Work Text:
“Hey, Kevin? Do you - got a second?”
Kevin looked up from his homework, Castle standing next to the table, blocking his sunlight.
“Sure, man, what’s up?”
Castle slid onto the bench opposite, tapping on the table anxiously. They had gotten closer since that weekend, and Castle had become a permanent fixture at the lunch table - as had Javier, Royce, Demming and Kate, instead of the just the usual Lanie, Gina and Alexis. Occasionally one of his football team buddies joined them too, but Castle was alone today.
“I just - okay, I was wondering about Beckett.”
Kevin grinned. He knew that Castle liked her, and Beckett liked him, and was hoping something had finally happened.
“Just - do you know if she’s mad at me?”
Kevin blinked in surprise. “What?” He had not been expecting that.
“She’s been all - avoiding me. I think. And weird since this weekend. I don’t know. I can’t figure out what I did.”
Kevin wanted to smack him upside the head, but restrained himself.
“Go talk to her.”
“What? No, I don’t want to make it worse. And I don’t want to ask Lanie, she’s almost as terrifying at Beckett.”
Kevin smiled at that, not able to disagree.
“Castle, she’s not mad at you. I don’t think. It’s the opposite, in fact. I think.”
“What does that mean? What?”
“Go talk to her.”
“I can’t just -”
“GO!”
“Okay! Okay. If you don’t hear from me within 24 hours, don’t bother looking. You’ll never find my body.”
Kevin snorted at Castle, waving him away, and Castle dutifully took off towards the west bleachers were the Pajaros usually hung out.
----
Castle hadn’t expected to find Kate against the gym wall, dragging on a cigarette, alone.
“Kate! What are - I was just going to the bleachers to look for you.”
“What for, Castle?” She asked, dropping the cigarette and grinding the end of it beneath her heeled boot.
“I, ah. No reason.”
“That’s not true,” she said, smirking.
“Okay, fine, I was - I was gonna ask you what I did and how I can fix it.”
Kate looked confused. “What?”
“Because you seem to be mad at me, and avoiding me, so I’m just wondering.”
“I’m not MAD at you, Castle,” Kate said, standing up fully. He expected her to continue, but she just kinda stared at him, strangely vulnerable looking, her hands tucked into the pockets of her skinny jeans.
“Well, then why are you avoiding me?”
“Ha. Lanie told me you’d noticed.”
“You - talking to Lanie? About me?”
“I talk to Lanie about everything.”
“Oh.” Castle thought for a second. “So -”
“I’m not mad at you. I haven’t really been avoiding you, more like avoiding the issue.”
“This issue?” He asked, stepping a little closer. Kate’s hair was down today, and he wanted to reach out and see if it felt as soft as it looked. He wouldn’t dare.
“Yeah, the issue.”
“What issue?”
Kate’s eyes met his, and inhaled, struck by her beauty again. It was a continuous thing, daily, hourly, all the time. He just wanted to look at her for years.
“You,” she said softly, and bit her lower lip.
His forehead wrinkled in confusion, not sure what that meant. “I’m an issue?”
She was smiling now, for some reason, and Castle almost wanted to step backwards at the strange behavior, but her expression was so bright, open and addicting he couldn’t.
“Why am I an issue?” He asked again, and she huffed out a breath.
“You’re just so goddamn cute.”
“Wha -” he got out, before her lips were on his and he was lost. For a minute he just sank into her, finally feeling her hair and shoulders and the shape of her jaw like he had wanted to for - FOREVER. Then he pulled slightly away.
“Wh - what happened?” Why, he wanted to ask, but didn’t want to break this spell where apparently Kate was into kissing him.
“Nothing, can we just -”
“That’s a lie,” he said, hands on her hips and a smile on his face. She smiled back. Her hands had ended up on his shoulder and around his neck. Then she looked down, as if embarrassed.
“What? I promise I won’t make fun.”
“Is that even possible for you?”
“I’ll promise to TRY.”
She laughed at him, and it was the most beautiful thing he’s heard all day.
“It was at the diner when - when you were on that stupid not-date with Kevin.”
Castle gasped dramatically. “You got JEALOUS for me? Really?”
“Yeah, fine, shut up,” she said, still looking down and probably blushing.
“Make me.”
Her eyes met his again, and they were dark with want and alive with joy. She leaned in slowly this time, teasing him, and it was Castle that broke the distance between them, unable to wait longer to kiss her again. She was fire and warmth and perfect, and he couldn’t believe his life right now.
Somehow he ended up pressed against the brick wall, shirt untucked, and with a slip for detention for inappropriate PDA on school property. They got in trouble twice more DURING detention for making out, and the phone call home to his mother was SO worth the taste of Kate on his lips and the secret smile she shot him when they said their goodbyes after school and he winked, saying he’d see her tomorrow. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.