*So, I posted this on tumblr a while ago, and I'm not quite sure why I haven't posted it here yet. So, here you go. Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: I'm not married to a lovely woman named Terri, and my middle name is Amber. You figure the rest out

(Kate)

Kate Beckett couldn't sleep. It wasn't that she didn't need sleep, or even that she didn't want it. After the hellish week she'd spent chasing down a serial killer, getting blown up, and dealing with the Feds, all Kate wanted to do was crash for a few days in Castle's ridiculously comfortable guest room. However, it seemed that her brain had other ideas, namely keeping her up all night thinking about Richard-goddamn-Castle.

It was Jordan Shaw's quiet observation from earlier in the day that was the root of the problem. He cares about you, Kate. Maybe you don't see it. Maybe you're not ready to, but he does. Kate hadn't been able to get those words out of her head. Hence why she was still awake at three in the morning, staring mindlessly out at the city from Castle's living room window.

The problem wasn't that Kate didn't see how much Castle cared. She was a detective with an eye for details, and he wasn't exactly subtle. The problem wasn't even that she wasn't ready to acknowledge it. She'd told Jordan that things between her and Castle were complicated, but that had been a lie. Her relationship with him was probably the least complicated she'd ever had. They bickered, they bantered, they flirted, they fought and made up, and they had each others backs. Being with Castle was easy. And that was the problem.

If Kate gave in to the not-so-little part of her that wanted a relationship with Castle that went beyond friendship, it would all be too easy. The wall that she'd built up around her heart would crumble into nothing, and she probably wouldn't realize it until it was too late. And then there would be nothing to stop her from giving in and trusting him completely. There would be nothing to stop her from falling head over heels in love with him. And there would be nothing to stop her heart from shattering when she inevitably lost him, one way or another.

What if it's already too late? That startling thought popped into Kate's head, and she bit her lip as she pondered it. She thought back to what she had told Jordan about Castle the first day they'd worked together. He, um, touches things. She'd only said it to tease him then, but now she saw how true it really was. He'd touched her life in a way no one had been able to do since her mother's death. Castle had already touched her heart. Too bad that's the only part of you he's touched… She groaned, resting her forehead against the cold glass of the window. Apparently, her brain was conspiring with her body to destroy her tonight.

"Kate?"

She yelped and spun to face him, startled her out of her thoughts. She blushed furiously at the direction her thoughts had taken; the fantasies about the various places she wanted him to touch. "Castle, hey," she mumbled weakly once she'd gotten control of her brain…to an extent.

"What are you doing up?" he asked, running a hand through his rumpled hair. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to ignore the fire burning through her veins. He was so not helping her runaway thoughts right now.

Kate shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Couldn't sleep."

Castle frowned. "Still freaked out about Dunn?"

"Nah," she replied with a shake of her head. "Just…thinking." About you. About the sinfully wicked things I want to do to you.

He nodded sleepily. "Care to divulge?" he asked, yawning.

Kate tugged her lower lip between her teeth. She could shrug it off, pretend she was tired, and go to bed, where she would stare at the ceiling, worrying about all the what-ifs. Or she could just dive in and tell him how she felt, consequences be damned.

Before she could think herself out of option two, Kate closed the distance between them and kissed Castle, reveling in the feeling of his lips on hers. It took him a moment to respond, but he made up for the delay with enthusiasm. He gasped, allowing her to deepen the kiss, to finally taste him.

Kate moaned into Castle's mouth as his hands started to roam, his touch driving her crazy. How he already knew about that spot just below her ribcage that never failed to produce a shiver, she couldn't guess, but she honestly didn't care.

When they finally broke apart for air, she whimpered softly, stretching up to claim his mouth again. Castle stopped her, pushing her back down with a few fingers to her lips. He was staring at her, shell-shocked, as if he was trying to decide if this was all a dream or not. "Kate, what…"

She smiled against his fingertips, kissing them before she pulled away to speak. "That's what I've been thinking about all night," she confessed, ducking her head. "I figured it would be more fun to show you than to just tell you."

He laughed, pulling her back so that they were nose-to-nose. "Are you sure about this?" he murmured, his expression a combination of fear and hope.

She kissed him softly. "I'm sure."

He nodded, the fear in his eyes dissipating. "Okay. What brought this on?" he asked. His confused expression was adorable, but she was too keyed up to care.

Kate shook her head, turning them so that his study was to her back. "I'll tell you in the morning," she promised, slowly leading him towards the study, and consequently his bedroom. "Right now, I just want you."

Castle grinned, a predatory glint in his eyes that mirrored the one in hers. "That can be arranged," he said, stopping their progress so he could scoop her up in his arms.

Her legs wrapped around his waist automatically, and she grinned evilly. She proceeded to distract him so badly as he carried her through the loft that he almost dropped her in the middle of his study. "Evil woman," he growled, squeezing her thighs where he held her. "Evil, distracting woman."

She nipped at his ear, giggling breathlessly. "And don't you forget it," she teased.

For a moment, the insane rush to the bedroom stopped. Castle brought a hand up to caress her cheek. "I'm never going to forget tonight," he murmured. "Don't you worry about that."

Kate smiled shyly. "I'll never forget this either," she promised. "Never." She kissed him hungrily, tightening her legs around his waist. They started moving again, his touch less frantic, but just as powerful. Kate's last conscious thought was that it was a good thing they didn't work with Jordan every day. There was no way they'd be keeping this a secret for long.

*So, yeah, there you are. As I've said before, I don't write smut, so please don't ask. Feedback would be much appreciated. :) Thanks for reading!