Disclaimer: Castle isn't mine, and neither is the song, but I guess a girl can dream.

Author's note: First-time author, please be gentle! Inspired by Parachute's new song, "Kiss Me Slowly"

To be honest, this wasn't at all what Richard Castle had envisioned when he first dreamed of kissing Katherine Beckett months ago.

The last thing he wanted was to take advantage of her in such a vulnerable state. He had been aware that the anniversary of her mother's death was just around the corner, but somehow missed the signs when it came to her current status with Doctor Motorcycle Boy.

Upon leaving the precinct earlier to follow a lead on their current case, she slipped up about Josh being in Guatemala (where he had apparently been for the last three weeks.) Later that evening, upon calling it quits for the night, Rick couldn't help but offer her a night in with Chinese take-out and all the shoulder room she could possibly need for a good cry.

What started as a light evening chatting about her break-up with the do-good doctor, it slowly progressed into something more. Rick soon found himself completely enraptured by the pictures and stories of the young Katherine Beckett and her mother, Johanna. Being a storyteller himself, he couldn't help but fall into her tales of a simpler time when the days went on forever and the world seemed so much smaller. Nevertheless, even through the smiles that accompanied her stories, Kate's eyes still flickered with the sorrow of a young woman who had always felt alone.

Finishing one box of pictures, Kate stood to retrieve another from her closet when Rick followed her. With the low murmur of the city below them and the moon above casting their shadows upon her bedroom door, Rick realized he had never seen Kate look as beautiful as she did right now. Barefoot with hair in a messy bun, wearing nothing but a distressed NYPD t-shirt from her academy days and a pair of slim-fitting jeans, she looked absolutely beautiful as if she had nothing to hide.

Appearing to be at war with herself, he couldn't help but notice the way her fidgeting showed how she couldn't decide between running away and meeting the challenge that lay in front of her in the shape of one Richard Castle. Everything she had ever known told her to run away and leave before she could be left, but she couldn't get her feet to uproot themselves.

No longer able to keep his secret to himself, Rick slowly leaned forward and gently placed his hands on Kate's hips to pull her closer. Unable to avoid the raw emotion that invaded his voice, he hoarsely whispered, "I won't ever let you go."

Hesitantly, Kate whispered the only words she knew that would convey her eagerness, but uncertainty.

"Kiss me slowly."

To be honest, this wasn't at all what Richard Castle had envisioned when he first dreamed of kissing Katherine Beckett months ago. But since we're being honest, this is exactly what Richard Castle had envisioned when he first dreamed of falling in love with Katherine Beckett.