A/N: OK so, this is just a short little one-shot I wrote a while back and never really got around to publishing. But I thought, with the premiere coming up (less than a month, YAY!) that we could use a simple little fluffy piece before we dive into all the craziness where the show left off. Hope you enjoy!

He was Richard Castle.

Author of twenty-two best sellers.

The writer of wrongs.

Infamous mystery novelist.

Master of the macabre.

Words were his weapon of choice and he could wield them with an expertise that was unequivocally clever. His scintillating prose captivated his audiences with it's unmistakable ring of truth.

He was a wordsmith- a connoisseur of language. He had a comment for every moment, a caveat for every discussion, and a quip for every situation. He was full of subtext and syntax, metaphor and theme, satire and simile.

He had considerable charm, no small amount of talent, and he always had words. He could count on words in every time, every place. Words were his sanctuary and his salvation.

Until her.

She made him speechless.

The great Richard Castle- without words.

Sure, he could write an entire series of books with her as his inspiration- his muse. (He knew she secretly liked it when he called her that, though she would never admit it.) She directed his words, shaping them into plot and characters.

But that was on the page.

In real life, she stunned him speechless on a regular basis. Sometimes with her words. Sometimes with her actions. Sometimes it was simply a look that she gave him, or the brush of their fingertips as he handed her coffee every morning.

No woman had ever struck him this way- struck him so utterly, so completely.

No woman had ever managed to strip him bare of his words.

The problem was, there were simply no words that could adequately describe Kate Beckett. No words pretty enough or strong enough, loyal enough or gentle enough. No words soft enough or rough enough, complex enough or extraordinary enough.

She was Kate Beckett.

Tough-as-nails cop.

Brilliant detective.

His muse.

His partner.

Those words would do for now.