A/N: Made of a prompt by /Castle_is_Life on twitter, prompt at the bottom to avoid spoilers. Set during season 3 sometime between episodes 11 (Nikki Heat) and 12 (Poof, you're dead).

Kate looks at the small earth globe lying in the middle of her books. She picks it up gently and starts looking at it, she doesn't remember buying it, doesn't recall ever getting it in a gift. She starts scrunching up her nose as she tries to get rid of the smile adoring her lips. Letting go off the cloth she's used to dust her bookshelves she walks out of her living room and into her bedroom. She easily drops down on her knees by her bed and removes the cover in order to stick her hand under, grabbing the small jewelry box she's hidden under there. Once it's out of there she pulls it into her lap, sitting down on her butt, and opens the lid.

The box is starting to fill up and she can't stop the grin on her lips as she looks at all the trinkets she's found the last couple of months hiding around in her living room and kitchen. She lets her fingers slide over the items, thinking of the man behind them all. When she'd found the first trinket she was almost sure there had been a break-in, but when she was sure nothing had been stolen or otherwise tempered with she had started to wonder if her dad had something to do with it. Then she'd found a second trinket and her dad had been nowhere close to her apartment at all. It was when she found the fifth trinket that everything started to make sense.

It was a small shovel being stuck in a chest, a treasure. The realization had dawned on her and she's laughed at the sneakiness and absolute ridiculousness of it all. Every time she'd found a trinket it had been after her partner had been there. Sure, it could've been a day or three since he'd been there but there was no way it was all just a coincidence. And she shovel with the chest only made it more obvious since two days earlier they'd been digging up the treasure that her training officer along with the killer had searched for during their murder investigation.

Her fingers picks up the coffee cup he'd left after the shadowing from Natalie Rhodes, knowing he was technically saying it was her coffee and would always be. She'd found it a few days ago and she had to admit it was her favorite so far. She is thinking of putting up all the items in her bookshelf, but knows that if she does it would tell him just how much they mean to her. And she's not quite sure she's ready to do that yet. Putting down the coffee cup again she looks at the new item she's about to add. The earth globe. She wonders what it means. It drives her crazy sometimes, trying to figure out what he's trying to say.

Letting the globe find its place in the box she continues to think as she closes the lid and pushes the box back to its place under her bed. This is the 18th trinket she's found. She pulls herself up again and goes back to dusting the bookshelves in her living room. When she finds the 20th, she'll let him know she knows.

Kate found a magician hat two days ago and invited him over for dinner and beer to see if she could catch him in the action. She's oddly satisfied with herself when she excuses her to the bathroom and manages to close the door to the bathroom perfectly before sneaking back to spy on him. Her heart skips a beat when she sees him, and finally gets it confirmed, raise from his seat on the couch only to walk to her bookshelf, his hand going into his pocket. He stills by one of the photos she has put in the bookshelf of her and her family. His hand goes out of his pocket and he carefully placed something on the shelf.

Silently Kate starts sneaking up on him, seeing his head was focused on whatever he was fixing with. Once he seems satisfied with the result she's already managed to trip her way up behind him and is able to look over his shoulder to see the small bouquet of flowers he's found. It looks like the one she magically pulled out of her sleeve to him yesterday.

"Gotcha!"

She's never seen him jump and scream the way he just did and she can't stop herself from laughing. He looks so caught in the act it's ridiculously adorable. She leans past him in order to take the small trinket between her fingers, leaning back to look at it.

"You know, it's quite rude leaving things in other people's homes," she says in as a serious tone as she can.

"You know?" he questions and she's not even trying to hide the grin anymore.

"Castle, I'm a detective, of course I know." He 'oh's and she bites her lip. He looks so embarrassed and she nudges his shoulder with hers. "Thanks."

His blues meets her hazel and when he sees the smile that gleams in her eyes she can see the pull in his own lips.

"So you enjoy them?" he asks and she nods. "Well, then don't expect me to stop."

"I don't." She's not able to stop herself from standing on her toes and leave a kiss on his cheek before she pulls away and starts going towards the kitchen. "You want another beer?"

"I wouldn't say no to that," he answers as he follows and she can't wait to show him she's saving the whole collection.

Maybe she should save a spot for them all on a shelf for next time he visits. It all depends on when he comes over next. Perhaps he would be willing to help her. Whatever she decide she knows this is just the first step in their partnership turning more.

THE END

Prompt: A fic where Kate is dusting and fins new trinkets lying around and doesn't know where they came from but it's usually after Castle leaves her apartment…

Thank you /Castle_is_Life !