#castle fanfic

[i-prefer-west-side]

https://www.tumblr.com/dontaddme/670303940979589120?source=share fic prompt

DEAR DIARY Early Season 5

He doesn't mean to snoop.

Well, okay, he technically didn't snoop. Spilling coffee and accidentally finding what looks like a diary while he cleans it up isn't snooping. And if his eyes happened to read the words on the page, and if those words happen to make his heart skip a beat, well, that's a physical reaction. He can't help it.

She's always been private, keeping her most honest and vulnerable parts of herself close. And he knows that, respects it - most of the time - and over the years, he's learned just how far he can push before she shuts down.

So any glimpse he gets below that hard exterior is like gold. Any time she chooses to share something personal, like watching Temptation Lane with her mom, he soaks it up like a sponge.

What she hasn't shared about very much, though, is last summer. The time between her shooting and returning from her dad's cabin is almost a complete mystery to him. He hasn't earned that layer yet.

When he starts to read the words on the page, notices that the date is right in the middle of her time at her dad's cabin, he starts to close the book. It feels invasive; she'll tell him when she's ready.

But then he sees the ghost of the words on the other side of the page. The writer part of him winces - he hates when that happens - but the rest of him, the part that wants to know absolutely everything about this woman, wins out, and he turns the page.

The date on top is recent.

It's dated two days after she showed up at his door, soaking wet with an apology and love on her lips.

His breath catches in his throat as he reads.

To see you. To feel you. It calms me. It cures me.

They've both shared their love for each other, but this...this seems more special. More intimate.

"Watcha doing?"

He looks up when Kate emerges from her bedroom, running a towel through her damp hair, and he closes the notebook and puts it back on the table. "Spilled coffee," he explains, lifting his almost-empty mug. "Just cleaning it up."

She nods, one brow arched in a way that tells him she knows, or at least suspects, that he isn't telling her everything. But she just closes the distance between them and takes his face in her hands, lifts her mouth to his for a slow, deep kiss. "I love you, you know," she whispers, nudging her nose against his.

He smiles. "I know."

#castle fanfic #fluffy friday #season 5 #early relationship

[bravevulnerability]

'tis the damn season, chapter one

"He's close enough to Alexis, but far enough to give her space; close enough to L.A. for him to drive out for press and book meetings, but far enough for him to feel secluded from the spotlight. And best of all, it was a parallel line across the country from New York, from everything that haunts him there."

A Christmas season AU that takes place after the events of 3x24, Knockout.

fanfiction.net link

ao3 link

#castle fanfiction #castle fanfic #castle x beckett #castle au #kate becket #richard castle #castle #mine #this is so rushed! #but it's super fun to be writing castle and beckett christmassing again. :)

[thefifthsister]

4 from December prompts ❤️

Castlemas '23 #16: Mine Season Five

He meets her at the address she text him this morning, a new case that had woke and called her away from the warmth of her apartment and he'd agreed to meet her there instead of her coming across town to get him.

He's greeted by LT, gets directions to the apartment on the 4th floor and wonders what awaits him.

"Hey Castle," Ryan greets as he walks through the door. He watches his friend pull the notebook from his pocket, jotting down some ideas. "Beckett's talking to the witness. Want me to catch you up?"

He gets the rundown, peers around the apartment, watches Lanie making notes beside their victim, sees Esposito looking through papers on a desk in the corner. And then Kate walks out of the room he assumes is the bathroom, watches her give orders to the officers on scene, make arrangements to meet with Lanie. But the sight of his scarf, the scarf he'd searched for on the way out to meet her, that stops him in his tracks, puts a smile on his face despite the situation around him.

"Hey Castle," she smiles gently at him. "Want to do a sweep or do you want me to catch you up on the way back to the 12th?"

He gestures on for her to show her the crime scene, hears what she got out of the unfortunate roommate, listens to Lanie's input. All the while she's wearing his scarf. He wonders if anyone has noticed. Should he feel such pride in her stealing his things?

"So," he begins once they're in the lift on the way down to her car.

"So?" She asks. She smirks at him, has wondered how long it would take him to comment.

"That's my scarf."

"No," she looks down at it, her fingers playing with the ends. "I think it's mine. Now."

Prompt: scarf

#castlemas 23 #castle fanfic #my fanfic #richard castle #kate beckett

[do-it-for-the-fandom]

Fic prompt: 3x13, Castle takes Beckett home and they make out as soon as they get inside her apartment, where it goes from there is up to you 😮😁

Not a word had been exchanged between them: not as they left the scene; not as she drove him back to her apartment instead of his; not as he followed her upstairs, into her home and toward her bedroom. And now, as they stood - still in absolute silence - his gaze burned like flames against her skin; like the room was burning down around her, fire stealing the oxygen from around her.

But he could save her.

His touch - knuckles grazed gently along her cheek, the pad of his thumb to her bottom lip - it could soothe the burn, heal her scars and right their wrongs.

Because, yes, she was well aware that every part of this was wrong. An act of treachery, of faithlessness. If she crossed this line she would lose everything. She would lose the man she was certain she could love.

But could love just didn't compare to did love. Castle was the man she did love, despite trying so hard not to.

In this moment, she couldn't - for the life of her - remember a single Goddamn reason why she had tried so hard not to love him.

Castle leaned in closer, the inches between them slowly dwindling away, and (for a short moment) she wondered if he was braver than her, if he would be the one to take this final step over the line the had tiptoed for so long but never dared to cross. Not without the guise of undercover to keep their innocence, anyway.

"Why am I here, Kate?" he whispered and her eyes fluttered shut.

He knew exactly why he was here. She was tired of pretending: they both were. Tired of pretending that this thing between them was nothing more than platonic. Tired of pretending the bodies that filled their beds at night were anything more than a stand-in. Tired of pretending that they weren't aware that the exact thing that they needed, that they craved, could be found in the person standing right by there side all this time.

Tonight, in the midst of chaos - when her mind was a frenzy, her heart pounded erratically and the fear she felt for her team coursed like ice through her veins - he calmed her, made her feel safe. He felt like home. She needed that.

Needed him.

With just the slightest tilt of her head, her lips brushed against his. Soft, nervous; not at all like the kiss they had shared just hours earlier. She was giving him a chance to pull away, to stop this before it went too far but he didn't.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her body against his; his other hand weaved through her hair.

It didn't take long for caution to be replaced by heat: by their shameless need for one another, for more touch and less clothes; by the pinch of teeth on flesh, soothed by peppered kisses and gentle tongues; by breathless moans and pleasured sighs that filled the air as they became one and danced oh so carelessly past the point of no return.

Yes, every part of this was wrong.

She didn't want to be right.

#anon request #hope this is okay #it went a little haywire and strayed from the actual request sorry #more focused on the thought process I guess? #castle fanfic #my drabbles #3x13 alternate ending fic #kate beckett #richard castle #caskett #kate beckett x richard castle #castle fanfiction #tw: cheating

[bunysliper]

Fic prompt: s5 pillow talk 💛

I know it's been forever since you prompted this, I hope you like it!

Talks in the Dark

"What'd you want to be when you grew up?"

The question comes out of the blue, a complete non sequitur to the last words they'd spoken (which had been more breathless pants than an actual conversation), but Kate just laughs, reaching back for his hand and bringing it around her body to bring his chest flush with her back.

"When you were really little, I mean," he continues, dusting a kiss to the skin at the back of her neck. "I know you told me once that when you were in college you were pre-law, and then you became the greatest detective in the world, but when you were your little, tiny, feisty baby Beckett self, what'd you want to be?"

Kate strokes her fingertips over the back of his hand, using the gentle rhythm to help herself think. She knows she'd wanted to be something different back then, all kids did even if it was something absolutely absurd, but she can't for the life of her remember what it was.

"I really don't know," she says. "I guess maybe I always kind of wanted to be like my mom."

She feels him smile against her skin, shivering when he brushes his stubble along her shoulder.

"I could see that," he agrees. "You do stick to your guns when you know what you want."

Kate exhales, clutching his hand a little tighter. She's trying not to be so rigid, but she knows he's seen that side of her too often.

"My dad used to joke that 'stubborn' should have been my middle name."

Castle chuckles. "Katherine Stubborn Beckett; it does have a ring to it."

She smiles. "Not the worst name in the world, anyway."

He hums.

"Come to think of it, though, I feel like I did once tell my parents I wanted to be a groundskeeper in a cemetery after we went to a funeral."

Castle's head tilts on the pillow. "I need to know. Tell me everything. How did you go from lawyer to groundskeeper in a cemetery, and back to lawyer?"

"I remember seeing the care they took in making sure the graves looked nice, and it was quiet and peaceful there."

"And you didn't think, even for a second that it might be haunted?"

She snorts. "Not even a little bit."

"Party pooper."

Kate hums. "What about you? What'd you want to be before little Ricky Castle decided the life of a writer was for him?"

Castle's fingers twitch in hers. "Oh, I definitely wanted to be a ghostbuster who patrolled a cemetery. Zap a few poltergeists with my proton pack before they can terrorize people? The best."

She doesn't believe it for a second, but she laughs anyway, giving him that.

"And then I'd fall in love with an unbelievably, unrealistically sexy cemetery groundskeeper and we'd be together forever, making sure the army of the undead never rose to terrorize the city."

Kate snorts. "No really, Castle. What'd you want to be?"

He exhales. "A journalist, I think. Television, print, either. I wanted to report facts to people and keep them up to date about what was going on in the world. I used to sit Mother down and force her to watch my nightly news reports. Which I wrote myself about events I almost completely made up."

His lips pucker against her skin. "It turns out fiction is much more fun."

Kate laughs. "Now that I believe."

Behind her, Castle hums.

"I am glad to know that about you, though," she adds. Pulling her hand out of his grip, her fingers trail down his arm, making soothing strokes. "Thanks for telling me."

His foot brushes hers. "Thanks for telling me about yours, too. You would make a pretty hot groundskeeper, you know."

Laughter bubbles in her chest. "Thanks, Castle," she drawls. "I'll keep that in mind if I ever decide to change jobs."

He grins against her skin. "Good."

Quiet settles, blanketing them in warmth. Kate sinks deeper into the mattress, allowing herself to drift. She's on the cusp of sleep when she hears her name again.

"Mmm?"

"I love you."

A smile works its way over her lips. "I know."

He chuckles, pulling her closer, rearranging the tangle of limbs they've created until they're both comfortable.

"Hey Cas'le?" she says a second later, peeking an eye open and twisting her head as far as she can. She can't see him, but it's the thought that counts.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, too."

#castle fanfic #castle fanfiction #caskett #caskett fanfic #fluffy friday #my fanfic #prompt responses #Season 5 Fic

[shmaptainwrites]

Pay It Forward [Richard Castle]

Pairings: Richard Castle x GN!Reader

Characters: Richard Castle, (mentions of) Kevin Ryan, Javier Esposito, Kate Beckett, Martha Rodgers, Alexis Castle

Summary: Reader jumps in between Castle and a suspect before a fight and ends up spending the night confronting her feelings for the bestselling author

Warnings: descriptions of injury (non-graphic), insecurity, hospital mention

Note: And yet another Castle fic, again honestly most of this was written a few consecutive late nights in a row so I don't really know if the progression makes much sense, but I like it so who cares ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ this has been in my drafts for months wtf is wrong w me

Getting hurt in the line of duty was something in the back of the mind of every law enforcement officer. Even author Richard Castle suspected there would be an occasion or two where he’d bite the bullet (figuratively and literally). 

What he didn’t expect however was when following a lead an officer would jump between him and a suspect right before an altercation began. 

To be honest, you didn’t expect to do it either, but there was something about reflexes that you just didn’t have any control over. 

Castle tried to get in and give you a hand, but you yelled at him to stay back even though you knew you were in over your head. Your body was hopped up on so much adrenaline that it took you a moment to register when you were down. 

It wasn’t the worst you had been hurt, but you knew each of the small injuries added to one another would mean you’d be benched for the foreseeable future. 

“Shit!” you cursed as the suspect managed to get away. “Castle, call Ryan and Esposito I’m in no shape to go after this guy, make sure-ow,” you gripped onto your side as you sat up. “Make sure they have uniforms canvassing all the spots he might have gone to.” 

Castle nodded and quickly made the call for you before hanging up and putting his phone back in his pocket. 

“Hey, you don’t look too good,” he bent down next to you, noticing your split lip and a few other cuts you had around your face. Not to mention what looked like it could be a sprained ankle and a few bruised ribs.

“Been through worse, Castle,” you tried to push yourself up without much success. 

“I should take you to a hospital.” 

“No hospital,” you shook your head adamantly. “I’ll be fine.” 

“Like hell you will be,” he placed a hand around your back and helped you up, confirming his suspicions of a sprained ankle when you winced at the pressure you placed on your right foot. “If you won’t let me take you to a hospital, at least let me patch you up. I must have some things lying around at home we can make use of.” 

“Castle-,” 

“Don’t even try arguing with me on this,” he gave you a stern look. “I signed my papers, you didn’t have to jump in like that.” 

You sighed, “I know, it just sort of happened.” 

“It’s okay,” he assured you. “Just let me pay it forward.” 

You nodded your head and Castle supported you as you limped to the car. 

During the ride to Castle’s place, Ryan and Esposito called to inform you that just as you had suspected your perp had gone to one of his usual hideouts and had been intercepted by uniformed officers. Not without a fight, of course. 

“Glad that’s over,” you let out a breath and massaged your wrist. You had used it to break your fall when he had knocked you down, but you figured it was nothing that some ice and a tensor bandage couldn’t fix. 

Castle agreed with you as he pulled into the parking of his building and got out to give you a hand. You knew it was better not to fight him right now so you let him. You sent out a silent thank you to whoever invented elevators knowing your trip up would have been much more uncomfortable without it. 

As you entered Castle’s apartment, you noticed it was quieter than usual. You sat down on the couch and looked around, 

“Where’s Alexis?” 

“She’s staying at a friend’s house tonight,” Castle said while bringing the first aid kit and two ice packs to the couch. 

You stayed quiet as Castle examined the cut on your forehead, his fingers carefully brushing the skin next to it. 

He then grabbed an alcohol wipe and gave you the time old warning about it stinging. You scrunched your nose as the wipe made contact with the wound, but as soon as it started it was over and he placed two steri-strip bandages to keep the wound closed.

“You seem like you’ve had a bit of practice with this,” you said. 

“Nope,” he shook his head. “First time.” 

You chuckled a little to yourself, “Happy I could be your first something, Castle.” 

That made him break his concerned face with a small smile before turning his attention to your wrist that was already on ice. 

Similar to your own thinking he used a tensor bandage to wrap it, 

“Are you gonna tell me why you didn’t want to go to a hospital?” he asked. 

You shrugged, “I’ve been ignored in one enough times to know when I can try my luck outside.” 

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he said while wrapping up your wrist. “I think by this time you know my door is open if you ever need anything.” 

“Yeah, I do,” you smiled. “Thanks, Castle, really.” 

He lifted your hand up to examine his work with a smile at a job well done before pressing a small gentle kiss to the back of your hand. 

“So it can get better, of course,” he winked and you shook your head with a light laugh at his antics. “Your ribs,” he pointed to your chest. “He hit you pretty hard there, do you mind if I take a look?” 

“Castle, I thought you were a writer not an MD,” you crossed your arms over your chest.

“Okay, you’re right I’m not a doctor, but I’ve hurt myself before. Many, many times. At least maybe I can tell you if it’s worth seeing someone about it. Hey, I mean Lanie went to med school you could probably just go to her if you need to.” 

“And deal with Perlmutter if she’s not in? That’s my nightmare,” you shuddered.

“Come on, just give me a look. I promise no funny business,” he assured you and crossed his heart. 

You sighed deeply and winced a little, only prompting Castle to send you a pointed look which you acknowledged. 

“Fine, but not a word of this to Beckett, Esposito, or Ryan. They’ll chew my ear off if they hear I took my shirt off in front of you.” 

“Mum’s the word,” he nodded and with Castle’s help you slipped your shirt off. When you finally caught a glimpse of Castle he wasn’t even looking at your ribs, but instead right at you. 

“Castle, come on you said no funny business,” you whined. 

“No, no,” he shook his head. “I wasn’t-,” 

“Then what were you thinking about?” you raised your brows. 

“Nothing,” he shook his head. “Not important.” 

He then turned his attention to your newly formed bruise and tilted his head a little, curiously examining it. 

“I think you should get this one looked at. Doesn’t have to be tonight, but that’s a nasty hit if I’ve ever seen one.” 

“Whatever you say Dr. Castle,” you sighed and laid back on the couch. 

You looked straight ahead for a while before turning back to look at him, only to see he was staring at you again. 

“Castle, you’re really bad at pretending not to stare,” you chuckled humourlessly. “Honestly, right now I don’t think I could care less.” 

“You make it kind of hard not to stare,” he retorted. 

“Oh yeah, how so?” 

“I just can’t seem to wrap my head around how someone who just got their ass kicked can still look so beautiful.” 

You snorted, “Really, you’re a writer, Castle. I expected more from you.” 

“I’m not lying,” he handed you your shirt back. “Shirt on or off, ass kicked or not.” 

“Tell me why I don’t believe you then?” you took a moment to slip your shirt back on with a little bit of difficulty, but you managed it nonetheless. 

“Maybe I haven’t given you much reason to,” he shrugged. “Can’t blame you there. Or maybe…” 

“Maybe what?” 

“You can’t see it yourself.”

“Can’t see it-Castle, what are you talking about?” you frowned. 

“I’ve been working with you guys for over two years, it’s kind of my job to notice things,” he started. 

“And what did you notice about me?” you ventured asking. 

“You have the capacity to do your job and excel at it like no one I’ve ever seen,” he said. “But not once do you believe maybe your hunch is right. It’s always, no, let's do Beckett’s idea that seems better, you even indulge me more than you indulge yourself.” 

You chewed on the inside of your lip, he wasn’t wrong. 

“I just hope that mentality doesn’t find its way into the rest of your life too.” 

You nodded your head, lips pressed tightly together, what he had said struck a chord with you. Resonated deep inside your heart where you knew he was right. 

“And why do you care so much about me, Castle?” you dared to ask him. “Why did I jump in front of you to just get my ass kicked by our suspect? Do you have an answer to that too?” 

“I might, but I don’t think you’re gonna like it,” he chuckled lightly. 

“Maybe we should save it for another time then,” you whispered. “I think I um…I need to get back home.” 

You pushed yourself up off the couch, but Castle blocked you before you could leave. 

“Just stay here,” he said. “It’s late, you’re hurt. I-I don’t wanna leave you alone.” 

“Castle, I know your mom’s living with you again. I don’t wanna impose-,” 

“It’s not,” he shook his head and put his hands on your arms. “I swear it. You take my bed, I’ll sleep in Alexis’ room tonight.” 

You had almost already had one foot out the door, you were so ready to get the hell out of there, run away from your feelings, but before your mind could catch up your hearts words made it to your mouth and you said, 

“Okay…I’ll stay.” 

Castle smiled and nodded his head a few times, like he was taking in the fact that you had just agreed with him, to be honest, so were you. 

“Just give me a sec, I’ll grab you some stuff to take up with you,” he said before walking off to the linen closet to grab you a towel, a pillow, and an extra blanket. He came around to the stairs and motioned for you to follow him which you did

The door at the end of the hallway upstairs was the one that he led you to, pushing it open and allowing you to enter the room while he placed the things he had grabbed for you on the bed. 

“Um washroom is over there,” he pointed, “Alexis’s room is the one by the stairs. D-Do you need something to wear?” 

“Uh, no I think I can manage in these,” you looked down at the t-shirt and joggers you were wearing, thankful you had changed into your civvies before going out of the precinct. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, no worries,” he nodded, walking back from his bed and coming past you. “If you need anything, I’m just down the hall.”

You nodded your head. 

“Oh, I almost forgot,” he pulled a package out of his pocket. “Toothbrush.”

You smiled as he handed it to you. clearly having thought of everything. 

“You sleep well,” he placed a hand on your shoulder and leaned in to press a kiss to your cheek. As he began to pull away, his eyes met with yours and before you could control your actions you could feel yourself reaching out to him. An arm wrapped around his neck, toothbrush still in hand, one hand holding his face, and before you knew it you had pulled him fully into you, your lips pressed gently against his own. 

At that moment, you didn’t care anymore, you didn’t care about fighting your feelings, about whether or not this would end terribly and whether it was a good idea in the first place. All that mattered is that you knew what you wanted, and you were going for it. 

Castle pulled away after a moment, looking again into your eyes almost asking permission. Giving you a chance to back out in case this was all some mistake. 

But when you leaned in again, he took his cue and met you in the middle. 

His hands were wrapped so gently around your waist, careful not to squeeze or press too hard, avoiding your sore spots. 

The second time you pulled apart it was for air, your foreheads resting against each other, the only sound in the room was your breathing. 

“Would you…would you stay with me?” you asked. 

He pressed another kiss to your lips and nodded. 

“Anything you want,” he whispered, and he meant it. 

You unwrapped your arm from his neck, looking down at the toothbrush in your hand with a small smile. 

“I’m gonna go…” you looked to the washroom and he nodded saying something about getting changed. 

After you finished brushing your teeth, you came back into the room just as Castle was about to slip on a t-shirt. 

“Now we’re even,” he said. “And not a word to Beckett, Esposito, and Ryan,” he teased you. 

“Come on, we both know you would love it if they knew,” you rolled your eyes and made your way closer to his bed. 

“Nah,” he shook his head and slipped on his shirt. “I think I’m okay keeping this one to myself.” 

When you sat on the edge of the bed, Castle stayed where he was, that same knowing look in his eyes.

“What are you staring at?” you asked, pulling your legs up and sitting cross-legged. 

He just shrugged and came to the other side of the bed, it was odd how you’d never noticed that look. Had he always looked at you that way? 

“Rick,” you said quietly and he nodded, showing you had his attention. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?” 

He chuckled a little, “I-Well I always thought you kind of hated me.” 

“I kind of hate everybody,” you leaned back against the headboard. “I hate you a little less.” 

He laughed and you did too, until you felt the ache in your ribs, prompting you to stop.

“I’ll take it,” he reached out to hold your hand and you took it, pulling him closer until this time he took the lead and cradled your face, kissing you again. 

“You know,” you mumbled in between kisses. “You don’t have to not say things on my account, ever.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he assured you. “And you know you’ll always have a place here.” 

“I could get used to that,” you nodded, holding his face in your hands and pulling him in even closer, until there was barely any space left between you. 

He used the proximity to wrap one of his arms around the side of your waist that wasn’t bruised and pull you over more towards him, having you practically lean into his chest, until you both sunk down into the plush mattress. 

“I don’t think I’m doing your lip much good,” he murmured while brushing his thumb across where you had split your bottom lip. 

“It’ll heal,” you kissed his thumb which was still resting against your mouth. 

“And so will you, but not if we stay up all night.”

You let out a small chuckle, “Alright, Doctor Castle, I’ll rest,” you conceded, letting your head rest against his chest, just high enough that he could bend his neck and press one last kiss to your forehead. 

Closing your eyes, it felt nice to know that someone would be there to hold you when you woke up. 

#richard castle #richard castle x reader #rick castle #rick castle x reader #castle abc #castle #richard castle fanfiction #richard castle fanfic #rick castle fanfiction #rick castle fanfic #castle fanfiction #castle fanfic

[writingwell]

Could you write a fic where Beckett has been sick for a bit and keeps insisting it’s a cold before Castle forces her to take a Covid test preferably pre-couple pretty pleaseeee🙏🏼

pre-couple but covid, idk what time machine shenanigans would go on for that, so i made it tried-to-be-a-couple didn't-work might-try-again-any-day. you might not be looking for that. but here you go:

What started innocently enough soon turned vicious: from a tickle to a hellacious barking, sniffing when she drank a freshly made cup of espresso to vampire sneezing explosively in rapid succession.

Every eyebrow in the bullpen went up. Every eye turned her way, suspicious and damning.

She seemed to notice her audience, turned to him instead, glaring as she spat, "It's not covid!"

"Uh-huh," he answered. Both hands raised in surrender.

But they all knew.

(Well, they all suspected, because it was 2022, and they were midway through boosters and Delta/Omicron and Great Flu Resurgence and some of the beat officers were getting RSV on top of that and then a stomach flu went around when the masks came off in the precinct, and really, coughing and sneezing and a scratchy voice—what else could it be?)

No one was immune to the suspicion, just as no one was immune to covid but in the window of time afforded to one by the life of the vaccine or a previous bout with the novel corona virus, and well, everyone had their own story to tell, much like after 9/11 when that was the first thing people talked about in the street or meeting for a drink, where were you, only now it was how many of your family died or how long were you laid up?

Rick Castle cornered her (not too closely, no; he knew she was contagious and he didn't want his mother getting it, vaccinated or not) in the parking garage of the Twelfth before she could ride up to Homicide.

"It's not covid," she hissed, before he could even speak.

"So take a test," he answered easily. "Put our minds at ease."

"I did. I have. I've taken three," she hissed.

If he stepped back to avoid whatever sprayed from her hissing, could you blame him? "This morning? Before the call about the body?"

"Last night," she said. A grudging hesitation. "It was negative last night."

"Okay, then maybe go to the City clinic," he said amicably. "Could be strep." Or whooping cough.

"I don't feel bad, no body aches, no fever—"

"Alexis got strep every winter until she was thirteen. That year, no strep! We joked she'd grown out of it. But then her best friend, after every sleepover, would mysteriously come down with strep and Alexis wouldn't. Friend's mom made me take her in and get tested. Sure enough, she was asymptomatic."

"It's not strep," Beckett answered. Scathingly, but she was the Captain, and she did often push him aside when she needed to get going and he was being difficult.

(Busy woman, the Captain of the Twelfth. He was often being difficult, considering he wouldn't quit her and she wouldn't commit to him.

But she wasn't wrong, since she had a press conference to get to and a Homicide division to micro-manage. Whoops, did he say micro-manage? He was being mean. In his own head. To the woman of his dreams/nightmares.

Theirs was often a love-hate relationship these days.)

He kept silent, rode the elevator up with her. He made her a cup of espresso in the break room while she prepped for the press conference. Granted, he was rushing to get it ready—coffee was still their love language, despite the bumps in their road—but when she took a sip and her face blanched, he knew.

"Ahem. Funny taste?"

"It's not covid, Castle."

At the press conference, she was in the middle of her rundown on the DB—okay, yes, Castle should have been listening but the guy had been a jackass member of City Council who had tried to get her fired—and her voice cracked.

She cleared her throat. Coughed delicately into her fist. Tried again.

Her voice broke like fine porcelain in the hands of underpaid movers, and the first question from the press was, Are you coming down with something?

She steadfastly refused to look at him. Deny deny deny, and she was getting good at it, as the Captain of the Twelfth, had to give her that.

He was home that night working on book edits—he was giving Nikki Heat a vicious bout of covid, laying her up in her apartment, when a murderer comes to call—when his phone vibrated off his desk and dropped to the floor.

Her face the ID. From that ill-fated night in his bed. She had changed it twice before he'd discovered a passcode to his phone she couldn't guess/wheedle from his mother. Even now, it filled with him a melange of dread and sweetness, terror and tenderness.

"Captain Beckett, you rang?"

"Castle—"

"You sound awf—"

"I have covid."

"I know," he murmured, rising to his feet. "I bought chicken soup from the Czech deli on my way home, and I have a guy on speed dial who can prescribe you paxlovid."

"The drug? I heard it gives you rebound covid."

"That's not because of the drug," he told her, gathering his keys and wallet, his jacket. "It's just a thing some people get, treatment or no."

"Okay," she croaked. "Get me drugs."

"I'll be right there."

He arrived forty-seven minutes later with the prescription, chicken soup, a package of KN95s, his laptop, and a determination he'd not felt since that botched night.

She took it all.

She wore the mask, laid on the couch in the living room with her face to a satin pillow, her eyes slitted like a cat, and watched him make edits on the book.

"Did you give her covid?" she rasped.

"Yes."

She didn't answer. Merely watched him.

He submitted his first round of edits and made her a bowl of soup, wore his own mask but wouldn't isolate from her as she sipped the broth. Her throat worked as if each swallow was pain. Her eyes had dark rings, bruised-looking, and her hair was limp. She coughed and they both flinched.

He fished a water with electrolytes from his bag of provisions, opened it for her because her fingers looked fragile. She drank. She eyed him.

She fell asleep with the bowl against her chest, half drunk. He took it from her, put the water on the floor close at hand, couldn't resist pushing the hair back behind her ear.

He bent low. Held his breath for an instant before he confessed: "I didn't want to. But. I still love you."

-----

#castle fanfic #castle one shot #three words prompt #short fic #chezchuckles

[wendykw]

Green Eggs and Ham for Breakfast

“Good morning Miss Lily. Are you ready for another fun day with Mommy and Daddy?”

“Uppy, Daddy, pease.”

Rick lifts his 22-month-old daughter from her crib and quickly changes her diaper. He’ll wait until after breakfast to dress her for the day. “What would you like for breakfast this morning?”

“Gween eggs an’ ham, pease.”

“Are you Sam-I-Am today? I think I can make those. Let’s see if Mommy is dressed, because green eggs and ham will take a little longer.”

Lily jabbers about Sam-I-Am and eggs while Rick carries her downstairs. Kate is dressed and preparing their coffee. “Lily wants green eggs and ham for breakfast,” Rick announces with a raised eyebrow.

“Is Daddy going to make that for you, baby? I’ve never had green eggs and ham. Maybe he can make it for all of us.”  Kate walks over to where Rick is securing Lily in her highchair. “Your coffee is ready, Babe. I’ll feed the munchkin some fruit, while you create some fiction-inspired food.”

Rick gives Kate a quick kiss, “We have eggs. We have ham. Annnd, we have green food coloring. No reason I can’t make green eggs and ham. I knew Lily loved the book, but I didn’t expect her to make that her breakfast order. Thanks for making coffee.”

“Would you grab the cantaloupe from the fridge, Babe? I’ll cut it up for Lily and for us. Orange and green go together, don’t you think?”

Rick laughs while he is gathering ingredients for breakfast. He deposits the eggs and ham next to the stove, and grabs the Cheerios and a knife on his way to give Kate the melon. Kate gives Lily a few Ohs to keep her happy, while she cuts a piece of cantaloupe into small pieces.

Rick listens to his wife talking to their daughter, and Lily trying to find the words to answer. He scrambles their eggs in a bowl and adds green food coloring by drops until he’s happy with the shade of green he sees. Kate places plates on the counter near the stove. “Those eggs are certainly green. Actually you’ve created a lovely shade there, Stud.”  

Kate gets a quick kiss for the compliment, and Rick pours the eggs into the pan. Within a few minutes the eggs are done, and he heats the ham slightly. He tastes and seasons the eggs.  Kate has checked on Lily and made toast. “Honey, prepare to be amazed by breakfast. The eggs taste like eggs, despite their greenness.”

When Rick places Lily’s plate on her tray, she smiles and says, “Fanks, Daddy.”  Lily ignores her fork and puts a handful of eggs in her mouth. “Yum, Daddy. Fanks.”

Kate samples her food and smiles at her husband, “Fanks for sure, Daddy. It’s very tasty.”

“I guess Dr. Seuss wasn’t wrong, because 'I do so like green eggs and ham.'"

A/N: My son asked for green eggs and ham when he was that age, and my husband whipped them up for us.

#caskett fanfic #castle fanfic #richard castle #kate beckett castle #lily castle #future fic

[incrimeandinlife]

I just finished Handle With Care by bravevulnerability 🥺🥰🤩🫶🏻 does anyone have any great Caskett fics they can recommend? ☺️

#castle fanfic #castle fanfiction #Caskett fanfic #caskett fanfiction #castle fic #Caskett fic #kate beckett #Rick castle #Richard castle #castle abc #bravevulnerability #handle with care

[thefuturemrscaskett]

Looking for an “M” rated Castle fic with an author’s note about the quality of Castle’s shirts making it unrealistic for Beckett to rip them open as often as she does. It might have taken place in the Hamptons and could involve escaping from the rain and a quickie against the wall. Any thoughts?

@castlefanfics @castleficpromoter @castlefanficprompts @madaboutcastle1090

#castle fanfiction #castle fanfic #castle #caskett #richard castle #kate beckett #one day we’ll find a better way to keep track of fics #but today is not that day

[rickate-kateick-caskett]

Are there any Castle fanfic writers out there willing to write a little Caskett short to this song, please and thank you!!

#castle and beckett #castleandbeckett #castle abc #caskett #abc castle #castle fanfic #castle fanfiction #Spotify

[i-prefer-west-side]

BRIDAL TRADITIONS POST-2x12 AU

He's waiting for her when she emerges from the bathroom, a familiar bouquet in his hands and a maddening smirk on his face. She rolls her eyes when he holds the flowers out, but still she takes them.

"Don't say a word," she mutters, giving his shoulder a light push. She'd tried to give the flowers back to Kyra, but the other woman had refused to accept.

Castle falls into step beside her, chuckling. "About what? The fact that you're taking them home, or that you caught them in the first place?" he teases.

She scoffs. "They're too nice to throw out. Besides, Kyra told me to keep them."

Actually, her almost exact words were they're yours, and Kate couldn't help but think of the other time Kyra had essentially passed the torch to her.

He's all yours.

"So, any prospects for your upcoming nuptials? I noticed several people checking you out." The town car he'd hired for the night is waiting when they get outside, and he opens the door, motions for her to go in first.

She isn't sure what prompts her to do it. Maybe it's the several glasses of champagne, or Castle's hand on the small of her back as she passes him, or the smirk on his stupid, handsome face.

Whatever it is, once he settles into the seat next to her, she reaches for his coat, tugs him to face her, and slants her mouth over his.

#castle fanfic #fluffy friday #2x12 au

[bravevulnerability]

'tis the damn season, chapter three

fanfiction.net link

ao3 link

#castle fanfiction #castle fanfic #castle au #kate beckett #richard castle

[thefifthsister]

Number 5 music

Please and thank you!!!!

Castlemas '23 #13: Childish Things Season Seven

Apron tied around him, the smell of cookies in the air, he sings along to Taylor Swift, Alexis at his side as the two work on Christmas cookies together. She laughs at his little wiggle as he dances, watches Alexis try to hold in her laughter. She has to give the red head credit, she'd have been embarrassed at her age if that was her Dad. Though somehow she can't picture Jim Beckett dancing to Shake It Off.

"Beckett, if you want to lick the bowl you have to help!" Castle tells her, looking up at her where she drinks her coffee.

"I will not deny the child in the room that honor," she shares a wink with Alexis and smirks at the huff she elicits from her husband. I think I'll just wait for the elves to finish up and eat one when they're finished."

"Who said I'm sharing?"

"The adult in the family," Alexis tells him. Kate hides her grin behind her coffee mug, watching the two of them banter and bake and dance.

#castle fanfic #my fanfic #castlemas 23 #kate beckett #richard castle #alexis castle

[do-it-for-the-fandom]

Sugar Cookies.

Season 6

A short follow up to Christmas Decorations.

It had been 15 years, but it felt like just yesterday.

Home from school for the holidays, spending as much time as possible with her parents. Rebel-Becks would have been mortified to witness the scene - the three of them in the kitchen, her and her mother singing and dancing along to Christmas carols as her father recorded the performance on his new camcorder - but living-so-far-away-from-home-Becks had a new appreciation for her family, a new appreciation for the time they spent together.

They made the same recipe every year. As a kid she loved to help, but she stopped once she was older and 'too cool' for that. She knew that her mother was disappointed the first year, but she had never been made to feel bad about it. She was just glad that she had that final year together, that all three of them had made those memories.

And as she and her dad managed to steal a quiet moment together, she was glad that they both had that memory to hold on to, to reminisce together.

"Feliz Navidad," Jim quietly cheered as he held his sugar cookie bar up between them.

Kate smiled, tapped the corner of her bar to his as if cheering a toast.

"Merry Christmas, Dad."

They both took their first bites of the treat at the same time, sharing in the experience that she could only describe as coming home.

"Just like mum's," Kate praised.

Jim nodded. "Maybe next year we can make them together," he said, hopeful.

"I'd love that."

#castle fanfic #castle #kate beckett #Jim beckett #Castle christmas fic #my drabbles #castle fanfiction

[bunysliper]

what do you think would have happened if castle had gotten stuck in the AU?

Hi Anon! I hope you're still out there and that this was meant as a prompt (not that I'm not ashamed of how long it took to answer it if it was) and not just a question/discussion starter. Basically, I kind of wrote what I think the answer would be, so I hope you like this!

Hope Yet

He's ashamed of the disappointment that floods his belly when he wakes in a hospital to a dark-haired version of his daughter. It's not that he's unhappy to see Alexis – any version of her – but he'd hoped that he might wake right where he left, on a dingy floor dodging gunfire with Kate a little bit peeved at him for touching something he shouldn't have. Instead, he's… still here. Still in this world where he has miles to go to repair a relationship with his little girl, his mother still has almost complete control over his house because he'd been a schmuck with his money, and Kate – Kate is apathetic about him at best; miles and miles from loving him.

He'd been so sure he would be going home.

"Hi Daddy," Alexis breathes, stroking his hair off his forehead. "I was so worried."

Rick Castle hopes the grimace can be written off as pain from his injuries. "Hi, 'lexis. Sorry, 'bout that."

He licks his lips, looking around the room for anything that he might be able to drink to get the rough cardboard taste out of his mouth.

Alexis comes through for him once again, holding a small cup with a straw to his lips. "Slow sips. You were intubated and your throat might be sore."

He tries not to gulp it down, savoring the water for a moment before Alexis takes the cup away.

"Do you remember what happened?" she asks, leaning on her elbow beside him. He opens his mouth, but she continues first, "Dad, you were shot. What were you even doing that you would get shot?"

He exhales, feeling the tug of new wounds on his chest. "I was-"

"He was protecting me."

Alexis jolts upright, turning to the door.

Rick would be lying if he said he didn't jump a little as well. If his heart didn't speed up at her voice, husky with emotion and a lack of sleep. He doesn't know this her, but he knows her. At the heart of her, he knows Kate Beckett.

"Would do it all over again," he says, hoping to catch her eyes.

She avoids his gaze, looking at Alexis instead, but he sees her fingers twitch before she clenches her fists and releases them. He knows that move, recognizes it as her taking a moment to ground herself before she gives someone bad news.

"I am so sorry, Ms. Castle. I'm Captain Beckett, with the NYPD. Your father got involved in a case my detectives were working and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He made a call to do something incredibly stupid, but very brave, to save my life."

She turns to him, her eyes bloodshot and tired, but flinty and determined all the same. "I can assure you that he won't be put in that position again. Ever."

Castle swallows hard, wishing he could reach for her as well as the water Alexis had given him a few minutes ago. He gets neither, though, because Beckett takes a step back.

"I'm not staying," Beckett adds, licking her lips. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right, Mr. Castle."

"Rick," he rasps. "Or Castle, if you want. Whatever you want, Beckett."

At his bedside, Alexis rolls her eyes. "Please forgive him, Captain Beckett. He's-"

Kate waves her off. "It's okay. I understand. The painkillers do strange things to everyone."

Still, she offers him a look he should be able to read, given how well he knows her counterpart. It's part-quizzical, part-amused, at least enough to cause her lips to lift at the corners.

"Stay out of trouble from here on out, Mr. Castle. Please?"

 He nods quickly, even as he croaks an impish, "No promises."

Beside him, Alexis rolls her eyes. "I'll keep him in line, Captain. Don't worry."

This time, Beckett does crack a small smile. "I'm sure you will, Ms. Castle. I'm sure you will." She licks her lips, lowering her chin. "I'll leave you to rest."

Rick starts to call her back, to insist she doesn't have to leave and she's as welcome as his child and his mother (who, he supposes must be at work at this point, after all, her show opens in – well, probably now, if he's been out that long), but he can't make the words come. This Kate Beckett doesn't know him, and as much as he wants to believe otherwise, he doesn't know her either. He can't expect her to feel at home with him and his family the way the woman he loves does.

"Thank you for visiting," he says instead. "I'm glad you're okay; that was… that was all I wanted to do."

She hesitates for a moment before dropping her hand to cover his. "I know, Castle. Thank you."

Her touch disappears a moment later and she retreats from his hospital room, leaving him to begin to accept that this might just be the rest of his life.

Just two days later, while Alexis is at home retrieving some of his clothing for him to change into when he's allowed to get cleaned up, she returns with a case file in hand and an annoyed, but somehow fond, look on her face.

"If you're feeling up to it," she starts, licking her lips and shifting her weight on those impossibly high heels of hers, "I wouldn't mind having another pair of eyes to check this out; you and my victim apparently run in the same circles."

Rick Castle moves his hospital bed a little more upright, clasping his hands together and grinning. He tries not to look too eager, of course, since he doesn't want to scare her off when she's coming to him – when she needs, nay wants, his help, but he's all in already.

"I'd be delighted, Captain. Lay it on me."

Beckett hesitates for just a moment before crossing the room and holding out the file to him, perching on his bed at his hip and waiting for him to speed read (less speedy than usual thanks to the meds, but he manages) the casefile and offer his thoughts.

It looks like there's hope yet.

#caskett fanfic #castle fanfiction #castle fanfic #caskett #7x06 AU Fic #Castle AU Fic #AU in an AU #My Fanfic #Season 7 Fic