Chapter-2
Well since he had decided to put his foot down, he thought to start it from the very same night itself. He had planned on celebrating 'surviving a catastrophe' event along with his dear Beckett and his family, but since her ideas seemed to differ at the moment , he decided he would just ask once knowing very well she was going to hesitate and leave it at that, if she refuses. After all he needed her to feel that he is important in her life too, may be not as much she is to his but at least a little bit more than a mere stranger.
So he approached Beckett who was still sporting that Look, he really wanted to punch and growl at that man who was responsible for stealing her yet again from him. But well, he had a plan to be put in to action so no more distractions were allowed. So he gave her a smile trying his best to avoid his hurt and jealousy from showing in his eyes. She returned with a sincere one.
"Beckett aren't you glad we all are safe?" He thought of starting it safe.
"Umm, Castle is there any other way one can feel after knowing that everyone we love and the city on the whole is saved from an impending dirty bomb?" She said in her characteristic tone added with a cute eye roll and a perfect smirk so often reserved to his oh so ridiculous questions.
He smiled knowing very well the answer to his next question. "I mean umm… don't you think we should celebrate it with the very people we were so concerned about? I mean Ryan is going to celebrate it with Jenny and Esposito with Lanie, so I thought we…"
Before he could complete his question she cut it off with," Castle! What are you suggesting here?" She gave a look which was almost like she was half scared herself to hear the answer to her question and half which was scary enough to make him feel scared.
He smirked smugly and continued, "Oh, detective I like the way your mind is thinking." He was wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and she gave an eye roll and glare all in one! He didn't know it was even was possible until she did it. "But I'm sorry I have to disappoint you today as today I was merely suggesting that we meaning you, me, Alexis and my mom all spend the night with a comedy movie ,some tasty pizza and some costly wine just to show that that nothing is costlier than life… So… what say, wanna join and pleasure us with your esteemed company?"
Her reactions panned from embarrassment of thinking so low of him to surprise to his sudden invitation to worry thinking he was doing this just because she didn't have anyone to go home to, which was actually true by the way. But she had already broken down in front of him many a times the past few days including the tent and the freezer and the moment she thought they wouldn't be able to diffuse the bomb, which made her feel like she had become so dependent on him. She needed to be away at least for a night to gather her thoughts which were scattered in every part of her brain for she knew next morning he will be back again to weasel his way back into her life, no matter how hard her walls are.
So she replied with a little rueful smile…" Thanks for the invitation Castle but I'm afraid I'm gonna pass the group date tonight. I'm really tired and need to catch up on my sleep because some people don't have the luxury to sleep till 10 in the morning sadly." She said the last part with a playful tone hoping that he wouldn't mind her refusal. But he gave her a knowing smile and nodded saying, "I understand detective but it's your loss actually because today we have planned to crack a bottle of your favorite 'Chateau-neuf du pape' and yummy multi-topping pizza. But don't worry I will drink and eat your share too. So, have a good night detective. Bye."
She smiled and replied, "A very good night to you all too Castle. I will call you tomorrow if we get some case otherwise it's just going to be paper-work for today's case so you can your unofficial off day from your unofficial work tomorrow. Have fun. Bye"
He smiled and waved and left to meet his family thinking all the time that his unofficial off day is going to stretch a little more than a day for sure.
Plan: Get Det. Kate Beckett to notice Rick Castle's value in her life.
Day 1:
Beckett's side: 'Wonder what Castle is doing? Even though I say him not to come to precinct on paper-work days he invariably drops by, so what happened today? Hope he didn't feel bad because I refused his offer yesterday. Oh speaking of yesterday, he might have got drunk on… well Wine? That is more than unlikely; Castle doesn't seem to be the one to get drunk on wine. Well yeah may be a few whole bottles may be but I don't think he would drink so much with Alexis being there. Well anyways, I hope he comes by 1 at least so we can go out and grab some lunch, I'm already so hungry not eating my daily Castle dose of breakfast.' She smiled to herself perched on the break-room desk drinking umpteenth cup of her elixir-the coffee.
Castle's side: He got up presumably late by around 10.30AM after sleeping at almost 3AM in the morning. He was regaling stories about what had actually happened in the past few days to his favorite ladies that after the midnight movie he surely had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol and after Alexis had gone to bed he told his heart's side of story to his ever intrusive mother accompanied by few more glasses of alcohol which even though didn't make him quite drunk but surely made him emotional enough to blabber quite a lot of his feelings about how much he loves his partner to his mother who quite wisely after a point left him alone to blabber to himself alone in a darkened living room almost till 3am, when at last sleep muffled his self talk.
By the time he woke up on the couch and shifted to his bedroom it was already 7am. And then when he finally got up at 10.30 am his body was sore on sleeping on the couch and lack of proper sleep. Which by the way was actually a very good thing in this situation, considering the fact that he had decided to avoid going to the precinct for a few days and his heart already was pushing him to get ready and go to the precinct to meet his unofficial partner.
So he just changed his clothes into more comfortable house clothes and made himself a cup of coffee and plopped himself on the couch thinking he could write few chapters today. His thought however was too far fetched as he barely could write a word as everything started reminding him of her including the guilt of not delivering her breakfast today. Not that she would miss him but he was sure she would miss his coffee…
At the end of the day:
Beckett's side: Her shift was over and it was at last time to leave but thought that he didn't turn up the whole day somewhat bothered her more than she would ever acknowledge. She didn't eat anything the whole day except gulping few more cups of coffee in his waiting. She was trying to make herself believe that his absence didn't matter to her as it was not that he worked there… but still, she was angry somewhere that he didn't even bother to call her. The blasphemous thought that she 'Missed him' didn't ever cross her mind or she just tried her best for it to not cross...
Castle's side: He had reminded himself a minimum of hundred times that he had a plan to follow and that he couldn't call her. By the end of the day he almost had to almost physically restraint himself from getting hold of his phone and making a call to her.
And in the end both spent a whole night thinking 'not to think of the other'.
AN: So that's it for chapter-2. So what did you guys think of this? Good, bad or just plain mediocre?
And well, I need a suggestion from you all as to whether continue this FF in the same way, meaning how this plan works day by day for a week and write 2 more chapters or just write the jist of the rest of the days and finish it off with chapter-3 ?
So please do post your reviews and suggestions; I will be eagerly waiting for it. Thanks in advance! :)
PS: Thanks a lot gsham, lunotto n Dee Hensley for your valuable reviews.
gsham: I hope this post was longer. :)
And also a huge thanks to all those who liked it and have put an alert. :)