Fragile Things (Part Two)
“In the beginning the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has widely been regarded as a bad move.” -Douglas Adams
A couple of days after Emrys’ midnight visit, Neal was watching with a bemused expression as Peter metaphorically tore his hair out. (Though Neal suspected that he would literally begin to tear his hair out as well.) Robin Hood had sent over two more files and two more feathers to the FBI using a carrier pigeon and FedEx respectively. One of which was currently being played with in Neal’s hand.
All three files contained detailed and accurate information, all of which Peter was able to collaborate but Robin Hood remained elusive. All surveillance footage showed a thick fog and a shadow moving through it with ease. It lasted exactly long enough for Robin Hood to get in and out. He always choose the time where security guards tend to doze off. He worked methodically and never left a trace.
“Anything?” asked Peter from his position. His face was tense as were his shoulders. Neal tilted his head and wondered if he should recommend a good masseuse for the older man.
Cruz and Jones looked frustrated as they shook their heads in the negative. Peter turned his stare onto Neal with a question clear in his eyes.
“As far as everyone’s concerned the money donated to those charities is legitimate,” said Neal as he absentmindedly played with the feather. He fixed them all with a stare that could freeze water, “Of course if you want it back then you can be the one to tell those cancer ridden kids that as well as the elderly home and the orphanage.”
The three agents winced in unison, not wanting to do that. Neal stood and cracked his back enjoying the feeling.
“Robin Hood has had years and years of practice on his side, guys,” said the dark haired man simply, “Maybe we should focus on people that don’t have that benefit.”
Peter opened his mouth, presumably to tell him off, when Veronica, a pretty blonde haired agent poked her head in.
“Mister Caffrey has a call on line three.”
Neal turned and smiled charmingly at her, “Thanks Veronica. How’s your sister? And your nephew?”
The younger agent brightened as she walked him to the nearest phone as she talked about her new baby nephew. Neal bid her goodbye as he picked up the phone.
“Caffrey.”
“My, my,” said a British accented voice, “Don’t we sound all official!”
“Hello Emrys,” answered Neal with a grin, “You sound good.”
“Oh Mister Caffrey, you sure do know how to make a girl blush.”
“I’ve been told that it is one of my greatest talents.”
Emrys laughed brightly. Neal grinned: same as he remembered.
“Thanks,” he said suddenly, “For the other night.”
“Close to six years of awkward letters and not talking via phone and in person,” said Emrys sounding amused, “Just as stubborn as your ancestors. Though you are infinitely cleverer.”
It was the first time either of them mentioned Emrys’ gift and ties to Neal’s family line so casually. Neal paused for a moment. Unlike when Emrys confessed to him about everything, told Neal of his bloodline and powers that scared and betrayed feeling that overtook the conman. It didn’t remain, it wasn’t coming up like high tide at the beach anymore.
Maybe it was possible that he truly did miss the other man. Neal smiled.
“I should take it as a compliment?”
“Take it as whatever you want to take it as, Neal.”
“I hate it when you speak in riddles.”
“Isn’t that why you fell for me though?”
Neal grinned, “Perhaps.”
“I’ve missed you too,” confessed Emrys shyly, “I listened to my voicemail at least twenty times.”
“Then you know how s-,” began Neal only to be cut off by the man.
“There is nothing to apologize for Neal. Believe me when I say that I understand.”
Neal’s mouth twitched upward into a smile, “Alright if you’re certain.”
“I am,” said the man sounding firm and resolute.
“Well alright. Would you like to get together soon?”
“You certainly work fast don’t you?”
“I’m a man of action,” confessed Neal, “at least when it comes to you.”
Emrys laughed again: a bright, sweet sound that Neal had missed over the years.
“Alright,” said Emrys, “Breakfast tomorrow. No negotiations. What’s your radius? Mozzie told me all about your little tracker thing-ama-jig.”
“Two miles,” answered Neal with a fond smile on his face. Emrys always had some issues with technology.
“Brilliant,” said Emrys, “See you then.”
The man hung up. Neal chuckled as he walked back to Peter’s office.
“What’s got you so happy?” groused the agent as he poured over the Robin Hood files with vigor.
“I’ve got a date,” replied Neal with a nonchalant shrug.
“Yeah?” questioned Peter with a small smile, “Good for you. What’s her name?”
“His name is Emrys Smith,” answered Neal with a grin at Peter’s eyebrow quirking upward, “And he’s an old boyfriend.”
“This the guy who sent that picture? The so called honest man? You said that he’s a friend.”
“Yes, he is for all three. And you never asked me to specify how good of friends we were.”
“When did you meet him?”
“Kate and I parted company for a year. I worked in Europe during that time. He’s a photographer. We met at his show,” Neal was looking out the window lost in his memories, “We had several wonderful months together.”
“What happened?” asked Peter gathering information for El to piece over later. She loved this gooey relationship shit.
“He told me something,” stated Neal as he looked down at his hands, “I freaked and ran back to Kate. We’ve been pen pals because it was easier than talking face to face or over the phone. He’s a good man. El would like him.”
“What about me?”
“He’s smart.”
“I do like smart.”
“Yeah,” said Neal with a goofy grin on his face, “So do I.”
“The true beginning of our end.” -Quince A Midsummer Nights Dream, Act V scene i
July 2002
Madrid, Spain
On a warm Spanish night, where passions and tempers could flare as quickly and strongly as the heat, a pair of men ran through the streets of Madrid. The police had given up chasing them long ago. However they weren’t running from the police anymore. One was running from the proof of lies that his partner had so swiftly spun. While the other ran from that fact that he knew he was going to be alone again in the world.
The pair slipped into the beautiful apartment that was rented in one of their names. The tall man with burning blue eyes called Neal Caffrey turned to stare at the other, somewhat shorter man with nervous blue-gold eyes, called Emrys Smith.
It was time for a dance to begin.
“What was that?” hissed Neal as he fixed a burning stare onto Emrys. The photographer was staring at his hands.
“I don’t know what you mean,” stated Emrys hesitantly as he turned his back on Neal, who grabbed the shorter man’s wrist.
“Yes, you do. Don’t lie to me, Emrys,” hissed Neal hating himself for having been kept in the dark, “Your eyes went totally gold and you threw the cops back with a wave of your hand.”
Emrys froze, still as a statue. Neal could see his eyes close in his profile.
“What are you?” growled the thief to his lover.
Emrys laughed coldly. He turned to stare at Neal with eyes of ice blue and frozen gold. Neal’s breath caught in his throat because the shorter man looked so inhuman in that moment, the conman felt genuine fear. Emrys turned suddenly surprising Neal out of his hold. Fingers looped through his belt and the conman was pulled flush against Emrys.
The man softly whispered into Neal’s ear.
“How can I ever answer that, Neal Caffrey, when I don’t even know anymore?”
Neal moved forward, backing Emrys into a wall. His hand resting a few inches above the other’s head.
“You start by telling me what you do know. I’ve told you my secrets and all you’ve told me are lies.”
“Not everything I’ve said is a lie.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
“It’s…complicated,” answered Emrys lamely after a couple minutes of internal debate.
“Life’s complicated,” growled Neal.
“I don’t know where to begin.”
“What are you?”
“I’m not sure I’m human. A little too immortal and a little too magical for humanity these days.”
“That was magic?”
Emrys hummed his agreement.
“And so Robin Hood?”
“Is me. I’ve been Robin Hood for centuries Neal.”
Neal schooled his features into not giving anything away. He had seen magic with his own eyes tonight. He has heard whispers of cursed items that are really cursed and other strange happenings. He was opened to the possibility of all things in his line of work. You had to be in order to pull off a good con. Why not Emrys be immortal as well? It made sense. Emrys knew so much of the world, too much for one to learn in one lifetime short of being a super-genius. And since Emrys couldn’t work a toaster properly or make any sort of decent small talk, Neal had long ago discredited the genius theory.
“There’s more,” whispered Neal.
“Of course there’s more,” murmured Emrys back with his eyes shut, “Emrys is what some people call me, but not my birth name.”
“Please don’t talk in riddles.”
“You have to figure it out. Say my birth name aloud before I tell you anymore,” hissed Emrys with his eyes shut tight as if he couldn’t stand looking into the Neal’s burning blue, disappointed eyes.
“You’re giving me hints.”
Emrys said nothing to confirm or deny Neal’s statement before whispering more frantically, “Emrys, Myrddin…you know this Neal.”
“...Merlin…”
Emrys’ eyes opened to reveal the golden glowing eyes that the conman had only saw at a distance. Neal swallowed thickly as he stared into the gold orbs. It was like staring into the sun.
“Yes,” said the other man with his eyes shut tight, frightened of what will happen.
They stand like that for several long minutes. Their mouths close enough to touch as golden eyes stare into electric blue.
“I am a guardian of your family line,” said Emrys after several moments, “I was Arthur Pendragon’s closest confidante, dearest friend, court sorcerer, and…”
He trailed off. Golden eyes stared at a point right past Neal’s shoulder. A long tear escaped from the beautiful eyes.
“And?” whispered Neal scared of what the man would say next.
“…I was his lover…from the time he was a prince until he was slain. He made me promise to protect the bloodline that he and Gwen produced.”
Neal stared at Emrys shock clear on his face.
“What you’re saying is…”
“That you are the Heir to the Line of Pendragon,” whispered Emrys as a tear traced down his cheek, “And I am your most devoted servant now that you know.”
Neal immediately backed up from Emrys with wide eyes. He was the Heir to a fairytale king as his immortal magical lover cry before him. That Neal loved, that he…
The conman closed his eyes tight. He had to get out of there. He couldn’t be here right now.
“I have to go,” said Neal as he fled the scene leaving a distraught sorcerer behind.
Barcelona. Kate was in Barcelona. He had to get back to her. She had called. She wanted him back.
He wasn’t going to go back. But Neal couldn’t deal with all this…stuff that Emrys had dropped on him. He was frightened and scared. The fear burned through his veins in a very real way.
Because he wasn’t hurt by Emrys’ announcement. It hadn’t change anything.
He was in love with him.
Love was a very dangerous thing in Neal’s business.
Kate was safe and familiar. He could love her as much as he wanted to.
Not like Emrys. He wanted to give him everything…
Even his real name.
So Neal ran from burning passion and falling in love to safe calm waters.
For years afterward, his dreams were not haunted by Kate but by golden eyes filled with tears.
“The Encyclopedia Galactica, in its chapter on Love states that it is far too complicated to define. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy has this to say on the subject: Avoid if possible.” -Douglas Adams
Breakfast was in a word: awkward.
There was a lot of tension there. A lot of unsaid things from that night lay under the surface.
The two of them sat in a corner booth at a diner two blocks from June’s house. It was a relatively tiny but clean place with the best Belgian waffles in the city. Neal was wearing one of Byron’s suit: a storm gray suit that brought out his eyes more than ever with his traditional hat and woolen coat. Emrys was in an old pair of jeans, a threadbare t-shirt, and his old biker’s jacket. They were the most mismatched pair in the place.
“I’m sorry about Kate,” whispered Emrys as he traced the rim of his coffee cup with his fingertip.
Neal didn’t know what to say to that. He only nodded before looking out the window.
“This is awkward,” stated the conman simply.
“Were you expecting something not awkward? We haven’t looked each other in the face for years. We haven’t even tried to work out what happened that night…”
“I am so…”
“Don’t Neal. I know you are,” Emrys gave a sad smile, “Believe me when I say that I wished it wasn’t true. That I wished to be normal, that I didn’t have to tell you anything.”
“I could’ve handled it better.”
“You handled badly but like a human.”
“You’re human.”
“Says you,” said Emrys with a mysterious smile.
“Says me,” agreed Neal with a grin of his own.
“So…what do we do?”
“It’s all to you Neal. I know what I want.”
Neal looked at Emrys. He repeated what Mozzie had told him months ago, “Happily Ever After doesn’t happen to guys like us.”
Emrys shrugged and looked at Neal from under the fringe of his rave colored hair, “Who says I want Happily Ever After? I just want you.”
“I’m working for the Feds.”
“I know.”
“My handler’s searching for you.”
“Why did you think that I sent him the files?”
“I…”
“Neal stop searching for reasons to throw me off. It’s not going to happen. Do you want me to stay or don’t you?”
Neal looked at Emrys and said the one thing that he has been planning on for years.
“Please stay.”
Emrys nodded and took Neal’s hand, running his thumb over his knuckles.
“I’ll stay.”
And Neal knew they both were on the same page.
“The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa that bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant. And we definitely added to his pile of good things.” -The Eleventh Doctor
“How come you get all these attractive people to fall at your feet?” asked Mozzie a few days after the awkward breakfast.
“My charm?” inquired Neal back with a wicked grin as he pushed a chess piece forward.
“I’m not entirely convinced on that part,” stated Mozzie blandly as he put Neal in check, “So you two are back together huh?”
“We’re working on some relationship problems but yes for the most part we are back together.”
“You should tell Elizabeth,” said Mozzie sagely as he analyzed the chess board.
“Why?”
“So she can start planning your big, gay wedding.”
Neal froze and flushed before muttering, “I don’t think that’s happening quite yet.”
“But she loves to be prepared.”
“We’re working through some issues.”
“What kind of couple doesn’t have issues? Please if you’re having issues now then you’re half way to married life.”
“Let Mozzie have his fun, Neal,” cut in a third voice. Emrys leaned against the doorway with a grin.
“Emrys,” greeted Neal before standing and kissing them man on the cheek.
“Neal,” said Emrys with sparkling eyes, “Hello Moz. It has been too long.”
“Way too long,” agreed the man, “How have you been?”
“I can’t complain. I’m surprised you’re here though. Last I spoke with you…you were a bit tied up by that woman. Oh what was her name again?”
Mozzie coughed an embarrassed flushed creeping up his neck, “Svetlana.”
“Ah yes…Svetlana.”
“Who’s she?”
“You don’t want to know,” muttered a red-faced Mozzie, “I should go.”
“Bye Mozzie,” called Emrys cheerfully at the man’s retreating back.
“You should stop teasing him.”
“That’s how our friendship works. I tease him about his sex life. He does the same for me. And we watch each other’s backs and occasionally I beat his ass at chess.”
Neal chuckled at that as he wrapped an arm around Emrys’ waist.
“Hello,” he murmured awkwardly as he kissed Emrys’ neck.
“Hello,” whispered Emrys with a chuckle as he moved his head capturing Neal’s lips with his own.
It was an awkward kiss. Both were wary of the other. Both had been hurt since the last time they had seen each other last. They were a little hesitant around each other; this was all too new. However, it rang of familiarity and of promises. Unspoken words and desires poured through the two in that moment.
Neal pulled back and smiled at Emrys, who flushed. The shorter man smiled at him tentatively. Neal slowly wrapped his arms around the other’s waist. Emrys’ hands wrapped around Neal’s tie, pulling the man down for another kiss.
The door was thrown open in the middle of the lip lock.
“Neal I need…”
Peter froze as he took in the sight of the conman in an intimate position with another man. The other man with creamy pale skin, dark raven hair, and dressed in ratty clothing would have been described as an almost Dickenson street urchin; but there as an unearthly beauty about him.
Neal turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. A slow grin overtook his face, chasing the demons away from his eyes.
“Hello Peter.”
The other man turned to look at him with startling blue gold eyes that seemed to glow in the dim lighting of Neal’s apartment. He took in Peter’s flushed appearance and a hint of a grin overtook his lips.
“Emrys, this is Peter,” said Neal as he casually made introductions, “Peter, this is Emrys.”
Emrys disentangled himself from Neal’s grasp and shook the FBI agent’s hand. His gold blue eyes burned brightly and merrily under the light. Peter couldn’t help but smile back a t the younger man’s enthusiasm.
“Such a pleasure to meet the man who caught Neal.”
“Hey!”
“Sorry,” grinned Emrys unapologetically, “Is this about your latest job? Because I can leave if its work related.”
Neal took a look at Peter and tried to hide his grin. He had never seen the elder man so flustered before. It was actually rather endearing. The conman vaguely wondered if this was how Peter acted on his first date with El.
“Probably a good idea, Emrys,” said Neal a smile playing on his lips.
“Alright I’ll see you later.”
“Bye!” called Neal cheerfully. He turned to look at peter with an eyebrow quirked, “So what’s up, partner?”
Peter, relieved to be out of the uncomfortable (at least for him) situation, pulled out the envelope compiling everything he had on Robin Hood. Neal sat down watching with hidden bemusement as Peter began to explain his latest theory on Robin Hood, that Neal knew was wrong.
Meanwhile, the thief known as Robin Hood appeared outside the house of a corrupt judge in Albany out of thin air. He slowly pulled on butter soft leather gloves before allowing a grin to overtake his lips.
Perhaps he had found love after all.
“Love is the answer. But while you’re waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions.” -Woody Allen
Undisclosed Location in Europe
December 2001
It was odd how easily their relationship fell into place. Neal was expecting something to go wrong between them at some point. They were polar opposites after all. Neal always had to be the center of attention, while Emrys preferred the background more than anything. Neal was always excited at everything and anything presented to him. Emrys could be excited but it was with the air of someone who had seen everything before, but still enjoyed life.
Neal couldn’t understand him, but he loved a good puzzle.
Emrys was a riddle wrapped in an enigma shrouded in unending mystery. Neal knew he would enjoy peeling back all his secrets.
“It’s what others called me,” whispered Emrys to Neal in the moonlight after they made love. His hair would be plastered to his forehead. Eyes burned into him hungrily as he played with Neal’s hair whispering a secret across the silky-satin sheets, “Robin Hood has been around for ages after all. Emrys means immortal. It’s my own sick sense of humor playing up. Others kept on calling me it until I just made it my name.”
“What’s your real name?” murmured Neal as he stared into the eyes that were so deep that he felt like he was drowning in them. The moonlight dappled across their bodies, highlighting each dip and contour of their forms. Their fingers were entwined as they stared at each other in the early morning hours, when whatever city they were in was quiet and sleepy.
Emrys would smile slow and almost catlike. His blue-gold eyes would almost glow in the light of the hotel room. He kissed the corner of Neal’s mouth and whispered.
“One of my names is Emrys,” he spoke in riddles some of the time, “The world knows me be one name. The coppers know me by my nickname. But this name is as close to the truth as I’ll ever give someone.”
Then he would straddle Neal and start to kiss him senseless.
Neal would be understandably distracted.
It wasn’t Neal’s first relationship with a man. There were others before Kate had breezed into his life: beautiful women and handsome men. There were passionate one night affairs in order to seal a job. There was Kate, and their relationship was like a slow burning fire. However, this was the first relationship that felt really truly intense, like a whirlwind romance. The intensity would hang in the air between them but it wasn’t the focus, more like background noise.
Between the two of them, there were secrets and lies and deceit. They were not honest men, not by a long shot. Though Emrys was very good at seeming like he was an honest man. But whatever this was between them felt honest, felt good. Neal knew what it was on his end.
He loved Emrys. Perhaps he loved him ever more than he loved Kate or Alex or those who had come before even then. With all of them, Neal was always holding something back but with Emrys it felt like that everything was on the table.
It frightened him because he was so close to falling in the edge, to falling in love with this man. And he had no idea who he really was. Then again, Emrys didn’t either.
In some part of Neal, he knew that it didn’t matter because he loved this man.
And when Emrys would stare into his eyes; Neal knew that he felt the same way.
“First rule of magic: Don’t let anyone know your real name. Names have power.” -Neil Gaiman
“Can you convince him to give up this hunt?” Neal asked El a couple weeks after Peter had stormed through his apartment.
“You know him. Once he gets an idea in his head…,” she paused to sip her coffee, “He’ll never give it up.”
“But Robin Hood is impossible to catch. Even I admit that. He’s too experienced. Not that I’m doubting Peter’s abilities. But people have been after this guy for decades, perhaps centuries.”
“Well,” murmured El as she mulled it over, “He has been working himself up over this. Robin Hood sent him a lot of files over the past two months.”
“Don’t I know it,” said Neal, “I want to see some art forgery. If I have to look at another number sequence, I may risk life in prison again.”
“I surely hope not,” said a familiar voice behind him.
“Hello Emrys.”
“Cheers love,” said the man happily as he kissed Neal’s cheek, “And who is this lovely lady?”
“Elizabeth Burke,” answered El with her hand out for a handshake, “Peter’s wife.”
“Hello beautiful lady,” replied Emrys as he took El’s hand and kissed her knuckles. El laughed brightly and a grin lit up her face beautifully.
“Charming and manners. Now do you have a name?”
“This is Emrys Smith,” said Neal as he gestured to the grinning man, “My…”
“I’m Neal’s,” said Emrys without the awkward moment of the other man figuring out their relationship, “Just Neal’s.”
“Awww that’s so sweet,” grinned El with her eyes bright as she remembered her and Peter’s awkward courtship.
Emrys sat next to Neal as he pecked the other man’s cheek in greeting. He placed his container of peppermint tea on the table as Neal put his arm around him. Both smiled almost shyly at each other, while El took in the utter cuteness of the scene in front of her.
“I take it the reason you’re asking me for this favor is that so you two can spend more time together?”
Neal flushed, “That and Robin Hood is impossible to catch.”
El laughed and nodded. She smiled at them warmly.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses. You build up a whole armor, for years, so nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life... You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' or 'how very perceptive' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a body-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. Nothing should be able to do that. Especially not love. I hate love.” -Neil Gaiman
“I’m impressed,” said Neal as he stood next to Emrys.
“Warms my heart that you are.”
“So how long…?”
“Five hours, until we’ve finished up. It’ll look like you’re in your apartment or walking around your radius. No one should have an idea at all.”
“You’re good,” stated Neal enjoying the tiny bit of freedom that he was allowed. He slipped his hand through Emrys’ and squeezed.
“I am aren’t I?”
“I’ve been meaning to ask…”
“Yes Neal?” asked Emrys as he turned his eyes on the conman.
“Are you in love with me because of my…?”
“No,” said Emrys firmly, “Never think that Neal. I love you because of you with all your flaws. Before you, I never talked to any of your ancestors or revealed myself. I never felt like this for a long, long time.”
“Alright,” answered Neal with his hands up, “I believe you. I just wanted to be sure.”
Emrys nodded, “I just wanted to be clear.”
“I understand.”
The pair continued to stare at their destination.
“So are you ready?” asked Neal with a smirk.
“You know it,” answered Emrys with a grin as his eyes flashed gold.
The pair was transported to a deserted beach in Bermuda with white sand and too blue waters. They laughed as they tumbled to the ground exchanging lazy kisses under the beautiful moonlight.
It would have been the perfect night to pull off a daring heist. However, the pair was just focused on each other.
All was as it should be.