FIC: Valentine's Day
Title: Valentine's Day (ooh, how very imaginative...-_-)
Author: TheFischete
Characters/pairings: Ryan/Esposito, Beckett
Rating/Warnings: NC-17, graphic sex (well, kinda), a tiny bit of swearing, unbetad, cupcakes, PWP
Summary: Esposito wins a Valentine's Day dinner in a fancy restaurant, but finds it difficult to find a date. His best friend lends him a helping, uh, hand. So, yeah.
Spoilers: Some concerning season 3 I think, but nothing bad
Word Count: 4520
Author's Note: See? I did it! I did it, whee! And of course it's late, but here it is anyway, written for the Valentine's Day Mini Ficathon. Happy Valentine's Day everybody, especially you, roachstar ^_^
”Aaaand the winner iiiiiis….. detective Esposito!” the cute police girl shouted in front of the expectant crowd. Most of the staff in the 12th precinct was packed in the same room, and all were now applauding and cheering. Esposito managed a half-hearted smile while he stomped to the girl to collect his price, all the while decidedly not looking to the direction where Lanie was standing. He waved the tickets in victory and quickly made his way away from the people. He slipped into the interrogation room which happened to empty at the moment. He sighed and sat down by the table.
The tickets were slightly crumpled in his hand. He opened his hand and straightened the little pieces of paper and stared at them. Both had the same text on them; “Three course meal plus drinks. Restaurant Caballero. Happy Valentine’s Day!” And then there were lots of hearts. Esposito’s expression darkened. Valentine’s Day. He and Lanie had broken up again. Winning these tickets felt like the universe taunting him, especially when he knew Lanie already had a date for that particular day. A real date too, not some gay doctor on loan. And he had no one. Even more so, he didn’t expect getting a date for the Valentine’s Day either, not with his luck. Damn. Life sucked.
Beckett peeked through the door, smiling.
“Hey, I heard you won that Valentine’s Day Dinner thing”, she said, observing her colleague closely. She knew about Esposito’s and Lanie’s breakup. She knew Esposito wasn’t a sharer anymore than she was, and she wasn’t going to ask embarrassing questions, like how was he holding up, or was he going to be okay on the Valentine’s Day. But she did want to find out whether he was okay, in general. He should have been bragging about the win, not sulking here alone.
“Yeah, I did”, he simply answered, trying to lift the corners of his mouth to a sufficient smile.
“So, are you gonna give some girl some of that “New York’s finest”?” Beckett said playfully, trying to lift Esposito’s spirits a bit. He did smile a bit more widely this time.
“Yeah, sure!” he said. Still, Beckett still had in fresh memory what had happened at Ryan’s wedding. Esposito couldn’t score a date, so he took his cousin to the wedding. She didn’t want that happening again. However, she could only think of one way to help, that would be subtle enough.
Later that day she ran into detective Ryan. She discreetly pulled him away from the others, and cleared her throat, trying to think what to say.
“Ryan, uh, I know it’s none of my business, but I just thought…”, she stopped, mid-sentence, starting to feel like she was interfering in things she shouldn’t. What was she thinking? This had nothing to her. So what, if Esposito and Lanie broke up, and it wasn’t an easy break either? Ryan and Jenny had separated too, and that, thank goodness, had been e clean and easy break and they were still friends. Of course the guys would know how to deal with things, and they most certainly didn’t need her to tell them how.
“Does this have something to do with Esposito and the tickets, by any chance?” Ryan asked with a lop-sided grin. Beckett blushed slightly.
“Well, yeah…” she admitted, hesitantly
“Don’t worry. I got it. We’re gonna hit the bars tonight, and I’m gonna get him a date for the Valentine’s Day.” Beckett sighed.
“Sorry, I know it’s not any of my business”, she huffed. Ryan just smirked. He knew Beckett cared about her comrades, and that she didn’t like sticking her nose to other people’s things. Still, they had all noticed, that Esposito had been acting a bit depressed after the whole Lanie-episode.
However, Ryan had the whole thing planned. He didn’t want his best pal being miserable on Valentine’s Day. And he knew being alone on that particular day would hurt Esposito’s masculinity much more than it would his. In a matter of fact, he had decided to spend the day with his newly adopted rescue dog , watching movies and stuffing his face with fast food. Today, on the other hand, he would indeed be doing his duty as Javier’s wing man, and he’d be damned if they didn’t get the man a sufficient date.
“Well, I’ll be damned….” Ryan muttered, drunk and tired, as he entered his apartment in the early hours of the morning. Esposito had systematically blown every single chance he had gotten that night. Ryan had towed in so many women, he had lost count of them half way through the night. But no, oh no, no luck at all. He couldn’t help but think that his partner was still having such strong feelings for Lanie, and didn’t really want a date, no matter what he said. Ryan kneeled, and the overly happy Rottweiler mix started to lick his whole face. He sighed.
“Oh, man. I think I may have to cancel our Valentine’s Day plans, boy. Sorry”, he said with a serious voice. The dog backed down a bit and cocked his head questioningly, making unfair use of it’s cute, dark puppy eyes. Ryan had the sudden feeling, that Esposito had been looking like a lost puppy himself for the whole of the evening.
“You two and your damned puppy eyes”, he muttered as he headed towards his bed, throwing clothes off on the way.
“…should be illegal..” he mumbled into the pillow before losing consciousness.
“So… What are you gonna do with the tickets?” Ryan asked cautiously the next day. It was the 13th. They were hung over, and it was Monday, and they had to work, and it all just sucked. Esposito looked grumpy and tired as hell. He had his head supported by his hands and a cup of coffee before him. Ryan had taken a handful of painkillers in the morning and was feeling relatively okay, considering the situation.
“I dunno, man…” Javier groaned with a gruff voice.
“I should just throw them away or give them to someone.”
Ryan was thinking furiously. He needed to cheer the man up somehow, but how exactly? Good food and getting drunk (again) was his best guess, so he went with it.
“This could sound weird, but…” he started, and trailed off. Would it sound too weird?
“Why don’t WE use them?” he said, finally.
“What?” Esposito said and his frowning face emerged from his hands.
“What the hell do you mean?”
“Uh, well, I don’t mean like a date, man! I mean, it’s a damn good restaurant, right? It’s real expensive food, you know? Good food. And free drinks! You catch my drift?” Esposito still looked suspicious.
“You won it, okay? You should use it, on yourself. I just thought I’d come with you if you don’t wanna go alone. We could continue from where we left last night, I bet there are lots of lonely women hanging at the bar on the Valentine’s Day, desperate to find some company. We could totally score some.” Esposito’s frown started to melt.
“Yeah, I guess so, bro”, he said slowly. In reality, Esposito was relief he wouldn’t have to spend the day alone. He just wanted to forget all his women problems for a moment. The whole Lanie thing had been so complicated and frustrating, and the idea of jumping into anything resembling a relationship with another woman seemed like a drag. A night out with his pal seemed like the best thing he could think of. So he kept telling himself that spending the Valentine’s Day with another man was okay, even if it included a dinner at a restaurant, since it was his partner and best friend. There was nothing unmanly about it. Well, maybe it didn’t sound that manly when he put it like that in his mind, but they would MAKE it manly. Yeah. That sounded kind of wrong too, though. He pondered how to make it sound manlier in his head.
The dreaded night arrived. Javier still had no date, so he and Ryan met at the restaurant after work. They both were dressed neatly, but casually. Esposito had a charcoal button down with no tie and the two upper buttons open, dark denims and a leather jacket, and Ryan had a dark v-neck sweater, jeans and a grey jacket.
“So, are we gonna go in?” Ryan asked, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious when they were standing there together, as dozens and dozens of couples came and went. Esposito wasn’t backing down now, that would be cowardice. He was determined to be very manly about this. So he had a stubborn pout on his face as he nodded, even though he felt as unsure about the idea as his partner.
“Hell yeah, bro”, he said and in they went. Esposito handed the tickets to the receptionist, who was careful not to look surprised at all, when he saw the two policemen. Instead she was very welcoming and they were soon showed to their table; a table with candles. A table, with red roses. Esposito’s eyes bulged visibly when he saw them, but couldn’t think anything manly to say, so he said nothing.
“Well, this is awkward...” Ryan sighed when he saw the setting. But it was too late to back off now, so they just sat down and tried to act as casually as possible. Luckily for them, the tables of the restaurant were located in booths that were quite private, which obviously explained its popularity during this particular Holiday. If someone from the Precinct would see them, there would be no end for the jokes. And rumors.
“Let’s just eat and get the hell out of here”, Javier said gloomily. His gloomy expression didn’t last long though. It vanished the second the food arrived; he tasted it and his taste buds dies of happiness and went to a culinary heaven.
After a few bottles of wine the mood had dramatically changed.
“Oh dear god!” Ryan exclaimed, and his eyes closed as the taste exploded on his tongue. The dessert was just ridiculously exquisite. Esposito was trying to look nonchalant, but it was proving difficult as his eyes practically watered from the wonderfulness of the treat.
“Ok, I’m kinda happy I didn’t give those tickets away”, Javier chuckled, taking his time to relish the culinary delight. Ryan laughed and sipped his wine. He could feel his eyes wandering a bit, especially into the lips of the man sitting before him, licking the spoon clean. A little spot of cream remained on the lower lip. It was a surprisingly mesmerizing sight, Ryan decided, feeling a bit drunk.
“Isn’t yours good?” Javier asked, snapping his partner from his reverie.
“Huh?” he said and tried to tear his eyes away from those soft, red, most likely sweet, maybe a bit salty…. Ryan realized, he had just missed AGAIN what the other was saying.
“Sorry? I didn’t, uh, hear?” he focused up. Esposito was starting to look puzzled.
“I asked if there’s something wrong with you dessert? Mine was so good, bro, that I can’t even begin to tell you how good it was. But you’re not eating yours. So I thought maybe there’s something wrong with it.”
“Oh no, no. Nothing wrong. It’s…good…” Ryan’s mind suddenly gave him a really bad idea. Which he immediately followed.
“It’s really, really good. You should try it. Here”, he said, scooped a tiny bit of the creamy, buttery, sugary goodness from his plate and leaned towards till the spoon rested lightly against Esposito’s lip. Javier looked the other man, baffled, but it smelled oh so good. He parted his lips, and Ryan prodded the spoon in clumsily. He watched Esposito’s lips envelope it, before the spoon re-emerged, clean. He was taken aback by how sensual it had been. He had never understood the whole spoon-feeding thing with couples, but he could see it now.
Wait, couples? Ryan shook his head. It must have been all the pink and read decorations, the countless fluffy, cute heart things and syrupy songs that had messed with his head. Note to self, he thought; never spend the Valentine’s Day with another man, it’s weird, no matter how you put it.
The smile on Javier’s face kind of threw that thought out of the window, though. He looked.. blissful. And genuinely happy, which was a miracle, considering how the evening had started. It took Ryan a moment to realize that he himself was smiling to Javier with a stupid, dreamy grin.
“You know, bro. This is kinda nice”, Javi said. He seemed more relax than Ryan could remember him being for weeks. He downed another glass of wine.
“Uh, would it be okay if we didn’t go to the bar after this?” Esposito asked quietly. Ryan raised his brow questioningly.
“Okay, sure”, he said anyway.
“I don’t think I can cope with desperate, lonely women today. I just wanna relax, you know? What if we buy a bottle of scotch and go to your place to watch some movies or something?” Javier said.
“Sure”, Ryan managed to say. His fuzzy mind managed to fill his mind with vivid imagery of Esposito getting all cozy on his sofa, smiling, his dog licking his face. Licking. Javi’s face. Somewhere along the lines the dog had vanished from the scenario and Ryan decided it was time to leash his imagination. Also, Eposito was already getting up from his chair so they could leave.
They left through the reception, laughing and joking, and received a cute, pink Valentine’s Day card from the receptionist. It wished the couple a happy and love filled future on behalf of the restaurant Caballero. Ryan bursted into an uncontrollable fit of laughter when he saw Esposito blush deeply as the girl handed the piece of cardboard to him.
“Stop it, bro. She really thought we were…!” Javi couldn’t bring himself to actually say it. He looked over his shoulder.
“She’s still looking at us!” he whispered loudly to his partner, who just threw his head back and laughed harder.
“It’s just because we’re so cute together!” Ryan teased, threw his arm around Javier’s waist and smacked a showy wet kiss on his cheek.
“Hey!” Esposito yelled, and made a real show of trying to get Ryan off of him, but somehow didn’t manage to untangle himself. Which was absurd considering the difference of their muscle tone and weight. Ryan smiled a bit wider, and squeezed the bigger man tighter before letting go.
Half an hour later they arrived at Ryan’s place with the scotch and some renter DVD’s. They had Guy Ritchie’s Rock’n’Rolla, Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror and The Fast Five, all equally sufficient for a night of brainless entertainment.
Ryan opened the door and went in, Javier following him close.
“What the hell is th…?” Esposito said before the big, black and tan mass of fur and muscle landed on his chest and the momentum sent the both of them collapsing onto the floor.
“Oh, that’s Leprechaun”, Ryan said, smiling fondly as his little puppy wiggled his whole body, licking Javier’s face with humorous enthusiasm, sending rivulets of drool flying everywhere.
“Leprechaun?!” came a muffled yell from under the dog.
“How can this be Leprechaun? It’s fucking ginormous!”
“Oh, you know. He’s always running around happily, digging everything up, and acts like he has just found the greatest treasure ever, even if it’s just a tiny piece of rotten wood or what ever. And because he’s just so tiny and cute, even if a little bit mischievous sometimes. ”
“Tiny!?” Javier was finally able to peel the Leprechaun off of him.
“Well..” he softened when he could actually see the happy face of the said doggie.
“He is cute, though.”
After a while of petting the cute doggie and shedding the jackets and shoes they moved to the cozy but small living room. It was a familiar place of Esposito. So many nights of beer and video games. He flopped onto the soft couch and was immediately joined by Leprechaun. The huge dog climbed onto his lap and rolled onto it’s back, taking a considerable amount of space. Esposito just cuddled the thing and murmured ‘god boy’. Ryan smirked. He put the Fast Five DVD into the player, brought two classes for the remaining liquor and took a comfortable position on the couch too.
Esposito kept edging towards Ryan, during the film. Ryan was very aware of the fact, even though the reason was completely innocent. The problem with big, cuddly dogs is that you can’t tell them to go away. They’re just too cute. But you can’t let them stay, because then you have no room at all. So, Leprechaun just kind of slid off of Javier’s lap, very gradually, finally taking half of the sofa. So, there was the happy doggie on the other end, and two cops squeeze on the other end. It was cozy, but it was getting a bit intimate.
Ryan was trying to concentrate on the film, but feeling the bulk of Javi pressing against him, pouring that intense warmth even through the clothing, while watching big, muscular men flexing said muscles while sweating and growling, wasn’t very helpful.
Javier was sweating. He was wedged between a big furry lump of warmth and the lithe frame of Ryan, who seemed to be generating heat increasingly. They were so close he could feel the way Ryan’s heart beat got faster and his breath quickened just noticeably. For reasons that he didn’t care to explore, he could feel butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He too tried to focus on the movie, but with the Vin Diesel and the Rock kicking each other’s asses the testosterone was practically pouring from the TV-set.
Ryan tried to change his posture. He felt fidgety and slightly claustrophobic. He also felt the rhythm of Javi’s breathing change and it sent an unexpected spike of arousal coursing through his body. Before he actually realized what was happening, he started to turn towards the other man. When he turned to face Javi, he felt him hold his breath.
Esposito felt the couch shift and like in slow motion Kevin Ryan turned to him. He had the trademark confused/questioning expression on, and his mouth slightly open. It was cute as hell, even if Esposito would never ever admit it to himself, let alone anyone else. But there was something new, something predatory in those blue eyes. Javier felt a panic rising. The Irishman moved like in a dream, slowly leaning closer, his other hand taking support from the back of the couch. Javier felt himself start to lean towards the other end of the sofa to keep their distance, as he felt his own breath quicken notably and his blood heading south very, very fast.
Esposito first backed against the blissfully sleeping dog, who, with a glare, decided to find another place to snore when his sleep was so brutally disturbed. Javi backed and Ryan followed, a scary grin appearing on his face.
“Uh, bro..?” Esposito managed to say with a weak voice, when he found he had somehow ended on his back on the sofa with Ryan looming over him. A blood reddened his cheeks and his hands trembled. Ryan’s hands were placed on the arm rest behind Javi’s head and his knees were on both sides of Javi’s hips.
“What?” Ryan said softly. He dipped his head lower, to breath the scent of the other’s skin, bringing his lips almost against the skin of Javi’s neck. He didn’t know where this sudden rush of self restrain was coming from, but he decided to take full advantage on it.
Javier was crumbling. He could feel the hot breath against his skin, and the sensation sent tiny shivers on its wake.
Ryan lifted his head and sat back on Javier’s thighs. He brought one finger to rest lightly against the pout of Javi’s upper lip, and then slid it gently over the plump lower lip, down the chin, to his throat, traveling over the bobbing Adam’s apple, to the collar of his shirt, all the way down the buttoned front of it, and stopped at the belt.
Javi gulped. The finger moved a tiny bit. A millimeter. His breath was getting fast and ragged. The finger moved again. It was on the buckle. Javi’s hands crept up of Ryan’s knees, inching to his thighs. The finger flinched, moving off of the buckle and ending on the tip of the jutting erection pressing against the rough fabric of the denims. Javier groaned and his hips pushed upwards on their own accord.
Ryan’s breath hitched and his eyes went dark. His hand trembled as he brought the palm against Javi’s cock. He could feel the other trying to grind against his hand, but the weight on his thighs preventing it. Javier’s hands were firmly gripping Kevin’s, hard enough to leave bruises.
At the background Don Omar’s Danza Kuduro started playing. Ryan once again leaned forward. Slowly lowering his groin against Javier’s groin and using all his remaining restrain, he very lightly grinded against the other. His body trembled from the suppressed lust, and he couldn’t help grunting, but his slowness was rewarded, when he saw the panic and uncertainty in Esposito’s eyes melt into want. Those eyes were almost black, and half-lidded, and his strong hands came possessively to grip Ryan’s ass to really grind their hips together.
Javier growled and spread his legs to give Ryan more room to move against him. Ryan groaned as the rough hands gripped him and lowered his mouth to latch onto the salty skin of Javier’s neck, now getting a taste instead of just the scent. He let his teeth scrape over the skin, and his tongue licked against it. Javier moaned and bucked under him.
In a flurry of motion Ryan managed to unbuckle and unzip his own jeans and shimmied the down his hips. His mouth found Javier’s and they kissed, almost brutally, teeth clashing. Javier’s hand came to grip his head and his tongue skipped into Ryan’s mouth tasting sweet and salty at the same time.
Javier felt Ryan moan against his mouth. He could feel Ryan trying to get him out of his trousers, and he lifted his hips slightly to help him. The kiss broke when he gasped at the feeling of their erections colliding. Hot, slick skin against hot slick skin. Precome leaked from his cock when his hands found the globes of Ryan’s ass, bare this time. The firm muscles bunched and relaxed rhythmically. Ryan was panting and his eyes were closed tightly. Javi’s own eyes rolled back in their sockets when he felt Ryan’s hand creep between them and taking a firm grip on both of their cocks.
Ryan moaned when he glided his hand up and down on their shafts, creating a delicious friction. He was able to open his eyes just enough to see Javier Esposito with his head thrown back, brow furrowed, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, panting, groaning, moaning and writhing under him.
Just a while longer, he thought and his hand was moving quicker and quicker. Javier trembled, and his movements were getting sharp and his rhythm irregular. Just a while longer, he thought and felt the tension in his groin get more and more intense. Just a while, he thought with desperation, and inhaled sharply, when he saw Javier’s face twist in pleasure that neared agony.
“Just…a…” Ryan moaned, when his senses melted into blinding whiteness, and he only faintly heard Javier groan loud and low, and barely felt the two cocks pulse in his hand, emptying their load forcefully.
For a moment, the world was a foggy, spinning mess. Ryan’s ears were ringing so hard he could hardly hear anything. He didn’t open his eyes. He just lay there, collapsed against Esposito’s chest, and felt the other start breathing more evenly. a while longer and he was snoring. He decided it was surprisingly comfy there, and in about a minute, he was fast asleep too.
Esposito squinted his eyes against the bright light, and wondered where the hell he was. He opened them a bit more, and started to recognize his surroundings. It wasn’t the first time he woke up in Ryan’s sofa. Though, usually waking up there didn’t involve him finding Ryan sleeping on top of him. Javi blinked. Ryan was totally unconscious, and looked very cuddly when he was asleep. His hair was a mess and he looked calm and happy. Content, yeah, that was the word. Javier started to remember what happened last night, and when he pushed aside the fear that was trying to pervade into his thoughts, he felt happy on content too. He didn’t want to think about consequences or rationalize things. He was just happy to wake up with his partner cuddled up against him, and that was all he wanted to think about. That, and breakfast.
Javier had an idea. But for that, he needed to get away from under Ryan. It took time and many careful, slow moves, and the help of a certain canine friend, but finally Esposito was standing there by the couch, watching as Ryan happily hugged the big dog in his sleep. Leprechaun gave Javier an approving glance and a relaxed sigh. Javier on the other hand silently re-clothed himself, took off the shirt he had been wearing last night, and wearing a tee and the leather jacket, slipped out of the door.
Later, Ryan woke up. He felt something big and warm against him, and remembered the last night. Smiling, he opened his eyes, only to see the loyal eyes of Leprechaun staring at him. He looked around, but didn’t see Javier or his clothes anywhere. He sat up abruptly. No, the man wasn’t in his apartment. Ryan sighed and rubbed his face. This was bad. Had he panicked? Oh shit.
Ryan’s own panicking was cut short, however, when the door to the apartment suddenly opened. Ryan stared at Javier, who was carrying a plastic bag, and seemed both awkward and happy.
“Morning, bro”, he said, kicked off the boots and headed to the kitchen. Ryan followed the other with his eyes. After a while a delicious smell of fresh coffee drifted to his nose. He straightened his clothing and walked to the kitchen feeling curious.
The table was set. There was two mugs for coffee and cupcakes. Pink cupcakes with heart-shaped sprinkles on them. Ryan stared at the cupcakes, speechless. Javier blushed deep red.
“Those were the only kind!” he exclaimed, defiant. It was a lie. Ryan knew it was a lie, since the café downstairs had a spectacular assortment of cupcakes.
“I just thought that since I crashed at your place I should get some breakfast in return”, he said with a stubborn pout. Ryan wanted to laugh, but restrained himself.
“Thanks. And I kinda like the cupcakes”, he smirked.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Javier beamed.
Author: TheFischete
Characters/pairings: Ryan/Esposito, Beckett
Rating/Warnings: NC-17, graphic sex (well, kinda), a tiny bit of swearing, unbetad, cupcakes, PWP
Summary: Esposito wins a Valentine's Day dinner in a fancy restaurant, but finds it difficult to find a date. His best friend lends him a helping, uh, hand. So, yeah.
Spoilers: Some concerning season 3 I think, but nothing bad
Word Count: 4520
Author's Note: See? I did it! I did it, whee! And of course it's late, but here it is anyway, written for the Valentine's Day Mini Ficathon. Happy Valentine's Day everybody, especially you, roachstar ^_^
”Aaaand the winner iiiiiis….. detective Esposito!” the cute police girl shouted in front of the expectant crowd. Most of the staff in the 12th precinct was packed in the same room, and all were now applauding and cheering. Esposito managed a half-hearted smile while he stomped to the girl to collect his price, all the while decidedly not looking to the direction where Lanie was standing. He waved the tickets in victory and quickly made his way away from the people. He slipped into the interrogation room which happened to empty at the moment. He sighed and sat down by the table.
The tickets were slightly crumpled in his hand. He opened his hand and straightened the little pieces of paper and stared at them. Both had the same text on them; “Three course meal plus drinks. Restaurant Caballero. Happy Valentine’s Day!” And then there were lots of hearts. Esposito’s expression darkened. Valentine’s Day. He and Lanie had broken up again. Winning these tickets felt like the universe taunting him, especially when he knew Lanie already had a date for that particular day. A real date too, not some gay doctor on loan. And he had no one. Even more so, he didn’t expect getting a date for the Valentine’s Day either, not with his luck. Damn. Life sucked.
Beckett peeked through the door, smiling.
“Hey, I heard you won that Valentine’s Day Dinner thing”, she said, observing her colleague closely. She knew about Esposito’s and Lanie’s breakup. She knew Esposito wasn’t a sharer anymore than she was, and she wasn’t going to ask embarrassing questions, like how was he holding up, or was he going to be okay on the Valentine’s Day. But she did want to find out whether he was okay, in general. He should have been bragging about the win, not sulking here alone.
“Yeah, I did”, he simply answered, trying to lift the corners of his mouth to a sufficient smile.
“So, are you gonna give some girl some of that “New York’s finest”?” Beckett said playfully, trying to lift Esposito’s spirits a bit. He did smile a bit more widely this time.
“Yeah, sure!” he said. Still, Beckett still had in fresh memory what had happened at Ryan’s wedding. Esposito couldn’t score a date, so he took his cousin to the wedding. She didn’t want that happening again. However, she could only think of one way to help, that would be subtle enough.
Later that day she ran into detective Ryan. She discreetly pulled him away from the others, and cleared her throat, trying to think what to say.
“Ryan, uh, I know it’s none of my business, but I just thought…”, she stopped, mid-sentence, starting to feel like she was interfering in things she shouldn’t. What was she thinking? This had nothing to her. So what, if Esposito and Lanie broke up, and it wasn’t an easy break either? Ryan and Jenny had separated too, and that, thank goodness, had been e clean and easy break and they were still friends. Of course the guys would know how to deal with things, and they most certainly didn’t need her to tell them how.
“Does this have something to do with Esposito and the tickets, by any chance?” Ryan asked with a lop-sided grin. Beckett blushed slightly.
“Well, yeah…” she admitted, hesitantly
“Don’t worry. I got it. We’re gonna hit the bars tonight, and I’m gonna get him a date for the Valentine’s Day.” Beckett sighed.
“Sorry, I know it’s not any of my business”, she huffed. Ryan just smirked. He knew Beckett cared about her comrades, and that she didn’t like sticking her nose to other people’s things. Still, they had all noticed, that Esposito had been acting a bit depressed after the whole Lanie-episode.
However, Ryan had the whole thing planned. He didn’t want his best pal being miserable on Valentine’s Day. And he knew being alone on that particular day would hurt Esposito’s masculinity much more than it would his. In a matter of fact, he had decided to spend the day with his newly adopted rescue dog , watching movies and stuffing his face with fast food. Today, on the other hand, he would indeed be doing his duty as Javier’s wing man, and he’d be damned if they didn’t get the man a sufficient date.
“Well, I’ll be damned….” Ryan muttered, drunk and tired, as he entered his apartment in the early hours of the morning. Esposito had systematically blown every single chance he had gotten that night. Ryan had towed in so many women, he had lost count of them half way through the night. But no, oh no, no luck at all. He couldn’t help but think that his partner was still having such strong feelings for Lanie, and didn’t really want a date, no matter what he said. Ryan kneeled, and the overly happy Rottweiler mix started to lick his whole face. He sighed.
“Oh, man. I think I may have to cancel our Valentine’s Day plans, boy. Sorry”, he said with a serious voice. The dog backed down a bit and cocked his head questioningly, making unfair use of it’s cute, dark puppy eyes. Ryan had the sudden feeling, that Esposito had been looking like a lost puppy himself for the whole of the evening.
“You two and your damned puppy eyes”, he muttered as he headed towards his bed, throwing clothes off on the way.
“…should be illegal..” he mumbled into the pillow before losing consciousness.
“So… What are you gonna do with the tickets?” Ryan asked cautiously the next day. It was the 13th. They were hung over, and it was Monday, and they had to work, and it all just sucked. Esposito looked grumpy and tired as hell. He had his head supported by his hands and a cup of coffee before him. Ryan had taken a handful of painkillers in the morning and was feeling relatively okay, considering the situation.
“I dunno, man…” Javier groaned with a gruff voice.
“I should just throw them away or give them to someone.”
Ryan was thinking furiously. He needed to cheer the man up somehow, but how exactly? Good food and getting drunk (again) was his best guess, so he went with it.
“This could sound weird, but…” he started, and trailed off. Would it sound too weird?
“Why don’t WE use them?” he said, finally.
“What?” Esposito said and his frowning face emerged from his hands.
“What the hell do you mean?”
“Uh, well, I don’t mean like a date, man! I mean, it’s a damn good restaurant, right? It’s real expensive food, you know? Good food. And free drinks! You catch my drift?” Esposito still looked suspicious.
“You won it, okay? You should use it, on yourself. I just thought I’d come with you if you don’t wanna go alone. We could continue from where we left last night, I bet there are lots of lonely women hanging at the bar on the Valentine’s Day, desperate to find some company. We could totally score some.” Esposito’s frown started to melt.
“Yeah, I guess so, bro”, he said slowly. In reality, Esposito was relief he wouldn’t have to spend the day alone. He just wanted to forget all his women problems for a moment. The whole Lanie thing had been so complicated and frustrating, and the idea of jumping into anything resembling a relationship with another woman seemed like a drag. A night out with his pal seemed like the best thing he could think of. So he kept telling himself that spending the Valentine’s Day with another man was okay, even if it included a dinner at a restaurant, since it was his partner and best friend. There was nothing unmanly about it. Well, maybe it didn’t sound that manly when he put it like that in his mind, but they would MAKE it manly. Yeah. That sounded kind of wrong too, though. He pondered how to make it sound manlier in his head.
The dreaded night arrived. Javier still had no date, so he and Ryan met at the restaurant after work. They both were dressed neatly, but casually. Esposito had a charcoal button down with no tie and the two upper buttons open, dark denims and a leather jacket, and Ryan had a dark v-neck sweater, jeans and a grey jacket.
“So, are we gonna go in?” Ryan asked, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious when they were standing there together, as dozens and dozens of couples came and went. Esposito wasn’t backing down now, that would be cowardice. He was determined to be very manly about this. So he had a stubborn pout on his face as he nodded, even though he felt as unsure about the idea as his partner.
“Hell yeah, bro”, he said and in they went. Esposito handed the tickets to the receptionist, who was careful not to look surprised at all, when he saw the two policemen. Instead she was very welcoming and they were soon showed to their table; a table with candles. A table, with red roses. Esposito’s eyes bulged visibly when he saw them, but couldn’t think anything manly to say, so he said nothing.
“Well, this is awkward...” Ryan sighed when he saw the setting. But it was too late to back off now, so they just sat down and tried to act as casually as possible. Luckily for them, the tables of the restaurant were located in booths that were quite private, which obviously explained its popularity during this particular Holiday. If someone from the Precinct would see them, there would be no end for the jokes. And rumors.
“Let’s just eat and get the hell out of here”, Javier said gloomily. His gloomy expression didn’t last long though. It vanished the second the food arrived; he tasted it and his taste buds dies of happiness and went to a culinary heaven.
After a few bottles of wine the mood had dramatically changed.
“Oh dear god!” Ryan exclaimed, and his eyes closed as the taste exploded on his tongue. The dessert was just ridiculously exquisite. Esposito was trying to look nonchalant, but it was proving difficult as his eyes practically watered from the wonderfulness of the treat.
“Ok, I’m kinda happy I didn’t give those tickets away”, Javier chuckled, taking his time to relish the culinary delight. Ryan laughed and sipped his wine. He could feel his eyes wandering a bit, especially into the lips of the man sitting before him, licking the spoon clean. A little spot of cream remained on the lower lip. It was a surprisingly mesmerizing sight, Ryan decided, feeling a bit drunk.
“Isn’t yours good?” Javier asked, snapping his partner from his reverie.
“Huh?” he said and tried to tear his eyes away from those soft, red, most likely sweet, maybe a bit salty…. Ryan realized, he had just missed AGAIN what the other was saying.
“Sorry? I didn’t, uh, hear?” he focused up. Esposito was starting to look puzzled.
“I asked if there’s something wrong with you dessert? Mine was so good, bro, that I can’t even begin to tell you how good it was. But you’re not eating yours. So I thought maybe there’s something wrong with it.”
“Oh no, no. Nothing wrong. It’s…good…” Ryan’s mind suddenly gave him a really bad idea. Which he immediately followed.
“It’s really, really good. You should try it. Here”, he said, scooped a tiny bit of the creamy, buttery, sugary goodness from his plate and leaned towards till the spoon rested lightly against Esposito’s lip. Javier looked the other man, baffled, but it smelled oh so good. He parted his lips, and Ryan prodded the spoon in clumsily. He watched Esposito’s lips envelope it, before the spoon re-emerged, clean. He was taken aback by how sensual it had been. He had never understood the whole spoon-feeding thing with couples, but he could see it now.
Wait, couples? Ryan shook his head. It must have been all the pink and read decorations, the countless fluffy, cute heart things and syrupy songs that had messed with his head. Note to self, he thought; never spend the Valentine’s Day with another man, it’s weird, no matter how you put it.
The smile on Javier’s face kind of threw that thought out of the window, though. He looked.. blissful. And genuinely happy, which was a miracle, considering how the evening had started. It took Ryan a moment to realize that he himself was smiling to Javier with a stupid, dreamy grin.
“You know, bro. This is kinda nice”, Javi said. He seemed more relax than Ryan could remember him being for weeks. He downed another glass of wine.
“Uh, would it be okay if we didn’t go to the bar after this?” Esposito asked quietly. Ryan raised his brow questioningly.
“Okay, sure”, he said anyway.
“I don’t think I can cope with desperate, lonely women today. I just wanna relax, you know? What if we buy a bottle of scotch and go to your place to watch some movies or something?” Javier said.
“Sure”, Ryan managed to say. His fuzzy mind managed to fill his mind with vivid imagery of Esposito getting all cozy on his sofa, smiling, his dog licking his face. Licking. Javi’s face. Somewhere along the lines the dog had vanished from the scenario and Ryan decided it was time to leash his imagination. Also, Eposito was already getting up from his chair so they could leave.
They left through the reception, laughing and joking, and received a cute, pink Valentine’s Day card from the receptionist. It wished the couple a happy and love filled future on behalf of the restaurant Caballero. Ryan bursted into an uncontrollable fit of laughter when he saw Esposito blush deeply as the girl handed the piece of cardboard to him.
“Stop it, bro. She really thought we were…!” Javi couldn’t bring himself to actually say it. He looked over his shoulder.
“She’s still looking at us!” he whispered loudly to his partner, who just threw his head back and laughed harder.
“It’s just because we’re so cute together!” Ryan teased, threw his arm around Javier’s waist and smacked a showy wet kiss on his cheek.
“Hey!” Esposito yelled, and made a real show of trying to get Ryan off of him, but somehow didn’t manage to untangle himself. Which was absurd considering the difference of their muscle tone and weight. Ryan smiled a bit wider, and squeezed the bigger man tighter before letting go.
Half an hour later they arrived at Ryan’s place with the scotch and some renter DVD’s. They had Guy Ritchie’s Rock’n’Rolla, Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror and The Fast Five, all equally sufficient for a night of brainless entertainment.
Ryan opened the door and went in, Javier following him close.
“What the hell is th…?” Esposito said before the big, black and tan mass of fur and muscle landed on his chest and the momentum sent the both of them collapsing onto the floor.
“Oh, that’s Leprechaun”, Ryan said, smiling fondly as his little puppy wiggled his whole body, licking Javier’s face with humorous enthusiasm, sending rivulets of drool flying everywhere.
“Leprechaun?!” came a muffled yell from under the dog.
“How can this be Leprechaun? It’s fucking ginormous!”
“Oh, you know. He’s always running around happily, digging everything up, and acts like he has just found the greatest treasure ever, even if it’s just a tiny piece of rotten wood or what ever. And because he’s just so tiny and cute, even if a little bit mischievous sometimes. ”
“Tiny!?” Javier was finally able to peel the Leprechaun off of him.
“Well..” he softened when he could actually see the happy face of the said doggie.
“He is cute, though.”
After a while of petting the cute doggie and shedding the jackets and shoes they moved to the cozy but small living room. It was a familiar place of Esposito. So many nights of beer and video games. He flopped onto the soft couch and was immediately joined by Leprechaun. The huge dog climbed onto his lap and rolled onto it’s back, taking a considerable amount of space. Esposito just cuddled the thing and murmured ‘god boy’. Ryan smirked. He put the Fast Five DVD into the player, brought two classes for the remaining liquor and took a comfortable position on the couch too.
Esposito kept edging towards Ryan, during the film. Ryan was very aware of the fact, even though the reason was completely innocent. The problem with big, cuddly dogs is that you can’t tell them to go away. They’re just too cute. But you can’t let them stay, because then you have no room at all. So, Leprechaun just kind of slid off of Javier’s lap, very gradually, finally taking half of the sofa. So, there was the happy doggie on the other end, and two cops squeeze on the other end. It was cozy, but it was getting a bit intimate.
Ryan was trying to concentrate on the film, but feeling the bulk of Javi pressing against him, pouring that intense warmth even through the clothing, while watching big, muscular men flexing said muscles while sweating and growling, wasn’t very helpful.
Javier was sweating. He was wedged between a big furry lump of warmth and the lithe frame of Ryan, who seemed to be generating heat increasingly. They were so close he could feel the way Ryan’s heart beat got faster and his breath quickened just noticeably. For reasons that he didn’t care to explore, he could feel butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He too tried to focus on the movie, but with the Vin Diesel and the Rock kicking each other’s asses the testosterone was practically pouring from the TV-set.
Ryan tried to change his posture. He felt fidgety and slightly claustrophobic. He also felt the rhythm of Javi’s breathing change and it sent an unexpected spike of arousal coursing through his body. Before he actually realized what was happening, he started to turn towards the other man. When he turned to face Javi, he felt him hold his breath.
Esposito felt the couch shift and like in slow motion Kevin Ryan turned to him. He had the trademark confused/questioning expression on, and his mouth slightly open. It was cute as hell, even if Esposito would never ever admit it to himself, let alone anyone else. But there was something new, something predatory in those blue eyes. Javier felt a panic rising. The Irishman moved like in a dream, slowly leaning closer, his other hand taking support from the back of the couch. Javier felt himself start to lean towards the other end of the sofa to keep their distance, as he felt his own breath quicken notably and his blood heading south very, very fast.
Esposito first backed against the blissfully sleeping dog, who, with a glare, decided to find another place to snore when his sleep was so brutally disturbed. Javi backed and Ryan followed, a scary grin appearing on his face.
“Uh, bro..?” Esposito managed to say with a weak voice, when he found he had somehow ended on his back on the sofa with Ryan looming over him. A blood reddened his cheeks and his hands trembled. Ryan’s hands were placed on the arm rest behind Javi’s head and his knees were on both sides of Javi’s hips.
“What?” Ryan said softly. He dipped his head lower, to breath the scent of the other’s skin, bringing his lips almost against the skin of Javi’s neck. He didn’t know where this sudden rush of self restrain was coming from, but he decided to take full advantage on it.
Javier was crumbling. He could feel the hot breath against his skin, and the sensation sent tiny shivers on its wake.
Ryan lifted his head and sat back on Javier’s thighs. He brought one finger to rest lightly against the pout of Javi’s upper lip, and then slid it gently over the plump lower lip, down the chin, to his throat, traveling over the bobbing Adam’s apple, to the collar of his shirt, all the way down the buttoned front of it, and stopped at the belt.
Javi gulped. The finger moved a tiny bit. A millimeter. His breath was getting fast and ragged. The finger moved again. It was on the buckle. Javi’s hands crept up of Ryan’s knees, inching to his thighs. The finger flinched, moving off of the buckle and ending on the tip of the jutting erection pressing against the rough fabric of the denims. Javier groaned and his hips pushed upwards on their own accord.
Ryan’s breath hitched and his eyes went dark. His hand trembled as he brought the palm against Javi’s cock. He could feel the other trying to grind against his hand, but the weight on his thighs preventing it. Javier’s hands were firmly gripping Kevin’s, hard enough to leave bruises.
At the background Don Omar’s Danza Kuduro started playing. Ryan once again leaned forward. Slowly lowering his groin against Javier’s groin and using all his remaining restrain, he very lightly grinded against the other. His body trembled from the suppressed lust, and he couldn’t help grunting, but his slowness was rewarded, when he saw the panic and uncertainty in Esposito’s eyes melt into want. Those eyes were almost black, and half-lidded, and his strong hands came possessively to grip Ryan’s ass to really grind their hips together.
Javier growled and spread his legs to give Ryan more room to move against him. Ryan groaned as the rough hands gripped him and lowered his mouth to latch onto the salty skin of Javier’s neck, now getting a taste instead of just the scent. He let his teeth scrape over the skin, and his tongue licked against it. Javier moaned and bucked under him.
In a flurry of motion Ryan managed to unbuckle and unzip his own jeans and shimmied the down his hips. His mouth found Javier’s and they kissed, almost brutally, teeth clashing. Javier’s hand came to grip his head and his tongue skipped into Ryan’s mouth tasting sweet and salty at the same time.
Javier felt Ryan moan against his mouth. He could feel Ryan trying to get him out of his trousers, and he lifted his hips slightly to help him. The kiss broke when he gasped at the feeling of their erections colliding. Hot, slick skin against hot slick skin. Precome leaked from his cock when his hands found the globes of Ryan’s ass, bare this time. The firm muscles bunched and relaxed rhythmically. Ryan was panting and his eyes were closed tightly. Javi’s own eyes rolled back in their sockets when he felt Ryan’s hand creep between them and taking a firm grip on both of their cocks.
Ryan moaned when he glided his hand up and down on their shafts, creating a delicious friction. He was able to open his eyes just enough to see Javier Esposito with his head thrown back, brow furrowed, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, panting, groaning, moaning and writhing under him.
Just a while longer, he thought and his hand was moving quicker and quicker. Javier trembled, and his movements were getting sharp and his rhythm irregular. Just a while longer, he thought and felt the tension in his groin get more and more intense. Just a while, he thought with desperation, and inhaled sharply, when he saw Javier’s face twist in pleasure that neared agony.
“Just…a…” Ryan moaned, when his senses melted into blinding whiteness, and he only faintly heard Javier groan loud and low, and barely felt the two cocks pulse in his hand, emptying their load forcefully.
For a moment, the world was a foggy, spinning mess. Ryan’s ears were ringing so hard he could hardly hear anything. He didn’t open his eyes. He just lay there, collapsed against Esposito’s chest, and felt the other start breathing more evenly. a while longer and he was snoring. He decided it was surprisingly comfy there, and in about a minute, he was fast asleep too.
Esposito squinted his eyes against the bright light, and wondered where the hell he was. He opened them a bit more, and started to recognize his surroundings. It wasn’t the first time he woke up in Ryan’s sofa. Though, usually waking up there didn’t involve him finding Ryan sleeping on top of him. Javi blinked. Ryan was totally unconscious, and looked very cuddly when he was asleep. His hair was a mess and he looked calm and happy. Content, yeah, that was the word. Javier started to remember what happened last night, and when he pushed aside the fear that was trying to pervade into his thoughts, he felt happy on content too. He didn’t want to think about consequences or rationalize things. He was just happy to wake up with his partner cuddled up against him, and that was all he wanted to think about. That, and breakfast.
Javier had an idea. But for that, he needed to get away from under Ryan. It took time and many careful, slow moves, and the help of a certain canine friend, but finally Esposito was standing there by the couch, watching as Ryan happily hugged the big dog in his sleep. Leprechaun gave Javier an approving glance and a relaxed sigh. Javier on the other hand silently re-clothed himself, took off the shirt he had been wearing last night, and wearing a tee and the leather jacket, slipped out of the door.
Later, Ryan woke up. He felt something big and warm against him, and remembered the last night. Smiling, he opened his eyes, only to see the loyal eyes of Leprechaun staring at him. He looked around, but didn’t see Javier or his clothes anywhere. He sat up abruptly. No, the man wasn’t in his apartment. Ryan sighed and rubbed his face. This was bad. Had he panicked? Oh shit.
Ryan’s own panicking was cut short, however, when the door to the apartment suddenly opened. Ryan stared at Javier, who was carrying a plastic bag, and seemed both awkward and happy.
“Morning, bro”, he said, kicked off the boots and headed to the kitchen. Ryan followed the other with his eyes. After a while a delicious smell of fresh coffee drifted to his nose. He straightened his clothing and walked to the kitchen feeling curious.
The table was set. There was two mugs for coffee and cupcakes. Pink cupcakes with heart-shaped sprinkles on them. Ryan stared at the cupcakes, speechless. Javier blushed deep red.
“Those were the only kind!” he exclaimed, defiant. It was a lie. Ryan knew it was a lie, since the café downstairs had a spectacular assortment of cupcakes.
“I just thought that since I crashed at your place I should get some breakfast in return”, he said with a stubborn pout. Ryan wanted to laugh, but restrained himself.
“Thanks. And I kinda like the cupcakes”, he smirked.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Javier beamed.