First to step out of the office is Beckett herself. The large heels on her black boots make her seem taller than she really is. Immediately, she notices everybody staring. She gives them all an awkward smile. Glancing around the bullpen she spots Ryan. As bright as ever. This puts her at ease. Then her eyes land on Esposito, but his expression worries her. There's a lot of anger there. It doesn't look as though the death glare he's giving is meant for her. In fact, it looks as though it's meant for the new detective.
Ryan notices Kate's expression. So, he follows her line of sight over to his partner. The red tinge to his cheeks is no longer embarrassment. It rather worringly looks like rage. Grinding his teeth, he continues to stare at the new detective. This guy isn't new to Espo. This is the same man who was quite rude to him in the elevator not so long ago!
"This is Detective Andrew Sherman. He's just transferred from another homicide unit out of state. I trust you'll all make him feel welcome and show him why the NYPD is the most efficient police force there is" Beckett informs them all with an encouraging nod.
Many of the detectives nod at Sherman, as way of a greeting, before continuing with their work.
Captain Beckett makes her way over to her favourite detectives. Detective Sherman follows. Before Beckett can reach their desks, she's clocked by Ryan and he stands up. Once he's moved around to the front of his desk he notices his partner remains rigid. Eyes fixated on the new detective.
"Javi" Ryan whispers "Get over here"
Somehow Esposito finds the inner strength to come to stand beside his partner, but go no further.
"Detective Sherman, I'd like you to meet Detectives Esposito and Ryan" Beckett announces with a smile.
Ryan, sensing the awkwardness, offers his hand to Sherman. The detective gratefully accepts his gesture. The two shake hands firmly.
"Welcome to the NYPD Detective Sherman" Kevin says with his usual amount of kindness.
"Thank you. Detective Ryan, right?" Sherman asks with his eyes focused entirely on Kev "Have you been here long?"
This sends a jealous wave through Javier. As if he didn't dislike the guy enough already! Now the man can't take his eyes of his partner. Espo is well aware of how good looking his partner is and he certainly doesn't need this particular man checking him out.
"Detective Ryan is one of our best. You could learn a lot from him" Kate chimes in and winks at Ryan.
Beckett looks at him like a proud mother would do her son. Kev is definitely the baby of the team. Although, there's only about a year between them. It's just his pure essence and personality. The blue eyed man oozes cuteness and innocence. However, she knows that it's a very bad idea to get on the wrong side of him. All the cuteness aside, he can be a very determined (some would argue stubborn) detective. Kevin takes a lot of things to heart. An admirable quality of couse. It is also a downfall as he can get too involved. If something happens on his watch then he acts like it's all on him until it's fixed, which, no surprise, isn't a very healthy way of handling things.
"I'm sure he will. Maybe I could teach him a couple things too" Sherman answers winking at Detective Ryan.
Beckett's smile falters. Now she knows she doesn't like the way Sherman is behaving around her friend. So, she most certainly knows Espo won't like it. Kate is aware of her Hispanic friend's feelings for his best friend. If questioned he'd probably deny it until he's blue in the face, but it's obvious.
Kevin awkwardly smiles back at the flirtatious Sherman. It's clear the comment has made him uncomfortable. The captain doesn't know for certain if Ryan reciprocates his partners feelings for him. In fact, she's not even sure if he swings that way. If inclined to divulge his sexuality, it is unlikely Kevin would tell his boss. In their little NYPD family, Kevin has always been a daddy's boy. Rick Castle and Kevin Ryan get along like a house on fire. They're on a similar wavelength. The two of them constantly discuss crazy theories. A small part of her is jealous at how close they are, but she knows she has Esposito. She's close with him like Kevin is to Rick.
Thinking about the former soldier causes her to glance in his direction. The man looks like he's about to blow!
"Espo you alright?" Beckett whispers to her aggravated friend.
Clearly she didn't say it quietly enough as Ryan and Sherman both look towards him.
"Oh I'm sorry where are my manners. I'm Detective Sherman and you must be Detective Esposito?" Sherman says offering his hand out to Esposito.
The detective's actions and words leave Espo stunned. Does this guy have a short term memory problem or something? How can he not remember him from the elevator?
"Yeah that's right" Javier replies gripping Sherman's hand tightly.
"Detective Sherman, if you'd like to follow me, I'll take you to your new partner" Beckett says as she leads Sherman away.
Esposito watches them leave. Anger still bubbling away inside.
"What's up with you Javi?" Ryan gently thumps his partner on the shoulder to bring him back to reality "Do you have a history with Sherman?"
"Me? And him?" Espo furrows his eyebrows as he sits back down at his desk "Kev, I just met him today"
"Well you sure as hell acted like you knew him. The moment he stepped out of Beckett's office you couldn't stop staring at him" Kevin points out as he falls back into his chair.
If Esposito didn't know any better then he would swear he just heard a pang of jealousy in his partner's voice. It can't be though. There's no way Ryan feels that way about him, right? No, Espo is alone in his feelings for his partner, he's fairly certain of it and too scared of ruining his friendship to risk finding out just yet.
Espo shrugs his shoulders "The guy was rude to me"
"Rude to you? Javier, he's been here less than an hour. How could he possibly have been rude to you? You only met him a few minutes ago and it seemed to me like he was being really polite to you" his partner argues, picking up his empty coffee cup from his desk.
Javier sighs "This morning we met in the elevator on the way up here. He held the elevator doors for me and-"
"-hang on. He held the elevator doors for you? I don't know about you, but that seems like a pretty nice thing to do. How is that rude?" Kev probes, trying his best to understand his best friend's fury.
"It's what he said next that was rude" Espo points out with growing annoyance "I thanked him and he just completely shrugged me off. I noticed we were going to the same floor so I asked him why is he going up to the bullpen and he told me it was none of my business!"
"Are you being serious right now?" the blue eyed detective questions with his bottom jaw hanging open slightly.
"Deadly serious. I can't believe he did that" Esposito adds, feeling his anger ready to spill over inside of him again.
"And that's all he said to you?" Kev scoffs in utter disbelief "Javi, you're acting as if he's done something awful. Besides, he had no idea who you were. You know that all sorts of whack jobs end up in the bullpen. Sherman didn't know that you're a detective"
Forget anger for a second. It's jealousy and pain racing through the former soldier right now. The fact his partner is taking Sherman's side in all of this hurts him. More than anything else ever could.
"There was no need for it. I was having a bad day already" Espo barks at him as the emotions within him reach critical mass "Why are you sticking up for him? I'm your partner, remember? You're supposed to have my back"
"Of course I've got your back" Ryan argues taking a step closer to his partner so this fight is kept between them "You're just being a bit of a jerk about this"
"Oh I'm being a jerk, huh? What about Sherman? You don't think he was being a jerk?" Espo rises out of his chair in anger "But I guess you think because he flirted with you that you owe him rather than sticking up for your partner of thirteen years!"
Shocked blue eyes stare at him. There's a lot of hurt welling inside them. Esposito's demeanour changes. Calm sets in. This is bad - not only has he just snapped at his partner, but he's also just shown his green eyes of jealousy. Sherman flirting with Ryan tipped him over the edge.
"Kev I..." Espo starts to say, but is cut off as his best friend backs away.
"I'm gonna get some coffee" the Irish detective mumbles, quickly heading towards the break room, with his coffee cup in his hand.
"Esposito, what did you just say to Ryan?" says an all too familiar eccentric voice.
Espo sighs and turns around to see Richard Castle, famous crime novelist and long time pain in his ass, stood in front of him with his arms folded. Not right now! This is the last thing he needs! The writer has taken the stance of a scolding parent when their child had done something wrong. The favouritism he has for Ryan practically shines out of him as he walks over to Esposito.
"It's nothing Castle" Espo mutters bitterly.
"If I walk into that break room and ask Ryan what you two were just arguing about, will he say nothing?" Castle questions in a patronising tone.
Javi rolls his eyes. The writer is really taking this whole parenting role seriously.
"I don't know, you'd have to ask him that" Espo replies with a stern look on his face.
"Fine, I will" Castle retorts before hurrying off to find his friend.