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kelly_girl
Title: Sacrifice
Pairing: Hmm, pre Neal/Peter
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None
Timeline: Takes place mid season
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, no money being made
Summary: Neal is a Knight in dented armor
The hospital door squealed when Peter opened it and he winced at the loud sound. Neal lay in the bed, propped up by pillows. A single layer of white bandage was wrapped around his head, brown hair sprouting out all around it. Peter hoped they hadn't had to cut too much of his partner's hair.
There was a bloody scrape on Neal's cheek and his right arm was resting against his chest in a sling. He watched Peter come in and Peter tried to smile or find some joke to make, but he had nothing, so he just moved closer and placed his hands on the bed rail.
"Mugging?"
Neal blinked and nodded, his blue eyes bright with whatever they’d given him for the pain. "That's what I told them."
The metal railing underneath Peter’s hands was cool to the touch. "So you go out shopping with my wife and this happens. What's the truth? Another old rival? Old partner? “
Neal shook his head. "I didn't know the guy. I'd already given him my wallet. But then he looked at El." Neal paused and turned his head. He swallowed hard and spoke, his gaze still on the far wall. "He wanted more and I couldn't let him hurt her so I tackled him." He looked back at Peter and tried to smile, the scab on his bottom lip turning it into a crooked, painful looking grimace. "The guys in movies make it look so easy."
Peter tried to breathe through the heaviness in his chest. He'd met his wife outside the hospital and she'd urged him to go see Neal while she made some phone calls. She hadn't mentioned this part.
Neal spoke up like he could read Peter's mind. "I don't know if she knew what the guy intended. She wasn't looking at him like I was. I just saw this look come into his eyes, and I knew. I also knew that when he said it he'd be more alert, more dangerous since his risk would be bigger. So I made my move." Neal met Peter's eyes. "If you don't think I know that look, you should remember where I lived for four years.”
Peter wanted to look away but he didn’t. Neal never talked about prison and Peter had seen his one man cell but that didn’t mean Neal’s time had been abuse free. He could tell that Neal wasn’t going to elaborate, but Peter promised himself he’d have a serious talk with Neal one day. Or a more serious talk since the one they were having was pretty serious.
Neal groaned and pressed the buttons that controlled his bed. “Anyway, I told the cops it was a mugging and maybe the guy had freaked out. Convinced them El and I were in immediate danger and I hadn’t been risking my life for a wallet and Elizabeth’s very nice Prada bag.”
Peter nodded his understanding and placed a hand over one of Neal’s. “Thanks. When do they let you go?”
Neal’s eyes opened and closed before opening again. “Doctor said he wanted to check a few tests but I should be free tomorrow.”
Peter patted Neal’s hand but didn’t move it as Neal looked at it and him before closing his eyes. “Don’t have to stay.”
Neal’s hand was cool and Peter squeezed it lightly. “I want to stay.”
Peter watched Neal fall asleep his hand holding Peter’s in a grip that made Peter’s throat tight. Neal rarely resorted to violence so for him to do so, the situation must have been dire and Peter was grateful Neal had been there with his quick thinking and observational skills, skills that had only been sharpened with prison.
Without letting go of Neal’s hand, Peter pulled out his phone and called El. She agreed that Neal should stay with them while he was recovering. Peter knew he couldn’t love her anymore than he did when she walked in still on the phone with him and only smiled softly at their entwined fingers. She kissed him softly on the cheek and then sat down, content to wait with him while he watched over their friend.
Pairing: Hmm, pre Neal/Peter
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None
Timeline: Takes place mid season
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, no money being made
Summary: Neal is a Knight in dented armor
The hospital door squealed when Peter opened it and he winced at the loud sound. Neal lay in the bed, propped up by pillows. A single layer of white bandage was wrapped around his head, brown hair sprouting out all around it. Peter hoped they hadn't had to cut too much of his partner's hair.
There was a bloody scrape on Neal's cheek and his right arm was resting against his chest in a sling. He watched Peter come in and Peter tried to smile or find some joke to make, but he had nothing, so he just moved closer and placed his hands on the bed rail.
"Mugging?"
Neal blinked and nodded, his blue eyes bright with whatever they’d given him for the pain. "That's what I told them."
The metal railing underneath Peter’s hands was cool to the touch. "So you go out shopping with my wife and this happens. What's the truth? Another old rival? Old partner? “
Neal shook his head. "I didn't know the guy. I'd already given him my wallet. But then he looked at El." Neal paused and turned his head. He swallowed hard and spoke, his gaze still on the far wall. "He wanted more and I couldn't let him hurt her so I tackled him." He looked back at Peter and tried to smile, the scab on his bottom lip turning it into a crooked, painful looking grimace. "The guys in movies make it look so easy."
Peter tried to breathe through the heaviness in his chest. He'd met his wife outside the hospital and she'd urged him to go see Neal while she made some phone calls. She hadn't mentioned this part.
Neal spoke up like he could read Peter's mind. "I don't know if she knew what the guy intended. She wasn't looking at him like I was. I just saw this look come into his eyes, and I knew. I also knew that when he said it he'd be more alert, more dangerous since his risk would be bigger. So I made my move." Neal met Peter's eyes. "If you don't think I know that look, you should remember where I lived for four years.”
Peter wanted to look away but he didn’t. Neal never talked about prison and Peter had seen his one man cell but that didn’t mean Neal’s time had been abuse free. He could tell that Neal wasn’t going to elaborate, but Peter promised himself he’d have a serious talk with Neal one day. Or a more serious talk since the one they were having was pretty serious.
Neal groaned and pressed the buttons that controlled his bed. “Anyway, I told the cops it was a mugging and maybe the guy had freaked out. Convinced them El and I were in immediate danger and I hadn’t been risking my life for a wallet and Elizabeth’s very nice Prada bag.”
Peter nodded his understanding and placed a hand over one of Neal’s. “Thanks. When do they let you go?”
Neal’s eyes opened and closed before opening again. “Doctor said he wanted to check a few tests but I should be free tomorrow.”
Peter patted Neal’s hand but didn’t move it as Neal looked at it and him before closing his eyes. “Don’t have to stay.”
Neal’s hand was cool and Peter squeezed it lightly. “I want to stay.”
Peter watched Neal fall asleep his hand holding Peter’s in a grip that made Peter’s throat tight. Neal rarely resorted to violence so for him to do so, the situation must have been dire and Peter was grateful Neal had been there with his quick thinking and observational skills, skills that had only been sharpened with prison.
Without letting go of Neal’s hand, Peter pulled out his phone and called El. She agreed that Neal should stay with them while he was recovering. Peter knew he couldn’t love her anymore than he did when she walked in still on the phone with him and only smiled softly at their entwined fingers. She kissed him softly on the cheek and then sat down, content to wait with him while he watched over their friend.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-03-11 08:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-11 04:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-11 01:42 pm (UTC)Lovely fic!
no subject
Date: 2010-03-11 04:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-11 08:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-11 09:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-01 04:31 pm (UTC)Great job, as always.