Free For All

[ravensword.livejournal.com]

Happy Friday everyone! And, since it's friday, you know what that means! Free For All. Any fandom, any pairing, any prompt.



Just a couple reminders though:

Don't include spoilers in the prompt for any show or movie until at least one week after air date. Please remember that for those people in countries other than the originating home of the show, there can be long delays before an episode is aired (for example, Torchwood just started this week here in the states).

If your response to a prompt includes spoilers, warn in bold and leave at least three spaces before the beginning of the story.

Don't leave more than 5 prompts in a row, and no more than 3 prompts per fandom. When someone else has answered, you can leave more prompts.



Also, please be kind to the code monkeys and leave everything in the proper format. For example:

Leverage, Nate/Eliot, wordless conversation

Andromeda/SGA, Tyr Anasazi/Ronon Dex, physical



And if none of the prompts here tickle your fingers, you can check out the Lonely Prompts over at our Delicious page. Use the "lonely" tag bundles in the right hand side bar to find the fandoms you're interested in.


Also, remember that this weekend is a contest weekend. Lonely Prompts are your mission. I do need to get the last few prizes out, but money's been tight. Please be patient and I'll get it done. If you care to contribute to defraying the cost of prizes, donations are accepted via Paypal. The address to paypal is commentficmods@gmail.com.

Thanks everyone! Happy Friday!

Comments

[cyphersushi.livejournal.com]

Castle, Ryan/Esposito, "Beer after work?" "The usual meaning of beer?" "Of course"

PART 1 - Being Strangers, Ryan/Esposito, PG-13

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bluebells/]

This may not be quite what you were thinking of, hope you still enjoy it! Sorry about the length.

----

It’s been almost three months since Ryan was transferred to his new precinct under the white collar division as a liaison to the FBI.

Esposito can count on one hand the number of times they’ve spoken since. When Beckett asks him if he’s seen their old friend one morning, he realises just how long it’s been and the guilt is like a punch to the gut.

Esposito and Ryan hadn’t managed the best – or even the most professional – parting.

“’Sposito, man, I looked for you all morning. I wanted you to hear it from me –“

Esposito flared and turned on his partn – no, former partner, outside the Chief’s office. “How about some heads up, man? How long had they been trying to get you over there? You didn’t think maybe this was the sort of thing you wanted to discuss with the guy who’s had your back for the last three years?”

Ryan’s expression was torn and yesterday Esposito’s first instinct would have been to apologise, brush it off, find a compromise, just to make that expression lighten up. That was yesterday.

“Chief pulled me into his office this morning, he said the white collar division had an opportunity for me –“

“You didn’t have to say ‘yes’!”

Ryan stared at him and slowly shook his head. “Yeah, man. I did.” He sighs, hands on his hips and he leans in to mutter for some semblance of privacy, although they’re standing in the middle of the corridor and people were starting to notice. “You know I’ve been heading here, the FBI—“

Esposito could barely hear him over the angry thud of his heart in his chest. Lip curled, he threw up his hands and started backing away. “You’re right, I’m sorry. It’s your life. Go get 'em federalies.”

“Esposito,” Ryan sighed, exasperated, but then Beckett was there, eyes blazing as she glared between them.

“Do you think you two could manage this like professional officers and take this somewhere else? Everyone is staring and this isn’t the last impression I want to leave them with!”

“It’s all right, Beckett, Ryan’s made it pretty clear that we’re done.”

Esposito heads to the roof and ignores his partner as he calls after him. He’s thankful when nobody follows him.

That was three months ago.

He has a new partner now and he’s thankful they gave him Lindsey who doesn’t try to compete with the memory of Ryan at happy hour. She’s tactful and thorough, she doesn’t balk at crime scenes and she has an entirely different sense of humour that still cracks him up, but she’s not Ryan.

It’s three months, almost to the day, when they’re making a coffee stop in the break out room and Esposito almost doesn’t recognise Ryan when he passes by the window.

Esposito double takes, recovering from Lindsey’s anecdote about her family over the weekend and Lindsey looks over her shoulder, concerned.

“What is it?”

“I’ll be damned… I think that was my old partner.”

Lindsey takes his coffee mug from him, “Well, go on!”

PART 2 - Being Strangers, Ryan/Esposito, PG-13

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bluebells/]

He’d hazed Lindsey on her first day with the angry recollection of how his last partnership had ended. She’d listened, nodding and obtained a fresh cup of coffee for him at the end of it, patted him on the shoulder.

Esposito thinks he’s been pretty lucky with his run of partners.

Esposito spots Ryan almost at the lift, a thick manila folder in his hand and he’s just about to step in when Esposito calls out, “Ryan!”

Ryan turns, frowning in soft confusion that melts into something stunned when Esposito comes to a stop in front of him.

“’Sposito….”

“Hey,” Esposito manages, catching his breath as Ryan watches him, curious, and it’s those same blue eyes. Of course, idiot, it’s only been three months. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah.”

For a long moment they just look each other over, not awkward but unsure and Esposito finally gestures at the precinct offices.

“So, what are you doing here?”

Ryan motions with the manila folder in his hand marked ‘Classified’. “Oh. Well. One of your homicides has links to an ongoing white collar investigation. Our precincts will be working together on this one.”

Esposito hums in interest, but he honestly doesn’t care for anything except the way Ryan self-consciously glances over his shoulder at the lift. And the last thing Esposito wants him to think about is leaving so soon.

“Listen, man….” Esposito sighs and rubs the back of his head, “I wanted to apologise for all those months back. I mean, I wasn’t fair to you. I don’t want to leave things like that.”

There’s a beat of expectation when Esposito can’t bear to look his friend in the face, because that what Ryan is, that’s who he misses – his friend. When he does look up though, Ryan is almost smiling and the tightness in Esposito’s chest eases like a vice that's broken.

“Listen,” Ryan glances around them before taking a step closer, “I’m going to be this side of town for the next few days. You doing anything tonight?”

Esposito feels a slow grin spread that he can’t hold back. “Beer after work?”

Ryan cocks an eyebrow, smirking. “The usual meaning of beer?”

“Of course.”

Ryan’s chuckling when Esposito catches his hand and pulls him in for a close, one-armed hug. The manila folder is pressed to his back and Esposito is so grateful when Ryan holds on tight longer than he needs to.

“I’ve missed you, man,” Esposito murmurs.

Ryan snorts a laugh, affectionate. “It’s nice to be missed.”