Author: Cha-Cha
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or show, so please do not sue.
A/N: This is a series of short stories based on the developing relationship between Esposito and Ryan. This is however, not slash, just friendship! It also does not follow the series and episodes, but it does start long before the show. Hope you enjoy it! Please do review and let me know what you think!
First steps
'Are you sure about this? I mean, it's not as though it's urgent.' Detective Ryan looked nervously at his partner, already beginning to have second thoughts.
'We're here now, if you hate it after the lesson, we'll stop.' Detective Esposito reassured his new partner. He had his doubts about what they were about to do, but he wasn't going to voice them, Kevin seemed to be having enough of them without his input. Besides, it was a skill that could come in useful at some point, heck; it could even save a life. 'Think of it as a partner building exercise,' He grinned, and Ryan relaxed slightly.
'I guess if I can trust you with my life on the streets, I can trust you with my life here.' Ryan gave a nervous shrug, shifting from foot to foot. They had only been partners for a few months, and they were slowly building up a strong friendship, built on many hours of Madden and long hours at the precinct. It had been a rocky start with Esposito's reluctance for another partner, but with Beckett's insistence, they had started to trust each other and enjoy each other's company. Although, for the life of him, Ryan could not remember how he had ended up asking his partner of this!
'That's the spirit. Lesson one, getting in!' Esposito waved his arm towards the swimming pool behind the two men. Kevin nodded and walked slowly over to the shallow end of the pool and climbed down the stairs, immediately grabbing hold of the side when his feet reached the bottom, tension filling his body. Javier followed his partner but instead of using the stairs, he sat down on the side and slipped into the water, relaxing as he did.
'Hey, I won't let anything happen to you Kevin.' Javier reassured the other man as he gently glided over, taking Ryan's hand and pulling it away from the side. 'Look, stand up, the water barely comes up to your waist.' The two men stood up fully, and the detective was correct, the water did only come up to the top of their trunks.
'You can still drown in three inches of water,' Kevin remarked pessimistically. Esposito rolled his eyes.
'Yeah, well neither of are going to drown. My sister would absolutely murder us if either one of us died. This is her sports centre and pool and she only agreed to let us be here before opening as long as we didn't mess anything up.'
And our dead bodies would mess this pool up!' Ryan asked wryly.
'Exactly!'
'And don't you forget it!' A female voice yelled from above them. The two men looked up to see a young woman who looked very like Javier looking down at them from the balcony above the pool. 'Looking nice Detective Ryan!' She waggled her eyebrows at her brother's partner, causing the young man to blush furiously and self consciously cross his arms across his chest.
'Go away brat!' Javier shouted back causing her laugh as she gave a wave and disappeared into the building.
'I thought we were going to be alone?' Ryan asked quietly, embarrassed not only by her comment but also that she knew why he was here.
'Have you any siblings?'
'Six sisters,' something clicked in the younger detectives mind. 'Okay, yeah I can't control them either!'
'I thought three sisters were bad,' Esposito gave a fake shudder causing both of them to start laughing. Seeing his friend starting to relax, Javier began their first swimming lesson. Reaching over the side, he picked up a flat float he had left their earlier and put into into the water. 'Okay, to start with, we're going to do some kicking. First, rest your chin on the float.'
Kevin looked reluctant but hesitantly he out his chin onto the float, only slightly flinching as it sank slightly causing some water to touch his chin. His partner silently nudged him into moving away from the side so they were about a person's height away from the edge.
'Okay, I'm going to keep my hand on your stomach so you're lying flat on the water, then I want you to kick your feet as hard as possible, as thought your trying to kick off a perp that's grabbed your feet.' Esposito instructed him, explain the next few steps. Kevin gave a shaky nod, flinching again when a bit more water came over the top of the float.
'Kicking a perp off me?' Ryan tried to start a friendly banter the two of them were starting to be known for, his smile not as cheerful as it normally was.
'Just trying to make it relevant to something you've done before, I know you had to take self defence classes at the academy.' Javier explained; his voice a little too light causing Kevin to wonder what he was going to say next. 'What would you prefer I say, creep? Crook?'
'Chucklehead,' Ryan began, his smile was still shaky but gradually got stronger as he got on into the flow and slightly forgot why they were there. Javier began to lean his partner forwards, holding him up in the water and encouraging him kick. There was plenty of noise and splashing, causing both of them to get even wetter, but it didn't stop the banter. 'Knucklehead.'
'Sleaze,' Javier stopped, they both knew there were far more names than they had said but they had reached the other side of the pool. 'That wasn't so bad now?' The two men stood up water running down their chests back into the pool while their hair was damp from the spray Ryan had kicked up.
'Yeah, that wasn't actually.' Kevin gave a sigh of relief, amazed he had managed to travel so far. Guess his partner really was a good teacher.
'Okay, now we've got to get back to the other side bro.' It was the first time either of them had uttered the word, but Ryan was surprised it had been Esposito had said it first, especially as he had been the more reluctant of the partnership.
'Man, you are a worse slave driver than Beckett.' Kevin grouched good naturedly, startling a laugh out of Javier.
'You know, I have a feeling this partnership is going to work.'
'Better believe it bro, better believe it!' Kevin cuffed Javier's shoulder, his grin stretching all the way across his face.
'But don't think it's going to get you out of going back across, you will be able to swim by the end of the year if I have anything to do with it.' Javier promised, and Kevin had a feeling it was a promise the other man was going to keep or torture him trying.
'You know that will depend on how many times Beckett calls us in at six on a Sunday morning.'
'There is that, we may have to move this to six am Monday.'
'Fantastic, an extra hour and a half of stress before a full day!' Kevin joked, knowing the hours they worked would make finding spare time when the pool was empty to be a challenge especially when Beckett liked calling them in at ridiculous times. 'So, back again?' Kevin resumed the same position as the first time, and took a deep breath to steady his nerves.
'Let's go.' The two of them set off again, their bodies in sync with each other.
