It feels like hours to some, sitting in a car for what seems like never ending shifts, but to them it was like a nice relief. The chances of being shot decreased and the only thing you had to worry about was suspicious, nosy neighbors. Sitting in a car with your partner may not to some sound like the best idea. Sure, some partnerships are rough and awkward because you can't sit comfortably in silence or you can't make conversation about anything. They have never had this problem.
Their first stakeout was funny to say the least. It happened just after Esposito was transferred into homicide and before Ryan was. With a nice hello and some wry comment about nobody ever noticing when two guys just sit in a car all day a comradeship began. They talked shop at first, moved on to sports next, and by the time their shift was done they were exchanging numbers like a bunch of girls saying "Call me!"
When he found out the funny dude he shared a shift and a few beers with was going to be his new partner he felt relief. You never knew if you were going to get stuck with another officer who had no sense of humor or one who completely annoyed you. And after a while Beckett assigned them to watch a couple suspected of dealing drugs and killing a man over it.
"Do you remember our first stakeout together?"
"Yeah, I remember some geek showing up and being stuck in a car with him for a whole shift all because some dude had a kid's birthday party."
Ryan knows by now that by the sixth hour of sitting in a car with burger wrappers strewn all over the dashboard that Esposito gets cranky. He knows that by the seventh hour he gets a leg cramp. And by the end of shift Esposito is ready to crash on his couch because he is just that bored.
"Dude, did you see that chick?"
"Yeah she looks like that girl we saw the other night. You know the one who kept eyeing you up."
"No bro she had a guitar."
"A guitar? Well oh my Sally Mae I've never seen one of those before!"
A punch to the arm is expected and the laughter afterwards is too. Two cops stare around the street looking for suspicious persons entering the crumbling residence they are being forced to look after. Sighs escape both their lips as they rub their eyes to keep focused.
"You know I was thinking the other day about the Naked Cowboy.."
"Please tell me you aren't going to become the Home Fry who walks around with a harmonica!"
"Well now that you mention it.."
As fast as he draws a gun the harmonica is quick in his hand. Esposito thinks it looks almost as deadly as a semi automatic. He takes a casual look around the area they are watching and forces himself to be calm. He prays for divine intervention even if it is in the form of public urination.
"Will you put that thing away? I'll buy the pizza next time I swear!"
"Fine."
Their backup is running late because of a traffic accident so Ryan and Esposito are stuck in the car. Esposito prided himself on being a night owl. He stayed up late to catch the end of games or shows when Ryan hand to go to bed or else he would look like walking death the next morning. He liked to think of himself as having amazing endurance but this time his eyes were fluttering and the lull in conversation was allowing him to drift into a state of semi awareness. All of a sudden a blaringly loud, obnoxious noise is heard and he starts awake completely alert. He scans the street to see if it was another idiot who locked themselves out of their car or a fire but the street is empty. The noise is continuing so he glances at Ryan and there is the little culprit. Esposito is about to strangle him when the cops show up at the moment to switch shifts and Esposito speeds away like a manic knowing Ryan hates it. So Ryan plays louder and louder until Esposito pulls over to the side of the road and with sudden moves snatches the horrible device from Ryan's hands. If he so happens to brush his lips nobody is there to police him about it. And if Ryan happens to smirk a bit when Esposito drops him off it is no big deal.