Spoilers come from Season two Overkill (2x23) and A Deadly Game (2x24) Demming. Season Four Rise (4x01) Swing conversation. Season One Always Buy Retail (1x06) Kitten.
The weekend had been so satisfying for me in particular that it proved to be a major distraction back at the 12th. Rick had given me something very few men had. I felt safe, I felt loved, and I felt secure. I know Josh had tried hard but could not provide me the safety and security had had been seeking. Demming always seemed more like a fling than a relationship. Rick had been all those things. We spent some time outside the apartment just barely avoiding Jenny and Ryan. Before I left the apartment, Rick posed a question that had me completely lost at first. He asked me how many feet I had. I wasn't sure what he meant at first.
On my way in, I saw the swings that we had talked in months ago. I started to remember the conversation in all its detail. It had been me that said that it always seemed like I had one foot out of a relationship. I had also told him that making peace with the past was the only way for me to have the kind of relationship I craved most. When I got to my desk, I had to think about my answer. The weekend had been amazing yes, but could it last? I felt the nagging feeling eating away at my mind.
"I thought I saw you in the park during the weekend. Have a nice walk?" Ryan called from his desk.
"Everyone has a twin. I stayed at home all weekend. The last case took a lot out of me so I caught up on sleep." I tried to come up with a good cover story.
"I am sure it was you. That is unless Castle is dating your twin." Ryan was starting unravel my story.
"What Castle does is his business. So how was your weekend?" I attempted to turn the conversation from me.
Ryan did not answer and turned back to his desk asking nothing further. Espo only looked at me knowing that my answer was meant to stop all lines of questioning when it came to Rick.
We got no phone calls that day, to my surprise. I called Rick to see if he might want to help me with some paperwork. No one heard the conversation on his end because they would have figured it out. I did not want them knowing for now.
"Miss me that much already?" I heard his voice on the other end of the line.
"You have no idea." I used my usual tone of voice I had reserved for Castle.
"So what's up beautiful?" Rick's voice took on a new level of charm.
"No homicides but lots of paperwork. Are you interested in helping?" I asked hoping for a yes.
"Sure. You would make watching paint dry or grass grow worth doing. As long as you are my company, I am in." I could hear the humor and seriousness in his voice.
"So I will see you in ten?" I asked with careful attention to my tone of voice.
"That is affirmative kitten." I could still hear a hint of annoying humor in his voice.
"Watch it Castle. You know I hate that." I gritted my teeth in aggravation.
"I love you. Don't forget that." The tenderness was in his voice.
"I know. Back at you Castle." I wanted to repeat the words back to him but the boys were watching.
The boys were looking at me with weird smirks on their faces. Still appearances had to be maintained. Gates did not need to know because of the implications that came with it.
Within ten minutes, Rick strolled in with two cups of coffee and a smile. The boys appeared to snickering. Rick was about as good at hiding our secret as he was hiding a purple hippo. He did not try to kiss me and he did not whisper in my ear about anything. He was being double annoying and he was smiling too much. It took all the effort in my body to subdue the feelings and memories to keep up a professional appearance.
I saw the boys huddled among them looking every couple words their direction. I got the distinct feeling our attempts were falling flat. I had made every effort to not hold his hand and even more not to kiss him. Rick would look at me and I could see that he knew what was going on in my mind.
"Well Beckett, Ryan and I are headed out for the night. Call us if anything comes up." Espo called as him and Ryan left the bullpen for the night.
I wanted to watch until they left before I did what had been on my mind all day. I had spent all day thinking about kissing him. It dawned on me that Espo's words could have been a trap to prove a theory they had been talking about all day.
"Wait until we get back to the loft. I think the boys are already figuring this one out." I finally whispered in his ear when I was sure they were gone.
After the door had shut to my loft, I did what I had been thinking about all day long. I pinned him up against my door and let it go. To my shock I had not scared the living daylights out of him, but had excited him. My mind caught up with the rest of me before the rest of the night could carry on.
"I have two feet. As long as we work through this together, you will always see my two feet in this." Rick seemed very happy that I remembered the question.
"The funny part is I already knew that. Don't ask me how I knew, I just did." His arms were still wrapped around me.
I could not resist the urge to playfully slap Rick upside his cheek.
"This is for calling me Kitten. I still love you though." I smiled before actually continuing the kiss before.
Little did I know that our little secret would not be figured out by either of the boys, despite Ryan's near embarrassing revelation at the bullpen. Who learns better than the one girl that knows you better than you know yourself?