Prove It

December 29, 2010

"I want you to come by the loft tonight."

There was a split second pause in the smooth movement of her hands that told him she'd heard his request. They were in the break room, taking a breather, getting some space from the case. He was already sitting at the table - since she'd asked for personal space, he'd refrained from offering to make it for her - with his own mug.

"Castle..."

"I know," he said. "And I had fully intended on giving you the space you asked for but it's been a long day. I want to pamper you."

She arched an eyebrow at him over her shoulder. "Do I want to know your plans to 'pamper' me?"

"Why, Detective, I was merely offering dinner. Maybe some candlelight, soft music, enjoyable company..."

It did sound... Romantic, but Kate wasn't sure she'd done enough thinking to feel comfortable with the idea. Most of her thoughts had been intermittent, fleeting, and she hadn't come to any concrete conclusions. She wanted some concrete conclusions before she even considered letting him sweep her off her feet again.

"I just want you to relax, Kate."

She continued to stir her coffee, just to give her hands something to do. After a moment, she cleared her throat. "I thought Date Two was supposed to be extravagant?"

"I believe elegant was the descriptor we chose," he shot back. "You don't think elegant can be relaxing?"

"I think an expensive, fancy restaurant is not where I want to spend my dinner hour," she answered on a sigh.

He smirked at her. "Oh ye of little faith. I said stop by the loft, remember?"

Kate turned, still stirring and staring down into the brown liquid in her cup. "Why are you doing this?"

He, thankfully, took a minute before answering. "Because I want you to know who I am. If we're going to do this right, if we're going to give this an honest shot, we need to know where each of us is coming from. We need to know what baggage we carry. You're a one and done kind of girl, Kate." He shrugged, trying for nonchalance, but Kate could tell it was feigned. He was dead serious, and he was about to gift her with one massive revelation.

"I want it to be me."

And she was utterly seduced. "Okay," she said, before she even realized she was agreeing. "Date Two tonight."

"Wear something... Captivating," he told her, leaning close.

Her hands stuttered on her coffee cup. She was lucky she didn't drop it. "Is this where you start treating me like a princess?"

"No," Rick responded, grinning at the effect he had on her. "Better."

"There's something better than a princess?" Her hands were steady again, but it had everything to do with the fact that she was totally distracting herself.

He leaned over her shoulder now, just enough so his breath brushed against her ear and his body brushed against hers. "You have no idea," he whispered.

She groaned. She was never going to live that down.

"Come by the loft," he repeated. "Eight. And don't make me come down here to drag you away."


To be honest, and putting her many reservations aside, Kate was kind of excited to see what Rick would think of next. It was one of the things she liked about him. He kept her on her toes, kept her guessing and he kept her life from getting too dull or boring. She wasn't far enough in denial to acknowledge that he'd grown on her.

The question was simply about how much she trusted that as a foundation for a long-term relationship.

She hadn't even realized she'd knocked on the door until he swung it open. They just stood there, him in a dark suit, white shirt, and no tie, and her, in a burgundy dress that accentuated the subtle reds in her hair. Neither said a word, and he just kind of stared as he took her in from the top of the curls she'd half-pulled back into a clip to the toes of her black court-day heels.

The fission along her nerves made her breath catch.

"You clean up nice, Detective Beckett."

She rolled her eyes at him, and in a blink, everything was normal. She reached out, toying with the edge of his shirt collar. "You don't do so badly yourself."

He hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her into the apartment. Once he'd closed – and prudently locked – the door, he wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her close, nuzzling against her ear.

"Thank you for coming by."

"Why are you thanking me?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

Rick simply settled his forehead against her shoulder. "Because you'd asked for time. And yet you're here, in a fantastic dress."

The hand that was still at her side moved to wrap around his neck. Her other one slid to join it. "I'm kind of glad you asked me."

"You are?"

"I am," she reaffirmed. "I wasn't actually looking forward to take out."

"And that's assuming you even fed yourself at all," he quipped, shifting so his forehead rested against hers instead. Blue met green as her mouth turned down into a pout.

"I would have eaten."

"You forget," he replied, and there was no accusation or reprimand in his tone, simply a statement of fact. "But that's okay. I remember."

The layers to that statement ricocheted through her system. He did take care of her. Very good care of her. "Speaking of…"

"In the oven, waiting for you," he replied. He reached up to her shoulders, sliding the wool coat she'd worn but not done up off her body. She caught her first glimpse of the loft when he stepped away to hang it up.

And couldn't help the gasp.

It was out of some romance dream, maybe even an actual novel. The couch was gone – she decided she really wasn't going to ask where – but the coffee table remained, covered completely with thick, cream-coloured pillar candles. The entertainment system boasted the same, and he'd lit them all. While the entry way and the kitchen were lit by bulbs, the empty living room was dim. There was a blanket spread out over the carpet, two wine glasses sitting temptingly beside a bottle.

"Rick." She could do no more than breathe out his name.

His hand splayed over her lower back. He'd taken a risk. He'd long-ago guessed that she had an intensely romantic side to her, that she was the long-walk-on-the-beach type, but he'd never really had affirmation. Until now. "You like?"

"What did you do?"

"Nothing," he answered, pleased rather than offended. Usually, he rendered her speechless under much different circumstances. "I'm fulfilling a promise."

She stepped further into the room, taking it all in. "Rick," she repeated.

He took that as acknowledgment of a job well done and grinned widely. "Well. Had I known this was all it took to make you speechless, I'd have done it a long time ago."

"I wouldn't have been ready."

The way it was murmured out, he had a feeling she didn't even realize she'd said it. Still, he closed his eyes to savour the memory. Wouldn't have. Was she now? He wanted to ask, but he knew the score here. He knew Kate, better than she probably gave him credit for sometimes. And he was going to wait for her to come to him.

So instead, he simply offered her a smile when she turned back with adorably surprised eyes. She was touched, he could tell and he loved that something so simple could evoke such a reaction. "I'm glad you like it."

She surprised him by reaching out for him and he slipped his hand into hers as she stepped closer. "You drive me nuts, Rick," she murmured. "But sometimes you can be really sweet."

He felt his heart actually flutter. He squeezed her hand. "Is that a complement I hear?" He wanted to keep the evening light, relaxed.

"Of course not," she quipped in response, a smirk teasing the corners of her mouth. "You're delirious. Now feed me."

He leaned into her, at the same time pulling her just a little bit closer. "Your wish is my command, your majesty."

Her breath caught. He heard it and felt it.

"A girl could get used to that," she breathed.

Then she kissed him.

A light brush of lips, but it sent his heart into a free fall. She didn't deepen the contact, and he didn't move to do so either. He let her set the pace, even as desire pumped through his blood. This night was for her. Their pace would be hers to set and though it pained him to deal with this tenderness, he simply responded.

The sigh she released when she stepped back was almost his undoing. Pleasure, definitely, and though he was reluctant to name it for fear of getting his hopes up, contentment.

"Food," he murmured into the miniscule space between their mouths. "You pour the wine. I'll get the food."

Kate felt the grin stretch her face and turned to the wine. Her entire body trembled with gentle sensation. That was expected. He was Rick Castle after all, and he probably had plenty of practice. The power that raced through her was a bit of a surprise. She'd seen it in his eyes, the weakness, the loss of control and the shadow that told her he was barely reigning in his self-control. It was a thrill that something as soft as that kiss could put him on the edge like that.

She kicked her shoes off at the edge of the blanket, smiling as she flashed back to childhood summer picnics in Central Park. "Smells delicious," she called to him as she reached for the bottle.

"Quesadillas," he answered, watching her curl her legs beneath her. His emotions were running wild. He was nervous, giddy, excited, terrified and everything deeper. He liked seeing her so comfortable in his home. Hell, he just liked seeing her. She looked adorably and effortlessly sexy.

Rick carried two plates over to her. "Salsa? Sour cream?"

"Both," she replied accepting the plates so he didn't spill.

The easy conversation they fell into when he returned with the condiments served to settle them both. Though they routinely talked, this was a different setting with different rules. He took advantage of these new rules and let his more tactile nature shine through. He touched her as often as he could, a brush of his fingers against hers as he handed her a freshly refilled wine glass and tucking a loos strand of hair behind her ear. Kate just soaked it all in. For the first time, she shut off her brain and simply let their natural relationship shine through. After all, wasn't that the point? To see if a real relationship could work, or at least if there was enough of a foundation to build one on. She doubted she could make the decision if she'd held back.

So she didn't. She let him inch closer over the course of the meal and didn't move away when his arm settle behind her back and beside her opposite hip. Now, he was flat on his back while Kate supported herself against his hip, her legs stretched out in front of her. It wasn't the most comfortable position for her, but it was less intimate than actually settling against him. His head was pillowed on an arm tucked under his head, while his other hand played with the edge of her skirt. She felt simultaneously relaxed and energized. It felt easy.

"It's getting late," he murmured, his fingers brushing gently against her thigh.

"It is," she agreed, swirling the wine still left in her glass. "I should go home."

"You don't have to. You've stayed here before."

Kate turned her head to look down at him, a small smile dancing over her lips. "Not like this.."

"Like this?" Rick's fingers stroked more deliberately, this time against the skin just above her knee.

"If we both want this to work," she began, setting her wine aside, "then we do it for real. No sleepovers until we're both ready."

He knew she was right, but he still didn't want her to leave. He really liked having her in his space. She took his hand in both of her own. "Say the word."

She laughed, tracing the bones in his hand. "Not yet. We haven't even decided if we're ready for a relationship."

"With all due respect, Honey, it's on you. I know what I want. I want you."

"You make it sound so simple," she replied, her eyes fixed on his hand, the way it looked and fit in her own.

"It can be," he argued softly. "It's easy to be with you, to be beside you, and when it's not, it's easy to fight until it is." Rick twisted his hand until he could squeeze hers. "I'm not saying it's going to be smooth, but when you know the endgame, it's easier to get through the rough patches."

"Moments like these remind me that you really are a writer."

"Kate," he said in reproval. "I've never told you something because I know it's what you want to hear, not when it's about us."

"You believe 'us' is a given," she murmured, still avoiding his eyes. "Inevitable."

Rick squeezed her hand again, tugging it slightly until she did face him. She looked at him, vulnerable and insecure. Her walls had been down all night, but he could see them sprouting up again. "Because I refuse to imagine a world where we're not," he replied, hoping it slipped beneath those barriers.

She blinked at him in sudden awareness. "You're in love with me."

Though his heart stuttered at her blunt recognition, he knew he had to lesson the punch the words evoked in both of them. It was too terrifying, for him because he knew she could break him and for her because it was too much, too soon. "Maybe," he acknowledged. "I care for you. A lot. And I'm attracted to you. I think we could make a real long-term relationship work. Until we try that, I don't know if it's love."

She took that in, then let her mind stew over it…

And merely gave him a smile in return.

"I should go." Still, she waited for him to stand with her before heading towards her shoes.

"The offer of the guest room still stands," he told her as she slipped the heels back on. Rick couldn't decide if he liked how at home she looked in her bare feet or if he preferred how they looked a mile long when she put on the heels.

"I know," she replied, making her way to the door. She let him reach for her coat and hold it out for her. "But half the fun of a really good date is leaving them wanting more."

His hands slid down her arms in a familiar gesture. "Does that mean I don't get a goodnight kiss?"

Kate felt his hand splay warmly over her back as she turned. "That would be sacrificing something I want."

He absorbed her words with a wide grin as she loped her arms around his neck. It was thrilling to know she wanted this. He took his time leaning in, building the anticipation. His lips brushed against hers once, twice, then pressed firmly against hers. One of her hands pushed back into his hair and held on. He kept the kiss slow and deep, tasting her and making her sigh pleasantly into his mouth. Her response was just as enthusiastic and she fit her body snugly against his. He groaned softly and snuck a hand beneath her jacket to be closer to her skin.

He teased and tested, trying out different angles, depths, pressures and Kate lost herself. She wasn't usually one to give up control but with what she and Rick had been through, she would have been stupid not to trust him. He'd made mistakes, but that didn't change the ways he'd been there for her, the ways he'd helped her, the ways he showed he cared.

He felt the release of her control in the way she went pliant in his arms. It was a tempting offer and he knew, without a doubt, he could seduce her into staying. Hell, probably seduce her into staying in his bed. But she wanted this to be real, she wanted to know she made the right choice, and that meant he had to pull back, no matter how much he wanted to dive in. He slid his hands out from beneath her coat as they both puffed in the aftermath and her eyes opened languidly.

"Huh. I like that goodnight," she told him breathlessly.

He leaned in for a last gentle kiss. "Goodnight, Kate."

She opened the door and stepped into the hallway. "Goodnight, Rick."

Half an hour later, he was just climbing into bed after cleaning up the living room when a text came through to his phone.

. . . . .

Home safe. Awesome Date Two. You sure know how to treat a girl.

He grinned. Glad to be of service.

It was a few minutes before the next text came in. Date Three?

New Year's Gala. Friday. Formal. He didn't want to give her more details than he had to. He liked holding back the element of surprise.

He could almost hear her sigh when his phone chimed with her answer. Are you providing the dress?

Do you trust me? he texted back.

He was working himself into a tizzy about her lack of response when the happy chiming sounded again. I trust you.

He grinned. I'll have the dress delivered tomorrow. Sleep sweet, Kate.


As usual, typos and mistakes are mine and mine alone.

I hope you enjoyed! 2 chapters left!