Fic prompt: while Caskett are secretly together in season 8 (Svetlana and Dr Livingstone) Castle shows up to the precinct with a hickey and the boys are giving him hell for it
Svetlana
He walked into the precinct with a little extra spring in his step. His date last night with Kate - no, Svetlana - had gone better than he could have planned and, although he was feeling physically exhausted this morning, his heart was fully rejuvenated.
"Good morning," he practically sung to the boys as he approached.
He got two steely glares in return.
"Seriously, bro?" Esposito growled.
"I can't even look at you right now," Ryan added, turning away from the writer to focus his attention on the murder board.
"What? What have I done now?"
He knew that they were upset about the separation, about the thought of mom and dad moving on, but there was nothing he could do about that.
"You're acting like I'm the bad guy, here," he commented, just a little annoyed that they were bringing down the high he was riding just moments ago.
But his words obviously hit a nerve; both detectives turning toward him with scowls on their faces.
"You come skippin' in here with your I got laid face, covered in hickeys and you're not the bad guy? Beckett is right there!" Ryan hissed, throwing his hand in the direction of the Captain's office.
Castle looked across the bullpen, seeing her for the first time since she slinked out of his bed in the early hours of the morning.
She sat, brow furrowed in frustration as she sifted through paperwork, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Whatever she was dealing with, she was mad.
She was so cute when she got mad. Just, not at him.
He couldn't help but smile. That was, until he finally registered Ryan's words. His eyes widened as he turned back to the boys.
"Wait, what?"
His hands flew to the exposed skin of his neck. Kate - no, Svetlana - had been particularly… nippy last night and had spent a fair amount of time teasing him mercilessly with her teeth and her tongue. He hadn't noticed the marks when he showered this morning, but their presence really didn't surprise him.
"Castle, what the hell are you doing here?"
None of them had seen her approach. The boys scurried to find something, anything, to make them look busy.
"I have a hickey," he blurted, hoping his voice sounded more bragging than accusing.
It must have, given the disgusted and infuriated 'Bro' he heard Esposito scoff.
Beckett schooled her reaction, stifled the proud smirk that threatened to give them away.
"Well, I have one too," she confessed. She noticed the boys eyes falling on her, searching for the evidence she knew they wouldn't find. "Mine's just a little easier to hide."
She wasn't at all subtle in the way her fingertips traipsed down her inner thigh.
She won. They all knew it.
Finally setting that smirk free, she sauntered away.
And Castle couldn't do anything but watch as she did.
"Bro, we are so sorry."