AN: This is posted here for those who don't use tumblr. And it takes place at the beginning of Season 1.

Prompt: Castle is hiding a secret. He has been mostly deaf since childhood. During a bust that Castle has joined, the team found out this secret in the worst way possible.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Richard Castle stood excitedly, although he tried to not show it, at the entrance of an apartment that he and the rest of team were going to bust into in just a few moments. There was a suspected murderer on the other side and everyone was donning in their vests, including him. However, it wasn't without Beckett making another snarky remark regarding what he considered very appropriate labeling for his almost bullet-proof armor, of course.

Now, she was focused on giving directions to her team before the bust and he was trying really hard to concentrate on what she was saying. But the way her lips moved, the way they turned into a involuntarily smile on occasion made it very very hard to process her words. It caused his mind to go other places, like how those lips would feel on his or the rest of his skin when they were both in between the soft, cotton sheets of his bed. He blinked to get himself out of his daydream before focusing again. It probably was going to be a basic bust anyway. Arrest the guy and get out.

Finally, Beckett made the signal to go in and everyone burst into the apartment, spreading out in search of the killer. Rick began to wander, looking around to see if there was any evidence of the suspect still around. As he strolled, he didn't see much in the old apartment, aside from a few belongings. It appeared as if the suspect had cleared out long before they arrived. He scowled, knowing that he would miss all the fun of a showdown. Oh well, maybe next time.

Since he couldn't hear where the rest of the team was, he decided to go back to the entrance of the apartment and wait. He walked slowly, careful to detect the vibration of footsteps. However, he felt none so he didn't look behind him.

As he reached the door, he suddenly felt a searing pain in his chest, as if it were on fire. His hand reached the spot and he pressed, gritting his teeth at the pain. Removing his hand, he saw his fingers were dripping with a warm, sticky, red substance. He cringed, felt a thump, and turned around to see Beckett tackling their suspect. She was yelling something, but since he couldn't read her lips, he didn't know what it was. She looked at him, her eyes wide. Once the suspect was in cuffs, she ran over to him, telling him she was taking him to the hospital. He tried to speak, however, his tongue felt heavy, like it was being weighed down. His vision began to spin and he started seeing two Becketts in front of him.

And then everything went black.

Kate looked at her hands, guilt coursing through her. She should've kept an eye on him, knowing he would wander. However, she didn't and now she was waiting for him to get out of surgery. Even if she had jokingly, or not, threatened to shoot him multiple times since he came onto the team, she didn't actually want him to get shot. Now it felt like the universe was playing a cruel joke on her.

Wait… the universe? Maybe Castle was rubbing off on her.

She shook her head, running a hand through her hair. As she did so, the sound of heels reach her rapidly and she looked up to the matriarch of the Castle family approach her.

"Katherine, how is he?" The tenor of her voice told the brunette that his mother was trying to keep herself together.

"He's still in surgery," Kate responded. She then went into detail of how they wound up in the hospital in the first place. "I'm sorry, Martha. I should've kept an eye on him."

Martha nodded. "Perhaps. However, I know my Richard and him wandering off doesn't surprise me. So, do not blame yourself, dear." The woman placed a gentle hand on Kate's shoulder. The detective smiled sadly and shrugged.

"I'm still in charge of him though." She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. Something that had happened in the apartment that had been bothering her. "There is one thing I don't understand." Martha raised an eyebrow. "I saw the shooter pointing the gun at Castle. I yelled at him to move, but when I got to the room, he acted like he hadn't even heard me." She knew Castle liked to annoy her by ignoring her requests of no staring or no talking, but she doubted that he would ignore her in their current situation.

Martha sighed, shaking her head in dismay. "That's because he didn't, dear."

Wait, what?

The shock must've shown on her face because the matron continued, saying,

"I'm not surprised he didn't tell you. He usually doesn't, but I think that you need to know. Richard's mostly deaf, has been since he was about nine."

Kate opened and then closed her mouth, unsure of how to respond to the new information. Martha, undeterred, continued,

"He got sick a few times. Unfortunately, each instance left him with fluid in his ears. Each time, it damaged his hearing even more until it got to the point that he couldn't hear anymore. He does have a hearing aid, of course, but he forgets it most of the time."

"So, then how is he able to know what others are saying?"

"He taught himself to read lips and body language," the red head stated, a proud smile on her face. "He's very independent. Which, unfortunately, he did need to be due to my career and our constant traveling. As you can see, he's done very well for himself."

Kate chuckled. "Yes, he definitely has," she murmured.

Soon, the doctor came out, announcing that Rick was out of surgery.

"Thanks to the vest, the bullet missed major arteries, but there was still a lot of bleeding. He's going to be a little loopy from the pain meds, so he may not remember everything you tell him."

"Can we see him?"

"Yes, one at a time though." He gave them the room number before walking away.

Martha tilted her head toward his room. "You go, Katherine. I'm sure he'll want to see you." She gave a reassuring smile as Kate walked down to his room.

When she arrived at the entrance, she took a moment to examine him from the door frame. He looked a little pale, and tubes were attached to him. However, she couldn't help but think he was still fairly good looking.

That wasn't the only thing she was thinking about, however. Martha's words had shed some new light on him and his personality. Kate wondered how much of it was a front for his celebrity persona so no one discovered his secret. She felt guilty, assuming that she had been the only one of the two of them with demons.

"I thought you said staring was creepy?"

She rolled her eyes at his comment coming from the bed. He was still annoying, there was no doubt about that.

"Well, I figured tit for tat," she teased, and he smirked.

"Well, I certainly don't mind you staring at me, Detective."

"Don't get used to it," she snarked back. He frowned.

"Mother told you, didn't she?"

"How did you-"

"You're speaking slower," he stated. She quickly thought back to last few moments and realized he was correct. Huh, weird. "That's usually people's first instinct to when they find out I can't hear. They think they need to speak slower for my to understand what they're saying, but I don't."

She ducked her head in embarrassment, not wanting to have made him uncomfortable.

"It's fine." He shrugged, and then winced. "I never tell anybody because I don't want to be considered a burden."

"You're not a burden." The statement was out of her mouth before she could stop it. As she thought it about it, it was true. Sure he annoyed her and poked his nose into things he shouldn't, but he was also insightful and made her look at situations in a different perspective. He was helpful, when he wanted to be.

"I would hope not," he muttered. "It was hard for me in school. Little Ricky Rodgers the deaf kid. The kids who found out had a field day. I was picked on and spent most of time alone." Kate closed her eyes, her heart breaking at his admission. "When I published my first book and started becoming slightly famous, women started pursuing me. Some of them found out about my issue and would become disinterested. That is, until until I showed them what I could do." He waggled his eyebrows and she huffed. His expression turned serious. "But yeah, enough women have turned me down, even if they do know I can read lips. It makes any real dating hard." She gave him a empathetic smile, knowing what it was like to be with a person who didn't understand her. "There is an upside."

This had to be good. "And what exactly would that be?"

"I can 'eavesdrop' on people by reading their lips. It so much fun when they're talking about me and don't know that I know, and I just pop right into the conversation!"

She laughed. His excitement didn't surprise her. He probably felt like a spy doing it.

"Okay," she said, beginning to stand up. "I'm sure you're mother is dying to see you."

"Ready to leave me so soon?" He pouted. "Fine."

When she reached the door, she turned around and glared playfully.

"Oh, and Castle?"

"Yes?"

"Don't think this gives you a free pass on ignoring my orders. I still expect you to listen to me."

He smiled in a way that made his eyes sparkle and lips fully turn up. It was one of his genuine ones.

"Of course. I wouldn't dream of making your job harder."

She nodded before opening the door and exiting the room.

She leaned her back against the door, thinking about what had just transpired. It was clear that Castle wasn't the man that page six said he was. He had his issues, just like her, and he was kind and selfless.

Maybe they could be friends...in time.