13. Castle: Kisses
Prompt: kisses
by: jewel of athos
Summary: In which Castle is ready to walk away…
Disclaimer: Castle and all of it's characters and locations belong to their respective owners. I own only my original storylines. No copyright infringement intended!
Author's Note: Hm…I could have ended this one a bit better, but I like it. I was writing it based on an image in my head of the street and the rain, rather than anything more substantial…I think it's set somewhere late season 2-ish, but before Demming. Or it's a few eps into season 3. Depends on your mood, haha ;).
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"You idiot!" Kate shouted at Castle's retreating back. He trudged forward, shoulders hunched against the wind and rain. "After all we've done, after how far we've come together, you're just going to give up now and walk away?"
Castle turned back to face her. "Oh, so suddenly now you want me to stay? Funny, I thought that these past few years were spent trying to get rid of me! Why do you want me back now?"
"Castle, you can't just walk away from this; not when we are so close to figuring things out!"
"You solved murders long before I ruined your life; you'll do just fine without me."
"No, I won't. I need your help."
"I'm a distraction, Kate. I'm a liability whenever you're on the field. Just today, you almost died! I'm not going to do that to you again."
"It's not like you pulled the trigger on that gun."
"It doesn't matter."
"Oh, yeah. You saving my life doesn't matter. There's one for your ego. Here's another; what about Nikki Heat? Are you going to abandon your readers because you got a little freaked today?" Kate followed him out into the rain. "Are you going to abandon everything because I made a mistake?" She met him in the middle of the sidewalk, and stood toe to toe with him, still shouting. "Everything was my fault, and you're still just going to walk away from this?"
"Your life isn't worth a book deal or a couple of kicked off fans, Kate! I'm not going to take that risk."
Kate grabbed his jacked. "I am willing to risk everything for you –" Her words were cut off as his mouth covered hers, his hands pulling her face close. She tensed. A moment later, Castle released her, breathing hard.
"What was that?" she gasped.
"That's what would have happened in a Nikki Heat book," he said, a touch of mischief coloring his tone. Kate's forehead creased, and the raindrops felt like ice on her burning cheeks.
"Does that mean you're staying?"
Castle shook his head. "No. No, it does not."
"And there's nothing I can do to convince you?"
"No, I don't think so."
Kate nodded thoughtfully. "Huh," she said, before pulling him down close and crushing her lips against his. Castle kissed back stronger. The traffic on the road and the freezing rain faded away, until she was aware of nothing else.
Finally, slowly, she dragged her lips away from his, and looked up into his eyes.
"What was that?" he asked breathlessly.
Her lips quirked. "Isn't that what Nikki Heat would do to convince Rook to stay?" He nodded mutely. "I figured it was worth a shot. So now what do you think?"
fin.
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