For MISSYAlexandra simply because she never doubts me and always tells me I can.

And because she made me do it!

...I didn't put up much of a fight. :)


As her breathing becomes deeper, heartbeat slows and goosebumps prickle on her rapidly cooling skin Kate Beckett thinks back to how this all began. How did it begin? Innocently enough, as these things often do, she supposes.

"You ok?" She feels more than hears Castle's question rumble inside the cavern of his chest against which her cheek is currently pressed.

"Yes," She smiles, nodding once and running the pad of her index finger over the ridge of his collarbone under his grey cotton t-shirt, her flat palm pressed to the smooth muscle of his pec. She lets her eyes fall closed, Castle's head dropping forward, his nose pressing to the top of her head as he draws a deep breath and tightens his arms around her.

She's completely surrounded, tucked perfectly under Castle's chin and held against the broad expanse of his chest by his arms banded around her, the solid press of a wall at her back. Beckett bites down on her bottom lip, a broad grin splitting across her face and something like a giggle bubbling out of her chest when she opens her eyes again.

"Something funny, Detective?" Castle asks leaning back slightly and looking down at her expectantly as she lifts her head from his chest and tilts her face towards him. He kisses her softly, chastely, delighting in the fact he apparently can now without threat of bodily harm, and she releases her oft abused bottom lip from the vice of her teeth.

"Your friend looks a little stunned." She smiles and glances across to her right. Castle turns his head, chuckling as his eyes fall on the CPR dummy lying on its side on a table across the room, mouth hanging open and awaiting repair.

"Well I don't blame him," Castle says feigning exasperation as he turns back to look at Beckett. "I have to say this is not how I expected this day to turn out."

"Me either," Beckett concedes with a nod, drawing a deep breath and letting her eyes fall closed for a moment before stretching up and capturing Castle's lips.

"Beckett," Castle says around a groan as she lays a wet, open mouthed kiss against his Adam's apple. She hums in the back of her throat, acknowledging his questioning tone but unwilling to lift her mouth away long enough to answer properly. She hunches her shoulders slightly, a smile playing across her lips as Castle lowers his head to speak directly into her ear, his breath tickling her neck as he exhales. "You aren't wearing any pants right now," He whispers conspiratorially, as if she may not be aware of the fact.

"No shit, Castle," Beckett huffs a laugh before letting her voice drop to a rough whisper. "That's because we just had sex."

"Fair enough," Castle shrugs, kissing each corner of the smile on Beckett's face before dropping to a crouch, shooting a devious grin towards Kate as he untangles her jeans from where they're caught around one ankle and helps her step back into the material. He stands, sliding the denim up her calves, over her knees and along her thighs as he rises. He presses a firm, deep kiss to her mouth again, tongue laving and exploring as he works to re-button her pants.

"Only one of your shoes is here," He says as he pulls her body firm against his again. "The other one, I have no idea."

"It's by the door," Beckett mumbles, unconcerned when Richard Castle is kissing her like this.

She thinks, in passing, that this probably began with coffee. Almost all their days together began with coffee, after all. This day had been no exception and Beckett hoped, quietly, more and more of those days which began with coffee would end this way; Castle's arms casually draped around her body, fingers exploring lazily over bare skin.

Today began with coffee, but this – they – began years ago. Not with coffee but with a few whispered words.

You have no idea.

And he hadn't.

But neither had she.


u/1495156/MISSYAlexandra