Knowing You

a "The Time Of Our Lives" story

5. Loving You (part 1)

He was very intrigued by the invitation, and a little curious as to any ulterior motives the lovely police captain might have, but all the same, when she made the offer, he couldn't very well refuse. She had called him just after three, asking if he'd be up for dinner at Remy's, a diner located not far from the 12th Precinct. Over the course of the last month, it had slowly become one of their favorite lunchtime eateries. Castle had been surprised at just how much Captain Beckett enjoyed a good burger, with sweet potato fries on the side, and a strawberry shake. But this was the first time Kate had actually asked him to meet up with her at the end of her shift. Usually, she just came over to the loft. He'd never yet ventured into her domain.

It made him self-conscious of what he perceived as his shortcomings. But Captain Beckett told him to meet her at the precinct, so there he went. He could not deny the gorgeous police captain, especially when she'd reward him with hugs and kisses… sometimes even more. Three nights ago, she spent the night in his bed… yet they were still bound by doctor's orders not to engaged in, as he so eloquently put it, 'extracurricular activities'. So they did the best they could, and what followed was probably the most intense and passionate make out session of his life, all foreplay and no sex. It was both exhilarating and extremely unsatisfying.

It was agony. Pure, unadulterated agony.

Soon, he told himself, bouncing his clasped hands between his knees as he sat in the 12th Precinct's lobby, waiting for his girlfriend to appear.

His girlfriend. The concept still somewhat baffled him. It had been a long time—too long—since Castle had actually had an actually girlfriend. Sure, he'd had his fair share of trysts over the course of the last five years with a veritable assortment of women, none with any substance. He had not been looking for love with them. But with Kate Beckett that was different. With her Castle actually saw more than a good time. He saw a relationship—a real, honest relationship, the likes of which he really hadn't had since college with Kyra Blaine.

The sharp staccato of her heels alerted him to her presence, snapping him out of his ruminations. He stood up from the chair he'd been sitting in and was greeted with a beaming smile from Captain Katherine Beckett. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey, Rick…," she greeted, leaning in to press a chaste kiss against his cheek. "Were you waiting down here? You could have just come up to the bullpen. Sergeant Myovich would have let you through."

"Oh, that's okay," Castle waved off. "I didn't want to be a bother."

Kate pursed her lips and gave him a little look, before looping her arm around his and leaning into his side as they started for the door. "You, Mr. Castle, are never a bother," she asserted with a sincere expression. "Besides, you could have met the boys."

"Yeah, about that, did I meet them before…?" he asked, his voice trailing off at the end, unable to conceal his uncertainty and confusion. He frowned and glanced out at the busy traffic as they exited the precinct and began walking down the sidewalk.

"Oh… um, yeah, I guess," she responded at length, her eyebrows knitting together, having paused for a moment to fill in the rest of his unspoken question. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," he shrugged nonchalantly as they stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn green. "It's just... last week when I stopped by with coffee before heading off to that meeting with Black Pawn about getting Heat Wave published they seemed… I don't know… familiar with me, like they knew who I was."

"They do… sort of," she replied, squeezing her arm tighter around his as the light changed, and they walked across the intersection. "In fact, Esposito and Ryan both interrogated the 'other you' the moment he came into the bullpen making wild claims and assertions of consulting with us on cases."

"I sort of got the impression they wouldn't buy the whole alternate reality story," Castle said.

Kate snorted, and her lips quirked up ever so slightly. "No, they didn't," she confirmed. "Esposito thought the 'other you' was crazy. He even went so far as to question my reasons for letting you—the other you—work the case with us. He's still a little skeptical. So yeah… best we leave out the whole alternate reality stuff. Honestly, there are still times I question my own sanity. Never in my life would I've ever imagined that I'd believe in such utter fantasy."

"And now?" Castle licked his lips nervously. "You do… believe it, that is?"

They came to a halt in front of Remy's entrance. Kate turned into him, running her fingers along the lapels of his sport coat, straightening them out as she flicked her beautiful hazel eyes up to meet his. "It brought me to you, so yes, I believe it," she said, voice firm in her conviction. "And I wouldn't change that for… for anything." She paused, nose wrinkling adorably. "Well, except you getting shot."

"I wouldn't," Castle asserted, shocking her. She gaped at him, eyes large. He smiled at her, letting his hands drop to her hips, securing her in place as he shifted closer. "These past months, though a painful struggle at times, have actually been some of the happiest of my life." He felt like he was bouncing with energy and excitement as he gazed into her eyes. "I… I feel reborn, like I've been given a new lease on life. A second chance. My relationships with my daughter and mother have drastically improved. And I've gotten to know you." He paused, and brought a hand up to her face, cradling her jaw in his palm. "I've found love. And that, Kate Beckett, is something I would never wish to change."

She let out a breathy sigh, canting into him as they shared a kiss that might have been a little bit inappropriate for their current surroundings, but neither of them seemed to mind. Castle certainly didn't. She bit her lower lip as she pulled back, gazing up at him with large eyes that reflected back with a deep love Castle had long ago given up on once upon a time.

Kate leaned in for another quick kiss, nipping at his lower lip as she pulled back. "Um… Rick… yesterday… did the doctor clear you?" she asked, momentarily stunning him into silence with her unexpected question.

Castle raised his eyebrows in understanding, easily catching her meaning when he noticed her pupils dilate with a very different kind of love—a more visceral, physical kind of love. "Um… yes, yes he has," he confirmed. His heart palpitated anxiously beneath his chest as he stared back into her darkening eyes.

"Really!?" her face lit up with excitement. "You're not yanking my chain, are you? The doctor really cleared you for—?"

"Yes, yes," he bobbed his head, her enthusiasm infectious.

A pleased grin spread across her beautiful features. "Then what would you say to skipping dinner and heading back to my place."

Castle stared at her for a long moment, before he responded by grabbing her hand and tugging her with him as he rushed towards the curb. Ignoring the pull of the scars in the center of his chest, he raised his hand up into the air, above his head, and signaled for a cab.

"Rick… what are you doing?" she laughed lightly behind him, her face alight with amusement and joy. "We can walk."

"Too slow!" he puffed out.

Kate hesitated for a moment, before inclining her head with a decisive nod. "You're right." She nudged him aside and let out a sharp, high-pitched whistle. Almost immediately a taxi pulled up to the curb. Kate grinned victoriously and opened the door, ushering him in. She climbed into the backseat after him, practically shouting her address to the cabbie. And then she was on him, kissing him with a passion and hunger that conquered any worry he had about their audience. The cabbie merely chuckled, shifting gears and easing the taxi back into the stream of traffic, as if this wasn't the first—or the last—time he'd picked up a couple eager to get back to one of their apartments.