Chapter Fifteen
Gratefulness
Season Two

November 17, 2009

Her first clue that something's up comes from the desk sergeant when she arrives. The grin he gives her is a little too playful, a little too teasing as he wishes her a happy birthday.

The second clue is the way the floor falls silent when she steps off the elevator. It's almost as if everyone had been waiting for her to arrive, with some agreement to discover what's waiting for her without any intervention.

Or, she wonders when her desk comes into view, maybe they're scared of how she'll react.

There are balloons everywhere. Every inch of her desk is covered with balloons. She can't even see her computer.

How the hell did he know?

This is all Castle, it has to be. Most people know it's her birthday, but aside from a department present and cake, nobody has ever done more than give her a card. But he isn't familiar with how the precinct does birthdays, especially hers. And he's still being extra nice to her, still trying to get back in her good graces after the spring.

She does like that he's on extra good behavior, which is why she hasn't told him yet that they're okay. She forgave him weeks ago.

"Yo, Beckett. What's the deal with this?"

Kate turns her gaze on Esposito, whose teasing smirk quickly fades. She must look more annoyed than she feels. "Why, you jealous?" she throws right back. "I can tell Castle when your birthday is. Maybe he'll even get you flowers. You love tulips, right?"

Espo narrows his eyes just the slightest. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me." Kate's lips lift in her own smirk. "I can't believe you let him do this."

"Like any of us could've stopped him." Espo pauses. "Well, the captain maybe. But he probably encouraged Castle."

"Probably told him my birthday, too," Kate mutters under her breath. She notices the 3 and 0 balloons rising above the others and groans. He even found out that it's her 30th.

Great.

"Happy Birthday, Beckett," Ryan calls out as he passes by. "Doing anything fun tonight?"

"Yeah, gonna find Castle and strangle him."

"Well, that's not very nice."

Kate freezes at the voice behind her, closes her eyes for a moment before turning to face the man in question. He's put on a hurt expression, but there's a twinkle in his eye that betrays his frown.

"I wouldn't really," she explains, hoping she has that same twinkle. "Strangling someone takes too long. I'm more likely to shoot you."

"Funny. I think." Castle sits in his chair beside her desk and parts a couple balloons to look at her. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks. Who told you?"

Castle spreads his arms out, palms up, an innocent gesture. "A gentleman never tells." There's a long pause in which Kate fixes her steely gaze on him, and he eventually breaks with a cough. "Don't be mad at her. She just wants us to be friends again."

Kate rolls her eyes. It would be Lanie. Her best friend had been hounding her to make peace with Castle, or at least to stop punishing him. Apparently she'd been talking to Castle, too, and had suggested that he buy back her friendship.

Well, even though she's already forgiven him, it doesn't hurt. As much as she'll hate the teasing that she'll get from the rest of the floor, she is enjoying that Castle made the gesture.

"You're not mad, are you?" Castle's voice interrupts her thoughts. "If you are, I'll take them all down."

Kate pinches the bridge of her nose and finds her chair under a pile of balloons, brushes most of the offending rubber to the floor so she can sit. "No," she finally admits. "It'll be nice to hear a variation of the normal teasing I get."

Castle's eyebrows furrow. "What do you mean, normal teasing? Who makes fun of you?" His nostrils flare with a sharp exhale, and Kate can't tell if it's anger, frustration, or both. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize-"

"Nikki Heat." Kate interrupts his explanation and starts ticking things off her list. "Both the name and the books. Naked on the cover. You shadowing me like some sick puppy that doesn't know when to stop."

She regrets the last statement as soon as it's out of her mouth, but she can't take it back.

Castle's face falls for a moment before he seems to steel himself, and he meets her eyes, his own voice of their earlier playfulness. "I'm only here because you asked me back," he tells her, his voice low and serious. "I didn't know it was such a hardship for you. I'll get rid of the balloons and get out of your hair."

When he moves to stand, she grabs his forearm. "No, wait, I'm sorry. That came out wrong." She pauses and shakes her head. "No, it didn't come out wrong. I shouldn't have even said it." She glances around and makes sure no one is watching too closely. "The truth is, usually birthdays, at least mine, are pretty low-key around here. It doesn't look great to a victim's family member if there are streamers everywhere when they come in, you know."

Castle nods. "Got it."

"So we will get rid of the balloons," she continues, "but that's why. I do like them. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Kate loses herself in his gaze, the soft, bright blue of his eyes boring into her very soul. She has no idea how to interpret him: he teases her mercilessly, gets on every last one of her nerves, but then he goes and does something like this, taking time and effort to make her day extra special.

His gaze flicks to her mouth and darkens, and without thinking her tongue darts out to wet her lips in anticipation. She just has to lean forward a little, not much at all, and if he leans forward as well, their lips would meet and-

"Beckett!"

Kate jerks back, feels her face flush as Castle clears his throat and tugs at the sleeve of his coat. She looks up to find Ryan with an appropriately embarrassed look on his face. "Yeah?" she snaps, wincing a little when Ryan jumps.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think you need to see something. About our case," he adds. "We might have found a connection between the two victims."

"Great." Kate stands and wipes her palms against her blouse. "Let's go."

"I'll let you know when the cake gets here," Castle calls after them.

Kate just smiles.

Of course there's cake.