Title: Blue Skies
Pairing(s): Jones/Alex, maybe a vague reference to Peter/Neal if you squint.
Rating: PG-13 for sexual situations
Genre: Romance, AU, het
Beta: ericadawn16
Notes: Written for a prompt fest. I was reading through old emails and came across this ficlet. I totally forgot I had written it. Cleaned up, rearranged, reworded for ;-)
He'd always liked Caffrey, even though he'd been suspicious of him. The man was hard to dislike. He was loyal (in his own way) and was generally a kind person (when he wanted to be). And the man had led an exciting, if not legal lifestyle that even the most hardened FBI agents would smile at (not that they'd admit to it).
Jones had been careful to keep Neal at an arm's length, simply because the lure of that lifestyle Neal had dangled in front of him was tempting. Who wouldn't be tempted by a life of intrigue and fun? If things went well, you had money for anything you needed.
If you couldn't buy it, you could just take it. Nothing but blue skies and expensive dinners and flirting with danger at every turn.
He'd managed to keep Neal at bay, but temptation had returned in a different form. He'd tried to resist, but this lure was just too strong, and now he'd turned his back on everything he'd ever known for this strange new lifestyle.
It was terrifying. It was exhilarating, and he wouldn't change it for the world.
Of course, the downfall to being a con was that someone would always be chasing after you. If not the FBI or police, then other criminal elements would usually be hot on your trail, as he'd all too quickly learned.
"Up already?" the soft voice broke through Clinton's thoughts and he turned, his breath catching at the sight of Alex. She wore nothing but a sheer black robe that revealed more than it hid. Her long hair was rumpled from his fingers, her lips still swollen from his mouth. It was more than just her beauty that captivated him. He loved her strength, her haughtiness. He even loved her temper. Alex was the whole package, and he felt honored that she had chosen him to share her life with.
"Yeah, just makin' some coffee and thinking," he said. He poured her a mug of his patented coffee and gave it to her. Alex smiled, but he'd learned to read her as well as Peter read Neal. Under the lazy smile and bright eyes, she looked wary. Frightened. Just like Neal, the mask she presented to the world hid someone far more fragile than anyone could imagine.
"Are you thinking of leaving?" she asked. The question was casual, her tone was light, but even now he could see the tenseness of her muscles.
"Never," Jones vowed. He wrapped her in a hug, nuzzled her neck. Tried to show her that he'd made his choice, and it was to stand with her. "We're in this together."
Alex sighed, and her body relaxed against his. Then she lifted her head from his shoulder and gave him a wicked grin as she ground her hips against his. "So what exactly where you thinking about, Clinton?"
"Why don't I show you?" Jones asked, and he lifted her up in his arms and carried her back to the bedroom, the coffee forgotten. It wasn't the perfect life, but he had everything he'd ever need right here in his arms.
~fin