Hour 14… and maybe a bit of 15th?

"Ok, they are gone, your tummy is full, you´ve had your coffee and plenty of time to practice how you want this conversation to go. But I can´t wait any longer Kate. What the hell happened yesterday? What did you mean with the ´I'm no longer in the force´ comment, what was that 'dangling off a roof' thing about and more importantly, what's the path you see us sharing!"

"We will get into all of those topics, but does this building have a rooftop? I'd like to be outside, but if we go to a park I'd need to go home and get changed, and once I'm there I'd probably want to take a shower, and well, you get the picture"

"You'd rather go to another rooftop, after everything that seems to have happened yesterday than delaying this conversation endlessly? Ok, who are you and where is the woman I'm head over heels in love with?"

"I don't mind going to another rooftop for more than one reason. The first one, you know I'm not one to run from a promise. I promised a story after breakfast and I will give you the long version of yesterday events, after which, we are going to talk about last summer, the last couple of weeks and maybe by lunch time we can start with the whole 'planning our future path thing'. Secondly, I have a lovely rooftop in my building and I love going there in summer nights. I might as well fight any troubles I might have developed against them during yesterday's events right now. And last but not least, if I do happen to have some issue with rooftops due to yesterdays misadventures, I can't think of a better person to help me fight them but you.

I can't remember the last time I felt as safe as I did today, waking up in your arms. So I know that you, me, some blankets, coffee and this leftover pancakes can face anything any rooftop throws our way. So? What do you say? Can we make a date out of this talk? Oh, and that better be the last time my being honest with you makes you doubt my identity. I meant what I said Castle. This is it. I'm in for the long run. And yes, I might still want to keep my space, and there will be days when we want to spend a few hours apart. But I'm done with the whole hiding things from you thing. Unless it's a gift. I reserve the right to surprise you with good things. But for everything else, I intend to let you in writer boy!"

"Oh, you just wait! When night comes, I'll show you just how manly man I am!"

"Really? Manly man? That's how you want to convince me of your manhood?"

"Would you prefer I turned into Tarzan, shoved you over my shoulders and threw you to the bed?"

"Don't you dare! Besides, I love that metro side of you no need to prove you don't have it! Go get some blankets. I'll get two coffees to go and the pancakes in a plate and you can take me to the rooftop," she says.

"Uhm Kate? I never said I actually have one… but there is a terrace in my bedroom if you'd like…"

"Oh, ok, I guess that would do"

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm more than willing to go to your rooftop with you one of these beautiful summer nights…"

"Oh, Rick! But if we go alone to my building's rooftop, what is Ms. Jenkins, my old nosy neighbor, going to think of me?"

"Tease. Go get our refills, I'll wait for you in the bedroom"

A few minutes later, while I'm getting some blankets outside, I see her walking into my room, balancing two mugs and plate full of syrup-covered pancakes while holding her phone to her ear with her right shoulder. Whoever she's talking with just made the number one slot in my enemies list. Well, second to the men in the whole lets-murder-the-Beckets-conspiracy, because her face is no longer lit up by a smile. On the contrary, she seams upset.

As I walk into the room I hear her mention Dr Parish's name, so, without much preamble, I go for the phone and with all the seriousness I can muster I say "Lanie, I know you're her friend, and that you love her and that you are worried about her. This is all you need to know: she is physically fine, mentally maybe a little upset but for once in what feels like forever, she's willing to let somebody help her. And this time, it'll be me. And no Dr Parish, nothing happened last night, although I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some action tonight. Then again, seeing her death glare that might not be happening any time soon"

"Fine! Tell my girl I love her! And you owe me a drink for worrying me! And you better get that girl do some talking or I'm getting her ass out of there and ima gonna smack you, ok!"

"I'll do my very best Lanie"

"That's all I ask. Bye writer boy!"

"Man Lanie, writer man!"

"No if you still let her glare scare you!"

"Oh you can't blame me for that! Have you ever been on the receiving end of one of those?"

"Good bye Castle!"

And she hangs up. I turn around looking for Kate only to find her gone from my bedroom. I look for her in the balcony but she is not there either. Surely she didn't get so mad that she actually left right? And as if reading my mind she shouts from the bathroom "Castle! Can you get me a towel? I didn´t know where you keep them and I didn't want to interrupt your girl talk with MY friend!"

"Kate are you really in the shower?"

"Yes! My hair was killing me and I figured you were going to talk to Lanie for a while! My bad I guess…"

"Can I get in there with you?"

"NO! Don't you dare get in this shower mister!"

"But Kate! Who's going to wash your back?"

"I've been doing all right on my own for the past 34 years, I think I can manage…"

"And behind your ears? Did you clean there? I bet there is a lot of dirt there, I should help you!"

"Castle! No, that my final answer. Just get me a towel so I can get out when I'm done."

"Do you need conditioner? I don't think I have one there," I say, finally dropping the whole let-me-get-there-with-you routine.

"Actually, you have more than one bottle here, I bet one of those is a male hair softener or something as weird as that!"

"Uhm, no, I don´t think I have one of those…"

"Castle, could you come closer please…"

I do as she says, and I walk all the way to the shower (the steam covers her figure, dang!). You see, I have this amazing shower stall, really big and comfortable for two- and a jacuzzi on the other side of the bathroom, just in case you were wondering… Going back to the shower. I always hated those glass doors you usually have in showers because they open to the outside, which means they get the floor wet with tiny bitty droplets, so, instead of having a door, my shower has an open space from where you get in and out, next to a fixed glass stall. I stand next to it, close enough so she can reach me if she wants-a man can dream right?-, but not close enough to give me a view (I´m more than willing to wait until she chooses to share the sight of her whole, amazing, way too perfect body with me).

After admitting to myself I really wasn't going to get a peak, I turned around. This meant I didn't see-nor heard- her coming to the opening. When she said "Castle, turn around please" I was more than willing to do so, and more than pleasantly surprised to see her head coming out of the glass, her hands on it.

"First, why do you have a cherry scented shampoo here?"

"Uhm, I always loved the way you smelled, and I always hoped that maybe, one day, you'd use it?"

"So you bought it for me?"

"You know me Kate, I'm all about the details…"

"That you are. On to the next topic…Do you trust yourself to behave around my naked body?"

"Uhm… I can promise to try? Why? What's wrong?"

"Uhm, my body is a bit battered after yesterdays fight, and my arms a bit sore, making it really hard for me to wash my hair…"

No need for further encouragement. I lose the shoes and without giving it a second thought, I get in the shower with her. "Castle! What are you doing! You'll get your clothes soaked!". As if I could care less about an old pair of jammies, a button up and some boxers.

"Kate, the question is… do you trust yourself around MY naked body?" Seeing her face, I can't help adding "That´s what I thought, now, let me help you."

I turn her so she is facing me. I hold her to my body – a man is a man after all, and I can't really resist the need to feel her against me- and put us under the water. It actually feels relaxing and comforting, and well, maybe a little bit arousing, but I promised her to try to behave and I can't really give up not two minutes into the shower right?

But man, what she says next makes any restraint on my part much more difficult.

"God Castle! You feel so good! I don't think I ever want to leave this spot. For so long, I've been running away from this feeling of safety. Even in the past, with other men, I've always had a foot out the door, to make the running away easier. But with you? I feel naked and barefooted. It'd take so much will power to dislodge myself from the safety of your embrace that it's just too hard to even think about it…"

What can I say to that? My best guess: nothing. I just look at her in the eyes holding her face with both hands and give her the sweetest kiss I can muster. "If I could, I'd keep you in my arms forever. But I know you Kate, you'd get restless. Eventually, you'll want a breather. So, why don't we start by getting you all cleaned up, dressed and into that balcony?"

"Yeah, ok, sounds good. Now…we should start with this."

I see the bottle she hands me and I don't get it: "but Kate, this is my shampoo."

"I know. I love the way you smell just as much as you seem to love mine, so, why can't I have it around me? The way I see it, if you're afraid I'm going to get tired of being in your arms, then at least, I should get to smell like you!"

I massage her hair trying to look as little as humanly possible, but her back is distracting me. Not only for its hotness. "Kate, how did you get this bruise?" The bruise, previously covered by her hair is big and looks like it's incredibly painful.

"Uhm, he threw me back-first to the floor. But it's ok. It only really hurts when I take a deep breath"

I slowly turn her around so I can see this fucking man's work. What I see is disturbing. How could I have missed this? Even her legs show some purple bruising, and I've been looking at them for a few hours now…

"God Kate. What did he do to you? I should have been there! Or I should have tried harder to stop you from going!"

"No Castle. Don't do that. Don't blame this on you! Do you hear me? This is in no way your fault. I was there on my own free will, and there was nothing you could have done to avoid it. You told me you loved me, and if hearing those beautiful words after thinking I'd lost you forever didn't stop me, then trust me, nothing would have. I was stubborn enough to think I could stop them, but they are just too powerful. I'm way out of my league here. I'm done chasing shadows in the dark. So you can tell that man, when he calls again, that they can stop worrying about me. I'm just not strong enough to come after them. And even if I was, I'm not sure I'd still want to," she says, once again burying her face on my chest.

"Are you sure I´d get bored if we stood here forever?" she asks, breaking the spell.

"Yes I am! Time to get you rinsed and then off to find you some clothes!" I push her out of the shower, pointing at a towel she could use with direct orders to get herself dried up and to just go to my closet and get anything she wants. Well, anything but my leather jacket. Her in my leather, soooo not ready for that picture yet!

"Oh but Ricky! I love your leather jackets!"

And with that she's gone, leaving her towel behind! "Oh you little temptress! I will not fall for that trick! You owe me a talk, and a talk we shall have! You'll have to wait until I dim it possible! Do you understand!"

"That sounded like a challenge if I ever heard one!"

Ugh! There is no way I'm winning this! "No it wasn't Kate!"

And suddenly, she is back in the bathroom, having a pick at my rear "I know Castle! Talk first, fun stuff later! I'm taking some sweatpants and a hoody if that's all right…"

"Sure, fine, whatever. Now would you please leave, so I can get out? There's no hot water left after the whole hugging in the shower thing!"

There are so many things we're doing again after this talk is over! We are having brunch, naked, alone, in my bed and we are having an hour long shower but there will be so much more action going on!