A/N: A post-ep what if ending scene for 3x19. For the purpose of this story, Josh is no longer a part of Kate's life.

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or the characters used in this story.

For Heather (heatherbird13) who prompted me on twitter. Prompt will follow at the end.

The Art of Deceit

Replaying their evening in her mind is something she's done over and over again for the last hour. Going to a movie with Castle was infinitely more fun than she expected it to be. Kate can't help thinking that it might be due to the fact that he had never seen the movie. He sat wide eyed and attentive, excitement rolling off of him in waves. And watching his face as he watched 'Forbidden Planet' for the first time was almost more of an enjoyment than the actual movie.

She'll never call it a date because those words weren't implied nor were they intended. But if their night was a glimpse at what dating Castle would be like, she has no complaints. She thinks they're still a long ways away from dating, even despite the closeness they've adapted this year. Almost freezing to death in each other's arms, diffusing a dirty bomb at the last minute, an undercover kiss that shocked more than just the guard who was watching them, all major events that have pushed them closer together. And yet, it's still not the right time. She's still not convinced that confessing her feelings to Castle wouldn't leave them crashing and burning before they ever really got started.

She's content for now, with the way things are. An easy friendship that makes each day better. Even when nights like this one have her wondering what it would have been like to go home with him after the movie, crawl into bed together and press her body against his.

She's just settled down into a steaming bubble bath, the welcome heat soothing her tired muscles when her phone rings loudly through the quietness of her bathroom, but her groan quickly turns to worry when the name on her called ID is the last she expected to see.

"Alexis?" she questions.

"How do you do it?" the young girl replies, anger laced with the usual soft tones of her voice.

"I um –"

"How do you continuously forgive my dad when he does ridiculous things that drive you crazy? Because this was one time and I'm so furious with him, I don't even…"

"Alexis," she calls into the phone, effectively stopping the girl from her rant so that she can try and figure out what's going on.

"What did your dad do?"

"He tracked my phone. He thought I was lying to him about where I was going so he actually thought I would be okay with him tracking me. But instead of telling me the truth when I asked him how he found out where I really was, he told me that his friend J. J. Adams had told him. "

Hold on a minute, what?

"When did you guys have this fight?" she questions.

"This afternoon, why?"

He freaking lied to her. How many times had he really seen 'Forbidden Planet' before he sat down next to her in that theater and pretended like it was the first time?

"Detective Beckett?" the girl questions, snapping her out of her thoughts when the silence has stretched on too long.

"Sorry, Alexis."

When the silence lingers again she realizes that Alexis is waiting for her response to Castle's actions. And while she'd like to rant about how he lied to her as well, she knows that Castle's daughter is the last person she should be expressing her feelings to.

"He shouldn't have betrayed your trust like that, but in his defense, you did lie to him about where you were going right?"

She barely hears the whisper of a 'yes' through the phone.

"Well, maybe since you're both at fault here, you could forgive him this time?"

"I guess you're right."

"He loves you, Alexis. He does things like that because he cares."

"I know he does. Thank you for listening, Detective Beckett."

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Alexis."

Without her consent, the words she spoke to Alexis continue to echo in her mind throughout the night. He does things like that because he cares…

By the time she sees him the next morning she's had time to mull over the fact that he lied to her, and regardless of the reason he has for doing it, she's going to call him out.

She manages to hold off until they're in her car, on their way to talk to their victim's family. He has been rather quiet this morning, but she decides to dive right in.

"Why did you lie to me?" Her voice cuts like a knife through the silence of the car and she sees when he whips his head around to stare at her.

"What?" he questions, brow furrowing in confusion.

"You told me that you had never seen Forbidden Planet."

She can see his body tense from the corner of her eye.

"And before you decide to try and charm your way out of it, Alexis called me last night. J. J. Adams? Really, Castle?"

She can see as much as hear him deflate as she pulls the car into the driveway and puts it in park.

When she turns to look at him he averts her gaze and shrugs.

"Castle?" she questions again.

"I'm sorry, Beckett. I just—I just…"

His sudden hesitation frustrates her and she wishes they were better at communicating when it comes to stuff like this. When she huffs at his pause he rushes through the rest of his words and she almost misses them.

"I just wanted to spend more time with you."

And now it's her turn to hesitate because she has no idea what to say.

"I uh…"

Her lack of words seems to snap his own back and he lifts his head to look into her eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you. I've seen Forbidden Planet more times than I can count. But I can't ignore the fact that we have something between us and we seem to be experts are dancing around that."

Shit. Did he have to bring this up right now?

"Castle, I don't…"

He shakes his head before reaching for the handle of the door, preparing to get out of the car and continue their day as if this conversation never happened.

"Wait," she reaches for his arm, stopping him just before he gets out of the car.

"You're right. We've been dancing around whatever this," she waves her hand between them, "is for a long time. But I just don't think I'm ready for this right now."

He pulls his arm out of her grasp, eyes hardening. "And what will it take for you to be ready, Beckett? We kissed, we almost froze to death wrapped in each other's arms, and we survived a bomb. How many near death experiences and fleeting touches that ignite more than just sparks will it take before you stop being scared and go for what you want?"

She shudders at the bite of his words, wondering how the conversation turned into this.

"I don't know," she whispers.

"Because I'm not what you want?"

The words clog in her throat, tears burning her eyes, and in her car, in the middle of a stranger's driveway, she lets those feelings flood to the surface.

"No, Castle, because you are what I want and that terrifies me."

He manages to recover from the shock of her words quite quickly as he reaches for her, hand cupping her cheek and catching the traitorous tears that fall from her eyes.

"You don't have to be scared, Kate."

She turns her cheek further into his hand, closing her eyes as she takes a stuttered breath.

"Yes I do. I don't want to screw this up. You know me, there's nothing easy about me."

"What if I don't want easy?" he whispers, leaning closer to her.

"Are we really doing this?" she asks, when his lips are so close that his breath coasts across her skin.

He answers with the press of his lips, a kiss that mirrors the one they shared once before only this time it holds the promise of more.

Prompt: Beckett finds out that Castle lied to her about seeing 'Forbidden Planet'.

Would love to hear your thoughts! Xo