DISCLAIMER: I do not own Castle or its characters. I just like to play with them occasionally.
SPOILERS: None.
WINNING
It was a little game they played. See which one of them would over-step the line first. See which one would be the first to break.
It was a silent game; they'd never once spoken about it. It just happened. Grew from nothing... or maybe something. Neither could remember how or when the game started, but they were both pretty certain they were playing it.
"The fingerprints were a match to Joe Perry," Ryan told Beckett as he stood in front of her desk.
"And here's the toxicology report that just came through," Esposito said as he approached from behind him.
There was plenty of room either side of Ryan for Esposito to hand Beckett the papers, but instead he leant over Ryan's shoulder, placing a warm hand on the man's lower back as he did so. Ryan felt the heat spread across his back, bringing a tingling sensation with it. And then Esposito was gone. Back to his desk. One point to Esposito.
Later that same day, Esposito went to make them both a coffee. When he handed one to Ryan, the man let his fingers linger on his for a fraction too long. Ryan held his gaze whilst doing so, those blue eyes boring into his own. Esposito had to swallow slowly. One point to Ryan.
The next day Ryan spilt soda down the front of his shirt by accident. Esposito offered to lend him the spare he kept in his locker for such emergencies. After accepting the offer and changing into the shirt, Ryan noticed it smelled of Esposito. The mix of his heavenly cologne and... well... just Esposito, was wafting under his nose all day. Every time he inhaled, his head would spin with the recognition of the other man's scent so close to him. Another point to Esposito.
At the end of the week, they made plans to play a game of basketball. The constant physical contact and too-convenient excuses to touch each other meant they lost count of game points... in both games that were going on. They ended up hot, sweaty and smirking subtly, almost daring each other to over-step; to mention the silent game. To make it real.
They headed to the change rooms together, hands brushing ever so slightly as they walked. The game was escalating, and they were both getting a little nervous. When they got to their lockers, Esposito turned his back on Ryan to fetch his change of clothes. When he'd retrieved everything he needed to take a shower, he turned back around to find Ryan already shirtless. He didn't mean to inhale so sharply and suddenly, but he couldn't help it. The sight of Ryan's glistening back and arms caught him off-guard. Ryan heard his gasp and looked up from his gym bag to raise an eyebrow and smirk at his partner slightly. Dammit, thought Esposito. Another point to Ryan.
Esposito cleared his throat and walked, somewhat hurriedly, into one of the showers. Ryan ran a hand through his hair as he looked towards where Esposito had disappeared around the corner. None of the showers had doors, but they were arranged at angles that allowed privacy. Ryan wasn't sure whose point it would be if he followed Esposito into the same shower, so he opted for the safer alternative and headed for another one.
They both turned the taps to cold.
When Ryan finally emerged from the shower and headed back to the lockers, the sight that greeted him made him fight back a groan. Standing in front of the mirror, Esposito was spraying his intoxicating body spray over his bare torso, his shirt unbuttoned and his chest hair still slightly damp. They made eye contact in the mirror and managed to hold it just a fraction too long.
They finished getting dressed without glancing at each other again. The game was getting much too intense. Too dangerous. At least when they played the game at the precinct, there were boundaries, restrictions. Here in the deserted locker room, the only boundaries were in their minds.
"Good game," Ryan commented as they started walking down the narrow corridor out of the change rooms. Neither knew which of the games he was referring to.
"Yeah," Esposito answered, his voice sounding hoarser than usual.
They turned a corner in the corridor and Ryan slipped a little in a puddle of water on the floor. He put his arms out to balance himself and all of a sudden his back was against the wall and Esposito's lips were on his. Ryan's hands were clutching at the front of his shirt. Esposito's hands pressed against the wall either side of his head. The kiss was rough, hard, frenzied.
Had Esposito pushed Ryan against the wall? Or had Ryan pulled Esposito's mouth to his by grabbing at his shirt? Neither would ever really know.
As suddenly and inexplicably as the kiss had started, it stopped. They were staring at each other with wide eyes, brains scrambling to process what to do next. Then Ryan's mouth began to twitch and they were both grinning at each other.
They both won this game.