Chapter Text
“The kid was impressive.” Neal starts the next morning in the car,
“Don’t forget you two are the same age.”
“You know who I mean, so I can’t be wrong.”
“I know because I know you have been obsessed with him for the last week. If I wouldn’t know it better I would be thinking you are a horny teenager trying to tease him to get him into bed.” Peter jokes, “Oh wait.”
“Very funny.”
“Well I can’t argue with you there, he was very impressive.” Peter agrees looking over to Neal for a quick second before looking back on the road but the silence in the car tells him enough to know that he should keep talking, “But don’t let him fool you, the way you are impressed by his brain is the same way I think about yours.”
“Really?”
“Don’t push it.” Peter tells him with a stern impression and hopes to hear a light chuckle from Neal but instead he keeps still until it is so quiet not even the radio can make up for the tension, “What’s on your mind?”
“Do you ever wish you did not have to look out for me?”
“No”
“That was fast.” Neal states surprised, looking at Peter who smiles at that, “Why was your answer so fast?”
“Because I choose this and even if you sometimes don’t think so, you are a good person to have around. Do I get more and more gray hair because of you? Yes. But if I wouldn’t care about you, they would probably not keep growing like that.”
“That was very metaphorical.”
“The point is that I don’t mind looking out for you every once in a while if it means having you in my life. And now this conversation is over.” Peter presses and Neal who is not used to any affectioned words from Peter at any time follows his wishes but picks it up when they are alone at the office late at night,
“He is so innocent and pure, I don’t think he could ever hurt anyone-”
“Is this about Spencer again?”
“Yes”
“Kid-”
“It’s just that they have a bond we two could never have-”
“We could if you would not give me a reason every few weeks not to trust you.” Peter snaps and feels immediately sorry when he sees the hurt expression on Neal's face, “I am sorry, that was harsh.” Helplessly he looks at Neal who keeps his eyes focused on the page in front of him, his eyes burning as he tries to suppress the tears, “Listen, I shouldn’t have said that, I know you are trying your best and I know sometimes you just have no impulse control so-” He gets up from his seat and walks around the desk to sit down on it near Neal is seated, placing a hand on his shoulder, “I trust you, I would have never agreed to this if I would have thought you are a person that I can not trust because of their intentions, I know that you, with this, with me, with Elizabeth, with your chance to help people only have the good things in mind. We just need to work on your impulse control but I don’t think that is something that can’t be handled or something that is entirely your fault. If I would not be convinced that we two can have a similar bond, I wouldn’t have even kept this thing going for so long and we will get there. And we will need some patient but-”
He gets cut off by Neal jumping up and pulling him into a hug as he breaks out into a sob, “Oh kid, it’s okay.”
“I am sorry.”
“You are alright.”
“I wish I could be as good as Spencer for you”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to-” Comforting Peter places his hand on the back of Neal’s head, “Shh, it’s okay, we are okay, there is no need to compare yourself, I don’t want someone like Spencer, you are just fine, it’s okay.”