Epilogue

The two of them and a lamp. There was nothing else in the room.

A couple of months had passed, and they were standing against opposite walls, facing one another, like children in some schoolyard game before the chirp of a whistle that would send them racing toward the coveted prize awaiting them in the middle. Only, the room was the prize, and it was all Kate's.

"So, you really like it?" she asked despite the numerous beams of praise he'd already cast on the place. "There were other people interested, so I didn't have a lot of time to think about it."

"I'd say it's more that I really love it, actually. If I had to choose an apartment for you, I'd choose this one, no thinking required." Rick's eyes came back to her. "It's perfectly you." Kate smiled and lit up the room beyond any effort the solitary bulb was putting forth. "You should see how beautiful you look in it."

With cat-like fixation and a deliberate, heeled step, Kate set off his way and didn't stop until her whole body was pressed against his. "Why do you say things like that when I don't have a bed to do anything about it?" Her mouth came for his, hummed its satisfaction when it got back everything it gave.

Rick's now two able fists eased, and her shirt slid back over her hips. "I think we've proven we can do pretty impressive work without a bed, Detective. If a reminder's in order, I could-"

"Hold that thought," she told him with a nibble of his neck. "I ordered us a pizza. It should be here in a few minutes."

"Wow, dinner and dessert. Who's the lucky writer tonight?" Still buzzing, she wandered off again, giddily drawing her fingertips along the bare walls as she moved. "Pretty special night, first pizza delivery in the new digs. Thanks for the invitation. I bet your dad's going to miss having you around."

She'd been out of the loft and staying with her father for more than six weeks. As she'd expected, it'd been nice, but not always easy.

"I think he's pretty happy to be getting his space back," she replied with a chuckle. "I definitely am."

Rick stared off into the distance with exaggerated longing. "Imagine what that must be like… Space," he sighed, bemoaning his own lack thereof. "My mother brought a date home the other night. He offered me peppermint candy and called me 'champ.' "

"Your mother's wonderful, Castle. And she loves you more than she loves anything. Give her a break."

He knew how lucky he was. He did. He also hated that he'd never be able to give back to Kate what it was she wanted most.

"I'm proud of you, you know, getting through all of this the way you have, actually letting me help a little bit. I know that isn't a small thing for you. It hasn't been for me, either."

Back where she started, standing across the empty room with the solitary lamp, Kate's heart began to thump when she realized she was about to free the words she'd held captive inside her for so long, words that'd only grown purer and truer in the weeks since he'd walked through fire for her.

"I do love you," she said, like he'd known all along.

Maybe he had, but the time for playing that game would be later.

"I love you, too," he responded, simple and sweet.

When Kate's phone rang, she answered it, but she never looked away. "Okay, thanks." She hung up, slipped it back into her pocket. "The pizza's here. I'm going to go down and grab it."

Rick waited until she was out of the room, but she did catch his "That's what she said," and smiled even bigger than she already was.