And So It Is Written
They'd woken up together, far earlier than their days' responsibilities had demanded, and had made the most of the morning stillness of her apartment, their bodies tangled beneath the soft cotton of her sheets, absent worry of interruption or intrusion. The sun had barely risen on their first Valentine's Day together, and Rick was already perched blissfully atop cloud nine. He had everything in his life he could ever possibly want - well, nearly, but he hoped the day ahead might see fit to rectify that.
His fingertips traced the elegant line of Kate's bare back as she sat perched along the edge of the bed, her hair left perfectly wild from what'd just taken place between them. Unknowingly she leaned deeper into his touch, sleepily mumbled her intention to disappear to the kitchen for their well-earned morning coffee, and though in that moment he struggled to understand why, given the mundanity of the words she'd spoken, her voice had never sounded more seductive to him.
They were in a comfortable place, a new place, still, but one they'd manage to weave almost seamlessly into the fabric of their existing partnership, and Rick understood well what the consequence of pushing too hard could be. Restraint had become a loathed yet necessary evil in his days and nights, but as he awaited Kate's return, listening to the sound of her as she shuffled about the kitchen, he remembered the sudden rush of hope he'd felt when she'd told him he was going to love the holiday gift she'd chosen for him. At the time, he'd done his best not to step off that imposed cliff, not to let his imagination tease him with a fantasy that would likely not become reality, but that fantasy was nestled in his mind now, deeper than ever.
"Hey, where are you?" Kate asked, standing beside him at the foot of the bed, steaming mugs in hand. He hadn't realized she'd come back; that's how lost in it he was. "You okay?"
"What? Oh, I'm-yeah, I'm fine," Rick stammered, her eyes tugging him back to present. "Thanks for this. I didn't think I'd need it after that," he said with a playful nod towards the pile of rumpled linens, "but I guess..." His voice trailed off as he stared into the blackness of his mug, hardly an adequate distraction from his thoughts, but the only one he had. "Mind if I take a shower first? Maybe the water will do me some good, I don't know."
"Of course, yeah, go ahead," she said. "I was going to try to call my dad before he leaves for work, anyway." Kate reached out for his forearm as he slipped by her. He watched as her eyes wandered down his naked body and back up again, and he felt the power of that simple act run through him like a freight train. "Hey, are you sure you're okay?"
Rick pressed his lips softly against her neck and she released her grip. "I'll be fine. I am fine. I'll be out in a bit."
She watched as he disappeared into the bathroom, far from assuaged by his assurances; she knew him too well. It was quiet then, as quiet as it had been before he'd touched her and she'd given her body to him as they'd ushered in the new day together. Several minutes passed before the sound of the water shook her from her reverie, and it was then she knew it was the right moment, as surely as she knew her own name, as though the universe had whispered in her ear. Emboldened by certainty, she moved across the room and into the bathroom, the warm air enveloping her in its embrace. She stood and watched Rick through the foggy glass until the soap cleared from his eyes and he finally took notice of her.
"Jesus, Kate, you scared me," he told her, releasing a nervous chuckle.
"Sorry, Castle, I didn't mean to. I just needed to grab something, and then I saw you and I guess I just got caught up for a minute." She could feel the warmth rise in her cheeks, born, she knew, not of temperature, but of what was to come. "I'm going to go make some toast. Do you want anything?"
He wanted to scream about how much he wanted something, but he swallowed it down, once again. "No, I'm good, thanks. I'll be out in a few minutes," he said, ducking again beneath the spray of water.
With a soft smile, Kate turned and stepped up to the sink, her reflection lost to the effects of the shower's steam on the mirror above. She left it for him there, that which she'd wanted to give for so long, words of her love for him drawn in large, wet letters, before quickly exiting the room for a cool breath of relief from the heat and the pounding of her heart.
She hadn't been gone five minutes before she heard the noise that startled her; it sounded as though a door had been pulled clear of its hinges. He was wrapped only in a towel at the waist when he came into view, soaking wet and dripping from head to toe. "This isn't a dream, right? Tell me I'm awake and this isn't a dream," he said, his disbelief eclipsed by his palpable joy.
She came and met him where he stood, her appetent eyes fixed on his. "This isn't a dream, Castle, I promise. I do. I have for a very long time." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in. "Happy Valentine's Day," she said, her body melting into his.