A/N: The song I mentioned in this story inspired me to write this so enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Castle
Kate stood in front of the mirror admiring the dress that adorned her lithe figure. The pale pink number hugged her in all the right places, accentuating every curve. It fell right above her knees and flowed out at the waist, making her appearance feminine and graceful. Her hair cascaded down her back in beautiful brown curls that framed her face perfectly. Never one for a lot of makeup, Kate wore a coat of mascara that brought out her dazzling green eyes, and a coat of light pink lip stick. She looked like a goddess. Her lips upturned into a smile at her own appearance.
Rick had invited her over for a romantic dinner at his loft. She had had a stressful week at work and now, it being the weekend, she was ready to unwind with her favorite writer. Had you told Kate two years ago that she'd be getting ready for a romantic dinner with Richard Castle tonight, she would have laughed in your face. She had evolved so much since Castle wormed his way onto her team. Her walls had come down and she was in a relationship with the aforementioned writer. Kate was in a state of pure bliss at this point in her life.
Checking the time on her phone, she decided she should head over to the loft. Taking one last admiring glance at herself, she walked out of her apartment and hailed a cab. Reciting the address she had long ago memorized to the driver, Kate relaxed into her seat and waited for Castle's loft to come into view.
Finally arriving at her destination, she paid the cabbie and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Beckett listened to her heels clacking against the pavement as she made her way to the front of the building. When she entered the lobby, the doorman gave her a friendly smile.
"Have a good evening Miss Beckett." he said.
She shot him a smile of her own. "Please, call me Kate. And thank you."
Beckett passed him and made her way to the elevator. She pressed the button to call the shaft down and waited. Seconds later she heard a ding and the doors slid open. She stepped inside and pressed the button that would take her to the designated floor.
Feeling as though the elevator couldn't move any slower, relief washed over Kate as the doors finally opened to reveal the familiar hallway. She strode confidently to Rick's door and knocked.
Castle had just finished cooking dinner and making final touches on the appartment when he heard the knock. His face visibly brightened, knowing who was on the other side. He raced to the door and swung it open. His jaw slackened at the sight before him.
"God you're gorgeous." he spoke, before his mind could even catch up.
Kate bit her lip and ducked her head shyly. She looked up at him through her long lashes and flashed him a smile that was reserved for him.
"You don't look so bad yourself." Beckett replied, her smile never fading.
Rick took ahold of her hands and walked backwards leading her inside. Then he stepped behind her and closed the door. Kate was immediately in awe of the preparations he took. There was a b lanket in front of the fire place set up with plates and silverware. The lights were off and candles burned all around the room giving the place a warm glow. The smell of the food he cooked carried over to her nose, instantly making her mouth water. The curtains on the windows were pulled back, revealing the dark of the night.
"Castle, you didn't have to do all of this." she whispered, as if she spoke any louder the entire moment would pop like a bubble.
"You deserve the world." he stated simply, watching her take it all in.
"It looks incredible." she replied.
Rick led her over to the blanket in front of the fire place. "Take a seat." he said softly.
Kate crouched down and sat, leaning against the couch behind her. Whilst Castle fetched the food from the kitchen, she took the time to reflect on her life. How she ever got so lucky to be able to love an incredible man, she would never know. Beckett had never spoken those all important three words out loud: I love you. But he knew how she felt. He could see it in her eyes every time she looked at him. He could feel it radiate through him with every touch. He could taste it with every kiss. She was grateful that he never resented her for her fear of declaring her love verbally. Kate had never told anyone she loved them, besides her mother and father. But her mother was ripped away from her. Then her father was almost ripped from her, as he looked for closure at the bottom of a bottle. It's almost as if she fears that verbalizing her feelings will cause him to be ripped away from her too. Although her walls had long since crumbled at her feet, there will still a few bricks in place that prevented her from saying the words. But he understands her. He always does.
He returned with two plates of food and two glasses of wine, placing one of each in front of her. He then made his way to sit across from her and sat down with his own food.
"This looks amazing, Rick." she praised.
"Thank you." he grinned proudly.
Kate took a bite of the food he prepared and let out a quiet moan of satisfaction. Castle chuckled at her. The sound of his laugh sent a feeling of warmth coursing through her.
They continued the rest of their meal in a companionable silence, occasionally casting loving glances at each other. When they finished their food, Rick brought their dishes into the kitchen leaving them in the sink to be washed later. He walked over to the stereo and turned it on. A slow song flowed out of the speakers. He instantly recognized it as Can't Stop by Mozella.
"I love this song." They both said simultaneously.
The two met each other's eyes and laughed.
"We seem to always be doing that." she observed.
"Great minds think alike." he said.
She let out a hum of agreement and he walked over to her, reaching out.
"Dance with me." he spoke.
A small smile lit up her face as she took his hand and he helped her up from the floor. Whenever their hands were joined, it always felt as they fit together perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle. He led her over to a space in the room where they would have room to dance.
Their eyes instantly locked. Rick brushed a stray hair away from her face and ran his hand down her arm until he reached her hip. He ran one hand around to the small of her back and kept the other enjoined with hers. Never leaving his gaze, she wrapped a hand around the back of his neck. Castle pulled her close until their chests were flat against each other. She rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes, strands of her hair brushing across his face. Their breaths were mingling and the warmth of her body against his sent electricity flooding his veins. They started to sway together slowly, moving as one. With both of them having their eyes closed, they just swayed from foot to foot never leaving their spot on the floor. They stayed like this for the duration of the song. Once the music turned into silence, neither of them moved from their current position, both too absorbed in the intimate moment they were sharing. Rick felt her eyelashes tickle his face as she opened her eyes, looking straight into his. She let go of his hand and ran both of hands up to grip the collar of his button down. He saw her throat bob as as swallowed nervously. Letting her straighten out her emotions, he stayed silent and let his other hand rest on the small of her back. They had never shared a moment quite like this before.
He heard her choke on a sob and saw a tear slip down her face. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she spoke.
"I love you." she said hoarsely. She slammed her eyes shut, fighting the tears flooding her eyes, before she let out a warm shaky breath against his mouth.
He froze, shocked at her sudden declaration. He obviously reciprocated the feelings but the fact that she voiced her emotions using those three little words caused the breath to hitch in his throat.
Before the sobs started to rack through her body, she pressed her lips against his, using her grip on his collar as leverage to hold him close to her. Some would be confused at the waterworks that joined her words, but her choice to voice her love for him sent all sorts of emotions running through her.
He instantly returned her kiss. Who knew that such a small phrase could cause two human beings to feel such strong emotions. Castle wrapped his arms around her lower back tightly, as Kate moved her hands up to caress his face, keeping his mouth on hers. Although the words were spoken in a gentle manner, the kiss was anything but. Their lips fused together so passionately that her toes were curling in her heels. Their shadows danced along the walls as they kissed, the candle light casting an ethereal glow on the couple. They kissed for as long as possible before air became a necessity, but their mouths only left each other for a fraction of a second. Immediately their tongues were participating in an amorous dance in each other's mouths. He could feel the tears streaming down her face smudging onto his face. His heart swelled at the emotion pouring from the love of his life. He removed his mouth from hers and used the pads of him thumbs to wipe away the tears on her beautiful face. Even with the mascara smudged under her eyes, she still looked stunning to him. Maybe even more. He loved seeing Kate vulnerable and raw. It made her all the more beautiful.
"God I love you so much." he whispered into her hair.
By now they both had tears streaming down their face.
Kate's face lit up in a humongous smile. She used a finger to trace his lips and his cheekbones, memorizing every aspect of his ruggedly handsome face.
"I love you too." she repeated. "I love you too. So much."