He spotted the differences immediately. The new shape of Peter's smile. Something sharper - more calculating - about his gaze...
Or maybe Neal just sensed it.
"Picking me up at home... You haven't done that in a while. Should I be pleased that I won't have to walk, or worried about why?" Neal asked as Peter pushed open his passenger door and waited for Neal to climb into the car.
"No worries. Just wanted to get us started on this one right away," Peter answered, with a sort of quiet cheer Neal couldn't decipher. Like he'd just heard a joke he was still mulling over; Neal wanted to ask about the punchline.
"Alright. What've we got?"
"I'll tell you about it when we get there. I think you're going to like it."
Neal doubted it. Cases that require such immediate attention that Neal doesn't even have time to check in at the office are rarely likeable, but when Neal frowned Peter just laughed.
And... Neal's hand to god - Peter patted Neal on the thigh.
Not Neal's knee - not that Peter's much of a knee-slapper, either - but his thigh.
"Come on," Peter said. "Don't look at it like that."
"How should I look at it then?"
"As you and me, out there, together, just the two of us. We haven't done that in a while either. It'll be fun! I'm even taking you off the anklet for a little while."
Neal noticed the lack of the words 'on a job' after the word 'together' in Peter's explanation. He might have realized that all of this was very un-Peter-like behavior, except that his pulse had sped up - stupidly - when Peter said "just the two of us", and then sped up again at the memory of Peter's palm resting briefly atop Neal's leg moments earlier. Also, Neal was distracted by the promise of freedom - no matter how limited and temporary.
"Seriously?"
Peter pulled the key out of his pocket and tossed it to Neal. Just like that.
"Take it off," Peter encouraged him. "It'd just get in our way today. Today... the only thing keeping close tabs on you, Neal... is me."
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timeasmymeasure
Fill: the place where the wall meets the floor
Date: 2012-03-27 06:19 pm (UTC)Or maybe Neal just sensed it.
"Picking me up at home... You haven't done that in a while. Should I be pleased that I won't have to walk, or worried about why?" Neal asked as Peter pushed open his passenger door and waited for Neal to climb into the car.
"No worries. Just wanted to get us started on this one right away," Peter answered, with a sort of quiet cheer Neal couldn't decipher. Like he'd just heard a joke he was still mulling over; Neal wanted to ask about the punchline.
"Alright. What've we got?"
"I'll tell you about it when we get there. I think you're going to like it."
Neal doubted it. Cases that require such immediate attention that Neal doesn't even have time to check in at the office are rarely likeable, but when Neal frowned Peter just laughed.
And... Neal's hand to god - Peter patted Neal on the thigh.
Not Neal's knee - not that Peter's much of a knee-slapper, either - but his thigh.
"Come on," Peter said. "Don't look at it like that."
"How should I look at it then?"
"As you and me, out there, together, just the two of us. We haven't done that in a while either. It'll be fun! I'm even taking you off the anklet for a little while."
Neal noticed the lack of the words 'on a job' after the word 'together' in Peter's explanation. He might have realized that all of this was very un-Peter-like behavior, except that his pulse had sped up - stupidly - when Peter said "just the two of us", and then sped up again at the memory of Peter's palm resting briefly atop Neal's leg moments earlier. Also, Neal was distracted by the promise of freedom - no matter how limited and temporary.
"Seriously?"
Peter pulled the key out of his pocket and tossed it to Neal. Just like that.
"Take it off," Peter encouraged him. "It'd just get in our way today. Today... the only thing keeping close tabs on you, Neal... is me."