Hey guys! I recently became a Castle fan, and this is my first Caskett fic! It's just a quick little one-shot, but there will be plenty more Caskett fics to come... Please review and enjoy! :)

Kate Beckett was stumped and hungry. She had spent all day interrogating witnesses for an odd double homicide and had hit a dead end. As for the hungry part, she hadn't eaten since half a sandwich at lunch.

Castle approached her desk, and she held up her hand to stop him before he gave her some crazy, practically impossible idea.

"I'm stuck, Castle. I'm gonna head home, and you should too."

For some mysterious reason, Castle just smiled. Like he knew a secret she didn't.

"Ok. Goodnight, Beckett."

"Night, Castle," Kate said, puzzled. She watched his walk towards the elevator. Why was he being so normal, instead of proposing that the dead museum night guard Lanie had spent all morning with was the victim of a "Night at the Museum" situation gone wrong? It was the opposite of his usual behavior, but she was too worn out to think about it any more tonight.

"Bye Ryan, bye Esposito."

"Bye, Beckett," they responded. She smiled at their response in unison, then left the 12th with her hunger growing.

When she got back to her apartment, she took a carton of leftover chow mein out of the fridge and stuck it in the microwave. Heading into her bedroom to change out of her work clothes, Beckett felt oddly alone. Ever since she and Josh broke up a few weeks ago, she had random moments of total loneliness. She brushed this current one away and liberated her body from her jeans, stilettos, and white tank top. It had been fairly hot today, and she had taken her blazer off hours ago.

Beckett wanted to stay in her pale grey boyshort panties and white lacy bra, but she didn't like the idea of walking around her apartment almost naked, even if she was alone. She put on a pair of black stretchy shorts that said "NYPD" across the ass, a joke gift from Lanie that were actually quite comfortable. Beckett was reaching for an old tank top when heard what she swore were footsteps in her kitchen. Beckett dropped the tank on her bed and grabbed her gun. Tiptoeing softly into the hallway, she listened for an intruder.

"Hello?," a man's voice called. Beckett took a deep breath and rushed into the kitchen, gun pointed in front of her.

"Don't move!." She yelled, spinning around to face…..

"Castle?"

Beckett was stunned. Castle's eyes were wide as saucers. 'What the-"

"Your… your door was open a crack…," he said, looking her up and down. 'I wanted to make sure you were okay, and it was quiet… and…" He was completely disoriented.

Beckett bit her lip and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why are you here?"

"I was gonna see if you wanted to grab dinner. You looked really hungry."

Beckett's heart flipped in her chest. How thoughtful! And sweet, and kind….

And she was still wearing just her bra and a pair of shorts that said "NYPD" on the ass. Castle had noticed this as well. He tried to conceal a grin.

Kate wanted to be pissed at him, but she couldn't help but laugh. Castle joined in, and suddenly they were both standing there, laughing. Their eyes met, and the laughing stopped. Kate's heart flipped again. Castle took a step towards her. He took the gun out of her hand and carefully placed it on the coffee table.

"Castle, what are you doing?"

He took her hands in his. "Something I should have done a long time ago."

In an instant, he was kissing her. She was kissing back, hungrily. She didn't know how they had ended up like this, and why the hell it had taken so long. But she didn't want to stop. They made no sense together, a best-selling author and a homicide detective. He could have anyone he wanted, and he wanted her. She never thought it would be possible.

"Castle," she whispered, pulling away. "Why did you really come here tonight?"

He smiled. "Because it's always been you, no matter how hard I've tried to deny it."