"...I think you deserve a little happiness. And if there's anything I can do to help you with that, I want to do it."
'Can you split me into two people?' Neal wants to ask, and he almost laughs because there's something both touching and absurd about Peter, sincerely offering Neal his hand in friendship, while Neal sits on Peter's bed, invading Peter's home. There's something profound but also pathetic about how badly "Neal" would like to be two people just now. The person who can take the ship's manifest being held delicately in his hands and skip town feeling nothing but the thrill of what comes next... And the person who can pretend he's never seen it. Was never in Peter's safe. Has no idea what he's missing by not taking the treasure and running now, while he still has someone to run with.
"Neal" had never lived a life he couldn't give up before finally getting together with Chuck. Now he's living two. When Chuck's in town, he is Bryce. The presumed-dead spy hiding out from his old bosses and lifelong enemies. When Chuck's not around, he's Neal. The good-hearted con artist who somehow happens to be an excellent law enforcement agent besides. Neal has everything Bryce ever wanted... Friends he doesn't have to hurt to protect or push away. The chance to help people, save lives, day after day. But Bryce has-
Bryce has Chuck. The one thing Neal can never have. If Chuck was seen with Neal, Bryce's cover would be blown. Neal would cease to exist. Bryce would be back on every spy's radar and Chuck would be burned for keeping his secrets.
The treasure is everyone's best exit strategy. Neal can fade away instead of being ruthlessly executed. Bryce can be with Chuck without endangering him just by breathing. Chuck can leave the spy life without leaving his family hanging in the wind. The treasure can buy them new identities, ways to keep in touch with Devon and Ellie and Morgan in secret, a lifetime of not being shot at or nearly blown up every other Friday...
All it will cost is the life of Neal Caffrey. His job at the Bureau. His relationships with June and Peter and El, Diana and Jones and Sara.
"I'll let you know," Neal says, though it's a lie. If he can't be two people at once, then he will have to be the person who can put the other one down for good. And while Neal has never taken another human being's life, Bryce is sort of an expert at it.
Pitted against one another - Neal, with all his charm and brilliance and good intentions; Bryce, with his ruthlessness and his love for Chuck - Neal simply doesn't stand a chance.
Lol, when I read the first sentence I thought you were telling me that I deserved a little happiness. I was like, well, a fill from you will certainly do it. :P
Nice phrasing of the "choice." <3 How is it you have so much fic that I haven't read??? this is so great and also so awful for me omg <33333
Not far enough in the rewatch of Chuck it's frustratingggg... Neal's voice is so much stronger in me most of the time currently because there are so many more WC episodes than Chuck episodes that Bryce is in, hahahaha, Bryce is this mishmash of fic as much as actual canon ... I was drawing comparisons between them yesterday, though (halfhearted worldbuilding for myself in a random AU I started thinking about). Hmmmmyayay
'Can you split me into two people?' Neal wants to ask, and he almost laughs because there's something both touching and absurd about Peter, sincerely offering Neal his hand in friendship, while Neal sits on Peter's bed, invading Peter's home. There's something profound but also pathetic about how badly "Neal" would like to be two people just now. The person who can take the ship's manifest being held delicately in his hands and skip town feeling nothing but the thrill of what comes next... And the person who can pretend he's never seen it. Was never in Peter's safe. Has no idea what he's missing by not taking the treasure and running now, while he still has someone to run with.
"Neal" had never lived a life he couldn't give up before finally getting together with Chuck. Now he's living two. When Chuck's in town, he is Bryce. The presumed-dead spy hiding out from his old bosses and lifelong enemies. When Chuck's not around, he's Neal. The good-hearted con artist who somehow happens to be an excellent law enforcement agent besides. Neal has everything Bryce ever wanted... Friends he doesn't have to hurt to protect or push away. The chance to help people, save lives, day after day. But Bryce has-
Bryce has Chuck. The one thing Neal can never have. If Chuck was seen with Neal, Bryce's cover would be blown. Neal would cease to exist. Bryce would be back on every spy's radar and Chuck would be burned for keeping his secrets.
The treasure is everyone's best exit strategy. Neal can fade away instead of being ruthlessly executed. Bryce can be with Chuck without endangering him just by breathing. Chuck can leave the spy life without leaving his family hanging in the wind. The treasure can buy them new identities, ways to keep in touch with Devon and Ellie and Morgan in secret, a lifetime of not being shot at or nearly blown up every other Friday...
All it will cost is the life of Neal Caffrey. His job at the Bureau. His relationships with June and Peter and El, Diana and Jones and Sara.
"I'll let you know," Neal says, though it's a lie. If he can't be two people at once, then he will have to be the person who can put the other one down for good. And while Neal has never taken another human being's life, Bryce is sort of an expert at it.
Pitted against one another - Neal, with all his charm and brilliance and good intentions; Bryce, with his ruthlessness and his love for Chuck - Neal simply doesn't stand a chance.
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Not far enough in the rewatch of Chuck it's frustratingggg... Neal's voice is so much stronger in me most of the time currently because there are so many more WC episodes than Chuck episodes that Bryce is in, hahahaha, Bryce is this mishmash of fic as much as actual canon ... I was drawing comparisons between them yesterday, though (halfhearted worldbuilding for myself in a random AU I started thinking about). Hmmmmyayay
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