Beckett is with Demming and Castle thinks he's lost her. It hurts him so he and Demming have an unofficial competition to see who can win her affection.
•••
It's time to feel the rush to push the dangerous
I'm gonna run right to, to the edge with you
Where we'll both fall far in love
Lady Gaga - The Edge Of Glory
•••
Castle felt his shoulders drop as he saw her with him. They looked happy and it killed him. It made his insides flip and his mouth go sour. He was defeated. He lost. And he couldn't bare it, yet there was nothing he could do but wish her the best and still stand by her side. Because maybe, one day, if his wildest dreams come true, she could see what's in front of her and be with him. But that was very unlikely. Very. Unlikely.
"Castle?" His thoughts were bursted when he saw a smiling Beckett staring down at his in his chair, with a just as happy Tom Demming, with his arm wrapped around Kate's shoulder. It was clear that they were very happy.
"Huh?" He asked, trying to hold back his sad expression.
"I'm heading out, it's late anyways. So go home, and get a good nights sleep, ok?" She couldn't seem to wipe the giddy happiness off of her face, which only made her look even more beautiful. He just wished that smile was for him. But it wasn't.
"Why, detective Beckett, ending early on a Wednesday night, I must be in a parallel universe." He joked, hoping that it would make his breaking heart seem unprovable.
"Oh shush, just be happy you don't have to sit and watch me do paperwork."
"I actually wouldn't have minded." He frowned.
"Oh-" she muttered, kind of caught off guard, "well maybe tomorrow, but-good night." She tried to create her bright smile once more, but it was clear that she had caught on to the hurt that was burning inside him.
"Night." He smiled. It wasn't very convincing for her or for him, but for now, it would have to do.
He too stood and put on his jacket before walking over to the elevator with them. He wanted to take the stairs, only God knows how much he wanted to take the stairs. But if he did, it would only cause more controversy between him and Beckett which is something he definitely didn't want. She would ask him questions and he would get upset and probably end up saying something he would regret. So he grew a pair and hopped into the elevator with them.
The whole agonizing ride down consisted of them whispering in each other's ears, and giggling, while he placed careful kisses onto her cheek and down her jaw, to her neck. She did stop him though, because the two of them were still 'at work.'
Finally though, the elevator reached the bottom floor and opened for the three of them to leave, one in a taxi, and two in a car. Rick was in the taxi.
When he got home he went to bed alone, nursing a bottle of scotch, with only one woman on his mind. That of Katherine Beckett.
As morning approached Castle woke with a jolt to a knocking on his door. He sat up and wiped the slight drool off of his chin. He then trudged over to the door and unlocked it, pulling it back revealing the person standing before him.
It was her. The only woman on his mind.
"Beckett? Uh-what are you doin' here?" He asked standing back allowing her to enter his loft in the early hours of the morning. Actually, it was 9:40, not really early to her, but definitely early for him.
"I just wanted to apologize for last night." She stated, keeping her eyes at the floor, to afraid to meet his.
"Apologize for what?" Castle asked, not 100% sure where she was going, but having a good idea.
"Demming and me. We-we were being unprofessional and it was wrong, and it obviously bothered you." She said regretfully looking for his eyes, but this time it was him who was averting his vision.
"It's fine." He shrugged, trying to play it off as no big deal.
"No, it's not fine Castle. You were obviously bothered by it, and you're important to me and I don't want to make you feel off-or-or-"
"Bothered."
"Bothered. So I came here to say I'm sorry. It's been eating me up all night."
"Don't worry about it, I promise."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Well, then let me take-"
"No, I'm fine. You don't need to prove anything to me."
"Are you sure? Is there at least one thing I can do for you? Anything at all. Name it and I'll do it."
"Anything?" He rose an eyebrow.
"Anything." She repeated.
"Take me out to breakfast. There's this cafe down the street that has a goat cheese omelette that I hear is to die for, and it just so happens that I haven't had it yet."
"An omelette? That's all you want?"
"A goat cheese omelette. And yes. That is all I want."
"Deal. Want to go now?"
"Yeah just let me get changed."
As the pair headed out onto the streets of New York together, walking to the cafe to get some morning energy and work up an appetite, they were met with silence. But instead of their normal comfortable silence this one was—dare I say it—awkward. The two of them had never experienced and awkward silence except for when she was giving him the silent treatment. Of course it unnerved the both of them, but it especially bothered Kate, whom felt responsible for this whole situation to begin with. She just wanted them to go back to the way they were.
As they reached the cafe that Castle pointed out, they walked in and were quickly sat in a corner booth next to the window. Castle sat on one side and Beckett on the other. Other times when they had gone out to eat, they had sat on the same side and just picked off each other's plates like they were already a couple. But this time was drastically different.
"So what are you going to get?" Kate asked, trying an icebreaker, but soon realizing her flaw.
"Um-," Rick coughed uncomfortably, "the goat cheese omelette..."
"Oh-right, duh. That was pretty stupid of me to ask." She somewhat cringed looking down at the table allowing her hair to hide her embrassement.
"It's fine, really." Castle shrugged.
"Hello guys, my name is Tyra, and I'll be serving you folks today. I just want to let you know that I'm new and nervous and apologize in advance if I screw anything up." Tyra—The young peppy high school student—replied.
"Hello." Castle replies with a smile versus Kate's simple 'hi.'
"So can I start you two off with some drinks?"
"I'll have some coffee and orange juice please." Castle asked.
"Coffee for me please." Beckett responded.
"Okie dokie, now here are your menus and I'll be back with your drinks shortly." She smiled before handing them their menus and trotting off.
Once again an erupting silence fell over the pair and all that could be heard was the scraping of forks and knives and the distant chatter of other patrons of the diner.
"Did you have a good night last night?" Kate asked, quickly hiding her face behind her menu at the ridiculousness of her question.
"Beckett are we really going down this path?" Castle groaned.
"What path?"
"You trying to make conversation because you feel bad. I'm a grown man, I can carry my own weight. And as far as you and Demming go, well-that's your business."
"Well you're not acting like it."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rick asked with bitterness.
"It means whenever Demming's around you get your boxers in a twist and pout."
"That is not true." He groaned.
"Yes it is! You act like you're so humble all the time but your just a scared little boy not being able to share. Do you really think you're the only man I spend time with!" She scolded.
"Do you really think you know me that well!" He retorted.
"Oh don't be so acrimonious, Rick, we both know you're a pretentious jerk when you don't get your way."
"Why are you going off on a tangent? We're here because you supposedly felt guilty about me watching you getting felt up by your boyfriend."
"How immature are you-" Kate was cut off by the waitress delivering their drinks but barely even noticed with their overheating and arising argument.
"Here is your orange juice and coffee, and your coffee. Now are you two ready to order?"
"Why can't you just accept my apology!" Kate said with exasperation.
"Why can't you just see what's right in front of you!" Rick retorted!
"Folks-"
"I'm not hungry." Kate finished slamming her hands down on the table and stood up, removing herself from the booth, and hurried out of the door. The bell ringing as the door opened and closed on her way out.
Castle sat there, his face in his hands, a sigh slipping from his lips.
"Can I just have the check please?"
"Um-yeah, of course. I'll just-take these." Tyra smiled shyly whilst taking back the two menus.
///
"Why can't he just act normal!" Kate steamed, pacing back and forth I get living room whilst Tom sat cross legged with a wine glass in his hand.
"I don't know, but you shouldn't let it ruin your night. Our night." He replied trying to hand her her glass. Beckett gladly took it and downed it, placing the empty glass down on the end table.
"I just don't understand how he can't see how immature he's being."
"Who cares about him! He's not your boyfriend and he's not your father so he not important. Sooo," Demming said slyly, standing up and making his way over to his girlfriend and wrapping his palms around her waist, "why don't we just drop this though and go to the bedroom for some heat of our own?"
"No thanks, I'm not in the mood." Beckett sighed as she removed his hands from and headed towards the bathroom, closing the door and locking herself inside.
///
The next day the precinct atmosphere was different. A bad different. Beckett had arrived earlier in the morning, not to do work, but to sit and think. She couldn't stay at her home, if she did then she would sulk and never leave. But she couldn't just pity herself and her decisions. She had to do something about it, she had to bury her emotions and move on. Even if it meant that Castle and her weren't on good terms.
She had just finished getting herself coffee when she spotted Demming. He was sitting in Castle's chair. Castle's chair. It shouldn't bother her but it did. She didn't want anyone taking away from him and his charm and effort to please. She was in the wrong. But he was also in the wrong. They were both wrong and two negatives make a positive. She just wanted her Castle back.
"Hey Becks." Demming smiled.
"Hi." She shrugged sitting down at her desk, suppressing the urge to tell him to move from the chair.
"Is this ordeal with Rick still bothering you? Kate he's not worth it. He's not worth the ten million dollars that the internet says he's worth." Tom scoffed leaning back in the chair.
"What do you have against him?"
"Nothing, I have nothing against him, I just don't understand why you're so close to him. I'm your boyfriend."
"Can we not talk about this right now?"
"No! We are going to talk about this right now. He shouldn't be bothering you this much. He's only your partner. Just your friend and you're acting like he's something more than that...is he something more than that?"
"I don't know. No. He's not."
"Well you don't sound very sure of your self."
"Castle is my friend, that's all. You're my-my boyfriend."
"I'm going to give you an ultimatum."
"Why?"
"I can't handle this back and forth between him and me. So I'm making you choose. Him. Or me."
"Tom-"
Him. Or. Me."
///
It was now noon and Kate was left with her stomach in her throat. She needed to talk to Castle, but she didn't expect him to stop by the precinct of his own free will so she had called him and left him a message telling him that his presence was needed promptly. She had told him to meet her at 11:00. And it was 12:15. She didn't want this to be put off any longer. It was already killing her. Testing her lungs and tearing her insides apart. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Beckett got up out of her desk chair and headed slowly into the break room and shut the door halfway. She sat down at the table and pushed her palms into her forehead unable to get the screaming headache to leave her body. And all of a sudden she felt emotional, but her emotions were pushed back down when the break room door squeaked open.
It was Castle.
"I got your message." He said dryly.
"I see that."
"I would've come sooner but I was still deciding whether to come or not."
Alright, Kate thought, if he's going to be childish so can I. But then she thought some more. I can't give into him, it's not worth the pain.
"I want to apologize for yesterday."
"Is that it? Is that what was so urgent?"
"No."
"Oh." Castle met her eyes with a subtle shock. Was she going to tell him something that would actually bring fear into him?
"I was talking with Demming this morning-"
"Of course you were."
"And we got into a disagreement. About you."
"Why does that not surprise me. I seem to be the topic of conversation for everyone lately."
"Are you capable of letting go of you ego for one goddamn second?" She snapped.
"What is this about, Beckett."
"Us."
"Is there even an us?"
"You tell me. You come here everyday and follow me around like I'm the mother duckling. Yet you make no move to go beyond that. Demming gave me a final solution. He told me that I had to chose. Him or you..." she paused to take in the features of the man she had grown close too, he looked scared, "and, after I thought about it i realized something, and I tried to figure out if you were worth it or not," she paused once more and knew her answer, "and I chose you.
"Y-you did?"
"Mm-hm."
"Jesus, Kate you nearly gave me a heart attack."
"I had to get you back." She smiled.
"So you chose me?"
"Of course, Castle, are you stupid, I would always choose you. I'm Sorry."
"No, no. Don't be sorry. I'm glad you chose me."
"Yeah..."
"And I'm sorry too."
"We were both in the wrong." She smirked.
"We both fucked up pretty bad."
"But look what it led us to."
"What?"
"A new beginning."
"For us?"
"For us."
OK MY LOVELIES THATS IT FOR THIS CHAPTER IF YOU HAVE ANY ONE SHOT IMAGINATION YOU WANT TO SEE WRITTEN OUT DONT HESITATE TO COMMENT! LOVE YOU ALL
:)