A/N: So here is my second update in just a few hours (: luckily I didn't have to write this one in the car. I rewrote this about three times not knowing what I wanted to do with it. I thought for hours about what I wanted to do, even completely got off track with my story and turned it into a Beckett/Swanson fic, but after I wrote it, I didn't want to do it anymore and I got off track completely from what my original story was gonna be, so more what it was gonna be! And I didn't realize until about half way through rewriting this chapter the third time that I got Will's last name wrong, but hey, that's what I get for writing chapters in the car.
After a long night of sleep, and good long shower in the morning she knew what she wanted, Castle. While Will had been great to her, and she loved Will, she didn't love him like she loved Castle. She had fun with Will, but with Castle, even though things were backward for her, she loved it. All the time she spent with him, she loved.
When she arrived at work, there was a large smile on her face, she got to see Castle again, she couldn't be happier. She walked into the prescient and ready to see her new man. She walked right up to him and wrapped her arms around him, of course this wouldn't have happened if someone else was around.
"I missed you." She told him looking into his gorgeous blue eyes.
He thought to himself how wonderful all of this was, he couldn't believe it, the woman of his dreams just told him she missed him. There was only one way to respond. "Missed you more!"
She gave him a large hug and little peck. He was utterly surprised at the entire thing, and she loved it. She loved knowing she had control, and this time she was going to use it to her advantage.
"Castle, what are you doing tomorrow night?" She asked curiously.
"Why? Because if it involves you, I'm free!" He answered.
"Good, let's do something fun, but different." She pondered, aloud, but not minding.
"What about… dancing?" He threw the idea out there, but it probably was no use.
"I can't dance. Give me something else." She answered.
"What about… jogging around central park?" It seemed like a good idea to Castle.
"Castle, I'm a murder investigator, yea, right. I know what goes on in Central Park at night, I'll pass." It was true, Central Park could be dangerous at night, and she knew she wouldn't be able to protect herself, and Castle.
"What about… I" He began, but never could anticipate what happened next.
"I cook you dinner!" She finished his sentence, but from her perspective. She took a couple of seconds to let the fact that she had just finished Castle's sentence sink in before coming up with the idea for their date. "Why don't we make dinner together?"
"Sounds great!" He answered. "Your place or mine?"
"Mine?" She answered his question with one of her own.
"I'd love too!" He whispered in her ear before kissing it and walking away.
How did he know she loved to have her ears kissed? Maybe it was just a lucky guess. Either way, Kate took it as a sign, something about the two of them, was right.
The rest of the work day was unbearable. All she thought about was Castle. Kissing Castle, cuddling with Castle, holding Castle's hand, the littlest things. When they were finally alone for a few moments just before arriving at a crime scene, his day became a little bit more bearable. They were at a red light, when Castle leaned over and gave Kate a tiny little peck on the lips. She turned to look at him and smiled, she didn't even try to hide it. Castle smiled back, and in a way silently said he couldn't wait for tonight.
Whenever Castle wasn't looking Kate was busy googling romantic recipes that she would be able to make, so when Castle got over to her place he didn't see the hairy stuff growing on her bacon, and frankly almost everything in her fridge.
Finally she found the perfect one, Chicken Chili. It took a few hours to simmer after they got everything ready, so it gave them the perfect opportunity to talk. Now all she had to do, was getting everything to make it, which was the real challenge.
Just as she was composing a list of everything she would need, Castle walked by her desk. She immediately closed the window and got back on the website she was using for work.
"So, babe, what time do you want me over?" He asked. It was fun calling her babe, and what made it better that she didn't resist against it.
She looked over at her list, it was pretty long. If she got out of there by six, she could have everything back to her place and put away by seven and just enough time to get ready, so eight would work fine.
"Eight?" She asked.
"Sounds great!" He answered before kissing her cheek, but this one, Ryan and Esposito saw them.
As soon as Castle walked away they knew this was the perfect time to tease Beckett about what had just happened.
"Well, well, well, how are the two love birds?" Ryan asked laughing.
"Ryan, stop." She spat at him.
"Oh come on Kate." Esposito told her.
"Who has the power to call you guys in at five on Saturday mornings? Me. Who would love to do it? Me. Think about it." She told them shutting them up right away.
"Alright we're sorry." Esposito told her.
"But hey, can't we have a little fun with this?" Ryan asked.
"No." Beckett spat back.
Esposito and Ryan, no satisfied with the answer they received, walked away and Beckett got back buried into paper work, losing track of time. When she finally looked up, it was after seven. She was gonna be late.
She rushed into Dean and Deluca, just before they closed and managed to get everything and back to her apartment by quarter to eight. She just left the bags on the counter and ran to change. Half way through changing and getting ready the door bell rang. Crap! She now had seconds to finish getting ready. She threw on some powdered make-up because it was faster than the liquid she usually used and finished getting dressed at the same time and ran to the door.
There was Castle. This time with flowers. She figured he got it right this time, the flowers would look excellent next to the ones she had received the night before.
Castle new the recipe, she considered herself lucky because she had no clue what it was. He got everything ready in the Crock Pot, and they watched TV and talked as it cooked, for four hours. The four hours was Castle's idea, the recipe called for one, but Castle said it was better when it cooked for four hours.
Half way through, Kate was starving. "Castle, want some strawberries?" She said with a seductive smile.
"Ooh! I'd love some!" He matched her with a seductive smile of his own.
She walked over to her nearly empty fridge and managed to find some strawberries that were still good. They were her midnight snack, she almost always had strawberries.
She walked back to the couch where Castle was sitting, small green container of strawberries and all. She got one out but before she managed to get it into her mouth, Castle cleared his throat, catching her attention. He opened his mouth, yet still had a smile, and pointed to his mouth, he wanted her to feed him her strawberry. She giggled and made the move to, but just as it hit his lips, she took it back and ate it.
"Hey!" Castle said loudly.
"What?" Beckett giggled.
Her giggle threw him over the edge; she moved over on top of her and began kissing her. He could still feel and hear her giggling. He loved it. They did however continue to feed each other strawberries from this position until they heard the timer go off.
"Castle." She said sitting up and unknowingly pushing Castle off of her. "I think it's done."
"It is, come on." He told her reaching out his hand to help her up off the couch.
She took his hand, gladly and he led her over to the counter where their chili was cooking. She got out the bowls and the spoons while Castle continued to stir and find the perfect pieces for them. He filled the bowls equally and Kate tried it instantly, then a sour look came over her face.
"Castle, does this have paprika in it?" She asked with a full mouth
"Yea, my own special treat." He boasted just before he watched her run into the bath room with her hand over her mouth. "Kate? Are you ok?" He asked knocking on the bathroom door. "Kate?"
Finally the toilet was flushed and the door opened.
"What?" She asked exhausted.
"What happened?" He asked, he felt horrible.
"I'm allegoric to paprika." She told him stumbling over to her bed room with her hand on her stomach.
"I'm so sorry!" He apologized following her.
She finally made it to bed when she told him it was ok. He got in bed with her, cautiously, and when she didn't object, wrapped her up in his arms and stroked her hair.
After a few minutes he was surprised when she finally sat up and looked at him.
"What?" He asked, he felt so guilty about the paprika thing.
"You're on my side of the bed." She told him, expecting him to move.
It took a few minutes for her words to sink in, they were both shook up over everything. When it did finally sink in, he got up, moved to the other side of the bed, and wrapped her back up in his arms, and even though their night hadn't been perfect, it was very very close, to the perfect date.