Disclaimer: The wording is mine but the characters aren't

OOOOOOOOO

"Uh, Castle?" Might as well get this over and done with, she figured.

"Yup? Not enough room back there? Hold on a sec…" he moved to shuffle forward, even closer to the wall when her yank on the cuffs stopped him.

"What?"

"I was just going to say that while we're here…" she broke off. Please don't make me say it.

"Oh. Oh. Uh…"

OOOOOOOOO

Why was he surprised that she might have to use the facilities too? One of her fears was that he put her up on a pedestal with Nikki and when he realized that she was just a normal woman, he wouldn't like what he saw. They had been partners for so long now that it had dimmed a little, but it was never too far from her mind.

"Right. I'll just…" he broke off looking perplexed.

She closed her eyes and counted to three.

"Just move, Castle." They clutched at each others forearms and managed an awkward shuffling rotation so it was him facing the door. She couldn't help but notice the faint blush on his face. Given some time to recover from this experience, she might even remember it and think it was adorable. But at that moment with him standing there and blushing silently the awkward factor had multiplied. She was afraid to move as the faintest sound was so startling.

The silence was stifling as she managed her button one handed. "Of all the times to stop talking, Castle," she muttered.

He gave a little cough and she watched as his shoulders tensed.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"So?"

"I can't think of anything to say."

"You're kidding."

"Well I don't hear you coming up with much either."

If his shoulders were tense before, that was nothing compared to now. He was obviously waiting for her to send back a zinger. Which she couldn't blame him for. That would have been the norm.

As if this wasn't hard enough as it was. Give him a break.

"While we're here," she said softly, hoping he took the tone as both an apology and foreshadowing the vulnerability of what was to come. "I might need a little help."

"Help?"

She thought she had been blushing before? This might be a new personal best. "I need my other hand back."

"Button?" He asked kindly. "Those things are deceptive."

"Uh, no. Not the button."

"Huh?"

She huffed out a breath.

"If you hadn't noticed my pants are a little tighter than yours."

Why did I say that? Kate closed her eyes briefly. Banter was their default setting apparently.

"I"

"Don't finish that sentence."

"Yeah," he nodded quickly.

He thrust his hand back to give her some slack and she managed to slide them off one hip then the other. When her jeans were down she stepped back and was determined to do the rest one handed. But pulling down her underwear with Castle standing literal inches away, silent, was not going to work. The least she could do was think of a topic.

"So what do you think the entry level bid is?" She asked.

"For what?"

"Oh, come on," she slid and sat down. "If those two haven't started a pool on this yet, they need to be checked out."

He was silent. From where she was seated behind him, she could see his jaw working a little, trying to pick it up off the ground.

"What?" she teased, swinging her leg forward to lightly kick the back off his calves. "You don't think I know about all the betting that goes on around here?"

"I thought that the fact I was still alive was proof you didn't."

"I'm not that bad, am I?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"Funny."

"Well, it would depend on the bet."

"If you're still alive tomorrow?" she suggested.

"Too easy," he shrugged.

"Then what are you thinking?"

"They're probably thinking dislocation, dismemberment, concussion."

She laughed and reached out to get toilet paper one-handed. This was where it was going to get tricky.

"Really hot, kinky, handcuff…"

"Castle!"

"What? You can't tell me you didn't think of it!"

Her mouth dropped and he froze.

"Not you, I mean not like…I mean they would think that we might, I didn't mean I thought you thought…"

"Just shut up," she groaned.

"Yeah. Shutting up. I wonder what people would think if they overheard this conversation."

"I don't want to think about it."

"Oh come on, you've got to admit it would be a little funny."

"Depends on what they thought we were doing."

"Well at least you're not doing this with Esposito then."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well you could be going undercover with Ryan or Esposito and then you would be cuffed to them right now."

"And that would make this any less awkward, how?"

"Don't try and fool me, Beckett. I know that you're secretly glad right now I'm not one of them."

"Can you say cocky?"

"Ok then. If you had to choose between them, who would you choose?"

"Espo." she finished her button and flushed.

"Really? I thought you would have gone with Ryan. Softer."

"You tell him: I'll kill you and he'll hate you, but he is sweet." she took hold of Castle's belt and pulled him tight against her front so he could open the door. "But Espo reads me better," she continued in his ear, taking great satisfaction at the goose bumps that erupted on his neck. He smelt good.

"I know," he managed as they stepped out. "Maybe it's Lanie's influence."

"More like all his sisters. Plus Ryan is married."

"And Espo isn't?"

"What?"

"Oh come on. That deal is as good as closed."

"No way."

"What is your evidence? Girl talk?"

"What's yours?" She shot back as they both soaped their hands.

"Hey, boys talk too."

"Oh really? Wait! You don't mean he's going to…?"

"Whoa, Beckett! Calm down."

"Well then how about you explain your comment?"
"All I said is that we talk. I told you about the time Ryan asked me about Christmas, right? Going to Florida with Jenny."

She just stared at him.

"You girls always think that we only ever do the manly male bonding."

"Not true," she said instantly. "I've never been able to picture you and the boys out doing your so-called manly male bonding."
"We go out!"

"For drinks. Then you go back to yours and play video games."

"That's male bonding," he argued.

"But not manly."

"Okay stop right there. That is the second time since we've been in here that you've raised doubt over my manliness."

"In the women's toilets." She deadpanned. "Besides I thought your point was that you did more than manly bonding. And video games do not count."

"Evil woman."

"You haven't seen anything yet."

He gave her a playful glare. "Don't encourage what you can't handle, Beckett."

"I think I can handle you, Castle."