Work Text:
For someone who loved his job, Peter really wasn’t having a good time.
As the cases have gone by recently it seems as if more and more involved something more serious than just white collar crime—which always led to the case jurisdiction changing.
Whether the suspect was actually an alien, or the mortgage fraud was actually a cover up for human trafficking, everything wasn’t what it seemed lately. And it was seriously throwing Peter off.
Even this current case wasn’t what it seemed!
Peter was expecting a normal money laundering case and now the Blüdhaven police department were sending in some officers since apparently the perpetrators were neck deep in Blüdhaven affairs (and what does that even mean? Blüdhaven was full of crime, that really didn’t narrow it down.)
Peter was almost at the end of his patience. He took a deep breath, like El taught him to do when things got overwhelming, and mentally shook all the negative thoughts out.
It’ll probably be fine, sure the Blüdhaven police department was much more corrupt than most, but the officer they’re sending over is apparently one of the ‘few good ones’ as the superintendent in charge over there put it.
The most Peter will have to worry about is keeping Neal in check while the officer visits, since he’s been in a bad mood for these past few days.
Things will be perfectly fine and nothing will go wrong whatsoever.
⋆｡°✩˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗⋆｡°✩
Things go wrong.
Badly.
Peter should’ve expected this. Neal disappeared off to go get some coffee, and now was nowhere to be seen as the rest of the team waited for the consulting officer to arrive.
God damn it Neal.
Peter fought the urge to go look for Neal himself as he stood next to his desk.
A few more minutes of waiting later and Peter finally heard the sound of someone walking up to the door. A young man opens the door, so this is the officer.
Peter walked forward, he put out his hand for him to shake it. The officer shook Peter’s hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Officer Grayson from the Blüdhaven police department. I'm here to help with the money laundering case,” Officer Grayson explained. He gave Peter a friendly smile.
“Likewise, I’m Agent Burke if you would just follow me over here for the specifics of the case?” Peter asked. Officer Grayson nodded.
Peter led him over to the heart of the room as the others introduced themselves to Officer Grayson as they walked by. Peter rifled around in his desk for the right papers he needed to hand Officer Grayson.
The sound of the door opening rang through Peter’s ears again. “Hey! I’ve got all the coffee right here, and yes Peter I got you that disgusting thing you call coffee,” Neal said, with his usual flair. About time.
Peter looked up from his desk. Neal put the coffees down as he finally seemed to notice Officer Grayson.
Neal stood there for a few moments as he blinked, obviously confused. Officer Grayson looked over to Neal. He immediately broke into the widest grin Peter has ever seen.
Neal seemed to come back to himself as he immediately scowled. Huh? Just what was going on here?
Officer Grayson twisted backwards into a backbend. Neal scoffed, “Showoff,” He muttered.
Peter’s eyes snapped towards Neal. Peter raised his eyebrow as he tried to get Neal to show some respect. Officer Grayson visibly brightened once again at the sight of Neal.
In a single fluid motion he got up into a handstand. “Oh hey, didn’t see you there.” Officer Grayson winked at Neal who only rolled his eyes.
Officer Grayson then leaped up with more flips than was necessary. Wow, that really is impressive. He landed directly in front of Neal.
“Missed you, Little Wing,” He said softly, his voice bordering a whisper as he pulled Neal into a hug.
Peter blinked multiple times in shock. What? Neal knew Officer Grayson?
“Seriously Dickhead? You just had to barge in here and ruin everything?” Neal said as he pulled away from the hug.
Peter had been ready to step in and apologize for his CI’s rude behavior when Officer Grayson didn’t react at all to Neal’s words, he only responded with a smile still on his face.
“Hey! It’s not my fault, didn’t even know I was going to see you here!” Neal’s eyes only narrowed at the explanation.
“Oh really? This is just some big coincidence that you show up here only a few days after begging me to visit you?” Neal said, accusation clear in his words.
Although Neal seemed accusatory towards Officer Grayson, there was no real bite to his voice.
“Yes! Seriously, Little Wing I’m not lying, I swear on Alfred’s cooking—this is all a happy coincidence!” Officer Grayson responded. Neal frowned and paused for a moment as if considering Officer Grayson’s words.
He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to talk, Peter decided he should probably stop them now before it got too out of hand.
Peter cleared his throat. “Uh, so you know Officer Grayson, Neal?” He asked.
Neal turned to him as if he just remembered that Peter and everyone else was there.
“Oh uh, I sort of know him? Y’know how it is, conned him maybe once or twice,” Neal said, very obviously lying through his teeth.
Did Neal really think he’d fall for that? He’s usually a better liar than this, it comes with being a conman after all.
Diana snorted from behind them, “Sure, you only ‘sort of’ know the guy that immediately hugged you on sight,” She teased.
Neal groaned. Officer Grayson turned to him with a smirk that Peter couldn’t decipher. Neal gave him a glare that was pretty much universally translated as—‘Don’t you fucking dare.’
Officer Grayson clung onto Neal again. “Is that all you think of me, Neal? Just some guy you conned? And I thought we were close.” Officer Grayson sighed.
“I guess I have to send all those videos of you reciting Hamlet when you were a kid to the group chat..” He said, with an overdramatic frown.
Neal scowled at him again. “If you do, I'll bring up that time you broke all my backup helmets,” He said, as retaliation to Officer Grayson, who was now staring at Neal with his mouth open wide.
“It was one time! It wouldn’t have even happened if you stored them the right way instead of just putting them all in a box!” Officer Grayson responded back.
“It exploded my entire safehouse!” Neal threw his arms up. Peter looked back and forth between the two, how could he stop this?
“Neal!” Peter interrupted. Neal cleared his throat and smiled at Peter, the glare in his eyes from earlier gone now.
“Yes, Peter?” He asked. Peter sighed.
“How do you actually know Officer Grayson? And tell the truth this time, please.” Neal turned to Officer Grayson, an unspoken question in his eyes.
Officer Grayson grinned and nodded. “Go ahead, I’ve got blanket permission from B to reveal anything that doesn’t have to do with downstairs business.” Officer Grayson shrugged.
Neal gave Peter a shit-eating grin. “Well, Peter, meet my older brother, Dick!” Neal said with faux fanfare in his tone.
Peter is 90% sure his brain turned off and then rebooted itself after Neal’s words.
Neal has a brother? Peter doesn’t curse much, but what the actual fuck?
“You — but? Your file? Huh?” Peter spluttered out.
Officer Grayson laughed. “Maybe you should’ve eased him into it, Jay.” He nudged Neal with his elbow, slightly.
What was his life at this point?
⋆｡°✩˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗⋆｡°✩
“Oh, and by the way Peter, am I still on the most wanted list?”
“Are you.. Neal what?!”