Title: Fait Accompli.

Rating: T (suggestive themes). English - Humour/Romance - Kate B. & Rick C

Summary: After keeping their relationship under wraps for a month, Beckett and Castle decide they should have a bit of fun breaking the news to the others.

Light and fluffy one-shot, no Josh (cos I don't like him, simple as that, really).

Disclaimer: all the usual. I don't own Castle, etc etc.

Author's Note: I had a bit of fun writing this one, although it took me a lot longer to get it finished than I would have liked, since the evil plot-bunnies kept distracting me with my other stories. Feedback welcomed!

NevynR.

1:15am Monday, Castle's Loft

The loft was bathed in a gentle, flickering light, as Castle and Beckett snuggled on the couch, pretending to watch a movie. Absently, he ran his fingers through her hair; her head nestled comfortably on his shoulder. Quiet and at peace, they relaxed in the other's company.

Since they had decided to move forward with their relationship a month ago, she had been staying over at the loft several nights a week, but making sure they arrived at the precinct at different times to throw off suspicion. Not that they wanted to deceive their friends, but they both liked the idea of keeping their relationship understated and private, until they were a little more settled.

After several minutes, Castle whispered to his partner, "You have any ideas how we are going to break it to the others?" Snuggling her head down a little more, Beckett listened to the steady beat of his heart as she considered her reply.

"Well, the chances of them being totally oblivious is almost zero... We've been good at keeping our hands off each other in office hours, and the flirting hasn't changed, so I think they think they know, or suspect." She whispered as well, liking the subdued intimacy of the darkness

"The options that I can see are pretty limited." Castle murmured. Pressing a gentle kiss to her hair, he went on. "One: we can come right out and tell them straight. Two: we can just keep on keeping it under wraps until one of them comes right out and says it." He paused, his mind whirling. "Or, there is an option three, if you are up for it..."

"Option three? What did you have in mind?" Castle shifted his weight, sliding his back down the back of the couch so that he lay flat on his back, with Beckett sprawled on top of him, her head resting on his chest. Placing the tip of his index finger under her chin, he raised her face so that she was looking him in the eyes. A wicked grin stole across his lips as he replied.

"Fait accompli, my dear Miss Beckett... We present them with the idea of us being together as something so normal and everyday that they won't know what hit them. The only question is, how far do we want to take it…?"

"How do you mean?" Castle placed a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose, and as he explained his plan, the sound of her chuckles hanging in the quiet air as the plan grew and grew.

9:10am Wednesday, 12th Precinct

Castle and Beckett left the elevator, their arms casually linked and made their way to her desk. Castle released her arm, pulled her chair out for her, tucking her in slightly as she sat. Absently, he kissed the top of her head, and sat down in his own chair, and took a long sip of the single, extra-large coffee they had carried in, and slid the bear-claw over to Beckett. She finished logging into her computer and took a bite out of the bear-claw, and held it out to Castle, who took a bite while she held it, and then passed her the coffee.

Ryan had looked up from his desk as the duo made their way to the desk, and was about to greet them, when his jaw dropped, seeing the way the two of them walking arm in arm. Floundering for a second, he barely had the presence of mind to nudge Esposito, and wordlessly indicate. They both sat stunned as they watched the casual way Castle and Beckett moved in each other's personal space, noting the shared coffee and breakfast, and certainly noting the fond kiss Castle placed on the back of Beckett's head as she sat down. About to broach the subject with the pair of them, the opportunity was lost when the phone rang. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but the rest of the morning was spent trying to find a different kind of killer.

1:15pm Wednesday, 12th Precinct

Castle's phone chimed an incoming message as he handed a stack of files over to his partner. Checking the text, he grinned at Beckett, carefully noting the way both Ryan and Esposito paused in their work, trying very hard to look as though they weren't listening in.

"Hey, hun..." He smiled as he addressed Beckett. "Alexis wants to know if you are still fine to make the parent / teacher interview at school on Friday?"

Beckett looked up, a happy grin on her face. "Of course! She told me about it last week, I checked with the Captain to make sure I could take a personal day for it. You have that meeting with Paula at half past one, so it's better if I go."

"Don't remind me! The last few chapters are due next month, and I've just been too busy with you to get them done." Castle grimaced, thinking about the ear-bashing he was going to receive from Paula if he didn't knuckle down and get some actual writing done.

"So, does that mean we're still on for dinner tonight? Or are we just going to stay in?"

"Um… maybe go out tomorrow night? I feel like some home-made pizza tonight. You want to see of the others feel like dropping round, make a night of it? We can't do much more until the results from the autopsy get in, or we get a hit on missing persons anyway. I might head home, grab some groceries on the way, see if I can get at least one more chapter done before you get home. Text me if they can make it. Call me if we get a lead?" Castle stood up and slipped his jacket on, putting his phone away.

"Of course. Can you pick up the dry-cleaning on your way?" Beckett stood up and walked around her desk, wrapped her arms around Castle and gazed up at him.

"Will do. I had better get going, if I want to get any writing done." He pressed a quick kiss to her upturned lips and returned the hug briefly. "See you tonight. Love you..."

"Love you too. Now scoot, mister!" With a gentle slap on the backside from Beckett, Castle headed back towards the elevator, waving goodbye to the rest of their team on the way out.

Not even bothering to hide their astonishment, Ryan and Esposito sat stunned into immobility, open-mouthed and watched him until the elevator doors closed. Thinking quickly, Esposito whipped his phone out, and sent a text to a certain ME, whom he felt, should be able to shed some light on just what the hell was going on.

2:10pm Wednesday, Morgue

Cursing, Lanie checked her phone for the tenth time since she got the text from Esposito. Seeing no reply to the half-dozen texts she had sent to Beckett as yet, and being unable to leave for the next several hours due to an autopsy that was needed, she had to settle for trying to call the elusive detective.

Hitting the appropriate speed dial, she waited for the call to go though. At her desk, Beckett glanced at the vibrating phone, noted the caller ID, and hit 'ignore', a secretive smile slipping out before she regained control of her features.

Lanie heard the phone ring a couple of times, and then go to voicemail. About to hang up in frustration, she paused, something out of place prodding at her. The message was not the same as it had been last week, she was sure of it. Up until now, Beckett's voicemail was a no-nonsense, all-business message, but now...? She almost dropped her phone as her friend's recorded voice came through the phone, light, cheerful, and almost terminally happy.

"Hi, you have reached Kate Castle. If you can't get either me or Rick, leave a message, and we'll get back to you..."

"Girl, you got some serious explaining to do!" Lanie's voice echoed around the morgue as she fired a quick text to Esposito, telling him to see if he could get a look at Beckett's left hand, looking specifically for something shiny.

5:15pm Wednesday, 12th Precinct

Logging off her computer, Beckett walked over to Esposito's desk as she checked her phone for messages. Slipping it into her bag, she addressed the other detectives.

"Hey guys, do you have plans after work tonight?" Looking at the clock, he and Ryan looked back to her, startled that she was voluntarily leaving the office before 7pm, and even seemed… cheerful about it.

"No plans, boss." Esposito replied. "What's up?"

"Me either…" Ryan chipped in.

"We were wondering if you guys, Lanie and Jenny included of course, wanted to come over for pizza and poker…"

"I am assuming by 'we', you mean…" Esposito asked, his eyes darting to the sparkling rings gracing her ring finger.

"Rick and I, of course." She replied, a 'what a silly question that was' look on her face.

"Um, Beckett, isn't your place a little small for us all?" Ryan queried, curiosity aflame.

"Not the apartment, Ryan. Why would I drag you guys back there? I meant at home… you know? The loft? Casa del Castle?" She glanced at the clock again, and headed for the elevator. "Food should be ready by seven, guys! See you later!" With that, she pulled out her phone, a happy smile covering her face the elevator doors closed as the two stunned detectives heard a faint "On my way home now, hun, see you soon…" before the rest was cut off by the closing doors.

7:00pm Wednesday, The Loft

Ryan, Jenny, Lanie and Esposito stood in front of the door to the Loft, plainly still wondering what the hell was up with Beckett and Castle. After a few seconds of silence, they looked at each other before Esposito rang the bell.

Moments later, Beckett opened the door, wearing an emerald green scoop-neck top, black slacks, and an apron.

"Hey guys!" She greeted them, a cheerful grin teasing the edges of her mouth. "Pizza is in the oven, beer is in the fridge... Come in and make yourselves comfortable." Wiping her flour-covered hands down the front of her apron, she tucked an errant wisp of hair behind her ear and led them inside. As she turned around and made her way back to the kitchen, none of them could fail to notice a pair of flour hand-prints on her bottom. Lanie's trained eyes did the math, and realised that the thumbs were in the middle of the prints, meaning somebody had reached around her and placed them from in front of Beckett, and they were too large to belong to any of the other residents of the Loft, not that they would have done so...

Kate walked over to the kitchen sink and rinsed her hands off as Castle wiped his own hands off on the backside of his faded blue jeans, and grabbed a six-pack out of the fridge to share out. Passing the drinks out to the others, who had made their way over to the couches and sat down, Castle twisted the top off his beer. He was about to raise it to his mouth, when Beckett's arms snaked around his waist from behind, one filching the cold bottle from his hands, the other hugging him tightly. Quickly, he spun in her grasp as she loosened her hold slightly and managed to take a mouthful of beer before his arms wrapped around her, lifting. Keeping his momentum going, Castle spun full-circle and placed a giggling Kate back on the ground. Her mirth was cut off as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a brief, searing kiss.

"Ok you two!" Lanie snapped, finally driven beyond the point where she could control her tongue any longer. "Cut the tonsil-hockey, and start explaining..."

Their faces slightly flushed from the intensity of the kiss, Castle and Beckett reluctantly broke their mouths away, giving their friends identical looks of embarrassment.

Castle flopped down into his large, comfy armchair, resting his right arm across the back as Beckett slid onto his lap and leaned back into his chest. His beer in his left hand, Castle took another mouthful, looked at his partner and they nodded to each other. They turned and looked at the rest of the group, massive smiles on their faces.

"You guys didn't seem to have caught on about us, so we thought we'd make things a little bit more obvious for you..." Kate barely held back a chuckle as she explained. "A month ago, Rick and I decided we had wasted enough time avoiding our feelings. We didn't want to make an issue of it, so we kept it under wraps for a while. We both thought you guys would have twigged to it by now, but since you hadn't, we thought what better way to let you in on it that a bunch of clues some of the best detectives in the NYPD should be able to follow blindfolded?"

"So what about that rock on your finger, girl?" Lanie demanded. "Don't tell me you two already-"

"No, Lanie." Castle cut her off. "That, and Kate's voicemail were just us messing with you guys, to see how far we could go before you all came right out and said something about it all."

"So you sure aren't...?"

"No, Lanie." Kate echoed Rick's words as she absently ran her fingers over the rings, quietly marvelling at how right they felt, her mind whirling as she ran through all the things her and Castle had done and said during the day, assessing they way she had felt, casually discussing domestic arrangements, organising their lives together, happy with each other, being happily in love. Even if most of it was in the name of a prank, she was swept away by how not freaked out she was about it all, how it seemed like they had been doing it for ages already. A second's pause, and she snuggled her head up against Castle's cheek, the scent of cherries filling his nose as she burrowed slightly deeper against him. Looking up at him, she saw in his face the same contentment that she felt filling her. Seeing his eyes flick to the rings she was caressing, and then back to meet her own gaze, she continued quietly. "We're not married, or engaged... yet. Although I think I could easily get used to being a Castle..."

For all the words that they had bottled up throughout the day, none of their friends could bring themselves to break the silence as Castle gently took Kate's left hand in his right, running his thumb over her knuckles, stroking the rings. Looking her in the eyes, he whispered to her, not caring that they were with company, his words intended only for the extraordinary woman by his side.

"We should probably take care of that sooner rather than later though, I'd rather not wait another three years..."