AN: I've been lazy for too long again, I'm sorry. However, I have absolutely nothing to do this week, so hopefully the rest of season two will be up shortly. (I would start season three, but my sister's boyfriend has my dvds, sadly. So I have to wait until I get them back.)

I considered writing the "upsetting the applecart" scene, but then decided I liked jealous Castle more than I did angsty Castle in this episode. Therfore, I went for the beginning scene where he discusses Demming and his coffee habits with Beckett.

Fair warning, I think that at least the next episode will also be jealous Castle (I don't know about the finale yet.). If you don't like that as much, let me know, but I'll be back to angsty and/or sassy Beckett in no time.

Please review and tell me what you think!

Rick was trying not to run; he really was, but his effort wasn't worth much apparently. Yeah, it wasn't necessarily normal for him to come to the precinct early, but he loved giving Beckett her coffee, and okay fine, this morning he just really wanted to see the smile light up her face.

As he turned the corner into the bullpen he forced himself to slow down. Being eager was one thing; giving Beckett ammunition to tease him mercilessly was another. Especially after the whole thing with Demming. He didn't know if they were seeing each other or not, but either way, Beckett would make his running to give her coffee into some sort of jealous plea for attention.

Which it wasn't. Definitely not. He was not jealous of Demming.

But when he looked up and saw Beckett's chair empty, he stopped in his tracks. Then he turned at the sound of her voice to see her walking, laughing, and worst of all drinking coffee with him. Rick felt himself deflate instantly.

Okay fine, so maybe he was jealous. He'd been working for so long to figure out how to bring that smile to her face, and now she was just giving it to Demming like it was nothing.

Rick watched them part ways, not caring how voyeuristic it felt. He was trying to think of something, anything, to say. Something that might, just for a second, prevail upon her to look at him the way she was currently looking at the back of Demming's head. Just a second, that was all he wanted.

Well, that wasn't entirely accurate; he wanted a lot longer than a second, he wouldn't let himself think the words a lifetime longer, but a second would be a good start.

"What's Demming doing in the breakroom? Does he not like the coffee downstairs?" Rick knew full well what Demming was doing, but another explanation would hurt less.

"Well, you're the one who bought us a cappuccino machine, Castle."

Not "us" Kate. You. The words ran so quickly through Rick's mind that he was surprised they didn't fly out of his mouth. Technically, they weren't even true. He'd bought the machine so he wouldn't have to drink their terrible coffee. And yeah, it was a little to impress Beckett, but he hadn't even known about her proclivity towards coffee at the time, so the machine hadn't really been for her in particular.

"Yes, but I bought it for Homicide, not the entire precinct." He'd gladly buy one for Robbery too, if he thought it would prevent Demming from coming up here. But he knew it wouldn't.

"Oh." Beckett wasn't buying it, but he really didn't care.

"What's tomorrow night?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know, but he couldn't stop himself from asking.

"What?" Like she didn't know. Rick gestured to where Demming had left anyway.

"Oh, Tom, " Tom? Really? They were on first-name basis now? "Was wondering if I wanted to get together tomorrow night." Yeah, Rick really didn't want to know that.

So they had been seeing each other, or at least were now. Rick couldn't think of what to say next, and Beckett was just looking at him. She was watching his reaction as much as he was hers. He could sense that she hadn't really planned on telling him any of this, but the fact that he'd asked was a curiosity to her. She thought she knew why he'd asked, and yeah, maybe she was right, but she wasn't going to get him to admit that. Not yet anyway.

"Why, is that a problem?" Yes. Of course it was a problem.

"Why would I have a problem with that?" Because you want it to be you. He answered his own question silently, even though he was trying to act as if he was genuinely confused. He knew instantly that he wasn't pulling it off.

"Hmm," was Beckett's only response before her phone rang, saving Rick from further scrutiny.

But the smile on she'd given him, all knowing and cocky. She'd seen right through him and his act of idle curiosity. If only he could get her to see through the rest of him, just once.

AN2: Just a note, I am always reading all of the reviews you guys send in. I try to respond to everybody's, but sometimes I don't know what to say right away, so I put it off and then stupidly forget about the emails. Please don't think I don't appreciate all of the reviews; I love you guys to pieces. Thanks.