Thanks to Sparklemouse and Cartographicals for editing this one!

Here I've taken (generous) liberty with a scene about 16:00 into episode 1x3; in the ep, Kate's at the station and Castle comes running in with a brilliant theory. Naturally, he's very Castle-y about it.

Chapter 43: 1x3, Hedge Fund Homeboys

Oh, I like that.

Kate's settled at her desk, enjoying the quiet peace of the early morning precinct as she makes phone calls, when the quiet is rudely banished by the clomping footsteps of a bouncy Richard Castle. Oh, why. Her life used to make sense, back before her own personal cocker spaniel came tearing in, yipping and trying to climb into her lap and lick her face and -

Stop.

She sternly shuts down any mental connection between Rick Castle and tongue.

Kate opens her mouth to ask what new idiocy he's cooked up, but suddenly he's lunging forward in his eagerness to speak. And before she can stop him, he's just inches away.

"Why didn't Donny's friends just give him the money?"

Kate freezes. Too close. Way too close. Not okay. Proximity alarms are blaring in her mind.

But this is Rick Castle, who lives his life in other people's personal bubbles. And his face is right there and his eyes - his eyes are so impossibly blue. And oh, he smells so good. He smells delicious.

She finally gets her voice back. Bad. This is bad. Right. "You know you could just call when you get an idea, right?"

Castle blinks, his eyes flicking down at her chest (come on, she's wearing a turtleneck), before he starts grinning, because this over-observant bastard knows exactly what he's doing. "A little too cozy for you, Detective?"

"Castle, move." She plants a hand on his shoulder and shoves, pushing him back into his chair clumsily. He lands with an oomph, and she tells herself she's not still smelling the warm trace of his cologne. Because she's not. At all.

He feigns a deeply wounded expression and she kind of hates how cute he is. "In the interest of honest communication, you should know that I feel kind of rejected."

"You'll get over it. So what were you saying about Donny?"

"Nothing." He folds his hands in his lap with a haughty expression.

She furrows her brow. "But I thought you -"

"No. You reject me? You don't get my theories, either."

With an exaggerated pout, Castle takes a deep breath and holds it, puffing up his cheeks. Oh come on. Seriously.

It's secretly kind of adorable but she makes herself not smile.

"Castle."

He folds his arms.

"Castle. Stop it."

He shakes his head.

"Oh, for - "

She sighs and reaches out quickly to pinch his nose shut.

He scowls and tries to twist away, but soon gives up, gasping for breath. "That's not fair," he chokes out. "You're no fun at all. You ruin fun."

She glances around furtively. Almost no one's here. And no one is looking.

Before she can think too much, she leans in, grabs his ear to tug him closer, and kisses him lightly on the lips.

It's just a peck, quicker than a breath. By the time he seems to process it, she's back in her seat, wiping her mouth and turning to her computer to hide her blushing cheeks.

Castle's staring at her, slack-jawed. She has to bite back the smirk that wants to escape.

"You - you just -"

"Use your words, Castle." She folds her arms over her chest, quirking an eyebrow at him. He's fishing for words, trying to come up with something, when -

"Morning, Castle. Beckett."

Ryan calls to them; he and Esposito are walking in, chatting. Castle perks up before she can stop him. Oh, crap.

"Guys! Guys."

"What happened, Bro? You find a version of that coat in a men's department?" Esposito mutters. Ryan snorts, reaching out for a high five.

But Castle's not fazed. "You guys. She kissed me. Beckett just kissed me."

"Castle. Slow down. Breathe." Esposito slaps him on the back; it was clearly meant to be friendly, but Castle winces. "Now try again."

"Kate Beckett just kissed me. On the mouth. On purpose."

Ryan snorts. "Uh-huh. Right. In the middle of the precinct."

"She did!" Castle turns back to her for support, but she just shakes her head at Ryan and Esposito, rolling her eyes. Castle sputters. "You - stop it, Beckett. You're lying. She's lying," he informs the boys, who look unimpressed. Kate just watches, fighting the impish grin that keeps threatening to overtake her face. No one's going to believe him.

Esposito folds his arms. "You kiss him?"

"No."

Esposito shrugs. "There you go. Dream on, Bro."

"But she really did. I swear. She kissed me." Esposito just shakes his head as Castle whines. "Beckett, come on. Tell them the truth."

"Castle, I really don't have time to feed your delusions." Beckett leans back in her seat, biting her cheeks.

"Guys, I know this seems like something that wouldn't happen, but it really, really did. She just grabbed my face and went for it."

"Riiiiiiiiiight," Ryan drawls. "Just - like that. Just for fun."

"Yes. Wait. You're being sarcastic?"

"Uhhh. Yeah."

"Castle, how about we go do actual work and let you sit there and keep thinking about that thing that clearly didn't just happen?" Esposito waves goodbye and heads back to his desk with Ryan, shaking his head, muttering something that sounds like delusional idiot and wishful thinking.

Kate finally sneaks a look back at Castle and finds him watching her with narrowed eyes. "What?"

He scowls and it's still adorable. "Don't what me. You lied."

She lowers her voice. "You can't prove it."

Castle eyes her for a long moment, and then his eyes light up. Oh...he just thought of something. "Wait. You kissed me. Then pretended it didn't happen."

She keeps her mouth shut.

"You liked it, didn't you?" She rolls her eyes, but he continues. "I'm right. You liked it. You're embarrassed for the guys to realize you were just making out with m-"

"We were not making out!" she hisses at him, her face getting hot.

"So what were we doing?"

He's got that smug look on his face. He thinks he's got her cornered.

Kate leans in, never breaking his gaze. She bites her lip and watches his eyes get dark. Oh.

"Nice try, Castle."

He leaves her desk to fetch her more coffee. Her phone buzzes. Incoming text message.

Are you still daydreaming about that racy, passionate liplock we shared? It's okay if you are.

She's about to reply It was more like a hiccup but - no. Of course. He's trying to get her to incriminate herself.

He's been paying attention in interrogation, it seems.

So she just smiles and pushes her phone away. He comes back in minutes later with coffee, an almost-contrite expression and big blue eyes that aren't nearly as innocent as he's hoping they are. They're sparkling far too much.

A week later, she finds herself stuck at her desk, filling out multiple tedious arrest reports, while Castle amuses himself with some new gizmo on his phone. She doesn't understand why he's still here - he's not actually helping, so what's the point?

"Why don't you go home?" she asks, only half-irritated. It's more just curious at this point.

He flashes her a grin. "More exciting things happen here."

"This is paperwork."

Castle shrugs. "But at any moment, you might jump out of your seat and attack me with a k-"

"Shut up."

He shuts up but he keeps looking at her with those laughing blue eyes, and it's almost worse than him talking. Almost.

She lasts four days.

Four days of Castle watching her with that look. That knowing, smug look. Like he knows things. Like he's doing things. And he's not, he does not get to...touch her. No. So he has no business watching her like he's just eaten dinner and she's dessert.

But she can't help her reaction. And she almost hates him for being able to disarm her so easily. Because he knows. He can see the flush that rises in her cheeks whenever he lets her catch him staring at her mouth.

Finally one evening Kate escapes to the break room. Someone thoughtfully left both regular and decaf, so she mixes up a cup of half-caff blend and stirs it slowly. He keeps staying late, even when she tells him to go home. Like he thinks he's going to get something if he stays. He's not. But he's still here.

She lingers at the counter, staring at her coffee cup, lost in thought. She doesn't hear the door creak open, doesn't hear footsteps.

And then suddenly he's there, his body pressed up against her back. Her ass is firmly cradled in his hips and she sucks in a sharp breath, her body tense, heat burning deep in her belly. She curls her fingers around the counter.

"Beckett." She swallows. His breath is hot on her neck and his voice is low, rumbly. Delicious. "Kate."

She'd had every intention of pushing him away, but the way he says Kate, all soft and husky and a little teasing, it's too much. Her mind is swamped with it, with his bedroom voice and other things she wants to hear him say, and the slow roll of his hips against hers is just so unbearably hot, pressure right where she wants it. She has no words.

"We both know what you did," he murmurs into her ear. Her eyes flicker shut. "And you know what I think?" She sucks in a shaky breath. "I think you want to do it again."

She won't tell Castle he's right. She won't. "What makes you so sure?" she manages.

"You're not stopping me."

His mouth just barely grazes her throat and her mouth opens in a soundless gasp. His fingers slide over her hip. She should stop him. She needs to stop him. Right now.

She turns around and kisses him.

He reacts instantly, kissing her back, his tongue stroking her lower lip before sweeping hotly into her mouth. She whimpers low in her throat, twining her hands in his hair. He's relentless. His tongue traces wetly over the ridge at the top of her mouth and a noise escapes her, some soft, high-pitched mewl that would be embarrassing but she's so far gone at this point she just doesn't care.

His thigh slides between hers, wedging her between him and the cabinets, and the sudden tight pressure makes her gasp. It's been a long, long time. And this is all kinds of wrong but it feels so good.

And then his fingers slip under her shirt, his touching burning on her skin, and she arches into him, nipping at his bottom lip, and he -

"Holy shit."

Kate freezes. No. No, no no no.

Karpowski's leaning in the doorway with a shit-eating grin on her face. "Hello there, Beckett. Mr. Castle. Nice night for baseball. Didn't realize you already made it to second base."

"Ros -"

"No, no, let me guess." Karpowski's laughing at them. Kate wants to sink into the floor and die. "You're going to tell me it's not what it looks like, right?"

"We - were just - " Kate chokes. There's no way to finish that sentence.

"What, letting him taste your coffee?"

"Ros."

"All right, all right." Karpowski raises her hands in peace. "Fine. I saw nothing. All strictly professional. No one got their hands up anyone's shirt."

Kate lets out a breath. "Thanks."

Ros points at her. "You owe me."

She walks out shaking her head, and Kate groans, covering her face with her hands. Great. Just great.

"Uh. Beckett?"

She looks up to find Castle still hovering there, an unreadable expression on his face.

"What?"

"I mean, not that - " he rubs his neck - "it - I know you weren't - not - willing with all this - but - what's going on?"

Oh.

This - this is new. Castle's not hesitant. He doesn't question things. He must not have thought she'd - give in?

Screw it.

(She likes him. Likes, likes him.)

She shrugs, biting her lip. He's cute when he's confused.

"You're a good kisser."