Holding On

This brief one-shot immediately follows the hug in "After the Storm." When I saw that scene, I wanted to know what happened after that tender, heartbreaking moment.

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.

Kate lifted her head from Castle's chest and bushed her lips to his, as the blueish glare from the tv projected the only light in the room. Senator Bracken's smug, frozen image continued to stare at them until Kate stepped away long enough to hit the power button on the remote, wishing she could erase the actual man from her life just as effectively. Turning back toward Castle, she slid her arms to his neck and rose up to deepen the kiss, slanting her mouth and drawing him against her. She poured herself into him, pressing her body firmly to his, knowing her intentions would not be mistaken.

"Kate," he said, when the kiss ended and she remained flush against him, seeking more. "Kate, are you sure? With everything that's happened today …"

She silenced him with her lips, then pulled back to meet his eyes, so full of love and concern that her heart almost burst in reciprocation.

"He took my mother from me, Castle. He took Roy. So many others. And I came so close to losing myself in this hunt for him. I won't let him take this," she said, touching his chest where his heart beat steadily against his breastbone and sliding up to caress his cheek. "Not even for one night."

Unable to forms words to reply, Castle gathered her to him and brought his mouth to hers in a kiss that said all he could not. After so long, they were finally able to openly draw strength from each other, and neither wanted to sacrifice the smallest measure of what they'd gained in the last twenty-four hours.

Moving to her bedroom, it was his turn to look around in wonder, absorbing the privilege of being in a space he knew was nothing less than sacred to her. This was the essence of Kate Beckett, and the one place her armor wasn't needed. Looking at the hesitance on her face, he knew she was aware of his thoughts, and still, she wanted him there. She wanted to share this with him, not only out of necessity because she wanted him to stay, but because she wanted to be done hiding from him.

His writer's eye for detail took in the framed photographs, the cherry jewelry box, the mismatched furniture, the little elephant statuette, and the assortment of books, knickknacks, and personal items that dotted every surface. The bed was hastily made but layered with a thick comforter and a half-dozen pillows. Light from a street lamp filtered through gauzy curtains. The room was as eclectic as the rest of her apartment, but softer somehow, more feminine and personal, which only reinforced his sense of privilege at being allowed to see this part of her at last.

In the seconds it took him to take everything in, she drew him with her onto the bed, both fully clothed, but wrapped together like the lovers they were still learning how to be. Kate pressed her cheek to his chest and said softly, "I'm glad you're here."

Feeling his throat tighten with emotion, he admitted in return, "I hate the thought that before yesterday, I'd have been somewhere else. Even if it was only on the couch, it wouldn't have been here." It was a bold acknowledgement of how far they'd come in such a short amount of time, but it also reaffirmed how dearly they embraced their new status.

When his arms tightened around her, she snuggled into his embrace before her mind drifted to something else. "Do you think Ryan and Esposito know?" she asked suddenly.

"About us?"

"Yeah. Do you think they noticed anything?"

He considered for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't think so. Esposito asked me if I was staying with you tonight, almost like he was making a suggestion. He didn't want you to be alone, but he didn't take it for granted that I'd be here."

"Yeah, that was my impression, too," she agreed, her voice soft and quiet, reflecting the intimacy of the bedroom. "What about Alexis and your mom? Did they wonder why you weren't coming home?"

He shook his head again. "No, Alexis is still pretty wiped out from her party, and I don't think she really wants to face me quite yet. Mother said they'd be fine and to just worry about keeping you safe." A few moments of silence passed between them, before Castle followed up with his own curiosity about her thoughts, "Would it really matter if any of them did figure it out?"

Kate ran through a variety of scenarios of their friends discovering their new relationship, and in all of them, the results were nothing but positive. In the end, they were all friends and family who she knew would be happy for her and Castle. But still, she felt very protective of the bubble they had created together. It was the only silver lining in the lethal disaster that had become her life, and she wasn't yet ready to breech the sanctity of their privacy. So in answer to his question, she replied cautiously, "No, probably not. And I suspect they'll find out eventually. But right now, I'm glad they don't know. I want this to be just ours for a little longer."

She lifted her face toward him until she could reach his lips, and in response, he drew her into him and kissed her deeply. "Me, too," he murmured, as he slipped his hand under her shirt and skimmed the soft skin of her back. He loved her beyond reason and could say now with unequivocal certainty that she was worth every second of the past four years. He didn't know what the morning would bring, and he had no idea how to keep her safe. That cold reality chilled him through to his marrow. But for the moment, if nothing else, she was safe and in his arms, wanting him to make love to her. He would gladly and gratefully give her that for at least one more night. It wouldn't be enough for long, but it could be enough for now.