First to 1000

First to One Thousand - Chapter 3

First to One Thousand - Chapter 3

The new magnetic score chart on the fridge door is not only a painful jab at his already sore ego, it's also a god darned provocation ... and where did she get it anyway? It's there for all to see ... the three columns with his and her name at the top of the first two and below, the scores ... two round, fat, pointless, useless zeros under his name ... two firm, straight ones under her name ... but no, she couldn't be satisfied with just humiliating him in public ... well as public as his fridge door gets to be ... but in the third column she has drawn in two stick figures; one in a slightly bent over position feet off the ground ... the second stick figure kicking him up the ass. And no prizes for guessing who the ass-kicking figure is ... not with those scores!

So! He needs to plan his revenge most carefully. The scores need to be levelled up and it is his turn to kick ass today! What's more, he has drawn up some rules of engagement ... he never had to do that with Alexis! Sweet girl ... but his Detective was getting just too smart for her pants ... even if they did fit her cute bum just so ... uh ... Focus Castle! .. oh yes. That's right, so, he has drawn up some rul .... Just a minute, he's already been there! ... crap! .... it's those pants of hers ... anyway, the rules stated no more unfair use of nakedness and no more Creaver mask ... in fact, if he gets his way, that freaking mask is going in the bin!

He'd texted her ... laid out the rules in abbreviated sms text; NO Flashing ( · ) ( · ) and NO Creaver!

He'd got a message back: I thought you likes my ( · ) ( · )?

Well, he did! Loved them ... but not in the middle of a laser tag game! They distracted him too much!

So here he is, waiting, and he hears the key turn. Stands up from the kitchen stool and watches her as she drops the keys in the ashtray by the door, hangs her coat up and then is in his arms, face turned up for a kiss ... and then she's telling him she needs a shower and would he get something for her to eat before they play the next round, and she's disappeared through the study door ... and shit! ... he hasn't laid the ground rules and he'd better get his act together or she'll be kicking his ass again!

She's in the bathroom and this is going to kill her. She knows its heavy ... but geez! So she looks around ... sees the bath mat and grabs it, lays it on the floor, and now if she can rock it backwards ... just like that ... and now maybe she can use her feet to slide the mat most of the way under ... and now ease it down .. ok, steady .. that looks like it might work ... now all she has to do is grab hold of the edge of the mat and pull ... shit, its awkward ... but its moving anyway and now she can drag it ... it's a bit tricky here, the floor is still wet from her shower and the mat doesn't slide as easily ... ok, at last it's in place ... but now she can't get the mat out .. well, no matter it will just have to stay there.

So now she's dried herself off, and is in yoga pants and his t-shirt that says Writers do it with their fingers and she doesn't know whether she want to eat or try out the phrase ... but she's hungry and he want to play laser tag and she can go with that ... the fingers part can be his punishment for loosing ... she really is enjoying kicking his ass!

She's looking fresh and clean and relaxed and he loves her in her skinny pants and his huge t-shirt .. especially that one and he grins at her as he pushes a plate of thinly sliced Spanish Serrano ham and a selection of cheeses across the counter, picks out a bread stick from the basket and wraps a slice of ham around it, offers it to her and she doesn't take it ... she just leans forward and slowly bites the end off, looking at him from under her lashes ... and his ground rules are out the window and winging their way down Fifth Avenue into the Forgotten what I was thinking about department store ...

She finishes the ham and a good bit of the Brie and most of the Manchego and left him the Cheddar ... and she's slipping the vest on and he's about to remember ..... and she's giving him a saucy smile, and is turning the lights off as she disappears into the study ... and it's too late, he's been played again and next time he's making sure the ground rules are set in stone before they start ...

And he knows her tactics by now, she's going to ambush him, but this time he's not going to give her time to set the ambush up, and he's into the study not long after her ... and its effing pitch black in here ... she's drawn the curtains as well as turning the lights off ... and .. Ouch! ... he's stubbed his toe on the leg of his chair and he's hopping about and if he doesn't watch it he'll be falling over and getting zapped ... so he winces and puts his foot down and ignores the pain in a very manly way ... and the bedroom is pitch black also ... no lights on and so she can't be intending to do the Mata Hari number on him again ... but he can hear water running and ... is it the shower?

He pauses in the bedroom doorway. Carefully pokes his head round the edge ... stares at the closet door .... but he thinks its closed ... not too sure in the darkness ... so he crouches down and shuffles into the room turning quickly to look behind him and almost yelps in fright ... almost but he manages to hold it down to a sort of pre-pubescent squeal crossed with a grunt ... it's the mirror ... he just remembered in time that that was the wall mirror behind him ... and the shower is still running and she's either thinking the noise will cover her creeping up behind hi ... shit! ... he has another quick glance over his shoulder ... nothing .. phew!

So he's moving up stealthily towards the bathroom door ... and its open and the sound of running water is getting louder ... and he can vaguely make out the counter ... so there must be a bit of street lighting shining through the bathroom window ... and that means he'll be able to see her if she makes a move ... and time for another quick check behind him ... nothing, too dark to make anything out ... but the lights on her vest would give her away ... she's not behind him ... so he shuffles into the bathroom ... crouched low, ready for her ... nothing.

But the shower cubicle is there and he can vaguely make her out though the frosted glass .. and she must think he's dumb if she thinks he's going to fall for the Naked Nikki Number again ... so he takes a deep breath, steels his mind against lovely breasts and curving hips and flat stomachs and ... Castle! Focus! ... and has to take another deep breath .. and then he's springing forwards and pulling open the shower door with a warrior-like yell and firing his laser before his eyes get distracted by her nake .... Boba Fett figure .....

What! Boba Fett is in the shower! How the he...

Zap!

His shoulders drop in defeat, he slowly turns around and looks at her as she stands in the bathroom doorway, vest and goggles and shoulder pads glowing ... enough to make out her mocking grin as holds the laser gun up by her head ....

"Three, zero Castle! I think I'll get your ass wall mounted and hung over my desk!"