Warnings: Castle fandom/Ryan/Espo/OFC/ Rated M explicit/het. Trying to fill the tragic void of Steamy hetero Romance for these two hotties (even though their slash is wonderful, too).
I wrote this for my preferences, mostly Canon, probably first season when the boys are younger and dumber, with just a few 'improvements' thrown in to make the sex and romance more fun. I'm a nature person, so the imagery is slightly more earthy, and less urban, than Castle canon. This is a subplot, barely touches on murder and drama.
10 Chapters: Already Complete (promise not to leave you hangin).
Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, except for the 2.5 who are.
Chapter 1:
"Beckett, we can question Ms. Stone and her entourage, if you and Castle need to drive to Jersey?"
Detective Ryan's hands broke into a clammy sweat. He wasn't always the best strategist, but he had been angling for this moment even before her name appeared on the murder board.
"Really Ryan?" Detective Beckett's eyes narrowed in deep thought about the two leads that had dropped on their desks at the same time. Clearly, the guy in Newark impersonating their vic's lawyer was the more essential, and would require a harder hand. Her mind was racing ahead with the urgency of getting to him before he skipped town or destroyed evidence.
"Yeah, we can handle it, no problem," Esposito chimed in, having hopped to his feet a little too eagerly.
Castle let his gaze wander upwards, as if his memories were taped to the ceiling.
"Ah, the elusive and captivating Cassandra Stone. I tried to interview her once. Delayed my book tour for a week in favor of a mountain yoga retreat, just because my agent promised she was on the program. I figured, secluded locale, natural hot springs, no internet, no press, half naked bodies searching for Nirvana, I'd have ample opportunities to 'bump' into her and share some 'quality time.'" Castle's air quotes hung in space along with his dreamy look.
Espo pressed impatiently, "And?"
"And nothing. She arrived 10 minutes before she gave her little talk, and airlifted out about 5 minutes after. Swarming around her the whole time were half a dozen girlfriends, intercepting anyone who wasn't the yogi facilitating the retreat. Instead, I spent a whole week trying to tie myself in a human knot, in close quarters with people, who considered bathing more of an option, than a requirement." Castle screwed his face up in distaste. "I had to scrub myself in lemons for 3 hours, before my publicist would let me go in public again."
Kate loved to hear how karma tortured the shallow, especially Castle.
Undeterred by the writer's detour, Ryan addressed Beckett, "I've arranged for passes to her after party, so we can go in plain clothes without alerting her publicist. And Esposito's done his homework, so we'll pass for fans. No one will even know New York's finest were there."
Kate considered teasing Kevin for his thinly veiled objective, but decided against it. She was more interested in keeping Castle's nose out of the Stone lead. The last thing she wanted to deal with was her shadow hitting on her person of interest, again. Besides, her boys deserved a free pass after the week they'd had, slogging through an especially tedious array of thankless grunt work.
"Okay, Ryan, but I'm expecting lots of actual police intel, not just observations about what kind of champagne they served, and how revealing her neckline was. You know, little details like, where she and her friends were at the time of our murder, how they came in contact with our vic, and how much the publicist knew. Every detail could be the one that breaks this case open. And once she heads back to LA tomorrow night, we may not get another crack at this." Kate made her glare a little more serious than the lead warranted, in hopes that her subordinates could hear her over their internal giddiness.
Esposito whipped out the most serious and reassuring voice he could manage "Of course, Beckett. We got this."
Ryan put on his angelic choir boy face, "I can assure you, we'll be very thorough."
"Okay, Castle, let's get going." Her resolve was all that was needed to set the room in motion.
"Why, Detective Beckett, are you anxious to keep me all to yourself? Don't want to share with Ms. Stone?" Castle teased while marching himself obediently towards the elevator.
"You wish, writer-boy. I was just hoping you'd fold yourself into a neat little pretzel, so you could ride in the trunk."
After the elevator doors closed on Castle and Beckett, Ryan retreated to the break room, Esposito to the men's room. Glancing around to be sure they were not being watched, each lost their cool for a private moment, letting out a silent scream of anticipation before they regained composure. The detectives strode back to their desks, with a little too much macho swagger, and nonchalantly mumbled something about going home to change. They left their desks in opposite directions, letting their legs carry them as fast as they thought they could get away with, without calling attention to the fact that they were both internally freaking out about tonight's prospects.
The laws of the social order kept regular working stiffs, like Kevin and Javier, from ever coming in contact with the likes of Stone. Unlike Castle, the only time they rubbed elbows with the uber-rich was when they were cuffing one on a murder charge. Meeting Ms. Stone was a once-in-a-lifetime shot.
Around midnight, the partners were clean shaven, dressed in their best tailored suits, smelling of top-shelf cologne, and handing keys to a valet. They strutted into the glitzy after party with one thing on their minds - getting an audience with Stone, before the other one had a chance. On the drive over it had all come out.
"Bro, you should let me do the talking when we find Ms. Stone. We go waaaaay back."
"You know her?" Kevin spat out. He decided to give Javi the 'I call bullshit' face.
Ryan wasn't just a casual fan. He had bumped into Ms. Stone by chance 8 years ago, when he visited his cousin in LA. But had been so completely flummoxed by a momentary brush of her skin, he couldn't get a word out, just managed to trip over himself, and sprain his arm in the most embarrassing way. Countless nights of study and fantasizing later, he knew exactly what he would do, if he got his second chance. He felt they were fated to meet, and he considered it divine intervention that her name came up in an investigation on the very same week she would be attending the premier of her latest film in New York.
Espo casually readjusted his rear view mirror, to get another look at his hair.
"She taught me everything I know, bro. I learned all my moves with her. Where to touch a woman, how to take hold of her, and when the time is right...how to taste her in just the way she needs."
"What?!" Ryan's forehead screwed up in disbelief. Of all the times they tried to one-up each others' bedroom conquest tales, over a game of Darts-n-Hearts, he had never mentioned this. There was no way he could've held onto this little gem. This would've made him a legend, not just a hero. Touching Cassandra Stone was not something that Javier Esposito could've kept to himself, especially from his best friend.
"I don't believe it."
"It's true. When I was thirteen, my cousin got hold of Eternal Secrets on VHS." Esposito gloated.
"You're kidding me. You watched a porn video in 8th grade?" Kevin's wiseass was showing, "That explains a lot."
"Not just once, I watched it every day after school for a year. I studied every move, every gesture. I was on a mission. My plan was that by the time I got into high school, I was gonna be a new man, ready to rock some lucky girl's world, like Cassandra rocked mine." The memories came flooding back, putting a faraway look in Javi's eyes. His fingertips absently brushed thick Latin lips in nostalgia.
"Lemme tell you, bro, there is no part of this woman that I don't know...intimately"
Ryan squawked, "Ha! That's your big relationship? Listen, just because you've seen the only porno flick she ever made, does not mean you know her. Her later work reveals so much more of who she is as a person."
Ryan began to geek out. "I've seen everything she's done, seen every rare interview. She is so much more than a moaning co-ed writhing to bad 80's music."
"Hey, bro, do not knock the Cali brothers. That shit was classic and timeless."
Javi considered porn producers Ira and Gordie Cali, who hired Stone for her first role on film, Eternal Secrets, to be legends of their time...much like the Cohen brothers of the big screen, but with more lube.
"Javi, I'm just saying. I'm sure you've got a special, um, bond with her. But when it comes time to do the talking, don't you think I should handle the more nuanced conversations? A woman like that, with so much...magnetism. She needs to feel respected, listened to. She needs to feel like she can really open up."
"Don't worry, bro, she's gonna feel safe." Esposito drew out the words to make them sound dirty. "These guns can protect her all night long." And just to be extra douchey, he lifted his hand from the wheel, to flex his bicep, and give it an ever-so-affectionate kiss.
This was getting ridiculous. Ryan turned to Espo, and lowered his voice, "Wanna bet?"
"Whatchyou mean?"
"The insider fan site I read, said that she's accustomed to choosing a stranger of her liking, on these rare occasions when she makes appearances. The lucky bastard gets a private audience with her alone, and away from prying eyes. The perfect time to interrogate her thoroughly, without anyone finding out. Two weeks worth of paper work says I'm gonna be that lucky bastard tonight."
Kevin had strategized, researched and practiced. He considered this bet a sure thing.
Esposito wasn't about to let this chance get away, either. His thirteen year old hormones came rushing back.
"Oh no no. If anyone's the lucky bastard, it's me!" Javi raised.
Espo thought it over. Sure, he and Ryan had been each other's wing man plenty of times. They had a bro code of conduct. They were used to stepping aside to make sure they each got a fair shot to make the best play. They even had their own language of hand gestures to silently signal the other. No way he was stepping aside this time, though. Not for 'his' Cassandra.
"I gotta warn you, little man. I'm not gonna hold back, just cause you my partner and all." Esposito poured it on, "When it comes to my Lady Cassandra, ain't no stopping this train from pulling into her station."
"Well, we'll just see about that, huh." Ryan smiled to himself as he watched his counterpart widen his eyes and shift his weight in the drivers seat. The older detective changed his driving from 'relaxed cruising' to 'poll position.' Javi was most prone to making an ass of himself, and alienating women, when he revved his machismo engine like this. It was in the bag.
The detectives passed under the chandelier, through the foyer of the small ballroom, one at a time. The entrance was intentionally set up to give everyone already at the party a chance to easily check out the new arrivals. It was the first of many gauntlets Stone's would-be suitors would have to pass through. Ryan already had his game face on. With a quiet sure-footed gait, scorching blue eyes, and slender waist, he was drawing stares. He pretended he didn't notice the eyes burning into the back of his neck, and made his way to the bar, nice and slow.
Esposito was a little less prepared for all the gawking at his entrance, but when he saw how many fine ladies were checking out his physique, and delicious caramel flavored eyes, he was able to find his suave strut. Predictably, he met Ryan at the bar with even more bravado than he came in with. "I hope you like paperwork, bro. Cause it's on."
"We'll see," Ryan said picking up his drink for a sip.
"I'll start with her." The younger detective pointed discreetly to a woman he recognized from the entourage. A redhead in a red dress with a sly smile, who had been scrutinizing him, like a hunter spotting prey.
"Fine. I'll start with her." Esposito locked eyes with a tall drink of mocha, who could have been Naomi Campbell's thinner sister, with improbably high cheek bones, and a model-esque frame.
Ms. Cassandra Stone scanned the guests from the third balcony, looking for her trusted friends. The world famous actress hated crowds, and hated small talk. She was tortured by these public appearances, and rarely agreed to them. Ironically, she loved intimate moments with strangers. That's what drew her first to porn, then to film, which she found even more intimate. She chose very revealing roles, but insisted on closed sets. At an event like this, her only consolation was that it offered the chance to find a perfect stranger, that she could escape with.
Of course, Stone's publicist hated these inclinations in her client. Ducking out of parties, with unvetted strangers, made Cassandra a target for the ill-intentioned and the tabloids. Cassandra's entourage had taken on the job of hand picking her best options for an engaging evening, while also keeping her out of harm's way. The redhead swooning over Ryan's pearly whites, and conspiratorial tone, was Cassandra's best friend, Jaqui.
Jaqui loved her role as match maker, especially this part of the night, watching the parade of men (and women), calling over the most qualified candidates, grilling them with intimate questions. She didn't have the stomach for one night stands, but damn did she revel in the meat market. All kinds of beautiful people were in attendance, smelling scrumptious, bulging with high hopes and hormones. And it was her job to cull the catch from the crowd. Her task was made all the more interesting because the candidate didn't need any long term viability like a stable job or a good family. He, or she, just needed to be someone Cassandra could dive into, and escape the pressure of what she called 'fixed outcomes.' She was just looking for the makings of an amazing night for her BFF, one that wouldn't end her career, or worse, end with her shackled in a stalker's dungeon.
It wasn't long before Jaqui was escorting Ryan past the velvet ropes to the third floor. Ryan's research and planning were paying off, but now he had to focus. He was getting insanely nervous, which usually resulted in an overly self-conscious furrowed brow. Sometimes his voice would even squeak. He just hoped when he saw her, the fear would work to his advantage, like it did when he was undercover.
When Detective Ryan infiltrated the Irish Mob, he found that the fear rising in his stomach would focus him. It helped him be cooler and smoother than his usual klutzy self. With the help of the acid rising in his stomach, he hoped he could become a cooler, smoother Kevin Ryan for Ms. Stone, if not forever, at least long enough to get him in the door.
Luckily, when he finally laid eyes on her, standing in the hallway, leaning shyly against the wall, something balanced in him. Ryan could feel his center of gravity drop into his feet. All he had to do was follow them to her, and keep his impossibly blue eyes trained on hers.
Jaqui wasn't the only one scouting though. Some of Cassandra's other friends had spotted Javier Esposito's fine frame, and were putting him through his paces. Currently, the women were enjoying baiting him with a one-armed push up challenge, which he couldn't refuse after he lost the tequila-shot speed challenge to a girl named Kimi. Since Kimi probably weighed a buck ten soaking wet, Esposito's pride was looking to recover.
"...68, 69, 70, 71..." A crowd had gathered around the spectacle of Esposito's dance floor calisthenics. Two floors above, the keenly focused Ryan finally locked eyes with the aloof Ms. Stone. The actress smiled at him, but before he could get a word out, little Kimi tugged Cassandra over to the railing, and whispered something in her ear. She was pointing at the Espo show below.
In a moment, Javier was topping the stairs, his stride full of confidence, white dress shirt unbuttoned to his chest, cuffs of his sleeves rolled up to mid forearm. He was flush with exhilaration. The macho twitch, that usually got him into trouble with the ladies, had melted away in the physical activity. Now he glistened with calm presence. He knew all he had to do was let that energy flowing through him find its way to Cassandra.
Ryan's plan had a hitch in it now.
To the extraordinary Ms. Scarlett, Twisha, and MBG, thanks for being "my people." Your suggestions were golden.
My very first "stab" at fanfic ever, please let me know if anything turned you on, or made you laugh, but please be ever so kind to the 'fresh meat'. Where my fellow Ryan and Espo lovers? And, really, why are you so quiet on this site? Let me know you were here, with a review or PM.