A/N: I thought about throwing a random Demming meeting in...but I'll admit, I'm drama'd out. So no more drama. I'll just put a fluffy package on this story. Maybe one or two more chapters. This one might be too syrupy sweet for me. The more edits I do, the more I'm like: "Yuck". But when I wrote it I was feelin' it all fluffy and stuff, so I'm including it tonight.
Thanks for the reviews – your comments and encouragement make me feel like one million dollars! MW
After prying themselves apart well after midnight, Kate sent a very chilly Castle home to his family. She floated surreally down the hallway and let herself into her apartment in a daze. She shut and locked the door before a huge grin cracked her face in half.
"What in the holy name of..." she cried to the ceiling. "Did that just really happen?"
She feared as she curled up in her bed that sleep would be evasive. But with a sigh and a smile, she fell into a healing, peaceful slumber.
Kate woke in the morning with the same smile. She flew through her morning rituals: disappointed to wash away the feeling of Castle's breath on her neck or his lips on hers, but also unable to get out the door fast enough. She panicked for a moment when she realized that in all the good-byes from the previous night, she didn't know if Castle was coming to the precinct today. She thought about calling him, but decided against it. She still wasn't sure where they stood – she needed a couple more nights like the last one to help her solidify things.
Shamelessly, Kate sped through the streets to the precinct, blowing by traffic uniforms with gutsy abandon. She had to force herself to park like a normal person and she had to consciously stop herself from sprinting up from the parking garage.
"He'll be there, he'll be there," she chanted to herself to keep her feet walking in a slow and steady rhythm.
Now that she was finally into the building, she wasn't sure she could wait much longer. Jumping gratefully into an empty lift, Kate hit her floor button.
"Hold the elevator!" someone cried and a familiar hand slide in between the closing doors to stop it. Ryan and Esposito popped into the elevator, looking surprised to see their boss.
"Hey Beckett," Kevin Ryan greet her.
"Good morning guys," Kate acknowledged them both as evenly as she could manage.
Javier quirked a brow. "Good morning to you," he said suspiciously. He glanced over at Ryan and they did their silent communication thing Beckett hated so much.
"What?" she asked, slightly exasperated. "What's up?"
"We might ask you the same thing," Esposito quipped.
"Huh?"
"Yeah, what's going on Beckett?" Ryan asked.
Kate squinted at the two detectives. "Why do you ask?"
"Because, you look..." Ryan searched for the right word.
"Happy," Esposito supplied.
"Yeah. Happy. Or maybe joyful."
"Yeeeah, joyful."
Kate laughed. "For heavens sake, I'm always happy."
"Nope, you're not," Javier contradicted her.
"He's right boss," Kevin affirmed.
"Excuse me? I would say I'm a fairly contented person," she argued.
"Sure, but not joyful. I mean, you should see yourself," Javier said. "Your cheeks are flushed..."
"You have a stupid grin on your face too," Kevin pointed out.
The elevator dinged their floor. "I do not have a stupid grin on my face,"and Kate said, turning away from her detectives as the door slid open. "And I'm only flushed because...because...um..."
Kate lost her train of thought when she glanced up at the sight before her. Rick stood outside the elevator, a few yards down the hall. He held two coffee cups in his hands, and he bounced impatiently on the balls of his feet. Relief poured through her soul at the sight of him, gently washing away the morning's disquiet.
Ryan and Esposito followed Kate's gaze. A mix of emotions went comically across their faces : confusion, comprehension, disbelief and then finally, joy.
"Shut up," Kevin breathed.
"Finally," Javier agreed.
The ding of the closing doors caught Castle's attention, and momentarily distracted the three detectives, who quickly exited the elevator. When they looked up, Castle was standing in front of them, happiness on his face – his previous fidgeting replaced by eager calm.
"Good morning Beckett," he greeted softly, handing Kate the coffee in his right hand.
"Good morning Castle," she replied with a smile, not breaking his gaze.
"Good morning Castle," Ryan and Esposito greeted cheekily in chorus from Beckett's left.
With out looking away from Kate, Rick reached out and fist-bumped each detective. "Esposito, Ryan."
The two detectives stood staring for a moment at Castle and Beckett staring at each other. Finally, they walked away, clapping Castle on the shoulder as they passed.
"Oh, Castle you sly dog," Ryan muttered in passing. This comment broke Beckett's concentration, and she gasped at his audacity.
"I heard that Kevin!" she shouted after him. Rick grinned, but let the exchange pass. For a moment, they were left alone, excited energy pulsing between them.
"It was real, right?" Castle finally asked.
Kate laughed. "That's my question remember?" When Rick looked confused, she clarified. "Who do you love today Castle?"
Understanding brightened his face. He glanced nonchalantly around to make sure no one was peeping and pressed a chaste kiss on the detective's lips.
"You," he said against her mouth. "Everyday, you."
With their eyes tightly closed and their senses focused totally on each other, neither noticed the elevator doors slide open.
"Good Lord, it took you two long enough," someone said from behind Kate. The couple jumped apart in surprise as Laney burst in on them.
"I'm glad to see you're progressing though," she said as she breezed past them in to the bull pen – headed toward Capt. Montgomery's office. "Honestly, I wasn't sure how much more 'gloomy Kate' and 'conflicted Rick' we could stomach around here."