A/N: I borrowed the title from one of my Gargoyles fan fictions because it would fit here. I could easily blame one of my friends for this but I'll take full on responsibly. It couldn't be helped. We'll be able to see Nathan as Dogberry. I'd just like to imagine Seamus citing Shakespeare. Le sigh. Oh, and naturally implied!Becksposito.
How Shakespearian of You:
By: LOSTrocker
Ryan was trying to help Esposito out. "I'm telling ya bro, ladies dig Shakespeare."
Esposito rolled his eyes. "I get that. I understand he's suppose to be one of the most outstandin' play writes of all time. I just don't grasp it dude." He didn't apologize for it.
"How?" Ryan gawked at him, shocked at the fact that his partner has never even attempted to woo a lady with lovely words such as these.
To empathize his point, Ryan had brought one of The Bard's collections. A very thick text that included not only the plays but the sonnets too. He was currently sitting on the edge of Espo's desk with Javier as his audience.
"Listen to this," Ryan cleared his throat to read on.
"But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?It is the east, and Juliet is the , fair sun, and kill the envious moon,Who is already sick and pale with grief…"
Half way through, he got up gracefully from his partner's desk to finish it ever so over dramatically:
"That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she. Be not her maid, since she is envious; Her vestal livery is but sick and greenAnd none but fools do wear it; cast it is my lady, O, it is my love!"
Cue Beckett. "What? A book reading and no one invited me?"
Ryan composed himself to only slide his book onto his desk though he'd cast the blame of ownership to Jenny to leave some pride to his manhood. It wouldn't stop the others from giving him crap about it though.
"No wine or cheese?" Beckett asked. "Bad hosting Ryan."
"Nah, there's plenty of cheese, just not the kind ya eat." Espo chuckled at Ryan's offense.
"Ha, ha." Ryan mocked him right back. "How do ya think I snagged Jenny?"
Beckett and Esposito exchanged a glance with a smirk. This was too easy, and Ryan put himself into this hole. "Desperate." Beckett called first.
"Drunk." finished Espo. "Or both." he shrugged.
Beckett nodded in agreement.
"'Kay, ya both suck!" Ryan pointed at them.
"Oooh, Shakespeare!" Castle wasn't too far along Beckett. He looked at Ryan with puppy dog eyes. "May I?"
Ryan beamed at him. "Now see, here is a man who understands." he continued. "Go 'head."
"What brought this on?" Castle asked without looking up as he took the thick text so he could flip through the pages.
"Careful with that though-" Ryan warned but was cut off by Esposito.
"Yeah, Jenny will through a fit if that gets damaged." Espo didn't buy Ryan's tale of that book belonging to Jen at all. Not by a freaking long shot.
If it was one thing a writer knew how to do was handle a book. This one was old with pages that were thin so he carefully turned the pages.
"Javier doesn't get Shakespeare." Ryan shared.
"What? Seriously?" That brought up Castle's attention back to his partner as well.
Espo nodded. "I never needed his help with the ladies or help me take down a bad guy."
"Every thought of tryin'?" Ryan asked him. "I mean, since yer lackin' these days." It was only fair play back considering how much trouble he gave him about Jenny.
Espo got up out of his chair. "There is a major difference 'tween him and me." he paused. "That guy is dead. I'm alive. Can't count much on a dead man's help."
"Yeah, yeah, try telling that to a bunch of lonely boys trying to get some action."
"Ah, like ya were once?" Espo questioned.
Beckett laughed.
"What about you m'lady Beckett?" Castle asked the female detective. "Anyone ever try this on you?"
Kate smirked. She went to side glance at Espo. What he had failed to share with the class was he did try it with her. Once, a long time ago, way before Castle was ever in the picture. It just didn't go for her. He sounded liked a nervous mumbling idiot. The words didn't flow off his tongue the way she'd liked him to. Javier thought that he could woo her over with Shakespeare but he learned right quick that it wasn't for her. Not from him. What attracted her to him couldn't be found in any book.
Espo shook his head. He'd deny the whole thing anyway, not that anyone would be believe her. So, she told Castle a fiblet: "Nope."
Esposito would thank her later for that.
This gave him lead way to use this on his own advantage. He caught her eyes into his blue ones, and he did that thing where he lowered his voice a bit to capture their attention, to put them on the edge of their seats. However, this time it was softer than normal and only aimed for Kate.
"I do love nothing in the world so well as you- is not that strange?"
Where it hadn't worked for Javier, Castle was making up for his lack. It was enough to make her heart race pick up a tiny bit, enough to almost bring her hand up to her chest. There was a double meaning that somewhere, she just knew it!
It made Espo smile. He saw what Castle did there. That clever bastard. He successfully had Kate Beckett all a flutter. He could see the butterflies in her eyes. Javier made a mental note to ask him how the hell he did that. As long as Ryan didn't find out, he didn't see the harm in it. It might not have worked for Kate because they were not meant to be (though, deep in the back of his mind he hoped) he'd could always try it on someone else.
Kevin applauded Castle's efforts.
"Yer not cryin'?" asked Javier with a laugh.
"Nah, nah, allergies. Dust. Ya'know." Ryan tried. He quickly went to wipe a way a tear that was due to slip out of his beautiful blue eyes.
Beckett's phone rang, snapping her out of her trance by Castle. Rick put the book back onto Ryan's desk. By the looks of it, a body which meant murder! Shakespeare and death all in one day! This was all making him more giddy than a school girl on Spring Break.
"What do we got?" Ryan asked after Beckett flipped her phone closed.
She smirked. "A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows. Do with their death bury their parents' strife." All right, so not exactly close but the case they were heading out ready to solve was similar to the classic play.
Castle actually squealed. "Double, double, toil and trouble! Fire burn and cauldron bubble!" the writer continued to quote. "I foresee a dagger." A beat. "Poison! I bet there is poison!"
"Meh," Ryan disagreed. "If it's anything like the newer version. Ya'know, the one with Leonardo?"
"I'm gonna assume ya don't mean the ninja turtle." joked Espo.
"He's dreamy," kidded Castle. "The actor, not the turtle." he corrected himself. He caught the looks from his friendly neighborhood detectives. "What kind of a freak do you think I am?"
"I don't think ya really want us to answer that." Ryan promised him. "The dagger will replaced with a gun."
"It takes one to know one." called Castle to Ryan.
"Yer such an asshole Castle." Ryan only pulled that card because he knew that Castle would be the only one to take the hint.
"Dost thou not suspect my place? Dost thou not suspect my years? O that he were here to write me down an ass. But masters, remember that I am an ass: though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an ass."
Needless to say, Castle caught on. Espo only went to brush along him unable to deal with the drabble of nonsense while Ryan gave him a pat on the back. Beckett just agreed with him on that much.
END.