Two weeks had passed since Kate broke up with Josh, and in the back of her mind, she still thought about him. However, as the days went by, those memories were no longer tinged with culpability. She was still sad about having to break up with him, but she was satisfied with the way things had ended. In a way, Kate felt free.

Until she broke up with him, she hadn't realized what an enormous weight her relationship with Josh had been leaving on her shoulders. Now that it had been lifted, she felt such an immense relief, and she was happier than she'd been in a long time. And she was very aware of whom she associated those feelings with.

Kate still hadn't told Castle that she ended things with Josh, though. She wasn't worried about her partner's reaction, but she wanted to fully close that chapter of her life before starting a new one.

There was no doubt in her mind about Castle's feelings for her anymore. They spoke on the phone every night now, even if they had spent the day together at work. Kate never went to sleep without talking to Castle first, and she had a feeling the same could be said about him. Of course, those calls often meant that they stayed awake for hours. If Castle wondered where Josh was, he never asked out loud.

A few days after breaking up with Josh, Kate invited her partner out for a celebratory dinner following a successful arrest. After burgers at Remy's, they went to the Old Haunt. The hours flew by as they joked and talked over drinks, and they stayed at the bar long after the last patron walked out the door. Those were the perks of having your own bar, Kate supposed.

Those outings became the norm eventually, which is why Kate met Castle at the bar on a Friday evening, after signing the last sheet of her paperwork. Ryan and Esposito had joined them the last time they went to the Old Haunt after a case, but this time, she and Castle were alone. Esposito excused himself, saying that he wanted nothing but sleep for eight hours straight. They might have believed him, had it not been for a certain M.E. they spotted waiting for him in the lobby. And, of course, Ryan rushed home to meet Jenny.

"I almost envy them, you know?" Castle says once they're seated in their usual booth with their drinks.

"Who?" Kate questions, looking around distractedly.

"Ryan and Jenny. Their relationship. They've been together for over a year, and they're as head over heels as they were the first day."

"Well, Castle, in my opinion, that's an unequivocal sign that they belong together," she says. "It's not usual to see a couple that gets along so well, but it's not impossible, either."

"Like you and Josh?" Castle blurts out. His brain seems to take a second to register his words, but as soon as it does, his face goes pale as a ghost. An awkward silence descends upon them, and Kate is left at a complete loss of words.

"I'm sorry," Castle rushes to say. "I don't know why I said that. I didn't—"

"Don't worry," she interrupts, cutting him off. This moment is as good as any to tell him, so she takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. "It's just that… well, I broke up with Josh."

If the previous silence was awkward, this one has a whole new level of intensity. Finally, the writer recovers from his surprise, his expression carefully guarded.

"I'm sorry," he offers, even though the look in his eyes is almost hopeful.

Emboldened by the spark in his pupils, Kate takes the next step.

"I'm not." She pauses, mulling over her next words. "I really liked him, but that wasn't enough." She carefully studies Castle's expression, looking for a sign of understanding there.

"And who… I mean, when… I mean…" he stammers, his mouth running away from his brain once again. "Never mind. Are you okay?"

She reaches for his hand on top of the table, looking straight into his eyes and hoping he can see the whole truth reflected in hers. When she speaks, she does so clearly, without stuttering.

"I'm better than okay, Castle."

He remains transfixed in their intertwined hands for a moment before he turns his around to caress her knuckles with his thumb. A bright smile makes his way onto his face, wider that Kate has ever seen.

That night they don't speak on the phone. Instead, they spend hours on end tangled in the sheets on Kate's bed. And when the moonlight reflects on Castle's eyes, she realizes there's no other place she'd rather be.

The End

A/N: Thank you for your reviews and for adding me or this story to your follow/favorite list. And a huge ovation to encantadaa for her beta work.