Chapter 21

"I can't believe we broke the bed..."

Castle's voice was subdued, mellow and carried a note of satisfaction that made Beckett smile, albeit briefly.

Yes, in the throes of their passion, they had completely let go of any kind of restraint they had always been forced to use with previous lovers and partners and her bed couldn't keep up. Right at the peak, part of the wood and iron frame collapsed on itself and the mattress had slid down to the side, dragging them down to the floor with it, sheets and duvet included. It looked like a cheesy scene from a poor romantic comedy, and Kate was pretty sure she had seen a movie that included a scene like that in the past, but it was a matter of fact the frame of the bed was now lying in ruins beside them and the breakage made them fall on the floor.

And yet, it had been the best sex of her life. There was no doubt about it. Maybe it was the freedom of having an immortal partner for the first time, of not having to hold back, or simply because Castle was great and attentive, she had no idea, but every previous lover she had in the past paled in comparison.

There was only one thing that nagged her, in the back of her mind, and it kind of ruined the whole thing for her.

"Well, I can't believe I bit you!" she replied, tracing the two tiny red blemishes her teeth had left on his neck on his neck and the thin line that ran down to his shoulder where the trickle of blood had escaped her hungry lips. Never in her life she had felt such a need for blood, not even during her adolescence, when her vampirism used to mess up with everything in her body, even more than puberty. The urge to bite him had been overwhelming and for once she had let go. The taste still lingered on her tongue, coppery and slightly sweet with a hint of tanginess, rich and smooth. The small sip she had got before his prickled skin had healed had left her craving for more.

"And that's when we broke the bed! Hell Beckett, do you have an idea how good that felt? I had no idea I had odaxelagnia!"

"Well, hold your horses Castle, it won't happen again. And what's odaxelagnia?"

He raised his head and gave her a quick, puzzled look. "It's when a person gets sexual pleasure from bites, given or received. And why not? It didn't hurt, I swear, it felt crazy good!"

She grunted, softly. "I don't care, but I've spent the past twentyfour years of my life trying not to be the stereotype of the vampire people love so much, so I won't start biting my lovers just because right now he's a werewolf."

"A werewolf that happens to like it. Come on Beckett, it's not like you have to bite me every time! Just when you feel like it!"

She let out another grunt, more scornful this time. "It's just... I don't want to look like bloodsucker so many people still think we are."

"Oh, come on Kate, don't even think I could really take you for the stereotypical vampire! I think we're a little past that, whether you bite me or not." He kissed her temple. "And I liked it, I swear."

She quickly thought about it, and doubts flooded her mind. That wasn't the first time she had felt the need to bite her lover, it had happened in the past, but she had always managed to keep herself from doing it. While she was pretty open about her conditions, as it altered the way she could act around people, most of all outside the safe time zones, deep down she still feared what people would think of her, and she had always maintained a strict conduct, when it came to vampirism and other people. Rule number one was no biting. Rule number two was no biting. A sort of Fight Club thing.

But he looked so happy about it… it warmed her heart. That man that couldn't yet accept himself as a werewolf had no qualms about a vampire biting him when she had an orgasm. He even claimed he liked it, and given his own reaction to the bite, he had really liked it.

"Alright, alright... if I ever feel the need to bite you again, I won't restrain myself." In the end she gave in. "Now, why don't we..."

She was about to suggest they'd get themselves presentable and have something to eat, but someone knocked, insistently, on the front door.

"Who the hell can it be at this hour?" asked Castle, looking for his underwear and pants, as she reached for a t-shirt and pair of worn yoga pants she kept near the door of her bedroom.

"Beats me. Get dressed, I'll deal with it."

Much to her surprise, she found a cop in uniform at the door, and noticed that the door in front of hers was open and the inhabitants of the apartment were peeking out, and they looked worried.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Officer Morrison?" she asked with a smile, reading the small plaque on his breast.

"Yes Ma'am, we received a call for suspect noises coming from your apartment. Is everything alright?"

Frowning in the strenuous attempt to refrain from laughing, she opened the door all the way, to show him the foyer and the living room. "Absolutely, Officer. I just had an accident in the bedroom, old bedframe, it broke when I placed a heavy box on it, everything crashed on the floor. It must have made some noise, I'm sorry for that."

Behind the police officer, the neighbors smiled, clearly embarrassed by the ruckus they had raised by calling the police. Understanding, Kate shrugged and smiled herself, as if to say "no big deal". Problem was, the agent wasn't exactly convinced, and she wondered why, as she was cooperating and showed absolutely no sign of violence on her body. Or did she? She wondered.

"Is there anyone with you, miss?"

"It's Detective Kate Beckett, Officer," she replied with a stern voice, identifying herself as a colleague but also a superior. "And as a matter of fact yes, there's a friend with me in the house. He helped me setting a new bookshelf in my bedroom."

Right on cue, Castle came to her help, full dressed and a little sweaty, just like any other man that had been working with heavy objects like wooden planks and boxes full of hardcover books. "Hey Kate, have you seen the flat screwdriver, I can't..." He stumbled and startled, when he saw the officer, though he was perfectly aware he was there. "Officer! I hope we weren't making too much noise with the renovation!" he quipped with a smile.

The man on the door, now slightly afraid of her after she had identified as a superior, technically, gave him a curt nod. "Unfortunately yes, sir. We were called for suspicious noises in the apartment, so we came to check. Everything seems normal, but next time please refrain from doing renovation works at this hour. I know working in the Force takes a lot of time, Detective, but this is hardly the appropriate time to work with hammer and screws. Have a good night, Detective. Sir."

"Goodnight, Officer."

When Kate closed the door, she pressed her back on is and shut her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh. "Did we really make so much noise?"

Castle shrugged. "No idea. I'll have someone set some soundproof panels in my bedroom!"

"And what makes you think we'll repeat the show in your bedroom?"

He threw a quick look in the direction of her bedroom. "The fact that your bed is currently a mess and your mattress is lying on the floor?"

"Touchè." She had nothing else to say, because he was right. "Now what?"

"Does your couch hide a foldout bed, by any chance?"

"Yes, but I have no intention to break that one too. I'd rather sleep on a makeshift futon than break that thing too. You're quite aggressive when you want to!"

"Oh, but you liked that!"

Again, there was nothing she could say. He was right.

They were munching the last of their thai takeout, while watching the hospital sequence of Hard Boiled, when a sudden idea sparked in Beckett's mind. "What do we do now?"

"What do you mean, what do we do?" he questioned. "The sleeping accommodation are done, at least for tonight, and tomorrow we'll go looking for a new reinforced bed. Is there more to worry about?"

"I meant, what do we do."

"Oh, that... well... I like you, you seem to like me, it's not rocket science from here on."

"That's the easy part, what do we tell the others? NYPD has a very strict policy when it comes to partners dating, they could kick you out!"

"I'm not paid, technically we're not partners."

She grunted in frustration. "Go tell that to Internal Affairs or whoever deals with this kind of crap. Montgomery could over us for a while, but for how long?"

"We could always keep it a secret," he proposed, as he placed the styrofoam container and the chopsticks on the coffee table in front of him. "I mean, I don't see what problem could people have with our theoretical relationship…"

"Castle, there's nothing theoretical about our relationship," she replied. "Not after… not after we broke my bed while we were having sex."

He threw her a killer look, a mix of a wolfish grin, a literal one, and a scold. "I meant in general. Lanie has been rooting for us ever since I started shadowing you!"

"What about your daughter and mother? Remember last year, after the first time you turned, how fast they disappeared after dinner? It was like they were literally pushing us to hook up, despite not being in the room!"

He laughed. "Oh yes, I remember. I also remember you drooling all over my thigh, when we fell asleep watching Sin City."

She facepalmed. For real. "Please don't remind me. It was so gross…"

He lunged towards her and kissed her. She melted under his soft lips and felt a shiver run down her spine, when his warm hands wrapped gently around her arms. God, she had it bad. "Not gross, just a little wet," he said a moment later. "I wouldn't be kissing you, if some saliva grossed me out like that."

"Yeah, I guess so. But seriously, what do we do? Should we keep it a secret or don't care about it and see what happens?"

"Why don't we keep this for ourselves, right now?" he proposed. "Then we see how it goes. Maybe tell our parents first, then… well, the boys and Lanie. Maybe Montgomery. Certainly not the press."

"Definitely not the press. I've had enough with that journalist back in September. No press please!"

Castle nodded and smiled. "I'll talk to Paula, ask her to stop trying to get me on Page 6 every chance she can get, as a publicity stunt. My books sell well enough without me playing the playboy act." He shook his head, like a dog trying to get dry after a dive in the water. "I hate it, actually."

"Uh, I had the feeling you weren't really into that, when we came to the party to ask you to come at the precinct."

"Yeah well… it's not like I mind too much about it, after all it's just a face you know? Just like trying not to be a werewolf, it wasn't different." He chewed on a piece of stir fry chicken for a long moment. "No actually it's easier to be a playboy. I can stop being a playboy when I want, you know? Being a werewolf… it's part of me, I can't switch it off. Pretending all the time to be something I'm not, it's tiring. And I was surprised when you were more worried about my well being and not about my lycanthropy, months ago."

They had already talked about it, extensively, but it felt different, after… well, after they had sex. The level of intimacy had suddenly skyrocketed to an unknown level and she had the very strong vibe he was going to open up way more now. Some matters they had already discussed would probably be rehashed, and talked in a deeper way, more honestly.

"And as I said months ago, it would have been extremely hypocritical of me, worrying about your immortality more than your health. You looked like crap that day, and I didn't give a damn about your lycanthropy. Or… yeah, I did gave a damn about your lycanthropy, but only because I had never seen a werewolf with my own eyes, just that."

"Better than the pictures in biology books?" he asked with a loopy smile.

"More detailed, maybe?"

He chuckled. "I'll accept that. Come on, the movie is almost over."

The second movie was rolling, about halfway through, and they were cuddled on the couch. Despite loving The Killer, Kate found herself quickly dozing off, worn out by the stressful events of the past couple of days, the emotional turmoil still wrecking her inside the only thing that kept her from falling asleep on Castle's chest. With his arms wrapped around her, he felt like the softest pillow combined with the warmest blanket, right beneath her.

Something was bothering him though. His hold around her tightened for a moment and she heard his heartbeat become quicker in his chest.

"Hey, everything alright?" she asked, hoping she wasn't sounding too sleepy.

"Kate… we didn't use a condom."

"Yeah, so? It's not like we can transmit each other any kind of disease," she told him, quite matter of factly.

"Yeah but… what if…"

"Castle, calm down," she reassured him, knowing where he was going. "I'm on the pill, it's not like I can get pregnant."

He frowned. "Wait, does that work with immortals?"

She shrugged. "As far as I know… been using is since I was sixteen, I guess it works. Either that, or I can't have children."

"Hey, don't say that!"

"Well, according to my physician, I'm the poster girl of immortal health, ever since I started taking care of myself more. So don't worry about me. We're alright."

He let out a long sigh. "Gosh… I'm sorry… it didn't even come to mind to use some kind of precaution, I'm such an idiot and…"

She stopped his rambling with a quick peck on the lips. "Don't worry about that. We're covered."

"Sure?"

She nodded. "Yep, sure. Come on, let's finish the movie then go to bed."

Again, he frowned. "To bed, or to sleep?"

She kissed him again. "We'll see."