Monday morning...
He had planned on waiting for a call - as he usually did - before heading to the precinct. They had no case, he had no reason to be there.
But he wanted to see her.
He rode the elevator to the fourth floor, two coffees in hand. Nothing about this was unusual. In fact, this was fairly routine. Yet, his stomach was a knot of nerves.
The elevator opened and he stepped into the bullpen, making a beeline for her desk.
"Hey," she greeted with a shy smile.
"Hey."
He placed her coffee down on her desk, sinking into his chair.
She took a sip, savouring the sweet vanilla essence that mingled with the earthy bitterness of the coffee.
She looked back to Castle, sitting in his chair fidgeting with his coffee. After having the rest of the weekend to think things over, she knew that there was a conversation to be had, and the sooner the better. They both needed to be on the same page.
"Castle, can we talk?"
He sucked a sharp breath through his teeth. "Ooh, see, the look on your face right now really makes me want to say no."
"What?" she laughed, a little confused.
He leant in and her body involuntarily reacted, leaning in closer.
In a low voice, he explained, "You've got that let's just act like nothing happened look on your face." He shook his head. "I don't wanna do that."
She rolled her eyes, smiling, leaning back in her chair.
"A clairvoyant, you are not, Castle." She put her coffee down and ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back off her face. "I wasn't going to say that."
"You weren't?"
She shook her head. No, that was far from what she wanted.
He looked at her, an unmistakable twinkle in his eye.
"In that case, I guess I can spare a minute or two."
She smiled, grabbed her coffee and rose from her seat. He followed her lead and, together, they walked toward the elevator.
They made their way to the back corner of the carriage, out of the way of the two officers that were already riding down to ground level.
She bit her lip to try and hide her smirk as she brushed her hand against his thigh. She could feel the twitch of his fingers against her palm, and she knew; he was trying to resist the urge to hold her hand. She risked a sideward glance in his direction, his eyes were dark as they met hers.
Her eyes shot forward, staring at the doors in front of her as she tried to ignore the flutter in her chest and the tension that was filling the too small metal box.
Yes, they were very much on the same page right now.
They couldn't get out of there quick enough, both of them pushing forward as soon as the door began to slide open.
"You did that on purpose," he accused as she practically jogged down the several steps that fronted the precinct and began her stride down the street.
She looked over her shoulder, a wicked smile on her face that confirmed his statement.
"Did what?" she asked coyly, slowing her stride once they were an acceptable distance from the building entrance.
He stepped around her, making purposeful movements so that she ended up backed against the stone façade of the precinct.
He stood closer than what she would usually deem as safe, but she didn't mind.
He could do it, it would be all too easy. He could place a hand against the wall behind her. He could lean in closer, slow enough for her to read his intentions, slow enough to drive her wild with anticipation. He could end the torturous, kiss her fervently, let the rest of the world fade to black as his body pushed hers firmly against the rough stone building.
He could give in to this overwhelming, burning, possessive desire. And he could do so, shamelessly. But he wouldn't.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" he reprioritised their attention - talk now, play later.
"Lanie has been calling all weekend," she stated, fidgeting with the coffee cup in her hands. "I didn't answer, so I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm mad at her."
"Why would you be mad at her?" he asked before realisation set in. "Oh, the tomfoolery."
"That's one word for it, I guess." She laughed. "I feel like I should be mad. Or, at least annoyed, right? She tricked me, she tricked us."
But all annoyance she could manage to muster up vanished the second she thought about their date, how easy it was, how enchanted she had felt since.
"Yeah, I get that. But she had good intentions, right?" He wanted so desperately for her to focus on the positives.
She nodded. "Yeah, I guess."
"Are you mad?"
She looked up at him, a bright smile forming. "No." She shook her head to enunciate the point. "Not even a little bit."
She wanted to kiss him, more than she would care to admit, but she couldn't - not here.
"They all know," she said, seemingly out of the blue.
"Wha- who?" he stuttered, unsure of which question would lead him to an explanation of her thoughts.
"Lanie and they boys," she clarified. "They've obviously been working together to make this happen."
"Oh, yeah." He didn't care, though. He didn't care who knew.
"They're going to want to know what happened."
"I mean, we don't have to tell them anything," he assured her. "Not if you're not comfortable. Technically... we had dinner and then we went home. We've had dinner together before."
She smiled. "We have."
"So, we just dodge questions until you're ready."
"It's not that I'm not ready," she said, trying to reassure him. "It's more just... I don't like them thinking that they won, you know?"
He laughed. "They'd be real smug bout it, too," he agreed.
"Speak of the devil," she whispered the idiom as she noticed Esposito and Ryan walking down the street toward them.
Castle turned to face the duo.
"Good morning," Ryan called as they approached, his voice barely masked his bubbling enthusiasm. "How was your weekend?"
Both boys waited for an answer, smirking.
Beckett narrowed her eyes, making sure they knew that she saw right through the attempt of playing dumb.
Esposito's smirk faded. "We should get to work," he excused, nudging Ryan's shoulder with the back of his hand.
"Yeah," Ryan said as he started to back away. "Busy morning."
The two of them rushed off, heading inside the precinct.
"Oh, this could actually be fun," Castle laughed, watching them flee.
She stepped forward. With the hand that held her coffee, she tapped her knuckles to his arm, gaining his attention.
"You should come over tonight," she suggested.
"Yeah?" he asked, wide-eyed, not even attempting to hide the joy her invitation sparked.
"Yeah." She nodded. "We can pick up something for dinner after work, watch a movie or something." She shrugged, trying to look casual despite her racing heart.
It was the or something that had his heart racing, too.
"That, uh- that sounds good."
That evening...
It had taken her by surprise, how comfortable she was with this shift in their relationship, and how casual Castle was being about it. He didn't make a single inappropriate comment while at the precinct. There was no innuendo, no lingering looks and flirtatious remarks. No more than usual, anyway.
In fact, he had managed to act so normal, the boys stopped studying their every interaction after just a few hours.
Castle had left hours ago. Being a paperwork day, there really wasn't any valid reason for him to be there in the first place, but he lingered as long as he could, just to be with her.
But now it was knock off time for her, too, and she couldn't get out of there quick enough.
"You got a hot date or something?" Esposito joked as he and Ryan entered the elevator with her.
"Yeah, take out and a movie, so hot," she rolled her eyes, hoped it was convincing. She wouldn't lie to them, couldn't even if she wanted to. They were detectives, after all.
"You know, for a hot chick, you're kinda boring," he quipped with a smile, so that she wouldn't mistake the playful nature behind the jab.
She rolled her eyes. "You're trying to bait me, it's not going to work."
The elevator arrived on ground level and the doors opened up.
"Have a good night, guys." She smiled and left.
She picked up Thai food on her way home - enough to feed a small but very hungry army.
She'd been home just long enough to dump the bags of take out on the coffee table and rid herself of the heels she had been wearing all day before there was a knock at her front door.
She opened the door with a smile. "Hey."
"Hi," Castle beamed.
"Come in." She stepped aside so that he could enter, shutting the door behind him.
She followed him further into the apartment.
"I got Thai for dinner, I hope that's okay."
"I love Thai," he said with a smile.
His eyes locked to hers as they lingered in the silence.
An awkwardness hung between them; the kind that was to be expected in the beginning, when friends become more, when the boundaries that were once set no longer exist.
New rules were yet to be established and the newfound freedom to test the waters, to explore uncharted territory, was exhilarating... and a little terrifying.
So much could go wrong, but this step felt so right.
The drop of her gaze to his lips - brief, but unmistakable - made him brave.
He stepped forward, framing her face with his hand and pulling her in for a long, tender kiss.
Her palms found their home on his body instantly, one at his chest, the other pressed to the back on his neck holding him close.
He pulled his lips from hers, foreheads resting together as they took a moment to bask in the newness of this all.
"You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that," he confessed.
She smiled, she could only imagine.
Her lips pressed to his again, an acknowledgement of his admission
"Do you want to pick a movie?" she asked as she pulled away, motioning with an open palm to the TV cabinet. "DVD's are in the bottom drawer."
He moved to the drawer and began going through it. In the mood for love. Lust, caution. Unfaithful. Fatal Attraction. He wasn't sure what kind of movies he was expecting to find, but this certainly wasn't it. He turned to face her.
"Adultery, romantic thrillers, sexpionage; Beckett, should I be concerned?" he jested.
"Keep digging," she laughed as she began pulling containers of take out from the carry bag and setting them on the coffee table. "You'll find something that piques your interest, I'm sure."
"Well, sexpionage hasn't not piqued it," he mumbled as he continued to dig through her DVD collection.
She moved to the kitchen, grabbed two plates, cutlery and serving spoons before returning to the living area, flopping down onto the couch.
He put a DVD in the player, then moved to settle down on the beside her.
"This smells great," he said as she passed him a plate.
"Best Thai in the city," she bragged, scooping a portion of Khao Pad onto her plate.
"That's a bold claim, Beckett," he said, dishing out his own portion of the rice. "I hope it lives up to expectations."
"I think it will."
After dinner, they packed away the leftovers and washed the few dishes they had used before settling back into their comfortable positions on the couch to watch another movie.
Castle sat in the corner of the couch, Beckett nestled against his side, encompassed by his arm wrapped casually around her waist.
He could feel her eyes on him as he watched the movie, the slight shift of her head against his chest every time she looked up at him every few minutes. He could tell there was something on her mind.
"You okay?" he asked, turning his attention to her.
"Mmhmm." She turned her head to the TV, actually focusing on the movie for the first time since they had put it on.
He placed his index finger under her chin, gently pulling her focus back to him.
"What are you thinking about?"
She smiled, a subtle pink flush rising to her cheeks.
Oh.
He didn't push the matter, but it stirred something in the pit of his stomach.
"I like this," she confessed after a few moments of silence.
"It's good, right?" he agreed enthusiastically.
She pushed off of him, sitting up straight and, in doing so, creating an completely unwanted distance between them. It took everything in him not to grab her and pull her back to him.
"Look, Castle," she started, smile dropping from her face only to be replaced by knitted brows.
"Uh-oh," he joked, trying to brush off the uncomfortable feeling brought on by her sudden seriousness.
She rolled her eyes, a smile threatening to return to her face.
"I usually don't like to rush this kind of conversation," she continued, ignoring the voice in her head that screamed stop, you'll ruin it!
"But...?"
"But I need to know that we're both on the same page. I don't want to go into this thinking it's one thing if you're under the impression it's something entirely different, you know?"
"And... what do you think this is?" he asked cautiously.
She grimaced, looking down at the floor. "I won't lie, I was kind of hoping you would tell me."
He let out a breath of laughter. "Of course."
He shuffled closer to her, taking her hand in his. Her eyes met his as she waited, patiently.
"Kate, just being here with you, in this capacity, is more than I would of thought possible just a few days ago. I don't know what this is, not yet. All I know is that..." he paused, taking his time to gather the right words. "I like the way you make me feel, even when you aren't around."
Her seriousness turned into a bright smile, and he knew that they were, in fact, on the same page. With this unspoken confirmation, he continued.
"And I know I love that smile." He curled his index finger and placed it under her chin, tilting it upward slightly. "I would do anything to see it as often as possible."
"Anything?" she asked with the waggle of her brow.
"Why, Detective? Did you have something in mind?" he asked playfully.
"I might," she teased, flirting with the idea of giving in, giving him exactly what he wanted, what she wanted too. "I think I want to hear more about the things you do know, though."
He smiled, all too willing to give in to her every request.
"I know that your voice is my favourite sound."
She huffed a self deprecating laugh. "No it's not."
"It is," he assured her. "When you're theorising - or telling a story - and you get excited, your voice does this thing."
"Does not," she cut him off before he could even attempt to imitate her.
Her lips pressed together firmly, brows knitted in a faux frown.
"It's like music to my ears," he sung cheerfully, ignoring the frustrated expression he knew to be forced.
"You're such a liar." She swatted his arm as her composure cracked, bright smile returning.
He leant forward, claiming her lips, pulling her body closer to his.
She gave in, a brief moment of indulgence, before pulling away.
"You're getting distracted." She schooled her flustered thoughts, eager to return to the conversation she had started before getting so sidetracked.
"I don't care what Patterson says, you are my favourite distraction," he said, voice husked with desire that was too strong to be able to focus on anything else.
she frowned - for real this time. "Patterson? James Patterson said I was a distraction?"
"Yeah, kind of."
Not kind of, those were his exact words.
He studied her face, tried to gauge how upset she was by this revelation, but she bit her lower lip and he couldn't focus on anything other than the thoughts of her doing exactly that to him.
"Wait," Her frown vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced with a smile and sparkling eyes. "James Patterson knows I exist?"
"Okay, you are way too excited about that."
His mouth stayed slightly agape. Patterson? Really?
But she smiled, wickedly, and it they were back on track.
She shifted to her knees, leaning toward him and draping her hands over his shoulders.
"I thought it was your favourite sound?" she teased in the low, lusty voice that he was no stranger to. She had been teasing him with it since the day they met.
His hands fell to her waist, holding her steady as her body towered over him.
"Touché."
Their lips met; needy, possessive.
He pulled her closer, until her body was pressed against his. She shifted, placing her knees either side of his hips.
His grip on her hips had her heart skipping, the taste of his tongue dancing with hers erased every pure thought from her mind.
Somehow, they had managed to make it to the bedroom; their clothes discarded hastily, leaving a trail behind them.
They didn't speak, there was no need. Instead, they just lay wrapped in each others arms, idly exploring exposed skin with delicate touch.
She relaxed into the side of his body, allowed the sensation of his fingertips tracing intricately along her waist to lull her to sleep.
She woke to fingers combing through her hair, the steady beating of his heart in his chest under her head.
She lifted her head slightly, sleepy eyes finding the digital clock on her bedside table.
"You okay?" he whispered before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"I fell asleep," she mumbled as she dropped her head the few inches back to his chest.
"Mmm, just dozed off for little bit."
"How long?"
"About twenty minutes," he estimated.
She let out a sigh. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." He kissed her, short and sweet, before slipping his arm out from underneath her and sitting up. "Go back to sleep, I can show myself out."
She sat upright, holding the sheet to her bare chest. "You're leaving?"
She groaned, internally scolding herself for how poorly she had disguised the disappointment in her voice.
"I don't want to," he admitted, reaching out to brush her hair back off her face, tucking it behind her ear. "I have an early meeting at Black Pawn tomorrow. They're going to hound me about the chapters I promised them, I'm going to assure them that I'm almost done, even though I'm not even close."
He stopped talking, just long enough to kiss her tenderly.
"As much as I would love to stay, I feel like pulling myself out of bed at 5am will be much easier if - no offence - you're not beside me. Because leaving this," he waved his hand down her body, "is going to take a level of discipline and self control that I just simply don't possess."
She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, trying to suppress her smile, but failing. "I guess I can understand that."
He pulled himself from her bed, leaving the bedroom to gather his clothing.
"Will you be coming into the precinct afterward?" she asked, hopeful.
"You want me to?" He called from the living room.
He entered the bedroom again, wearing pants. He slipped his arms into his shirt, but left it unbuttoned.
"I can bring lunch?" he suggested, sitting on the edge of the bed to put his socks on.
She freed herself of the sheets that had tangled around her body, moving down the bed.
"I'd like that," she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing a kiss over the fabric between his shoulder blades.
He twisted, snaking his arm around her and pulling her close.
"I'll let you know as soon as the meeting wraps up."
She kissed him, slowly at first, but then deeply, greedily.
"You," he muttered breathlessly against her lips, temporarily abandoning his thought to taste her.
He moaned against her mouth, fighting with every ounce of self control he had.
"You make it very difficult to leave."
He could feel the curve of her smile against his, realising that this was her intent.
"I know," she whispered, gently biting his lower lip before pulling away from him.
"Feel free to call if a body drops," he said, pressing a quick kiss to her lips, one final taste, before making one final attempt to actually leave.
"You'll be busy."
"Interrupt," he said with a shrug as he began to walk away. He stopped by the bedroom door, flashing her a pleading look. "I beg of you, please call if you get a case. Before the meeting even starts! That would be great."
"I will," she promised.
With that cleared up, he left.