Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or any of its characters.

Prompt #3: Muse - She never realized just how much the relationship meant to him.

Words: 451

Beckett had never truly understood the depth of this "muse-writer" relationship she had with Castle until Alex Conrad breezed into the precinct.

Yes, he was charming and witty. A little cocky, just like Castle, and almost as eager to prove himself. With one bestseller already under his belt, no wonder he wanted to meet the woman who had inspired Castle's latest series.

When Conrad started to flirt, Castle shut him down faster than a dog pissing on a spark plug.

Yes, his gift of a breakfast muffin basket was adorable. And original - for a first date (not that she would call talking about procedure a first date, because it was SO NOT a date) she usually got a bouquet of roses, which she thought of as impractical. But muffins were useful, not to mention delicious.

When he heard about their evening, Castle tensed up faster than a claustrophobe in a coffin.

Which was completely ridiculous. She hadn't felt anything for Conrad. She'd just talked to him about procedure so that he'd be able to write about it better in his next book.

Yes, she defended him once she found out that Castle had pretty much thrown him to the seasoned writers' proverbial pack of wolves. It was petty, and somewhat immature, and borderline hazing.

When she confronted him about it, Castle caved like a house of cards.

However, when she'd called Castle out on his jealousy, Beckett had been very surprised that he admitted it. Childish as he was, Castle didn't seem like the type to admit any sort of weakness to her. At least, not intentionally.

However, he did now. He said how angry it had made him, and jealous, and petty. He told her how he wanted her all to himself.

It was the most adamant he'd ever been about their relationship, and it made Beckett's heart skip a beat. It was sweet, it was charming, and it was somewhat refreshing to know that she was his only one. So she reassured him that she wouldn't be hanging out with Conrad again, that she was a "one-writer girl."

She wanted to tell him more. So much more. How he'd fast become the hopeful "once and done" she'd always wanted. How knowing that he cared about her enough to sabotage another writer was something almost chivalrous in her eyes.

But she couldn't. Not yet. Not while so much of her life was still in turmoil. So Beckett decided to go to their old fallback.

When he thanked her, she replied, "Always."

Little tag to 3x21 "The Dead Pool" here.

Review please!