She cards her fingers through his hair as he rests upon her abdomen in bed, sleepy and sated. One of his arms is draped across her naked torso, the fingers of his hand intertwined with her free one, his chest tucked into her side and legs tangled with hers under the sheets. The feel of his body heat and sweat-slicked skin, his chest rising and falling with each steadily normalizing breath, is all consuming. Every time she's with him like this, she can't help but think that she's never felt such absolute peace before. No one has ever loved her the way Richard Castle does, and she cherishes the thought of his unyielding faith in her, in them. 'No matter what,' his words echo in her mind. He sees no other option. Castle's brilliant mind sees a beautiful future lying ahead of them, and he never ceases to lift her every worry away, setting her heart at ease with the way he loves her, mind, body and soul.

It's admittedly rather overwhelming for her, because it's still new, being so enraptured by a single man. She's never had such a deep connection with another person before, especially on a romantic level, and the more she spends moments like these with him, the more she wants of them. She knows that someday, maybe not so far off, everything won't be quite so scary anymore. He's made her truly believe that. Someday, she'll be able to easily walk through this life with him as unconsciously as she takes every breath of air. One day, being with him, loving him, sharing this life together, will be as natural and effortless as the beating of her own heart. Until that day comes, he'll be here to walk her through it, her gentle guide, her Polaris. They'll take each day one at a time, every step of the journey.

"I meant what I said, Kate," he whispers softly against her skin, breaking her from her pensive reverie. His warm breath billows across the bare skin of her belly, the wisps of moist, heated air tickling and causing goosebumps to raise on her flesh. She doesn't reply, knows he's just getting started, so she continues her lazy ministrations against his scalp, her fingers gently twirling through his copper locks of hair, waiting for him to continue. Soon enough, he does.

"I know I told you before, the story of why I left you the key that morning, but I wasn't completely truthful about it."

Kate's hands still. Sensing her apprehension, he quickly continues.

"I know it's hard for you sometimes, opening up to people, especially to me with how you feel about things. You don't always say it with words, and sometimes that's fine. I'm used to that. After all this time, I think I'm pretty good at reading you now. Every smile, every glare. Even your vast arsenal of eye-rolls that I see so much of."

Speaking of, she gives him just that: a light yank of his hair and an eye-roll. He grins, presses his lips to the skin just above her navel.

"But it was the same that day."

Her brow furrows at the shift in his tone. It's no longer playful and teasing. It feels weighted with emotion.

"The Johnson case took a toll on you. You tried to hide it the best you could at the crime scene but I could see it. I think we all did, in some way. I didn't say anything because I figured you'd deny it, telling me you were fine, and of course I didn't want to draw attention to it around the boys. But all day, I just wanted to pull you in my arms and I couldn't. I couldn't do a damn thing and you were trying so hard to keep it together."

That case was...a rough one, to say the least. Kelly Johnson was twenty four, a newly graduated law student working at her first job in a firm. She'd been found beaten and shot to death, body left in a dumpster behind her apartment building. She lived alone, the next of kin being grandparents living somewhere in Seattle, and she only had a few friends to speak of in the tri-state area. Her parents had been killed seven years prior in a home invasion homicide, prompting the young woman to dedicate the rest of her working life immersed in criminal law, bringing offenders to justice and putting killers behind bars. Needless to say, it shook her, the story of this life lost too soon, all because of her work on a case that someone didn't want to be found guilty of.

All day, she couldn't shake the thought of a similar tragedy befalling herself had she not stopped the obsession of looking into her mother's case when she did. How many times did it take her almost dying, chasing down leads and assassins whose power she was no match for, before she finally called it quits? Too many. Too many close calls.

"It'd been two days already that we spent apart because of Alexis' holiday weekend, and she wasn't leaving the loft until the next morning, so I knew you wouldn't invite me home with you, or try to come home with me, even though I could see how miserable you were. That's why I dragged you home for dinner."

"You said you needed me that night."

He smiles. "And I told you no exceptions. I figured that way you could protest all you wanted but you knew I still wouldn't let you go and you wouldn't have to go home alone."

This man. Really, how did she get so lucky?

"When you fell asleep curled up in my arms, I slipped away to leave the key there. I just figured...I wanted to make sure you knew that I'm here when you need me. That you need not even ask. It was never my intention for your key to just be something that you can sneak in and out unnoticed with so I can have you in my bed."

He pauses before adding, "Though I must admit, it has served that particular purpose beautifully lately, too."

Laughter bubbles up from her chest, so light and free, and then she's curling her palm at his chin, guiding his eyes back up to her.

"Yeah, it has."

He grins when she makes a come-hither motion with her finger against the underside of his chin and he comes to her readily, releasing her other hand to crawl up the bed. He dips down, just inches from her face, his hands on either side of her holding his weight above her.

"It's never just been a key to my home, Kate."

She regards him a moment, tracing her finger tips down his jawline as he watches her. Her lips curl into that smile he finds absolutely indescribably cute. That smile only reserved for him, the one that said she loves him, far before she could put the thought into words.

"I know," she murmurs, fingers drawing across his lips and down his neck, stopping only once they're above the steady thumping organ in his chest.

"It's my key to your heart, isn't it?"

She looks up at him through her lashes and he smiles and gives a subtle nod.

"Everything, Kate. Whenever you want it." He dips down, bumps her nose with his. "It's all yours for the taking."

She presses her smile to his lips.

"I'll keep it."

END