White Collar Ficlet - Playing Games (MMOM Day 08)

[elrhiarhodan]

Title: Playing Games
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: White Collar
Written For: MMOM 2013
Prompt: Stroke
Rating: R
Characters/Pairings: Neal Caffrey, Peter Burke, (Neal/Kate, pre-Peter/Neal)
Spoilers: S1.14 – Out of the Box
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~500
Summary: Set against Season One, Neal and Peter play a game that neither man seems willing to give up.

A/N: Okay – this one’s a little weird, so apologies in advance. “Stroke” should have been the easiest prompt of the month, but I couldn’t seem to get things starts.

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By the end of their first month working together, Neal knew that Peter would invariably burst into his apartment without knocking at least one morning a week. At first, he thought that Peter was trying to catch him in some criminal enterprise, creating some elaborate forgery before office hours, planning so elaborate scheme with his criminal associates, something, anything that would give him some leverage.

By the end of their third month working together, Neal realized that Peter wasn’t really looking for evidence of felonious activity – at least not the kind that would get him arrested in his own apartment. The light dawned on Neal when, for the third morning in a row, Peter looked at him and said in a slightly disappointed voice, “You’re dressed.”

Neal was tempted to snark back at Peter, asking him if he hoped to catch him in his pajamas, but there was an angel on his shoulder, telling him to keep his mouth shut. Because he realized that was just what Peter was hoping for. The first morning that Peter showed up and Neal was still in his shirtsleeves, his eyes lit up. The next time, Neal was in the process of knotting his tie – a double Windsor – and Peter stood behind him, watching in the mirror, just the tiniest approving smile on his lips.

They played that game for a few months. Peter arriving and finding him in increasing states of undress. It was almost too easy, since all he needed to do was keep an eye on the video cameras to see where Peter was. He didn’t consider that cheating, since Peter could check his whereabouts (if not his wear-abouts) at any time.

The hunt for Kate, for the music box, put an unfortunate damper on their games – and by now, Peter had to know just what Neal was doing to him.

When Alex came up with the location of the music box and they put their plans into action, Neal realized that this thing with Peter was down to very short strokes. In a slightly inebriated moment, he had given some serious thought to whether reuniting with love of his life was as important as Peter finding him naked, on his back, stroking his cock.

No, Kate was far more important that these silly games with Peter. Of course she was.

Neal kept telling himself that up until the moment that the light on his tracker went dark and all his decisions were made for him.

FIN

Comments

[coffeethyme4me.livejournal.com]

LOVE IT!!!

This isn't weird; what are you talking about? ;-)

The light dawned on Neal when, for the third morning in a row, Peter looked at him and said in a slightly disappointed voice, “You’re dressed.”

LMAO!!!

This is so sweet and funny and hot. I want Neal to keep escalating it. Definitely. ;-)

[elrhiarhodan]

HUGS YOU TIGHT...I still think it's weird, but then, so am I!

Thank you.

[theatregirl7299]

Ooooo. Nicely done! Love the end where we are uncertain whether Neal bares it all for love!

Brava.

[elrhiarhodan]

Thank you so very much!

Maybe a sequel is in the offering. Maybe.

[kanarek13]

Weird? Never :D This is wonderful :D Poor Peter, so hoping to catch Neal naked :P Heeee... And clever Neal figuring it out and joining the game. He can keep telling himself that Kate is more important but in reality these were pretty much the first signs that Kate was never meant to be his happy ending.

And yes, I'd love to read abut Peter finally collecting his prize... it's only fair after months of trying :D

Thank you, I am loving this month so much :D

[elainasaunt.livejournal.com]

What she said. ;-)

[elrhiarhodan]

Thank you!

[elrhiarhodan]

Thank you so much!

And yes, I really should write a sequel to this, shouldn't I?

[kanarek13]

*nods enthusiastically*

:D

[love-82.livejournal.com]

kanarek13 left the perfect comment for this so I will just third it. :)

This is very them. Always having to play some sort of cat and mouse game.

[elrhiarhodan]

Exactly - they are always playing a game, aren't they?

Pity, though, that the are keeping their clothes on.

[daria234.livejournal.com]

Hee, Peter you are such a terrible perv. But Neal can't turn down a game.

Nice one!

[elrhiarhodan]

Thank you so much.

And yes, Peter is definitely the perv in this story.

[lauracollared.livejournal.com]

I didn't find this weird. I liked it! :)

[elrhiarhodan]

Thank you!

[embroiderama]

Ooh, hot and melancholy too. I love that moment of Peter's eyes lighting up.

[elrhiarhodan]

Thank you so very much.

[sinfulslasher]

since Peter could check his whereabouts (if not his wear-abouts) at any time.

LOLing forever!

This wasn't weird at all, it was Neal-and-Peter's canon cat-and-mouse play at its best! Peter's such a naughty perv. Gotta love it. And Neal...oh Neal, sneaky little devil, having fun teasing Peter.

I can just see Peter showing up at four in the morning to "pick up Neal for work" in hopes of finally catching him in nothing but boxer shorts of pajama bottoms. *snorfle*

[elrhiarhodan]

Yeah - that should be part of this series, most definitely!!!!!

Thank you!

[maiac.livejournal.com]

Oh Neal. You resisted the wrong temptation. If only you'd succumbed.

[elrhiarhodan]

Yes, this...exactly.

[miri-thompson.livejournal.com]

Damn. It's too bad Neal didn't take the thoughts from that 'slightly inebriated moment' and run with them!

[elrhiarhodan]

I agree!

And thank you!

[sapphire2309]

I hate you and love you so much! Why do you write hot, heartbreaking porn?

[elrhiarhodan]

Thank you!

And to answer your question, because I can?

[sapphire2309]

I'll drink to that :)