AN: Fic 2 for Caskett Appreciation Week 2020 day 4: "Episode insert"
Beckett immediately heads for the worn-out couch and flops down on it, her arm slung over her eyes. She lets out a sigh and slouches down further.
Castle enters the break room just after her with their mugs in hand. He busies himself with preparing the coffee, making it just to his partner's liking. She doesn't know it, but he has stashed a bottle of her sugar-free vanilla syrup in Ryan's desk a while ago. Seeing as honeymilk doesn't drink coffee, he thought that was the safest place to store it.
He looks at the clock on the wall. 3.47 am. His hunch about the Scottish architect had paid off, but that also had meant working through the night on the new clues they uncovered in that attic. Which is why he is now craving the energy a strong cup of coffee would give him. He's sure that is also the case for Beckett. Her blood is at least 30% coffee, after all.
He stares at the machine, willing it to make the liquid black gold a bit faster. He's too tired to attempt to make the foam now. It always puts a small smile on Beckett's face when he makes her latte art, but he surely would burn himself on one thing or another if he tried it tonight. This morning?
The machine beeps, letting Castle know that the two cups have been filled. He grabs them and turns around, extending one to Beckett. The sight is so precious. She half sits, half lays there, head resting against the back of the couch, fast asleep. She looks so peaceful. He sets both their cups on the table and gently sits down next to her, careful not to rouse her. He too could use a couple minutes of shut-eye.
When they don't come out for at least fifteen minutes, Esposito and Ryan come looking for them. They open the door to see both their team leader and her partner asleep on the couch. Beckett's head rests gently on top of Castle's shoulder and his head on top of hers. The mugs filled with coffee are cold and abandoned on the table in the middle of the room.
Ryan gently wakes them up but not before Esposito gets his change to snap a quick picture of the couple on the couch to send to Lanie.