Happy birthday, Beckett!

[thebestseller]

WHO: Castle thebestseller, Beckett themuse, and you!
WHAT: It's Beckett's birthday, so Castle feels like she needs a little fun and decides to throw a party for her. The fact that she doesn't know about it is just a bonus.
WHEN: Backdated slightly to November 17th
WHERE: The conference room at the precinct
WARNINGS: Everyone on the island is invited, so please, feel free to show up and mingle. There won't be any alcohol, as it's at the police station, unless someone brings it, but then you might get arrested for disorderly conduct, oh, my...

---

Keeping secrets was one of Castle's skills, he thought. And keeping them from Beckett was a nearly impossible task, so when he was able to actually do it, he felt quite proud of himself.

It was sheer luck that he managed to smuggle an entire party into the precinct under her nose, however- but then again, it wasn't much, because he knew she wouldn't want much, and the part where he was even throwing her a surprise party could be delicate to begin with. But there was cake- two cakes, in fact, a handsome red velvet and a chocolate cake Castle had baked himself- some sandwiches and other assorted snacks, and coffee, and hot chocolate, and balloons and presents.

It wasn't the grand party he felt like she deserved, but he hoped she would, at least, enjoy herself.

Now he had to hope people showed up.

Comments

[themuse]

Beckett was looking forward to nothing more than a quiet cup of coffee with Castle. She was well aware of the fact it was birthday, and even more aware - and thankful - that Castle wasn't going to make a big deal out it. He had been acting a little weird, of course, but his offer to take to her to coffee, mixed with the fact that she had told him she had to work that night, quelled her fears.

But there was one thing that had put a damper on her day. Kate had taken an hour to work out with Rose - which had been well needed - but the younger woman hadn't been kidding when she said she had superhuman strength. And Kate had learned that the hard way.

So she was, uncharacteristically, sporting a pair of dark sunglasses to hide the developing black eye she had earned when she entered the cafe. Kate looked around for Castle, offering a wave when she saw him and coming up to his table.

"Hey, sorry I'm late."

[thebestseller]

"Hey. Going incognito?" Castle asked casually, nodding toward her. "I think it helps give you an aura of mystique, so I'm not going to object. What can I get for you? I know your usual, but it doesn't hurt to not assume."

He was careful to not seem too anxious to get to the point, not wanting to tip his hand quite yet. Wouldn't do to spoil the surprise.

[themuse]

If she hadn't been wearing sunglasses, her glare would have probably tore right through him.

"My usual is fine," she said, sitting down and crossing her arms. "I'm sorry, I have to get back to the precinct soon anyway."

[thebestseller]

"Oh, in that case, let me get it to go and I'll come with you," said Castle, infusing his voice and his smile with all the charm he could muster before going to order. "You know, escort you back like a gentleman."

[themuse]

"Gentleman, Castle? Really?" Kate just raised her eyebrows, and without thinking, took off her sunglasses. "That's fine, anyway, there's some stuff I wanted to run by you about that home invasions case."

[thebestseller]

"Yes. I can be downright gallant whenever the mood strikes me," he replied, then frowned as he saw the bruise forming around her eye. He gently reached over, letting his fingers hover over it, but not touching it. "Hey, what happened to your eye?"

[themuse]

Beckett flinched back a little in response, and then rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Rose. We decided on a little kickboxing practice and... Well, the girl can pack a punch, that's for sure." The worst part wasn't even the bruise itself; that didn't hurt nearly as much as her wounded pride.

[thebestseller]

Castle held in a laugh, not wanting to put Kate in a bad mood, and instead looked sympathetic.

"At least you'll be careful next time, huh? And it doesn't make you any less attractive," he added, reaching over to softly kiss above her bruised eye.

[themuse]

Kate almost flushed at the act, her eyes sweeping the coffee shop instinctively. She brought her eyes back to his and smiled.

"I didn't know you were a fan of the tough guy look, Castle."

[thebestseller]

"I'm a fan of any look on you," he replied, smiling and thanking the barista when her coffee was done, then turning to offer it to her after he'd paid. "Shall we?"

[themuse]

She took the coffee and smiled, shaking her head. "And to think, I was starting to think about lipstick. And all I needed to do was let a vampire slayer beat the snot out of me."

Kate nodded to the door, indicating he could lead the way.

[thebestseller]

Castle did so, giving her a cocky smirk.

"I wouldn't say no to the lipstick. But I don't think it'd be easy to find a shade that complements bruises, either."

[themuse]

Kate was about to say that it was too bad Lanie wasn't here - if anyone knew what shade of lipstick to set off a black eye, it would be her - but Kate caught herself just in time. She wasn't thrilled with the prospect of wishing anyone home here, and she was even less thrilled with bringing up home at all. It had become easier to just not talk about it.

"Well, guess you're gonna just have to be happy with the regular old Kate Beckett face then, Castle."

[thebestseller]

"Aww, darn," Castle replied with mock disappointment, kissing softly above the bruised eye again. "Because I didn't already absolutely adore it before."

[themuse]

"Castle, we're in public," she chastised, but her tone was entirely playful. She didn't have any idea how he could possibly adore her as much as he did, but at the same time, she was pretty glad for it.

Her coffee in hand, she started walking towards the precinct, but she stole a glance at him out of the corner of her eye. "So... You coming by tonight?"

[thebestseller]

Castle loved glances like that. Even if they were in public and she didn't want any overt displays of affection, they were plenty enough for him.

"Absolutely. But I'm going to follow you to work first. I haven't done that in a long time, you know."

[themuse]

She laughed and nodded, not even trying to hide that she enjoyed his company anymore. It didn't seem worth the effort, especially now that he knew otherwise.

"Actually... I've been meaning to bring that up. I know we're kind of working this home invasion case together but once that's over... Maybe you wouldn't mind still following me to work sometimes." She stopped walking and turned to face him, sighing heavily. "I miss having you around."

What she wanted to say was that she was better when he was around. He made her better.

[thebestseller]

Castle also stopped, and he couldn't hide his excitement at the idea. Not only would his surprise party plan work, maybe he could actually go back to doing something.

"I'd like that," he replied. "It'd help me stop feeling so useless, to tell you the truth."

[themuse]

Beckett just shook her head. "Castle, you're not useless." She started walking again, and took a sip of her coffee. "Annoying, maybe. Way too excited about the idea of working with me again, yes. But not useless."

[thebestseller]

"... Well, that's nice of you to say. I've certainly felt that way, though," Castle admitted. "Maybe not useless, but a little too complacent is a better way of phrasing it."

[themuse]

"Yeah, well... It's hard to not get complacent here." She mostly meant it was hard to not get complacent when things seemed to be going so well for them. Just a couple months ago she was desperate to get off the island, but since their first night together, this was almost starting to feel like a reprieve. One she was getting used to way too quickly. "They've set this place up to make it impossible for us to really do anything," she continued. "You can't blame yourself for that."

[thebestseller]

"Yeah... but I still could have tried harder." Castle shrugged and took a long drink of coffee before putting an arm around her waist. Nothing too obvious, but still a gesture of affection nonetheless. "But I try not to spend too much time thinking of the could-haves and should-haves either."

[themuse]

It was a bold movement in Kate's book, but she didn't shrug him away. If they were going to work together, Kate figured she would probably have to be upfront with Shepard about it eventually. But considering the way of the island, she had a feeling fraternization wasn't as much of an issue here and it was back home.

"Yeah, well, I think about them a lot, and Castle..." She pressed her lips together. "You know, if we were home... We probably wouldn't be... together."

[thebestseller]

Castle looked away at that, though he didn't take his arm off her, much as he suddenly wanted to.

"... Probably not," he agreed softly. "But things change. Things have changed here, things have happened that I could never have imagined, and something shifted in our favor."

[themuse]

"What happened is I almost lost you."

It was out of her mouth before she even realized she'd said it. She stopped walking, turning to look at him again. The grip she had around her coffee cup had suddenly become tighter.

"Things at home... They were complicated for me, Castle. It wasn't about you. But being here, especially after..." She gestured to her chest, not wanting to actually say especially after I almost died. "It gave me a little perspective. It made me realize the things I wanted in my life even if it's still taking me some time to accept them." She pursed her lips together. "I broke up with Josh."