerely, making her blush even more.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"Guess I'll see you."
"Yes, I'll be by yours by nine."
"Great," she said, moving out of his way, so he could leave the break room. "Wait. What?"
"What?"
"You'll be by mine at nine?" she repeated, her hands folding across her chest, an eyebrow arched in question.
"Sure, no problem."
"That was a question."
"That was its answer."
"Why will you be by my place at nine?"
"Because you think it's inappropriate to kiss at the precinct, and I care about what you think."
She blinked at the absurdity of this. Of everything that had happened in the last fifteen minutes. How had it been just fifteen minutes? They'd been kissing for like, ten.
"See you at nine."
Retrospectively, she thought as she watched him leave, maybe it wasn't such a bad day to wear killer heels.
AN: This is written in response to the prompt "You're in a hurry and come rushing into the room just as I'm leaving it so we run into each other and accidentally kiss whoops (AU or pre)" submitted by an Anon to castlefanficprompts. First time I've filled a tumblr prompt; not entirely sure if I did it right. Oh well. Thanks, Anon, for that inspiring prompt.