Fic: Spontaneous Combustion (Pt. 5 of The Courtship of Richard Castle)
Title: Spontaneous Combustion (Pt. 5 of The Courtship of Richard Castle)
Rating: T
Genre: Romance/Friendship
Characters: Castle, Beckett
Word Count: ~4500 words
Summary: In whichn which Martha finally makes an appearance, lots of talking about serious things takes place and two people make out.
Spontaneous Combustion
In which Martha finally makes an appearance, lots of talking about serious things takes place and two people make out.
00000
The smells that were wafting around Beckett were pleasantly mouth-watering. If she had been worried about doing this before, she definitely wasn't anymore. She stopped stirring the pot, removing the wooden spoon and turned down the heat to allow the sauce to simmer.
Contrary to popular belief, she was actually a decent cook. It was merely the fact that she barely had the time to do it that she resorted to surviving off take out and leftovers. On the rare days that she found herself free from work, cooking had been one of her favourite things to do besides curling up with a good book. It reminded her of her mother and of a time when everything hadn't yet been tinged with the darkness of life she would later come to be so familiar with.
It was with this in mind the fond memory of her time with her mother that she decided to cook for him as a way to figure out the source of their earlier misunderstanding. Beckett had surprised Martha and Alexis when she arrived, arms laden with groceries and had insisted that she cook them dinner. The two redheads invited her in with open arms, fussing over the groceries and dinner ideas, the wine that would go with the meal and Beckett never felt more welcome in the loft.
It remained unspoken but the two of them knew that Beckett's sudden appearance at the loft could only be attributed to something that had happened with Castle. The younger Castle had the sense to stay out of Beckett's business, opting to move upstairs to her room after Beckett resolutely refused to let her help with anything. Martha however, possessed no such decorum. She poked and prodded, both subtly and not-so-subtly until finally, after an hour of trying to distract the older woman by making her taste-test every single thing, Beckett relented.
"I need to explain something to him, and it's not something that I want to wait around to do," she sighed. She proceeded to briefly outline their semi-date that morning, concluding with her mistake of staring at Josh's bike and Castle's weird if not somewhat rude apology.
"I think it's a very nice thing to do, dear. He doesn't deserve someone like you," she said. "He will be home soon; he mentioned that his meetings will only run till just before dinner, so if you really want to surprise him, I hope you're almost finished."
A quick glance at the clock later, she nodded and smiled at Martha. "I just wanted to talk, that's all. And this … it's just pasta."
"Oh, honey, haven't you learned? With my son, it's never just anything. You, making dinner for him and his family? He's going to talk about this one for a very long time. You better be prepared," she smirked at Beckett and slinked away, leaving Beckett to her own devices.
00000
To say that Castle was surprised would have been a huge understatement. Beckett didn't answer the door when he rang the buzzer to his own apartment - his hands were too full of paperwork for him to open the door himself - but the sly glint in Alexis' eyes as she greeted her father had alerted him to the fact that something was definitely amiss.
It was obvious though, that whatever it was that he had imagined in his head, it definitely hadn't involved the image of Beckett, standing over his stove, stirring slowly and humming to herself. He let his bundle of papers flutter to the ground, his laptop bag sliding off his shoulder as he stood agape at the scene before him.
"Beckett?"
She turned around and flashed him a brief smile. "Hey, Castle. Dinner is almost ready."
He strode briskly to her, simultaneously motioning to Alexis to take over the stirring and he grasped Beckett's free hand. She let out a startled gasp, but he was already dragging her away from the kitchen and into his study. He slid the door shut and turned back to her, confused and looking slightly frazzled.
"I don't understand," he said. "What are you doing here?"
Beckett bit her lip, chewing on it thoughtfully before she moved to one of his armchairs to lean against it.
"I really thought we'd have dinner, then do this, Castle."
"I've just spent the longest five hours of my life discussing the most menial aspects of business and promotional details. Please excuse me if I'm not quite thrilled to be entertaining right now," he snapped bitterly.
Beckett realised then that he was more than slightly annoyed at her - something she hadn't counted on. He was staring at her determinedly, waiting for some form of explanation and Beckett rolled her eyes.
"We didn't have lunch, so I thought we could have dinner together."
"Right. So you thought you'd just come over and start making what seems to be the best smelling pasta sauce in the world?"
"What else do you want me to say, Castle? Give me some help here, because I've got no clue. I'm making you dinner, because we missed lunch, the circumstances for which by the way, is really confusing, because this morning I thought we were enjoying ourselves until for some odd reason you said you were sorry that we spent this morning with each other!"
He brought his hand up to rub against his face, clearly exhausted from the day's events and she felt slightly guilty for snapping at him. He rolled his neck and sighed heavily.
"Are you over Josh?" The question was so unexpected that it took her several seconds for it to sink in.
"Wh-What does that have to do with anything I just said?"
The moment the words were out of her mouth, she knew it had been the wrong thing to say. She backpedalled.
"I mean - okay, I'm answering your question. Yes, I'm over him. I'm moving on from that part of my life." She brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. "Hopefully, moving on to better things." She added, gazing meaningfully at him.
His eyes met hers from across the room, the implications of her words not lost upon him. He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly there was a soft knock on the door and a redhead poked itself into the area. Beckett was slightly disappointed that the moment had been lost, but then reminded herself that the night was still young. She grinned at Alexis, reassuring the young girl that no one had been killed or maimed in anyway - and received a similar smile in return.
"Dinner's ready guys. Grams says that if you two don't hurry up, she'll have to miss dinner and leave for that thing in that place with that guy. Or something."
Castle let out a hearty chuckle, the first of the evening, and Beckett couldn't ignore the warm fuzzy feeling that spread through her when she heard the heartfelt laughter.
"Right, dinner it is then. Let's see if her dinner making skills are comparable to her breakfast making ones, shall we?" He said, straightening up and holding out his hand to lead them out. Beckett stepped in front of him, exiting his office. His earlier irritation seemed to have been forgotten as she felt the soft touch of his hand resting on the small of her back while they walked to the kitchen. She leaned back into it, enjoying the thrill of once again feeling his hand on her.
00000
All her hopes of being able to take some food back to her place as leftovers were dashed when she realised the Castles were really, really big eaters. She already knew Castle could eat, but Alexis and Martha both polishing off third helpings of the pasta made her think that it was most probably in the genes.
"Best. Pasta. Ever."
"Dad, you don't have to repeat that so many times, I think we get the point," Alexis flicked her father's ear, eliciting a playful scowl from him. He pulled away from his daughter, leaning towards Beckett across the table and winked.
"Still the best pasta ever."
"Thanks, Castle. I'm glad you guys liked it," she said, suddenly self-conscious. Everyone had ooh-ed and aah-ed while they had been eating, and Beckett was quickly running out of variations of 'thank you's that she could reply them with.
"I'd get you to give me the recipe, darling, but I won't because it means you'd just have to come over to make it for us whenever we feel like it," Martha said as she stood up and started to clear up the dinner table. Beckett moved to help her, but Alexis and Castle both shook their heads and glared at her.
"You made dinner, we clean up. It's the least we can do," Alexis told her. "Grams and I have got this dad, we don't need you to help either."
Castle looked up at his daughter, surprised. Beckett watched as some sort of silent communication took place between father and daughter, eyebrows were raised, heads were tilting, fingers were subtly pointing.
Interesting.
It seemed Castle had lost whatever argument they were silently having though, because she found him suddenly standing behind her, pulling her chair out as she stood up. Chivalry certainly wasn't dead in the Castle household.
"Um. They don't need us helping, so ... you think maybe you want to finish that conversation now?"
Even after three years, his way of getting straight to the point - when it didn't involve some form of weaving an intricate story - still came as a surprise. He never hesitated to tell her she looked good (hot) or that she always had someone to talk to (call me) or that she could count on him to be there for her (always). It seemed that the same bluntness applied to initiating potentially awkward conversations as well.
They moved into the office again, this time opting to lean against his desk side by side facing his enormous bookshelf.
"You didn't overstep this morning, you know?" She began. "There was no need to be sorry. For any of it."
Castle looked at her, furrowing his eyebrows. "I … I know you've said it - that I'm the one, yeah. But, sometimes it's just hard to believe for me. I know you meant it when you said it, and I'm not saying - God, I'm making such a mess out of this."
He was nervous, she could tell. His usual eloquence with words had departed him and he was not making much sense. She reached out and grasped his hand in hers, raising it so their joined hands were in his line of sight.
"Do you see this? Am I pulling away from you? When you practically dragged me all over the bookstore with your arms around me, when we got lunch two days ago, when I kissed you in the elevator at the precinct - does any of that say that I'm not enjoying myself with you?"
"… No."
"Then why the hell are you sorry for any of that?"
"I - I don't know, Beckett."
The confusion in his face was adorable. It was clear that he'd been astonished by her sudden tirade, but she wasn't going to take any of it back. He was biting his lip and he had a faraway look on his face, as if he was trying to form the sentences in his head before saying them out loud. It was a first for him, thinking before he spoke, and it was this fact that made her realise that whatever that came out from his mouth next would be big.
"It's just that you said you weren't ready yet," Castle said carefully. "I was just … waiting. I didn't want to make you less ready by pushing for something you weren't comfortable with. And I didn't want … you looked at Josh today like - "
Oh hell no. Not again. Gotta nip this in the bud, Katie.
"Stop. Stop right there, okay? I told you I'm over Josh. Please, at the very least understand that. That look, the one you saw on my face before you ditched me at Remy's? It was because I haven't been out on my bike in a long time, and I kind of miss it a little. The bike riding, okay? Not Josh."
The change in him was astounding. It was the smile that graced his face first, then the crinkle of his eyes when the smile morphed into a wide grin - his shoulders sagging as if a heavy weight had been lifted from him.
"I don't know why you're so surprised, I told you then that it wasn't Josh," she muttered. "But I'm going to assume that you were just not listening. As usual."
"Hey, I listen!" He protested. He glanced pointedly back down at their clasped hands and squeezed. "I listened when you said you're okay with this, and that I shouldn't be sorry for it."
"Yeah."
"Kate?"
"Castle."
His smile hadn't completely disappeared, but it was now accompanied by a look of sincerity that sent her heart racing. He moved from his place beside her to stand face to face with her. His gaze was unwavering, even as he moved closer, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I need to say something else."
"Okay," she said, completely at a loss as to what he was trying to get at.
"I know we've had this conversation before, but … when you're ready for us, I really need you to be sure about it. You must know that for me, you're it. And if you'll allow me, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to prove it to you. There's no turning back for me, Beckett."
She heard him suck in a shaky breath at his admission and realised that in that moment, he'd played every single one of his cards and everything else was now left up to her.
All or nothing, Katie. The pain of the summer she never spoke of was nearly gone, it didn't hurt to think about it anymore - and she'd come to terms with the fact that in that case, she hadn't been totally blameless either. Here stood the man whose support had been steadfast and resolute for the better part of three years. Here stood the man who had saved her life, lived with her, almost died with her, wrote three freaking books based on her - and here he was promising to be with her for the rest of his life.
God, she'd been so blind. So fucking, goddamned -
"I'm ready for us, Castle."
His eyes widened in shock and she raised a finger to silence him before he had a chance to voice whatever it was on his mind. She needed to get everything out. He asked for this, and it was her turn to talk.
"If the last few days have taught me anything, it's that I have been ready. I just needed to take the time to realise it. Being with you, it makes me so … so happy, Castle. Just having coffee, browsing the store - hell, grabbing lunch with you at a hot dog stand, it makes me so insanely happy."
"I thought I was going to die in front of that dirty bomb. I was going to die. And you know what was the only thing going through my mind at the time? That it was so tragically beautiful that it was you I got to die next to. Not Josh, not my dad - not in the last few seconds anyway - not my mother's killer. It was you. That at least, if we … if we both died, then I wouldn't have had to suffer through a life without you."
She finished in a near whisper, clenching her eyes shut at the sheer intensity of the memory. She remembered the longing she'd felt when he left the precinct, wanting to go after him to erase the hurt on his face, but she had had Josh then - Josh who had cradled her trembling body, not knowing she had wished he was someone else.
"Oh, Kate," his voice belied the emotions on his face and he reached out to her, pulling her so she fell in to him, burying her nose in the crook of his shoulder. Her heart throbbed loudly against her chest, every beat magnified by the fact that oh-my-god-she'd-just-told-him-every-freakin'-thing!
Castle's fingers were weaving through her hair, her golden tresses falling between his fingers as he gently pulled her head back. Without her heels, she was nearly half a head shorter than he was and being that close to him further emphasised the height difference. She watched him. She watched him as his eyes took every detail of her face, moving from her hairline to her eyes, down to her nose and finally resting on her lips.
"Beckett?"
"Yeah, Castle?"
Her hand glided up his arm, tracing non-existent lines up his elbow, his bicep, and then coming to rest on his shoulder. His hands in turn left her hair and gravitated to her waist as if he was trying to hold himself steady while his mind short-circuited from the intensity of their contact.
"I think I'm going to kiss you now."
Beckett's eyes twinkled in delight at that and the hand on his shoulder twitched, applying a gentle pressure to bring him closer to her.
And then there were fireworks.
The moment his lips claimed hers, it was as though a million fireworks had been set off in her brain.
Sparks of desire ignited within her bloodstream as his grip on her waist tightened, pulling her flush against him.
Both her hands migrated to the back of his neck, urging him forward - deeper into their kiss. His lips moved sinfully against hers, not rough, not gentle - but so pleasantly perfect that when he brought his tongue into play, she almost wanted to tell him to go back to purely pressing his lips against hers.
Almost.
She couldn't help but let a moan of satisfaction escape her and it spurred him on, crowding her against the counter. In one swift movement, his hands lifted her effortlessly and suddenly her legs were crossed around her ankles, holding his hips tight between them. Her tongue danced with his erotically, taking everything he gave her and responding with twice as much passion.
God, she was in so much trouble.
His hips pressed into the juncture of her thighs and the movement sent another jolt of electricity through her veins. Her head was positioned slightly above his, a result of him placing her on the desk and she leaned forward, rocking against him. Her hands reached for his hair, tugging gently as she guided him to her collarbone.
"Ka-te," he hissed against her skin, eliciting a small smile from her. His hands left her waist and moved to stroke the outside of her thighs.
"No, don't stop," she groaned, pulling him to her again. "More."
Beckett didn't care if she sounded like a petulant ten year old, the things he was doing to her rendered her incapable of anything else but to demand that he continue. Her senses came alive, every touch, bite, lick - sent her nerves into a frenzy and if she was going to be brutally honest with herself, nothing, nothing she'd ever experienced before compared to the series of less-than-innocent kisses Castle was bestowing upon her.
"Beckett."
Once again he tilted his head backwards, breathing heavily. They parted slowly, though her legs remained locked loosely around his torso.
"Yeah?" she panted out between breaths, a glint of annoyance flashing in eyes.
"…better. Better than before," he mumbled.
She didn't have to think very hard about what he was referring to, after all that first kiss had been the subject of many of her dreams lately.
"Yeah. Yeah, definitely," she was still breathless, remnants of their passion coursing through her body. Why the hell had they waited so long to do that?
"Dad?"
Alexis' voice startled them both, but her legs were still around his hips and he couldn't move very much. The young red head popped her head into the office, took one look at their proximity and her face split into a wide grin.
"Seriously?" she exclaimed, not finding it awkward at all that she'd pretty much caught her dad making out with Beckett. Instead, her eyes were darting back and forth between the two of them excitedly and Beckett could tell that she was trying to suppress the full extent of her emotions.
Blushing furiously, the detective untangled her legs and gently shoved Castle away as she hopped off the desk. She straightened her top and bit her lip - it was obvious that she was going to have to take it from there seeing as how Castle hadn't quite recovered.
"Um. Yeah. Seriously," she said.
"Finally!" Alexis entered the office fully then and walked over to her father. "Oh, Grams will be so upset she missed this! I came to tell you that she had to leave to her party."
Secretly, Beckett was glad that Martha had already left. The woman was so unpredictable that catching them red handed would have most likely resulted in so much unnecessary drama, and she didn't need any more drama in her life.
"Anyway, I'll leave you two … to it then. I'll be upstairs, in my room. My door will be closed." With that, she disappeared through the doorway.
Beckett turned to Castle indignantly. "Castle, I could have used some help there!"
"You were doing fine on your own - I wasn't … uh. Couldn't think straight yet," he said apologetically. He reached out to her, but she swatted his hand away in mock irritation.
"Your daughter is going to be scarred for life," she said.
"Nah, I don't think so. She hasn't caught us having sex yet," he winked at her playfully before ducking. Beckett had sent a book from his shelf flying towards him, not amused at his attempt at humour.
"A bit presumptuous of you, assuming that we're going to have sex."
"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want a piece of me," he retorted, slowly unbuttoning his top. He was teasing her, she knew - but she couldn't tear her eyes away from his movements. Those fingers had been amazing earlier, touching and stroking and pressing so deliciously - now they were aiding in revealing more skin and oh god her mouth was so dry -
"I gotta go," she blurted out.
Castle cocked his head, the teasing glint in his eye disappearing.
"I mean, it's late, and I have to work tomorrow. Not that I regret anything that's just happened tonight," she reassured him. "And no, I'm not going to stay, because I think we've traumatised your daughter enough for one night."
He pouted. "She said she'd be in her room, with the door closed!"
Beckett laughed. Any other day, she'd probably be game enough to risk it - push the boundaries of their new found intimacy, but this night, right then - she knew if she gave in to his persistence, she'd lose any hope at all of her regaining control over her body and her senses. The entire day had been a form of foreplay for her, from their semi-date to their passionate confession to the even more passionate culmination of their confessions. She needed to pull back, regain her bearings and maybe the next day, she'd feel more in control of herself.
"Not tonight, Castle, 'kay?"
He made a show of pouting, but then nodded reluctantly. "I know. I get it. I feel it too. God, amazing isn't it?"
He'd pulled her in for a hug then and she raised herself on her toes to give him a quick peck on the lips to bid him goodnight.
Big mistake.
Before she knew it, she was backed against his shelf, the ridges of the books digging into her back uncomfortably as she tightened her legs around him. Oh, he felt so good. He was nibbling on her lower lip, sending so much pleasure shooting through her. His hands were floating beneath her shirt, caressing every inch of skin he encountered and she groaned against his lips.
"Castle," she hissed as his hand travelled lower, sliding along the waistband of her jeans. She curled her fingers in his hair, pressing him even harder against her lips. She lost herself for a moment, allowing his tongue to glide over hers - until a sharp pain shot through her back. Damn bookshelves were not conducive for making out against.
"Castle - Rick!" she tried again.
Using his first name seemed to have worked, he was pulling back and she slid down on shaky legs.
"Uh. I like that 'Rick'. You should use it more often, I think," he said hoarsely.
"Tell you what, let me get home and I'll definitely think about it," she murmured. She then shook her head. This was precisely why she needed to go home and sleep. Calling him Rick more often? Yeah, her brain obviously wasn't functioning at full capacity.
"Uh … I guess I'll walk you out then?" he offered, seemingly at a loss for words. She didn't blame him, she was finding it hard to form coherent sentences as well.
They trudged out to his front door in relative silence, and once they got there he grinned at her.
"I'll see you tomorrow then?"
She tiptoed and kissed his cheek - no way was she going near his lips again - breaking into a small smile herself.
"Until tomorrow, Rick."
00000
How was it? Out of character? In character? Too much talking? Was it hot and steamy enough? Not hot and steamy enough? Or just the right amount of hot and steaminess? Let me know :)
Thanks for reading!