So this idea just kind of popped into my head as I was listening to "Beside You," by Marianas Trench, so here's a one shot, Casketty smut. But sweet smut (if that makes sense).

"When your tears are spent
on your last pretense
and your tired eyes refuse to close
and sleep in your defense.

When it's in your spine
like you've walked for miles
and the only thing you want is just
to be still for a while"

Kate got home from work early that night, the case they had just solved was a trying one in all sense of the word. The killer was a 17 year old boy who had shot another boy for raping his girlfriend. In the end he wouldn't give up and Kate took him down, permanently. After she got back to the precinct she grabber her jacket and left, Castle had offered to come with her, but she refused, she wasn't about to let him see her like this. Crying her heart out, because inside she felt for the kid, and if it wasn't her job she would've agreed with him.

She heard the door open and a voice call out, "Kate?" It belonged to Josh. Her feelings of sadness were overcome with ones of frustration, she had texted him that she didn't want company tonight that she needed a night to herself, obviously he hadn't gotten the message. "She got up off the couch and went to the door to greet him, or rather make him leave. "I told you I wanted to be alone tonight." She said with a steely voice.

He looked dumbstruck, "what's wrong Kate you've been crying." She shook it off, "please, I just need to be alone tonight." His eyes didn't show concern, dissapointment yes, concern no. That dissapointment flashed to anger. "I'm sick of this, you keep all of this bottled up and you never tell me what's going on!" She pointed towards the door, "leave, please." When he realized he was getting nowhere, he tried a different route, giving her an ultimatum. "Kate, if I walk out that door, I'm gone for good."

That's when she let all her frustration out, "fine! Leave, it's about time." Josh now looked pissed, "fine I will, have a nice life Detective." The word detective rolled off his tongue with vile. After he left Kate shut the door and leaned up against it sobbing uncontrolably. The night just kept getting worse and worse.

After a few minutes she removed herself from the floor and went to the kitchen to get herself something to drink, pouring a glass of wine, she sat on the couch. Had that just happened? She thought, had she just ended things with Josh that easily? She felt no pang of regret, but honestly, she felt a little lonely.

After sitting for awhile, thinking about absolutely nothing, she decided maybe it was time for bed. As she got up and was about to head into her bedroom she heard another knock on the door. If that was Josh again, she was going to shoot him, and have no regrets about it. Opening the door, putting on a pissed face, she saw not Josh but Castle, carrying Chinese food and a boquet of flowers.

"When you're overwhelmed
and you've lost your breath
and the space between the things you know
is blurry nontheless

When you try to speak
but you make no sound
and the words you want are out of reach
but they've never been so loud"


"Hey," he said. Her face changed from angry to surprised in an instant. "Castle? What are you doing here?" He nodded to the bag of Chinese, "I figured you hadn't eaten yet, and I know you said you wanted to be alone, but after the events of today, I don't think anyone who had to do what you did should be alone."

As Kate looked into his eyes, she saw what was lacking in Josh's. Concern, purely innocent concern for her well being. That concern is what lead her to invite him into the apartment. Setting the chinese food on the counter he turned to face her, with a somber look.

"Are you ok?" She looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes, and for a minute, she said nothing. All at once she collapsed in his chest sobbing. He immeditley held her close squeezing her, rubbing her back comforting her as best he could.

Trying to get her off the subject, he asked, "where's Josh?" At the mention of her newly annointed ex boyfriend she looked up at him, "gone." Castle's heart stopped, "gone gone?" She nodded and spoke in between sobs, "he came over, after I texted him that I wanted to be alone, we got into a fight about me not opening up and then he left saying we were over." Castle hugged her tighter to his chest, planting light innocent kisses atop her head as she cried into him. Cried for the boy she shot, cried for the relationship that she had just ended, cried for a million other reasons.

Kate looked up to him, "promise you won't give up on me?" Castle looked down at her, "what? Never, Kate I said always, and I meant it." She smiled at the mention of the A word. It had become a silent agreement between the two of them, that no matter what they would be there for each – other. No matter what.

Castle had lived up to his part of the promise, he had been there for her, every single time. He had been the person she leaned on, the one she could vent too. He was the rock in her life, when everything else was flowing water.

"if your heart wears thin
I will hold you up
and I will hide you
when it gets too much
I'll be right beside you
I'll be right beside you"

Right there and then, a realization hit Kate Beckett. One that she spent a whole summer surpressing. She was utterly in love with Richard Castle. Whent that realization hit her, the tears stopped. She looked up at him, "let's eat." Castle smiled back at her, "yes ma'am."

So for the next hour or so they ate, drank some wine, talked about life, Castle about Alexis growing up way too fast for him, Kate giving him adivce on how to deal with it. For awhile it was nice to be able to just relax.

Before she knew it it was a little past midnight and they were still talking. After Castle glanced at his watch, he looked to her with a pang of sadness evident in his voice. "I should probably go, it's late." Kate heard those words and before she could even consider what she was about to do, she blurted them out. "You could always stay here tonight."

Castle's face looked surprised for a moment and then in a Castle fashion he said, "why so you can have your wicked way with me while I'm asleep detective?" Kate looked at him and smiled, then took a deep breath, it was now or never.

She crawled on the couch over to him and whispered in his ears, "oh no Mr. Castle, I intend to keep you awake for all of it." With that she kissed him.

At first his lips didn't respond, he was too dumbstruck for a moment. But as her felt her starting to pull back he puller her back to him, deepening the kiss. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip, begging for entry, and he obliged. That's when everything got more frantic, there tongues exploring each others mouths, caught in a duel neither side winning. His hands began to explore her as well feeling her every curve.

As if on cue she pulled away and took him by the hand leading him to the bedroom. Kate pushed him on the bed and straddled him, kissing him senseless biting onto whatever she could, his earlobe, exposed skin on the neck.

She felt the bottom half of him get excited and smiled into his lips. She got off of him and began to undress, sesually in front of him, and as she watched him watch her, she saw a hungry gaze in his eyes this excited her even more, and as soon as she was wearing nothing, she decided it was his turn.

So she "helped him get his pants off," and took him in her hand, stroking him gently. His breathing became ragged, and she knew she needed to back off if this was going to last. The thought had barely passed her mind when she felt him sweep her up and put her back on the bed, followed closely by him taking one of bare nipples in his mouth, sucking it gently. She arched her back in pleasure and ran her fingers through his hair, forget him, if he kept this up, she wouldn't last long. "Rick," she managed to get out between gasps. "Now."

He nodded and sheathed himself in her fully. She cried out in pleasure as he began pumping in and out, slowly and lovingly.

Needless to say it took neither of them long. Kate exploded into the most intense orgasm she had ever had. Rick soon followed. Spent, he collapsed in the bed next to her. But wrapped her in his arms, she could hear his heart rate slowing down as they relaxed. After a few minutes of silence, she looked him in the eyes, "hey, Rick?" He stared, back, "yes." "I love you. I'm sorry it took me this long to realize it." His face broke out into a smile, "I love you too." And they layed there for the night embracing eachother, both amazed that even out of tragedy, love found a way to break through all.

"I love you more," he said with a teasing tone. "Castle, don't push me, or ill have to break out my handcuffs." He laughed and held her tight, life with Kate Beckett would be intresting indeed, but he was going to be beside her the whole time, because he said Always, and he meant it.