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Ryan couldn’t breathe. He felt like his entire head was underwater and he more than anything wanted to stay home and sleep for the next couple of days, especially because his cough had kept him up all night. But this was one of the biggest cases they’d had in a while and they needed all the help they could get. And besides that, Kevin Ryan was not going to be bested by a cold.
As the elevator opened and he made his way to his desk, he felt his entire team judging his appearance. It was different. He hadn’t worn jeans to work in a long while, but there was no way he was going to find the energy get a suit ready. He’d tried. The ironing board was being a pain in the ass and he gave up, opting to wear jeans and a henley instead, which was more what Esposito would wear, but he didn’t care. In fact, the clothes may have been left at his apartment by Esposito, now that he thought about it.
He also hadn’t done his hair. He’d taken a shower, but he just left it. No brushing, no gel.
“Ryan?” Castle asked.
Ryan sniffed and shrugged. “Where are we?” He asked, his voice was rough from his sore throat and he sounded very congested.
“You’re sick.” Esposito said, folding his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow at his boyfriend of six months.
Ryan smiled at him. “Wow. You should be a detective.” He set his coat down and sat heavily in his chair, booting up his computer.
“Ryan, I don’t think you should be here if you’re sick.” Beckett said.
“It’s just a cold, Beckett. It’s not like I’ve got Ebola.” Ryan coughed loudly and it actually sounded really disgusting.
Esposito picked up the box of tissues from his own desk and set them down in front of his partner. “Okay, but you’re going home early.”
Ryan definitely didn’t want to argue with that, so he nodded and grabbed a tissue, blowing his nose and chucking it in the garbage. “So, where are we?”
Let it not be said that Kevin Ryan didn’t try. He did everything Beckett asked, albeit slowly, and she only ever asked him to complete simple tasks, but he was being drained quickly. After he’d only been there for about two hours, Beckett and Castle came out of the interrogation rooms to find him with his head on his desk.
“Ryan?” Beckett asked, stepping over to him and setting a hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah?” Ryan lifted his head. Clearly he hadn’t been asleep, just taking a break.
He looked awful. He was clearly exhausted and he’d already filled the trash bin with tissues.
“I think you need to go home, Kevin.” She said softly.
“But the case.” Ryan said, sitting up in his chair and rubbing his eyes. “This is an important one.”
“It’s not enough to kill yourself over.” She said.
Esposito entered the room with coffee in one hand and tea in the other, clearly for Ryan.
“Javi, will you explain to your partner that we can handle the case today without him?” Beckett said, folding her arms.
“She’s right, babe.” Esposito said, setting down the tea and crouching down next to him. “We’ve got this covered. You should get some sleep. You won’t be any help to us the way you are right now.”
Ryan looked over at him and sighed. “Are you guys sure?” He asked.
“Positive.” Esposito nodded. “Go home. I’ll call you later to make sure you’re okay and I’ll stop by at lunch.”
“Okay.” Ryan conceded.
After making sure he was fine to take a cab home and that he had his coat so the cold wouldn’t get worse, Esposito kissed his boyfriend on the forehead and sent him on his way, walking him down to the street and helping him get into the taxi.
After that, Esposito was the one who wasn’t functioning right. He was fidgety and distracted and more than once Beckett caught him texting Ryan for updates and looking disappointed when he got nothing back rather than working on the case.
“Okay, go make sure he’s alright.” She said around noon.
“Wha-”
“Ryan.” She elaborated. “Take your lunch break now and go make sure Ryan’s fine, because if you don’t, you’re going to drive us all crazy.”
“But-”
“Just do it, Espo.” Beckett sighed. “Ryan probably just went home and fell asleep, I bet he didn’t even think to go pick up any kind of medicine or soup or anything. Go check on him and be back here in two hours.”
“Two?”
“You’re taking a long lunch. Castle and I will take care of things until you get back. We can handle things for two hours, just go. Now, please.”
Esposito gave her a smile and left the precinct.
Beckett watched him go and Castle stepped up behind her. “Those two are so grossly in love.” He said.
Beckett nodded. “Good thing we don’t act like that.”
Gates, who had been walking past them on her way to her office gave them a look and then continued on.
~.~.~
Esposito arrived at Ryan’s apartment about fifteen minutes after he left the precinct, stopping at the store to grab some essentials.
They’d exchanged keys before they were even an item, so Esposito let himself in, happy he didn’t have to make Ryan get up and open the door for him.
When he entered, he was surprised to see Ryan hadn’t even made it past the couch. He’d taken off his shoes, dropped his coat on the floor, and promptly dropped on the couch. He’d at least turned on the tv before falling asleep.
Esposito stepped over to the kitchen and set down the bags of groceries. He stuck the orange juice in the fridge and then walked back to the living room, squatting down beside his boyfriend and running his hands through his hair.
Ryan woke slowly at the touch and blinked his eyes. He smiled when he saw Esposito there. “Hey.” He said softly.
“Hey.” Esposito replied. “How’re you feeling?”
Ryan shrugged slightly. “Like shit.”
Esposito laughed. “Well, I brought you some stuff. I have soup and crackers and all the vitamin c the store had.”
Ryan smiled and sat up slowly. “You didn’t have to do all that.”
“I know.” Esposito stood. “I wanted to. I want you to get better.” He stepped back over to the kitchen and began looking for a pot to heat the soup in.
“I’m gonna go change.” Ryan said, rubbing his eyes and heading into his room to throw on some pajama bottoms and a t shirt.
When he returned, Esposito had a pot on the stove and was rummaging through his bags. He pulled out decongestant for daytime and nighttime, menthol rub, a few more cans of soup, a box of crackers, and tissues.
Ryan reached over and picked up the menthol rub. “What do I do with this?” He asked, knowing full well what he was supposed to do with it.
“Rub it on your chest.” Esposito replied, not paying attention and putting things away.
“All by myself?” He asked.
Esposito turned and looked at him, an eyebrow raised. He smiled at Ryan’s playful smirk. “Well, if you ask nicely, I’m sure someone would be glad to help you put it on.”
Ryan stepped over to his boyfriend and held the menthol rub up. “Javi, would you help me put this on?” He asked softly.
The soup on the stove began to boil over and Esposito stepped away from Ryan and turned the stove off. “Maybe, if you finish all your soup like a good boy.”
Ryan laughed and set it down, taking the soup from Esposito once he’d filled a bowl and then walking back to the couch and setting the bowl down on the coffee table.
Esposito filled a glass with orange juice and stepped over to Ryan on the couch, setting the juice down by his soup.
“Are you going to eat anything?” Ryan asked, feeling weird being the only one eating when it was Esposito’s lunch break and he needed food too.
“I grabbed a sandwich on the way here.” Esposito replied, walking back to the kitchen and pulling said sandwich out of the bag along with a soda. He sat back down on the couch and Ryan scooted closer to him.
Esposito picked up the remote and switched the channel. “Any preference?” He asked.
“Nope.” Ryan replied.
They ended up watching some show about ghosts. Ryan ate quite a bit of soup and every once in a while had to blow his nose as the heat was breaking up the congestion. It was equal parts really good and really disgusting. He could breathe now, but they were surrounded by nasty tissues.
When the show was over and Ryan had eaten what he could, he lay his head on Esposito’s shoulder. “So, about that menthol stuff.” He said softly.
Esposito chuckled. “You want me to rub it on?”
“I’d appreciate it.” Ryan replied.
Esposito stood and took their dishes to the kitchen, grabbing the menthol rub on his way back. He sat back down on the couch and opened it, looking up at Ryan as he did so. “Take off your shirt.” He said.
Ryan did so just as Esposito dipped two fingers in the stuff. He rubbed it around with his thumb and then placed his fingers on Ryan’s chest. The smell of menthol was very strong, and even with Ryan’s stuffed nose, the smell was really overpowering.
Esposito switched to both hands and rubbed the menthol all over very slowly. They kept eye contact as he did so and their faces were very close. It would have been a perfect time for a kiss, but neither wanted Esposito to get sick as well.
“There.” Esposito said once he was finished. He grabbed a few tissues and wiped the rest off his hands.
“Thank you.” Ryan said.
Esposito reached down and grabbed Ryan’s shirt off the floor, slowly pulling it back over Ryan’s head. Ryan then curled up into Esposito’s side.
“When do you have to go back to work?” He asked softly.
Esposito checked his phone. “About ten minutes.” He replied.
Ryan buried his face into Esposito’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to go.” His voice was muffled.
“I’ll only be gone for a few hours. Maybe Beckett will let me off early.”
“I hope so.”
They sat, curled up on the couch for the last ten minutes before Esposito pulled away, startling Ryan who’d been seconds from sleep.
“Sorry.” Esposito said, running a hand through Ryan’s hair.
“You have to go?”
“Yeah.” He leaned over and kissed Ryan on the forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Try to get some rest while I’m gone.”
Ryan nodded and Esposito stood, putting on his shoes and grabbing his wallet and keys.
“Hey, Javi?” Ryan said, just before Esposito reached the door.
He turned. “Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
Esposito smiled and then stepped back over to Ryan, giving him a kiss on the head again. “Anytime, my love.”