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He hadn’t spotted any others aside from Burke. He led him through a maze of alleyways and shortcuts before turning left when he should’ve turned right. Neal cursed under breath, he’d backed himself into a corner, literally. He couldn’t scale the wall, it was far too high with nothing to grip, at least not that he could see under the veil of night.
"Guess you finally got me," he grinned at the agent, hands in the air innocently.
Peter approached the dark haired criminal cautiously, knowing that one slip up could cost him the three years it had taken him for this exact moment. He raised his gun threateningly. He wasn’t going to take any chances.
“It’s about time I did,” he answered back with self satisfaction. “Took me long enough, don’t you think? Give it up Neal, it’s over.”
"It did take you an awfully long time… wouldn’t exactly be throwing those numbers around the department." He smirked as he lowered his hands, keeping them out of his pockets, but taking a step forward as he glanced behind the agent. "Where’s your backup, anyway?"
“Well… you’re not exactly an easy catch, being the world’s greatest con artist and all.” Peter couldn’t help giving the criminal a smug smile. “But that title won’t be yours for much longer.”
He stood his ground as Neal took a step toward him, keeping his complete focus on the other man. His hand gripped the gun tighter.
“Backup’s on the way, they’ll be here before you know it.”
”Really? ‘Cause I think you were just out for a stroll and spotted me. You didn’t raise the phone to your ear and you aren’t carrying a radio,” two more steps closer. If he could distract him, get him all turned around, he could get away. "So tell me, Agent Burke… how’d you send off the alarm? The great Neal Caffrey’s been spotted!" He almost laughed, taking two more steps forward.
Neal was perceptive as ever. It was true, Peter had absolutely no backup coming. He had taken a chance with a bluff and to his expectation, Neal had seen right through it. It didn’t escape his notice that the other man was getting closer but he wasn’t going to back off, not when he was so close.
Peter eyed the other man warily. “Don’t try anything, Neal. Just turn yourself in.” He wasn’t going to fall for it. He’d chased after this man for so long, he knew him inside out. He wouldn’t be fooled so easily, not this time.
He wasn’t going to shoot him— he would’ve done it already. As uncomfortable as it made him, Neal stepped forward again, his face set with a smug smile as he walked close enough for the gun to touch him, directly under his right shoulder.
"Come on, Peter. We both know you’re not gonna shoot me. Put the gun down and let’s talk about this like two civilized human beings."
Peter shook his head disapprovingly. “I’m the one with the gun which means I call the shots, not you.” He poked the gun a bit forcefully into Neal’s chest as a warning. “So here’s how it’s going to go — you’re going to keep your hands out to the side where I can see them so I can put those shiny bracelets that you’ve been dying to try out around your wrists.” Peter knew better than to talk something out with a smooth talker like Neal. It would always end with an escape and he wasn’t about to let that happen.
Unlike his usual victims, Neal knew Burke wouldn’t be so easily swayed. He wasn’t dumb enough to fall for the talk-around (he knew this, but he had to try it anyway), which meant out of the box thinking. He smiled, tongue flicking out over his lips as he huffed a small laugh, head tilting down before looking up at him, teeth scraping over his bottom lip. It wasn’t necessarily a tactic he’d used often on men, but…
He batted the gun away from his chest, one hand rising to grab the back of the agent’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss, his free hand knocking the gun out of Burke’s hand.
Perfect .
Even with a gun pointed at him, it was every bit like Caffrey to try and fight the inevitable. When he felt the heavy weight of the gun fly out of his hand, Peter had made up his mind to use his bare hands to take down the elusive criminal if he had to. Instead, he didn’t even get a chance to react and suddenly found his lips against the younger man’s smirking ones. His brain was playing catch up, not able to believe that Neal was so desperate to pull off a stunt like this.
But it was happening.
Peter willed his body to resist - to push away -but found himself unable to. He stared into the blue steel eyes mere centimeters away from his, very much bewildered. The agent was too stunned to think or do anything.
He should’ve run. That priceless moment of confusion on the agent’s face was it. Just the distraction he was aiming for, and yet… he didn’t run. He stared back for a moment, wondering if it was just the adrenaline of the chase, knowing he didn’t have a lot of time before this little shock wore off. His heart was racing (having absolutely nothing to do with the chase just moments before) as he grabbed Burke’s shirt and pulled him closer, kissing him again, his tongue seeking entrance into the other’s mouth. The FBI Agent’s reaction would determine just how well (or poorly) this night was about to go.
Peter didn’t miss the small look of hesitation on Caffrey’s face. It was just for an instant but he saw it. Realization struck him back to his senses when Caffrey began to get more bold and that’s when it hit him… Neal could have run. He had failed, the moment he’d let his surprise get the better of him but the con artist - known for his spectacular getaways - hadn’t taken advantage of Peter’s slip up.
Instead, Neal was… oh… ohhhh no no no… Was this some kind of sick game the con man was playing? Instead of granting Caffrey what he wanted, Peter tore his lips away, breathless and gasping for air as he gripped the lapels of Neal’s jacket and slammed him backwards into the wall behind him. His fierce gaze searched Caffrey’s eyes for a genuine clue of what Neal was up to. Did the criminal find him that much of a joke, so much so that he would toy with him?
The absence of Burke’s lips on his was barely registered before he was slammed up against the wall. His hands flew to the agent’s wrists instinctively, a smirk on Neal’s lips. He couldn’t help the soft chuckle that left his throat as his tongue flicked out over his lips once more, eyes darting to Burke’s own lips and then rising to meet that fierce gaze once more.
"You know… it’s okay if you liked it," he grinned. God knows Neal did.
Peter shook his head in denial. There was no way he had liked any of it. He’d just been caught off guard… a small voice in the back of his mind seemed to whisper the contrary. No. He knew better than anyone that a con man like Neal always acted impulsively for a reason.
“What do you think you’re doing, Caffrey?” Peter inquired darkly, watching the con man’s every move with a scrutinizing gaze. Was he questioning the kiss or the reason as to why Neal hadn’t run for it when he had the chance? Both, he found himself thinking but quickly shook it off.
Peter could feel strong hands around his wrists but there wasn’t any resistance behind them. Neal’s eyes glinted back at him with a slight tint of mischief and to his disbelief - his eyes out of their own accord - looked down to take a peek at the lips that had been on his moments earlier. He swallowed heavily and hoped that Caffrey wouldn’t notice… who was he kidding, of course Neal out of all people would notice…
Why couldn’t he just bring himself to handcuff the other man right there and then? This was a moment he’d been thinking about for far too long so he couldn’t understand why there was so much hesitation on his part. Instead, he just stood there, failing to steady his breath and staring back into hypnotizing blue eyes that he couldn’t tear himself away from.
Neal smiled at Burke’s words. Best to leave him wondering for a bit. And oh, he noticed. He noticed both the glance his and the reaction to said lips.
"I should ask you the question. I know you didn’t forget your handcuffs, and yet, there is a distinct lack of them on my wrists," he said, letting go of the agent’s wrists to show him his own. "What’s that about?" A smug grin was on his lips, eyes locked on Burke’s, his hands dropping back onto the other’s wrists.
Damn it, Neal. He was too observant for his own good — and Peter’s. Not to mention, that knowing smile of his never meant anything good.
He didn’t appreciate Caffrey dodging his question, only to turn it back on him but he did have a point. His eyes never left Neal’s.
"Oh, I’ll cuff you alright. I’m just basking in the moment since you’re not going anywhere." He clenched Neal’s jacket tighter to emphasize. "I’ve finally caught you." The moment Peter said the it, he knew it wasn’t true. Neal had let himself be captured and they both knew it.
It didn’t feel right. Peter had wanted to catch the con man fair and square; he hadn’t. He pursed his lips in deep thought as he considered what he wanted to do next.
Caffrey flashed the agent his winning smile. “Talk to me, Peter… what’s going through your mind? Turning me around and slamming me up against the wall… so you can cuff me, of course.” Another smirk. “I bet it’s the kiss— excuse me, kisses. I’ll bet you can’t even figure out your next move you’re so flustered. I can see it all over your face. I’m man enough to admit I enjoyed it… are you?” he asked with a raise of his brows.
The more Neal talked, the more frustrated Peter felt at how easily he’d been figured out. Caffrey knew him inside out just as much as he knew Neal better than anyone in his entire life. He wanted to handcuff the con man right there and then out of annoyance but he wouldn’t. He knew it the moment Caffrey flashed that million dollar smile at him.
He refused to give Neal the satisfaction by poorly attempting to answer his questions so Peter said nothing. However, that last question hit a nerve because it was a challenge. If that’s how Neal wanted to play, so be it. Before he could think twice about it, he smashed his lips against Caffrey’s, hoping to wipe the traces of that smirk away.
This was his way of telling Neal that he could have taken advantage of Caffrey’s mistake but had chosen not to. It was only fair.
Neal honestly thought Burke was going to back off, to let him go so he could try again. Instead, the force of the agent’s lips came barreling down on his own. If Caffrey made a small noise, it was lost on him. His hands moved to grab Burke’s tie and pull him closer, his teeth nipping at the other’s bottom lip.
"Our little secret, then?" he said, voice low as he raised a brow, lips brushing against Burke’s.