"Hey Lanie, have you determined cause of death yet?"

Beckett didn't look up as she entered the morgue, her eyes glued to her cell phone, so she missed the glint in the ME's eyes and the sitealthy steps that brought her by the detective's side in a matter of seconds. "Hey!"

Lanie smirked, waved the detective's cell phone in her face and quickly retreated to the autopsy table before Kate could do anything about it. "What the hell, Lanie? Give me back my phone!"

"Nope. Not before you tell me what's going on between you and writer-boy."

Kate pulled up her poker face and blinked innocently at her best friend. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you dare play innocent with me, Katherine!" Lanie warned her with a scowl as she raised the phone and unlocked it to go through her friend's text messages. Kate quickly stridden to the ME's side to take her phone back before she had time to read anything but she wasn't quick enough. "Lanie Elena Parish, give me back my phone now!"

A raised eyebrow challenged her. "Or what?"

Kate stared at the shorter woman incredulously as she moved around the table. She wouldn't be able to catch her friend, but as long as she moved Lanie would have to keep an eye on her if she didn't want to risk being caught by the cop. "What makes you think there's something different?"

"Oh, change of tactics, detective? Something did happen, isn't it?"

"Give me back my phone, Lanie."

Lanie shook her head sadly to make it seem that she was disappointed in her friend. "I'm your best friend, Kate, don't you think I wouldn't know if something was different about you?"

Kate rolled her eyes, clearly not affected by her friend's act. "Okay, fine. You tell me what's so different that could justify that something is going on between Castle and me, and I'll tell you if it's true or not."

The glint in Lanie's dark eyes told Kate she had just walked inside the lion's den, and she was the dinner. 'Crap.' "Fine."

"Fine."

The glaring duel lasted for several long seconds before Lanie began. "You left town for almost five days because you were upset."

Kate's features sobered and she leaned against an empty autopsy table, her fingers unbuttoning her coat and removing her scarf after a short hesitation. This argument/discussion was going to take a while and she was already feeling too warm. "You know why I left, Lanie."

"I do, sweetie, but that's not what I wanted to talk about. Yet anyways. So you left, Castle goes AWOL the next day-"

"He went to the Hamptons with his daughter."

Lanie smirked and raised an eyebrow, eyeing her friend with a knowing look. "Quick on the alibi there, aren't we? So, you left, he left, and I know you went to see Castle before leaving because Javi talked to me about your, and I quote, 'sweet, badass bike'."

Kate paled even though she was feeling her cheeks starting to burn. "What?"

"His words, not mine. It's not Castle's fault either, Kate, Javi bought a phone just like writer-boy and he accidentally took Castle's instead of his. He has the picture of you on your bike as his background image." She told her friend, an amused smirk on her face. "He is right though. Too bad they didn't think of it when you did that photo shoot."

"You know, you talk a lot, Lanie, but I don't hear anything to back up your crazy theory." Kate took a deep breath and put her poker face back on as she was more and more certain that the ME had nothing on her nor Castle.

It wasn't like they had kissed at the precinct, or even held hands. They were so cautious about it it was starting to make Castle tick every time someone walked past them. They had only kissed twice over the weekend because as much as she loved it and wanted more, she wasn't ready to commit further and, thankfully, Castle knew it and accepted it.

The sudden silence around the women felt strange and it snapped Kate back to the present. Her eyes widened slightly when she found Lanie staring at her with a wide smirk and a perfectly manicured finger pointed at her face. "That."

"What?"

"That look, honey." Lanie's voice softened, not trying to force a confession out of her best friend anymore, wishing she'd admit it of her own free will. "From the day you got back there's been that little smile on your lips, and your eyes have been brighter and sparkly again. Do you know how long it's been since I haven't seen you smile like that?"

Kate's answer was soft, if not hesitant. "Too long?"

"You're damn right it's been too long. The thing is that for the last couple of days, no matter where you are you always have an eye on him, whether it's at the 12th, or at a crime scene. And you get this little smile whenever he locks eyes with you right before you look away in case someone would notice it."

"Ok, so it's normal for him to stare at me as much as he wants, but I can't make sure he's okay by looking around once in a while? Come on, Lanie, that's a little thin."

"Fine." Lanie was done playing games. It was time to get the big guns out. "Then why do you consistently blush whenever writer-man touches you or looks at you for more than two seconds?"

Lanie watched as the detective's mighty poker face crumbled in less than three seconds flat. "Who?"

The pathologist didn't need to ask about what 'who' the cop was referring to. "Only Javi and Ryan knows. Karpowski was suspecting something but Kevin told her she was hallucinating things."

Kate nodded distractly but kept her eyes downcast, busy digesting the news. It was still so fresh and yet, their friends already knew. They hadn't even gone on an official date yet and somehow they, or more specifically her, had given them away.

Lanie heard her friend's mumblings but she couldn't make out what she was saying. Having made her point, she walked back to where the detective was and handed her back her phone. "What did you say, sweetie?"

Kate's sienna eyes were surprisingly soft when she met the ME's espresso ones. They always softened a bit whenever Lanie called her sweetie, or honey or any other affectionate name, and the doctor took pride in the fact that Beckett's father aside, she was the only one able to use those terms on her without having to fear the woman's murderous glare. "We haven't even been on a date yet."

"Does that mean that you two..."

Kate's face practically shone bright red. "Lanie! No! I, God!"

"Okay, sorry, too soon for that talk." Lanie muttered as she grabbed Kate's hand and took her outside of the autopsy room and down to her office. "Coffee?"

"No thanks."

"No? Are you sure you're okay, girl?" Lanie watched as Kate sat in a chair facing the ME's desk and stared blankly at her phone while she made herself a cup of coffee. The office was small and she had to share it with Perlmutter and another medical examiner but it was clean, spacious enough for the three of them to be there at the same time without stepping on each other's feet and the soft but warm wall colors were always a welcoming change from the omnipresent, stark white of the autopsy rooms. The best addition to the room, however, was the espresso machine Castle had offered them last Christmas.

"I kissed him."

Lanie twisted around sharply, surprise clear on her features. She grabbed her coffee and sat next to her friend to hear the rest of the story. "You made the first move? Honey! How was it? Spill!"

Kate rolled her eyes as a smirk grew on her lips. "Are you going to run off to the precinct the minute I tell you to claim the money you all bet on us behind our backs?"

"Of course not. I'm going to need prove of that if I want to collect the pot, you know that. Once I will have seen the two of you together then yes, I will make a run for it."

"Real classy, Lanie. Really." Kate shook her head, wanting to be annoyed but if she was honest with herself, it felt good to have someone to talk to. "Ow! Why did you do that for?" The detective whined as Lanie's small fist uncurled and lowered to grab her coffee cup.

"You can't stop at 'we kissed' and then stare off into space like that! Was there anything else involved beside kissing?"

Kate glared as she rubbed her arm. "No."

"Oh really?" Lanie glared back and she raised her hand again when Kate surrendered with a huge sigh. "Fine, fine!"

"We got into talking, after he got to the cabin. He gave me flowers, for my mom. Yours, and his." Kate breathed out softly, taking Lanie's hand in hers. "Thank you again for that, by the way."

"One thing led to another, he wanted to take my bike to go place the flowers on her grave, I didn't want to, and next thing I knew he was threatening me to tickle me to death if I didn't let him drive his own car."

Lanie burst out laughing but quickly fought to get it back under control when she gasped as she felt the detective's nails dig into her fingers. "I have you to thank for that, apparently, so if that ever happens I will hunt you down and unleash so much dirt about you on Espo it'll be a cold day in hell before you'll be able to look at him in the eyes again."

"Bully all you want, detective, there's nothing you can tell him he doesn't already know."

"We'll see." Kate refuted with a glint in her eyes, but her cocky attitude was rapidly fading. "He told me he'd do anything I asked him to, anything I could wish for."

"So you went for it."

"You could say that." Kate blushed and glanced briefly at her best friend before looking at her phone, busy buzzing repeatedly in her hand. She quickly typed a reply and hit 'send', not even noticing Lanie had released her hand so she could answered her phone. "I have to go."

"I'm sure you do."

Kate ignored Lanie's suggestive leer and stood, her hand still clutching her phone. "You want to have a drink or get something to eat later?"

"You're offering to spend you night off with me of your own free will?" Lanie smiled brightly and briefly squeezed her friend's arm as she pondered the options. "How about I pick up Italian on my way later and we spend the night at your place?"

Kate grinned in approval, nodding eagerly at her friend's suggestion. "Sounds good. Oh, and you'll see the changes I made with the place. The kitchen looks pretty good now, I can even cook and everything if I ever get crazy enough to do that...What?"

Lanie only smiled and wrapped her arms around her friend. "Nothing, sweetie, I'm just happy for you. I'll see you tonight around seven?"

"It's a date." Kate called over her shoulder as she left, shooting her friend a bright grin. "Oh, Lanie! Cause of death?"

"Don't have it yet, I'll call when I do. Now shoosh!"

Lanie didn't even bother hiding her smile as she heard the detective leaving. She took a deep breath and laughed, ecstatic about friend's news, until she realized something. Kate had admitted about the kiss, but she had somehow snaked her way out of dishing about it, as the ME wanted her to do. She was going to have to pay for that, the brunette decided as she grabbed her phone.

"Hey, you're back. Lanie kidnapped you again?" Castle asked as the familiar sound of heels was heard throughout the bullpen. He jumped off her chair before she could push him out of it herself and smiled as she handed him a coffee. "Ahh, number 48. White Chocolate Mocha, with a pinch of cinnamon." He stated with a content sigh after having taken a big gulp of it, his eyes closing in appreciation. "You know that because of you, I am stuck being all wired up at night and forced to deal with it on my own since you still refuse to spend the night with me at the loft?"

Kate choked on her coffee and glared at the man as he quickly took the scalding beverage from her. "Sorry, you're okay?"

"Do I look okay?" The detective wheezed as she tried to get her breathing under control. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Me? You're the one with the gutter mind, detective I was talking about coffee." Castle smirked but wiped him off his face before Kate could smack him off his face. "Do you still have a change of clothes here?"

Kate looked down at herself and groaned. She had to change two days ago after she and Castle got completely drenched when it starting pouring rain on a crime scene so the only thing she had left at the precinct was a tank top and a pair of running shoes. "Only a top."

"Why don't I go and get it while...no, you go get it, get changed and then come back here, where I'll be waiting patiently and not picturing you as you ah! Ha-ow ow ow!"

"If you can promise to keep your head out of the gutter, Castle, then maybe I'll let you come with me." Beckett whispered to him, but she still didn't release his ear. "No touching, and no looking."

"Not even look- Ah! Ah-ha, apples, apples! Okay, okay! Damn, woman, you run a tough deal."

"Maybe Castle, but the wait is oh so worth it." The cop smiled as she looked at him over her shoulder, smirking at his sudden dazed expression. "You coming?"

"Where do you think they're going?"

Esposito glanced at Ryan and smirked. "I don't know where they're going, but I know what they're going to be doing soon."

Both detectives were in the break room getting coffee when they had witnessed the beverage incident and neither of them had missed how the writer's hand had came up to rub soothing circles on their boss's back. They had watched in silence until Ryan had mentioned that Kate hadn't even seemed to mind the man's hands on her. "Do you think they..."

"Gross, bro, I don't want to know about that! Beckett's like a sister to me, I don't need to hear that. Besides, I have more important things to do." Esposito rolled his eyes as he pulled out his phone.

"Can I look now?"

A hand on his shoulder gave him the answer he needed. Castle turned on his heels and met a set of amused, sienna eyes right before her lips were on him, shutting him up before he had time to come up with any crude comment.

His hands found their way to her cheek and hand, as if scared she would slip away if he didn't hold on to her. Her lips were sweet and warm against his, and Castle groaned as they roamed from his mouth to his jaw until they reached his ear. "Happy now?"

"Very." He whispered just as he brought back her face to him, feeling the need to look at her eyes shift from sienna to green when his tongue slowly traced the detective's soft lips, demanding entrance. "Kind of, yeah."

Castle stiffened and pulled Kate away from him. "Kind of? Why do I- You are so evil." He muttered when he saw the smirk on her face. Kate laughed and cupped the writer's cheek, letting her thumb stroke the slightly rough beard covering his jaw. "And you are so easy."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, that's why it's so much-Castle!" She yelped and slapped Castle's hand away before he had time to grab her waist again. "Don't you dare, Richard Castle!"

"I knew you were ticklish!" He practically shrieked gleefully when his suspicions were confirmed.

Kate glared and gawked at the man. "You were bluffing? Richard Castle, I-"

"Apples! Apples!" He shouted readily as soon as he saw that she looked just about ready to pounce on him. "Come on Beckett, it was just so easy, I couldn't help myself!"

The detective stopped two feet away from him, her head cocked to the side as she debated whether she should believe him or not. She realized a second too late that she was being played again as his hands were on her waist, his agile fingers finding the exact spot where she was the most sensible to the touch.

Unable to stop a squeal from escaping her lips, Kate raised an arm so she could headlock the writer into submission but his arms were quicker and wrapped themselves around her just as his mouth found her neck. His lips pressed feather light kisses at the base of her jaw and down to the pulse point, Castle enjoying the feeling of her strong heartbeat against his skin, before his mouth moved up and settled behind her ear.

He smiled against her soft skin as he felt her shiver and relaxed in his arms. "Kate?"

The moan that vibrated inside the woman's throat almost sent him to his knees. "Castle, we- it's not-"

"It's not the right time, or place, I know." He agreed with a deep sigh, letting her stepping out of his embrace regretfully. "Is tonight-"

"I have plans with Lanie." Kate groaned as she pulled herself away completely from the man, and frowned suspiciously when she took in his smirk. "What?"

"Nothing," Castle was quick to answer, forcing his amused smile to change into a softer one. "You're adorable you get all flustered."

"Castle-"

"Fine. Can I at least stay with you until you leave to meet her?"

Kate rolled her eyes as she ran a hand in her hair, hoping she wasn't too dishevelled. "I'll be doing paperwork, Castle."

The writer wasn't ready to let her go just yet. "I'll make you a coffee."

"A cappuccino like last time" Kate bit her lip and asked hopefully after a short hesitation.

Castle grinned and stole one last peck on the cheek as he turned her around and gently pushed her toward the exit. "Of course, detective. Anything you want."

Lanie was grabbing her coat, happy to be done for the day when her phone chimed. Seeing that it was a text message from Esposito she waited until she was in her car to read it, where no one would disturb her.

'Freaking finally, chicka.' She read the words, confusion etched on her face until a second message popped on the screen, with a video attachment. 'Stumbled onto this, thought you owed to witness it too. Love you Lane. xo'

Her heart fluttering nervously, Lanie quickly downloaded the video onto her phone and pressed play as soon as it was ready to play. The image was shaky at first, the focus was not that good and there was some faint whispers during the first seconds of it, but she rapidly recognized Castle's voice when the whispers got louder. "Kind of? Why do I- You are so evil."

Lanie absently brought a hand to her mouth, wondering where this was going. She could make out lockers in the background, so she knew it was at the precinct, in the locker room, with her friends standing in a corner, supposedly away from inquisitive eyes.

Her brain was already going through a hundred possible scenarios when Kate's squeal made her jump and shriek as well.

Grasping her phone tightly, the medical examiner watched with wonder the more than playful banter between her best friend and her partner. Her eyes widened and her lips stretched into a stupefied smile as she heard the detective laughed and let Richard Castle wrap himself around her, the voices quickly fading as they talked to each other more intimately. "I'll be damned..."

Happy tears pooling in her eyes, Lanie typed a quick response to the Latino detective as soon as the video was over, thanking him and threatening to never sneak up on their friends like that again if he wanted to keep certain parts of his anatomy intact.

Glancing at the time, Lanie decided to make a small detour before heading to her friend's apartment to stop and pick up her and Kate's favorite dessert and wine on top of their dinner. This was a night to celebrate. The pool at the precinct could wait a little while longer.

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