I still can't believe how many reviews, follows and favourites this has gotten so thank you all so much for your continued support and I hope you enjoy the final chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.

Finally it was home time and Castle was almost bouncing in his seat. Beckett watched him with amused eyes as he practically jumped from his chair when Beckett had told him it was time to go.

"Castle," she laughed, shaking her head at his eagerness. A thrill shot through her at that thought. He was eager, to be alone, with her.

As Beckett stood herself, Castle made his way around the back of her chair and picked up her coat before helping her slip her arms into it. His hands ran along the collar before he gently pulled her hair out from beneath it, his fingers skimming her neck as her did.

The touch to her neck, the smell of her hair as he'd moved it, only made him want her more. He wanted to spin her right there, move his hand up to caress her cheek before he'd press his mouth and body to hers. Let their lips move together before he'd slip his tongue into her mouth, feeling more of her. He couldn't wait to feel all of her.

Beckett stepping away from him startled him out of his day dream and he realised that he'd probably been standing there too long.

Beckett had shivered at the feel of him so close and had to physically make herself step away before she could lean further back into the warmth that she knew his chest would provide. She too was shaken by his closeness and wanted to leave so she could be close to him again.

"You ready to go?" she asked, her voice a bit huskier than normal and if the darkening of Castle's eyes were anything to go by, he'd heard the difference too.

The elevator ride was even worse than the one earlier because now they both knew exactly how the other really feels and it's a lot harder to restrain themselves this time.

Beckett settles for reaching her hand out and snagging Castle's in her own, threading their fingers together. Castle squeezes her hand in return, pulling her more into his side as they both grin at each other. They know that before the elevator doors open, they'll have to let go and stand at a reasonable distance apart again but for now, they can savour the moment, however short it may be.

The elevator ride up to Beckett's apartment is a different story and she's going to have to apologise to one of her neighbours who did not need to see how she'd had Castle pushed up against the elevator wall or where her hands were heading if they hadn't been interrupted.

As soon as the door of Beckett's apartment closed behind them, they both burst out laughing, finding hilarity in a situation that they'll probably both be extremely embarrassed about later.

"Sorry," Beckett said once she could breathe again, knowing it was her fault that they'd been caught the way they had, she was the one that had Castle pushed against the wall after all. Although Castle had been about to snap and do the exact same thing to her, she'd just beat him to it.

"You definitely don't need to be sorry for that," Castle replied, stepping closer to her, placing his hands on her hips to pull her flush against him.

She thought maybe they should slow down, they haven't really even been on a date yet, but this has been building between them for years and she can't bring herself to stop what she knows this night will end with. But first they should eat food, maybe this could be their first official date?

"Before we do whatever you're thinking about right now, can I suggest we have dinner first," Beckett said, not allowing Castle to kiss her just yet even though she desperately wants him to. But she knows, once they start again, there's going to be no stopping them.

Beckett can see him thinking about it.

"Fine," Castle says eventually but then he's leaning down and placing a searing kiss on her mouth which is way too short because then he's releasing her, turning away and heading for her kitchen and she suddenly wishes she hadn't suggested food at all.

They make spaghetti bolognese together and they're both thrilled at how comfortable it is between them, working together in her kitchen. It's strange, and wonderful, how much has changed between them and yet they're still the same.

Beckett pulls out a few candles for one of the cupboards and puts them on the table between their plates and now it really is feeling like a date.

She looks up after she's lit the last one and catches Castle watching her, a soft smile on his face and his eyes so full of love that she can't help but blush under his gaze.

She meets him in the middle of the kitchen and circles her arms around his waist, pulling him in close as she looks up at him with the same look he was just giving her, one that had so much love in it that Castle couldn't help but lean down and press his lips softly against hers.

Castle pulled back and rested his forehead against hers, still so amazed that he could do this now, that they could do this together. He closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of her so near.

"Dinner?" she mumbled after they'd been standing there for a few minutes, both reluctant to break apart but knowing their dinner would be getting cold.

They laughed their way through dinner, telling stories from the past. They left the future alone for now, knowing that this thing between them was still new and they'd just see where it took them. And they both knew where tonight was going to take them, which was straight to Beckett's room once they'd finished eating.

They managed to get halfway through the dishes before things had escalated between them again. This time it was Castle's fault. Beckett had been going to the sink to get a dish cloth to wipe down the table but then he'd been crowding against her until she was pushed up against one of her cupboards. It didn't take long for Beckett to forget what she'd been doing, especially when Castle's tongue was doing that.

Not long later, they stumbled into her room together.

XXX

Castle was woken by movement on the other side of the bed and he couldn't help but grin at the sight. Kate Beckett, wearing nothing but a thin dressing gown, leaning against the headboard on her side of the bed.

He saw two cups sitting on the bedside table and with the smell of coffee in the air, he assumed she'd made them for them earlier. Castle couldn't help but smile more at that thought, that she'd made coffee for him.

He rolled over, pressing as much of himself as he could against her as he leaned over to grab one of the coffee's on the bedside table. He frowned though as he picked up the first cup and saw it was empty.

"Castle, I'm sorry..." She trailed off as his frown deepened when he saw the second cup was also empty.

"You drank my coffee."

"Only because you slept so long," and she couldn't help the laugh the spilled out of her as he pouted, "but I'll make you another."

She'd been up for almost two hours already and had started drinking his cup when she'd finished hers. She hadn't wanted to wake him, was content just sitting here and watching him sleep but she'd needed the coffee and since he hadn't been awake yet to drink it, she had instead.

"Wait," Castle said, grabbing Beckett's hand before she could stand to go make him another cup. His eyes darkened and gained a dangerous glint as he looked at her, "I'd rather have this."

And then Castle was pulling Beckett further into him and kissing her. He wasted no time in pushing his tongue into her mouth and groaned at the feel and taste of her.

He pulled back far too soon for Beckett's liking and when she tried to move forward to kiss him again, he held her back.

"Delicious," he grinned and then she'd realised what he'd done, he'd wanted to taste his coffee that she'd drank.

Beckett just shook her head at him, an affectionate smile on his face and was about to stand again to go get him another cup but he pulled her in again, bypassing her mouth this time and going for her ear, "and I wasn't talking about the coffee."

His voice had deepened as he spoke, the words vibrating through her as he said them against her ear. When she pulled back so she could look in his eyes again, they'd darkened even more and she could do nothing to stop herself grabbing him so she could kiss him again and so he could taste the coffee on her tongue.

Kissing her was quickly becoming his favourite thing to do. There was nothing quite like kissing Kate Beckett and the added taste of coffee in her mouth only made him want her more as she groaned into his mouth.

He really liked kissing her, among other things, and if this is what she got to wake up to every morning, she could definitely get used to this.

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