Napping 101 (Castle Fic)
May. 19th, 2015 12:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Napping 101
Fandom: Castle
Pairing: Ryan + Esposito, Beckett/Castle
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,137
Summary: It’s been a long, difficult day and all Ryan and Esposito need is a quick power nap.
Author’s notes: Based off this prompt: Season three or earlier. Ryan and Castle. There is an episode of Friends where Joey and Ross accidentally fall asleep with each other, and then they both realize it's the best nap they ever had, so they continue napping together secretly. Something along those lines. I changed it up a bit, and stuck it in the vicinity of the current season because I totally ship Ryan/Esposito (although this is totally gen). I rarely write in this fandom, so please let me know if I went OOC anywhere.
Birthday present for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mesmerising.
“Ryan, Espo, why don’t you two go grab a few minutes of shut-eye while we’re waiting on that warrant?” Kate Beckett looked between her two favorite detectives, noting the dark circles under their eyes and the paleness in their cheeks. “It’s been a long day and looks like it’s going to be an even longer night.”
“But what about you?” Ryan stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t you need some rest, too?”
“Nah,” Castle said, striding up to stand beside his wife. “She’s too jacked up on caffeine and adrenaline to sleep.”
“Watch it,” she said, a tired smile creeping onto her face. “But you two, go. Get out of here.”
“On it, boss,” Esposito said with a nod. “Come on, Ryan. I know where we can grab a power nap.”
Ryan followed Espo onto the elevator and watched curiously as he punched in the floor just above them. “Why are we headed up? I didn’t think there was anything up there.”
“There isn’t, really. But there are a couple abandoned offices, one of which has a nice, big couch we can use.” He tilted his head up to watch the doors close, sealing them inside.
“A couch?” Ryan turned to his partner and frowned. “We’re going to share a couch?”
Esposito opened his mouth to respond and then shut it, realizing the flaw in his plan. “I didn’t think about that.”
The doors opened and Ryan stepped out onto the mostly empty floor. “It’s okay, Javi. Not like we haven’t shared smaller spaces before, right?” It was obvious by the tone in his voice that he was trying to convince himself as much as he was Espo.
“Right. You thinking head to toe or what?”
“After a day like today?” Ryan wrinkled his little nose. “No thank you. I’d rather endure the harassment of the entire department than smell your feet the entire time.”
“Good point,” Esposito agreed, leading Ryan in the direction of his favorite napping spot. “In here.”
Ryan poked his head in and flipped on the lights. “Nice. Look at that couch though.” It was big and green and as ugly as anything he’d ever seen, but the cushions were wide and the back was high. It’d be the perfect place for the two of them to catch a few z’s.
“Okay, if we’re going to do this,” Espo started, “then let’s do it.” Stretching, he kicked his shoes off and climbed onto the couch, settling onto his side. He patted the cushion in front of him and grinned.
Ryan reminded himself that a) they were partners and had been in worse situations than this, b) they were both exhausted and c) no one would ever know. Slipping his shoes off, he slid onto the remaining stretch of couch and settled back against Javier’s warm, broad chest.
“I don’t know why they’d be up here,” Castle was saying, “but that uniform said she’d seen them get on the elevator and head up.”
“Are you positive,” Kate asked, clearly not believing her husband.
“Am I ever not?”
He had a point. “Hey Castle? That door’s open.”
“Indeed it is.” Castle poked his head inside. “Hey, Ryan? Espos – waiiiiit a minute. Kate!”
“Castle, what’s wrong? Is something – oh.” A girlish chuckle filled the space. “Oh my.”
“Right? I guess they were more tired than they thought they were.”
Esposito’s head was cradled against the couch, his free arm tucked around Ryan’s trim middle. Ryan was cuddled into his partner’s side, mouth open and snoring softly. Castle dug his cellphone out of his pocket and snapped a quick picture.
“Castle,” Beckett scolded trying to sound more serious than she was. “That’s not very nice.”
“Not my fault they look so darn cute like this,” he defended. “They do look comfortable though, don’t they?”
“What?” Espo began to stir, eyes fluttering open slowly. “Oh god – no.”
“Oh god – yes,” Castle chuckled. “Feel better, Sleeping Beauty?”
“Wait, man, it’s not like that –“
“Of course it isn’t,” Beckett said, attempting to ease the embarrassment as Ryan continued to snooze. “Espo, wake Ryan and let him know we’ve got the warrant. Castle, come on.”
“I’ll meet you at the elevator,” he said, giving her that ‘humor me’ look that always got her into trouble.
“Okay, but if you’re not there when the elevator is, I’m leaving you.”
“Fair enough,” Castle said, turning back to Espo. Ryan was finally starting to come around, eyes wide when he spotted Castle grinning at them. “You two look awfully cozy there.”
“What are you trying to say, Castle?” Ryan pushed himself into a sitting position, rubbing at his eyes with a fist.
“Nothing just…”
“That the couch looks comfortable,” Esposito prompted.
“Yes, exactly. No harm. I should probably go catch Beckett before I get myself into more trouble.”
Espo and Ryan waited, but Castle didn’t move from where he stood. “Was there something else,” Ryan asked.
“Do you two do this often?”
Javier’s first reaction was to get mad, but the genuine curiosity on Castle’s face stopped him. “I’ve napped up here many times, but always alone.” Suspicion began to creep in. “Why?”
Castle shrugged. “No reason, really. I was just thinking…”
“Yes?” Ryan’s voice was wary. Years of having worked beside this man had given him many reasons to be frightened when the words ‘I was thinking’ emerged.
“Nothing. Just – invite me along next time?” Without another word, Castle turned on his heel and ran towards the elevator.
“What on earth was that all about?” Esposito shook his head and ran a hand over his face.
“I have no idea,” Ryan said. “But this is Castle so…”
“Right.” Espo stretched again, feeling his muscles creak and groan from the impromptu nap. “You ready? Beckett’s got the warrant.”
“Anytime you are, Javi.” Ryan stood and held a hand out to help his partner up. They were halfway to the elevator when Ryan couldn’t help but ask the question they were both thinking. “You think they’ll keep this to themselves?”
Javier shot a look at his partner, shrugged. “Beckett will. Castle will try, but will probably fail.”
“Yeah,” Ryan said, making a face. “That’s kinda what I was thinking, too.”
“It bother you?” Esposito pushed the button on the elevator to bring it to their floor. “The others knowing?”
“Nah,” Ryan said. “We’re partners. We work long hours and spend more time with each other than with our better halves. You find me one pair of detectives that haven’t fallen asleep on each other at least once and then maybe. But not until then.”
The elevator opened and Espo stepped inside. “Ditto. Now, let’s wrap up this case so we can each sleep in our own beds, company optional.”
“Amen to that,” Ryan laughed, watching the doors close on them.
Fandom: Castle
Pairing: Ryan + Esposito, Beckett/Castle
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,137
Summary: It’s been a long, difficult day and all Ryan and Esposito need is a quick power nap.
Author’s notes: Based off this prompt: Season three or earlier. Ryan and Castle. There is an episode of Friends where Joey and Ross accidentally fall asleep with each other, and then they both realize it's the best nap they ever had, so they continue napping together secretly. Something along those lines. I changed it up a bit, and stuck it in the vicinity of the current season because I totally ship Ryan/Esposito (although this is totally gen). I rarely write in this fandom, so please let me know if I went OOC anywhere.
Birthday present for
mesmerising.“Ryan, Espo, why don’t you two go grab a few minutes of shut-eye while we’re waiting on that warrant?” Kate Beckett looked between her two favorite detectives, noting the dark circles under their eyes and the paleness in their cheeks. “It’s been a long day and looks like it’s going to be an even longer night.”
“But what about you?” Ryan stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t you need some rest, too?”
“Nah,” Castle said, striding up to stand beside his wife. “She’s too jacked up on caffeine and adrenaline to sleep.”
“Watch it,” she said, a tired smile creeping onto her face. “But you two, go. Get out of here.”
“On it, boss,” Esposito said with a nod. “Come on, Ryan. I know where we can grab a power nap.”
Ryan followed Espo onto the elevator and watched curiously as he punched in the floor just above them. “Why are we headed up? I didn’t think there was anything up there.”
“There isn’t, really. But there are a couple abandoned offices, one of which has a nice, big couch we can use.” He tilted his head up to watch the doors close, sealing them inside.
“A couch?” Ryan turned to his partner and frowned. “We’re going to share a couch?”
Esposito opened his mouth to respond and then shut it, realizing the flaw in his plan. “I didn’t think about that.”
The doors opened and Ryan stepped out onto the mostly empty floor. “It’s okay, Javi. Not like we haven’t shared smaller spaces before, right?” It was obvious by the tone in his voice that he was trying to convince himself as much as he was Espo.
“Right. You thinking head to toe or what?”
“After a day like today?” Ryan wrinkled his little nose. “No thank you. I’d rather endure the harassment of the entire department than smell your feet the entire time.”
“Good point,” Esposito agreed, leading Ryan in the direction of his favorite napping spot. “In here.”
Ryan poked his head in and flipped on the lights. “Nice. Look at that couch though.” It was big and green and as ugly as anything he’d ever seen, but the cushions were wide and the back was high. It’d be the perfect place for the two of them to catch a few z’s.
“Okay, if we’re going to do this,” Espo started, “then let’s do it.” Stretching, he kicked his shoes off and climbed onto the couch, settling onto his side. He patted the cushion in front of him and grinned.
Ryan reminded himself that a) they were partners and had been in worse situations than this, b) they were both exhausted and c) no one would ever know. Slipping his shoes off, he slid onto the remaining stretch of couch and settled back against Javier’s warm, broad chest.
“I don’t know why they’d be up here,” Castle was saying, “but that uniform said she’d seen them get on the elevator and head up.”
“Are you positive,” Kate asked, clearly not believing her husband.
“Am I ever not?”
He had a point. “Hey Castle? That door’s open.”
“Indeed it is.” Castle poked his head inside. “Hey, Ryan? Espos – waiiiiit a minute. Kate!”
“Castle, what’s wrong? Is something – oh.” A girlish chuckle filled the space. “Oh my.”
“Right? I guess they were more tired than they thought they were.”
Esposito’s head was cradled against the couch, his free arm tucked around Ryan’s trim middle. Ryan was cuddled into his partner’s side, mouth open and snoring softly. Castle dug his cellphone out of his pocket and snapped a quick picture.
“Castle,” Beckett scolded trying to sound more serious than she was. “That’s not very nice.”
“Not my fault they look so darn cute like this,” he defended. “They do look comfortable though, don’t they?”
“What?” Espo began to stir, eyes fluttering open slowly. “Oh god – no.”
“Oh god – yes,” Castle chuckled. “Feel better, Sleeping Beauty?”
“Wait, man, it’s not like that –“
“Of course it isn’t,” Beckett said, attempting to ease the embarrassment as Ryan continued to snooze. “Espo, wake Ryan and let him know we’ve got the warrant. Castle, come on.”
“I’ll meet you at the elevator,” he said, giving her that ‘humor me’ look that always got her into trouble.
“Okay, but if you’re not there when the elevator is, I’m leaving you.”
“Fair enough,” Castle said, turning back to Espo. Ryan was finally starting to come around, eyes wide when he spotted Castle grinning at them. “You two look awfully cozy there.”
“What are you trying to say, Castle?” Ryan pushed himself into a sitting position, rubbing at his eyes with a fist.
“Nothing just…”
“That the couch looks comfortable,” Esposito prompted.
“Yes, exactly. No harm. I should probably go catch Beckett before I get myself into more trouble.”
Espo and Ryan waited, but Castle didn’t move from where he stood. “Was there something else,” Ryan asked.
“Do you two do this often?”
Javier’s first reaction was to get mad, but the genuine curiosity on Castle’s face stopped him. “I’ve napped up here many times, but always alone.” Suspicion began to creep in. “Why?”
Castle shrugged. “No reason, really. I was just thinking…”
“Yes?” Ryan’s voice was wary. Years of having worked beside this man had given him many reasons to be frightened when the words ‘I was thinking’ emerged.
“Nothing. Just – invite me along next time?” Without another word, Castle turned on his heel and ran towards the elevator.
“What on earth was that all about?” Esposito shook his head and ran a hand over his face.
“I have no idea,” Ryan said. “But this is Castle so…”
“Right.” Espo stretched again, feeling his muscles creak and groan from the impromptu nap. “You ready? Beckett’s got the warrant.”
“Anytime you are, Javi.” Ryan stood and held a hand out to help his partner up. They were halfway to the elevator when Ryan couldn’t help but ask the question they were both thinking. “You think they’ll keep this to themselves?”
Javier shot a look at his partner, shrugged. “Beckett will. Castle will try, but will probably fail.”
“Yeah,” Ryan said, making a face. “That’s kinda what I was thinking, too.”
“It bother you?” Esposito pushed the button on the elevator to bring it to their floor. “The others knowing?”
“Nah,” Ryan said. “We’re partners. We work long hours and spend more time with each other than with our better halves. You find me one pair of detectives that haven’t fallen asleep on each other at least once and then maybe. But not until then.”
The elevator opened and Espo stepped inside. “Ditto. Now, let’s wrap up this case so we can each sleep in our own beds, company optional.”
“Amen to that,” Ryan laughed, watching the doors close on them.
