hurinhouse: (Default)
[personal profile] hurinhouse
Title: Afternoon From Hell
Author: hurinhouse
Fandom: White Collar
Rating: PG
Characters: Peter, Neal
Summary: The sacrifices an agent makes for the greater good..
Disclaimer: Entirely fiction
437 words



Of all the things he'd done so far in the name of the bureau, a day with a pack of hyper, snotty eleven year olds was not Peter's idea of an agent's responsibility. And why couldn't they have just done this in New York?

"Have you done this outreach thing before, Joe?"

Joe Sanderson was his partner in this afternoon from hell. He whistled as they walked down the corridors of the elementary school, visitor's stickers on their lapels. He whistled as if he talked to children every day of his life.

"A couple of times. No big deal, man. They're just kids."

"Yeah. Just." With razor-sharp questions, and follow-up questions, and Peter was caught "uh-ing" and "um-ing" through most of them.

Not Joe. Joe was like a magnet, all of them begging to see the gun he hadn't brought in. He made it look easy enough that Peter could just lean back against the wall and wait it out.

"May I see your badge, Sir?"

Too much to hope for. Peter wasn't sure why they didn't send secretaries for this kind of thing. He'd been hoping for more field work.

He knelt down beside the only kid not jumping up and down on the opposite side of the room.

"My badge, huh? Not my gun?"

The kid was respectful and reserved as Peter passed the wallet into his small hand.

"No, I see them all the time."

"What?"

"Cool! You get your picture on it?" His eyes sparked at Peter's freaking badge of all things; two blue light specials.

"Yeah. People need to know who we are, right?"

"Shouldn’t you keep your identity a secret?"

Peter tried to hide his smirk, "Only when we're undercover. Which isn't very often."

"Bummer."

"So, your parents take you hunting?"

"Hunting? No."

"Do they own a sporting goods store?"

"No." The boy was preoccupied, rotating the wallet, examining the badge from all angles.

"Where do you see guns, then?"

"When I practice."

"Practice?"

"I'm going to be a cop, like my dad." Ah. That would have made sense, if he were maybe seventeen. But practicing with a service weapon at eleven? What kind of laws did they have here in St. Louis?

"Probationary agent. Is that like Kindergarten for the F.B.I.?"

Peter snatched back the wallet, somehow lighter. Little shit. Then patted the boy's shoulder to lessen the sting. "It means I'm a full agent in two more months."

"Cool. Thanks, Peter." The boy crossed back to his seat, pulling out a blank paper and some colored pencils, brown waves hiding his eyes as he leaned over his desk.

"That's Agent Burke!"


Date: 2012-12-17 08:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pipilj.livejournal.com
hehe this was cute.

Date: 2012-12-17 11:32 am (UTC)

Date: 2012-12-17 08:58 am (UTC)
kanarek13: (Default)
From: [personal profile] kanarek13
Awww... cute... one of the things I love about Peter is his epic awkwardness around kids... I'm sure he would be a wonderful father (hell, with all the practice with Neal, that's a given :D) but he is just too adorable around kids :D

\o/

Date: 2012-12-17 11:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hurinhouse.livejournal.com
ita about peter. although it looks as if he's not too bad around kid!neal ;) too bad he'll probably never realize it.

thank you.

Date: 2012-12-17 09:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neontiger55.livejournal.com
I love that Neal was more interested in that badge of Peter's (I suspect a forgery is in the works), and, of course, Peter's awkwardness ;)

Date: 2012-12-17 11:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hurinhouse.livejournal.com
thanks. i suspect you're a good detective. ;)

i figure that even though neal "got really good with guns" when he was young, they probably never actually interested him.

yeah peter + kids = all kinds of clumsy embarrassment.

Date: 2012-12-17 10:54 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kerrylang.livejournal.com
Hehe, of course Neal was the smartest kid and asked the right questions :D. Cute little story about kid!Neal and an awkward Peter, loved it!!

Can't you write a longer sequel? I think this has potential! Pretty please? ;)

Date: 2012-12-17 11:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hurinhouse.livejournal.com
thanks for the vote of confidence concerning a sequel. if my muse cooperates, perhaps i can eventually swing it. thanks!

Date: 2012-12-17 12:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] calis-1st.livejournal.com
I love young snarky Neal. Nice story!

Date: 2012-12-18 01:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hurinhouse.livejournal.com
lol. yes, i love any kind of neal, but snarky is one of the best. thanks

Date: 2012-12-17 01:23 pm (UTC)
sinfulslasher: (neal approves)
From: [personal profile] sinfulslasher
D'awwwww!!! This gave me warm fuzzies. *smishes wee!Neal and awkward!Peter*

Date: 2012-12-18 01:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hurinhouse.livejournal.com
mmmm... warm... neal... peter... a great combo.

thanks

Date: 2012-12-17 02:03 pm (UTC)
embroiderama: (White Collar - Neal & Peter badges)
From: [personal profile] embroiderama
♥ Adorable!

Date: 2012-12-18 01:03 am (UTC)

Date: 2012-12-17 05:57 pm (UTC)
leesa_perrie: two cheetahs facing camera and cuddling (Neal FBI Team)
From: [personal profile] leesa_perrie
LOL! Oh, that was wonderful!! Really made my day! :D

Date: 2012-12-18 01:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hurinhouse.livejournal.com
thanks - i'm so glad to be a part of it!

Date: 2013-02-09 09:45 pm (UTC)
cookiegirl: (Neal Peter Oh You!)
From: [personal profile] cookiegirl
Aww, cuteness! I love it :D

Date: 2014-02-01 02:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hurinhouse.livejournal.com
thanks! sorry I missed this almost a year ago! :)

Date: 2014-02-01 01:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ocmiss.livejournal.com
Aaw, that was adorable! Little con!Neal and probie!Peter ! Hehe :)

Date: 2014-02-01 02:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hurinhouse.livejournal.com
thank you - and I adore your user pic. yum.
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