Disclaimer: Castle Belongs to Andrew Marlowe and ABC America.

A/N: I know. I know. "Where have you been, Cofkett?" I'm sorry. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me, and to new people: Welcome!

Based on spoilers, sneak peeks and promos for 5x08, After Hours. The return of the "expiration dtae" analogy, because I'm not above recycling my own stuff.

Upload Date: November 18, 2012

Chapter Rating: K+

Chapter Summary: Castle and Beckett discuss their relationship after she rescues him from mobsters.

#33

"Yin needs Yang, not another Yin. Yin-Yang is Harmony. Yin-Yin is... the name of a Panda."

Richard Castle, Season 1, Episode 9, Little Girl Lost

"Leo was right."

Castle stared up at her.

"About us. When he said the fight wasn't really about our parents. I mean, yeah, I really did want it to go well and then when it didn't, I was worried about how that might affect us in the future - Christmas, thanksgiving, birthdays. My Dad is really important to me and I know how close you and your Mom are. But I was thinking about how different they are, and how those two people don't really belong in the same room. Then, I started thinking about us, and how different we are, and how we bicker and argue all the time. And I wondered: 'Are we just kidding ourselves?'"

Castle listened to her words with dread. He could sense what was coming next and he really wasn't in the mood to be dumped right now after everything he'd just been through.

"'Can two people as different as we are have any kind of a future? Are we doomed to failure? Do we even belong in each others' worlds?'"

Castle inhaled sharply. "Kate - "

"Castle. Just... let me finish, ok? So, I guess I was angry because I don't want this to end - "

"I don't either."

"- but it seemed inevitable. I could see it, laid out before me, the expiration date of our relationship, and I took it out on you. It was like I was blaming you for being so different and that wasn't fair. You should be able to be yourself, and I should be free to be who I am. I basically resigned myself to the idea that it couldn't work, that maybe we should just give up."

His heart sank.

"And then, they took you and suddenly none of that stuff seemed important anymore. All that mattered was getting you back safe."

He noticed for the first time that she had been crying.

"Castle, if anything happened to you, I - I wouldn't care about petty arguments or misunderstandings. I would just... God, I can't even - "

He reached over to stroke her face.

She took a deep breath.

"Anyway, it's not like we're complete opposites. We both... like solving murders. Maybe we have different approaches, but I think that's why we work so well together. And we like a lot of the same books, tv, movies. I love the parts of you that are like me, but it's the parts of you that make you different that I love the most.
"I love that you're creative and you think outside of the box and you don't take anything too seriously. I love your enthusiasm, Castle. There's so much I love about you. I love... all of you.
"I don't need to date a carbon-copy of myself. That would be kind of weird. Besides, I have more fun fighting with you than I do agreeing with anyone else."

Castle stared, dumbstruck. He had expected the end, and instead, he had gotten the "L" word. Have wasn't sure if she even realised she'd never said it before; but it hardly mattered. The point was, she'd said it.

"So... you're not breaking up with me?"

She smiled and shook her head.

"Not tonight."

He smiled back and sighed in relief. "Good. And just for the record, I agree with everything you just said."

"Duly noted." She took hold of his hand.

"You know, Castle, on second thought, I think you made the right choice with the red shirt. It looks good."

"Well, thank you."

"Would have looked even better with a tie..."

He rolled his eyes.