one hundred coffees || fifty-six to sixty-five (Ch. 12 & 13)
Title: One Hundred Coffees || FF.net link
Author: gleesanatomy
Summary: The story of each and every one of those one hundred coffees that Kate owes Rick. Castle/Beckett.
Warnings/Spoilers: Dial M for Murder & An Embarrassment of Bitches
Author’s Note: I'm awful at remembering to post on LJ. FF.net gets the updates first. Then, Tumblr. Then here.
fifty-six to sixty-five
56:
Tensions are high when Kate buys a coffee after the video viewing. Well, Kate’s are. Rick’s just quiet. Eerily quiet, like he’s thinking a mile a minute about everything under the sun and can’t stop. He glances up at her for a second when she stops the car at the drive-thru Starbucks. The look in his eyes… it’s chilling, like he’s seen too much and known too much. It’s the same sort of look he gave her at the end of their first case back after the shooting. She almost wants to question it, ask what about this has him so shaken. It can’t just be his friendship with the mayor. The way he’s fighting her on this is like it’s life or death, like his entire world will fall apart if this isn’t handled properly. It’s crazy, and she doesn’t understand. She wants to ask to understand. But, instead, she hands him a cup and waits it out on the mostly silent ride back to the precinct. He doesn’t start talking until they’re in the elevator and it’s only to say that the mayor can’t be involved. Kate tunes him out and focuses. Finding this girl’s killer - Laura’s killer - is the most important thing. Nothing else matters.
57:
Rick calls her and tells her to meet up with him after the case. She figures paperwork can wait and heads to the loft. He doesn’t talk about the case. Neither does she. They start off with him offering Chinese food. Obviously, he has an ulterior motive behind this. So they eat and they talk. Martha breezes in and steals an egg roll. Alexis swipes a carton of broccoli beef. It’s calm, normal, in some alternate universe sort of way. And they’re Kate and Rick, two laid-back people enjoying dinner. Except, they can’t just enjoy dinner. They’ve got to think. Got to put together the pieces in the few brief silences. Between a bite of steamed rice, Kate thinks about the conspiracy theory. Thinks of what it reminds her of. She wonders if it’s the same ballpark. If whoever’s pulling the strings here is the same one pulling the strings for her mother’s murder and her shooting. She tries to chase the thought away, tries to forget. She’s not obsessing over that again. Not thinking about it at all.
He cuts into her thoughts. “What are you thinking?” he asks.
She shrugs. “The case. The killer. Everything.”
He gives her a look, an imploring one. “Everything everything?” And she has to wonder if she’s that obvious. Is there something that flashes across her face when she thinks about her mother?
“Yeah. But it’s nothing. It’s…” She shakes her head. It’s not crazy. She’s not hunting down firemen. She’s just questioning. It’s reasonable. “It’s not crazy, right? I mean, it fits.”
He gets this look, a brief glimpse of fear in his eyes, before he says, “It doesn’t. The only things that fit here are my chopsticks in that rice container. Hand it over.”
It’s a bad deflection technique, but she lets it happen. She lets a lot happen that she wouldn’t normally. She called him ‘Rick.’ The only other time she’s ever done that is when kidding around, but she actually called him by his first name while working. She also held back. She let her own personal fears and feelings get in the way of a murder investigation. That can’t happen. Not again.
“Castle,” she begins, and she can tell from the way his eyebrows furrow that he senses the shift in her. She hates that he can read her so well. She hates that she reads him so well. She hates a lot of things, but only because she has to, not because she wants to. “This can’t happen again.”
He feigns innocence, tries to sidetrack her again. “What? We eat out of the same containers all the time. I don’t have cooties; I promise.”
She sighs shortly. “When we’re working, all of the personal stuff can’t get in the way. Not now and especially not if-” and she stops herself because that statement is headed for dangerous territory.
“If…?”
Oh goodness, what can she say now? ‘Not if we start dating.’ ‘Not if we get married.’ ‘Not if we live happily ever after like I’m sure we will once we get all of the other bullshit out of the way.’ Not any of those. She goes for, “If we want Gates to like you. And, between you and me, I think she does.”
He hesitates before grinning smugly. He’s putting on an act for her. He says, “Oh, she totally does. Women can’t resist me.”
Kate grins. He’s kind of right. “Just for that, I’m taking the fortune cookies.” She pulls both towards her, cracking them open and popping a small piece of each into her mouth before he can protest. He frowns.
“Can I at least have my fortune?”
She looks down at the slip of paper from the cookie that was closest to him. She grins and heads for the kitchen cabinets. He watches confusedly as she pulls down a mug that doubles as a chalkboard and writes the fortune down on it. As she starts his machine, he grins. He gets it now. She walks the cup back over to him and presents him with his fortune. It reads: You are not always right.
He gives her a new look, one of pure disbelief. But it’s true. He isn’t.
58:
There’s a simple murder a few days later. The best suspect winds up being this guy who no one has seen for a week, other than their victim of course who had a very unfortunate run-in with Marco. Now, Marco always went to see a movie with his mom every Sunday. He never missed one, especially after committing a crime since it might be their last one together. So Rick and Kate decide to check the movie to find the guy. They follow his mom into the theatre, sitting a few rows back so they have full visibility of all of the entrances and exits. Their phones are on silent and it’s kind of like a date. Rick pays for the tickets, and Kate pays for the popcorn and coffee. It doesn’t help that the movie is a total chick flick. It’s sappy, and their all sorts of moments where the main characters do cute things that are eerily similar to what Rick and Kate do every day. As the movie goes on, Rick and Kate get closer and closer, whispering little comments and laughing at the same jokes. At one point, Kate turns to say something and finds Rick staring at her. They look at each other, hearing the music in the background, feel the moment approaching. It’s not clear who starts the lean, but the lean is happening. They’re so close that they can nearly taste this kiss, feel it. But then Rick spots the suspect sneaking down the aisle towards his mother. Rick hesitates, sighs, and points to the guy so Kate can see. She does and even sighs under her breath before getting up. They arrest the guy and head on back to the precinct where Esposito is waiting with a smirk.
Espo asks, “How was the movie? Or were you too busy to watch it?” Ryan makes kissing faces in the background just to clarify.
Kate says, “Definitely too busy.” As the boys drop their jaws, she adds, “You know how it is. The music’s playing, the lights are low, the suspect is there.” She gives them her sobering glare. It doesn’t work.
Ryan says, “But if the suspect wasn’t there…” He wiggles his eyebrows. Kate doesn’t even acknowledge him. She just walks into the interrogation room. Rick follows. Espo nods though.
“They’d totally be going at it. Do you see how close they’ve been?”
“But it’s not making out in the movies close. It’s maybe holding hands when you’re walking in the same direction close,” Ryan says.
Espo says, “I don’t get them. Elementary school kids move faster than they do.”
“True story.”
59:
Gates is obviously having a bad day. And by obviously, I mean she’s locked away in her office and pacing. She’s groaning and sighing and looking at the ceiling as if asking for someone to just smite her right that second so that she doesn’t have to do another damn thing. It’s a really bad day. Meanwhile, Kate starts fixing some coffee in the break room. She hands one over to Rick who takes one look at the dark swimming pool of deliciousness, snatches up a few sugar packets, and heads for the Captain’s office. He knocks twice and then presents it to her. And Gates smiles. She smiles. At Rick. It’s mind-boggling and Espo actually pinches himself because he can’t believe it just happened. Rick walks back in to the break room and only says one thing, “Irresistible.” Kate rolls her eyes.
60:
“So you’ve just won the lottery, what’s the first thing you do?”
Kate glances up at Rick, a mixture of disbelief and amusement on her face. She slides his coffee mug towards him while saying, “We’ve already talked about this, Castle.”
“No, we said what you were going to do with the money. What’s the first thing you actually do?” he asks.
She pauses. Hmm. “I don’t know, Castle. I’d probably call you.” His eyes light up. She expects him to say the same thing back at her.
“I’d call Gina.” Her face falls. He adds quickly, “And tell her that I’m ignoring her latest deadline and running off on vacation for a week.”
“Vacation, really? You have the money to go on a vacation whenever you want,” Kate says.
He nods. “Ah, but with the lottery money, I’m taking all of you on vacation. Esposito, Lanie, Ryan, Jenny, Mother, Alexis, and you.”
Okay, that’s kind of sweet. “And where are we going in this hypothetical vacation?” Kate asks.
He shrugs. “Not that far yet. I’m thinking somewhere tropical, hot.” He gives her one of his suggestive looks. “Maybe somewhere with a nude beach.”
Kate only needs to say “Alexis-” before he covers his ears and sings a little song to himself.
“La la la, never mind. Bad idea. We’re going skiing where there are many layers of clothing, so many that you can’t tell anything from anything.”
Kate laughs. She asks him, “Why are you thinking about this, Castle?”
“Because we’ve all got some vacation days coming up. I want to do something. I probably could have led with ‘what is the one place you want to go more than anywhere’ but-“
“Russia. I’d be more specific, but it’s everywhere that I studied abroad. The culture and the language were magnificent. Alexis would probably like it too.”
Rick grins. “I think that might be a bit too far fetched for what to do in two weeks. Next time?”
She nods. “Next time.”
61:
It’s a fact that ninety-nine percent of Kate’s calls are about a dead body or a case. But the other one percent go a bit differently. His phone rings and he catches it as quickly as possible. The light sounds on the other end are soft groans of frustration. That accompanied with the contact picture have Rick feeling a bit… ambivalent. He’s happy, but he’s not happy about what it could mean. What if she butt dialed him? Oh gosh. Worst thing ever.
“Castle? You there?”
He sighs himself as he hears her voice. Her normal voice. All is well. No inappropriate activities with faceless men.
He answers, “Of course. What do you need?”
There’s a lull in conversation. She’s probably thinking how to phrase whatever it is she wants. It comes out as “What are you wearing?” which only makes Rick chuckle and raise his eyebrows comically.
“Why Detective Beckett-“
She’s quick to stop him. “Castle! I meant to the party, not right now.”
It’s actually the same either way. “My normal look. I’m Rick Castle. I don’t have to dress up.” He pauses before asking, “What are you wearing?”
“If you don’t help me, my workout clothes.”
He doesn’t really have an objection to that. The tight top and pants, held close to her skin by the faintest layer of sweat, that slightly messy braid that just hangs in the balance like his sanity upon seeing her so… thoroughly worked. His mind gets cloudy just thinking about it. Disoriented. Discombobulated. Distracted. Dis-
“Castle.” Oh, right.
He says, “You should be fine with a sweater and some jeans. It’s not that fancy, Kate.”
“It’s Martha’s gala-“
“It’s not a gala. Mother just calls it that because she’s incapable of saying it in layman’s terms. It’s a small dinner for the major benefactors in her school and some special students that she wants to honor. It’s not that big of a deal. And after you see what Mother’s wearing, well, you’ll be too blind to notice anything else.”
Kate chuckles. “Fine. I’ll be there in an hour.”
“Remember, this is an event hosted by my mother. The amount of alcohol present could tranquilize a village,” says Rick.
“I’ll bring coffee and bagels.”
“That would be appreciated. I’ll see you then, Kate.”
“See you then.”
62:
Kate has a coffee waiting once they get back to the precinct during the Francisco case. The coffee sleeve reads: No Hassle Castle. He almost doesn’t drink it in protest. But he doesn’t, which sort of proves that the awful nickname is sort of true. Hmm.
63:
After her night with Royal, Kate comes to the precinct with their new mascot and a coffee for Rick. Royal takes off for Rick the moment the writer comes into view. Kate lets him go, smiling as the two boys reunite with big grins and slobbery kisses. She walks over slowly to allow them to have their moment. Kate stops beside Rick with his coffee outstretched. He looks up at her from his kneeling position and stands to take it. As he grabs the cup, he pitches forward slightly. It’s not something most of the onlookers would catch. It could even look like he was regaining his footing from standing. But, they both recognize it for what it is. A semi-conscious thought to give her a little welcome as well. He almost kisses her on the cheek. Almost. He brings his cup to his lips quickly instead and rubs his thumb along Royal the way he did her hand last night. It’s a poor substitute for what he wants to do, but it’s okay. They can shower their dog with the affection they can’t yet show each other.
64:
He still comes to her place at nine-thirty the night Royal leaves. He gives her his very own puppy dog look, and she lets him in. He deposits his coat on the way to the couch, dropping it on the hook he seems to have claimed as his. It’s kind of funny that he has a hook now. A small plot of his own in her world. A footing to pull himself over the wall. A… a hook to hold her. Whatever. He has a normal spot for his coat because he comes to her apartment so often these days. He gets cozy in the spot he knows Royal must have chosen. It’s obvious. Not by the fur that Kate didn’t clean up, but by the fact that directly next to it is the warm spot where her body belongs. No man, person, or animal in its right mind would choose to be away from her. He glances up after he sits and he spots the squeaky toy. It makes him a bit sad. He reaches out nostalgically and Kate places a mug of coffee in his hand instead. She has another in her other hand.
She says, “Don’t touch it, Castle. It’ll only make it worse.”
He nods with his eyes still on the small blue thing. He asks, “Do you think she’s treating him right?”
“Yeah. And we can always watch him, every week on her reality show.”
“You hate reality television,” he points out with a grin. What he really means is: ‘You don’t like fiction based on reality and the gap that you can always feel between the two. You don’t like trying to make sense of things that aren’t black and white or normal. You hate diving into something when you know the outcome can never truly be a happily ever after type, even if only for a second.’
“Maybe I’m learning a new appreciation for it,” she says.
“Admit it. You just miss Royal.” Translation: ‘You miss having someone look up to, adore you, and love you in a way that even I can’t. You want that excitement and companionship that nothing can destroy. You want a family.’
She grins over the edge of her own mug, a sort of wistful look in her eye. “Yeah, Castle, I do.”
“Me too, Kate. Me too.”
65:
For that weekend vacation they talked about before, Rick takes everyone to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s Alexis’s second time, but no less magical than the opening weekend. Kate tries to downplay her excitement, but Rick can tell she loves the trip. Over coffee in the park, she asks why he chose to come there of all places. He told her, “I noticed the books in your apartment a while back. All seven. Hardcover. I also asked your dad if you might like going to the park. He told me that one of your favorite things to do as a kid was to travel to amusement parks and then see everyone else having the greatest time of their lives and look back at the pictures and recognize that you were too. Long story short, two hours later, I had tickets to the park, airplane tickets, and our hotel booked. And don’t even think about trying to repay me for this. It’s enough to see everyone having fun without a reality star or murder board in the picture.”
She smiles. Says, “Espo did look pretty happy with that wand in his hand.”
“But not as happy as Ryan and Jenny by the Hogwarts Express.”
Kate laughs and her eyes meet his. They’re as sincere as usual. She asks him, “Are you happy, Castle?”
He breaks eye contact for just a moment to glance at their friends a bit away. All of them are chatting, laughing, and arguing over whether or not people truly do have destinies. And it’s funny because, even though the location and subjects may change, this ragtag clan seems to fit together. The cops, the diva, the daughter, the doctor, and the duo who pulls them all together. Rick can’t imagine a better family, or a better world to live in. He meets her eye again and says, “More than ever.
Feel free to suggest coffee ideas in your reviews. Harry Potter slipped its way into this one out of nowhere. I needed a last coffee and my brain just said WWoHP, which I have still yet to go to. It sort of makes me think of a future OFI moment. Just a bit. Gosh, I miss that story. Okay, focusing.
Thirty-five to go… In happier news, Blue Butterfly promo! February! Other happy things! I’m trying to think of possible sequel ideas. I have a little list of different thoughts I’ve had, but I’d love to have any ideas from you guys on what I could do with a sequel or how to do it. Would you guys want something styled like this? Another one hundred ____? Or…? So, folks, readers, lovelies, tell me - what are you thinking now?