Author's Note: I really apologise for the delay but the real world isn't allowing me to find quiet time to locate the mood – or else I'm just running out of banter.

It may be an idea to lower expectations.

Chapter 14: Pancakes For Breakfast

They sat in a corner booth near the rear of a quiet café.

His arm curled around her as she snuggled against him, their lips softly meeting while their tongues gently played.

They broke apart and her gaze flicked from his softly smiling lips to his beautiful gleaming eyes.

Eventually, when she recovered her breath, she whispered, "You're staring, Castle."

"So are you, Beckett."

"Is it creepy?"

"Not at all."

Her eyes gleamed and her smile broadened, tongue poking between her teeth. "I don't have your skills."

He adopted a faux wounded look. "I was never creepy."

"Yes, you were."

"Really?"

"No," she murmured, her soft eyes still staring into his.

His lips twitched. "You used to say I was."

"I lied."

"Why would you lie?"

"Because I didn't want you to look at me that way."

"Why not?"

"Because I did want you to look at me that way."

"What way was that?"

She paused a moment and her smile faded. "Like someone caressing my soul."

His breath halted and he swallowed.

She felt embarrassment flush through her. "I'm sorry. That was cheesy."

"No," he whispered and then his head lowered towards hers and their lips were again gently touching and parting and touching once more and the café around them disappeared.

They broke apart but she kept her gaze on him, watching him watch her, feeling the pressure of his hand so tantalisingly close to where she really wanted it to be.

"You're still staring, Castle," she murmured when she could bear the silence no more.

"I can't take my eyes off you," he murmured in return.

She smiled and her eyes seemed to illuminate the entire café. "Me neither."

"It's like you're a beautiful Medusa."

She bit her lower lip and her smile changed to a smirk. "Am I turning you to stone?"

He coughed and finally broke their gaze. "Plead the fifth."

Her smile returned even brighter than before and she simply stared at him until he returned his gaze to her, his lips smirking and his eyes shining.

A sense of familiarity rushed through her.

"That's the same look," she breathed in wonder.

He frowned, puzzled. "What?"

"That look you're giving me. It's the same look."

"What are you talking about?"

"The day you told me you weren't going to follow me anymore. That's the same look."

"It is?"

"I thought it was because you had some great big joke planned and I was the bunny."

He smiled down at her, shook his head. "No. There was never a joke and you were never a bunny." He thought a moment. "Except maybe a Playboy bunny."

"Rook!"

"Sorry."

Softly, a gentle exhale, her eyes reflecting her disbelief in her thoughts. "You were looking at me that way even back then."

He took a breath, hesitated before he spoke. "This is probably going to make me sound like a creep."

She forced herself to focus on the present and shrugged with a smile. "Jackass. Jerk. Creep. You have the trifecta."

"Nikki."

She ostentatiously bit her tongue. "Sorry."

"Should think so."

"So why are you a creep?"

"I didn't say I was a creep. I said I was probably going to sound like a creep."

"If it sounds like a duck…"

"Do I look like a duck?"

"I'm just saying."

"Do you want to hear this?"

"Am I annoying you?"

"Yes."

She grinned and raised her fist in triumph. "Victory."

His eyes crinkled as he gave her a wry smile. "The pupil becomes the master."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise. I just fell more in love with you."

Oops.

She could see he was as surprised as she was.

"Um…" she breathed.

"Figure of speech," he said quickly.

"Uh-huh. Got it," she nodded.

"That's…" he floundered.

Quickly. "You were going to tell me about the look."

Relieved. "Yes, I was, you're right."

She relaxed, waited several seconds and then said, "So…?"

He took a deep breath. "I told you I was really planning on leaving, Kate. After that case, I thought I'd probably never see you again. So…"

She waited another long moment, raised an eyebrow. "So…?"

"I was memorising you."

"What?"

"I wanted to be Everett Sloane and you would be my girl in the white dress."

"What?"

"Citizen Kane. He saw a girl in a white dress for one second and spent the rest of his life thinking about her."

"You wanted to walk away and spend the rest of your life thinking about me?"

"Yes."

"You're right, that is creepy."

"Told you."

"You should have just asked to take a photo."

She smiled and her eyes dropped to his lips as she moved her head closer and then they were kissing once more and she realised she would have to get a photo of him that wasn't a mug shot.

He already had two of her.

She laid her head against his shoulder, smiling gently at the lingering feeling of his lips on hers.

"This is easily the best breakfast we've had," she murmured.

"We haven't eaten anything yet."

"There's going to be food?"

"We did order."

"Even better."

He gazed down at her, wondering if it was possible to love her more.

"I still can't believe you took me to breakfast for our date," she said with a smile in her voice.

"You're disappointed?"

"No way."

"It was a rush job. Next time will be more special."

"Who says there's going to be a next time? I've only agreed to one date."

"My mistake."

She kept her grin from him, allowed her eyes to gaze around the booth, roam the rest of the café. "This seems a really nice place."

"I think so."

"Do you come here often?"

"Not for a while."

She lifted her head from his shoulder, looked up at him, querying but face neutral, eyes clear.

He shook his head. "Alexis. Her favourite pancake place."

She smiled, eyes softly shimmering.

"I wanted to come here yesterday before shopping but she said she planned to come here last night to celebrate."

"Have you heard from her this morning?"

"She texted me. Hoped we had a good date."

She was surprised. "You told her we were going on a date?"

He shrugged. "She and Mother already thought we were dating."

"They did?"

"I got sick of correcting them."

"Is that why Martha looked at me like that when she came in?"

He hesitated. "She thinks we slept together."

"We did sleep together."

"Crashed out on the couch until four in the morning."

"So she was right. Technically."

"Not what she was thinking of."

She hesitated, then looked deep into his eyes, spoke softly, tried to keep her voice neutral. "It's what I thought you were thinking of when you invited me to stay."

"Sleeping with you was the last thing on my mind, Kate."

She jerked away from him, startled. "What?"

"That didn't come out the way I meant it."

She tried to stop her smirk revealing itself, tried to keep the teasing out of her voice. "Oh, and just how did you mean it?"

"I…"

"Is there something wrong with me?"

"You…"

"Yes, Mr Castle?"

"We…"

"Hmm?"

He swallowed and whispered, "I just wanted to spend more time with you, Kate."

Her breath paused for a moment then her fingers were whispering over his cheek and her lips were pressing against his and she wondered if she could love him more.

She settled against him again, her hand gently resting on his thigh, the sight of the bracelet warming her.

"Are you sure you can handle spending more time with me?" she asked, a smile in her voice.

"Will we be doing more of this?"

"Plenty more of this."

"I can definitely handle more of this."

"You were worried we were spending too much time together."

"That's if I came back."

"You are coming back."

"Only a little bit."

"Still more time together."

"I'm comfortable doing this."

"You find this comfortable?"

"I've had more practice at this."

"I know."

She felt him tense and raised her head in time to see the flinch in his eyes before he looked away.

She touched his cheek, gently pulled his head back to face her.

"I don't care about your history on Page Six, Rick. I wouldn't be here if I cared."

He kept his gaze locked with hers and slowly allowed a soft smile to reach his lips.

"I really don't deserve to be here with you," he whispered.

She roughened her voice. "Deserve's got nothing to do with it."

"That's your Clint Eastwood?"

"It's as good as your Christopher Walken."

"I'll have you know my Christopher Walken is…" He deflated at her sceptical look. "I can do Gomer Pyle."

I'd rather have you do Kate Beckett.

The waitress placed two plates of pancakes on the table in front of them, giving Kate a small smile.

"Thank you," she said to her.

"Thanks, Cheryl," he said to her.

"No problem, Rick," the waitress said as she walked away.

"First name basis, huh, Castle?"

"Jealous, Beckett?"

"Do I need to be jealous?"

Hesitant. "You were jealous before."

Softly. "There was a reason to be jealous."

"There's no reason now?"

"You tell me."

Softly. "No reason ever again."

She stared at him a long moment, opened her mouth to speak but then turned away to look at the two plates of pancakes. "Breakfast's getting cold."

"So which do you want to try first? Banana or blueberry?"

"Blueberry."

He started to lift his arm from around her.

"No, don't. Stay there. I'll fork it, you cut it."

She picked up the fork and stuck it into the pile of blueberry pancakes.

When he didn't move she looked up at him, seeing his face scrunched in concentration.

"What are you doing?"

"There's a response to that, I'm sure of it."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, let's eat while you're thinking of it."

He picked up the knife, cut a small slice from the pancakes. She raised the fork to his mouth.

"Open wide."

"You first, Kate."

"No, you first."

"I've invited you so you should try them first."

"You invited me so you should try them first."

"You should try them first because you've never had them before."

"You should try them first because this day was meant for you."

"You should try them first because I've heard your stomach growling."

"You should try them first because you've made me feel so good."

"You should try them first because I want to see your bliss."

"You should try them first because…"

"Because?"

"Because…"

"Because?"

"Because I have a gun."

"Good reason."

"I thought so."

Slowly, keeping his eyes on hers, he used his teeth to drag the pancake slices from the fork and began to chew.

"Nice?" she asked.

"Mmm."

"Good."

She stuck the fork into the pancakes again.

"This should keep us going until lunch," he said once he swallowed the mouthful and raised the knife.

A horrified look appeared on her face. "Lunch."

"Meal between breakfast and dinner."

She put the fork down, sat back, turning her body to face him, one leg curled up on the seat of the booth.

"Rick…?" There was a worried hesitancy in her voice.

He turned to face her, frowning. "What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath, swallowed. "I should have told you this last night."

Wariness arose in his eyes. "Told me what?"

"It's about our plans for today."

"Your plans," he corrected her.

"My plans," she agreed.

He lowered his voice to a hoarse whisper. "Your secret plans."

Her lips almost smiled. "My secret plans."

"There's a problem with your plans?"

"No… well… I hope not… but…"

"But…?"

She took another deep breath, swallowed again.

"Am I supposed to be getting worried about your plans?"

"I wanted to share some things that were important to me."

He swallowed, glanced down a moment then back into her eyes, hoping she could see what that meant to him. "That sounds… what's wrong with that?"

She braced herself and forced it out. "I arranged for lunch with my dad."

"Oh!"

She spoke quickly, urgently. "We were just friends hanging out. I didn't think there'd be any pressure—"

"Kate—"

"But now we're dating and that takes it to a whole different level-"

"Kate—"

"And I don't want you to think I've ambushed you with this and I really want you to meet my dad—"

"Kate—"

"—But if you think it's too soon and you really don't want to deal with that burden on our first date—"

"Kate—"

"—Then I can call my dad and tell him I can't make it—"

"Nikki—"

She stopped, looked at him with wary eyes.

"I'd love to meet your dad."

She sounded both nervous and hopeful. "Are you sure?"

He smiled softly at her. "Of course I'm sure."

"I don't want you to feel obliged, Rick."

"You met my mother and my daughter on the second day you knew me."

"That was different."

"Why was it different?"

"We weren't dating."

"Why should that matter?"

"It does."

"Are you ashamed of me?"

"No." Fervently. "No."

"I'll be on my best behaviour."

"Just be you."

"I'll be my best me."

Softly. "You already are."

She moved towards him once more and their lips met in tender bliss.

They parted, breathless as ever and she sat back, staring at him, licking her lips.

"What?" he asked.

"You taste like blueberries."

Author's Note: Expect more delays but I'll try to publish each chapter as soon as I can.