10. Cruel To Be Kind
The man currently perched on Beckett's desk was a man Castle had never seen before – a man that he could not deny was handsome. The look on Kate's face told Rick that she had had a past with this man, which caused a surge of jealousy to rise within him. Was she with him now? Could this be the guy she told him about from college?
"What are you doing here?" she repeated, this time with quite a bit more venom in her voice. This stilled Rick's racing heart a great deal. She was obviously not with this man at the moment. Of this he could be sure.
"What? Can't a guy stop by to see his favorite girl?" The man slowly slid from the desktop and made his way over to the detective and the writer.
Castle's concern for Kate and confusion at the current situation manifested itself on his face as he glanced in her direction. He wanted to know how she was taking this. It would dictate his own reaction and feelings. Did she want this guy to be around? Castle's chest constricted at that thought. He had finally found the woman of his dreams, and the rug was about to be pulled out from under him. A permanent scowl took up residence on Beckett's face, settling Richard's nerves, if only a little. "No, Will, you can't. I didn't mean here at the precinct. I meant here in New York. And by the way, I am not 'your girl'."
"Look, Kate," at this, Will made his way across the space separating him from Beckett and placed his hand upon her cheek, "you know you missed me."
"Don't touch me." She pulled abruptly away and consequently smashed into Castle's chest. "Besides, at this range, my aim is destined to improve."
Choosing to ignore her previous comments and actions, Will advanced toward the detective for a second time. "Don't try to deny it, sweetheart." As he reached toward her on this occasion, his hand never made contact with her body. He was stopped by the hand of Richard Castle.
"She said, don't touch her!" The intonation and cadence of his voice said everything Will needed to know. "And don't you dare call her sweetheart. She obviously doesn't want to see you." Rick's arm had made its way around Kate in both a protective and possessive manner. "So I suggest you get out of here before me and my boys get upset. Comprende?"
Will didn't seem to be the brightest bulb in the tanning bed. "Who the hell do you think you are, buddy? This is between me and Kate, so I suggest you back off."
Biting his lip, Castle considered his options. This guy was obviously in shape. Castle may have been able to take him, but the more likely scenario ended in him getting his ass kicked. However, what was on the line here was not his ass, but Kate's. He needed to know what she wanted him to do. Looking into her eyes, he found a pleading look there. A look that could mean any number of things. She could want him to back off – let her deal with this on her own. That would be most like the Kate he knew, but he wasn't about to leave her alone with this creep. He was way too invested to walk away now. The second interpretation of her facial expression was that she wanted him to intervene. Maybe she didn't want to handle the situation on her own. He decided that the latter was what he was going to act on.
"No, asshole, this is between you and me. And if you don't get your ass out of here toot-sweet…" His sentence was cut off by the man ahead of him.
"What are you gonna do?" Voices were beginning to be raised at this point and they were receiving confused glances from other cops in the precinct. "You'll ruin your manicure. What are you doin' with this guy anyway, Kate? He's obviously a putz."
"Better a putz than a douche." Glaring at the man in front of him, Richard continued. "Now get out of here before you regret the day you were born. I don't want to see you again." It was a bit melodramatic, Rick couldn't deny it, but it also felt pretty good. He had never felt the need to stand up for anyone like this before. He guessed that he had never felt this much for anyone either and that probably had a lot to do with it.
Shaking his head and scoffing, Will directed his gaze at Beckett. "I don't have time for this. Call me when you're new toy's off the rag."
"There's not a chance in Hell, Will." Emphasizing the man's name, Castle watched as he made his way across the array of desks to the hallway that led to the elevator and, eventually, the outside world. Unsure of how Kate would have taken his brief show of chauvinism, he quickly glanced at her. Turning her in his arms and pulling back just enough to see her face, he studied it. What he saw there concerned him. Beckett's shoulders were now slumped, one hand wrapped around her torso and the other propped against it, supporting her chin. Her index finger rested just below her nose and the remaining fingers formed a fist culminating against her lips. Her thumb rested beneath her chin. Her gaze was fixated on a distant spot that Rick cannot peg. Her stance gave her away. She was upset. That much was clear.
Walking briskly past her desk, Beckett grabbed a couple of folders before making her way toward the interrogation room.
"Beckett?" Castle's tone was one of concern. Kate, on the other hand, was not in the state to deal with him at the moment. Choosing to ignore his concern for the time being, she instead answered with a simple fact.
"We need to interrogate the suspect, Castle."
Stopping her with a hand on her shoulder, Castle shared a worried glance with Kate. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Castle. Right now, it's time to focus on the case at hand." With that, the detective entered the interrogation room. Castle followed suit quickly and without further complaint.
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A brief interrogation of the suspect told them all they need to know. Between Esposito, Beckett, and Castle, they quickly got the information they needed. Alice had loved her roommate. Not in the platonic roommate way – she had been in love with her. Melanie, on the other hand, had not seen the relationship in the same light. That night, as Alice picked her roommate up from the club, she had confronted her. Alice wanted to know why Melanie wouldn't admit to her feelings. It never occurred to her that Melanie had not felt the same way. Their conversation quickly escalated into a fight and Alice just couldn't handle hearing what her roommate had to say. This was when she had attacked, and the rest as they say is history. Love could be so one-sided. Someone in love with another could become so single-minded that it could turn to the point of recklessness. Richard was concerned. What if this situation was similar to the one in which he found himself? What if Beckett didn't feel the way he thought she did? What if he was one of those losers who was stuck in a one-sided affair? The curse of the un-loved. Although that would make a great book title, it didn't bode well for Castle.
Needing to know the truth, Castle approached Beckett as she typed up paperwork to close the case. "Kate," he began his sentence with no idea of how it was going to end. "I just… when you're done, do you wanna maybe come over to my place? I would like to continue to conversation from the car today." After a moment of silence, he felt the need to continue. "Kate, I really enjoyed the time we spent together last night, and I just… I want to talk." Still no response. Castle was getting worried. "Please say something."
The pleading tone in Castle's voice broke the daydream that Beckett was currently having. Pretending to do paperwork took so much out of her. She smiled at this thought. "Sorry, what did you day Castle?"
"Please call me Rick." The smirk on his face showed her the light banter that he was hoping would evolve from his comment, although she could also hear the serious undertone of his request.
"Rick," she amended. "What were you saying?"
"I was asking if you would like come home with me when you are done with that paperwork. I really want to talk."
"Um, yeah. That sounds nice." Glancing at the computer she gauged how much work had gotten finished during her brief trance. "I'm actually done. Is now okay?"
"Now's perfect, Kate." Grabbing her hand after she had logged off her computer, he led her to the elevator, both of their coats slung over his opposite arm.
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A few drinks to the wise, Kate Beckett sat on a couch in Castle's living room. The very same couch on which she had confessed the history of her love life the previous night to non other than Richard Castle. There she sat with the very same author, discussing everything under the sun. She could definitely get used to this. Vodka, Kate's drink of choice greeted her lips as she discussed the appearance of a man named Will earlier that day.
He had of course been the man she had referred to the previous night. He had broken her heart in college. When he showed up just after her admission, it had felt as if the universe were after her. Was it karma? Did she even believe in such a thing? All Kate Beckett knew was that she had no residual feelings for the man named Will and that her feelings for the man currently across from her ran deep. This was something that she needed him to know. The way he had defended her and her honor had caused her heart to swell. Esposito may have defended her in the same situation, but it never would have been to the extent that Castle had reached. She knew now that he really cared about her – not just sexually, but in a more general sense. He cared about her emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing. He wanted her. She could see that now and he needed to know she felt the same way. She just wasn't sure she could tell him when she was sober. Thus the Vodka. Alcohol was a social lubricant. One that she really needed the help of at the moment.
Deciding to skate around the real reason the two of them were even in their current situation, Kate asked a question that had been running through her head since their last case. "Hey, Rick?"
Glancing at her, one eyebrow raised, Rick Castle was ready for anything. "Yeah?"
"Well, you mentioned something the other day about caffeine and half moon poses." A smile on his face told her to continue. "I guess I'm just wondering if you actually do yoga, or it if was just a random comment."
"Why, yes detective, I do." At this, Rick placed his martini glass on the table and stood quickly. Grabbing Kate's hand, he led her to the open area behind the couch. "Would you like me to show you?"
Shaking her head and attempting not to laugh at his excitement, she pulled her hand from his. "I don't think that these clothes," Kate said as she gestured toward her ensemble, "are really conducive to a yoga session, Castle."
Looking her up and down, he responded quickly. "You know, you could always just take them off, Katie."
Chuckling to herself, she responded with a sardonic remark. "Yeah, Castle, right after you."
Castle's eyes widened and he took a step toward her. "Yeah?"
Rolling her eyes, and not expecting him to act on it, she replied. "Yeah." Always sarcastic.
Richard, however seemed to miss the mockery in her tone and began to unbutton his shirt. Kate's eyes widened to an impossible size. He was shirtless within moments. Another talent she could add to the imaginary list of things Richard Castle could do – undress within seconds. His belt was the next thing to hit the floor, quickly followed by his shoes and socks. Kate was paralyzed – by both want and fear. She watched, as if in slow motion, as his hands went to the button of his dress pants. Reaching out, she stilled his motions with her hand atop his. Taking another step toward him, she inhaled his scent. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and she leaned her head toward his.
"Let me," she said simply. Removing his hands from the waistband of his pants, she positioned her own in their place. Gliding her slender fingers inside the top of his pants, she carefully unbuttoned them and slowly slipped the zipper downward. Grasping the belt loops on either side of his body, she gradually slid the offending garment down his body. As it reached the floor, he stepped from the legs. Tossing the pants to the side as she stood, she took in the sight before her. Gasping at what she saw, she placed her hands on his lower abdomen, slowly dragging them upward until she reached his neck. Lacing her hands into the hair at the back of his head, she pulled him toward her in a scorching kiss. As their lips met for the first time, Castle couldn't stop the moan that made it's way up his throat.
His hands made their way to the hem of her shirt. She reluctantly pulled her lips from his just long enough to allow Rick to lift the shirt over her head. Smoothing her hair back into place, Castle pulled her face toward his for another kiss. As his left hand lovingly caressed her cheek, his right slowly made it's way down her back. As it reached her waistband of her pants, he traced his fingers along the fabric until he met the soft skin of her stomach on the other side. Sliding his hand upward this time, palm flat against her and fingers splayed, he caressed his way toward her breast. He vigilantly outlined the black lace of her bra, carefully avoiding contact with such an intimate spot on her body. He wanted this to last. As his fingers reached the valley between her breasts, his hand continued upward. Drawing his fingers across her collarbone, his lips left hers for only the second time since this had all began. His lips smattered kisses along her jaw, down her neck, and to the collarbone his fingers had recently vacated. Kate could definitely get used to the feelings that he evoked as she moaned out his name in ecstasy. "Richard."
"Kate," he answered back, sliding his hand down her sides, resting them just above the waist of her pants. His thumbs made circular motions on her hipbones, causing her to moan out for a second time.
All of a sudden she felt a slight jostle and an odd floating feeling. Shaking her head to rid herself of this sensation, she felt arms tighten around her abdomen. Abruptly, she opened her eyes to find herself being placed onto a plush bed by Richard Castle. Sighing, she realized that it had all been a dream.