First Post Ever, for the V-Day Mini-Fics - Time Capsule, Parts 1&2 - Ryan/Esposito
Title: Time Capsule, Parts 1 & 2
Author: Xtophercb
Characters/pairings: Esposito/Ryan
Rating/Warnings: PG, PG-13, for now
Summary: Esposito/Ryan, in flashbacks
Spoilers: None
Word Count: 4052
Author's Note: This is about Detectives Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito but will involve several other characters from the show. I'm not sure exactly where this is going to go (aside from the obvious, a romance between Esposito and Ryan). I may jump around in time somewhat (e.g., flashbacks), and I'll try to stick more or less to the themes of the series and reference a few episodes, but no promises... it's obviously a parallel reality, though even on the show they're very friendly. (In my head, they are completely NC-17.)
Time Capsule, Parts 1 & 2 - Ryan/Esposito
Author's note: This story is a complete work of fiction and all characters are copyrighted to ABC, Beacon Pictures, Andrew Marlowe, etc. This is in no way a real representation of the actors or the characters. It's fun to play with them just the same.
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Let's Fall in Love
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Kevin Ryan, alone in the precinct's break room, stared down at the printout, not really reading the information there. It was a month after the "incident" and he was basically healed, and back at work, but Beckett and Montgomery insisted he to do desk duty for a while until he was "back to one hundred percent." Kevin had protested, but he was secretly relieved. The 12th was his haven; he felt comfortable here, and he needed to feel safe right now. "God if my parents had any idea what happened, they'd probably drag me back home and lock me in my old room," he smiled ruefully to himself.
Kev had just turned another 30-something year. He was strong, slim, with boyish good looks; he could pass for mid-late 20's. He had toned down and bettered his wardrobe somewhat over the years as a Detective, but he still liked to do funky things with his ties once in awhile. At the moment he was wearing one out of his new normal range, he needed the color to lift his spirits. There was still healing to be done from the battering he'd taken in that alley.
Without notice he felt the terror seize him again -- they smashed the window and dragged him out. He was sure he was going to die then as they beat him and kicked him over and over... He clutched at the paper and screwed his eyes shut. He wasn't going to cry again, not here at work.
"Kev you okay?" a voice with a little Latin heat asked from close behind him.
He jumped involuntarily and spun around. "Don't scare me like that man!" He snapped, then immediately felt bad when he saw the pain in Javier Esposito's eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that, I'm just still on edge." He felt his eyes tearing up. The last person in the world he wanted to hurt was Javi.
"No, Kev, it's okay, I understand. I shouldn't have come up behind you like that." Javi said softly, then the handsome, muscular Detective tentatively reached out and drew Kevin into a hug. "You're shaking, dude, do you want to go home?"
Ryan lowered his head onto Esposito's strong shoulder. "No... I just need a minute." He took a deep breath. "I don't know what I would do without you Javi." He wrapped his arms tightly around his lover.
"You know I'm here for you babe, I'm not going anywhere." Javi gently stroked Kev's back, felt the tension ease somewhat. He pulled Kevin gently closer to him, and tenderly kissed the younger man on the neck.
The two stayed like that for a minute, and Kevin was thinking maybe they had better back off, since even though it was late and they were away from the bullpen, someone might see them. No one knew about their relationship; not a clue. Esposito had a reputation as a tough veteran and ladies' man, and people teased Ryan about his boyish crushes on questionable women. They were probably the least likely two anyone would expect to end up together.
They heard someone softly clearing their throat behind Javier. The two jumped apart like magnets with the same charge. Esposito blushed and if possible Ryan turned even more red.
It was their boss, their friend, their fellow Detective, Kate Beckett.
They both had trouble making eye contact with her, as she just stood there holding a folder, her eyebrows slightly raised. "Uh, hey, Beckett," Esposito stammered, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I was just, uh, checking on Ryan and the financials for the TriBeCa case. "I can see that," Beckett said in her usual all-business voice. "Ryan's been through a lot recently and I'm sure he appreciates his partner and fellow cops showing their concern and support."
The guys looked up in surprise then, first at each other, then at their boss, who maintained a totally deadpan expression while glancing back and forth between them. "So... you're okay?" Javier asked Beckett. Kevin was still speechless.
"Why shouldn't I be? Though I probably don't have to tell you that a little more discretion would probably be the better part of valor. I'm not sure Brass -- or even Montgomery -- would interpret this like I did. So you boys just be careful."
With that, Beckett turned and started to walk towards the bullpen. Just at the door she turned back and said, "Though, while your personal lives are none of my business, I do wish you'd confided in me so we could head off any work-related issues. You guys have been together what, a year now?" She cocked an eyebrow, and, not waiting for a reply, walked out grabbing the door handle as she went, leaving the two guys staring after her, jaws slack with amazement.
The door closed softly behind Beckett. "Holy shit!" Kevin finally said. "Beckett knows! Sounds like she knew, like almost from the beginning?"
"You're the brains, I'm just the muscle." Javier said and smiled. "But we both know Beckett can read everybody like a book. I guess she figured us out."
He pulled Kevin back to him and tenderly kissed his neck. It was one of his favorite things to do, partly because he knew it turned his lover on so much. Then he whispered in Kevin's ear, "I guess we better listen to Beckett, babe. I'll talk to you later." He stepped back, gently held the younger man's shoulders and smiled, then let him go and headed out toward the bullpen.
Kevin thought back to the first time Javier put a strong hand on his trim shoulder, and a shiver of pleasure went through him... It had been about a year earlier when everything changed between them, which made him all the more amazed at Beckett's observation skills...
To Be Continued...
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Comments, Con-Crit, etc. always appreciated.
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The Very Thought of You
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"Hey Ryan, you got my background info yet?" Javier Esposito clapped his hand on Kevin Ryan's shoulder.
"Uh yea sure, it's almost ready." Ryan stammered. Esposito was so hot, he made him so nervous. He'd joke around to try to cover it up, which about half the time just made him look like a dork.
While they were friends at work, Kevin hadn't confided in the older Detective that he'd pretty much come to realize that he was gay.
And he had a crush on Javier.
Of course the hunky guy was only into chicks, and Ryan pretended to be the same, but sometimes when Esposito touched him, it was a little too much to handle.
"Thanks man." Esposito gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze." Hey you want to go out for a beer later? I owe you one for rushing through all these."
"Um, uh, yeah sure that would be cool." Ryan bounced up on the balls of his feet, all nervous energy. 'Oh god! Javier Esposito wants to have a beer with me! What do I do? What should I wear? I have some other shirts in my locker. God, I hope I don't smell. Must be cool. Must. Act. Straight.'
"Cool, man, Yo!, don't get all worked up, it's not like it's a date or anything." Esposito flashed one of his grins and then playfully slid his hand over Kevin's chest before striding out of the bullpen towards the break room.
Ryan couldn't resist copping a look at the Detective's hot muscular ass as he strutted away. 'God I'd do anything..."
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Esposito popped his head in the conference room where Kevin had surrounded himself with paperwork. "Yo Kev, it's after midnight; still up for that beer? Or has Beckett chained you up as short straw on this case?
For a fleeting instant an image flashed through Kevin Ryan's mind of him being chained up somewhere, captured, and Javier Esposito coming to his rescue. He pushed it away. 'Gotta cut back on the comic books!' "Yeah give me just a minute; I'm basically done and can fill in Beckett in the morning."
"Next time just drop it and run, or she'll always find something else for us to do," Esposito said with a wide grin as he sauntered up to Kevin. "Don't forget your jacket kiddo, it's cold out tonight."
"Yes daddy!" Ryan said in his best sarcastic voice as he pulled it off his chair. At least he hoped it came out sarcastic. But oh, the games they could play. Esposito just smiled and held the door for him.
After they were well down the corridor, Ryan asked, "Did you tell anyone we were going out for a beer?"
Esposito shrugged. "No but partners hang out all the time. It's not a big deal. Speaking of which, I'm actually starving. Can we have food with our beer? There's a place a few blocks from my apartment that has the best pizza, and it's open all night."
"Are you still paying?" Ryan grinned.
"Aw sure, why not."
"Better never invite Lanie there, you know she's a vegetarian."
"One more reason that would never work out." Esposito said with a little snorting laugh, as if it were some private joke.
They got a table for two near the back, and all through dinner Kevin did his best to tell funny stories, do goofy things with his food, and generally act like a big kid. He realized that Esposito did not laugh much in general but he had the cutest smile, and sometimes he'd grin so big that he'd get the smile lines around his eyes.
They had three beers over the course of dinner, tho even with his Irish heritage, Ryan hadn't been much of a drinker since college. Even though he was pretty sure he was well under the limit, he was feeling a nice buzz.
Esposito paid the check, after pretending to be all upset about the total until Ryan started to feel really guilty and offered to pay his part. Then Esposito just grinned and said "Of course not, braniac. I was just pulling your leg. Hey, you wanna just go hang out at my place for awhile since it's so close? If you need to, you can sleep on the couch for awhile, cause I know your apartment is like 15 minutes away and I don't want you to take any chances."
Ryan was speechless for a moment. 'Javier Esposito is inviting me over to his place! Calm down...' "Uh, sure TV or something."
The ride to Esposito's was quick and quiet, and when they got inside, Kevin flopped on the couch. "Nice TV" He said, admiring the big Plasma on the wall.
Javier came out of the kitchen with two beers and offered one to Kevin. "Thanks, set me back a couple paychecks but it's GREAT for Madden."
"Yeah, right, I could see that. Man I love Madden" Ryan took the beer. "Uh I thought you were worried about me drinking too much to drive?"
Javier sat down a couple feet from Kevin and picked up the remote. "I just wanted to lure you back to my lair." then he did laugh out loud. "Dude you had the most hilarious look on your face!"
Ryan could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks.
As if nothing had just happened, Esposito turned the TV on. It was tuned to Discovery Channel, but at this hour, it was only infomercials. "What do you want to watch? I know you're not that into sports." Javier Esposito grinned mischievously.
"It's not like I was captain of my high school chess team. I did some sports" Ryan said defiantly then made an exaggerated pout, looking down at his beer.
"I hate to break it to yah bud, but golf is not a sport." Javier Esposito took a swig and Kevin Ryan involuntarily did the same.
"I know," Ryan smiled crookedly. "The truth is my parents, especially my Mom, were really overprotective and they didn't want me playing sports, cause they were afraid I'd hurt myself. I guess they had a point. I was - I am - kind of a spazz."
"Really? You don't seem like a spazz. We all have moments, but you're always ready to go with the tactical stuff. And I've seen you sparring; you do alright"
"Oh, jeeze." Kevin Ryan blushed. "Alright. I do alright. Now I know you think I'm a dork."
"You're not a dork, Kevin Ryan." Esposito smiled gently. 'He's really so cute, especially when he gets flustered.' Esposito had never felt the overwhelming attraction for guys like some do, though back in college and while enlisted he'd had a decent amount of encounters. On the other hand, his relationships with women hadn't been very satisfying. Actually they were more like encounters, nothing lasting and no real camaraderie. But there was something about Kevin Ryan... He realized he was staring at his partner, who was looking down and fidgeting with his beer bottle label.
"Um, Javier, can I tell you something?"
Esposito's brows furrowed. He sensed this was something serious. Suddenly he was worried that Ryan was going to tell him some kind of bad news; his brown eyes kept darting up and down. "Sure man, anything."
"Promise you won't freak out?" Kevin wouldn't meet his gaze except for a moment or two.
"Kevin I already know you can be pretty odd at times. But I promise nothing you tell me will freak me out." He put his hand on Kevin's shoulder like he did at work. He was feeling a little beer buzz too.
"Javier, please don't hate me. I haven't told anyone." Ryan nervously took another gulp of beer. "You;re my partner, and there's no one else I can really tell. I think I'm... gay."
Esposito stared at his boyishly handsome bud for a long moment then looked at his beer for an even longer time. He was never one for playing games, but this was a tough one. He knew the poor guy was silently dying a few feet from him, wanting some kind of answer. It was ironic that Javier was hesitating for a completely different reason than Kevin probably suspected.
"Kev, come here" He finally said, pulling him closer.
Ryan hesitantly started to scoot over, then finally Javier grabbed him around the lower back and pulled them together in a hug. He felt poor Kev breathing fast and shallow for a long time while Javier rubbed his back. "It's okay man, I'm here for you, no matter what. I'm so glad you told me."
"So you don't think I'm a freak?" Kevin pulled back so he could look at Javier's expression. The Detective's blue eyes were wide and begging for acceptance.
"Of course not." Esposito rubbed Kevin neck reassuringly. There was an awkward pause then Javier said "I'm thinking maybe you told me this about you not just cause we're friends and partners." He paused and their eyes locked for a moment, then Kevin started to get up. "I'm so sorry Javi, maybe I should go."
But Esposito was stronger than the svelte Irishman and held onto him.
Also, Ryan didn't resist all that hard. But he stared at the floor, one knee bouncing up and down nervously. "Javier I'm so embarrassed. I promise I won't-"
But Esposito interrupted him. "Kevin, remember that stakeout when you told me about that show you saw, how we swap saliva even a few feet away when we talk?"
Kevin Ryan could only nod. He was trembling.
"You want to practice that... a little more closely?" He moved his hand to the back of Kevin's head just in case the scared younger man had second thoughts, leaned in and gently kissed his partner.
Esposito needn't have worried. A moment after their lips touched, Ryan moaned softly, then as their kiss lasted longer he got louder, then suddenly latched on to Javier like a hungry child and gave him one of the best kisses he had ever had. Even with all his experiences, Esposito had never actually kissed another man before; this was totally different than kissing a woman. Ryan pushed back, he was as aggressive as Javier. Before Esposito knew it, Kevin had stuck his tongue in his mouth. The two were soon going crazy on the couch, arms around each other, making out like horny teenagers.
Finally Kevin came up for air. "Oh my god Javi, what...you like me!"
"For a really smart guy, you sometimes have a funny knack for stating the obvious."
Ryan smiled crookedly. "Well I was hoping, somewhere deep down, but I really didn't think I had much of a chance. But all the time when you put your hand on my shoulder or pat my chest, or we're all in eachother's personal space... I notice you never do it with anyone else.
"Ay Dios, I'd never show most people this kind of affection!" Esposito said with a little snort. "Hey, you wanna go where we have more room." It was more a statement than a question. He took Kevin by the wrist and led him into the bedroom.
"Esposito, um, I've never, I uh, I-" Kevin stuttered and stammered as Javier sat him on the bed. "You're not a virgin..." Javier smiled, sitting down close to his partner. "Well, no." Ryan looked down at the floor. "But I've never-- with another guy... I've only kissed a few guys before. But I, well I've thought about it."
"Kev, we were just making out. I tell you honestly that you're a great kisser. You know I like you. I've only done little bits with guys before, mostly some drunk college and military stuff-and I've... seen a good amount of porn. I bet you have too. I'm sure we'll figure something out." He leaned in and started nuzzling Kevin's neck, making the younger man moan and start to lay back on the bed. They fell over together and Javier just naturally climbed on top of Ryan. He looked down at his boyishly handsome bud. "Do you trust me?"
"I trust you every day Javi, with my life." Kevin whispered before he started to choke up, because of course he meant it literally. The two had been in life-and-death situations together, situations no cop should be placed in, but they both had. And Ryan remembered being on the edge of breaking down because he was so worried about Javier sometimes.
"Then don't be nervous buddy, it's just you and... me." Esposito took Kevin's hands in his, laced their fingers together, and raised his arms up over his head.
Ryan surrendered himself totally to his Latin stud, still only half-believing that he and Javier were here alone on Esposito's bed, making out. "You won't... like... make fun of me tomorrow or anything." He mumbled.
"If I make fun of you, we'll be alone and it will be the same kind of fun I always make of you: with the deepest affection. Okay?"
Detective Esposito lowered himself slowly on top of his slender partner, their gaze locked until their lips met again in a kiss that started tenderly again, but soon turned passionate. Then Ryan tried to break free of Javier's hands so he could feel his partner, but Esposito held him down, grinding their hips together as they kissed as only two men could kiss. Kevin squirmed on the bed until finally Javier let him go.
One hand went to Esposito's sexy buzzed hair and the other around his waist. One of his long slender legs wrapped around Javier's big thighs, as if to try to pull him closer. For a long time the room was just filled with the sound of the two moaning as they released their pent up passion.
Esposito noticed that when he worked on Ryan's neck, the man would writhe under him and almost whimper. It turned him on that he was exciting Kevin so much. Then he worked his way slowly back to Ryan's mouth.
"Fuck Kev did I mention you're a great kisser? I believe I did." Javier muttered. "Who knew a little Irishman like you would be so good?"
Kevin smiled crookedly up at Esposito. "Back at ya. Man, I hardly dared believe you'd be into guys, um much less me." He looked away shyly then.
But Javier turned Ryan's head back to face him. What are you talking about stud?" His Latin accent became even more prominent just then for some reason. "You know how fucking cute you are; all the women at work have the hots for you. And some of us find this really sexy too." He gently knocked on Kevin's head. "I know I don't have your brains, genius."
"That's bullshit Javi, you have your own smarts." Ryan said a little angrily. "Beckett and Montgomery know it too, you can solve cases with the best of them." Kevin wriggled a little under Esposito's weight. Javier could feel Kev's erection against his through their pants.
Esposito smiled for a moment, but then his face took on a serious expression. "Kev, I don't want to push you. We just came out to each other, we're both practically guy-virgins when it comes to real romance. I know we're both horny as hell right now, but if you want to go slower, I'm okay with that."
Ryan looked away. "Hell I don't know. Part of me says let's go slow, cause I don't want this to be..." His voice trailed off.
"'A one-night thing?'" Javier rolled off Kevin, then pulled the slender man close to him so they were lying on their sides on the bed, their bodies close together. Ryan would not meet his gaze then, and his face had a sort of sad expression. "Yo, what's wrong?" He put his hand on Kevin's neck and stroked it affectionately with his thumb.
"I'm sorry I'm being such a girl about this; I wondered if most gay guys just hooked up 'cause guys are horny. You get all that testosterone, and you know."
"Dude, I think we both know that's probably true sometimes, but not all the time. We've known each other for a while now, I respect you too much to just treat you like some trick or something." It was Esposito's turn to get emotional. He usually acted like the tough guy, but he was a softy under that macho exterior. He was fighting back tears, and even he wasn't sure why.
Ryan saw how emotional Javier was getting and it made his chest ache. "Javi... Can I stay with you tonight? I... I don't think I'm ready for us to 'do it' yet, but if you're willing, I-"
But Esposito stopped him with a tender kiss, then he whispered, "I'd love that Kev. Uhh, do you think we can trust ourselves to at least get out of our jeans and get under the covers? "
"Hah, that's what you get for wearing those tight jeans, caballero!" Ryan teased.
After some initial wrestling around, they got down to their underwear and climbed into bed.. Javier wore black briefs and was bare-chested (Kevin was trying not to stare at Esposito's amazing body). Ryan wore loud print boxer-briefs and a tight grey wifebeater.
At some point during the night, Javier spooned behind Kevin and put a protecting arm around him. Ryan woke up, smiled to himself, and drifted back of to sleep. He'd never felt safer - or maybe happier - in his life.
To Be Continued... (part 3 borders on... no.. is fully entrenched... in porn)
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Comments, Con-Crit, etc. always appreciated.