Kate feels something a lot like love overwhelm her entire body, It pumps the blood from her exuberant heart, and rises a flush in her cheeks. She can't help the smile that forms slowly on her lips.

Oh, it's love all right.

Castle watches the beauty of her expression as it works itself out on her face. The light in her eyes, that smile, along with those lips. It takes everything in him not to grab her. And then that smile slowly sinks from her lovely face. Replaced by a slight frown of speculation. She crosses her arms, giving him that look he knows all to well.

Here it comes.

"Why didn't you tell me you remember?" She accuses. Although she's somewhat afraid of the answer, almost regretting her decision to show him this book. She may not know at the moment that he looked for her. May not know the extent of the impact she had on him...but he remembers. And that is enough.

Castle actually smirks. There are still aspects of Kate Beckett he knows very well. "Why didn't you tell me you stood in line at one of my book signings?" He fires back.

Kate opens her mouth, closes it and opens it again to then sigh exasperatedly. "Because." She starts, her voice defeated.

He inclines his head, folding his hand over his knee.

"Because, I didn't." She sighs again. Why is this so difficult? "Want you to think I was just some fan." She says slowly, with a hint of embarrassment, and maybe, just maybe some uncertainty slipped in there somewhere. As though his reaction and idea of her is everything. Because it is.

Castle briefly ponders this. One eyebrow raising in quandary, the sides of his mouth curving up more on one side as he thinks real hard. "And you're not...just some fan?" He asks, seeing the similarities between the constant questioning of what they are, to this loaded question. He's hoping at least this one doesn't go unanswered like all the others.

"No," She says tenderly. Her face softening considerably and she visibly relaxes in her chair. She unfolds her arms, laying both hands on her thighs, sliding up and down as if to sooth herself.

He blinks. Wait..what?

"I wasn't then, and I'm not one now." I'm more than that...

"That hurts, Kate." He says, mocking seriousness, but he gets it.

Her eyebrows raise, realizing how that sounded. "Castle, No...I-"

He chuckles. "Kate...I get it. More than you think." His voice seeps warmth, and affection.

Kate tilts her head to one side. Her heart racing. Her eyes fall to the cup beside her, the steam still rising into the air, disappearing into the space around them, she's wonders if it gets caught in the tension that's obviously building around them.

"You know, Kate. Despite your objection to how much I don't know you. I understand that my books were some sort of escape for you."

Kate's eyes widen. Her pulse beating in every inch of her skin, prickling her nerves. Her hands have slid up and are now clutching at her knees. She's almost panicked. Feels this utter awareness of being found out. She's frozen in her chair, body tense once again. Her mouth hangs open and her heart is threatening to beat it's way up her windpipe and spill out into her lap. And the worst part is..she can't look away from those blues. He's staring at her through her opaque green eyes. Into her soul. How does he do that?

He pulls his chair in front of her, placing his hands on both of hers. Prying her fingers from her kneecaps. All the while he's got her caught in the traps set in his gaze. But he doesn't want to trap her. Oh no. He wants her to come freely. Coax her from her hiding place. So he doesn't hold her hands. Just spreads them out on his palms and lets her be the one to make the next move.

He can feel the quivering of her skin beneath his palm. Sees that she's speechless. So he continues. "Remember what I told you, what I thought when we first met?" He asks, his voice low, and husky.

Kate purses her lips, closing her eyes for a moment before opening and nodding. She does not move her hands, nor look away. But her heart is halfway out of her chest.

"That you were a mystery I was never going to solve." He moves his head just a little closer, his soul spilling fourth into hers. "It started back in that bookstore. When this girl...stepped up to my table, and handed me my first book. She had this thing clutched so tightly, I thought she'd never let go."

Kate looks down at their hands, seeing her palm down against his, just laying there. One of her fingers twitches. "I was a mess." She whispers, her eyes still not meeting his, but one finger curls, scratching lightly against the inside of his hand.

"That may be so." He says. And her eyes snap to his. Her finger stopping its soft caress. "But even then...I could see the depths of your strength."

Her hands close around his then. In a grip so tight she swears he can feel the need seeping through her skin. But what she is about to say will contradict such a move. "Castle I-"

"Kate." He almost pleads. He knows exactly what she was about to do, but this time he won't let her. Won't allow for another moment like this to be swept under the proverbial rug. "I looked for you." He says, emphasizing by moving even closer, their still clasped hands in her lap now.

"You..you did?" She asks. Not letting go.

"How could I not?"

She heaves a sigh, feather light and fluttering like her heart. It's so hard to ignore these moments when he says things like this. And this time...she can't be angry. On the contrary, She's practically floating in her chair. She's so lost in his eyes, she does not feel one of his hands slip from hers, and cup her cheek. Her eyes flutter closed, her skin warming at his touch. She leans into his hand, a strangled sigh flitting over her parted lips, gracing his skin ever so lightly.

Castle struggles to take in a breath himself. A little taken with how this conversation has progressed. It's usually quiet heated and angry, full of tension and accusatory tones. But this time...it's soft, and tender, both their hearts beating to a cosmic rhythm meant for them, and them alone. When he has sis breathing under control. He wets his lips, and continues to speak. "I never lost hope."

Her eyes open, and a pang hits him so hard in the chest he doesn't think he will breath the same way again. Her eyes are moist, but not forlorn. They are anything but. "You didn't know me then...I was just some stranger..." She's not even trying, just feels the need to express this, as if trying more so to grasp at his character of heart than anything else.

"I know you don't believe in fate." He says, rubbing a thumb along her cheek. "But I do...And I think I was meant to meet that girl... the one with the sad green eyes." Her hand comes up to grip the one on her cheek, and she leans even further into his palm. "It wasn't just some coincident, Kate." he pauses, squeezing the hand still held tightly in his. "That brought you into my book launch part that day."

She can't breath. Can't think. Only feel. Feel the warmth of his touch, the vibrations of his marvelous words through his skin, feel the beating of his heart connecting with hers through the pulse point in their joined wrists. He is saying everything that would normally trigger her fight or flight response. But Kate doesn't want to run, or fight. She's done fighting. She makes a decision. It's neither quick, nor slow. But thought out properly. Because she's been thinking about this for a very long time. She's only realizing that now, she just needed that extra push. And he's just done it for her. Always at the wrong time. But this time. The moment is exactly right.

Kate pulls her hand from his, and slowly moves it up his arm. When she reaches his elbow, fingers flitting across the protruding bone, she bites her lip, eyes gazing into his. There is not hesitation in his eyes as she finally cups the back of his neck, putting just a small amount of pressure before she starts to guide him in. Closer to her, her lips, her soul, and her heart.

I just did something I NEVER do. And that is fluff. At least that is what I think it is? How would I know if I never write it?

Thoughts?

P.S. Count that. That's two chapters up today for two different stories. Please go and check out my other story, back from it's Hiatus. The head and the heart chapter 13 is up!