A/N: Hey guys! I know I'm supposed to be working on my other fic, but I've been busy with board exams (they start in 2 weeks :O).. This ep just inspired me, and I had to write a post-ep. Because that was not a very nice ending. It's different than my normal fics, there's no humour, but I hope you like it nonetheless.

Thanks to my newfound friend Helena. She's great! Make sure you follow us both on Twitter, niketanerurkar and Aileen995. Cool. Yeah, you can go read the fic now. :)

Disclaimer: If I owned Castle, that episode wouldn't have ended the way it did. Enough said?

"Castle, where are we going?"

That's it. Just like a band-aid. Rip it off quickly, and get it over with. Her insecurities were shining through now, and even though he had fixed it, even though he had shown her that this morning didn't mean anything, she wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of them.

"We are going to the bedroom."

She sighed, watching him fold down a corner, and make everything perfect. He had completely ignored her. She simply stood there, wondering whether to let it go, or confront him. He knew what she meant – they were masters of subtext. But was subtext enough anymore?

Castle looked at her, puzzled, one eyebrow raised in confusion.

"You coming?"

She sighed,

"No."

"What?"

One lone tear escaped, running down her cheek. She looked down at the ground, because she couldn't bear looking at him right now.

"I-I can't do this anymore."

He strode over to her, gripping her forearms gently. His voice was soft, soothing, and all she wanted to do was melt in his embrace.

"Can't do what anymore? Relax?"

She looked up at him, with a slight fire in her eyes.

"You know what I meant."

"No, I really don't Kate. Please explain it to me. Please tell me you don't mean you can't do us anymore."

He was begging now, and her heart clenched. That didn't make anything easier.

"No, I can't avoid these questions anymore, Castle. I mean, we've been together for a year now. Are we going anywhere? Do you see us together, years down the line? Because I am all in, and I'm not sure if you are anymore. I don't want to hesitate when people ask whether we're serious or not. All the banter, and the joking and the subtext, it's great, and that's what makes it us. But, sometimes, I need answers, and it hurts when you're ignoring it, like it doesn't matter."

She looks into his eyes once she finishes, and what she sees almost kills her. Gone is the playful joy in his eyes. That childlike merriment is replaced by the angst of a grown man, and although this is a serious conversation, she's not sure if she's completely okay with that. They both stare at each other, the tension in the air ever growing. Then, finally, he speaks.

"You hesitated?"

He's unsure when he speaks, as if he's scared that she'll run away now. She only nods in reply, dropping her head again. He sinks to the couch. Grounding his palms into his eyes, as if to stop the tears that are threatening to spill, he mentally kills himself. He can't believe that he screwed this up. He such an idiot. But he knows one thing for sure. He sure as hell is going to try to fix it. He raises his head when he speaks, his eyes boring into hers, his voice surprisingly steady masking the confidence he doesn't have.

"Follow me? Please?"

She complies, taking his hand and letting him lead her into his room. He sits her down on the bed, and opens his nightstand drawer. He sits down next to her and pulls out a velvet box.

"I want the world with you Kate. I want you to move in. I want all our stuff mixed up, and our toothbrushes next to one another's on the sink. I want us to come home together every day, and wake up next to each other in the morning. I want to drop down on one knee, and ask you to marry me. I want to feel those butterflies when I see you walk down the altar in a gorgeous white dress, because I'll know it's the last time I'll ever get to do it. I want little feet padding around the loft early in the morning, nights where we were kept up all night by the baby crying. I want you to calm me down when I threaten my little girl's boyfriend, and hold my hand when I give away Alexis during her wedding. I want to grow old, and retire somewhere with you, maybe in our Hamptons house, or anywhere, as long as it's with you. I want to pull your pigtails for the rest of my life, if you'll allow me. I bought this a week after we started dating. I didn't want to show it to you, because I thought it would scare you off, but hopefully now it'll show you how committed I am. I love you Kate, and I'm sorry, if I haven't shown you that yet. I swear to you, that I'll make up for it every day for the rest of our lives together, if you'll allow me. Please let me show you, that I'm in this, and that I love you. I know that I've screwed this up, but Kate, after Alexis, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Please, give me a chance. I'm begging you."

For a while, she's speechless. She can't formulate a proper response, and it becomes glaringly obvious why he's the writer out of the two of them. One treacherous tear makes its way down his cheek, and she's never seen him like this. So open and vulnerable. He's such a beautiful man, and she was wrong to doubt him. She turns his head towards her, and makes him look into her eyes. She wipes the tear off his cheek and kisses him, softly, on the lips, and smiles. He grasps her hand tightly, interlocking their fingers and squeezes. She realises, then, that he still has the ring box in his other hand. She takes it from him, and opens it. She gasps. It's simple, a white gold band with a small diamond at the top. As she turns it in her fingers, she spots something. There, in tiny lettering, she finds a small inscription, 'Always'.

"Rick, it's beautiful."

He smiles at her, tight lipped, but not forced, at least. It's not Castlesque, but it'll do for now.

"Yeah, it was screaming your name. I promise, when it's time, I'll propose properly. It'll be big yet intimate, just like you've always wanted."

She says nothing, only slips it onto her finger, and looks at him.

He gasps.

"Kate. I-I-Are you sure?"

She smirks at him.

"Why? Are you chickening out now?"

He grins.

"No, no, of course not."

He gets off the bed and groans dramatically, making her giggle. He takes her hand in his, and clears his throat. She rolls her eyes, grinning, because he definitely takes after his mother.

"Katherine Houghton Beckett, for the risk of repeating myself again, will you marry me?"

She tugs on his hand and pulls him up to her. He sits on the bed next to her, and she kisses him. It slowly starts to escalate, becoming more passionate when suddenly, he pulls away. She stares at him in shock.

"What? What is it?"

"You never answered me."

She sighs mockingly and grins.

"Yes, I'll marry you, you doofus."

And they seal it with a kiss.

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