By the time he had sat her down on the couch she had become lucid enough to open her eyes. He couldn't help but thank God that she was ok.

He had thought he had lost her, but no—no she's still here.

Thank God.

Just as he laid her down her eye lids fluttered for a moment then they opened. Her eyes were groggy with sleep and pain from the cut on her arm.

When she registered him over her she looked confused ", Castle? What are you doing here?"

She uhh… she didn't seem drunk… maybe the pain had sobered her up? Maybe… maybe she hadn't been drunk after all?

"I uhh… I was coming to talk and then I was about to knock when I heard a crash I kinda used a key that I stole from you a few years ago.."

He trailed off as he examined her arm, seeing how deep the cut was, she would probably need stitches. A lot of stitches by the looks of it.

She didn't seem surprised by the fact he had stolen one of her spare keys… no she actually looked like she kind of expected as much from him.

Sweet, infuriating man, only looking out for her own good.

"Listen Kate, I know we need to talk. Believe me I do, but right now we need to get you to the hospital, this cut… it needs to be looked at."

At the word hospital her head snapped up ", no. No. No. No hospital. It's fine we can patch it up here."

He looked at her trying to see past the dull haze in her eyes. Get past it to see her emotions, but he couldn't. She was guarded and he didn't blame her.

She had opened up and he had left her hanging, but they could worry about that later because really her couch was now covered in the blood oozing out of the cut and the flow wasn't stopping any time soon.

"No Kate… this needs stitches it—you have to get it cleaned you were on the floor, you fell or you passed out I don't know but you have to go—"

She looked up at him a gleam in her eye "I didn't pass out Castle. It—no I wasn't drunk I couldn't bring myself to drink that much. I just…. Couldn't."

He sighed relieved and frustrated all at the same time… he was glad she hadn't subjected herself to that, but she still needed a doctor and she was already sitting up to make her way to the bathroom and there wasn't anything he could do to stop her.

Damn it Kate.

He gives in, knows she won't relent.

Because she hates hospitals, and he still is not sure why, but knows when she's done discussing something and no they haven't really discussed it, but that's because she won't talk about this when she already has her mind set.

So he follows her to the bathroom watches as she pulls out a first-aid kit and sets it on the counter.

He walks over to her as she opens it up and pushes her to sit down on top of the toilet lid so he can take care of her, because he needs to and wants and really how can he not after what he's done to her tonight?

"Look Rick I know you probably don't want to be here so you can just go I don't need you to take care of me." Ignoring her he pulled gauze and peroxide out of the kit and pulled her arm over where he can examine it better in the light of the bathroom.

It looks to be about three—four inches long and pretty wide though there's nothing he can do about that.

Stubborn woman.

She sighs when she gets no answer from him and shifts so that he can get to her arm at a better angle and it's not so uncomfortable for her.

When he's done cleaning it she moves to sit on the counter in front of him instead of on the toilet so he can reach better she tells herself, but she really knows it's just because she wants to be closer to him and she knows he sees right through it which is why she is surprised when he doesn't object and steps closer.

And now he's very, very close to her and she swears she can feel his breath at her neck and the next thing she's knows goose bumps are exploding all over her exposed and unexposed skin, the next time she looks up she finds herself looking into his bright cobalt blue eyes and she knows—she knows – this is going somewhere they aren't ready to go but now he's leaning in and who is she to stop him?

Not when she's breathing harder by the second, or well really millisecond.

Then his lips are on her soft and passionate all at once.

How she doesn't know because the two do not mix but that's how she feels this is and she can't get enough because he won't kiss her harder and right now she needs as hard as he's got.

So taking matters into her own hands she scoots forward and drags him backwards to her and between her legs before he can even realize what's happening and then she's opening his mouth with her tongue and he's lost to do anything about it besides kiss her back with as much passion.

Passion and heat and gosh that's a lot of tongue and he is definitely not complaining.

He pulls away several minutes later when he's about to faint from lack of air and her.

Her surrounding him and in him and with him, it's more than he ever hoped it to be.

She pecks his lips once again and he pulls away to ask how in the hell she fainted because even with all this happening he still hasn't figured that part out and he knows it's not because she's drunk… yeah she's definitely not drunk and the cut in her arm was painful but not painful enough to cause her to faint so how..? So while covering her arm with the bandage he asks.

"Soo… how exactly did you faint?" He gets out when he finally stops gasping for air and she gives him the incredulous look that says 'I just made out with you while I was sitting on a counter and you're really worried about something that happened twenty minutes ago?' but alas he wants—needs to know what caused her to faint and so she's nodding in understanding and explaining what happened.

"I was walking into the kitchen and I don't know maybe a piece of ice melted or I spilled some water but I slipped on it and hit my head on the floor hard enough to apparently knock me out, no headache though."

Then his eyes are growing wide with fear, because yeah he is a bestselling author with a wild imagination that gets the best of him sometimes and he can't help but think about all the worst case scenarios ; concussion, swelling in the brain, brain bleed. Which all could lead to memory loss or her requiring special needs and he doesn't know what he would do if something like that had happened and he really DOES NOT want to ever find out.

He's pulling her closer to him again and she's trying to pull his lips back to hers but he won't relent and she finally gives in and rests her head against his chest and lets him just hold her and let him bask in the relief that she's here and she is fine and that she's not going anywhere for the time being.

So he stands there holding her like that for the next minutes or hour or hours he's not sure but when he realizes he has to do something about the fact the she is here with him he pulls back to look at her face and when she's sees the desire there that he needs to feel that she really is here with him she can't deny him. She can't nor does she want to. So she hops down from the counter and pulls him along with her to her bed and the future and whatever lies beyond that.

She knows they need to talk. They wouldn't be able to have a real relationship if they didn't but for now this is all they need.

Her and him and this bed.

Because really as long as they're together they can do anything, and when the time comes they will do everything; moving in, engagement, marriage, kids, growing old together. They know it's coming and that's what gets them through this right now. The future; their future.

Together.

AN: FIRST FIC I HAVE FINISHED! EVER! I am very proud lol even though it's only three chapters long. I suck at updates though.. but no really I have to be in the mood to write and if I'm not then it's just… no.

I don't really feel the need to continue though if some of you do let me know and I'll consider it. Or maybe a sequel

And for those of you reading my other fics… no I haven't updated those in a while either but I'm hoping to continue those soon as well and even though summer is here and all, I am about to start my first job so I don't really know how that's going to blow over.

Any who until next time!

Thank you for reading! I apologize for any and all mistakes.

-Jordan