Just a Kiss

Requested by Beckettfan23

Rick Castle paused outside the door for a moment. He straightened his tie, ran a hand quickly through his hair, and checked that his shirt was free from creases.

When Beckett had finally, finally agreed to go on a proper date with him, Castle had insisted that they do everything right. Dinner at a nice restaurant, a pickup at the door, his nicest new sports jacket and tie; Kate deserved all of it, and more.

Castle took a deep breath, pulled himself back to the present, and knocked on the door. It swung open immediately, as if Beckett had been waiting just on the other side.

She looked stunning. More than stunning really; she was beyond words. Her hair was curled loosely around her face. Her red dress which, thanks to Lanie's tip, matched his tie perfectly, fell just above her knees. It was cinched at the waist and flared slightly out around her legs. The top cut into a V and small ruffles lined it. It was beautiful. She was beautiful.

The look of confusion on Kate's face reminded Rick that he was eying her up and down without actually saying anything.

"Kate… You look…" He fumbled for a moment, searching desperately for words that could do any amount of justice. With a glance up he met her eyes and all eloquent speech was gone in an instant. "Really good," he managed, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Come on, Castle," Beckett said, reaching for his hand with a grin. "We've gone out to eat a million times, but put me in a fancy dress and that's the best you've got? 'Really good?' As one of my favorite authors, I would really expect better."

Castle squeezed her hand and felt himself relaxing as she teased him. This was familiar, and they really had done it a million times. Give or take. Calling it a "date" shouldn't really change anything.

The restaurant was fancy. It was a place for celebrities; a place much nicer than Castle had told Beckett. A place so nice that Beckett felt incredibly out of place.

"I am so underdressed," she whispered to him as they entered the building. Around them couples wore tuxedos and extremely high class dresses. Dresses that cost more than Kate Beckett made in a year.

"You're the most beautiful woman here," he answered quickly, following a waiter to their private table. He really had gone all out.

The table they arrived at was in its own separate room. It was cozy and comfortable, and nicer than anywhere Kate had ever dined before. She tried not to think about how much it must have cost.

The night progressed perfectly. Dinner was fabulous, and Beckett had never tasted better cheesecake, but the highlight of the night remained the simple conversation with Castle.

It had always been easy. Castle was her partner, and her friend. Besides, words were his talent. Conversation had never been lacking.

But years of awkward dating had taught Kate what to expect. Even the most charming of men often couldn't find anything to talk about on an official date.

And even if they had slept together more times than Beckett could keep up with now, "date" was a truly intimidating term. They were together in every way, really, but public events were things that they had avoided until now, and for that reason, Beckett was afraid that they might hit some sort of lull.

Of course, Castle had proven her wrong. He was charming, and wonderful, and flawless. Nothing had changed. In fact, things were better. The dim lighting was a lovely change from the usual bright lights of burger joints and Chinese restaurants.

After finishing their meals and talking for what could have been hours, they had finally left. On the street they decided to walk to Castle's loft. It was close, they both wanted coffee, and Alexis and Martha conveniently weren't home.

The loft was warm and welcoming and Castle really did have the best coffee maker. They enjoyed their drinks on the couch and Beckett found herself curling close to the writer beside her. They were always touching. Whether they leaned lightly on each other, or held hands close, the contact was always there.

"It's late." Castle glanced at the clock on the wall. "A kiss goodnight?" He pulled her close and enveloped her.

This was their first date, but it certainly wasn't their first kiss. They moved together like a perfectly choreographed dance, Kate pulling him closer by the tie, Rick tightening a hand around her waist.

Castle leaned away suddenly. "Why, Detective Beckett, this is only our first date. I wouldn't have pegged you for the type," he smiled as she pressed another kiss to his lips, effectively shutting him up.

His words only drove her closer to him. She was pulling at his tie now, trying to remove it without losing contact with his lips.

"We're… only supposed… to kiss." Castle panted, leaning away again. "This is our first…"

"Shut up, Castle," Beckett growled as she fiercely pulled his jacket off and pushed him flat onto the couch.

He chuckled as he brought his hands up to meet her.

Just a kiss didn't seem enough for now.

Author's Note: Thanks for all the recommendations, everyone! I am loving writing these and I am always accepting new requests for songs. It might take a year, but I promise if you request a song, I will write about it. Please let me know what you think!