Disclaimer: I don't own Castle. The only profit being made is my own amusement (and hopefully yours).
June
It's 12:18 AM when Beckett finally leaves the precinct, thanks to a poker game (with a wholesale-sized package of gummy bears that Castle brought to use as chips). She feels a little guilty for not getting back early on her boyfriend's night off, but the prospect of playing cards with Castle had seemed far more appealing than watching a zombie movie with Josh's arm around her waist.
She has to work early the next morning and it's raining so hard that the windshield wipers on the cab can barely keep up, so she gets off at Josh's apartment instead of going the extra distance to her own place. She lets herself in (Josh had given her a key) and quietly slips into bed.
"Where've you been?" she hears Josh say as soon as her head touches the pillow.
"Precinct," she replies, which is true, but she knows that it's still a lie.
Josh turns to face her, resting his palm on her shoulder. "Can I ask you something?"
She shrugs. "Why not?"
"Where do you see us in five years?"
She knows where he's going with this, and she tries to stall. "Well, I'll still be at the 12th solving crime and you'll still be at New York General saving lives. I mean, I could have a mid-life crisis and go to medical school and steal all of your patients."
(Oh, god, did she really just pull a Richard Castle and deflect a serious discussion with a joke?)
"You would look pretty hot with a stethoscope," Josh shoots back, grinning. "But really. What I meant was, where do you see us? As in you and me?"
"I try not to think too far ahead," she says. "Like we decided, remember?"
"Look, I know you said you were getting over someone and I said I didn't have time for anything serious. But what if I've changed my mind? What if I do want something serious?" He stops touching her shoulder to rub his temples with his fingers, obviously frustrated. "I know I'm a workaholic and I'm sorry about Memorial Day weekend, but I really have been trying to take on fewer cases so I can spend more time with you. And I see you getting out of bed early in the morning or at some ungodly hour at night because Castle has some crazy theory, or going out drinking with the guys on Saturday, or staying to work past midnight like you did today, and I can't help wondering if this relationship doesn't mean as much to you as it does to me."
"Josh," she begins.
He places a finger against her lips. "Shh," he whispers. "No rush, no pressure. It's just something you should keep in the back of your mind if this is going to work out between us." He moves his hand to her back, draws her in close, tucks her head under his chin. "Now go to sleep. You've had a long day."
She sighs and snuggles against his chest. He smells of aftershave and the freshly laundered scrubs that he wears as pajamas. With his arms around her, she feels safely shielded from the thunderstorm outside, but she already knows what she's going to tell him in the morning.