Hello, all! Just something short and fluffy (and I mean fluffy) for you all. I swear, I'm trying to come up with more serious material, but it's just not working out. Though, compared to my usual writing, this is more sincere. I'm truthfully being a bit brave in putting this out there separately and not in my one-shot collection. Let's just hope the response is good enough that I don't feel the need to retire it there.

Elsewhere, I'm a little uneasy about the rating. I feel it works under T, but some of the more suggestive descriptions may constitute M. Nothing graphic, just...well, you'll have to read and see. If it seems to anyone that I should up the rating, let me know and I gladly will. But, for now, we'll call it a very high T.

~Of Morning Afters and Unspoken Admissions~

A one-shot by HeatXWave10

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The first rays of early morning sun were streaming through the bedroom window when Richard Castle woke. As he emerged from his sleep fog, his brain registered not only the bedroom that wasn'this, but his bed partner as well. His very beautiful, incredibly sexy, naked bed partner whom he was wrapped around and holding protectively.

His face was nuzzled into her hair—the same hair that had been fanned out across the pillow the night before as he hovered over her, doing unmentionable things to her that had them both moaning and gasping in pleasure.

He'd never doubted that sex with Kate Beckett would be incredible. However, until last night, he'd had no clue just how incredible it would be. No other woman had ever captivated him like she did. No other woman besides her had truly stolen his heart—and he'd been married twice.

What he had experienced with Kate was nothing like he'd ever had with anyone in his life. No. It was better. Way better, and way more powerful. God, the woman was so guarded at work and in her public life, but when it came to the bedroom, she was passionate and raw. To her, sex wasn't just sex. Not that he'd expected her to be casual about it. Still, she put her heart and soul into it. With every movement, every sound, she gave herself completely to him and, in turn, graciously accepted as he bore himself for her.

His only worry was how she felt about the boundaries they had crossed. Would she wake up and decide that she regretted it? They weren't even, technically speaking, together. They had made no official decisions about where their relationship stood. He only hoped that this step they had taken would be the one thing that led to everything he'd ever wanted with her.

His gaze drifted down to find part of her back exposed to him. With a soft smile, he pressed a few kisses to her bare shoulder, then to her neck, and down her back, allowing his hand to follow in a gentle caress against her skin.

She stirred and seemed to let out a soft sigh of contentment. He watched as her eyes flickered open and waited for her reaction when she saw him. When her eyes met his, he braced himself for the worst. Her expression was vacant for a moment. But, just as he prepared to flee in case of violent reactions, he noticed her lips curl into a gentle smile.

"You're still here," she spoke quietly, flipping over to face him.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, reaching over to run his fingers idly through her hair. Her eyes closed in contentment at that.

"Castle—Rick, I . . . thank you."

"For what, exactly? Because, if you're talking about last night, I should be the one thanking you."

She rolled her eyes. "That wasn't what I meant, but yes, I should thank you for that, too. No, I was actually thanking you for being such a gentleman about this. You don't have your usual cocky 'I just got laid' grin, and you haven't left yet . . ."

"Kate, I told you that this wouldn't be a one-time thing," he said, snaking his hand around to her back and tracing lazy patterns on her skin with his fingers. "Remember? All in, here. And I didn't just say it in the heat of the moment or to get you into bed. I meant it. So, of course I'm not going to act all smug about it, and I certainly wasn't going to leave you wondering whether or not I took it seriously. You mean so much more to me than that."

Silence filled the room again as Kate seemed to process Rick's words. After what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke.

"What does this mean for us, then?" she asked seriously.

"You tell me," he replied. "The ball is in your court now. I'm ready to do whatever you're ready to do. While I certainly hope that means I get to experience many more incredible nights like the one I just had with you, I'll also back off or slow down if you ask me to."

"So, if I told you I needed time . . . ?"

"You can have it. As long as it takes, I'll wait."

"What if I don't need time, though?" she inquired. "What if I said that I had the most amazing time with you and that I only want to keep moving forward from here?"

He leaned in closer to her. Their faces were mere centimeters apart, and their eyes were locked together, gazing deeply into one another.

"You do realize that we took a very big step, right?" he asked, his voice a husky near-whisper.

"Yes, I'm aware of that," she replied softly.

"Right. And you realize that, if we're really doing this, we're going to be pretty serious because of that step, correct?"

"I know," she nodded, reaching to place a hand on his cheek.

"That doesn't freak you out?"

"We just crossed the ultimate line. Nothing about going into a relationship we've both clearly been missing out on for the last three and a half years can possibly freak me out at this point. Besides, I . . . I care about you, Rick. A lot."

Her voice was almost a whisper when she said it, and Rick could sense there was more she wanted to say but wasn't ready to. He himself was refraining from saying what he wanted to tell her as well, fearing it might be too much for her. But that was part of moving forward. One day, they would be able to tell each other the things they were still holding back. One day, there would be no more half-admissions.

There was also a matter of dealing with the people in their lives once they found out—specifically, Alexis, Martha, Kate's father, and their colleagues at the precinct. But, they could worry about that later. For now, they just needed to enjoy one another and get used to this new dimension of them.

"If you knew how long I've waited for this—for us . . ." he said, trailing off and shaking his head in disbelief. "God, it's unreal how I feel about you. I mean, no other woman, Kate . . . just . . . no other."

Their eyes stay trained on each other. Rick felt he could stare into her green eyes for eternity, they were so beautiful.

"Rick?" she whispered after a few silent moments.

"Yes?"

"Kiss me."

And he did, beginning what seemed to be a morning encore of the previous night's symphonic lovemaking.

~FIN~

Wow. I think I'm gonna need a trip to the dentist after all of that sugary sap. Seriously. Being a romantic is a blessing and a curse, especially when you have that one 'ship you pour it all into. I really should consider writing for other couples as well, but I can't seem to truly invest it in any couple other than Caskett. Anywho...

Thoughts? I love feedback, whether it's in the form of praise or constructive criticism. So, please, don't hesitate to hit that review button.