So, here's another of my little Castle daydreams, because I'm a hopeless romantic and writing these is what I do when I have much more important stuff that I should be doing...

"So, what would hunky Doctor McDreamy have to say about you having dinner alone with your incredibly charming and handsome partner on a Saturday night?" Castle asked playfully, his eyes on Beckett's face as the two of them stepped into the elevator in her new apartment building.

Beckett was so close to him that her arm brushed his as she turned to look up at him, a wry smile curving her lips. Not for the first time that evening, a hint of her tantalizing cherry scent reached his nose, temporarily putting him off-balance as he tried to reassemble his suddenly chaotic thoughts.

"I expect he would have very little to say about it, considering we're not together anymore," was her casual reply. Castle felt his heart skip a beat, a million thoughts and questions racing through his brain. Careful to keep his voice as casual as hers had been, he replied simply, "Oh."

Beckett wasn't fooled. Not only was she an excellent cop, but she knew him better than almost anybody else did. With a roll of her eyes, she answered his unspoken question.

"He wanted more commitment than I was willing to give, so we went our separate ways. That's all, Castle."

"I didn't ask," Castle said innocently, fighting the urge to grin. Beckett shot him a sardonic look.

"Yeah, you were 'not asking' very loudly," she shot back, elbowing him gently in the ribs. Castle chuckled, then stood aside as the elevator doors opened, allowing her to exit before him. Commending himself for resisting the temptation to let his gaze stray to certain interesting areas as she passed, Castle exited the elevator and quickly fell in step beside her.

"So, what about Gina, then? How does she feel about you spending your Saturday evening with someone else?" Beckett asked, glancing over her shoulder at him as she unlocked her door. At his laugh, she paused, turning back toward him with an eyebrow cocked.

"My, my, Detective, we must be getting rusty… I ended things with Gina weeks ago," he grinned, looking down at her. They were standing very close, the door to her apartment still unopened behind them.

Beckett looked surprised.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I thought you knew. I figured your little cop spidey-sense would tip you off or something," he said, shrugging.

Beckett seemed uncertain of what to say. Tilting his head to the side, Castle watched her keenly, his heart beating a little faster. For over a year now he had waited for the right time, and now, finally, this could be the moment.

"Why'd you end it?" Beckett asked, her voice carefully nonchalant.

"Because I finally admitted to myself that being with Gina wasn't what I wanted," he answered quietly, his eyes never leaving hers.

He was watching her so closely that he saw the almost imperceptible movement of her throat as she swallowed, before opening her mouth to speak.

"And what do you want, Castle?"

Her voice was clear and steady, the complete opposite of how he felt. The moment had come. His eyes never leaving hers, he lifted a trembling hand to cup her cheek, her skin silky smooth beneath his palm. She stood wide-eyed and motionless beneath his touch as he slowly leaned in, her eyelids finally fluttering shut as their lips met.

He kept the kiss gentle, his mouth moving softly over hers, tender and unhurried. He kept it brief, pulling reluctantly away while his control still remained intact. Looking down at Beckett, he couldn't help but smile at her stunned expression.

"Figured it was about time we put our cards on the table," he said softly, a smile still upon his lips.

"Goodnight, Kate," he added, then, showing what he considered to be extraordinary restraint, turned on his heel and headed for the elevator.

He'd barely gone two steps when Beckett's voice stopped him.

"Castle."

Turning slowly on the spot, Castle watched silently as she closed the gap between them. His heart pounding, he looked down at her and swallowed.

"Yes?"

Beckett raised her eyebrows, a hint of a wicked smile curving the corners of her lips.

"Don't you want to see my cards?"

He could not answer. Not when her hands were sliding up his chest, then wrapping around the back of his neck; especially not when she tilted her face up, her lips closing over his, hot and hungry.

Any restraint he'd had was now gone. Wrapping his arms around her, he stepped quickly forward, pressing her up against the door as he crushed his mouth against hers, her lips parting eagerly under his. The feel of her tongue in his mouth sent a flood of fire through his veins, and he kissed her back hard, the pent-up desire of so many months finally finding its release.

He felt one of her hands release his neck, barely aware as she searched blindly for the doorknob. Catching hold of it, she gave it a sharp turn and the next second they were almost falling through the doorway, stumbling over the threshold.

Kicking the door shut behind them, Castle wrenched his lips free and gasped for air, before Beckett's arms wound around his neck once more, pulling his mouth back to hers. Kissing her hungrily, he slid his hands down her back and up beneath her blouse, feeling the heat of her soft skin beneath his palms.

Suddenly, to his confusion and horror, she began to pull away. Immediately he released her, his chest constricting in sudden panic. Their eyes met, hers deep and dark and serious. Then suddenly she smiled wickedly and grabbed his hand, then rose up on her toes for a brief, hot kiss before pulling him into the bedroom.

###

Later, as they lay curled up together in the darkness, Castle trailed his fingers gently across Beckett's satiny skin, listening to her deep, soft breathing as she slept . He could barely believe that this was real; he'd been dreaming of this moment for so long that he kept half-expecting to wake up at his desk, frustrated and utterly disappointed.

Burying his face in Beckett's silky, cherry-scented hair, he smiled, knowing that no dream could ever match the indescribable sensation that being with her caused within him. He'd always been cautious about delving too deep into his feelings for Beckett; because, deep down, he'd known that they went far beyond anything he'd felt before, and quite frankly, that had scared the shit out of him.

But right now, with her in his arms, he discovered he wasn't afraid any more.

"Hey," he said softly, watching carefully to see if she stirred. But she didn't move, her breathing remaining deep and steady; she was clearly asleep. Castle took a deep breath.

"I love you, Kate."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he finally realised that he had been dying to say them for a very long time. Exhaling silently, he continued, "I love you. But I know it's going to take me a while before I'll have the courage to say it to your face."

He paused, then sighed. "Just give me time, Kate," he murmured, placing a soft kiss on her bare shoulder. "Just give me time."

###

Castle woke slowly, feeling warm and utterly content. The sweet smell of cherries filled his head, and he smiled, pulling Beckett even closer against him. Last night had been more – so much more– than anything he'd ever imagined.

It was perfect, and so right. All his past relationships seemed almost laughable now; he was finally discovering what love – and, to be honest, amazing sex– truly was. Pressing his lips to her silky hair, Castle carefully slid out from between the sheets, pausing to cover her up once more. Then, pulling on some pants, he headed for the kitchen.

###

When Beckett woke, her first reaction was to grin. She stretched lazily, her arm reaching for Castle only to encounter empty space on the bed beside her. Her eyes shot open and she froze, icy fear suddenly seizing her heart.

He couldn't have left.

He couldn't.

Covering her eyes, she began to work on slowing her breathing, trying to think rationally. Suddenly, the quiet background noises she had been ignoring became all too clear.

Castle was cooking.

Exhaling a huge, shaky sigh of relief, Beckett sat up and began searching for some clothes to pull on. Once she was –mostly– dressed, she emerged from the bedroom, rubbing her eyes against the brighter light of the kitchen.

"Morning," she said, moving close by his side as she glanced into the pan.

"Good morning," he replied with a smile, one hand wrapping around her waist while the other hooked beneath her chin, tilting her face up to meet his kiss.

When they pulled apart almost a full minute later, both slightly breathless, Castle pointed to a plate stacked with golden pancakes.

"I know I made them for you before, but my breakfast repertoire is fairly limited, and I figured you wouldn't mind. And," he grinned devilishly, "there is the bonus of being minus the dead body this time."

As he spoke, Beckett's phone began to ring. "Don't speak too soon," she said wryly, hastily pulling her phone out of her handbag. Castle gave a low groan, and she grinned at him as she answered.

"Beckett."

Grabbing a pancake, Castle casually munched it down, watching as Beckett ran a hand through her already tousled hair. He didn't need to guess who was on the other end of the line; already she had switched into professional mode, and he knew that a dead body had hijacked their breakfast once again. When she hung up he went over to her, holding out a single pancake.

"Thanks," she smiled, taking it from him and downing it in two bites. He watched, entranced, as she licked her fingers, meeting his gaze with a teasing grin.

"You better get going. We've got a case, a woman in a downtown warehouse with multiple stab wounds. Chief wants us there asap."

"What do you mean, I better get going? What about you?" Castle asked, confused.

Beckett laughed. "What, you want to show up there together, this early in the morning, with bed hair and you still in the same clothes you were wearing last night? Ryan and Esposito would have a field day with that one."

Castle saw her point. "Fine," he said, pretending to pout, and she grinned.

"Hurry up and get your ass out of here, Castle. I need to shower."

Halfway to the bedroom to grab his clothes, Castle halted. "Maybe I should stay," he suggested, quirking an eyebrow at her with a grin. "You might need backup…"

Beckett laughed again, then walked over to him and placed her hands on his bare chest, lifting on her toes to kiss him softly. Pulling away, she grinned. "Now go. I'll see you at the scene."

With that, she disappeared through the door to the bathroom, and Castle quickly tugged on his clothes. As he opened the door to leave, he heard the unmistakeable sound of the shower, and had to fight back the urge to join her. With one last look of longing in the direction of the bathroom, he sighed, and shut the front door behind him.

As he headed towards the elevator, he found himself feeling truly sorry for their nameless victim.

Such a shame to be dead on such a beautiful day to be alive.