Title: One Hundred Coffees
Summary: The story of each and every one of those one hundred coffees that Kate owes Rick. Castle/Beckett.
Warnings/Spoilers: NONE
Disclaimer: All rights for the characters and the world go to their owners. I, in no way, believe – or would lead others to believe – that I own Castle.

Author's Note: Another five up for all of you folks.

sixteen to twenty

16:

Kate brings the coffee with her to the early morning crime scene. As he reaches the body, she hands him the cup. He appreciatively takes a sip. Kate pointedly ignores Lanie's curious and slightly accusatory gaze. If Lanie won't tell her about Esposito, Kate won't tell her about Rick. Not that there's anything to tell.

Except for, well, sleepovers and hugs and flirting and the fact that Kate's ready but not that ready and - hmm, maybe she will tell Lanie. Kate glances at the victim, purple from bruises and some sort of odd body paint that makes Kate want to wince and laugh simultaneously. After, she decides. She'll tell Lanie after they finish this case.

17:

Kate has number seventeen in her hand as she leans on her desk. She watches the elevator, but she feels the eyes on her. Ryan peers at her from his desk, all subtly abandoned, while Esposito continues on with some paperwork. The lot of them are silent until Kate has enough. She gives Ryan a look that asks what he's doing. He shrugs.

Ryan asks, "Why'd you get your own coffee?"

"Am I not allowed to buy coffee, Ryan?"

"Castle buys your coffee. It's your thing," Ryan says. Kate finds herself heating up at that. Other people notice? Should she be flattered or just creeped out that they pay this much attention?

Esposito speaks up. He tells Ryan, "Dude, that coffee is for Castle. She's bringing him some now." And Esposito has this smug shit-eating grin on his face.

Ryan's eyebrows shoot up like a kid at Christmas. "Really?"

Esposito nods. "It's cute. They swap cups like an old married couple swaps the food they don't want."

Kate interjects, "Castle and I aren't an old married couple."

Ryan argues, "Oh but you are, and that drink is your good morning kiss. As work spouses of course."

Kate wants to say something in response, but Rick arrives and swoops the cup out of her hand. He puts her cup in her grip and takes his seat. He pauses at the stares from everyone.

"What?"

All three detectives turn back to their desks.

18:

It's not inspired by Ryan's comment. She swears to herself that it isn't. She just so happens to want to get 'good morning' written on Rick's cup for number eighteen. She tells Bobby from their normal shop to do as such. Bobby adds his own flare. When Kate gets it, it reads: 18) Good morning, my darling. I love you. Kate glares at Bobby the entire walk out of the shop. She buys another cup at another place and gives Rick that one instead. She keeps the original cup in her apartment. Maybe she'll give it to him one day.

19:

Kate waits in line at Rick's book signing for over thirty minutes. She stands behind a large woman in her forties with too much perfume on and a younger woman with not enough. As she nears the front, she hears him just as she did on that fateful day three months after her shooting. He's polite and friendly, but she can hear the creeping exhaustion in his voice. Looks like she's here at the right time.

When she gets to the table, he's looking down. She sets the coffee right in front of him, much like she did with Naked Heat. He glances at it and his eyes jump up to her quickly and excitedly. All traces of tiredness leave him upon seeing her.

"Kate!"

She grins. "Thought you might be feeling a bit down. It's a slow day at the precinct so-"

"Can't just admit that you missed me?" teases Rick. Kate grins, which basically affirms that - yeah - she missed him.

She says, "Enjoy the drink, Castle."

"I will. Thanks, Kate."

20:

The thanks continue on into that lovely American day for it. Kate makes a habit of reading Heat Wave every Thanksgiving. She does it in honor of a few things - how thankful she is to have Rick in her life, how much the books mean to her, how far she and Rick have come, and also because on that day the fictional version of herself lost her mother. So it means something, as silly as Kate would feel to admit it to anyone.

She's reading it when Rick calls and asks if she's with her dad. She isn't. She's home, lounging in the pillows and sipping a glass of wine. He invites her to the loft in a very charming way. Well, semi-charming because he mostly just demands she come and join them. Kate tells him to spend it with Martha and Alexis. The latter pipes in instantly, saying that she wants Kate to eat with them. Martha agrees and the far away quality of her voice informs Kate that they must already be cooking and scattering throughout the loft. She can picture it. Rick in the kitchen, stirring pots and pans of delicious food; Alexis, doing some reading in between peeling potatoes; Martha, doing the same thing Kate is now on the sofa with Christmas carols playing in the background. Kate wants it. She wants to see it with her own eyes.

She sighs at her own weakness and tells Rick that she won't feel right if she doesn't bring something.

He says, "Bring some coffee and an appetite. I have the rest under control."

She does as commanded and, honestly, it turns out to be the best Thanksgiving either has had in a while.

Feel free to suggest coffee ideas in your reviews. I used three in this one. #17 - merry-merry-me suggested that someone should notice Kate buying coffees now. #19 - KBRC87 suggested "bookstore". #20 - intothefire17 suggested "Thanksgiving"

Eighty left. What are you thinking now?