The Muse and her Maker

by Starbuck0322

Plot Summary: Rick Castle with writer's block heads to Kate Beckett's apartment with a bottle of Dom to find out what really turns Nikki Heat on.

Disclaimer: I don't own them, but god I wish I did. My new Mulder and Scully; filling the void. Sometimes these two run around in my head for days. Chasing the bad guys, laughing at each other's smartass quips. This is one of those fun times, so I had to put it to writing.

Hope you enjoy!

~DM

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Expectations passing at a moment's notice, Rick Castle stands iron clad in tuxedo gently rapping on the doorway of 22D. Shirt tail untucked, fisting a bottle of Dom, he raps again. He sighs as his hand moves to his pocket pushing aside the bowtie he had derobed some 20 minutes earlier when he had made the somewhat illusive decision to come to this place, to stand, rather leaning against the door of Detective Kate Beckett.

He pulls his cellphone from his pocket and is about to dial the familiar number when footsteps tread lightly toward the door. The door opens swiftly, causing Rick Castle to shoot forward into the well lit apartment. Harsh light entering the dim hallway, and Castle grimaces, shielding his eyes, adjusting to the change in lighting.

It is seconds before his eyes adjust. Kate Beckett is dressed in a hooded terry robe, slippered feet, her hair pulled into a towel. She is dressed differently than what he is used to. Gone are the tailored suits, the high heels and trendy jackets. His eyes travel to her face green, her features hiding behind the face cream she has recently placed on her skin.

"WHOA!" Castle gasps, taken aback, clutching his bottle to his chest. "A guy should really be warned about something like that."

She sighs placing her hand on a slender hip. "What are you doing here Castle?" A pause, her features twisted in confusion. "Wait? How did you find out where I live?" An eyebrow raised.

Castle raises his index finger in the air, shaking it lightly in her direction. "You forget, my dear Watson, I work with the NYPD now." He smiles turning around to face her apartment, taking his time to take in his surroundings.

Kate Beckett's apartment is neat, trendy, professional, like something from an IKEA catalogue. Framed black and white photos scatter about the room in an interesting array of an intimate homage to her life. A young girl with curly, dark hair, resting her head on a sleeping yellow lab. A couple kissing under misteltoe, christmas tree in the background. Castle pauses on one of a young girl and her mother; noticing the woman from case photos he has seen. This is Kate's mother.

Beckett remains by the open door. A sigh and continues, "What do you want Castle?" Her hand has not left her hip, she has shifted her body to face him.

He stares at her dumbfounded, taking a step in her direction. He looks into her eyes, a wide grin stretching across his face.

"I can't do it" he says, "I can't take you serious in that clown makeup. You really do look pukish you know. Are you feeling ok?"

Her eyes roll, her face threatening to smile, but she does not crack. Instead she looks to him for something further.

"Ok Detective. If you must know... the truth is, I have a bit of a problem."

"Oh this had better be good." She pauses; arms folding. "I'm listening..."

"I have this bottle of Dom here and no one to enjoy it with, so I was thinking... if you were up for it... maybe you could help me solve a mystery?" He motions the bottle towards her, eyes raised seductively.

Her face cracks into a smile. Annoyed, but a smile nonetheless.

"It's late Castle." She does not move from the door, her body motioning for him to exit but Castle holds his ground.

"Ok. Ok." He retorts. "Truth is... I'm stumped... I have a severe case of writer's block and I need help. I need my muse." He reaches out to touch her arm. "And seeing how you know my Nikki Heat better than I do... I was thinking you could lend a hand." He is pouting now attempting to give his best attempt at puppy dog eyes.

She is motionless. But finally sighs, rolling her eyes again; something that he realises he has grown to love. Something that both Detective Beckett and Nikki Heat had in common. It meant that he was winning her over.

And he is triumphant when Beckett decides to step out of the doorway, closing the door. His heart skipping a beat.

"Excellent!" He grabs her hands in his, and jumps boyishly into the air. "Trust me this is going to be fun."

"Yay." She says sarcastically, taking her hands from his.

He makes his way to the kitchen speaking to her while opening cupboard after cupboard. "Just do me a favour and wash that stuff off, will you?" his hands vigorously going through the motions. "You're giving me the creeps."

"Whatever you want Castle." She mutters as heads into the an adjoining room.

Castle invites himself to the couch, placing two half-filled glasses on the coffee table. He turns as she enters, holding his breath. She is dressed now in relaxed jeans and a t-shirt. Hair released from its towel. She has taken the time to put on light makeup, even though she does not need it. Her lips lightly glossed, pink and pouty. He wonders if it is flavoured.

Snapping from his reverie, it is now that he realizes she is staring at him, staring at her. Dressed in jeans. This is the sexiest Kate Beckett he has seen thus far. Relaxed. Easy. True to the nature he has seen in her. True, he had enjoyed her trip to his book signing. It had taken weeks to forget the short, skin fitted dress she had worn and the legs that had seemed to go on forever. She had taken his breath away, literally. And it was cruel because she had intimidated him at the time, feeding his boyish nature. But Kate Beckett was friendlier in this state. She was less Detective Beckett, less Nikki Heat and more herself.

"What?" She says, waking him from his reverie. She smiles taking the glass in front of her.

"Nothing." he says lifting his own towards her. "Just taking this all in. To Nikki Heat." he says raising his glass.

"OK?" She pauses, taking a moment to raise hers to his. Smile turning. "I really wish you would reconsider the name, Castle. Maybe go for something, oh I don't know... a little less slutty."

Castle shakes his head. "You won't win this argument Detective. The name is written in stone." He sips the chilled liquid letting it fill his senses. Weightlessly controlled, a hint of citrus, like a good Dom should be.

"At least I tried." She pauses to take a drink, looking at her glass. "So what seems to be the problem Castle."

He stares at her for a second. Looking for clues and offers, "I can't seem to figure our Ms. Heat out."

"Figure her out?"

He looks into his glass, noting the pretty colour. "When it comes to Nikki I know what makes her tick, what annoys her. What drives her crazy. Why she is so good at controlling men, bossing them around. I seem to have everything down pat but I'm stuck when it comes to her expectations in the area of love and romance." He looks to her, her eyes lower to her glass. "I need to know what turns her on. What gets the juices flowing." He looks up from his glass but Beckett has refused to look in his direction. Her face is flat and unmoving.

"I know she's flirty. I know she wants love but I'm just not sure how to play her."

Beckett shifts in her seat. Back straight. She places the glass down, folding her hands in her lap.

"I was hoping you could help me out with that." His request is direct, pleading.

She looks up at him. Her eyes blank. "It's a little late for this Castle", is all she offers and stands, motioning for him to do the same. And he understands his plan is foiled. That perhaps he should have played his devonaire smile, should have waited until she had emptied a few glasses.

"Please Detective." He places his glass down, kneeling in front of her. "I mean no harm. Honest. You're my muse." A pause. "I can't sleep."

She moves away from him. And he is begging now.

"Come on Beckett...you... you can... you can call me kitten!"

She stops and he can tell she is weighing her options. Her shoulders lower.

"Fine," she says smiling, returning to the couch. "Go ahead kitten, change the subject."

***

After several hours, several glasses later, they are laughing and conversing on the couch. Beckett sinking lower in her seat, foot resting on the edge of her coffee table. Castle, legs outstretched, head resting back on the couch looking towards her. A hand is holding up her head, Beckett smiles at him.

"See Detective," He mutters, "That wasn't so bad now was it."

She is edgy but smiles at him, rolling her wrist to check the time. "Does that say a quarter to 4? Jesus."

He rubs his face with his hands, taking the time to check his watch. "My god."

"Well Castle, it's been a slice."

She heads to the door but before she can open it feels him instantly behind her. She turns to face him, heart skipping. He is leaning over her.

"Castle?" she mutters putting a hand up to his chest. Pushing lightly, but he is unrelenting.

He says nothing and she can hear a pounding in her ears. They are close, awkwardly close. His scent is intoxicating, of liquor and cologne. His cologne familiar. A scent she has grown fond of. Standing over her looking at case files, whispering smartass quips into her ear.

Her lip is quivering now and Castle takes his hands to rest on the door around her, bracing himself. She is cornered. Emotion flooding his body, his veins. He is lightheaded.

And suddenly he can feel himself saying the words before he has time to stop them from slipping.

"May I kiss you Kate?" And he feels like a dumbass for letting them slip. Hopes he looked brazingly sexy in this moment. He can tell she is scared, nervous, to be in this unfamiliar territory with him.

But she does not move away. She seems intrigued, inviting. Her lips pouty. And in her lack of resistance he can hear her answer. She is silently thanking him, as if she had wanted it also and he had not given her the chance to speak the words. Like it was difficult to allow herself to be anyone else but Detective with him.

She is staring at his lips. She takes the time to lick her own, and shifts her body weight towards him.

He takes the opportunity presented and leans down to her, gently, caressing, placing his lips to hers. Taking the time to breath her in. She is shaking slightly as their lips meet. Nervous, abaited breath exchanges between them and after their lips meet for a second and third time, he takes the opportunity allotted to him to allow his tongue to slide into her mouth, gently pricking the senses, his groin swelling with anticipation.

He is amazed she has yet to pull from him and as the moment hits, her tongue meeting his in unison, he releases one of his hands from the door placing it on the small of her back pulling her into him. Their mouths grow hungrier, breathing increases. Her hands travel up his chest to rest behind his head. He tries his best to fight off the effects of the liquor, attempting to remain calm, focused. But her mouth is growing hungrier, and her hands are playing with the base of his hair line. She is pressing herself into him, his breathing increases. Nerves melt away as he sees this side to her. His muse. His Nikki Heat. And he wonders to himself if Nikki Heat would kiss this way. If Nikki Heat would taste this way.

He opens his eyes to look at her, kissing him, and she can sense the change in him. Breaking the kiss, slowly opening her eyes up to him. Big and green. And he is searching for words. A writer of a thousand, albeit a billion words and he is unable to compose a few to save himself.

She senses the hesitation and pushes him gently from the warmth they had created. "Well Castle.. I hope that helped." She says crossing her arms.

He smiles at her, taking a step back, steadily, gathering himself together. "More than you know Detective." he walks towards her placing a hand on her lower back one more time. Her back straightens. He whispers into her ear. "I'm afraid you've opened the floodgates. I'll be up for hours."

He pulls back to look at her, taking her hand, raising it to his lips. "Thank you Ms. Beckett." A long kiss to her hand.

"You're welcome, kitten." He looks up relieved to see her smiling, taking a moment to stare at her smudged glossy lips.

He licks his own unknowingly, reminiscing as he makes his way towards the door.

"Mmmm..." He smiles at her as he exits. "Cherry."