Season: 8 (plays right after the episode Heartbreaker)
I kept any mentioning of LokSat to the bare minimum, it's just not my cup of tea. I know there are some strong opinions out there on this season, so I just focused on keeping the characters as human and realistic as possible.
While this story analyzes the way Esposito is handling the situation with Sonia, it is also highlighting the personal struggles all our favorite characters are facing in season 8, and how they each deal with the changes that have happened over the years. Not to mention, there's a case to solve!
I hope you will enjoy my little twist on things.
Another cloud of blue smoke travelled past him, getting stuck somewhere near the back corner of the small bar and the surprisingly extensive liquor selection resting on a set of handmade shelving units that looked to be one failing nail away from crashing to the ground.
Kevin drew in a deep breath, letting his gaze travel to the five spigots of beer on tap, all the handles a unique color and shape; the intriguing designs aimed to make the customer forget that the end results remained the same, no matter how different the taste might be.
Behind them, situated on a tiny stage, was a three-men band, one singer, one playing the castanets, one on the zambomba, all of them sweaty from their hard work of trying to make it past the significant background noise of the busy bar on the outskirts of Spanish Harlem.
Throughout the course of the week, the festivities seemed to gain in strength, locals coming together anxiously awaiting the weekend of fun and celebration; the continuous ebb and flow of customers ceasing again as monday approached, marking another lonely bar night soon to be turned into party central as the calendar mercilessly moved on.
It was a lifestyle so far removed from what Kevin was used to, lacking any sort of formal structure, any limitations or common sense when it came to keeping a party…manageable for those who had to get up and function the next day.
No, these were people very accustomed to living life to the fullest, enjoying each day as though it was their last, seemingly not caring the least about the pesky burdens of adulthood, such as plenty of sleep, responsibility and the ability to pay one's bills.
It was a wild crowd, full of zest and vigor, dancing feverishly, their energy making the drinks go down faster and smoother the longer the music played.
With a quiet sigh, Kevin looked down at his wristwatch, woefully realizing that midnight was approaching fast, as was the next workday starting in less than eight hours. Add to it a very…very pregnant wife, money woes and the stress that came with the kind of job he had chosen for himself; it was safe to say that each of his senses begged him to go home, get some much-needed sleep and try again tomorrow.
And yet here he was, shoulder to shoulder with his best friend, surrounded by a fair assortment of love-hungry Hispanics, if he was to judge the plentiful advances he'd encountered over the past three hours, hands touching his body here and there, warm hips pressed against him as people moved by, busy fingers running up and down his back.
Over the course of the night, Javi had received most of the attention from the female crowd, stoically accepting the flirtatious circus that his presence had created, slowly sipping away on his beverages as time flew by…well, at least for him anyway.
As far as Javi's mental state was concerned, there was no telling just what was going on in that busy mind. Well, there was some…telling. Obviously, the situation with Sonia had worn on the deeply devoted man, ripping open wounds of an unknown past Kevin was thirsting to dig into but afraid of what he might discover.
Like a flash in the pan, she'd appeared out of nowhere, cast her spell over her ex-fiancé, wreaked havoc and disappeared into thin air again long before anything was said and done, leaving behind a cacophony of unreturned affection, words left unsaid and an unspoken bond that was as dysfunctional as the word itself.
He'd seen Javi at his best and his worst before but this one…this was different.
This hit deeper than anything they'd ever been through together, putting that strange undertone into the detective's voice each time he mentioned her, causing that awkward silence when things got too close for comfort.
While Kevin was amply able and willing to walk that tightrope of being a listening ear for his best friend while simultaneously trying to help him overcome his heartache; the last two weeks had begun to wear on him- his liver mostly.
Javi was no alcoholic by any stretch of the imagination and yet, for some reason or another, he'd been drawn to that bar in Spanish Harlem several times a week, perhaps reliving old memories he refused to share, or just to be around other people he felt comfortable with.
Whatever it was, his nightly habits had had an effect on Kevin who was beginning to doubt if his presence even made any difference with every futile night spent here, watching Javi stare blankly at the TV screens ahead, then the liquor selection, drowning an occasional shot of tequila with his beer, before resuming his stoic brooding.
Yeah, they talked here and there, but the real subject, the…deep stuff had never come up.
As though he was guarding a national treasure, Javi had become frighteningly good at avoiding any topic that could potentially lead to a conversation about Sonia.
Instead, they'd talked about sports, the new coffee blend for the espresso machine, the annoying lag time of the elevator doors once they arrived at the floor of the Homicide Department…some of the most boring and circular topics to be found. But deep inside, Kevin still felt that it was important to keep his partner talking, no matter what it was about.
Anything would be better than watching him clam up more with each passing day, holding those strong feelings carefully guarded beneath a mile-wide zone of false lightheartedness until they would cause a stroke.
No, he had sworn to be there for him, help in any way he could, even if it meant to just sit next to him for hours, watching their beers empty and refill, then ending the night with a quiet nod and do the same again the next day or so.
Jenny hadn't been thrilled about this at all, and he sure couldn't blame her one bit. Beckett was entirely clueless, or so he'd still hoped. Castle…that was a different topic altogether.
Always one to be sensitive to other people's deepest thoughts and feelings; it seemed that the writer's cued senses had been sharpened significantly over the past eight years when it came to the team, making him quite aware that something was off.
Kevin couldn't put his finger on it, was afraid to even mention anything for fear of exposing his partner's struggles. But there'd been something in Castle's blue eyes, something in his expression that suggested he knew what had been going on, quite possibly even understood.
Whether or not he'd told Beckett about it was an entirely different story.
Without a word, Javi got up from his chair and slowly meandered toward the bathroom, a drunk, scantily clad woman off on the right trying to take advantage of the situation and meeting him halfway, leaning her face into his neck and planting a kiss there, just to have the detective push her away with a few carefully chosen words.
Growing increasingly uncomfortable as the night went on, Kevin checked his wristwatch for the third time in the past five minutes as the bartender reached for their glasses, ready to refill them, when he waved him off.
"I'm done…", he said, still not sure if the man even spoke English, being that they hadn't exchange a single word all night other than the occasional grunt for more beer, "We both are."
Hesitating for a beat, the bartender nodded cordially and pulled the glasses away from the bar, then wiped his hands on his apron.
"Javier…he eh…he not feeling well? He spend…more time here in two weeks than last five years.", the lanky older man asked in a heavy accent and Kevin nodded, keeping one eye on the bathrooms in case his partner came back.
"Yeah, he's got some…heartache going on.", the young detective replied hesitantly, wondering where he knew Esposito from.
"Ah. Sonia."
A shadow of regret fell over the other man's face as he shook his head somberly, then shrugged in defeat.
"I take it you knew her…?", Kevin pried, trying to ignore the distinct feeling of unease that came with the topic being brought up.
"Si. Beautiful couple. Sonia…she very beautiful. But she trouble too. And Javier…he know that. I told him, I say, amigo, do not play with fire. But he no listen. He got burnt."
"He sure did…", Ryan sighed and glanced back over toward the bathrooms, not sure how his partner would react if he found them discussing his love life.
"Sonia back in town?", the other man asked in undisguised concern and leaned across the bar, trying to keep their conversation private.
"Not any more…thankfully.", Kevin countered and flinched when the bartender reached over to grasp his hand tighly.
"Sonia…she…El Diablo. She destroy everything in her path. She dangerous, even from far away. She cast bad spell over Javier years ago. If she back now, she ready to take his soul. You must watch out for Javier, you hear? He in grave danger."
"O…okay…", Kevin stammered, pulling away from the bar the moment he saw his partner's silhouette reappear from the men's bathrooms, his gaze casually drifting to the impressive assortment of female characters filling the dancefloor before returning to his chair.
Once Javi noticed their glasses missing, he wordlessly reached for his wallet when the bartender cleared his throat.
"Esta noche está en la casa, amigo."
Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Esposito gazed back and forth between his partner and the other man before nodding hesitantly.
"Gracias, Raul.", he replied sheepishly and dug a few dollar bills out of his pocket for a tip, "Qué tengas buenas noches."
Kevin watched some unspoken words being exchanged between the two men, the situation reeking of a history that seemed to follow a certain woman everywhere.
And just like so many things when it came to Sonia, Esposito let the silence do most of the talking and nodded in gratitude before walking off, slowing his pace enough that his partner could join him.
"Ready to go home?", he asked casually and flagged down a taxi, causing Kevin to nod eagerly.
"Definitely. It's getting late. We gotta be ready for work tomorrow."
Whether he heard it and chose to ignore it, or the words never made it through his thick skull, Esposito didn't acknowledge his underlying message. Instead, he cocked his chin back at the bar, then shook his head in annoyance.
"Raul try to tell you about El Diablo?"
Taken aback for a second, Kevin nodded shyly and shrugged, surprised by his partner's awareness of the innuendo.
"He…he did, yeah. He just seemed…genuinely concerned, I guess."
The shadow of disdain flooded Esposito's features and he fell still for a moment, the scowl on his face deepening.
For the longest time, the only thing between them was their warm breaths rising into the chilly night air, time seemingly coming to a halt as one man mastered the proverbial walk on eggshells while the other stubbornly refused any attempts to release the pent-up angst and frustration he'd harbored for far too long.
Eventually, Esposito scoffed, trying to direct his anger away from his partner but failing.
"The dude dated my momma once for a couple of months and now he thinks he's got some sort of right to tell me what to do. Next time tell him he can keep his advice to himself. I didn't come here to deal with his…fairy tales."
Staying perfectly still, Kevin nodded, unwilling to do or say anything that would fan the flames and get that Latin temper boiling even more.
In the end, it was the approaching cab that offered salvation and he pointed at the backdoor.
"Let's just go home, Javi. It's been a long day."