White Collar 100 – #2: Catch / Just Another Game To Play

[elrhiarhodan]

Title: White Collar 100 – #2: Catch/ Just Another Game To Play
Author: elrhiarhodan
Rating: R
Fandom: White Collar
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: 300 Exactly!
Summary: The Social Engineer Learns to Play The Game

I admit that this one’s a bit of a cheat, I wrote most of this originally for whitecollarfan, who prompted me for a fill for Neal – Sports. I’m going to do another fill for the “Catch” prompt, but I thought it would be fun to post this here, too.

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Neal doesn't understand why people think he knows nothing about baseball, just because he likes art and wine and really well cut suits.

Summertime at the Bureau means interdepartmental baseball. Peter is team captain and a very fine starting pitcher. Jones is a natural as catcher at the other side of the battery. With Diana back in New York, she takes up her regular position at first base, and most of the rest of the White Collar staff are good enough that they could field a team that took home the annual trophy the last two years.

Everyone is shocked when Neal signs up. Everyone that is, but Peter. Without any discussion, he pencils Neal in as shortstop. There's muttering from the team, they don't think that Neal even knows the rules of the game; let alone how to play the most complex position. Jones, who always liked and even admires Neal can't help but think that they'd need a replacement the first time Neal has to make a diving infield catch because his uniform got dirty. Basically, they think they are screwed, and even Hughes, who is a pretty mean closer, quietly suggests to Peter to put Neal in the outfield, where he’d be less likely to screw up. Peter just looks at his boss and smiles. They don’t know what he knows.

So, during the first inning of the first game, when Neal snags a line drive and turns into a double play - everyone's jaw drops. Everyone's put Peter's, who knew just how hard Neal worked to learn the position. It always amazes him how easily people - even trained FBI agents - get caught up by the externals. Just because someone likes art and wine and nice clothes doesn't mean he can't play baseball.

Comments

[ladygray99]

This is great and it does work well with the prompt. And now I have a lovely image of Neal in baseball pants in my head.

[elrhiarhodan]

Thank you. Yes, Neal would be lovely in a baseball uniform, particularly in the old school type with long socks and knee-length pants.

He'd also be very pretty at bat...with a little tushy wiggle before taking a swing.

[hoosierbitch.livejournal.com]

Ha! This is so fun. :D

[elrhiarhodan]

Thank you.

Would definitely become a fan of the game again, if Neal was a player. Would even root for the damn Yankees.

[dua-186.livejournal.com]

Ah, stereotypes. I like it that Peter sees beyond them, and that Neal doesn't fit into them. I think that he's actually pretty well-rounded - like your summary says, he is a social engineer and if he needs to learn something then he learns it.

[elrhiarhodan]

Neal's a chameleon...he's best at roles that require a certain elegance, but as we saw at the end of 2.01...he can and will pick up more sporting talents as necessary.

[lexie-the-pixie.livejournal.com]

This is Neal at his best - there isn't anything he can't do!!Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!


And just little side note - there's a typo at the end of the third paragraph :"They dodn’t* know what he knows."

[emmademarais.livejournal.com]

You know I had wanted to put into words what it is Neal does well (like theft or forgery or art or con jobs) but what it came down to was 'whatever Neal puts his mind to'.

Now I kind of want Neal and Eliot (from Leverage) both playing ball!

Nice drabble! Thanks for sharing!