Hellooo, and welcome to this little story (my tenth in eight months by the way - I could have easily written my master thesis ten times by now, but who wants to have a degree anyway?).

It's set at the beginning of season 2, before the publication of Heatwave in episode 5. I got the idea from a song called "Don't Ever Let It End" by Nickelback, and I had this story mostly written on my laptop for a while now. And when I spontaneously bought tickets for a Nickelback concert in May a couple of days ago, I felt inspired to finish this story (even though they won't be playing this gem of a song, which makes me quite sad).

The original idea was for a oneshot, but in the process of writing, it turned out to be a little longer and will end up with four chapters and the option for a fifth. I think I'll be able to upload the next three chapters in the upcoming days since they only need a final little edit.

I hope you'll enjoy it!

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Sitting on her couch, comfortably wrapped in her favorite blanket, Kate turned the page of the book she was reading with a sigh. She was almost halfway through, and there was no way whatever would happen in the second half would make up for the terrible first. But it wasn't like her to quit reading a book she started, so she wouldn't do it now.

There certainly were better ways to spend her birthday - she knew that - but on the other hand, there were worse, too. She would rather be at home, reading a bad book, than be stuck in a muffy, crowded room filled with people she didn't care about and who didn't care about more than the fact that she gave them an excuse to go out and drink. Her last big birthday party had been in college for her 21st birthday and she was fine with that. Most years since then, she had spent alone or sometimes with her dad or last year with Lanie. This year, she chose to spend it at home. And she would be comfortable with it if only she had decided on a better book.

Placing the bookmark between the pages, she set the book down and untangled herself from the fabric of the blanket to head to the kitchen. Maybe the story would seem a little less boring with a glass of wine. She opened her fridge and pulled out a bottle of her favorite red wine. Taking a glass from the shelf, she poured the red liquid into it and noticed that putting an almost empty bottle back in the fridge wouldn't make sense. So she poured the whole content of the bottle into her glass, filling it almost completely. But after all, it was her birthday, so who cared?

She walked back to the couch and almost threatened to spill the wine from her glass onto her carpet. Grimacing and stopping while trying to balance the glass in her hand, she slowly leaned forward and took a few big sips from the glass to empty it a bit.

Carefully, she took the last few steps to the couch, sat the glass down on the little table beside it, and let herself fall back into the cushions. Reluctantly, she picked up the book again. God, she really should have picked another one. But this had been the only one on her shelf she hadn't read already. A gift from her aunt from a few years ago. Another reason why she liked to keep her birthday small: She couldn't get unsolicited gifts she didn't like.

Bracing herself for another hundred and fifty pages of boredom, she took another two big sips from her wine and then opened the book, returning to the page with the bookmark. She barely got to read three sentences when a sudden noise of knocking on her door startled her.

With a frown forming on her face, she looked at her watch. It was almost 10 p.m. Who would come over this late on a Wednesday? She got up from the couch and walked towards her door. She didn't even have to look through the door viewer to realize who it was; she recognized the voices on the other side of the door as soon as she came close to it.

Sighing deeply, she unlocked the chain and opened the door, meeting the grinning faces of her team.

"Surprise!" They called in unison, and a smile formed on her lips, fighting through her irritation. So much for keeping her birthday small.

"Hey guys," she said, trying to sound happy as she pushed the door open to let them inside. I told you I didn't want a surprise party."

"Oh, come on, Beckett," Esposito said, walking past her with a six-pack under his arm. "Five people can hardly be considered a party."

Ryan followed him, and after him Lanie who greeted her with a quick hug. As Kate let her go and she walked into her apartment, Kate looked up to meet Castle's gaze, a wide smile on his face.

"He's right. And nobody should spend their birthday alone."

He hesitated while walking inside and took in the way she looked at him. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, but the little spark in her eye gave away that she wasn't as mad as she had pretended to be. For a moment, he considered giving her a hug, but then he didn't dare to.

"So, I won't have to guess whose idea this was." She said and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I only had the best intentions. Socializing once in a while is good for you. Especially on your birthday."

Kate huffed and took a step to the side to make more room for him to come inside. "Thanks, Castle. I can very well decide what's good for me on my own."

He walked past her into her apartment and turned to her as she closed the door behind him. "I know that. Still, I thought a little company on your birthday would be nice. Or did you have other plans?"

Looking into the room, he quickly spotted the half-empty glass of wine and the book lying beside it. He looked back at her with an arched brow. "You see, if that's your birthday plan, a little socializing would definitely be good for you."

She crossed her arms before her chest and gave him a stubborn look. "Actually, Castle, I was very much enjoying my evening before you interrupted it."

With a little smirk, he nodded slowly. "You did? Well, then this has to be the perfect gift for you." He reached into the pocket of his coat, pulled out a neatly packed little package, and handed it to her.

With a frown she looked at the present and then back up to him. With pride written over his face, he said, "It's a pre-print of Heatwave. So you don't have to read the lousy manuscript anymore, but get the edited version." His smirk turned into a grin. "Just in case you don't have plans for Christmas already and want to spend it alone and reading as well."

Kate weighed the present in her hand and chuckled dryly. "You really give me a copy of your book as a present for my birthday? That's a little self-centered, don't you think?"

His smile faded a little, but he quickly recovered. "Well, at least it's a book written about you. So I think it's not the worst way to honor your birthday."

She stared back at him, trying to come up with a comeback, but nothing came to her mind fast enough, and a winning smile spread over his lips. He held the connection of their eyes for a moment longer, then turned towards the rest of the team and walked over to them, shaking off his coat on the way.

Looking after him, Kate slowly shook her head and laid the wrapped book down on the table in her hallway. At least she knew his book would be better than the scrap she had been reading tonight.

Following Castle to her living room, she sat down on her couch beside Lanie, who already unpacked what looked like a small cocktail bar from her bag. With slight concern in her eyes, she looked over at her friend.

"What are you planning to do with all of that?" She asked, but Lanie just grinned back at her with a mischievous shimmer in her eyes.

"Lanie, it's the middle of the week. We all have work tomorrow."

With a frustrated sigh, Lanie turned to her and gave her a scolding look. "Come on Kate, you are a what now? Thirty-one-year-old woman. You can allow yourself a drink, even in the middle of the week."

Feeling everyone else's stare on her, Kate uncomfortably shifted on the couch, biting her cheek. With a sigh, she gave in.

"Fine."

A satisfied grin spread over Lanie's face. "Oh, I got the perfect drink for you, birthday girl! Just give me a second."

And as much as she despised to admit it, the drink Lanie mixed for was delicious. And so she didn't say no when she offered her a second one. And when it mixed with the alcohol her almost finished glass of wine had already left in her bloodstream, Kate realized that accepting one of Esposito's beers as well may not have been the wisest decision.

By the time everyone slowly started to gather their things back together to head home two hours later, Kate wasn't just a little tipsy like the rest of the team; no, she was drunk. And she could feel it was getting worse with every passing minute as she tried to hide the effects the evening had had on her.

She leaned at the doorframe while she said her goodbyes and thank you to everyone, trying her best to cover up her dazzled state. Castle was the last one to leave; the rest of the team was already halfway down the hallway when he approached her with a smile. She smiled back at him, and a little giggle slipped her lips as he arched his brow at her.

"Detective Beckett," He said, his tone full of surprise. "Are you drunk?"

Kate bit her bottom lips to stop another giggle and shook her head. "Nah, I'm fine." She leaned her head to the doorframe and grinned up at him, a sight that made his heart flutter, and he could easily get used to. "Perfect, actually."

He chuckled softly as he saw her struggling to keep her balance and clinging to the doorframe a little tighter. "Really? Because you seem quite drunk."

With a firm shaking of her head, she swayed a little and let go of the surface she was holding onto as if to prove it to him. "Nope. See?" She took an unsteady step into the hallway and leaned against the wall on the other side of her door. "I just need a bit of fresh air, and I'll be brand new."

Castle watched her stumbling along the wall down the hallway with an amused grin. Oh, she was drunk. And he couldn't help it, she was adorable. His gaze followed her until she reached a door at the end of the hallway and pulled it open, almost losing her balance.

He quickly walked over to her to catch her, but she recovered before he got to her. He noticed the sign on the door, and a concerned frown formed on his face.

"Beckett, I don't think you should go up to the rooftop right now."

She grinned at him and stumbled through the door towards the staircase leading upstairs. "Why not?" She mumbled and took the first few steps with dangerously unsteady legs.

With a sigh, he followed her, staying close behind her while she fought her way up the staircase.

"Because I fear you might fall off the edge with the way you're stumbling around."

Kate reached the door at the end of the stairs and pushed it open while she giggled again. "I'm not stumbling. I'm perfectly fine."

"Oh, Jesus," Castle mumbled while quickly following her before she had the chance to get close to the edge of the rooftop.

She walked a few steps in front of him, stretching out her arms and inhaling the cold winter air. With a deep sigh, she released her breath again and turned to him, again swaying on her feet.

"You see? Just a little air."

He figured it was a good thing he had only had a beer because her smile alone would have been enough to get him drunk. He walked up to her, unable to tear his gaze from her face while she held her clouded eyes locked to his.

She stumbled a step backward, but he quickly reached out and grasped her arm, preventing her from falling. She giggled again, and the sound rang in his ears as if he had never heard something more beautiful before.

Looking away from him, she walked a few steps, but he didn't dare to let her go.

"We should enjoy the view." She grinned, and he reluctantly followed her, suspiciously eyeing the edge of the rooftop that was coming closer with every step.

Slowing down, he led her to the metal cover of one of the ventilation shafts. "Yeah, but let's stay away from the edge, okay?"

She let herself fall to the metal with a thud and grinned at him, reaching for his hand that was still wrapped around her arm. "Fine," she grinned, and he could feel his heart making a little jump in his chest when her fingers came into contact with his.

He stared back at her while he felt the soft skin of her hand between his fingers. Without letting go of it, he sat down beside her, still closely watching her, and for the first time since they met, she didn't seem to mind.

She closed her eyes and leaned back, taking another deep breath. He just watched her, completely consumed by every of her movements. God, she was so beautiful. They sat like this for a while, and he savored every second he got to look at her without receiving a scolding glare. The chances of doing that while he was around her at work were slim.

He saw her swaying back and forth a little and carefully placed an arm around her, his heart racing in his chest while he did. He feared she might just fall over, but instead, she leaned into his touch, and suddenly, her head came to rest on his shoulder. The sweet smell of her hair mixed with the trace of the cocktail Lanie had made for her. Now, it was just as intoxicating for him as it had been for Kate.

"You know, Castle," she mumbled, her eyes still closed. "You were right. I had fun tonight."

He chuckled softly. "Maybe even a little bit too much fun. But you're welcome."

She grinned broadly as she leaned her head back a little more. "I didn't say thank you," she mumbled. That would only push your ego."

Shaking his head, he tried to look at her. Her face was so close that it left him breathless. "So that's why you're so mean to me all the time," he said softly, suppressing the urge to brush his nose over the skin of her cheek.

She leaned in a little closer and let her head fall forward with a sigh. Now, he got to inhale the scent of her hair again and tried to burn it into his memory while he had the chance.

"Nah." She breathed and nuzzled her face to his neck. "I just try to cover up that I'm in love with you."

The second the words fell from her lips, he froze, a low gasp escaping his throat. What had she just said?

Kate didn't seem to notice how his arm stiffened around her shoulders, she just kept on her drunk babbling. "But I can't tell you that because we're partners, and I don't want that to end. So shhhh."

She giggled again and slumped against his chest, slowly sinking to his lap. He forced himself to move through the shock her words left to support her body and keep her upright beside him. He knew he should get her back to her apartment rather sooner than later.

Asking her about what she just said now wouldn't make any sense. But still, his mind went into overdrive. It had to be true, right? Drunk people always told the truth. And she would never say something like this as a joke, she was way too guarded about her feelings for that.

It took him some willpower, but he forced himself to get up, even though he would have loved to sit with her like this forever. But the way she rested heavy in his arms, barely able to keep herself up on her legs, told him she needed to go to bed.

"Come on." He whispered softly, wrapping an arm around her waist and supporting her all the way to the door, down the stairs, and to her apartment. By the time they reached her door, her legs gave in, and he hooked his other arm under her knees, picking her up and carrying her through the door they had luckily left open.

Kate's head fell against his chest with a content sigh, and he couldn't stop the warmth it caused him from flooding his body. What would he give to carry her to her bed now, lay her down, and find out if she really meant what she had said up on the rooftop.

But he would never do that. Not when she was in a state like this.

Still, he carried her through her living room, kicked the door of her bedroom open, and slowly lowered her down onto the mattress, where she fell asleep instantly if she hadn't already been while still in his arms. He looked down at her; she seemed so peaceful and relaxed, like he had never seen her before. He wished he got to see her like this every night.

Carefully pulling the sheets over her, he granted himself another few seconds to just look at her and take in her beauty. He couldn't stop his hand from reaching out and stroking her hair out of her face, gently caressing his thumb over her cheekbone. But that was all the touch he would allow himself, even though he desired so much more.

But not like this. No, she should be sober and aware of what she was doing and feeling. He looked at her one last time, then slowly stepped away, feeling torn between the sadness of leaving her behind and the pure joy that roared through his veins.

As he slipped on his coat and left her apartment, closed her door, and double-checked whether it was really closed, the realization slowly settled in. She had said she was in love with him. That had been her words, and they left no room for doubt. She was in love with him. And God, he was in love with her.

He stepped out of the building into the cold winter air again, burying his hands in his pockets while looking up to the sky. With a deep breath, the decision formed in his mind. If she had said it drunk, he could bring her to admitting how she felt when she was sober, too. Knowing his feelings weren't one-sided like he had feared for months now, he knew he would find the courage to bring her to face her feelings.

And he would start tomorrow.

With long strides, he made his way down the sidewalk, a wide smile on his lips. The next time she would say it, she would know that she meant it.