White Collar Fic - The Quality of Light

Title: The Quality of Light
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: White Collar
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Neal Caffrey
Word Count: ~2000
Spoilers: Nothing specific, Season 5 storylines implied
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: Themes of grief and loss. Author declines to provide other warnings, please see entry tags for additional information.
Beta Credit: miri_thompson, coffeethyme4me and rabidchild
Summary: For fifty years, Neal has kept something just above his heart, something he stole because it reminded him of the one person who once believed that he could be more than just a thief.

Author’s Note: Written as an extra story for my Fic-Can-Ukah meme, for my dear friend, daria234, who selected the prompt "A painting, dark and ancient." My deepest thanks to theatregirl7299 who gave me the nudge in the right direction.

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( It may be a cliché, but Paris is lovely in the springtime. April is wonderful, but May is better, and June is the best month of all. The sunlight and the warmth feel good on his old bones, on the skin thinned by age. )

Happy Holidays to My Flist

It goes without saying that the best thing in my life is this fandom - you've brought me light in the darkness and joy in the saddest of moments. I don't know how I made it through the year without you.

All my best to everyone in the coming year, may we all prosper and grow in friendship, love and community.