I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,

I love you directly without problems or pride:

I love you like this because I don't know any other way to love,

except in this form in which I am not nor are you,

so close that your hand upon my chest is mine,

so close that your eyes close with my dreams.

One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII, Pablo Neruda

any other way to love

"Morning." Rick yawns, scrubbing a hand down his face and almost crashing into the counter on his way to his fiancée. In the mirror, he catches Kate's eye and grins sheepishly, coming up close to nudge his hips against hers.

"Hey there."

"You look nice." Castle murmurs, smacking a kiss to her cheek before he peels his shirt up over the top of his head. Grimacing at the ridiculously tousled mop of his hair, he rakes a hand through it and steps out of his boxer shorts, tossing them towards the laundry hamper and heading for the shower.

Clad in a red button down and dark slacks, she looks deliciously festive and he almost wants to come back out of the shower stall to say good morning to her properly. Only, he's already running late and he really wants to arrive at the precinct alongside her this morning.

He peeled himself out of bed at a painful hour so he could make coffee and breakfast for Beckett and kiss her good morning, but once they were done eating his eyes just sort of closed entirely of their own accord and he napped hard, on his stomach in their bed with the noises of Kate's getting ready mellifluous around him.

It means that he's lagging way behind her now; she looks almost ready to leave and he hasn't even turned the water on yet. Rick flips the faucet and turns the water down, hissing and jerking out from underneath the spray of scalding heat that Kate prefers to shower with.

"Kate?" He says over the roar of the power showerhead, earning himself a raised eyebrow from his fiancée. "Will you wait for me, baby?"

The endearments are coming thick and fast this morning, only half in jest. She calls him babe all the time now, but he's mostly too scared to give her a pet name in return in case it accidentally slips out in the precinct or god help him, in front of a suspect. He doesn't particularly want to be castrated a few months before his wedding.

"Sure, babe." She smirks, fastening the cap back onto her eyeliner pencil and dropping it inside the bag of makeup she keeps on their bathroom countertop.

Now, he regrets not getting up with her. Then they could have shared a shower, and maybe the flush to her cheeks would be less of that powdery blush she uses and more satiation. Rick hurries through the rest of his shower and steps out, almost slipping on the tile before he regains control of his feet and makes it to the bedroom.

Kate is in the armchair at her side of the bed, feet cased in the cashmere grey socks he got her at Christmas and her knees draw right up to her chest. "You okay? Those were some interesting noises."

Crap, so she heard his decidedly unmanly squeak, then. Rick shrugs and disappears into the closet, hurrying through getting dressed. When he steps back out, he bends at the waist and scrubs the towel through his hair, standing back up straight and grinning widely when he finds Kate right in front of him.

"Hi beautiful." He says, sotto voce although there's no one near that could possibly hear them. His mother is at the Hamptons for a long weekend; he and Kate have the loft to themselves.

She flushes and lifts up into him, scattering kisses like a gift across the edge of his jaw and up towards his mouth. Fleeting, but still so wonderful the way she touches him. "Hey. You almost ready? If we're late, we'll never hear the end of it."

"Mm-hmm, just gotta do something with my hair."

"You're not gonna shave?" She murmurs, slender fingers coming up to scratch lightly at the stubble scattered across his jaw and neck.

Rick grins, dipping in to kiss her again before he pulls back and heads for the bathroom and his hair products. "Consider that part one of your Valentine's gift."

"Mm, I thought breakfast was part one." Kate laughs, following him through to the bathroom to prop her hip against the counter and watch him rake gel-covered fingers through his hair to smooth it out. Rinsing the leftover gel off of his hands, Rick dries them and reaches out to tangle his fingers with hers, stepping close to nuzzle his nose at her cheek.

"Doesn't count. I do that for you whenever I get the chance."

She laughs, loud and sharp and her head shaking at him. "So you want me to discredit that then?"

"No." He huffs, catching her lower lip between his teeth in retaliation. Her hips jerk against his and she sighs, taking a step backwards.

Her eyes are apologetic on his as she takes his hand to drag him into the bedroom with her. And not. . .not in the way he wants. She carries on going, pulling him through the living room and towards the coat closet.

Rick fishes out both his own coat and Kate's, handing her a scarf and gloves as well. A silent plea for her to defend herself against the brutal weather, and yes, another way he says I love you. Once they're both bundled up Kate ushers him out of the loft ahead of her and turns back to lock the door, sliding a glove-clad hand in to take his so they can walk together to the elevator.

Already, this year is better than last. There's no threat of Gates finding out about them and throwing him out to loom, heavy and oppressive above them. And, more than that, she's wearing the ring. He hasn't mentioned it, is doing his best to let it pass without comment, but she's wearing his ring.

This year, countless words of love bubble up between them. He doesn't have to bite his tongue, doesn't have to be afraid of spooking her. And best of all? The beacon of this day next year hovers before him.

Soon, so very soon, she'll be his wife.

Kate has never believed that Valentine's Day is intended for men to pamper the ladies in their lives. For her, it's about two people as a couple celebrating their love for one another. So yes, although Castle's been particularly attentive today, has presented her with sweet gestures like pearls to thread onto a necklace, she's done her best to do the same for him.

To show him that she appreciates more than just how much he loves her. That the way she loves him really has nothing to do with her whatsoever, but with just how wonderful a man he is.

He protested, and groused, and pouted, but she stood her ground and she cooked dinner for them both. And now he's needling her, his fingers quick at the bare skin of her side where she stretches out next to him on the couch. "Can I have it now?"

"Yes." She says quietly, stifling her laughter when Castle opens his mouth to argue before he actually manages to process what she's said. And then he's climbing off of the couch and tugging her up with him.

"Where is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Kate stops him with the touch of her hand at his arm and circles her fingers slowly over his skin. Coming in close, she pushes the length of her body up against his and rocks her hips, pressing a kiss right into the low growl he breathes out. "It's not something physical. That comes later."

"Okay."

She's been trying to figure it out for weeks, now. How to top last year. The way his whole face just broke open in adoration when she gave him a drawer in her dresser, how intensely he had loved her afterwards. And then it had hit her, so blindingly obvious she had almost laughed out loud in the middle of the precinct.

"My gift to you is that yesterday I gave my landlord notice of my intent not to renew my lease."

Rick gapes at her, his hands falling to bracket her waist and clutching hard. "You. . .wow."

"I was ready to live with you in DC, Rick." Kate murmurs to him, her voice soothing. Slipping her arms around his waist, she presses her body close against his and buries her nose at his sternum, drawing in the smell of him. "It doesn't make sense for me to keep my apartment. So, if you'll have me, I want to move in to the loft."

"Yes, yes, of course I'll have you. Oh wow, Kate." He breathes, utterly in awe of her. When she lifts up she touches her mouth to his, their kiss shattering apart around their smiles after a moment.

She drops her hands to his belt and curls her fingers inside, tugging him ever closer. "I'm glad. Being homeless didn't really appeal to me all that much."

"I love you." Castle grunts, cupping her cheeks to bring her in for a kiss that is all slow-building heat, the scorch of his touch igniting her. So good. "You beat me again. Yours is better every time."

"Babe, giving me free rein to choose our honeymoon destination is a pretty awesome gift. You're sure you don't mind where we go?"

Rick shrugs, his hands somehow inside of her yoga pants and splaying wide at her ass. His touch makes her shiver and she crowds him backwards, heading for the bedroom. Their bedroom, now. He's staring down at her with adoration softening all the hard edges of his face, looking like he can't decide what he wants to do first. Make love to her or just dive right into life. "I don't care. As long as it's you, and me, and there's a bed, I really couldn't care less."

She kisses him for that, for handing her over control. Work has been a little crazy lately and so a lot of the wedding stuff has fallen to him to organise. Having this one thing to be in charge of, to surprise him with even, feels pretty damn amazing.

Kate reaches down to unfasten the button of Castle's pants, a little startled when his own hand covers hers to halt her. She wants him naked, right now, and god knows he's usually a very active participant. "What's wrong?"

"You wore the ring today."

"Yeah." She shrugs, chewing on her lip. She isn't sure why she slipped it on after she showered this morning. It just felt right, in keeping with the romance of the day. And yes, she loves it. Will take any opportunity to show it off. "I wanted to ward off anyone who might think I was an option for their valentine. I'm taken."

"Mm, yes, you are. Me too. I can't wait to have my own ring." He grins down at her, dropping his hands in silent permission for her to continue undressing him.

Licking a hot stripe up the side of his neck, Kate starts on his buttons and slides a hand inside his shirt, dancing over the warm skin of his abdomen. "This time next year, no one will have to wonder. We'll have the rings. And maybe I'll have a bump, too."

And that shuts him up a whole lot faster than her touch.

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day, my darlings! I hope you all get to spend today with the people that love you, whether that's friends or family or a significant other. I feel truly blessed for the love and support you show me every day, so this fic is my gift to you as a show of gratitude.

Tumblr: katiehoughton

Twitter: seilleanmor