A/N: i really wanted to write a full-fledged story during Christmas break, but find myself with zero inspiration. so, to keep the creative juices flowing, i decided to rewatch both seasons from the beginning (one episode a day) and write a little one-shot for each of them. here's the first installment! enjoy! :]
Flowers For Your Grave
Rick Castle couldn't sleep. Not because of writer's block, not because Alexis was sick and needed him, and not because his mother had a loud guest downstairs.
It was because of a girl.
If this wasn't shocking enough, it wasn't even because the girl was currently doing wicked things to him in bed. No, this particular girl had flat out rejected him more times than he cared to remember, and left him standing alone on the sidewalk. He'd had to stand and watch her walk away. He felt a small flame of embarrassment flicker in his stomach at the thought. But it was quickly extinguished as he thought of her walking away – the sway of her hips, her long legs striding purposefully towards the flashing lights.
Hm. Rick halted in his thoughts. Many a time he had watched beautiful women walk towards flashing lights. But, until today, those lights had belonged to a club or a party, not a police car. Maybe that's why he found Kate Beckett so fascinating. At first, he'd thought she was just a hard-ass. A beautiful hard-ass, though, so he was more than willing to try and get her into bed with him. Being rejected had sparked something within him, and he became even more determined to win her over. Yet again and again, she ignored his advances. And each time she did so, his desire to sleep with her turned into a desire to get to know her. Guessing about her life didn't count, either. No, he wanted to get her to tell him herself. So when he told her it would've been great, he'd honestly meant it. Rick grinned as he remembered her bite her lip, the devious look in her eyes, the heat of her body next to his, and what were quite possibly the sexiest words he'd ever heard uttered – "You have no idea."
And then she'd walked away. And he wanted to chase her.
Yet again, he paused, allowing realization to wash over him. Kate Beckett made him excited for the first time in ages. The thought of her got his heart rate up, not just a particular part of his anatomy. He wanted to fight for the girl, not have the girl fight for him. He wanted to do, he wanted to learn, he wanted to be.
Kate Beckett would be a challenge. And Rick would be more than up for it.
He narrowed his eyes in the dark, pondering his next move. That whole sexy thing she pulled earlier – leaning in, purring into his ear, walking away – it was a dirty trick.
Rick grinned. If she wanted to play dirty, he was going to give her one hell of a fight.
He sat up, and reached for his nightstand, fumbling for the pad and pen he kept there for late night inspiration. Feeling the fatigue of the day catching up with him, he scribbled two words before sinking back into his pillows and allowing sleep to overtake him.
"Call Bob."
Nanny McDead
"What about the guy in 8B?"
Kate Beckett froze, her heartbeat rising exponentially. No, this wasn't possible. He couldn't know … could he? "Who?" she asked, silently cursing herself for her slight hesitation and the urgency of her tone.
"8B," he said slowly. Kate could've sworn her heart stopped for a millisecond. This was wrong, all wrong. But before she could open her mouth to say anything, he continued. "He's a quiet guy. You see him every day, but you never notice him. But he noticed Sarah." She let out a huge breath in relief as he looked away from her and continued weaving his story. False alarm. Thank god.
As Kate made her way home later that night, she chuckled at her overreaction. Nah, there's no way he could've known. Ryan and Esposito wouldn't have told him. No, they knew that she'd kick their asses if they did.
And besides, she thought with a grim smile as she approached her front door, the brass number 8B shining innocently in the fluorescent light, there's no guy living in this 8B. The one Castle was talking about? Maybe. But this one?
Kate stepped inside and looked around her empty apartment with a sigh. "No guy. Just me."
Hedgefund Homeboys
Kate Beckett started and looked up from her paperwork. She picked up her cell phone, which was vibrating its way to the edge of her desk, and glanced at the screen. 'New Text Message,' it exclaimed, 'from Rick Castle.' She rolled her eyes, and flipped her phone open.
Miss me yet?
This earned another eye roll. She quickly shot off a response.
Something like that. And by "something" I meant "nothing."
Her phone vibrated again within seconds.
Youch. That one stung a little, Beckett.
She actually laughed aloud, but quickly stifled it. Embarrassed, she glanced around the precinct to make sure nobody noticed her mirth before responding.
What can I say? It's what I do best.
Was it just her, or were his responses coming quicker each time?
Do I need glasses or did you use correct grammar. A woman after my own heart.
She knew enough to hold in her laughter this time, but had quite a job doing so.
Yes, I used correct grammar. Good job not using a question mark, by the way.
Her phone vibrated again, and she flipped it open eagerly.
Sorry, I was too distracted by my overwhelming attraction to your grammatical correctness to pay attention to mine.
Mid-text, she had presence of mind enough to wonder if responding so quickly made her seem desperate.
Note to self: use bad grammar to get rid of Castle.
She was beginning to love the sound of her phone vibrating. Wait, did she really just think that?
Oh, har har, very funny. So how's the precinct been in my absence?
She heaved a sigh, and was extremely aggravated with herself when the corners of her lips twitched upwards.
Castle, you've been gone for a day. Did you think things were going to collapse without you here?
Another buzz, another text.
…Maybe.
Yet again, Kate laughed out loud. Damn him.
Well, we've been fantastic. And hey, why do you have so much texting time on your hands?
Honestly, wasn't the man supposed to be chaperoning a school trip?
The principal is giving us instructions, and I'm really bored.
Oh geez. Seriously?
You realize you're supposed to be listening to that, right?
She was almost afraid to see what he said in response to that.
Aw, but it's not fun!
She rolled her eyes. Must she act like his mother? And via text, no less?
Castle. Stop talking to me and listen. Goodbye.
Another vibrate? She groaned, but flipped her phone open, only half grudgingly.
I don't wanna!
Kate rolled her eyes and closed her phone, tossing it into her bag. She returned ruefully to her paperwork, trying to ignore the fact that she felt significantly happier than she had all day.
"Yo, Beckett!" she heard Esposito call. "We've got a body!"
And all thoughts of texting were forgotten.
Or so she thought. Later that afternoon, when she fished her phone out of her bag, she nearly dropped it in shock. How many new text messages?! She flipped her phone open and made her way through her inbox.
Beckett?
Hello?
You there?
No?
This is me pouting.
Oh come on, don't you remember how boring listening to teachers is?
…Miss me yet?
Hell Hath No Fury
As Kate Beckett watched Rick Castle sprint out of the precinct (nearly running over Detective Roland in the process), she could feel her brain grind into action. That ass, she fumed. How dare he steal her thunder like that? Sure, Captain Montgomery was kidding, but was she being selfish for not even wanting him to joke about not praising her for a job well done?
And hell, even she knew where Castle was supposed to be that night. But was it selfish of her to not tell him because she secretly wanted him to spend the time with her instead? Seriously though, how could the idiot not be aware of his own book reading?
Kate had reached her apartment without even realizing it, having been so lost in her thoughts. She opened her front door slowly, pausing on the threshold. This would be a perfect opportunity to throw Castle off his game as much as he'd done it to her. But how? She wandered aimlessly around her apartment for a few moments, waiting for inspiration to strike. And it finally did, when she stopped in front of her closet; a sliver of magenta fabric had caught her eye.
Her face split into a grin. A wide, elated, evil grin.
Twenty minutes later, she left her apartment, hiding her secret weapon securely under a long red peacoat. She still noticed heads turning as she walked down the street. Feeling confident and, honestly, really sexy, she held her head high and strode purposely into Broadway Books. She couldn't help but smirk as she heard his amplified and over-dramatic voice, and made her way stealthily through the crowd. Slowly, she slipped out of her coat.
This was going to be priceless.
A/N: feedback is always appreciated! now i'm off to watch A Chill Goes Through Her Veins. can't say i'm not excited, lol.