Good Night

Summary: Kate rolled her eyes. It was just a dog. Only it wasn't. It was the person that was coming with the dog that was making her feel all these things. Short one-shot with an extension on the scene that took place in Kate's apartment in 4x13 An Embarrassment of Bitches.

Author's Note: Just a little story to celebrate four years of Castle :) congrats guys! This story was inspired by the song Good Night by Gloriana.

Disclaimer: I don't own anybody or anything – the first couple of lines are from 4x13 An Embarrassment of Bitches

They were sharing something, it was a new level to their partnership, well that's what she liked to think at least. To her it was another step, the next step, one more step closer to those damn walls coming down.

She had never been this girl before. She found herself glancing through the slats in her blinds in waiting, feeling butterflies fluttering within her anxiously, and she found herself twirling the loose curls that fell from her bun. Kate rolled her eyes. It was just a dog. Only it wasn't. It was the person that was coming with the dog that was making her feel all these things; things she caught herself doing a lot of recently, especially when it concerned him.

A knock on her door took her skipping across her apartment like a giddy little school girl before she came to a skidding halt about a foot away from her door. She stopped in front of the mirror checking the hair she had just been messing with and putting on her best stern detective-like face before turning to open up the door.

"Castle you were supposed to be here over an hour ago. It's called shared custody, not show up when you want custody." she tries to state sternly, trying to suppress how happy she is that he is standing in her apartment.

"Yeah I thought I had everything together, but at the last minute I could not find Mr. Squeaky." he turns to her with a plush toy in his hand squeaking it before he hands it to her, "So don't worry about feeding him, I had a rib-eye I couldn't finish."

"You fed him a steak?"

"Yeah, don't worry we worked it off. He played fetch in the hall and then we watched some Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Boy, this guy, this guy is a snuggler." he smiles down at the dog lying on the floor.

"And I bet you let him sit on your couch didn't you?" she asks glaring at him.

"Umm…"

"No it's okay, you can be the fun one, I'll just be the bad guy because there is no way that you are shedding all over my couch." she states looking back to the dog.

"Oh no he's perfectly happy right there," he points to where Royal is lying on the floor, "Oh and he loves it when you rub him right between the eyes, just little circles with your thumb," he grabs her hand, "just like this, not too hard. Just…"

There is silence between them for a few seconds as Castle continues to rub slow circles on the back of Kate's hand. Their eyes meet and they stare at one another for just a few moments lost in each other's gaze.

"Castle…" she gets out breathlessly.

"Yeah there's…you get it. Yeah umm…alright you guys have fun. Don't miss me too much, the dog, not you." he winks at her as he walks out the door.

Outside Kate's door, Castle releases a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. The things that woman does to him. As he walks to the elevator, the events that had just occurred replay over and over in his mind. He hadn't meant for that to be such a sensual explanation, or had he?

As he reaches the elevator he turns his head slightly to look back at Kate's door, shaking his head to himself he punches the down arrow. Then just like that it's back yet again; the feeling of her silky soft skin beneath his sending slight tremors of ecstasy coursing through his body. And suddenly this image flashes in his head, he's pulling her towards him, like he did in that dark alley so many months ago, his hands find their way to her face, drawing her even closer.

Now he is wishing that he had kissed her, that he had just given into these irresistible feelings that he has had for this woman for so long now. There hasn't been a time that she hasn't taken his breath away, but at times like these, times at her apartment when she is dressed down, has her hair pulled back in a messy bun, and is wearing barely any make-up, times when she is just Kate, he is so in awe of her and possibly even more in love with her.

He caught himself looking back toward her apartment one more time and as the elevator announced its arrival he took off running toward her door. He raised his hand up to knock on her door and then froze, what would he say? He left something? Or forgot to tell her something about Royal's schedule? Or he could just simply tell her his real reason behind standing here with what's sure to be an 'I love you' and 'I want to kiss you' look on his face.

Castle takes a deep breath, but before he can knock once again the door opens and he finds himself staring into the astonishing eyes he so lovingly admires.

Kate couldn't move, it was like she was frozen in time. Her fingers subconsciously found the back of her left hand and began tracing the circles he had just left. His touch had quite literally made her heart stop for a second, her air flow had come to a complete halt, and she was pretty sure there was no processing of any thoughts while his hand was on hers. Even now, moments after he left, she could barely catch her breath. His eyes were invading her mind, his scent still overwhelming her senses, and his touch still lingering on her smooth skin.

Part of her, hell what was she thinking, all of her, had hoped that he would stay; that that simple touch would have turned into something more; that he would have just pushed her up against her table and kissed her. She was right there on the edge, ready to let it all go, that wall was tumbling down.

She found herself running. She stopped when she reached the door, placing her hand on the knob and leaning her forehead against the cool metal. She took a deep breath. She needed to do this, not just for herself, not just for him, but for them. She needed the person who made her world stop and go at the same time, the one who could bring a smile to her face in nearly any situation, the one who had all the right words during the worst possible moments in life, the one who had single handily destroyed those walls…her one and done. She pushed down on the handle pulling the door open and found herself standing face to face with the man who had been invading her thoughts since the second he released her hand.

Before she could say anything his lips came crashing down on hers, his hands found their way into her silky hair, and he was pushing her inside her apartment up against the door forcing the door shut. Just as he began to pull back her hands ran their way up his arms, over his shoulders, up his neck, and into his hair, pulling him back towards her, deepening the kiss. She traces his lips with her tongue, and then bites ever so lightly on his lower lip. It's as if that's all the invitation he needs, because now he knows that she wants this as badly as he does.

He removes his hands from her hair and slides them down her body, enjoying every inch of her devastatingly gorgeous curves. When he reaches her hips he squeezes just slightly before he lifts her, and he smiles against her lips when she automatically wraps her legs around his waist all the while continuing her interrogation of his mouth. They are just as in sync with one another here as they are when solving a case, completing each other's movements as they do one another's sentences.

Just when she thinks this kiss can't get any hotter or sexier he pushes her up against the door even more, so that she stays in place around his waist, and then he cups her chin and skims his thumb over her cheek. A small sigh escapes somewhere from the back of her throat, because now…now this kiss has just taken on a whole new level. If possible it's even more sensual than before because there are all sorts of areas touching different areas that she never imagined would be touching, and now it's passionate, and loving because he's doing what Castle does. But he's doing what Castle does only with her. Mixed in with this incredibly hot and passionate kiss, he's putting a loving touch to remind her that he will always be there, that he loves her, even if she isn't ready for it, because he does, more than anything. And somewhere, way deep inside of her, she is certain that her heart skips a couple beats for what is undeniably love for this man. So she does the only thing she knows she can do right now, she returns the gesture.

He is the first to slow it down, to kiss her slowly, more passionately. Savoring the way her lips feel on his, the way she tastes, how her hands feel caressing his face, this is a moment he wants to remember, though he is pretty sure that there will be more, this is a moment he wants to cherish forever. He lets out a small groan as Kate continues kissing him sweetly but unwraps her legs and slides down his body quite seductively.

She finishes as she had started, tracing his lips with her tongue and placing one feather light kiss on his lips, she pulls away eyeing his swollen lips and then smiling when she looks into his eyes. It is then that her heart skips again for the third time that night, she finds herself drowning in the most beautiful sea of blue she has ever seen. A sea full of so much love, passion, and desire, all for her, but also a sea of promise, the future, unconditional support, and the definite possibility of forever.

He leans down touching his forehead to hers; shutting his eyes as he revels in her scent and the taste of her still present on his lips. He smiles when he opens his eyes and sees her staring up at him. He leans down softly kissing both corners of her mouth.

"Take care of our dog," he says before kissing the tip of her nose, "Goodnight Kate." he smiles down at her before opening up the door and slipping out.

As the door clicks shut behind her, Kate slides down to the floor and brings her hand up to her lips where she can still taste him.

"Yeah, it's definitely a good, good night." she thinks to herself as a huge smile spreads across her face.

Thoughts?