Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Prompt #27: Turnabout - Fair play is fair play.

Words: 566

Most of the teasing banter served between Richard Castle and Kate Beckett treads a fine line between sexual innuendo and flat-out flirting. It only stands to reason that a good majority of their back-and-forth is turnabout.

Castle normally instigates the innuendo-tossing. A throwback to his playboy days, it's a hard habit to break when he's in the presence of a beautiful woman. Most of the time, his quick wit and clever tongue will gain a laugh and a pretty blush from his conversation partner. If he's lucky, they can get him quite a bit more too.

Problem was, Beckett's sharper than most women, and she's quick to boot. So when he shoots off the innuendo, she comes right back with one of her own. And most of the time, it's a pretty good shot below the belt that leaves his head spinning with possibilities. It's actually quite entertaining, if a maddening exercise in controlling his impulses.

Sometimes, Ryan and Esposito have to roll their eyes at the rising level of suggestiveness those two get going. Other times, it's freaking adorable because Castle usually sets himself up. At some point, subtext morphs into regular text and it just devolves into a ridiculous merry-go-round of hint-hint, wink-wink, nudge-nudge.

Then it's only a matter of time before the dam breaks.

It was a noteworthy day when Castle strolled into the 12th proclaiming, "I've got a Heat Flash!" in a singsong voice and absolutely no one thought this was strange enough to warrant a stare at the writer.

"Reached that point in your life, eh Castle?" Beckett asked as she rolled her eyes.

But Miranda clapped her hands with equal excitement. "It's out?" she asked. "Really?"

"And as asked, Detective Reynolds, here is your first hot-of-the-press copy," Castle said without missing a beat, presenting the hardback volume to the younger detective. "See if you can discern which character is based on you."

"My bet's on the female detective with the stripper name," advised Beckett.

"That's just for you, Kate."

Miranda smiled as she cracked open Heat Flash and sat down at her desk. She was able to find her character quite easily - Detective River Blaise. A nice name, if a bit stripper-sounding. Closing the book again, she tuned back into Castle and Beckett's Flirt Station.

"Ha! So you admit that Nikki Heat is a stripper name!"

"Never said it wasn't."

"While your character's name is Irish whiskey with a chess synonym for your last name!"

"It's catchy!"

"It's a porn-star name!"

"Is not! I never had a pet!" A lecherous look overcame to his expression. "What about you?"

"What?"

"Porn name. First pet, first street."

Beckett shook her head. "No way, not saying. I'll blow your delicate consititution out of the water."

He gave her a look of disbelief. "Yeah, right. C'mon, lay it on me."

Now the smile was on Beckett's face. "I had a cat named Frisky."

"Oooh, sounds good already," drooled Castle. "And the first street you lived on?"

"We caught a lead!"

Miranda and Castle sighed at the poor timing. The writer shot Beckett a This conversation isn't over look as Esposito and Ryan began talking about their newest lead.

Have no idea how this came to be. And another Firefly drop, if you can find it!

Review please!