This one is bordering on M... figured I'd keep things nice and light before the angst-fest of Knockout and Rise.

Pretty Dead

Kate took a deep breath, released it on a slow exhale as Castle's words echoed in the silence of the bedroom. He was right, and she knew he was right, but along with the feeling of pride Kate felt at his words was the sadness of losing the man who had once played a large role in her life. The man who, regardless of his mistakes, had long ago helped to shape who she'd become as a cop.

And she missed him.

"Sorry," Castle murmured, afraid that he'd gone too far, crossed a line.

But Kate shook her head, covered his hand with her own on her thigh. "No, it's okay."

And it was. It was more than okay because she knew Castle was right and it warmed her heart to consider that after all Royce did for her, she'd made him proud.

Castle flipped his hand over, twined their fingers together, squeezed gently in assent.

"Too much for one night?" he asked quietly, but to his surprise, Kate shook her head.

"No, it's... let's keep going."

A part of her would always miss Royce, but it wouldn't do for her to fall asleep mourning his death three years after the fact. No. She needed to read the next letter, move on to a different topic.

Castle seemed to understand her train of thought because he picked up the journal again, smiled gently, and Kate offered one in return. She untwined their fingers, lifted her hand to smooth down the page.

Dear Kate,

Were you ever a beauty queen? I know you said your roommate was, but I find myself wondering now if you were, too. You seemed to know an awful lot about it, more than someone would typically find out from a roommate. I think you were and just don't want me to know. Kind of like you once denied being a model (which, by the way, I still don't believe).

You certainly could have been one. I mean, you're so beautiful. Your eyes. Your body. Your long legs. God, Kate, I don't think you realize just how captivating you are. I can't ever get enough of just watching you, studying you, and, yes, checking you out.

The mental images of you in a sparkly dress, sauntering across the stage in five inch heels, or in a bikini that leaves very little to the imagination. I can't get them out of my head. You're just... stunning. And hot. And sexy. And so many more adjectives that I can't think of right now.

As Castle read, his hand came to rest once again on her thigh, comfort at first but then teasing as his fingers trailed higher and higher, tantalizing, perfectly in tune with his words. Her muscles twitched and fluttered at his touch, up and around to the inside of her thigh, back down at the same agonizingly slow pace, and if he didn't stop right now, they weren't going to make it through this letter.

"Castle," Kate breathed on an exhale.

"Hmmm?"

His hand stilled on the inside of her thigh, far too high on her leg to be innocent, as he returned to reading. Kate too forced herself to focus, to finish the letter before pinning him to the bed, though it was taking all of her self-control to do so.

I know you always glare at me when you catch me staring at you, but maybe if you saw yourself through my eyes, you'd understand. And maybe you wouldn't be such a horrible tease at times. I'm torn, though, between wishing you would wear a paper bag to work so I wouldn't be so distracted and wishing you wore lower-cut shirts and pencil skirts. Not that you don't look hot and sexy in what you normally wear. You look good no matter what.

His tongue darted out to flick her earlobe and she clenched her fist at the edge of the mattress, unable to stop the breathy exhale that escaped through her lips.

Being a beauty queen is more than that, though. I've watched the pageants and I've seen what they're about. Sure, physical beauty plays a role, but there's the talent competition and the questions... things that measure something other than external beauty.

Believe me, you have a lot more going for you than just what's on the outside. I know you have baggage, but we all do. While some people take that baggage and use it as an excuse for their choices and their poor behavior, you've used yours to become a talented detective. You use it to help you empathize with the victims, to help you fight for what's right and good.

You use it to be a beautiful person on the inside as well.

I've never made it a secret that I'm attracted to you. Hell, from day one I was drawn in by how sexy you are. But please don't ever doubt that I see beneath the surface and I know that there's more to you than meets the eye. Please don't ever doubt that I fell in love with who you are, inside and out.

Love,

Rick

No sooner had Kate finished reading than the journal was tossed aside, clattering to the night stand and bumping against the lamp before coming to rest haphazardly on the wooden surface. Her heart was racing, her breathing already shallow from the combination of his loving words and the teasing dance of his fingers over her skin.

She stood on shaky legs and turned, stepped into the space between his thighs, pushed against his shoulders and sent him tumbling back onto the bed. His ankles latched around the backs of her knees, pulled her down with him, a wild frenzy of fingers and teeth and lips and tongues.

Kate was so riled up already that it was hot and fast, getting tangled in the covers, clothing flying in their single-minded quest to get each other naked as quickly as possible, prove exactly how hot and passionate their love was.

They collapsed together afterwards, breathing heavily, limp and sated yet still wanting more, and it wasn't long before desire overtook the heaviness of their limbs, coaxed them into action again.

Round two was slow and exploratory as Castle trailed his fingers and his lips over every single inch of her body, massaged and caressed the endless lines of her legs. Kate was writhing and panting and gasping and begging and by the time they fell into oblivion together, she was so incredibly relaxed and sleepy that she fell asleep sprawled on top of his chest, bodies still joined in every way.

She truly never had been a beauty queen. But it briefly crossed her mind as she trailed off into sleep that maybe she could put on a little show for Castle sometime soon. She certainly owned high heels and short dresses and a bikini.

Hell, if this was what it led to, she'd do one every night.

Thoughts?