No one complained about the fluff, so I don't feel bad posting this one. This is one of my favorite ones, I think.

Tame

Kate pushed her key into the lock, turning it and swinging it open to be greeted by the sound of piano. Strong piano, played with heart, played with passion. She smiled a little, the sound touching her heart in more than one place, and hurried into the loft. Rick was on the couch like he always was, waiting for her. They were working a case- it was a rough one and it wasn't doing anything to help their relationship.

Tempers were short fused at the station, the tension in the air heavy and contagious, and they had had more than one argument. The sight of him, curled on the couch in his pajamas and a book, warmed her heart almost as much as the music did. It was coming from the stereo, she realized now, and Beethoven's notes poured from the speakers.

She didn't know why she was so relieved to see him there, as if for some reason he wouldn't be here. It was his home after all.

Well, she considered.
Their home.

She walked towards him wordlessly, circling the couch and sitting on the edge. Still silent, she used one foot to ease the other out of her black heels and kicked them off, climbing fully onto the couch. Turning to face him, her arms snaked around his waist, pressing her face into his chest.

God, he smelled good.

Like aftershave, man, and him.

He didn't seem surprised, or angry, or upset. He dropped the book he was reading onto the floor, unceremoniously, wrapping his arms around her. They stayed this way for a long time, the piano the only noise between them. It was after a long, long moment she spoke.

"Beethoven was my mother's favorite," she told him, without a preamble. "Bach- Bach was nice, but too tame for her. No, she like Beethoven, Chopin, Valentin Alkan." She fell silent, closing her eyes and letting the music permeate her heart, touching the places no other could. She let the hands on her back rubbing small, comforting circles into her back touch another reserved section. "I'm sorry."

"Shhh," was all he whispered, the breath brushing past her ear. "I was overwhelmed, you were overwhelmed. It's no one's fault. Especially not yours. Okay?" He didn't pull away, not even to catch her eyes, content just to crush her body into his.

"No, Rick I-" It was she who pulled back, staying in his embrace but enough to meet his blue eyes with her green ones. "I don't care how stressed out or sleep deprived I was. I shouldn't have said some of the things I said." She searched his eyes, gauging his reaction, until she found the acceptance she was looking for. "I'm sorry." She repeated.

"Me too." It was only then did she reach up, brushing her lips against his, both of them desperate for the touch, lingering only a brief moment before once again pulling away.

"I love you," she told him, cupping his face in her hand, lightly. She had never been the type to say the words often- not after every phone call, not every night, every morning, every goodbye. They just weren't naturally everyday words for her. But she did. She loved him so much her heart ached in the best possible way.

She feared she didn't say it enough, that she wasn't expressing that to him. She needed him to know at that moment- that his love was not one sided. That she didn't want to push him away.

She wanted to love him and be held and nap on the couch and share a bed and fight and make up and say 'I love you' as often as possible. She wanted every single bit of it. She wanted to end up in his arms like this every night.

"I love you too, Kate," he told her, in the same sincere voice he always used.

"I miss you. I miss this- I miss us." She told him, her voice a mere whisper. He only nodded, pressing his lips to hers brief enough to be chaste but long enough to tell her he missed her too. "I'm so tired." She admitted after a heavy silence.

"Sleep," he told her, tightening his arms around her, content to hold her there, more than happy to be her pillow.

"You'll stay?" she asked him. She wasn't sure why, but she longed for the confirmation.

"Wouldn't dream of leaving."

"I love you," she said again, the words trying very hard to pull her heart from her chest.

"Shhh, Kate."

He had never held her tighter, nor she, him.

Please review :)