Disclaimer: i don´t own Castle :c
Rick stood there dumb fooled. "Ka-Beckett? What the…"
"Hello partner," Said Kate with a smile.
Esposito came behind Beckett, trying his best not to laugh at Castle´s face. "Hey, Castle"
Castle looked at Espo with a confused look on his face. "Coach? Eh, you didn´t tell me we´d have and audience."
"We´re not, my girl over here is going to be your sparring partner."
"M-my what?"
"I guess it´s your time to prove just how not old you are, writer monkey."
This is just way too fun, she thought.
"E-Esposito?"
"You heard the lady. Look, I need to see how you´re doing with the techniques and I couldn´t do that properly with me fighting you…"
Kate continued with the explanation. "So, Esposito called me to ask me if I knew someone who would be willing to train a few times a week with you, and since I'm on vacation until September, I volunteered. "
Castle glared at her. "How very nice of you…I´m sure kicking my ass was sufficient incentive for you to volunteer."
"It might have helped in my decision, but don´t worry Ricky, I won´t be too hard on you, at first." Kate grinned at this, causing Rick to gulp and looked pleadingly at Esposito, but he just laughed and went to change into more coach like clothes.
The writer sighed and continued to remove his shirt and put on a white undershirt.
Kate was shocked, to say the least, when Castle completely removed his shirt. Yes, she knew he was hot, she wasn´t blind, but man, oh man, he was a writer, a lazy one, too. How on earth did he have those abs and arms and broad shoulders? Down, girl, she thought, the last thing you need is for writer-boy to catch you staring.
Rick was changing into his training clothes when he noticed a certain female detective staring at his chest. Oh, he wanted to grin and give her a bad time about it, but he decided to ignore the look (since his physical health basically relied on her mood) and simply continue to dress.
Five minutes later, Esposito came out of the locker room and grinned, he was going to enjoy this, and hopefully gain some money too. He had bet Ryan that Beckett could take Castle in less than a minute. Ryan had said that writer boy would last at least 2 minutes. We´ll see who is right, bro, he thought.
To his utter delight, he was right. And 20 bucks richer.
First Rick was subdued to exercise for his resistance and because, well, he was a little heavier than he should. After that, Esposito taught him some basic moves; Blocks, how to throw punches, the works. Only 30 minutes until the training ended, Beckett came into picture and a sweaty Castle gulped, he was afraid for his life, but he didn´t show it, much. Oh, they are having a field day with me, he thought. And he was right, Kate was trying very hard not to smile when she was preparing to spar, which was difficult due to his expression, it was priceless.
"Ok, Castle, Beckett here is going to attack and you´re going to try to block her with one of the moves I thought you, got it?"
He just nodded, looking at Kate.
"Beckett, don´t be too hard on the guy at first."
"Got it."
Both Castle and Beckett were facing each other in the standard fighting position, doing little jumps in place to not lose rhythm. As Kate began to move to his left, in a circling motion, he began to move to the opposite side, creating an invisible circle. She was deciding how to surprise him, without hurting him much, and he was trying to notice every subtle change in her posture to prevent the attack. Unfortunately, for him, she was as fast as lighting. Before he knew it, a fist was coming to his stomach, it was an upper cut punch, and he felt as his breath left his body, bending down and putting his hands on his knees and breathing.
"Way to go, Beckett."
"Yeah…nice one," Came the raged reply of Rick.
Round 2 was a little more even, he avoided the first punch, a side one straight to the face, blocking it with his upper arm, but just as he thought he was safe, a second blow hit him directly on the jaw, causing him to back down a few steps, holding his jaw and massaging it with his glovedhand.
"Ow! Beckett, remember I'm new at this."
"Man up, Castle, I didn´t hit you that hard."
"Tell that to my jaw. I feel bad now for the guys you chase, damn, talk about sympathy for the bad guy."
Kate just rolled her eyes. She didn´t hit him THAT hard after all, right?
The next 30 minutes were like witnessing payback for all the times Castle was annoying, unhelpful and just, well, Castle. Even thought he was improving, rather quickly. Well, he had to if he wanted to survive.
The blows were below the face, Castle didn´t want to worry Alexis if she saw him with a purple and swallowed face, which made Kate roll her eyes yet again. Such a drama queen, she thought. But inside she was smiling at his crazy logics and worries for his daughter.
At the end, Rick managed to stop all of Kate´s punches; actually, just two of them, but his ego was down enough to be reminded of that.
All four of them were in the bull pen after a shower (separately!) and changing into work clothes, well, for Esposito, anyway.
"Ah! I can´t believe it´s almost ten already! And I haven´t had my first coffee yet," Said Rick after sitting on his usual chair.
"Me either," Responded Beckett, sitting on her desk.
"Sorry about that, I didn´t know you were going to kick my ass today, I mean, come by."
"Don´t need to apologize, Rick."
"Hi, captain," Greeted Kate when she saw Lisbon walking by the boys' desk.
"Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle," Said Lisbon, in a way of greeting.
"Hi, boss, how are you this fine morning?" responded Castle.
"I´m good, and, you two? Uh, Castle, you might want to put some ice on the jaw there."
"Oh, it´ll be fine."
"I take training is going well, Esposito?"
"Oh yeah, having Beckett to train with him was a very good idea Cap, it´s easier to correct the man that way."
"Good, just try not to kill the man before the test, ok Beckett?"
"Oh, don´t worry Captain, he won´t die."
The way she said those words, made Castle squirm. The things you do for love, he thought. Mentally sighing.
…
At the break room, both Castle and Beckett were making coffee before leaving when Castle spoke up.
"You were getting revenge, right?"
"Me? What for?"
"Don´t play innocent with me, detective."
"Ok, maybe a little. But it´s good for you that I'm not a softy, it gives the training a sort of real ring to it."
"Right, tell that to my body. If I thought Friday was bad, I can´t even imagine tomorrow, I'll have bruises within the bruises!"
"Don´t be such a baby, Castle."
"Just saying…So, are you sparring with me every day?"
"No, just three or four times a week, I'm on vacation after all."
"Good point. Uh, Kate?"
He was nervous, why was he nervous? Oh, yeah, the big question. Oh damn. Sure, the ball was in her court, and yes he was waiting on her to make the next move, but seriously…a little push couldn´t hurt, right? After all, she was kind of dense and stubborn when she wanted to be.
"Yeah?"
"Did you know that they´re playing the first star wars movie at the Angelica on Friday?"
"Really? I didn´t know." She could almost hear Lanie´s voice saying something in the likes of. "Of course, play dumb and make him suffer, girl…not cool"
"Uh-hu, and since you´re on vacations and I, well, Alexis ditched me for Ashley…Maybe we could go?"
"Castle…Are you asking me out on a date?" Yes, this is my way to make a move, pick it up Ricky, she thought.
"Ah, eh, if you want it to be, or just friends, after all you owe me for almost scaring this ruggedly handsome face." He wiggled his eyebrows at this.
"Such a drama queen Castle," she couldn´t help to roll her eyes, it was like a second nature to his comments, "…I'd love to go…as your date."
"Really?" His tone adopted a very high pitch, "I mean," he coughed, clearing his throat, "yeah, Ok, I´ll pick you up at your place at 7?"
"7 it is."
And as fast as she came, she left, leaving a grinning fool behind -Happiest grinning fool in history, I might add -. He had had the nerve to invite Kate Beckett on a date and she´d said yes. After making sure that nobody was around, he made a fist pump in the air and whispered: "Yes!" of course, the boys saw him, and after witnessing Kate leaving with a smile on her face, they knew.
"We have to pay Lanie…"
"Yeah, bro…how is that she always wins the pools?"
"That´s a woman´s sixth sense, man."
"Yeah," responded Esposito, shaking his head in surrender.
….
The days continued without any breaking news. Lanie had a new purse that she refused to acknowledge to Kate where she had gotten it from, so Kate just assumed it was from Esposito. –which it kind of was, giving the bet and all, but anyhow…- Rick was getting better and better incredibly fast, which was a surprise for all, he even beat Beckett fair and square, leaving her on the ground and all. For the sake of their date, a thought he was still having problems getting his head around, he didn´t gloat, much.
Thursday was the freaking out day for Kate...
"Hi, Lanie…"
"Hey, girl, what are you doing here? Shouldn´t you be relaxing and all of that luxury that comes with vacations?"
"Yeah, but I needed to talk to you about something"
Oh, oh…if she is having second thoughts about writer boy, so help me god…, Lanie thought.
"Spill," said the ME with a smile.
"Well, on Monday…Ri-Castle, invited me to the movies."
"Yeah, so?"
"Like on a date…"
"Do tell…"
Lanie felt like on a mine field; a wrong move a so long relationship with Castle.
Kate told her the whole conversation that took place a few days ago and their interactions ever since. That writer was a hopeless romantic, every day since Monday there was a single rose on her doorstep with a note. Each note read a quote from the first Star Wars and a little side note from Rick. They´d talk like they normally did and for about half an hour every night and had brunch the days she came sparring with him, meaning Tuesday and Wednesday. Lanie was impressed; Castle was being sweet and obviously making her girl happy. She would have to warn him about possible body harm if he hurt her, but other than that, he was Ok in her book.
"So...what do you think?"
Her response was a bear hug. "I´m so glad for you, girl, you´re practically irradiating happiness right now."
"No, I'm not!"
"Oh, yes you´re, believe you me… I haven´t seen you this happy since… hell, since I've known you!"
That earned her a roll of eyes in combination with a ´it´s not true´ look.
"Ok, so, let´s say I'm happy, but I mean, we haven´t even started dating…is it normal to feel like this?"
"Like, how?"
"Butterflies in my stomach every time I see him, hear him or even when I get a text from him! I feel like a freaking teenager!"
Now it was Lanie´s time to roll her eyes. "Come on girl, you love the man and he asked you out on a freaking date! And it´s obvious he loves you too, of course you´re feeling like a freaking teenager, you´re head over heels in love with him."
Damn, Lanie always has a way to zap me back to reality, Kate thought.
"Ok, you´re right, I know you´re. But, I mean, what if it doesn´t work? I couldn´t lose him. "
"It will work! You guys are meant for each other. The guy flew to Minnesota when you called in the middle of the night and you didn´t even ask him to go. He just knew that's what you needed."
"I…you…I mean…," she sighed and hung her head. Her friend was right, as usual, "You´re right."
"I know," she gave her that smug grin that reminded Kate of Castle after their first case. She hated that smile. "Just have fun, you trust Castle and it´s just a movie, right? How bad could it be?"
She took a deep breath and agreed with her best friend. After a hug and a promise of a call for updates, Kate left feeling more relaxed and confident about her date with Rick. Date, even saying it sounded odd. But the kind of odd that made the butterflies in her stomach go wild and the smile on her face to bloom unconsciously.
…
Alexis Castle was in the kitchen chatting with Ashley when her dad waltzes in to get a bottle of water. He was whistling. She should be surprised or even ask him why he was that chipper when he should be in pain from all that training. But she knew the reason, and seeing him that happy made her want to smile. She still remembered Monday night when she got home from Paige´s and saw her dad with a bruise on his jaw and smiling.
Alexis said, while gently caressing his jaw. "Dad! What happened?"
"Oh, this? Beckett."
"Dad, what did you do?"
"Me! Nothing," she gave him her best incredulous look, putting both hands on her hip, "I swear! Turns out she volunteered to be my sparring buddy a few times a week and I got distracted and well, it´s a battle scar" his smile got wider.
"She was getting payback for annoying her so much, right?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, I deserved it."
She sat next to him on the couch and he put an arm around her.
"So, what´s got you grinning like if Christmas would come twice this year?"
"Oh, wouldn´t that be great?" responded and looked at her with a new light in his eyes.
"Dad, focus!"
"Sorry! Well, I asked Kate to the movies on Friday.
"Ok…"
"On a date…"
"OH MY GOSH, Dad! Finally!" She hugged him and let out a little squeal of excitement.
He asked, after hugging her back. "What do you mean, finally?"
"Well, you've been in love with her, that you know of, for how long? Six months?"
"Oh, yeah…I see what you mean. So, you´re ok with me seeing Kate?"
"Of course! It's a relieved, actually. Now when I go to college, I won´t have to worry that much about you. I can trust that Detective Beckett will be there to look out for you and keep you in line."
"Yeah, I hope so, too."
After a brief silence Alexis got up. "This deserves some celebration ice cream, which flavor?"
"Cherries," said Rick, smiling.
A/N: Ok, i´m nervous about this D: please let me know what you think? aaaand any romantic fluffy ideas for the first date, besides the movies, are welcomed :D
Happy Monday :D
Love,
AC