Limbo
It's in moments like these that Castle really gets to appreciate the diversity of Katherine Beckett., as they sprawl out across his bed. He is leaning with his back against the headboard, iPad in hand. Kate's head rests in his lap as she lies horizontally across the bed reading a book. It's so relaxed, so easy, so unlike their life at the precinct that it is almost unbelievable.
He thought that it would take a while to establish a balance between their working relationship and their private one, but he was wrong. The only real difficulty he has in separating the two is when it comes to touching her. Now that he's allowed, he finds that he wants, needs to do it all of the time. But of course that isn't allowed when they are at the precinct. He has to save it for when they're alone. She has to do the same. It might be the reason that half the time the bedroom is the first stop when they get home.
It isn't just about the sex, though. Yeah it's great, but he's always known that it would be. For him it's more about finally being able to show Kate how much he loves her after all this time. It's about letting her know how much he wants her, how beautiful he thinks she is. It's about letting her feel how much he wants her, giving her as much pleasure as she will let him.
There isn't really any sadness when they're like this, no sense of justice that needs to be done. In moments like these they get to just enjoy being together, as a couple. They don't have to worry about Gates finding out. They don't have to worry about their relationship being flashed across page six. They don't have to worry about anything except being together.
Which brings him back to his original thought, about the diversity of Katherine Beckett. During these moments in his bed she is so many things. Sexy is one of those things of course, but so many other things too. Playful. Intense. Serious. Loving.
Every look she gives him tells him that she loves him, as does every touch. It's in the way she absently strokes the back of a finger against his thigh with the hand that supports her head as she reads. It's in the way her gaze flicks up to him when she turns a page, offers him a smile that he can't help returning. It's the way that she just lets herself be around him, the way she doesn't try to hide herself anymore.
He loves her.
She loves him.
They're together.
She's happy, so he is too.