A/N: thank you so much for the reviews so far. I love receiving your feedbackand suggestions. Keep them coming! Also feel free to leave any prompts or suggestions you'd like to see!

Here's my attempt at nailing the playful banter that takes place around the precinct!

Thanks.

Five years...

Castle gripped her fingers, guiding them around the warm ceramic mug and ensuring she had a firm grip of the hot beverage before releasing it from his own hand.

"Thank you." She muttered, without taking her focus off the murder board in front of them.

He watched on as she brought the mug to her lips, blowing carefully before taking her first sip. She smiled her approval, licking the small spot of froth from her top lip.

"You keep staring at me and people are gonna start talking." She smirked, finally moving her attention from the murder board to her partner.

"Please..." he waved his hand mid air, "people already talk." He stepped closer, leaning against the desk, close enough for their shoulders to touch. "Want to know what happened to me this morning?"

Beckett's eyes glued to his. She knew all too well what the early hours of his morning were spent doing... having been an enthusiastic participant in said activities.

"Oh, no! Not that." He assured her. "Although... if I'm going to be woken up before sunrise... that certainly was -"

"Are you going to get to the point, Castle?" She nudged his shoulder, urging him to continue on with his original train of thought. She wasn't irritated by his rambling... in fact, a distraction from staring at the board in front of her was welcomed at this point - but she didn't want to risk anyone overhearing him talk about their private moments.

"Yes, the point. Well, I was talking Alexis this morning. Well, trying to anyway. She had her nose buried in her phone - something about Facebook memories - anyways, we got totally sidetracked going through all her old posts and photos from this day of past years. And... do you know what today is?" He quizzed her, knowing she more than likely wouldn't know. He didn't even realise until his discussion with Alexis.

"Monday?" She joked.

"Ha ha." He deadpanned before continuing with his story. "Five years ago, Alexis posted a selfie of the two of us from the limo on our way to my launch party. Today marks five years since we met." He flicked his finger back and forth between the two of them.

"Oh my god, it's been five whole years of you harassing me while I try to work?" She laughed, louder than before, and stood to create some distance between them.

For a moment he thought that maybe he had said something wrong. That she was somehow upset.

"You've been hanging around for five years, bro?" Esposito joined the conversation as he and Ryan entered the bullpen, LT trailing just steps behind - and Beckett's sudden need for space made sense.

Their relationship wasn't a secret anymore... not really. Gates - the person they were ultimately hiding it from - was well aware of their situation and was, surprisingly, supportive of them continuing to work together... so long as they kept their personal life out of the precinct. However, while there was no more hiding, Beckett still wasn't exactly flaunting it.

"Research takes time, you know." Ryan justified with just a touch of sarcasm lingering in his tone.

"Right. Research."

LT's chuckle echoed from behind the boys - a knowing laugh, if ever Beckett had heard one - confirming to her that Castle's statement from just moments ago was true. People already talk.

"I like to think that I've been helpful over these past years." Castle defended himself against the playful teasing of his team.

"You wouldn't still be here if you weren't." Beckett interjected.

"You mean you don't just keep me around for my rugged good looks and amazing sense of humour?"

"No. That's what they're for." She said, nodding her head in the direction of Ryan and Esposito. Castle's eyes followed her motion toward the boys, who looked rather pleased by her statement.

"But seriously, five years of being..." Esposito paused for a second, trying to find the right words, "cop adjacent?"

Ryan nodded his approval of Esposito's title, and so Espo continued. "That's quite the milestone."

"We should celebrate." Beckett added to the conversation, sipping at her coffee. "What do you want to do?"

Castle raised his eyebrows, smirking suggestively.

"I meant like a group dinner or something, Castle. Get your mind out of the gutter!" She reprimanded him with a smile on her face.

"You set him up for that one, Beckett." Ryan nodded his agreement to Esposito's statement.

"Can't blame the guy for trying." He added in.

She rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore their obvious attempts at baiting her. She turned her attention to Castle. "That new restaurant you wanted to try, do you think you could get us a table for Friday?"

"I can pull some strings." He wouldn't have to... but he liked to remind them, occasionally, that if strings needed to be pulled, he had the ability to do so. "Friday work for everyone?" He walked toward the boys and they nodded.

"You paying, writer boy?" Esposito joked once Castle had joined them.

"I only pay when I'm being reimbursed." He smirked at his boys club joke, something similar to conversations she heard often within the walls of the precinct.

"Ugh." She wasn't about to let him get away with such comments. Not when she was the one currently 'reimbursing' him.

"Kidding, obviously." He back-pedalled, feeling her glare burning into the back of his head. "That's gross." He added for extra effect, chancing a sideways glance at her. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the murder board.

"What, does she happen to have a 'first hundred meals free' coupon or something?" Even Esposito had lowered his voice, respectfully fearful of ruining Beckett's mood.

"I.O.U system, my friend. I knew I'd be cashing those bad boys in one day."

A soft thud and sharp jolt of pain in his right shoulder came out of nowhere. He rubbed it, turning around to try and find the source of the pain. When he saw the whiteboard eraser by his feet, he looked up to see a smug looking Beckett staring back at him.

"Did you just throw that at me?" He winced, picking up the eraser.

"Did you just imply that I owe you?" She countered, arched brow and all. She meant business.

"No?"

He heard the boys egging them on, adding 'he did' and 'I heard it' to their conversation.

"I'm in trouble." He stated.

"You think?"

"I'll just go make that reservation." He started to walk off.

"Hold on." She started, pausing for him to stop and focus on her again. Once he did, she held her hand out toward him. "I was using that..."

He trudged across to her, holding the eraser in front of him. When she reached out for it he pulled his hand back, snatching it away.

"I love you." He said softly... just loud enough for her to hear it.

With that, she broke - a smile crossing her face, replacing the exaggerated annoyance of before. She rolled her eyes and snatched the eraser from his hand.

"I love you, too." She turned back to the board and began erasing an error.

Castle turned back to the boys, giving them a thumbs up and mouthing 'all good' before dramatically wiping his forehead, phew.

"Castle..." her voice was low and warning.

"Leaving now." He walked purposefully toward the elevator, not wanting to push his luck any further, leaving the boys to laugh at his obedience.