White Collar: The Truth Will Set You Free (Peter/Elle, Peter/Neal/Elle referenced)
Title: The Truth Will Set You Free
Author: shealynn88
Summary: She knows him better than he knows himself.
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairing: Peter/Elle, references to Peter/Neal/Elle
Warnings: slashy inferences
Spoilers: Takes place after 'Vital Signs', vague references.
Word Count: ~650
Peter props himself up on an elbow to look at his wife, and she's finally smiling back at him without any irritation. It scares him when she's angry-he keeps waiting for the day she'll realize she deserves better.
“I'm sorry,” he says again.
She laughs. “I know,” and she touches his cheek, her thigh warm against his under the sheets.
Her eyes are suddenly serious. “I don't care what you have to do on your job, Peter. What I hate is that you don't feel like you can tell me. How many years do I have to wait for you to understand that? You can tell me anything.”
“I know,” he says. “I just...I don't want you to ever think I'm less than one hundred percent in love with you. Because I am. Forever.” He kisses her to prove it. Long and deep and a little desperate, pulling away only when he runs out of air.
She laughs, her nose crinkling in the most enticing way, and then she's smiling, eyes half-lidded-the way she does when she's about to be scarily insightful.
“I know it. But you can love more than one person, Peter.”
“What?” He sits up straight, sensing another Test. “Uh...thank you honey, but you're more than enough for me...”
Her smile widens.
“Honey...” he draws it out warningly. “You know that girl was just part of the job, right?”
She trails a finger along his lower lip. “I wasn't talking about the girl. I was talking about Neal.”
There's a thrill of fear, a flash of anger and then it all settles into confusion. “Neal? I don't...I...” He laughs uneasily. “What?”
She doesn't say anything and he starts to panic. “Look, he's...he's my partner.” He desperately pushes away the memory of Neal's sincere, drugged-out eyes looking into his. You're the only person in my life I trust... It makes his chest tighten uncomfortably, and it's a feeling he doesn't dare put a name to.
He looks back at Elizabeth and remembers how it started-how asking her out had felt like drowning.
Like this.
“Oh, God,” he whispers, and he scrambles out of bed.
“Peter?”
“I'll, I'll just be a minute,” he calls as he reaches the bathroom, and he can't quite keep the panic out of his voice. He starts to close the door but she pushes in beside him.
“You didn't know,” she says, and she's full of sympathy-sympathy and that irresistible, infuriating knowing. “I'm sorry, I thought you were afraid of what I'd think. I thought you were just afraid to tell me.”
“Elle, I just...this isn't what you think.” He looks up quickly, afraid he's said too much. “I mean, whatever you think it is... I don't really...” He sinks down on to the side of the tub. He's out of words. He can't explain it to himself, much less to anyone else.
But Elle's always one step ahead of him. It's one of the million things he loves about her.
She sits in front of him, bare legs folded on the cold tile, and she takes his hands in hers.
“Take some time. Think about this. Peter, I love you. One hundred percent. I just want you to be happy. I want us to be happy.”
He can't look at her.
“You know, when you first started going after him, I didn't understand. It took time. But when I met him, well, I got it. And it's all right.”
He goes cold, then abruptly too warm. It might be the worst thing she's ever said to him. It might be the best.
He pulls one hand from hers and wipes his mouth nervously.
She kisses him on the temple and stands slowly. “Come to bed soon, okay?”
He nods slowly, thoughts racing as she turns to leave.
“Elle?”
“Yeah, honey?”
“What would I do without you?”
She smiles. “Lucky for you, you'll never have to find out.”
Author: shealynn88
Summary: She knows him better than he knows himself.
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairing: Peter/Elle, references to Peter/Neal/Elle
Warnings: slashy inferences
Spoilers: Takes place after 'Vital Signs', vague references.
Word Count: ~650
Peter props himself up on an elbow to look at his wife, and she's finally smiling back at him without any irritation. It scares him when she's angry-he keeps waiting for the day she'll realize she deserves better.
“I'm sorry,” he says again.
She laughs. “I know,” and she touches his cheek, her thigh warm against his under the sheets.
Her eyes are suddenly serious. “I don't care what you have to do on your job, Peter. What I hate is that you don't feel like you can tell me. How many years do I have to wait for you to understand that? You can tell me anything.”
“I know,” he says. “I just...I don't want you to ever think I'm less than one hundred percent in love with you. Because I am. Forever.” He kisses her to prove it. Long and deep and a little desperate, pulling away only when he runs out of air.
She laughs, her nose crinkling in the most enticing way, and then she's smiling, eyes half-lidded-the way she does when she's about to be scarily insightful.
“I know it. But you can love more than one person, Peter.”
“What?” He sits up straight, sensing another Test. “Uh...thank you honey, but you're more than enough for me...”
Her smile widens.
“Honey...” he draws it out warningly. “You know that girl was just part of the job, right?”
She trails a finger along his lower lip. “I wasn't talking about the girl. I was talking about Neal.”
There's a thrill of fear, a flash of anger and then it all settles into confusion. “Neal? I don't...I...” He laughs uneasily. “What?”
She doesn't say anything and he starts to panic. “Look, he's...he's my partner.” He desperately pushes away the memory of Neal's sincere, drugged-out eyes looking into his. You're the only person in my life I trust... It makes his chest tighten uncomfortably, and it's a feeling he doesn't dare put a name to.
He looks back at Elizabeth and remembers how it started-how asking her out had felt like drowning.
Like this.
“Oh, God,” he whispers, and he scrambles out of bed.
“Peter?”
“I'll, I'll just be a minute,” he calls as he reaches the bathroom, and he can't quite keep the panic out of his voice. He starts to close the door but she pushes in beside him.
“You didn't know,” she says, and she's full of sympathy-sympathy and that irresistible, infuriating knowing. “I'm sorry, I thought you were afraid of what I'd think. I thought you were just afraid to tell me.”
“Elle, I just...this isn't what you think.” He looks up quickly, afraid he's said too much. “I mean, whatever you think it is... I don't really...” He sinks down on to the side of the tub. He's out of words. He can't explain it to himself, much less to anyone else.
But Elle's always one step ahead of him. It's one of the million things he loves about her.
She sits in front of him, bare legs folded on the cold tile, and she takes his hands in hers.
“Take some time. Think about this. Peter, I love you. One hundred percent. I just want you to be happy. I want us to be happy.”
He can't look at her.
“You know, when you first started going after him, I didn't understand. It took time. But when I met him, well, I got it. And it's all right.”
He goes cold, then abruptly too warm. It might be the worst thing she's ever said to him. It might be the best.
He pulls one hand from hers and wipes his mouth nervously.
She kisses him on the temple and stands slowly. “Come to bed soon, okay?”
He nods slowly, thoughts racing as she turns to leave.
“Elle?”
“Yeah, honey?”
“What would I do without you?”
She smiles. “Lucky for you, you'll never have to find out.”