"Yo. Kev," Esposito welcomes him. "How was your weekend?"

"Ah…" Kevin gives a non-committal shrug.

"What happened?"

Detective Ryan grimaces. "Jenny. She, ah, broke up with me for a guy who 'suited her needs' better. Or something…"

"Shit. I thought you guys were gonna be married with one-point-four kids?"

Noncommittal shrug.

"Look, you wanna have a blokes night tonight, you me and some beer? I think there's a game on…"

Just as he finishes offering, Beckett walks in. "Okay, guys, what've you got for me?"

Kevin leafs through his folder hastily, but not before sort of smiling and giving Esposito a small nod of thanks. "Rebecca Marianos. Cousin by marriage of our friends, the Spillano family. Arrested previously for suspicion of buying, dealing, using and all that. Not particularly big time in the family business, but this sort of thing isn't known for it's safe and people-friendly environment."

Beckett nodded "I guess so." She paused. "Just out of interest, have you seen Castle? I called him, and he sounded eager as always – usually he's here holding me a coffee with an arcane story already cooked up."

"Nah, sorry."

"Nope."

"Ah well. He'll show up sooner or later. He always does." She strode off to talk to Laney.

"So, how was your weekend, bro?"

"You know me – nothing much ever happens at my place."

Kev shakes his head while taking a sip of beer. Esposito notes that it is actually pretty impressive that he managed that without spilling cheap beer all over himself. "You need someone, Javi. You can't go on like this, not forever. You need someone."

"Hey, who needs a girl when I've got friends like you, eh?"

Unlike normal people, Kevin can handle beer after beer after beer. Probably because he's Irish, Esposito reckons. "Nah. You need someone to hold, you know? Someone who'll tell you that they'll love you forever. Even if it ends up being a lie."

"Man, you're both drunk and recovering from a break-up. You are possibly in the worst position to be giving advice about my love life. From now on, you're as lonely as me."

Kevin disagrees again.

"We may both be alone when it comes to women, but with you around, I'll never be lonely."

Esposito stares at him. There's something he wants to say, but won't. Maybe he'll find the courage next time.

"Now you definitely sound drunk. Let's get you home."

Neither of them says it out loud, but they both know that Kevin's right.

"This should be an easy case – mob connections, domestic violence reports filed by neighbors, and we know that her husband has a pretty weak alibi for the time of her murder. But we still haven't put it together." Beckett leans back on her desk for a better look at the murder board, lost in the case. Castle has come up with a theory involving the FBI, CIA and a secret organisation previously unknown to the public. Esposito is following a lead, one that they all know will lead nowhere, but he has to follow anyway.

Kevin is trying to focus, really, but it's just not happening for him. And part of him feels like he's letting down that girl, Bekky, who's been killed, but part of him has forgotten about her, and is utterly focused on Esposito. No move, noise or paper shuffle goes unnoticed.

Kevin realizes that this is both creepy and weird, and tries to stop, but the more he tries to stop, the more he thinks about it and the harder it is to just concentrate.

One of the many thoughts going through his head is Jenny never did this to you, but it gets drowned out in all the other thoughts, and he doesn't notice it.

Or so he tells himself.

Esposito yawns as the end credits roll. "Far out. What's the time?"

"Nearly one. We are so screwed for work tomorrow. You're welcome to stay the night."

"Yeah, thanks," he yawns again, stretching. "Good movie, hey."

Kevin laughs, "I haven't watched a good guns and sex movie since… I can't even remember."

Even when Esposito is half asleep, his grin is still kind of dashing, Kevin muses. "Since before Jenny. I bet you watched Eat Pray Love, or whatever, with her."

"Nah, but it was on our list. I was trying to convince her to read it first. She never had time, though."

Esposito shakes his head "I've said it before, man. You were so whipped."

Kevin grins. "Yeah. But I guess I'm just a head–and-heels kinda guy."

"Whatever you say, man. Whatever you say." Esposito knows the apartment well enough that he sets up the couch-bed himself.

"Eureka!' he said, as he stepped into the bath, 'I've got it!'" Castle yells often, but this may be one of the strangest things he's said yet.

Beckett stared at him. "What are you on about?"

"I, dear Beckett, am repeating a well know quote, of when Archimedes stepped into his bath and the water was displaced. An old wives tale suggests that this is the moment when the term Eureka! was coined."

She stared at him blankly.

"But," Castle hurried on before she lost interest, "that is beside the point. I know what happened. To Bekky Marianos. Look…" Castle walked over to the board, gesticulating excitedly, Beckett looking on in what looked like disbelief, but was actually grudging admiration.

"Ten bucks says he's cracked it."

"Another ten says Beckett discovers something he missed." May as well up the stakes, Ryan figures.

"You're on bro," Esposito agreed, and they shook hands on it, just as Beckett gave a triumphant smile and it was Castle's turn to give grudging admiration.

Esposito moves to pull out his wallet, but Kevin shakes his head. "Buy me a drink tonight?"

He grins. "Sure."

Sitting in the bar that night, there was something. Something… there. They both knew it was there, though neither of them mentioned it, and they both knew that they both knew that they knew that… God, this was giving Kevin a headache.

"What're you doing this weekend?" Esposito asks, startling his partner out of his musing.

"Nothing much. Not really looking forward to it, to be honest."

Esposito grins at him. "Then I formally challenge you to a duel to the death on an xbox game of your choice."

"I will kick your ass, bro." Ryan flashes Esposito that sweet, impish smile that…

Sweet, impish smile? Shit.

"How many drinks have I had, Kev?"

"Uh, two or three? No more'n three. You drunk?"

"Nah. Just a little… light-headed, I think."

"If you say so…"

"I need to get home. There's this… uh… thing that I wanted to tape on tv."

"Alright…? Do you want me to come with you?"

"Nah, I'm not that bad."

"'Kay. If you say so, bro." Kevin looks a little put out, which makes Esposito feel even worse.

"I'll see you tomorrow, bro."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Kevin watches as Esposito half-runs out of his sight.

As he walks through the doors of the 12th precinct, Detective Ryan sees two things meriting interest - his partner, working harder than usual, and a steaming hot coffee waiting on his desk.

When Esposito hears the squeak of Ryan's chair, he turns to face him. "Sorry that I had to rush off last night."

"Did you catch your show?"

Esposito purses his lips. "Nah, missed it."

"Sorry 'bout that."

He smiles. "Had more fun with you, anyway."

Ryan wants to smile back, and he does, a little, but seriously? They both know Esposito doesn't watch tv. The only thing he uses his tv for is xbox.

"Thanks man."

The coffee appears to be an apology. Neither man mentions it.

Ryan is sitting in the break room, out of sight of the door, nursing a really black coffee, staring into its depths like the froth will help him discern the problems. He's half smiling.

Esposito walks in, and, noticing Ryan in the corner with his coffee, pretends he hasn't been trying to avoid him.

"Hey man. What's happening?"

"You're avoiding me. You ran out of the bar last night, and all day today… you wouldn't have come to get a drink if you knew I was in here."

"What? No way, man. What makes you think that?"

He shrugs, "Don't know. But it's true."

He looks up at Esposito. "Did I do something wrong? 'Cause you don't watch tv, like, ever. And you weren't that busy this morning. We usually talk more."

"Get up, man."

Ryan looks bewildered. "What? Why?"

"Just do it, man."

Ryan gets up, pushing his chair in behind him like the perfect Boy Scout he is.

Before he knows anything, he is surrounded by the smell, the feel, the heat of… Javier. It's some sort of amazing experience that he knows he'll remember forever. And, just for the record, this isn't a bro hug. It's a kinda beautiful, really warm, carefully protective, walking-on-eggshells type hug. More of an embrace than a hug.

He's so confused, but he can't bring himself to break the moment – they're having a moment? - so he doesn't.

They kinda stand there for a while, and someone walks in, stares for a while, and walks out. Neither of them really notices.

Esposito is the one who lets go of him, or at least, loosens his grip, leaving his arms loosely wrapped around his small partner.

Kevin, his Kevin, looks up, almost like he's shocked by the removal of the pressure. Their eyes catch, the second perfect moment, and beautifully, wonderfully mesmerized, Esposito can't help but guide those blue eyes to his own, and inevitably, their mouths get in the way.

Esposito can't say he's disappointed.

Castle can't contain himself. It's like he has so many things that he wants to say, and they're all fighting to get out. That's what it looks like to Beckett, anyway.

"Spit it out, Castle."

"I don't know if I should tell you… I think this is one of those tests that God sends us, just to see how trustworthy we are." He gasped. "Maybe if I keep this secret, I'll become an angel!"

"What is it, Castle?"

Castle just makes a zipping movement across his lips, and then throws away an invisible key, shaking his head solemnly.

Beckett buries her head in her hands. "Look, Castle," she says between her fingers, "How soon do you want to become an angel?"

Castle shrugs.

"'Cause if you don't tell me, I will shoot you."

"You're bluffing."

"Hah! You talked!"

"You're happy that I'm talking?" He asks, confused.

"Yes – No – What were you going to tell me?"

"Oh, just that Ryan and Esposito are making out in the – wait – I wasn't going to tell you that!"

"Sucker," she grins. "About time, too."

"What, Ryan and Esposito? Yeah. Good thing, too. I was going to pair them together for the next book, and it probably would have made things a bit awkward if they hadn't…"

Beckett gives him a look. He stops talking.

Humph. Well that didn't turn out nearly as good as it was in my mind...

Castle wasn't meant to come across as so... petulant.