White Collar fic
Um… WHITE COLLAR!!! *flails* I won’t say any more about it, but I watched the summer finale/whatever they call it and then I wrote this. Oh, White Collar. ♥
Title: With Your Hand In Mine (We’ll Be Alright)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 850
Warnings: *SPOILERS* (Obviously.)
Peter knows Neal is connected to this somehow. Not responsible, no, he knows Neal would never intentionally hurt Elizabeth or hurt him, but still, he’s involved. He knows it in his gut, just like he knows about the treasure.
Peter isn’t a violent man, but he would punch Neal in the face right now if he had the strength for it.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Tell me everything you know.”
Neal nods. This is Elizabeth. This is Peter… what choice does he have?
He admits to knowing Keller was still in town and the pain in Peter’s eyes at the mention of his name is too much for him to see.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Peter,” Neal begins hesitantly, after taking a deep breath, “I have the-”
Before he can utter the last word - treasure - Peter’s hand is over his mouth, trapping it.
“Don’t,” he says harshly, with an urgency he knows Neal can feel in the strength of his hold. “Don’t say it.”
Neal’s eyes are wide and confused and Peter doesn’t blame him. He’d asked for the truth - and, God help him, he wants to hear Neal to confess his secrets - but he can’t handle it right now.
Right now, he needs Neal to stand by him and help him. He doesn’t want Neal led away in handcuffs. He doesn’t want Neal gone.
“He has El,” Peter whispers, choking on the words. “He has her and I can’t lose her. I can’t lose…”
I can’t lose you too, he thinks, panicked, as he leans his forehead against Neal’s, fear clawing at his nerves.
Neal rests his hands on Peter’s shoulders and doesn’t say a word.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The tension surrounding them all is palpable.
Jones and Diana are having a hard time looking him in the eye. Neal can’t tell if they blame him or not, but it doesn’t really matter; he feels guilty anyway.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It takes forty-five hours for them to find Elizabeth. Peter would’ve sworn it was weeks, because that’s how long it felt to him.
Later, when his mind flashes back to that horrible time, he’ll remember the helplessness… he’ll remember the dread...
Eventually, he’ll remember that Neal was beside him the entire time.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When it’s all over, when Peter is holding Elizabeth safely in his arms, Neal lets himself breathe again.
His adrenaline fades to relief and, legs weak with exhaustion, he collapses. He doesn’t even feel the ground beneath him.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lights. Voices.
Gunshots. Sirens.
Relief.
Peter doesn’t notice anything except El. He won’t take his eyes off of her.
’Safe, she’s safe, I have her, we’re safe.’
When he finally looks around, it’s Neal he sees - swaying on his feet, barely able to stay upright. The closer he gets, the worse Neal looks. Peter imagines he must look even more of a wreck. He braces one hand on Neal’s shoulder.
“We’re okay,” he says truthfully, gesturing to Elizabeth. “You should go home, get some rest.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Neal answers slowly, though his eyes don’t quite meet Peter’s. He won’t look at El either.
He looks lost.
“Hey.” Peter gives him a gentle shake to catch his attention.
“We’ll be alright,” he says again, but he’s not talking about Elizabeth this time. He hopes Neal understands that. Even more so, he hopes he’s right.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Neal feels like he’s intruding, as he sits beside her. In spite of the weary look in her eyes, she’s just as beautiful as always.
“I'm sorry,” he whispers, though the words sound so small, compared to what she must have endured.
He can’t help the tears that spring to his eyes. He brushes them away hastily, but Elizabeth reaches out and rests her hand gently on his arm.
“It’ll be okay,” she murmurs softly.
She’s comforting him. Neal lets out a laugh and the laugh turns back into tears. He’s been able to hold it all inside until now, but Elizabeth’s compassion is the breaking point. He can’t stop crying and he can’t catch his breath, as the sobs are all but wrenched out of him.
She rubs his shoulder and whispers soothing words to him as Neal buries his face in his hands, crying with his head on her knees like a child.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Peter remembers, suddenly, his first case with Neal… how he’d come downstairs to find the two of them on the couch, chatting over coffee as if it were completely natural. It seems a lifetime ago, but he can still recall the strange emotion that had surfaced at the sight.
Now, watching El’s hand rest in Neal’s as they lean against one another, Peter feels that tug at him again, but it’s not so strange this time. Things have changed. They all have challenges ahead of them, but he meant it when he said they’d make it through. He knows El meant it too.
He moves closer, and rests his hand on top of theirs. Elizabeth smiles at him and Neal’s fingers curl around his.
Completely natural.
.
Title: With Your Hand In Mine (We’ll Be Alright)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 850
Warnings: *SPOILERS* (Obviously.)
Peter knows Neal is connected to this somehow. Not responsible, no, he knows Neal would never intentionally hurt Elizabeth or hurt him, but still, he’s involved. He knows it in his gut, just like he knows about the treasure.
Peter isn’t a violent man, but he would punch Neal in the face right now if he had the strength for it.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Tell me everything you know.”
Neal nods. This is Elizabeth. This is Peter… what choice does he have?
He admits to knowing Keller was still in town and the pain in Peter’s eyes at the mention of his name is too much for him to see.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Peter,” Neal begins hesitantly, after taking a deep breath, “I have the-”
Before he can utter the last word - treasure - Peter’s hand is over his mouth, trapping it.
“Don’t,” he says harshly, with an urgency he knows Neal can feel in the strength of his hold. “Don’t say it.”
Neal’s eyes are wide and confused and Peter doesn’t blame him. He’d asked for the truth - and, God help him, he wants to hear Neal to confess his secrets - but he can’t handle it right now.
Right now, he needs Neal to stand by him and help him. He doesn’t want Neal led away in handcuffs. He doesn’t want Neal gone.
“He has El,” Peter whispers, choking on the words. “He has her and I can’t lose her. I can’t lose…”
I can’t lose you too, he thinks, panicked, as he leans his forehead against Neal’s, fear clawing at his nerves.
Neal rests his hands on Peter’s shoulders and doesn’t say a word.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The tension surrounding them all is palpable.
Jones and Diana are having a hard time looking him in the eye. Neal can’t tell if they blame him or not, but it doesn’t really matter; he feels guilty anyway.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It takes forty-five hours for them to find Elizabeth. Peter would’ve sworn it was weeks, because that’s how long it felt to him.
Later, when his mind flashes back to that horrible time, he’ll remember the helplessness… he’ll remember the dread...
Eventually, he’ll remember that Neal was beside him the entire time.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When it’s all over, when Peter is holding Elizabeth safely in his arms, Neal lets himself breathe again.
His adrenaline fades to relief and, legs weak with exhaustion, he collapses. He doesn’t even feel the ground beneath him.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lights. Voices.
Gunshots. Sirens.
Relief.
Peter doesn’t notice anything except El. He won’t take his eyes off of her.
’Safe, she’s safe, I have her, we’re safe.’
When he finally looks around, it’s Neal he sees - swaying on his feet, barely able to stay upright. The closer he gets, the worse Neal looks. Peter imagines he must look even more of a wreck. He braces one hand on Neal’s shoulder.
“We’re okay,” he says truthfully, gesturing to Elizabeth. “You should go home, get some rest.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Neal answers slowly, though his eyes don’t quite meet Peter’s. He won’t look at El either.
He looks lost.
“Hey.” Peter gives him a gentle shake to catch his attention.
“We’ll be alright,” he says again, but he’s not talking about Elizabeth this time. He hopes Neal understands that. Even more so, he hopes he’s right.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Neal feels like he’s intruding, as he sits beside her. In spite of the weary look in her eyes, she’s just as beautiful as always.
“I'm sorry,” he whispers, though the words sound so small, compared to what she must have endured.
He can’t help the tears that spring to his eyes. He brushes them away hastily, but Elizabeth reaches out and rests her hand gently on his arm.
“It’ll be okay,” she murmurs softly.
She’s comforting him. Neal lets out a laugh and the laugh turns back into tears. He’s been able to hold it all inside until now, but Elizabeth’s compassion is the breaking point. He can’t stop crying and he can’t catch his breath, as the sobs are all but wrenched out of him.
She rubs his shoulder and whispers soothing words to him as Neal buries his face in his hands, crying with his head on her knees like a child.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Peter remembers, suddenly, his first case with Neal… how he’d come downstairs to find the two of them on the couch, chatting over coffee as if it were completely natural. It seems a lifetime ago, but he can still recall the strange emotion that had surfaced at the sight.
Now, watching El’s hand rest in Neal’s as they lean against one another, Peter feels that tug at him again, but it’s not so strange this time. Things have changed. They all have challenges ahead of them, but he meant it when he said they’d make it through. He knows El meant it too.
He moves closer, and rests his hand on top of theirs. Elizabeth smiles at him and Neal’s fingers curl around his.
Completely natural.
.