So this came out longer than I expected. I’m just gonna put the first two paragraphs above the read more. Enjoy!
“Why does it have to be another guy?” Kate asked as she and the boys tidied up the apartment—well, the living room—for the arrival of their new tenant. Outside, the streets of Lower Manhattan were filled with bustling taxis, delivery trucks, and sleek town cars. Horns blared and people shouted in a myriad of different languages that gave The Melting Pot its name.
“Because,” Kevin Ryan, one of her longtime roommates and pseudo-little brother replied, “Javi slept with the last girl that lived here.”
“Hey, she’s the one that came onto me, alright?” the Latino man countered. “And, if I recall correctly, we’re still all good friends.”
“Lanie is my friend, Espo,” Kate snorted. “She can’t stand you.”
“She’s just playing hard to get,” the man sniffed, brushing his knuckles against his chest. Kate rolled her eyes and plucked a few dozen cups from the coffee table, carrying them into the kitchen.
“What about Jenny?” she said over her shoulder. “You’re already sleeping with her and it’s about time for you guys to move in together, right?”
“Jenny’s mother would have a heart attack if she moved in with a guy before marriage. Let alone two guys and their female roommate. We’re just gonna wait it out,” Ryan said.
There was a knock on the door and all three of them stopped what they were doing and turned towards it. “He’s here,” Javi pointed out the obvious and Kate rolled her eyes.
“You think?” she snarked, placing the cups into the sink and heading towards the door.
When she opened it, she came face to face with a teary-eyed bull of a man. He was tall, broad-shoulder, square-jawed, and pouty. His eyes were a deep ocean blue and he had shaggy brown hair with matching scruff along his face. He had a couple of suitcases at his feet and a large box in his arms.
“Hey,” Kate greeted, offering him a gentle smile.
“Hi,” he replied, miserably, barely meeting her eyes. “I’m Rick Castle, your new roommate.”
“Come on in,” she said, stepping aside. The man padded into the main room, his suitcases rolling in after him, attached to his hand as he balanced the box on one hand. He took a look around the room but his eyes seemed unfocused.
“Nice place,” he said in a monotone voice.
“Thanks,” Ryan said, smiling. “My grandmother left it to me; completely rent-controlled.”
“Nice.” Dry, but not rude. Just miserable.
Castle placed his box on the ground next to the coffee table and fell heavily into the arm chair next to the sofa, resting his head back against the cushions. Kate, Esposito, and Ryan watched as he closed his eyes and his bottom lip quivered.
Ryan, being the ever compassionate soul that he was, was the first one to sit down on the sofa adjacent to the man and ask what was wrong.
“My wife cheated on me,” Castle sighed. “Slept with her director. I walked in on them doing it on the couch. She didn’t even stop when she saw me standing there. Then she had the nerve to serve me with divorce papers and move to California.”
The boys grimaced and Kate pressed her hand over her mouth. Poor guy…
“That’s rough, buddy,” Javi said, sitting down next to Kevin. “Sounds like you need a good night out to get over her.” Castle turned his head towards the shorter man with a glare.
“It was last week,” he growled.
“Or not,” Javi said. Kate swatted his head as she sat on the coffee table in front of Castle, then turned to the man with a compassionate smile.
“Hey,” she said, softly, leaning in on her elbows. “It’ll get better. Trust me, I’ve been there before. People can be dicks some time. Can’t let them get in the way of you having a good time, can you?” He shook his head. “Right,” she said. “But it is going to take some time, so how about some Ben & Jerry’s and a good movie marathon?”
“He’s a dude, Beckett,” Esposito snorted. “He’s not gonna wanna—“
“Actually,” Castle interrupted, “that sounds perfect.”
Kate turned to Javier with a smug smile and he stuck his tongue out at her. She laughed.
Castle and Beckett were spread out on the couch that night, heads at either end while their feet met somewhere in the middle, under a large, soft as hell, Calvin Klein blanket. Each had a pint of ice cream and a spoon in their hands.
“So,” Kate said, “what do you do?”
“For a living?” Castle asked, half of his attention still on Leslie Nielson in Forbidden Planet, a movie he and Beckett apparently shared a love for. “I’m a writer.”
“Anything I might have read?” she asked.
“Flowers for Your Grave?”
“My mom loves that book,” Kate informed him. “And all your other books, for that matter. She’s going to flip when she find out you live here now. Why are you living here now? Don’t you have a penthouse or something?”
“Couldn’t stay there,” he sighed. “Everything reminded me of Meredith. Had to find someplace else.”
“But why an apartment with three people already living here?” she asked. “Can’t you afford your own place?”
“It’s was the first listing that came up on Craigslist,” he sighed. “And I figured it couldn’t hurt to live with roommates for a little while. I probably shouldn’t be alone right now.”
“You really think you would hurt yourself?” Kate asked, starting to get concerned. She placed her pint on the table and sat up a but straighter.
“Not me,” Castle chuckled. “My wallet. I tend to…shop when I’m upset. Last time Meredith and I had a fight, I bought this really ugly dog statue. Didn’t go with the décor at all.” Kate laughed at that and he smiled. “How about you?” he asked. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m working as a paralegal right now,” Kate said, “until I get my license to practice.”
“Nice,” he commented. “I could tell you were a lawyer, just from the intelligence in your eyes. Which are beautiful, by the way.”
Kate flushed and looked away shyly, biting her lip. “Thank you,” she said, “but tonight isn’t about me. It’s about you getting over your ex; about healing your heart.”
Castle took a deep breath. “It’s not so much my heart as my ego that’s bruised,” he said. “Meredith and I…we were never going to last.”
“Why’d you get married then?” Kate asked, knowing that she was probably prying but she couldn’t fight off her curiosity.
“She got pregnant,” he said and she nearly choked on her spoon.
Castle shook his head. “Meredith had a miscarriage before the first trimester was even over. But by then we’d already said our vows. We tried to make it work for us and it did, for a little while.”
“Until she met her director?” Kate frowned.
Castle nodded. “Yeah. She got a tiny role in this new movie of hers and was in danger of her character being cut altogether, so…she slept with him to keep her role. Which worked, only…”
“She didn’t stop,” Kate finished for him and he nodded, taking a big bite out of the rocky road. “What a bitch. No offense.”
“I have called her far worse in the last week,” Castle informed her. “Mostly four-letter words.”
“I don’t blame you,” Kate snarked, scooping up more ice cream.
Castle smiled at her. “Thank you,” he said. “I needed this.”
Kate grinned back. “Well wait until you have a real movie night with Lanie and Jenny; they’ll make you feel like a teenage girl.”
“They’ll even braid my hair?” he asked.
“And paint your toes,” Kate added.
“Dude,” Javi whispered, eyeing his friend across the island as they sat in the kitchen, playing poker. “I thought we said no more chicks.” He snickered as Ryan glared at him.
“Shut up, Espo,” Ryan said, shuffling the cards. “Some guys have a sensitive side.”
“That’s more than just a side, bro,” Esposito said. “That guy’s just one big marshmallow. And they’re talking painting toenails and braiding hair. Are we sure he was married to a woman?”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” Ryan replied. “It feels kind of nice.”
“Having your nails painted. Soothing almost.”
“Besides, I give it three weeks.”
“Beckett sleeps with him.”
“You’re not serious. You don’t think she’s into that creampuff do you?”
“Why not? They’re both tall, good-looking single people. They have the same taste in movies and the same sense of humor. He makes her laugh and smile—hell she’s practically glowing! And I’ve never seen her take to somebody so quickly, have you?”
“Nah, man,” the Latino agreed, “but that don’t mean anything. Knowing Beckett, she’s probably just being friendly. I mean, we’ve all gotta live with the guy now, right? Might as well make sure he’s not some crazy creep or something.”
“She didn’t even take to Lanie like this, dude,” Ryan pointed out. “Trust me, they’ll be in bed together before you know it. Maybe even married.”
Javier laughed out loud at that, alerting the two people on the couch.
“Nice poker face, Espo,” Kate called over the back and Javier cleared his throat, shooting her a glare.
“A hundred bucks,” Kevin said, turning the man’s attention back to him. “Three weeks. You in?”
Javi looked back at the pair, each now absorbed in the movie, shoveling ice cream into their mouths. He squinted at them, noticed the way Castle snuck glances at Kate every now and then and smiled softly, before he turned back to the screen. Kate didn’t even spare him another glance.
“You’re on,” he said, turning back to his best friend. “I’ll even give you an extra week. But, trust me bro, it’s not gonna happen.”
It happened less than two weeks later.
Neither of them really meant for it to happen, either. They were just eating Chinese. Making jokes about Kate’s utter obsession with orange chicken and peanut butter noodles and Castle’s love of chicken dumpling dipped in spicy mustard. He’d offered her a bite of one such dumpling, accidentally dropping it onto her white cotton shirt.
He’d practically jumped out of his seat apologizing and Kate had just waved him off, standing to walk over to the washing machine right next to the kitchen and removing her shirt without even a second thought. Castle’s jaw practically fell to the ground at the sight of her dark purple bra. It was simple and also made of cotton, but the straps were think and the back of it wasn’t took thick to hide the ridges of her spine beneath the lace.
His eyes darkened immediately and he found himself standing as well, taking a few steps in her direction before he really knew what he was even doing. Once he’d shaken off the daze, however, Kate had already started the wash and turned back towards him, her mouth open as if to speak, then closing when she realized his gaze was glued to a space considerably lower than her eyes.
“Castle?” She’d taken to calling him by his last name because she said it suited him better. He still called her by a mix of her first and last name because they both suited her at different times.
His eyes flew to her face and his entire face turned beet red. “Sorry,” he squeaked and she grinned.
They’d been having moments like that a lot lately and she knew they weren’t by accident. She’d find him staring at her ass or her own gaze would flick down to his lips for just a few seconds, but from the way his eyes darkened, she knew he noticed.
If it were any other guy, she probably would have jumped him the first day they met, but as it was, he was her roommate, her friend, and recently divorced (or would be once the paperwork went through) and there was no way he could be a onetime thing. Not while they were living together, anyway. There were too many risks.
But now, looking into those darkened eyes—even as his face flushed deeper—all she could think about was how much she wanted him. They’d only known each other for a little more than a week, but she already felt the pure need coursing through her veins. For him. She’d never felt this strong a need for any other person—not even Will, whom she’d dated for six months. Not for Rogan or for Josh or for Tom, who’d all been fleeting romances that never stuck or made her feel quite this hot, quite this passionate about anything.
Sleeping with Rick Castle would be such a mistake and she knew it, but she couldn’t fight the magnetism that had her taking step after cautious step in his direction, her toes connecting with the cool tile floor deliciously; the complete opposite of her heated skin.
Only when she was right in front of him did she have doubts. His entire body was rigid, carefully not touching her. He swallowed thickly and closed his eyes. He murmured nonsensically and she swore she could make out numbers on his lips. She stepped closer, her chest and bare stomach brushing against his. His eyes snapped open and something in him seemed to snap as his hands reached to palm her hips. They were big—his hands—and her waist was slim, his thumbs practically reaching her belly button. He pulled her further against him as he leaned down. He paused just before their lips met.
“Is this what you want?” he rumbled, his voice low, making her shiver.
Kate nodded. “Yes,” she whispered, her top lip just faintly brushing his as she spoke. Castle swallowed again and then nodded.
“Okay,” he said, before his mouth descended on hers.
It was a whirlwind of activity after that. Clothes went flying as they made their way down to hall to Kate’s bedroom. He pushed her in first, closed the door, then turned her around and shoved her into it, all while unbuckling his belt and undoing the button on his jeans. His shirt had disappeared somewhere around the living room and her bra was slipping down her body, already unhooked in the back. Castle was quick to remove it as his mouth quested lower, lips, tongue, and teeth scorching a trail downward.
Kate gasped as he reached his destination, her nails scraping through his hair as he legs buckled. Castle didn’t have enough time to catch her and they felt to the group in a heap of writhing limbs and giggles. Their laughter soon turned to moans.
Later, they lay together on the floor, Beckett’s purple bedsheet covering them as Castle rained kisses all over her body while she sighed and gasped and scratched at his shoulders. He smiled against her skin and kissed up to her lips, pressing his whole body down into her.
“Mmm,” Kate sighed, her legs wrapping around him. When he pulled back, she was smiling as well, her eyes sparkling with attraction as she looked up at him.
“Hey,” she said back, biting her lip.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, pressing his cheek down to her chest.
“I’m thinking…I really want to do that again,” she sighed. “But we probably shouldn’t.”
“Agreed,” Castle said. “It would be a bad idea.”
They smiled widely at each other before Beckett pulled him down for another kiss. It wasn’t long before round two started.
Then came round three. And four…they lost count around five.
When Javi walked into the kitchen the next morning, he cursed. Beckett was there, alone, but her neck and exposed shoulder were riddled with hickeys. And she was wearing Castle’s T-shirt, which fell to her knees.
“So,” he said, startling her slightly. She turned and shot him a glare. “What was all that about me sleeping with roommates?”
“Shut up, Espo,” Kate said, turning back to the coffee machine. It was Sunday and she was off from work. There were two mugs in front of her.
Before he could finish that sentence, a door in the hallway opened and Rick practically strutted out of her bedroom wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. He wore the scratches on his skin with pride, much the way Beckett wore the love bites on her own body. Completely ignoring the shell-shocked Hispanic man, he made a beeline straight for Beckett, wrapping his arms boldly around her waist and pressing his nose to the curve of neck while she giggled and canted into him.
“Yo,” Esposito said, “did you just giggle?” She did it again and he sputtered. “RYAN! RYAN, COME OUT HERE! BECKETT JUST GIGGLED!”
A few seconds later, a very rumpled Kevin Ryan stepped out of his room, tugging on a pair of pants. There were hickeys all over his neck and chest as well and Javier sputtered at him as Jenny poked her head out behind him, her hair in disarray.
“What’s up?” he asked, his sleepy blue eyes taking in the scene before him, A wide grin spread over his face as he watched Castle and Beckett practically cuddled up together by the sink as they sipped their respective coffees. Beckett was giggling. So was Castle.
He turned to Esposito. “You owe me a hundred bucks,” he said.
“Double or nothing,” the man replied. “He’s out of here in a month.”
Ryan turned his attention back to the couple, who were practically oblivious to the world around them as Castle twirled Beckett’s hand around his index finger. “You’re on,” he said to Javier, before turning back to his girlfriend and allowing her to pull him back into his bedroom.
Once inside, Jenny rested her head against his chest. “Do you really think they’re going to last longer than a month?” she asked him.
“Of course,” he said. “Look at them; who do they remind you of?”
Jenny smiled, pressing a kiss right above his heart. “Us,” she whispered into his skin. Kevin reached out to grasp her left hand, holding it in front of his eyes. The diamond on Jenny’s brand-new engagement ring sparkled in the sunlight.
“They might even beat us to the aisle,” he said. “Just you wait and see.”
Not the way I expected it to go but my fingers have a mind of their own so…
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