AN: I was reading a book of ee cummings poetry a couple weeks ago and a few jumped out at me and I just had to write this. Set a week or so after "Always" in the Hamptons. I hope I did the poem some small semblance of justice. As always, I'd love to hear what you guys think! :)

"my love is building a building

around you,a frail slippery

house,a strong fragile house

(beginning at the singular beginning

of your smile)a skilful uncouth

prison,a precise clumsy

prison(building thatandthis into Thus,

Around the reckless magic of your mouth)

….where the surrounded smile

hangs

breathless"

-ee cummings

Kate stood silently watching as the waves lapped at the shoreline. Taking a deep breath, she inhaled the scent of the sand and salty air, letting it envelop her senses. She closed her eyes, her mind drifting seamlessly through memories of the last few weeks. Nights of wine and conversations lasting til sunrise, coffee and breakfasts, laughter, tears, and thoughts of their bodies intertwined. Even in the humid air, she couldn't suppress the shiver that passed over her skin, at those delicious memories. She had never even imagined how this could feel. How deeply he would consume her. How strong she could become from letting go-from letting him inside.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Castle asked, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Mmhmm," Kate replied, nodding in agreement.

"When Alexis was young, we used to pack up every summer and come here. We'd stay out on the beach all day long, building sandcastles and crazy moats. Then, we'd take turns making up stories about them. There'd be princes and princesses and evil sea witches and sea dragons. I always thought she'd have a brother or sister to play with one day but she never seemed lonely-never needed anyone else to entertain herself when we were here. She never got tired of the ocean. She used to tell me it was magic," Castle said wistfully.

Kate absorbed his words, smiling at how reverent he appeared recalling the memories. She could so vividly picture the little redheaded girl, building elaborate, beautiful sandcastles, while Castle wove his detailed stories around them. Not too different from the way he built theory with her-always bringing imagination to life, making the impossible more plausible. Well…sometimes. It was something that she'd first found annoying but, now knew she missed desperately during those weeks where Castle had distanced himself. His words-his beautiful words meant so much to her.

And then, before she knew it, there was the thought of another little girl, one with Castle's blue eyes and her own dark hair. Stubbornly refusing to come in as the sun was setting, engrossed in her own elaborate sandcastle. One who shared Castle's playful energy and Kate's strong will. Her heart skipped a few beats at the possibility of what their future could be.

"It is kind of magical, Castle," she said leaning back into his embrace as she watched the glow of the sunset across the Atlantic.

"A few years ago when we were here, Alexis told me that the ocean just had this way of making her feel whole-like no matter what happened, it never stopped. The waves just keep crashing-the tides keep coming in and out. That it made her realize that no matter how chaotic everything could be, there was something peaceful in the steadiness of the ocean," he continued.

Kate swallowed back the sudden, overwhelming surge of emotion she felt. "That's beautiful," she said, her voice catching slightly.

"I just hope that you feel some of that here too, Kate," he said pressing his lips to her temple.

"I feel that already, Rick," Kate said, needing to show him just how true that was to her. She turned in his arms to face him, the fading sun casting gold flecks into her green eyes.

She leaned in to kiss him slowly, opening her mouth to allow her tongue to gently caress his, as he deepened the kiss. A few moments later, she pulled back suddenly and rested her forehead against his.

"You have no idea how you heal me," she said.

Castle looked at her, silent questions floating in his deep blue eyes.

"You once told me I was a mystery you thought you'd never solve, Rick," she paused. "And for a long time, that's exactly what I thought I wanted. I thought that it was better to be a mystery…to build a wall around my heart that no one could break down. But you never truly stopped. And, for that, I'm so very grateful," she said, her voice slightly wavering with emotion.

"Oh, Kate," Castle began, but Kate silenced him with a gentle finger to pressed against his lips.

"Castle, you have this incredible capacity to love. All the time I spent feeling trapped behind my own wall, thinking I could never break through…it was pointless because you didn't even have to knock it down. You just built a one around us instead."

"I'm stronger with you, right here." she finished, guiding his hand underneath hers to rest over her heart.

Castle stared into her eyes, a mixture of amazement and love clouding the deep pools of blue in his own. Before she knew it, his mouth was crashing into hers. Stunned at first, she quickly gave back, pouring herself into the kiss, until both of them had to separate, breathless.

"Magic…" Castle murmured quietly against her cheek.

Kate hummed in agreement, as she laced their hands together, leaning into his side. And watching the waves, together, she felt complete.