I've been tangling with this one for awhile, and although I'm not entirely satisfied, I decided to just post it before my head exploded. This story will be a series of linked one-shots (probably 4 or 5 in total), each chapter inspired by lyrics from The Temper Trap's 'Sweet Disposition'. Many thanks to Deb for the inspiration on this! :)

Sweet disposition,
Never too soon.
Oh reckless abandon,
Like no one's watching you…

The first time he caught her singing in the shower, she wanted to swirl down the drain.

It's not that she was embarrassed per se, or self-conscious, because she was actually a pretty good singer. And when she'd shown up at his door nearly two weeks ago, she'd told him she was ready and she'd meant it. Ready to move forward, ready to be together, ready to share everything. And, logically speaking, she supposed that 'sharing everything' meant sharing her love of singing as well. Made sense.

But sense aside, this was kind of a Fortress of Solitude thing, an intensely private aspect of her personality. Of her life. And it wasn't something she shared. With anyone. Ever. Not since her mom.

It was Johanna Beckett who had encouraged this side of her, nurtured it, supported it, delighted in every expression of it. And after she had died, Kate's passion for singing had nearly been snuffed out completely, yet one more blameless victim to a sharp knife in a nondescript alley. But she'd managed to keep it burning, deep down, and over the years, it had become one of the few lights left in her life, a living reminder of – and a monument to – her mother.

Which is why she'd never considered revealing it to anyone else, hadn't even allow herself to contemplate the idea.

And she'd sure as hell never been caught before, basking under deliciously hot jets of pounding water as she soulfully crooned out the lyrics to her favorite Temper Trap song, her fingers rhythmically keeping time with the words as they worked shampoo through her thick, chestnut locks.

She was in his loft, in his bathroom, in his shower, and she'd known he was out there, known it was highly probable – even likely – that he'd actually be joining her soon. And yet, she'd been singing. And she'd been singing for awhile. And she'd started singing unconsciously, not even cognizant of the fact that she was releasing herself to a pleasure which she normally didn't allow, at least not outside the security of her own home. She'd been open, unguarded, and completely relaxed, as if she were safely ensconced within her own special bastion of peace and seclusion. Her fortress.

And then he'd walked in, utterly shattering that illusion, setting eyes and ears on her in a way which she'd never permitted anyone to before.

And this was the moment when the overwhelming panic stemming from that realization should set in. Because it didn't matter that it was Castle, it didn't matter who it was. Her privacy had been invaded. Her perimeter had been compromised. Her fortifications had been breached. It was a matter of instinct, pure and simple. Instantaneous action was demanded, a lightning-quick attack which would most likely be followed by a hasty retreat.

But the crazy thing was, as her voice broke off and their gazes locked, it didn't feel like she needed to attack. Or retreat. And after that first startled second, she realized it didn't even feel like panic. It felt…okay. He had seen her, and heard her, and he was standing right there, and she didn't feel at all exposed, or unprotected, or vulnerable. She felt… She felt fine. She felt free.

A smile broke across her lips at the revelation.

"Hey," she greeted, her casual tone belying the intensity of the moment as her eyes held his through the steam-shrouded glass.

"Hey," he returned, his frozen surprise collapsing around a lop-sided grin. He'd been genuinely shocked at the sound of her exquisite voice through the closed door of the bathroom, and he'd wavered on whether or not to enter. And when he'd at last decided to step inside, the utterly stunned look upon her face had nearly convinced him he'd made the wrong decision. But then he'd recognized the joyous calm which flooded her features, an echo of their first night together, and of all the days and nights since then. He wasn't intruding. He was welcome here. He was wanted.

He leaned a hip against the counter and crossed his arms over his t-shirt-clad chest, eyes never leaving hers. "I didn't know you could sing like that."

Her smile grew, exposing teeth as her lips parted. "Yeah." She turned her shoulders into the hot spray of water, closing her eyes and tipping her head back to let the rich lather she'd created rinse away, fingers lacing through her hair to massage her scalp, soap streams sluicing down her skin. "Ever since I was little." She wavered for the barest fraction of a second, so brief he might have missed it. "It was a family thing. My mom would play the piano and we'd sing together."

His eyes crinkled. "How 'bout your dad?"

She laughed, a spontaneous peal of delight straight from her chest. "God no! He's hopeless. Completely non-musical." She straightened up and turned, wringing her hair with one hand and shutting off the water with the other. She wiped away a few stubbornly clinging drops from her face before opening her eyes again, seeking his warm gaze. "Mom actually forbade him from singing. And he was a bit miffed about that." She grinned at the memory as she swung open the shower door. "But he was always there with us, listening."

He pushed off from the counter, grabbing her towel from its place beside his, whipping it open with a flourish and holding it up invitingly as she stepped out onto the bathmat. "Lucky guy."

She graced him with a heart-stopping smile then pivoted, backing into solid warmth as he enfolded her in a wave of dark blue material and strong, steady arms. "Mm-hmm," she murmured, eyes drifting closed as she leaned back into his all-encompassing embrace.

She felt his nose run lazily along the slick line of her neck as his breath glided down her wet skin, warm and liquid. His slow lips found the hollow behind her ear, and she tipped her head to the side, pulling a masculine and contented hum of approval from deep within his throat at the access she was granting.

His mouth parted languidly, tongue sliding out and tasting her skin, circling up around the shell of her ear before drifting down to the lobe. His teeth nipped her there lightly, the pressure just enough to cause a quiet inhalation on her part, not quite a gasp, but the tantalizing promise of one. She felt his smile against her skin as his arms tightened their grip on her body, pulling her closer, pressing her entire, towel-wrapped length against his.

"Sing something else," he breathed, a barely-there whisper hot and low in her ear. "For me." She bit her lip at both his words and the sensations they created, her back arching slightly against his chest, eyes still closed.

Could she really do this? Sing to him? She knew it shouldn't even be a question, not after he'd already heard her a moment ago anyway, and certainly not after all the things they'd shared with each other in the last two weeks. She felt her skin flush at the memories. Yeah, they'd shared quite a lot…

But this was different. This…it was intimate in a way that she'd never allowed herself to be intimate before. Not just physically or emotionally, but soulfully. She'd never given this part of herself into the care of another, wasn't even sure she wanted to. Her heart stilled at that last thought, clenching painfully in her chest.

That wasn't true. That wasn't true at all. It was just her fears, scrambling for justification.

The truth was she did want to share this. She wanted to share everything. Was she afraid? Hell yes. But she believed in him, in them. And it might not always be easy – in fact, she knew at times it would be really damned difficult – but she had made her decision, and she was in this, fully, completely, no going back.

And really, this moment with him, this wasn't difficult at all. This felt easy. No, more than that. It felt right, right in a way she hadn't experienced in nearly fourteen years. She didn't want to share this with him. She yearned to share it.

The questioning nudge of his nose behind her ear brought her back suddenly, as if he'd sensed she was far away and hoped she would return to him. It was tender, and simple, and full of every promise, and it sent a searing bolt of desire careening down her spine. Oh, she yearned all right.

"Any requests?" she managed to ask, voice catching slightly at the hidden depth and weight of those two simple words.

His lips returned to her neck and traced a meandering path down her skin, skating across the water droplets still beaded there, his tongue collecting them as it pulled along behind. Her throat tightened as he reached the curve of her shoulder, grazing his teeth along the outline of her collarbone, and then she realized his mouth wasn't the only thing on the move. One of his warm hands slipped through the folds of the towel to find the bare skin of her stomach, pausing for a brief moment before sliding...everywhere.

This time she did gasp, the casual, knowing way in which he was exploring her just too much not to respond to.

"Surprise me," he invited, even as his tongue found her pulse point and his lips descended, sucking gently.

Okay, yeah, she was definitely doing this. Song after song flashed through her mind, a new one sparking at his every touch, lyrics all ajumble. There were so many beautiful words to share, so many emotions to express. How could she ever hope to give voice to all she felt for this man through a single song? How could just one suffice, when they all made such overwhelming sense? Made sense thanks to him.

And actually, when she thought about it like that, any song would do. Her lips tugged down at the corners, pulling into a slight frown. Which meant none of them would. Okay then, maybe she should look at this from an entirely different angle. From their angle.

Surprise him. Right. Well, he'd asked for it.

She cleared her throat as much as she was able and drew a long, steady breath, which was pretty impressive, given what his fingers were up to. Her voice gathered itself within her chest, and then she set it free.

"Move that ass, move that ass, get on the floor, get on the floor…"

His reaction was instantaneous, a startled guffaw which rippled from deep within his sternum and exploded past his lips. She couldn't quite check a grin herself as she felt the force of his laugh whoosh past her shoulder and skirl over her clavicle, the beautiful sound of it ringing in her ears. Oh yeah. Good choice. She couldn't continue, however, because both of his arms were suddenly back at her waist, squeezing hard enough that she lost most of the air from her lungs.

"Oof…Castle! I can't sing while you're performing the Heimlich!"

She felt him chuckle again, lower and deeper than before, the vibration resonating through the towel and into the muscles of her back. "God, Kate. Of all the songs… You just never cease to amaze, do you?"

She heard the playful lilt in his voice, and underneath it, the love. She turned towards him, swiveling within the frame of his arms, seeking the accompanying look in his eyes. And sure enough, it was there, reflecting out from his blue depths, making her feel like she'd just been declared the winner of everything, simply by being exactly who she was.

"Complaining?" she asked teasingly, arching her brow and circling the tip of his nose with her own.

He nudged her nose back then touched his forehead to hers. "Never."

She smiled then closed the distance between them and kissed him lightly, her eyes remaining open, keeping contact with his. She hadn't told him in words yet exactly how much she loved him, but she tried to tell him now with her gaze, willing him to understand. Soon. She would say it soon.

He pulled away slightly and the warmth in his eyes made her believe she'd succeeded. He grinned then slackened his arms exaggeratedly. "Okay, so I'm no longer depriving you of oxygen. Or," he added with a waggle of his eyebrows, "attempting to dislodge food from your esophagus." He raised his right hand and waved it about in a grandiose manner, his left remaining lightly anchored at the small of her back. "So, fair lady, if you'd be so kind as to continue with your exceedingly elegant melody...?"

His theatrical performance earned him a trademark Beckett scowl, brows knitted, eyes glaring, lips pursed. But there was no heat behind it, no actual annoyance, and his adorably quirked mouth and twinkling blue eyes told her he knew it. Still, she managed to hold the look until he finally leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against her cheek, his voice following, low and sincere. "Please?"

She sighed deeply and gave it one more second, waiting until his eyes were again focused on hers before dropping the feigned displeasure. She tilted her head and picked up with the first verse, tone low and sultry, her stare never leaving his.

"Sexy as hell as I come through the door…"

His eyes flung dark blue sparks at the words, his hands suddenly heavy and possessive, everywhere at once. She thrummed against him, muscles quivering, the tempo of the song wavering slightly before she was able to regain her momentum.

"Twelve gauge shotgun, get on the floor…"

Given their current situation, she couldn't help smiling slightly at the obvious pun, but when he ground his hips against hers, that smile faded into oblivion as her lips dropped open and her eyes fluttered shut. This was just too hot to be humorous.

"Jump on the counter, let off a round…"

And suddenly she was spinning as he whirled them both about, voice cut off at the unexpected swiftness of it. The movement stopped abruptly and she found herself trapped against the counter, his body pressed deliciously against every inch of hers. Her mouth went dry at the sudden change in position, at the promise of more which it created, and the hungry desire in his eyes didn't really help with that. She licked her lips slowly, watching him watch her, the reaction she was eliciting from him palpable in every twitch of his muscles.

"This song is surprisingly inspirational," he growled as his gaze tore from hers, eyes tripping momentarily over her tongue before continuing to rove across every inch of skin which wasn't hidden by her towel. He leaned in and pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the underside of her jaw as his fingers ghosted up her covered sides, creating a trail of infuriatingly light pressure against her skin, barely detectable through the thick, blue fabric. "So don't stop."

Her breath caught at the demand lacing his voice, at the double entendre of his words, and she suddenly realized that he knew exactly what was happening here, knew exactly what this whole singing thing was about. Progression. Not just for her, but for them. Don't stop.

She nosed her way to his ear, tasting him there before whispering her response. "I won't if you won't."

"Deal."

And suddenly the towel was gone, and she was on the counter, and he was in everything – her space and her senses and her soul.

And she sang.

This chapter is a bit of shout-out to the last scene of 3x14, 'Lucky Stiff', when Beckett's singing along with her guitar before Castle shows up. It's a tantalizingly brief character moment that has yet to be elaborated on, and it's always stuck in my mind. Anyway, I really struggled with this, and it doesn't flow quite as smoothly as I'd like it to, but I hope it wasn't too painful to read. The idea for this fic is to delve into some of the fallout from 'Always', both good and bad, and I do plan to tackle some of the larger, angstier issues at play, although this first chapter turned out fairly fluffy. But it's not my fault. I blame Castle and Beckett. They just can't keep their hands off each other...! ;)

Thanks for reading, guys! And if you've got a second to review, your thoughts and suggestions are always very much appreciated!