Prompt: AU where both Castle and Beckett are involved in the performing arts (opera, broadway, plays, etc).
Her nerves clamor and constrict in her stomach. She wasn't supposed to be the one performing tonight, but the woman who had originally gotten the part of Christine Daeé had come down with the flu and since she was the understudy…
"Hey."
Kate spins at the sound of his voice in the doorway of her dressing room, rolls her eyes at the smirk on his lips.
"What, Castle?"
He lifts a hand to his chest in mock offense. "I haven't even done anything to annoy you today."
"Yet."
Rick Castle, the star of the show, the impeccable baritone cast as the Phantom, and her personal self-appointed nuisance. They've rehearsed together all week, finding harmony in the intertwining of their voices, but off the stage he does nothing but tease her, following her around the theatre, serenading her with botched versions of the lyrics to their musical numbers. It amuses her most of the time, but she's a trained performer, she knows how to hide her grin.
"I was only here to offer my support," he announces, easing her door closed and coming to stand behind her in the mirror where she's senselessly adjusting one of the tight curls of her hair. "I can't wait to watch you out there. You're going to blow everyone away."
She scoffs and finally drops her fingers from her hair before she upsets the careful work of her stylist. "I bet you say that to all your female costars."
He shrugs and leans against the wall beside the mirror. "Not really. My costars of the past have all been divas. Very pretentious, very unpleasant, but you…"
His lips quirk and she hates that his smile adds to the butterflies already overcrowding her stomach. Never will she admit it to him or anyone else, but she's always admired his talent, the passion he brings to the stage and projects through his voice. When she had auditioned for the leading role in the play, she had kept her hopes low, expecting nothing more than a place in the background. She was still trying to make a name for herself in the world of the arts, still new to the theatre circuit, not yet as well known by audiences or directors.
She definitely hadn't expected to be cast as the understudy for the leading role, definitely had never expected to work with him. And now, after spending so much time with him, she's developed a soft spot for the beloved broadway star.
"You're not just talented," he states. "You're more."
She tries to remind herself of his reputation, of how he purposely portrays himself as a pompous asshole, but when it's just the two of them, she catches glimpses of the down to earth man he really is. She's seen him when his daughter has come to visit during rehearsals, how he lights up and forgets about everything but his little girl. She has encountered pieces of the real man behind the persona and she likes what she sees.
"You know, I was thinking. Maybe… maybe after the show we could go to dinner?" He diverts his gaze to his shuffling feet, shoves his hands into the pockets of his dress pants, no sign of the usual arrogance, and yeah, that's the man she was hoping for.
"I'd love to."
His head snaps up and the smile that blooms across his face eases some of her nerves, causes her heart to pound with something other than stage fright.
"Really? I mean - yes, great, well, I'll let you warm up."
She bites her lip as he proceeds to bump into her costume rack on his way towards the door. "Castle, wait. There's a scene I'm feeling unsure of."
"Oh?" He turns on his heel, looking so eager and ready to help. "Which one?"
She drifts towards him in the small dressing room, lifting her fingers to the collar of his shirt.
"That scene near the end. The one where you kiss me."
His eyebrows arc and his eyes spark with delight as gentle hands curl around her waist and draw her closer.
"You're right. We definitely need to practice that one."