"Kate come on.. You know I didn't mean it like that." Castle tried to recover himself from that last line he had said.

"Then how did you mean it, Rick?" Kate was hurt, whether she'd admit it or not she, thought of herself as more to him, but now she's second guessing herself.

"You're not just my Muse Kate, alright, I didn't mean for it to sound like that." Rick was feeling guilty now, Damn it, now she thinks I only think of her as my muse, how can she think like that, when she is so much more. His mind was drawing a blank on how to word things, they were still at a fragile place in their relationship, he can't just go around yelling his feelings to her. But does he really have a choice at this point?

"WHAT exactly did you MEAN for it to sound like Castle?" Her voice had some sass to it. She was not happy with what he is giving her, and quit frankly he isn't very happy either, he wants to say so much more.

"I.. Beck-.. It's.. look…you know…" He didn't know how to word it without giving too much away.

"Rick just spit it out for Christ sake!" She ordered him, growing impatient with his stuttering.

Rick grew frustrated from her yelling at him, how does the situation always turn on him, that she is now mad at him, he's trying to save her from hearing all the hard stuff, but SHE'S pushing him? No; he's not standing for it.

"Listen, okay! You KNOW that you are so much more to me than just a muse!"

"Humph, could have fooled me." Kate interrupted him, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

He really wanted to keep some of his feelings in, really he did! But how is he supposed to with what she is pressuring him with? When he decided to try and sabotage the British creep, he didn't intend on it turning it into an argument with Kate about what she is to him, but now his plan to just run in and punch Mr. pretty boy pants, back fired on him, so now here he is having to leak out all of his clustered feelings, that he tries to hide, for Kate's sake.

"It's not about the damn books anymore Kate! Nikki Heat isn't what's important to me anymore! YOU ARE!" He was breathing heavy, adrenaline and frustration running high in his veins.

Kate looked dumbfounded, her mouth a gap she was speechless. Good, now she's finally seeing my side. Castle felt somewhat accomplished over the fact that he had made her speechless, but he was also nervous because he couldn't quit figure out what she was thinking, So he continued.

"And quit frankly, I don't appreciate you flirting with 'Mr. British pretty boy' in front of me, whether us being a…..." he swallowed dryly, feeling his throat closing, frightened she would kill him for what he was about to call them.

"a couple, or not."

There it was, the word couple something they have never actually used to describe their odd relationship. Sure they have been used in an 'us' form from time to time but never, couple. Rick was never daring enough to use such terms with her, but, drastic times calls for drastic measures.

He could see that Kate was trying to capture the right words to wrap around what she was feeling at the moment; it seemed as though she had no clue what to say to what he was throwing out to her.

"Well.. I didn't mean to make you so upset." Was all Kate could muster out, he's never heard her sound so shy and confused all at the same time. It was actually pretty amusing to him, he hardly noticed how adorable she looked as she tried to catch up with her emotions, because of all the heated energy that was still burning through him.

"Yeah well, you did." He kept his cold tone.

Kate hated hearing his bitter tone of voice, she'd much rather have his soothing sympathetic voice that she loved so much, or his humorous tone that she adored to the fullest extent, anything but his icy words slitting through her like blades. She wanted to break him out of this anger that was inside, so she said something that she never says to him, something that will make him understand that she knows how he feels.

"I'm sorry." She said it in defeat but sincerity still in her actions, non the less.

Castle was in awe to hear such words from her, considering the fact that she never apologizes. He thinks the reason for that is because she sees it as a sign of weakness. His anger fades a little, his body now filling with a different feeling, more of a warm gooey feeling that he just hated sometimes, because of how vulnerable he is to her when he has this feeling, but how can he help it, whether he likes it or not the women in front of him has stolen his heart, and he can't do anything to change that. Now he is speechless; great. Thankfully though, Kate continues talking.

"I Haven't been very fair to you lately, and if I'm being honest." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her noise, for a moment.

"you're right I would be just as jealous as you are now if it were the other way around."

Esposito turned to Ryan "Man this sucks, I can't hear anything they're saying."

"I know… but it seems like they have finally calmed down a bit." Ryan said with a shrug.

"Yeah." Espo shook his head. "I guess I'll just ask Lanie about it later." He said as he turned back to look at 'mom and dad'.

Ryan didn't pass up this opportunity to mess with Espo about the fact that he totally still loved Lanie.

"Hmmm. Why are you and Lanie getting together later?" Ryan said with the smuggest smirk.

Esposito turned and glared at him, seeing where he was getting with this.

"No, I was going to call her." He said annoyance drawing out in his voice.

"Hmmm, well isn't that nice." Ryan said shaking head side to side with a raised eye brow of amusement, his smile shining through it all.

"Man, shut up!" Esposito ordered as he got up to go make some "copies".

"Where are you going?" Ryan said still smiling.

"Going to run these papers down to the copy room."

"Ah, yeah I bet. Nothing to do with going to see a special ME or anything, right?" Ryan winked at him, knowing it would get him mad.

"Bro! Don't make me smack you." Esposito warned him with his papers raised as if about to swat him with them.

Ryan laughed knowing he wasn't in any real danger. Esposito turned at that and started making his was to the 'copy room' as he heard Ryan yelling from behind.

"Say Hello to Lanie for me!"

Esposito just flung his hand up as if to silence Ryan, and kept on walking.

Hello children of the fandom! So I hope you enjoyed the little Ryan and Espo bickering, thought it would be funny to add in. Also hope you're enjoying the famous Rick and Kate as well! Review and all that good stuff, hope you're liking it!