Disclaimer: The wording is mine but the characters aren't
OOOOOOOOO
She grinned. She wanted to tell him to start the damn bike already- his enthusiasm had her itching to be moving, propelling herself forward with him.
"You better hold on," he warned as he kicked he bike to life and slapped his visor down.
"You're not serious," she actually laughed but tightened her grip anyway.
"Maybe not, but I know where most of the traffic cameras are between here and your apartment and I'm going to get a commemorative photo from all of them."
OOOOOOOOO
34.
The trip from her apartment to the bar was more sedate than their journey there. She watched him up just ahead and remembered leaning against that back. Dancing with him on that bike. He dropped back when they got off the crowded roads and drew into her flank.
She grinned over at him, hoping he could see it in the dark. She made out a hand gesture in return. It might have been a thumbs up.
She would admit that she had wanted to see his face when he saw her on the bike for the first time, but he dropped her outside the building and waited. She would just have to settle for the look last night when he saw the bike itself for the first time. They had parted wordlessly, something like sadness passing over both of them. Their first ride was over already and they didn't know if there would ever be a second.
He directed his bike to weave a little in the lane next to her, presumably just to watch his headlight snake on the asphalt. She shook her head, remembering the bet they made on their way to her apartment.
He didn't get pulled over. She wasn't sure how that worked. Maybe the traffic division wasn't looking for speeders in rush hour traffic. The streets were filled with cabs and cars delivering people from a long day at work. She was pretty sure that was the reason Castle never broke the speed limit.
That didn't mean that he didn't try to bend some of the others.
To be fair, he had driven sedately the first few blocks until they hit a set of lights.
She tightened her knees around him to get his attention- just a quick squeeze. Sure enough, he turned to look over his shoulder at her.
"I thought we were going to be taking pictures?" she teased.
"Katherine Beckett!"
"Oh, shut up," she leaned forward and hit his shoulder with her helmet.
"I thought maybe Gates would think that since we liked traffic so much, we could go play for their team," he explained.
"She probably wouldn't mind," Beckett muttered under her breath.
"It fits with her sense of humor." He agreed wryly.
"What sense of humor?"
He glanced back at her resigned look with what she assumed was a smile behind the helmet. True, Gates was growing on her, but she had yet to see this so-called sense of humor.
"She wouldn't do it," he assured her. "I'm pretty sure she likes you."
"Want to wager on that?"
His head tilted curiously.
"She's from IA, right?" Kate started, suddenly serious about that wager. "She knows how to talk her way out of almost anything. Let's see how she works with multiple traffic infringements."
Helmet or no, there was no mistaking the insane spark of mischievous energy that lit his face. He turned back to the front, surveying the intersection and waiting impatiently for the light to change.
She tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, but no speeding! Too many people."
He gave her a salute without looking back, focused on the traffic with all the attention of a cat watching a bird, flirting just outside reach.
She figured she better hold on.
She slid her arms around his middle just as the light one block down changed. He revved the engine in response and she felt the excitement coiling in her gut again. He was already letting out the clutch and inching forward when their lights released them. He went through the gears so fast, she was pretty sure she left something behind. Other than a small cloud of exhaust.
True to his word, he didn't speed, but he met the limit within seconds. He was quickly catching up to the straggling lines of traffic ahead. From where she sheltered her face from the cold air behind his shoulder blade, it was harder to see, but she took comfort in the knowledge she could risk the wind and then have somewhere to retreat.
The bike began to slow, then she felt the muscles under her cheek moving the jacket as he lifted an arm to gesture. She looked up and saw he had pointed right. The indicator was on. Get ready. Turning.
She nodded against him.
Then he revved the engine again.
Oh.
She tightened her grip on him, both around his waist and her knees around his hips. Then he was turning. He threw the bike around in third gear, trusting her to help him keep the machine stable and then he hit the throttle and they left the crossing behind.
When he caught more traffic under a minute later he didn't pause but tore between lanes. The way his head roved both sides, looking for drivers who might throw open doors in the slow-moving traffic, she had to wonder how many times he had done this.
Despite having claimed he hadn't ridden in a long time, the heavy bike zipped lightly under his guidance, weaving with ease around the straggling vehicles which left openings.
The next time he took a corner they took it even faster, barely slowing at all. His knee was close to the ground, counting on her to pull them out of it. And she did. Partners.
As they straightened out she couldn't restrain a delighted laugh.
This. This is what she had missed since she had gotten her bike. The exultance, rush, calculated risk: calculated living. Power, skill and some small feeling of testing. But more than that, flying around with unparalleled speed and grace. Like wind. Riding with the wind.
Castle hit the horn and she heard a muffled Woo Hoo. She felt herself beam.
Riding with Castle.
She was pretty sure she was going to miss riding with him every day for the rest of her life.
"I hate helmet hair."
His face was solemn but his eyes were dancing. Still high from the ride apparently. Not that she could blame him; she was still tingling. Riding with him was unlike anything they had ever done before nor anything like riding with anyone else.
Looks like she wasn't the only one; he had fallen back on bad jokes, a method she knew he used as avoidance. She looked to the entrance to the bar and thought she might actually be grateful for his comment right now. She needed to get back to earth.
"I don't even know why I'm still surprised you would say something like that," she snorted breathlessly.
"Are they in place?"
She pulled her phone out of one of her inner pockets. "Up and recording," she confirmed reading the waiting message. "I'm going to head in. Give me a couple of minutes."
"What do you want me to do while I wait? I'll look stupid just standing here."
She looked over at him and smiled.
"I formally give you permission to use your phone. If that doesn't work for you, you can fix your hair."