This takes place at the end of 2x23 and goes AU from there.

Disclaimer: Well, it's finally happening. I'm graduating college in about nine days.

The robbery detective's hands span her waist like they've been there before, like they know the curve of her hip and the slope of her spine. She lifts her head in a smile, the picture of a woman alight with the glow of something new. She flushes a little as she steps away from him, her fingers brushing against her lips as her hair falls into her face, doing little to hide her bright eyes and earth-shattering smile.

He ducks into the break room, hoping to squeak by unnoticed. He's done little to disguise his distaste for the other man, it's true, but he also knows she doesn't take him seriously. A little friendly male competition - the result of too much testosterone. She plays off his jealousy, chalking it up to envy over the fact that he's not her only crime-solving partner anymore.

But if there's one thing he's realized over the last few days, it's that her theory is only the tip of the iceberg. If his feelings are any indication - his heart collapsing into his stomach when Demming is around, his fingers clenching against his thigh to keep from slipping his hands into her short waves and caressing her perfect mouth with his lips, his mind shuddering with images of her supple body beneath his, sighing his name as she clings to him -

He's a man wrecked.

A man in love.

He hastily flicks his gaze away when she walks past, but it's too late - he's been discovered. He slides his mask into place and spouts a few words, congratulating her on the case and she says something about them making a great team and he smiles, of course he does, but he doesn't know if the 'they' is the two of them or if she's talking about him but then she's walking away without a second thought, a soft good night on her lips, her curls bouncing under the fluorescent lights of the bullpen.

She's started wearing her hair wavy, loose and free at her shoulders, and he wonders if the other man is at the root of it all. If she thinks about him when she gets dressed in the morning, slipping into the purples and reds she's been wearing more and more lately because he likes the way she looks in them - soft, feminine, and so very sassy.

If she were with him, he'd tell her everyday. Slide his mouth across her cheek in a soft smile, tug gently on her ear with his teeth as he murmurs it into the shell of her ear - everything she does to him. Everything she makes him feel.

"Beckett's right. Your staring's creepy."

Castle startles, tearing his gaze away from her retreating form to find Esposito giving him a look as he nudges him out of the way to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"I wasn't staring," he says defensively.

Esposito grunts in response before he takes a long sip of his coffee, peering at him from over the lip of his mug.

"What?"

Esposito swallows, lowering his cup. "Just wondering how far you're gonna let Demming push your buttons before you man up and tell Beckett how you really feel."

Castle's mouth opens and closes, words escaping him.

"Subtlety ain't your specialty, bro."

Castle sighs. "I don't wanna ruin what she has with him."

Esposito snorts. "The hell you don't."

"Okay, I do, but - " He shakes his head. "She'd never forgive me if I butted in."

It's none of your business, she'd said.

"From where I'm sitting, this little dance the two of you are doing around each other - it's not one-sided."

But that would mean -

No. There's no way.

"Just think about it."

Yeah, well, he doesn't think that will be a problem.

He doesn't sleep at all that night, ends up tossing the covers onto the floor somewhere around three before stumbling into his office in his boxers. He wakes his laptop with the flick of his fingers before opening a new document, willing the words to pour from his fingertips so his mind will power down.

Dear Kate -

Backspace.

Beckett, I -

Backspace.

I'm so -

Backspace.

He groans. But maybe -

Yeah, no. A letter is definitely not the way to go. He can already hear the tinkling notes of her laughter. This is a fantastic joke, Castle. Did you write this?

But if he -

He'll plan it out, yeah. Write down everything he wants to tell her, everything he's been feeling.

Or, well -

Maybe not everything. He'll leave out the part where she's the subject of about 95 percent of his fantasies over the last year and a half.

Gotta save something for later.

He clenches his fingers, cracking his knuckles as he starts again.

So I've been thinking about -

Backspace. Too rehearsed.

You know, Tom's a great guy, but -

Backspace. Too pompous.

I think I'm in love with you.

Backspace. God, he's being ridiculous.

He shuts his laptop closed and crawls back into bed, his cowardice looming over him as the sun peeks over the skyline, only to wake uneasily an hour later when his phone shrills loudly next to him.

"Castle," he groans into the phone, flipping the covers over his head as he burrows further into his sheets. He doesn't know why he hasn't considered eternal sleep as a valid option. There's really not enough credit given to simply ignoring the problem til it goes away.

"We got a case, sleepyhead," Beckett's amused tone filters through his ear. "You comin' or should I stop for coffee myself?"

"I'll be there," he says quickly. "Though it wouldn't kill you to bring the coffee for once," he adds through a yawn.

"And upset the status quo? Not a risk I'm willing to take," she jokes, but it's a like a punch in the gut, and now he's at a loss, no witty retort ready to fire back. "Castle? You there?"

He closes his eyes, takes a slow breath. "Yeah," he swallows. "Text me the address and I'll meet you there."

Well. So much for ignoring the problem til it goes away.

He's fine for most of the day. Maybe a little quieter than normal, based on the looks she's been giving him as she waits for one of his twisted little theories that never comes. But he brings her a coffee, even springs for a bearclaw that's completely worth that extra little twitch of the corner of her lips.

He even takes the time to get them all lunch, though he admits that it's for mostly selfish reasons. He'd spent the better part of the last hour beforehand watching her brush her pen across her mouth, nip at the cap with the edge of her teeth as she perused a case file. Unable to tear his eyes away, he sprang out of his chair, excusing himself to stretch his legs for awhile with the promise to bring back lunch from their favorite Chinese place a few blocks over.

She bit her lip through a smile, shyly asked him if he'd mind picking up a couple of cannolis from that little dessert shop on the corner. He spluttered a yes before he could really think it through and then kicked himself all through mealtime when her lips wrapped around the sweet treat, a delicious little moan reverberating through her.

But it's still fine. It wouldn't be the first time she's teased him, knowingly or not. He's always considered it a part of their repertoire and he'd probably be a little disappointed if she hadn't chosen to play with him every now and again.

He completely loses it later when he comes back from the bathroom to find her with the phone cradled under her ear, her long fingers twirling her hair as she laughs into the mouthpiece, her eyes crinkling with mirth.

And when she finally hands up ten minutes later, it's out of his mouth before he can stop it. "Have dinner with me tonight," he blurts out.

She smiles. Oh, good.

"We just had lunch together, Castle. One meal's not enough for you?" she teases. "Besides, I can't. Tom and I have plans," she adds softly.

"Please? I need to talk to you about something." He hesitates. "It's important."

She stops what she's doing then and it's a long minute of her looking him over, waiting him out to make sure he's serious.

"All right, Castle," she concedes. "If it's important to you."

"It is," he adds quickly. "And it doesn't have to be a big thing. I can whip us up something at the loft."

"You wanna go on ahead? I can finish up here and meet you there in an hour?"

"Sounds good. Any requests?"

She smiles a little. "I'm sure whatever you come up with will be fine."

Fine?

Hmm. He'll show her.

I have the world's biggest lady boner for Season Two fics, but I promise this will be a lot different than 'In the Thereafter.' Probably a fair deal angstier as well.

I have a vague idea of where this is going, but admittedly not much planning has gone into this, so I'm hoping you'll stick with me as I figure it out.

As always, I love to hear from you.

Liv