Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan had been partners for about 5 years. They had saved each other's lives many times in the past years and had become very close. They had regular game and beer nights at Ryan's place, tickets to the many baseball and football games and many nights at the bar with the team from 12th.

They had just closed another case, Beckett was taken down the murder board while Castle discussed the confession. Esposito and Ryan were sitting back to back at there desks filling the last of the paper work. Soon after Castle and Beckett left hand in hand leaving the 2 partners at there desks.

"cold beer and game at mine?" questioned Ryan as he turned around to face Esposito

"Sure, I'll be round in 20" Esposito replied as he stood up taking his jacket from the back of his chair. The 2 of the walked out of the prescient deciding what game to play as they got into their cars.

Ryan had driven straight home and had got into the shower to wash the dirt and sweat of before Esposito arrived. He spent longer than normal in the shower, when he stepped out and opened the bathroom door and cloud of steam escaped with him as he stepped into his room with the towel around his waist. Sear searching thorugh his draws for something to wear, he felt like a teenager getting ready for a date, how could it take him this long to find something to wear. They had spent plenty of nights together gaming and drinking but tonight felt different. Finally he settled on a pale blue t-shirt and some a pair a loose fitting jogging bottoms, finishing off with styling his hair just enough to keep it off his face. Just as he out the final hair in place there was a knock at his door.

Esposito got in his car and sped home, he jumped in the shower and started washing getting all the sweat and dirt off. It had been a dirty arrest the murderer had tried to run and had to be tackled to the ground resulting in a very dirty Esposito.

He absently brushed his forehead where Ryans hand had been a few hours earlier. Once they had the criminal in the back of the car Ryan brushed the dirt off Esposito's forehead, Esposito had looked surprised before Ryan had pulled his hand away looking away embarrassed and awakedly stated there was a bit of dirt as he put his hands in his pockets.

He wouldn't admit it to anyone but he had recently started to think of Ryan as more than just a work partner. The way they were always touching each other but only slightly, the shoulder bumps as they walked or the slight brushes of the fingers, the fist bumps and coffee exchanges every day.
He shuddered just thinking about it, the butterflies he felt their hands burshed as he took his coffee in the mornings or the way Kevin could always make him smile. He had to stop thinking. What if Kevin didn't feel the same about him? What if he ruined there friendship by making a move? Before he knew it he was out of the shower and finding something to wear, he settled on stone washed jeans, grey t-shirt and a black hoody before grabbing his keys and heading out to Ryans.

Kevin opened the door to find Javier looking amazing even in jeans and a hoody. He moved to the side to let him in,
"Beers are in the fridge Javi" Kevin said 'damm he looks good' he thought as he closed the door trying to calm his heart rate.

Soon they were next to each other on the coach almost leaning on each other to get the best view of the screen as they played baseball on the XBOX. The number of bottles on the table grew and their heads grew a little fuzzy.

Kevin was aware of how warm Javiers leg was against his and the way the muscles in his arms moved as the used the controller, he wondered if Javier was thinking the same. As the game was loading he turned to face him to find Javier was already looking at him. Javier was glancing between his lips and his eyes.

"Kevin…You look…good" Javier seemed to be having problems with his words

"Thanks, you to Javi"

They both jumped as the TV made an unexpected noise jolting them out of there moment.

"Its late, maybe we should wrap it up" Kevin breathed not really wanting to but knowing they were both needed in work the next day. They turned the TV off and made their way to Kevin's room, stripping off there shirts and Javiers jeans and collapsed on the bed to sleep as they had done many times before.

Javier took longer to fall asleep that night as he laid next to his partner he watched as Kevin drifted off to sleep, the lines of worry falling from his face and the slow rise and fall of his chest.

Kevin was the first to wake in the morning he turned his head to look at the form of a sleeping Javier next to him, he looked so peaceful and relaxed. Kevin got up almost reluctantly to go make the morning coffee. Javier was still asleep when Kevin got back, he placed the coffee cups on the stand next to him and climbed back into bed to wake him up.

"Time to wake up Javi" he wishped as he placed his hand on his chest, with a small moan and a surprising amount of strength Javier had brought Kevin down and was cuddling him. Kevin couldn't supress a giggle at this waking Javier up completely. Although he was now awake Javier didn't let Kevin go, and Kevin didn't move. Neither off them spoke for a while, both feeling comfatable, that was until Ryans phone went off forcing Javier to let him go.

"Ryan, yea, I'll be there in 30" Kevin hung up and turning to look at Javier who was now sitting up and drinking the coffee Kevin had brought in.

"Dead body?"

"Dead body" he confirmed as he sat back next to Javier taking his coffee from the side and taking a sip "sooo, want to talk about it" Kevin asked while looking straight ahead.

"What's to talk about" Javier said as he put his empty coffee mug down, turned and gave Kevin a peck on the check before heading to the bathroom to get washed and dressed. Leaving a very red in the face Kevin to finish his coffee.