Okay, so this is basically fluff. Pure fluff. I should be sleeping right now, I'm only running on three and a half hours but this just popped into my head and I couldn't let it go. It's the fastest I've ever come up with and written something, but I just had to. But seriously, if you're looking for any sort of plot or anything like that please turn around now. Really, there is no point to this story other than cuteness overload. Please review, they make me smile.

Disclaimer: All I own is a poster and a calendar.

It didn't happen the way she'd planned it. Not that Kate Beckett spent much time daydreaming about kissing Richard Castle. But if she were going to, this wouldn't be what she imagined.

She expected it to be after something big. After a life threatening situation, or just after hearing wonderful news. Or after the solving of her mother's murder. She expected a big lead up, a chain of events that led to a reasonable excuse to be kissing her partner. Though, in retrospect, Kate realized she shouldn't have expected any of that. Their first kiss had been out of the blue, why wouldn't this one be as well?

The two of them were sitting in her apartment, Chinese take out and case files spread out in front of them. Neither had been willing to let the case go, and Castle had suggested going to her place instead of staring at the murder board for hours. "A new place might bring a new perspective," he said. And Kate had to agree, her couch was much more comfortable than her desk chair at work.

Some minor detail in the case had reminded Castle of Alexis, and he was telling a story about something she'd done when she was younger. The way his eyes lit up, the look of pure happiness and love on his face made him look younger and freer. He'd come to look a little more worn down as the struggles of the past few years got to him. And as he spoke, hands moving to accent what he was saying, eyes twinkling, somehow nothing else mattered. All of her reasons, all of her excuses, even her damn wall seem to pale in comparison to the love she felt for the man sitting next to her. She'd have to live with this decision tomorrow, this wasn't something you could take back, or ignore (even though they'd already done that once). But right now, she really didn't care.

Castle trailed off, noticing a change in her. He cocked his head, and raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What?"

"Nothing," she said, letting her smile break through. "Nothing at all." And then she leaned forward and kissed him.

He started slightly as her lips touched his, but soon matched her passion, wrapping his arms around her. They stayed like that for a while, before Kate broke away and began kissing up his jaw.

"Um, Beckett?" Castle's voice was shaky and hesitant, as if he were afraid to break the spell. "What are you doing?"

She'd reached his ear and flicked his earlobe with her tongue. "I'm kissing the man I love," she whispered. "You got a problem with that?"

He pulled back, eyes roaming over her face, desperately searching to see if she meant what she said. When he found it, he grinned down at her, and attached his lips back to hers.

Kate leaned back laying flat against her couch, dragging Castle with her. The kiss broke as he repositioned himself on top of her.

"I love you."

Castle's grin was back. "I love you, too."

She just nodded before pulling down to her. Kate knew they'd have to deal with her remembering the shooting at some point, but that didn't have to be now. Now, she just wanted him to stay there with her, never letting her go. She focused on the feeling of him surrounding her, glad that for the first time in a long time she just did what she felt like doing. There in his arms she was safe. And maybe, he'd help her keep the ghosts away.

The case could wait.