Richard Castle sat alone on his couch sipping wine and trying to forget. Even a seasoned writer like himself couldn't create a crime scene that gruesome. Despite all the cases he'd been to, he threw up after one glance. And he'd never seen Kate so shaken.

Kate.

He wondered how she was taking all of it. He wondered if she felt as afraid to be alone as he felt. With Alexis and Martha gone for the weekend the apartment fell silent. Too silent. Castle glanced around the room knowing he was only adding to his own paranoia. He tried to remind himself of all the situations he'd walked into and all the corpses he'd seen. What was different? Suddenly it hit him. He knew he was safe because he was with Kate. He grabbed his jacket and headed out the door.

Kate was sitting cross legged on the couch watching mindless reality tv. She'd hoped it would distract her from the day she'd had. She had never seen such a macabre scene in all her years on the force. She'd never had a case that required shrink visits. She had come home and crumbled in the shower, falling to a ball and crying uncontrollably. This case was one of the first times she'd been afraid to be alone in her apartment. When there was an unexpected knock at her door she jumped.

"Castle? What are you doing here?" She took a step back, letting him into the apartment.

"I couldn't get the case out of my mind…" he started.

"Me either. Did you come up with anything?" Castle shook his head. "Then why are you here?"

"I thought you might be scared. I mean, I was edgy being in my place all alone—"

"You wanted my protection," she realized.

"No, I wanted to protect you," he lied.

"You wanted my protection."

"I wanted your protection," he relented.

"I see you packed an overnight bag," she pointed out. Castle said nothing but made a puppy dog face that she could not resist. She sighed, trying to hide her amusement. "I'm watching trash reality TV," she warned. "And wine," she wiggled the bottle in her hand.

The two got lost in mindless television, each offering their commentary and judgements. As night crept in, Kate grabbed a blanket. "I only have the one, I'm sorry—"

"I can survive."

"No, Castle, I meant to share. We have to share the blanket."

"Forget survive. I can thrive," he laughed. After a few more episodes Castle felt Kate's head on his shoulder, growing heavier as she fell asleep. He sat still for some time, putting an arm around her and pretending everyday could be like this. He kissed the top of her head and inhaled the scent of her shampoo.

When she finally woke, she hid her disappointment that he was still awake. A part of her wanted to find him asleep; she wanted to settle into his embrace and feel his love. "Sorry I took up the couch. I'll let you get some sleep," she whispered. Castle nodded and laid down, letting her cover him with a blanket. He wondered if that could ever be their life; he wondered if they could ever be a normal couple that curls up on the couch together.

From her bedroom she could hear Castle tossing and turning on the couch. She tried to tell herself that was the reason she couldn't sleep but she knew it wasn't. The case had shaken her up more than she cared to admit. With a sigh she moved to the living room, grabbed his hand and lead him into her bed.

"Only because I need the sleep," she lied. She hadn't shared a bed with anyone in so long that she'd forgotten how comforting it was to have a warm body next to hers. She reveled in the scent of his cologne and hoped it would stick to her sheets.

Kate had just fallen asleep when Castle began to stir in his sleep. "Beckett! Kate!"

"Hey," she whispered.

"Kate!" he yelled in his sleep.

"Castle, wake up!" Kate shook him, forcing him awake with a gasp. "It's okay, Castle. It was a dream—"

Castle scooped her in one fell swoop and clutched her tightly. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. "It was just a bad dream," she repeated. She held him against her for the longest time but still he trembled uncontrollably. "Hey, hey. Are you okay?" She ran a hand through his hair as she studied his face for answers.

Rather than words, Castle cupped both sides of her face with his hands and kissed her. He started to pull back but reconsidered when he felt her pressing into him, deepening their kiss. "I'm okay," she whispered softly.

When she began to pull back he grabbed her and held her tightly against his chest. "I'm not ready to let you go yet," he whispered in a tone that was barely audible.

Kate let her lips crash against his. Her tongue gently brushed over his lower lip, begging for entry. He quickly complied and let his tongue dance with hers.

Before she could stop herself, Kate let her hands tug at his shirt in a frenzied flurry. She began yanking at any patch of fabric she could grab; she couldn't undress him fast enough. She needed him and she knew he needed her.

Castle ran his hand along Kate's long legs, letting his fingertips glide under her silk pajama shorts.

The two peeled off each others clothes, barely breaking their kiss to remove their shirts.

She tilted her head back and moaned softly as he pushed into her. He pushed the hair from her neck and began kissing and sucking, fueled by her mews and moans. He refused to let her go, instead she stayed on his lap with her long legs wrapped around his waist. As he grew close, he grabbed her hips and lifted her up and down, slamming into her frantically. Her nails dug down his back as she climaxed and he quickly spilled his load inside her.

"That," she panted when they'd finished.

"I know. Better than I—"

"Better than you what?"

"I'm a man. Naturally, I imagined having sex with you—"

"When!?"

"The instant I met you," he replied. He wondered if Kate had the same thoughts but knew she'd never tell him. Instead of words, she wrapped a hand around to squeeze the back of his neck while she kissed him. "Don't get dressed," he whispered.

"Why?"

"Because I'm not ready to let you go."

{{A/N : not sure if I should continue or leave as a one shot. Let me know what you think!}}