"Hold my breath and I'll count to ten

I'm the paper and you're the pen

You fill me in and you are permanent

And you'll leave me to dry

I'm the writer and she's the muse

I'm the one that you always choose"

"Bright Lights And Cityscapes" (By Sara Bareilles)

Post-Ep 5.05

He can't sleep. Neither can she.

He wants to erase all the memories of the past two days but he can't. He can dwell in the feeling that she is here though. She is still here, even after reading all those, very convincing - he has to admit - letters written by that scumbag. Did she really have no doubts about him? Hell, he would doubt himself were he the one reading those. She loves him. That has to be it, even if she can't say it.

"You think too loud" She says, lifting her head from his chest. They are just cuddling in his bed. Silent for so long after coming back from the precinct and having to fill out an endless amount of paperwork. They are so incredibly tired from lack of sleep they are almost numb.

"Sorry" he mumbles, not sure if he wants say anything else. "We'll get through this, Castle" she offers him, trying to sound strong and reassuring. "I know." he sighs "And that's only because I have you here with me." He closes his eyes and she can see that he means that. She feels oddly happy that she can be the reason for his self assurance. "Can I be honest?" he tries not to show how insecure he feels right now. "You have to ask?" she nudges him.

"There was a moment in there when I really thought I was going to be sentenced for a murder I couldn't even begin to explain, this was before I knew Tyson was trying to frame me. It all came crashing in my head. I saw you trying to find a plausible explanation, and then I could see that maybe you wouldn't be able to find anything and then time would go by and people would just stop believing me and move on."

"You do know I'd never stop trying, right?" she straightens, pushing herself on one elbow so he can see her face, so they can look each other in the eye. "You mean too much to me, Castle. I'd never let you rot in jail for something you didn't do!"

He sees the love in her eyes and his insides clench at how much he loves her. How wonderful it is to be able to finally love her with all his being.

She wants to say it. But she doesn't want him to think that she's only saying it because of this awful situation they were put through. "Lanie came to my place one night and we were trying to make sense of everything. Of how screwed up everything was. She knew we were together. I didn't even have to say anything. But you should know I wasn't the only one going out of my way to get you out, Castle. You've made some really loyal friends along the way"

"How did I get so lucky? I mean, I guess things like these happen to me just so I can realize how perfect my life is. I have the best daughter a father could want. I get to do what I love for work and that includes watching you kick ass everyday at your work." He touches her cheeks softly, minding the ugly bruise already visible. He looks at her and only sees his future, all his hopes and dreams in a pool of green. Those eyes, those beautiful eyes, they are exactly what poems are all about, what inspire art and every piece of music ever written and she was looking at him with such love and fondness it almost hurt. At him! She wanted him. He feathers her with kisses, soft stokes, barely there.

"I get to have you here with me. I get to have the most beautiful woman I've ever set eyes on, with me everyday. You are so beautiful. So, so, perfect" He deepens the kiss now and she moans as he slides his fingers through her hair, loosing himself in her curls. "And you are by far the smartest woman I've met, and sexy, I have the sexiest girlfriend a man could want." He's done talking now because she is kissing him fiercely and their hands are everywhere, touching him like no one could.

She loves this man. She needs him to know, to feel her love. So she stops and looks at him. Pulls her forehead to his so he's facing her. So she knows he will see it in her eyes. "Castle" she says softly. "I... I love you. So, so much" she blinks a tear and he catches it with his thumb. At first he is stunned by her words, but why should he? He knew how she felt, he never needed the words to know. She expressed it with every action, with every little thing they did together. He cups her face with both hands and looses himself in her deep adoring eyes. "I know, baby. I love you too. More than I've ever though I could love anyone. You are my everything."

"Oh, Rick" she sheds more tears now and kisses him with abandon. "Let me love you." she offers softly in between kisses and I love you's. They make love tenderly and it's the most beautiful thing she's ever done and they fall sleep in each other's arms, their voices only whispers and promises of always and tomorrows.