Moments to Build On - Part 1
Title: Moments to Build On
Fandom: White Collar
Characters/Pairing: Peter/Elizbeth, Peter/Neal
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Off screen Non canon death of a canon charcter (brief non graphic description), mentions of miscarriage, alcohol usage, mentions of homophobic reactions
Word count: 14,000
Summary: Pete and Elizabeth meet Neal on their first date. AU in which Peter is an accountant, Elizabeth is a girl who likes him back, and Neal's the server turned friend. But when tragedy strikes, Peter realizes what their friendship really means to him.
Notes: This was written for the
whitecollar_bb. This should have been longer. It didn't get anywhere near the amounts of love it deserved. beta credit goes to genrectats and (it's been too long bud, since we've worked together) Sol - thanks to these two incredible girls that kept my head in the game even when I was sure there was no possible way this was getting done.
Thank you so so much to
kaylashay for this artwork, it's beautiful! Her art post is HERE - go check it out and leave love!
Neal shifted from foot to foot. His feet hurt, his back hurt, his head hurt, hell, everything hurt. He considered himself to be in good shape but there was something about a 12 hour shift that kicked his ass. It didn’t help that he’d started the day with someone’s overpriced pesto all over his shirt and had been smelling it ever since.
It was his first day on the floor and he was feeling it, but his shift was almost over and then he could retreat back to his little piece of New York, maybe with a pit stop for dinner; his stomach growled to remind him that he’d worked through his lunch break.
He hovered awkwardly at the bar waiting for his drink orders and picked at his thumbnail, he was too new to be friendly with the staff and if it wasn’t for the constant stream of mistakes he’d been making that day he would say he was downright invisible. Not that he minded, too much. But it was lonely - being wrung out with nobody to even talk to.
“Hey! New guy!” Mick, the bartender, barked at him. “Drinks man, they aren’t going to deliver themselves.”
Neal dropped his hands and blushed as he took the tray, mumbling his apology, and started toward his table, delicately balancing it on his fingers. Everything was fine until he tried to remove the first drink from the tray and overcompensated for the weight. The tray tipped and the second drink fell to the table with a crash, drenching the front of his well dressed customer.
“Oh!” He groaned low, the shirt alone was going to cost him a weeks pay to replace if dry cleaning couldn’t remove the blossoming stain. “I’m so sorry!” His cheeks burned and he offered the rag from his pocket without thinking. The same rag that he’d used earlier to wipe up another spill and hadn’t replaced. He dropped his chin as he tucked it away again. “Let me go get another…”
The man immediately launched into a fit of anger and Neal stood stock still, his chin to his chest and his face hot. This wasn’t his first error today but it was by far the worst. He was shaking slightly as the man’s wife finally touched him on the shoulder and forced him back down in the seat. Neal stuttered another apology and turned away quickly; he’d send a manager to the table with their drinks and eventually it would blow over. But that didn’t stop his hands from shaking as he pushed through the kitchen doors. The Manager on Duty that he spoke to glared at him, she was the same one he’d run to last time, and pushed past him into the dining room. He sagged against the wall and took a deep breath. Just a few more hours. He could do this.
He finally found his legs again and made his way back out of the kitchen area.
“Hey!” He turned toward the hostess station at the voice. “Could you give me a hand for a minute?” The poor guy had a line that was growing steadily.
Neal nodded and walked over, fake smile plastered on his face. “Sir? Miss? This way.” He waved at them to follow and led them toward his section. He was almost to the assigned table when he stopped short, his stomach dropping. “Sorry, sorry.” He kept his smile in place but he knew it looked forced. One of his tables was missing. A table he hadn’t delivered the check to yet.
“No, problem.” The woman smiled gently at him. “Are you ok?”
“Yeah, sorry.” He pulled out a chair and she slid in smoothly. “First day nerves.”
“Well, then we’re all on equal footing.” The man grinned and pulled out his own chair across the table. “First day, first date. Relax, ok? I’m Peter and this is Elizabeth. And I guess I can’t speak for her, I don’t know her very well, but I promise I’ll go easy on you. ”
“Neal, nice to meet you.” He smiled as handed them menus,but his mind was already mentally calculating the bill that was going to be coming from his rapidly shrinking paycheck. He ducked away as they disappeared behind the menus. He was staring at the empty table and didn’t hear the floor manager approaching.
“Problem, Caffrey?” She sighed.
“They, they didn’t pay.” His shoulders slumped and he turned towards her, aware of her anger before she even opened her mouth.
“Goddammit, kid.” She hissed. “I’m not sure what your problem is today, but your job is hanging on by a very thin thread. You need to get your act together or I’m going to have no choice but to let you go. Your actions and mistakes today are unacceptable.” Her voice was growing louder with every word and Neal felt tears of shame burning behind his eyes.
“I’m so sorry, I…”
“No. If you hadn’t made such a mess, you would have been here to keep an eye on them. This is coming out of your check. This is ridiculous.”
“Excuse me?” She was interrupted by the voice of the man Neal had just seated.
She turned toward him, her face changing in the short time it took her to turn around. “Yes, sir, what can I get for you?”
“Absolutely nothing unless you decide to treat your employees with some respect.” He had approached and was glaring down at the woman. “If he must be reprimanded for something that is clearly not his fault, then that needs to be done in private. He’s doing the best that he can - he has so far provided nothing but excellent service to us and so far the only downside of this restaurant seems to be your attitude toward your employees.” He looked far more stern than he should, considering he didn’t even know Neal.
“My apologies, you are correct in that this isn’t the place to deal with these issues. I’m very sorry to have disturbed your evening.” Now it was her turn to pink and Neal smiled gratefully at the man before he turned and followed her back behind the kitchen doors.
“Neal?” Peter called after him.
Neal turned back. “Yes, sir?”
Peter pulled a credit card from his wallet, Neal looked at his quizzically as he handed it to him. “For their meal.” He tipped his head toward the empty table. “And tip.”
“I can’t…” Neal tried to hand the card back.
“You can if I say you can.” Peter gave him an easy smile. “You look like you deserve a little good karma your way.”
“Thank you.” Neal was floored and eternally grateful. Peter just touched his arm and turned away, rejoining his date at the table.
When he returned to them 5 minutes later, he was thoroughly chastised but calm. He took their order and delivered their drinks without an issue and took a deep sigh of relief. It appeared the hostess was taking pity on him because his section remained slow despite the stream of people in the door.
The rest of the night passed without too much of an incident and he hesitated as he discreetly dropped the check at the Peter’s elbow. “Sir?”
Peter tore his eyes away from Elizabeth and smiled warmly at him. Neal couldn’t help the smile that tilted his lips in return. “Thank you. For, well, for everything. Your kindness means a lot.” His eyes flicked over to his date, her face absolutely aglow as she looked at Peter. “I just wanted to thank you. But I’ll let you get back to your date.”
He turned and started away but stopped as she called his name. “Neal?”
“Yes, Miss?” He bit the inside of his cheek as she rolled her eyes at the formality.
“Can you direct me to the bathroom?” She stood.
“Of course.” He approached the table and pointed in the direction of the restrooms. “Just down that short hall and to your left.”
"Thank you." She gathered her purse and slipped passed him.
Neal turned to leave again but stopped at Peter's low chuckle. "I hope she's not fleeing out the back door." He shrugged a little in self depreciation and fiddled with his wallet. "I think I really like her."
Neal smiled and fought the urge to pat the other man on the shoulder. "I think it's safe to say she might really like you, too."
"Really?" He looked up and hope was aglow on his face.
"Yeah." Neal took the credit card that was handed to him and started backward. "You two are going to last. I can feel it."
He grinned as Peter sat a little straighter and smiled goofily to himself.
--
The next time he saw them they sat apart on opposite sides of the table and leaned in close. They continued in this fashion; coming back on at least a weekly basis, sometimes more. He learned little things about them - she was originally from New York and his accounting firm had an office here, but his home base was DC. Their semi long distance relationship meant that they spent whatever time they could together. She worked days in an art gallery but had big dreams of owning her own event business and Peter was partner in an accounting firm with a sparkling reputation. She had a little house in Brooklyn and wanted a dog. Peter rented an apartment in both cities and didn’t even know the difference between a
Labrador Retriever and a Golden Retriever.
“What?” He’d grunted when Neal laughed. “They’re both yellow!”
They were easy people to like and easy people to talk to - they’d even managed to unravel part of his carefully wrapped story. “I grew up in Missouri with just my mom.” His single parent childhood wasn’t something he was ashamed of so much as it was something he just didn’t normally advertise. Because eventually someone would ask how his mom was doing - and that was something he was ashamed of. He didn’t know, he tried not to care. He told those persistent enough to keep asking that he’d left home at 18 and hadn’t looked back. He told these two the truth. “I came out when I was 16. My mom kicked me out.” He said it with a smile and a shrug, like it didn’t hurt anymore - like maybe it never did.
“Oh.” Peter said. “I’m sorry.”
“Sweetie!” Elizabeth rushed to her feet and pulled him into a hug he wasn’t ready for. But one that was welcome nonetheless.
When his current boyfriend interrupted their wine order on an average Tuesday night by blowing kisses through the window on his way out, Neal wanted to crawl under the table and hide. “I’m so sorry. I’ve told him not to do that.”
“It’s sweet!” Elizabeth wiggled her fingers in Jack’s direction and he grinned.
Neal groaned. “Don’t encourage him!”
“He’s cute.” Peter waved next and was rewarded with a bow through the glass.
“Ugh.” Neal rolled his eyes as Jack winked at him before strolling away. “He’s not going to last long.”
“Oh, honey.” Elizabeth was grinning. “Let him down gently.”
“Don’t worry.” Neal laughed. “I think he’s made of rubber, he’ll bounce right back.”
--
It was a Saturday, almost a year to the day, and one of Neal’s rare days off when he received a call from his boss. He set his paintbrush down with a sigh as he answered. He’d since grasped more than the basics of his job and was staring a promotion in the face but it wasn’t yet guaranteed. The additional income would be nice and so what bossman asked, bossman got.
Even if he had planned to spend the day getting out of his own head for awhile. It was needed, painting, to express what he didn’t know how.
Thirty seconds into the call and Neal caught on that Mr. Burke was looking for him. Could he come in, just for an hour? The man had something very important to discuss with him. The call was suddenly far less annoying and he dressed quickly and was pulling open the front door of the restaurant within a half hour.
“Neal!” Peter’s voice rang across the bar and he followed the sound, catching his eye and smiling. He waved a hand and weaved his way through half empty tables.
“Mr. Burke.” Neal stuck out a hand. “What can I do for you?” He was genuinely curious; despite their weekly interactions they were far from friends, their paths only crossing in the square footage around their table. But he did have something deep riding on their relationship, he knew the reason and knew it was ridiculous but rooted for them anyway.
Peter grinned and looked around before pulling a box out of his pocket. “I’m going to ask her to marry me.”
“Congratulations!” Neal felt himself light up, knowing what was coming, and was honored. “When?”
“Tonight. We’ve got reservations.” He was shuffling from one foot to the other. “I think I’m nervous.”
“Don’t be.” Neal ushered them to the bar and laid his hand over the other mans arm. “Besides, the worst she can say is no.” He grinned as Peter’s eyes got wide. “She won’t. Why would she?” His face heated just a little. “You’re one of the good guys, protector of the innocent. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”
Peter blushed and looked away. When his eyes finally flicked back they were bright. He launched into his plans for the night and Neal listened, rapt, as he laid out how to ask Elizabeth the most important question to date.
--
It went off without a hitch.
Neal showered, shaved, and showed up for his day off shift a half an hour early. He dropped the food off at the table right on schedule and kept their drinks full without being intrusive. He couldn’t hear the words from his position when the question was finally popped but garnered her answer from the round of applause that rose from the surrounding tables and the tears on her cheeks.
He swiped at his own face.
“Jeez, Caffrey, you’d think you had as much invested in her answer as he does.” A coworker had come around the corner and caught his tears. She was watching him sympathetically.
“He saved me once.” Neal shrugged and turned away.
He gathered up the bottle of champagne that had been chilling and approached the tale with a grin. “Miss Mitchell. Mr. Burke, congratulations.” He produced two flutes and poured them each a glass. He waited in the wings until they had finished their meal and he gathered their coats. He helped Elizabeth into hers asPeter shrugged his on.
Peter pressed cash into his hand as he held the door and they disappeared into the night, hand in hand.
Warmth and love followed Neal home that night, some form of second hand happiness that felt like champagne bubbles in his chest.
--
Besides the sparkling ring on her finger, little else changed after their engagement. They still showed up, once or twice a week. They always requested to sit in Neal’s section and waited patiently, more than once, until a table had been cleared. They set a date for the wedding and Elizabeth handed Neal his invitation with a flourish. He stuttered his thanks and slipped it into the pocket of his apron. He knew the invite was little more than a formality but he was touched nonetheless.
--
Their friends piled in for their engagement party and Neal was smitten all over again. It took really good people to be surrounded by this many good people.
Peter’s mother and father were an absolute delight, you could tell exactly how proud they were of their son but how humble of people they were. His father had the face and hands of a man who had been doing an honest days work for a lot of days and his mother actually smelled a little like cinnamon raisin bread when she greeted him with a hug when Peter introduced them.
Elizabeth’s parents were a little less touchy - her father a psychiatrist that stared Neal down like he was going to dig up a lot of long buried issues, but in the end he smiled and shook his hand. Her mother was well dressed and laughed loudly, full of friendly confidence, that she was happy to pass it along in her voice.
There were assorted colleagues and friends. Diana Berrigan, Peter’s partner in his accounting firm. She had a tough demeanor that Neal knew instantly was a cover for a much softer heart.
Clinton Jones was Peter’s head of security, He was a calm figure with an easy smile and from Neal could tell; he was pretty certain he was hilarious but his jokes almost always fell flat. Not that it stopped him from trying.
You could tell a lot about man by the way their subordinates talked around them and Neal’s image of Peter was coming away unscathed. His employees and partners seemed to respect him in equal amounts. He was also getting a small taste at how important of a man Peter was, he was the man people looked up to - not just another accountant in a sea of CPA’s. The company was his baby, well, his and Diana’s and he treated it as such. His employees were more friends than subordinates and he could tell how loyal each was to their boss.
It wasn’t hard to admit that he was impressed.
--
Neal worked the day of the wedding, he thought all day of big bright churches and Elizabeth in her dress. He regretted not going but wasn’t really sure where he fit in in their social circle. He was a runaway with dreams of seeing his paintings on gallery walls - they were important people; smart and sophisticated. For as well as they got along while he was serving them, he wasn’t really sure of his place outside of this place.
It was just about closing when they walked in, Peter with his tux open at the throat and ratty sneakers under perfectly pressed black and Elizabeth in a simple cotton dress and sandals.
“Neal Caffrey.” She stopped in front of him with her hands on her hips. “You didn’t come to my wedding.”
Peter slid up behind her and slipped an arm around her waist and frowned in Neal’s direction. “Our wedding.”
Neal blushed. “I.. I had to, to..” He apparently still stuttered when he was nervous. “I’m sorry. I guess I thought you only invited me to be polite.” He smiled sheepishly.
“You thought wrong.” She wagged a finger at him. “But we’ll forgive you.”
“Can I get you anything?” Neal fidgeted uncomfortably, clasping his hands tight in front of himself. “A drink?”
“No.” Peter stepped around his wife and covered Neal’s hands. “We were just driving past on our way to the airport and thought we’d stop to complain about your lack of attendance.” He cocked his head and worry lines appeared on his forehead. “We didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“We just wanted you to know you were missed.” Elizabeth piped up and covered Peter’s hand with her own, their rings glinting in the pale light.
Neal felt his face grow hot and blinked back the sting of his emotions. “Thank you.” He pulled away and stepped back. “You better get going and I should get back to work. Have a safe flight and have fun, ok?”
Peter nodded and turned toward the door, pulling it open and holding it for Elizabeth. As she walked through, she turned back and smiled. “We’ll see you when we get back?”
It was posed as a question and Neal frowned as he nodded. “Of course.”
“Good.” She grinned and waved. They disappeared into the back of a waiting cab.
--
He didn’t see them as often after that, Elizabeth had made the move to DC but they kept her little house in Brooklyn when they were in town for Peter’s job, which was biweekly according to the timings of their visits, usually without reservations. Neal was always happy to see them as they were escorted to a table. He had plenty of other guests, other customers, other regulars that he called by name and joked with; but there was something uniquely special about the two of them that he kept closely guarded.
They had just been in three days previous when they waltzed through the door again, so Neal was a little taken aback but met them with smile. “Burkes! Welcome back.” He ushered them to a table and waited while they sat and arranged themselves. “I didn’t expect to see you back so soon.”
“Complaining?” Peter raised his eyebrows, “I know we’re your worst customers….”
“No no.” Neal rolled his eyes at the joke. “I was just wondering what brings you back so soon.” He handed them menus. “I’d never complain about the two of you.” He lowered his voice conspiringly. “I’m not supposed to have favorites. But I do.”
Elizabeth glanced around and whispered back. “Good. So do we.” And then she beamed. “We’re having a baby.”
“Wow, ok.” Neal glanced at Peter who was grinning from ear to ear. “I can honestly say I wasn’t expecting that.” But he smiled at the happiness radiating off of them. “Congratulations!”
--
Two months later and Elizabeth ordered tequila with her meal. Neal raised an eyebrow in Peter’s direction and he nodded with a defeated look on his face. She drank her way through dinner and didn’t touch the fettucini that Peter had ordered for her against her protests. She was in silent tears by the time that he dropped off the check and Peter was looking more and more lost. Neal helped him gather her up in her coat and she leaned heavily on him as they staggered out into the cold night. She clung to him and her tears lost their silence and she sobbed openly onto his shoulder as her husband hailed a cab. Peter apologized profusely and Neal refused the tip he offered as Peter slid in and pulled her in close behind him. “Thank you.” Peter’s eyes were red around the rims and his wife’s face was pressed solidly into his chest. She clung to him and he clung back.
Neal stood alone on the curb as the taxi pulled away, mourning a loss that wasn’t his.
--
Neither of them mentioned kids again and Neal didn’t ask. A year passed and with it came news of Elizabeth’s big business venture. She had quit her job at the gallery after the wedding and had taken a job with a small event planning business in DC. That was her real passion, she said, but working for someone else wasn’t.
She talked fast as she explained what it entailed and of the promised business of customers she had served during her stint with the other company. She was passionate as she talked and Neal saw the fire she had; the potential in her was extraordinary.
She struggled for the first few months but soon business was booming, both in New York and in DC and when they landed together at their table it was with equal wariness and a glowing successfulness that Neal found intoxicating. He listened as they told competing horror stories of customers; Peter of a 5 year business owner that “Didn’t know he had to pay taxes.” and “I’m supposed to keep receipts?” And Elizabeth of a father planning his darling daughter's fifth birthday party and his demand of elephant rides. “Indoors Neal! Not only did he want me to find elephants, but then he wanted a venue big enough to ride them in!” They both left giddily drunk that night.
--
By the time their 2nd anniversary rolled around Peter’s firm was opening a office on the west coast and El was discussing opening a small, limited version of Burkes Premiere Events there too, since they’d be spending so much time. She figured she’d spend a few months out there with Peter, hiring a suitable Manager and then trusting them with the day to day handlings.
The day of their anniversary dinner she arrived first, already 10 minutes late for their reservation and smiled wearily when Neal told her that Peter hadn’t yet arrived. “The magic’s gone, Neal. He’s late.” She smiled, clearly joking.
“He’d be stupid to let you go.” Neal winked at her. “And we both know he’s anything but.”
She grinned over Neal’s shoulder and he turned to catch sight of Peter pushing his way through the people on the sidewalk outside. Neal maneuvered quickly to the door and took his coat as he rushed through. “I’m late!” He ran a hand through his hair.
“Relax. She just got here.” Neal whispered to him as he showed him to the table. A little louder so that she could hear as Peter slid into his chair. “I was just telling your gorgeous wife here how incredibly smart you are.” Neal winked at her and she laughed.
That was the last time he saw them happily together.
--
The last time they came in there was something heavy in the air around them. She clutched at Peter’s arm as they slid into the same side of the table; something that they hadn’t done since the first few dates, preferring to carry out conversation face to face instead of side by side. As tight as she clutched to him, he clutched his phone, staring at it in his hand like it was foreign and had every intention of springing to life and attacking.
They ordered but neither ate much and Neal didn’t push. Finally as he slid the check onto the table to couldn’t help it and asked in a low voice. “Is everything ok?”
Peter blinked up at him and forced a smile. “Of course. We’re just waiting for some news. I’m sorry.” He scribbled his signature across the bottom of the check.
“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.” But Neal’s heart pounded hard in his chest. Everything most definitely was not ok and it was physically hurting him not to be able to ask, to offer something of support.
Elizabeth looked at him with big watery eyes and pulled him into a tight hug as they stood to leave. After a brief moment of hesitation, Peter did the same. “Thank you again.” The words were little more than a breath over his ear and Neal nodded into him.
“You’re welcome.”
It felt like goodbye.
Part 2