As the explosion sounds through the air, Kate Beckett grabs a hold onto the table with a sudden fear shuddering through her veins. What did just happen? As the realization hits her Kate is starting to shiver, her whole body shaking as she stands up to mechanically walk towards the door of the van. Stepping out her eyes immediately turn to all the dust coming out of the bank. The bank where her partner was. What if he…? She wouldn't be able to cope with that. Losing her mom had been crushing but she couldn't even imagine how crushing it would be if she lost him. For a split second she sees something red flash in her peripheral view and she suddenly remembers his little girl who would be without… no. Not today.

She quickly gathers everyone in the rescue team and starts bathing inside the dusty bank. She's one of the first cops inside, even though she shouldn't be. No one can stop her from getting to him.

"Castle?!" She calls out as she holds the gun and the light pointing forward, trying to see as much as she can as she strides through the dust. "Castle?!" Her heart is beating like crazy. Why isn't he answering? She calls out one more time, more power in her voice than earlier, perhaps more determined to get him to answer. "Castle!"

This time it helps. "Beckett?"

The sound of his voice forces her forward, pushing herself as fast as she can through the dust, not really caring if she stumbles across the robbers. When she finally lays eyes on him she feels her heart skip a beat, her hands holding the flashlight and gun going down as relief settles her whole body. He's alive. Hazels meet blues and she thanks whoever's listening that he's still breathing, his heart still beating. For just a split second she loses herself in that, just being as she realizes he's right there. She hasn't lost him. Then she remembers everyone else.

"They're here!" she calls out to her coworkers in a hoarse voice and she holsters her gun in order to open the vault doors, moving towards him with quick steps.

The second she's in the vault with him she drops onto her knees in front of him. Her heart racing with all the feelings she can't hold back anymore. She takes the scissors she brought with her and gets a hold of his zip tied hands.

"Here you go, ready? Okay," she mumbles as she cuts the zip ties.

Once they're off her eyes wander to his again, and they lock in. Her fingers of her right hand find the material of his shirt and starts to fiddle with it. As she looks into his eyes she can't help but lean forward, the grin on her face so wide due to the relief and gratefulness of him being presumably fine. Before she can think better of it, and she can see the shock in his eyes just a split second before, her lips attach to his in a long, hurried kiss. Her eyes are closed as she pulls away again, biting her tingling lower lip as she curses herself for her lack of control. With her forehead still leaning towards his she can feel his breath still lingering across her lips, every pant mixing their breaths.

"Harrumph, he's not the only one here you know," Martha interrupts the bubble Kate's put herself in and she feels her cheeks blossom bright red as she pulls back from her partner to turn to his mother.

"Sorry Martha," she mumbles with embarrassment as she cuts off the zip ties on her hands too.

Kate only slightly glances towards her partner to see his eyes rolled back in frustration, probably as disappointed as her at his mother's interruption.

"Let's get you out of here," she says and gives a hand for the redhead to help his mother onto her feet.

Having seen the reunion between the Castles it had made her feel even more grateful for the two being fine after being hostage for several hours. After a bit of reassurance from Castle's part Alexis had left with her grandmother to stay safe at the loft while Castle went with her to solve the case.

Kate has noticed the constant glances her partner has sent her, but answered them by giving him a look stating "later". It's later now and he invited her to his loft and, god, she's so nervous. When she got here his mother pulled her into her arms and hugged her tight before they all ate dinner together. After dinner his mother and daughter scattered off to bed earlier while he poured them a wine glass each, and now she's finding herself sitting in the small couch in his study. Waiting for him to arrive since he's just taking a quick shower, saying he wanted the dust from all that's happened off him before they sat down to talk. She's sipping her wine while she awaits, looking out the big window to observe the city she lives in. She can't really remember the last time she gave herself a moment to just enjoy the view of it. The city that never sleeps.

Biting her lower lip out of habit she's suddenly reminded by the kiss they shared earlier. The kiss she started. Kate can't really believe she did that, but it has to have had with all the emotions. No matter how hard she'd tried not to she knows she's fallen for him. She's known for quite a while. And she knows he loves her too. He said so when she was shot, she just couldn't deal with it right then. There had been too much going on and all the panic attacks and anxiety hadn't helped. There are times she's wondering if he could've helped her through them, if she made a mistake to not include him at her father's cabin.

"What are you thinking about?"

She jumps at the sound of his voice and looks at him to see him dry his hair with a towel. To her relief he's dressed in sweatpants and a shirt, she's not sure what she would do if he'd been shirtless.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Thought you would hear me coming," he apologizes and she shakes her head to gather her thoughts.

"Yeah, it's okay," she says as she turns her head back around to the city she loves. "It's beautiful out there."

She hears him dispose of his towel before she can feel the couch dip beside her.

"It is indeed," he agrees and she eyes him as he sips on his own wine.

She looks into her glass, wrinkles her forehead at how much she's drunk already, before she takes a deep breath.

"About earlier today… I-ah," she's not even begun yet and she's already hesitating at what to say. How can she explain when she isn't good with words? He's the writer. Not her.

"Don't worry about it, I get it," he suddenly interrupts when she's been quiet for too long and she looks at him with furrowed brows. "You didn't mean for it to happen, it's okay. I can pretend it didn't happen."

Her eyes widen at that and she immediately starts shaking her head. He's wrong. "No, no no no. I don't want to pretend it didn't happen. It happened," she says with conviction in her voice. "The thought of losing you… the fear when I heard that bomb… I could feel that bomb through my entire body. For a few minutes I thought…" her voice cracks and she's looking down in her wine again.

He shifts in his seat beside her and she closes her eyes. If she'd lost him she would've never been able to tell him how she feels, all this waiting for nothing. The bomb knocked down the last of her walls. She carefully looks up to see if she can read his expression. That's when she notices the smile growing on his lips.

"And so when I saw you in that vault I just couldn't stop myself from doing what I should've done a long time ago," she admits while constantly observing how his smile turns first surprised and then happier than she thinks she's seen him before.

"Does this mean… I mean, can we… uh, your walls?" he struggles to focus on just one of all the questions she could see circle around his head and she finds it hard to not fall for him all over again.

Thinking she's not very good at words and having already tried to explain with those she decides action is what will prove to him she means what she's trying to say. She turns around a bit in order to face the small table beside the couch, with a last sip of her wine she puts down the glass. Once her hands are finally free she turns back to Castle, who is watching her with wary blues, and doesn't hesitate to cup his cheeks as she leans in to kiss his lips again. This time it was not as feared, as desperate, but more certain, more passionate. Kate feels herself relax as he kisses her back and she can feel him do the same when he asks for permission by brushing his tongue along her lower lip and she grants it. His taste fills her mouth and she feels her mind start spinning with feelings she's never felt before. It only takes a few minutes before she's making a whimpering sound as the tingles he's sending down her body turns her hot and bothered. Why hasn't she done this earlier?

"Mm, wait," he pulls away and she bites her lip while looking into his eyes, confusion entering her body. "Does this mean I can ask you out on a date?"

She feels relief taking over as she gives out a nervous chuckle, her hands going down to the couch. Her eyes turn to her fiddling fingers as she bites her lip and does a slow exhale.

"I believe so yeah, but-uh," she looks up at him. His blues patient but alert. "Let's keep it between us, I don't want Gates to find out."

He hums with a serious but silly expression on his face, his eyes looking as if he's seeing something terrifying. "She'd kick me out for sure," he shudders and she can't help but laugh at his ridiculous reaction.

"Yeah, she would," she agrees. She glances to the clock and curses herself for not taking the captain's offer on a day off. "I should get going, it's late."

"Wha-no, can't you stay a little longer?" he asks as he checks the watch on his wrist. "You know, you're welcome to stay over," he suggests with a genuine smile setting on his lips.

No wriggle of his eyebrows or a hidden agenda lurking behind his eyes. When did he get so mature? She thinks about it for a few minutes, but for once it's not him she's worried about. She's not sure she will be able to keep herself at bay if she stays. Not after that kiss.

"I need to get home," she says with a sad tone even she can hear. "But I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

His smile turns even bigger as he nods excitedly. "Definitely."

Both of them raises from the couch and she grabs her glass to take it with her to his kitchen. Once she's ready to go he grabs her hips to pull her into his arms, his lips crashing onto hers. Standing up while kissing him is a bad idea she realizes the second their lips touch, her knees almost giving up as her senses crashing. She has a feeling his hands holding her hips is the only thing keeping her up. When they pull away it's because they're both in desperate need for air.

"Wow," she can't help but let slip past her lips and he nods.

"Yeah," he breathes out before he pulls away more. "Well, until tomorrow Kate."

She grins big and raises onto her toes to peck his lips one last time before backing out the door. "Until tomorrow, Rick."

THE END