OOM: Beckett's Room

[trigger_man]

 [After this.]

Jack makes a quick pit stop in his room to change into dry clothes, already feeling the burn on his skin as it warms up again.

Heading back out into the hall, he hesitates for a second outside Beckett's door.  After the awkwardness of him falling on top of her--and neither of them moving for a moment--this might not be the best idea.  But then he'd told her he'd be there in a moment, as as much as part of him has misgivings about it, there's part of him that wants to show that whatever that moment outside had been, it was just an aberration; nothing to see here, move along.

Taking a breath, he raps decisively on her door.

Comments

[trigger_man]

"I won't, promise," he says, "Especially if it means you buy me drinks."

[fanofthegenre]

She fills a glass, slides it across the counter to him.

"No charge."

[trigger_man]

"Guess it's too much to hope that this is some of the stash from Castle's secret tunnels?"

[fanofthegenre]

"What is it with you men and your fine liquor? Honestly."

Beckett grins, picking up her own glass.

"Though it may not be too late for me to convince Montgomery to release another. He is a big Nikki Heat fan."

[trigger_man]

"Y'know, that shouldn't be necessary. If Bar can provide any drink ever, I should be able to get some from her. Though I don't know if I could get one that's been ages that long." Jack takes a sip of his drink before giving her a wry smile. "Then again, if it hasn't been aged it probably shouldn't cost as much as the stuff you guys found either."

[fanofthegenre]

Beckett's eyes widen with realization.

"I didn't even think about that. I wonder if we could order up for some. You haven't had whiskey until you've had this whiskey."

[trigger_man]

"Maybe we should save it for some kind of special occasion," Jack says with a slight smile. "Doesn't sound like the kind of thing you drink just for the hell of it."

[fanofthegenre]

"You're right," Beckett agrees, taking a small sip from her glass.

"Either way, I'll see if I can get my hands on it. Save it for the right moment."

[trigger_man]

"God knows when that'll be, but sounds like a good idea." Jack's mouth narrows slightly as he takes another sip of his drink. "The day you catch the Triple Killer might be a good day for it, though."

[fanofthegenre]

"Yeah." Beckett's jaw tenses slightly.

"I'd definitely have reason to celebrate then."

[trigger_man]

Jack hesitates for a second, then gently places a hand on her arm. "It'll happen. You have a name and a face now."

Of course he knows as well as she does that they're most likely to find this guy because he kills again. It isn't an option anyone likes, but it's probably the only one, barring some mind-boggling coincidence.

[fanofthegenre]

"Two more things we've got now than what we had then. Still, it - it kills me, thinking that we had him. We knew him, and he slipped away before we could do anything about it."

Beckett's got a competitive side already, and she hates to lose, but when there are lives at stake, she hates losing even more. She looks down, to the hand on her arm, and lets her gaze travel up his arm to his face.

"I know it'll happen. It's thinking about the way in which it'll probably happen that sticks with me the most."

[trigger_man]

"Yeah, that's the problem; one innocent life lost is too many. Unfortunately, that's likely what's going to happen."

[fanofthegenre]

Beckett sets down her glass a little harder than she intends to.

"I can't think about it like that. If I do, I'll go crazy wondering when the next hit is going to come."

[trigger_man]

"I know the feeling. Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

[fanofthegenre]

"It's not - it isn't your fault."

She runs fingers through her hair.

"I need to remember the reality of the situation from time to time."

[trigger_man]

"Sometimes forgetting is the way you keep going, though."

And sometimes you can't help but remember anyway, even though it doesn't help.

[fanofthegenre]

"I don't know if it's something I can push to the back of my mind all the time," she admits, looking down at her half-empty glass.

[trigger_man]

"It isn't. But it won't help if it's keeping you awake at night, either." He looks at her carefully. "It isn't keeping you up, is it?"

[fanofthegenre]

"I'm sleeping fine," she replies.

Which is close enough to the truth, at least.

"I've got more knots than nightmares keeping me up, if anything."

[trigger_man]

"Knots?" Jack asks.

[fanofthegenre]

"You know, tension. But it's what I get for sitting around a desk for half of my day and chasing bad guys the other half."

She shrugs, flashing a brief smile.

"Too bad insurance doesn't cover a personal masseuse at the precinct."

[trigger_man]

Jack hesitates for a moment, then nods toward her with his chin. "If you turn around, I could do it. I"m guessing it's in your shoulders and your back?"

It's a way to repay her for being there for him, at least.

[fanofthegenre]

"How'd you guess?" she says, rolling her eyes, but starts to turn anyway.

"You sure? I'm not above paying for a professional."

[trigger_man]

"Experience. And I don't mind, though I might be a little out of practice."

It's certainly easier for him to put his hands on her, other than the other way around. Particularly when she's not looking at him.