Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Richard Castle was a man on a mission as he marched up the police station stairs. He'd finished his 'work experience' under Kate Beckett just under two months ago and hadn't stepped inside the precinct since.

Throwing open the entrance doors, he marched through the foyer. It was Valentine's Day and his woman was working. 'Who the heck works on Valentine's Day?' he muses. She'd pulled the weird case of victims posed in letters of the alphabet, and had spent the last night at the station working.

It was now late afternoon on the day for lovers and Rick Castle was damned if she was going to spend that night with a case yet again.

Detective Kate Beckett had been reluctant to share the fact that she was currently dating him – though the word seemed immature; "seeing him", he decided was a better choice – with the whole world, and thus her two loyal detectives didn't know about their new relationship.

That was about to change he swore as he strode into the bullpen.

Taking in the tired looks of the three detectives huddled around a whiteboard with various bits of paper and photos attached to it, he decided to make his move.

***************

Kate Beckett is alerted to the presence of her boyfriend – no, the man she was currently seeing she decided, though sometimes she wondered why – when Detective Esposito greets him.

Turning, she sees her man coming straight at her with a very determined look on his face. This was not going to be good.

Reaching Detective Kate Beckett at long last, Richard Castle promptly pulled her toward him, slipping his arms around her back to hold her close as he bent down and kissed her. An initial moment of shock-induced lack of movement is soon resolved as Beckett wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, forgetting where she was and who was watching.

When they parted for air, Castle slid his hands into her back jean pockets to keep her close as she rested her hands on his chest, slowly regaining her surroundings.

When she came to the realisation that she'd been thoroughly snogged – and an active participant in it too! – in front of her colleagues, Beckett's hands formed fists as she lightly punched Castle's chest.

Making a move to step away, but finding herself restrained and unable to do so, Beckett makes do with turning her head to her two detectives who have huge grins plastered on their faces. Detective Ryan even dared a wolf whistle.

Unable to think of appropriate words for the moment, and knowing that any attempt at an explanation was clearly now unnecessary, Beckett turned back to the infuriating man who was looking at her with a cocky smile. 'Happy Valentine's Day!' he said cheerily. 'Ready to be wined and dined?'

Opening her mouth to object, her mind already considering a multitude of excuses as to why dinner wasn't feasible, Beckett's dilemma was solved when the phone call came through. There had been another killing.

Placating Castle with a kiss on her rushed way out the door, she brushed off his questions about when she'd be back with a wave, leaving a frustrated man behind her.

***************

Trudging up the stairs to her apartment much later that night, Kate Beckett senses that something is off. Discovering her front door unlocked, her hand automatically reaches for her gun.

Pushing the door in, she enters her hallway, gun drawn. Looking for any sign of a break in or the intruders themselves, she makes her way toward her lounge room stealthily.

She lets her gun fall to her side as she takes in the sight before her. Her small dining table is decked out with candles, roses and enough cutlery and dinnerware for a three course meal. But the finishing touch was the man that sat in a chair sound asleep, snoring softly.

Smiling tiredly, she found herself glad that Richard Castle had chased after her persistently. Even when she'd knocked him back countless times and laughed off his frequent attempts at trying to procure a date from her, he'd still hung around her like a puppy dog until she'd finally consented and agreed to one dinner.

Stepping forward to wake up the man who'd obviously gone to great lengths in his preparations for tonight, she realised just why she still kept him around...