I was asked for a sequel to Shadows In the Night where Peter and Jones find out about Neal and Mozzie dating. This is what came of that. ^_^
Warnings: I don't think there are any, but tell me if you think there should be some.
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Feeling his phone buzzing in his pocket Neal reached for it only to have Peter level a glare at him. Right, using phones during briefings was frowned upon. The problem was that he knew it was Mozzie. At least he hoped it was.
The older man had left the city almost four weeks ago for some reason. At this point in time he had learned not to question his disappearing acts. That didn't mean that he wasn't hoping that the man got back sooner rather than later.
That probably had something to do with the change in their relationship. Though he didn't think he could really say that it was a real change. It was just them getting back something they had lost all those years ago.
A smile tugged on his lips as he thought about his lover. So far they had only been together as a couple for a day and a half before Mozzie had had to leave. It wasn't much but it made Neal's heart flutter thinking about the man.
It was a feeling that he used to get when they had been together the first time. In truth, even after they broke up he felt it. He loved the other man with all of his heart and there was nothing that would change that.
That didn't mean he didn't love Kate. In fact, she had known how he felt about the older man. He couldn't keep that kink of secret from the woman. Hell, he didn't know how people didn't think they were together all the time.
"Neal!" Peter hollered causing the younger man to jerk out of his thoughts.
"Yes?" the ex-con spoke up giving the man an innocent smile.
"My office."
"Peter..."
"Go."
Sighing he stood up and did what the man said. He knew that he was in for it when the agent came in, but he didn't actually feel bad about losing focus. Alright, he felt a little bad, but there was nothing he could do about it now.
He knew that it was stupid of him to let their relationship cloud everything else, but that was who he was. Anyone that knew him knew that he was a hopeless romantic. Emphasis on the hopeless part. He fell hard and deep every time.
Mozzie had always been his weakness. Neal didn't know what it was about this best friend but he stuck in his mind and his heart. He seemed to do the same to the older man since he hadn't left after all their years not being a couple.
Sometimes the man felt so guilty for those years. Not because they had broken up, but because he had fallen for Kate. He had made Mozzie because friends with her when he didn't even trust her. He played pretend for Neal's sake.
He couldn't even imagine how painful that had to be for the man. He had never really thought about it when it was happening though. Maybe he should do something for the man to show him how much he cared for him.
Pulling out his phone he saw that he really did have a message from his lover. His heart was racing as he read over the text a few times. He had been waiting for this very message for weeks. The man was finally back in New York and wanted to have lunch.
He started to reply in agreement when Peter made his way in and dropped a file onto his desk. A grim bloomed on Neal's lips but it dimmed slightly when the man simply cocked an eyebrow. So he was in trouble. That was always fun.
"Want to tell me what's going on in your head?" Peter questioned making Neal feel like he was being interrogated.
"The case of course," the ex-con replied with a shrug, "Ivory isn't an easy think to get or ship. I was never a real fan of it. Killing animals for their tucks doesn't seem very artistic to me. I never deal in the stuff."
"Good to know there are some lines you won't cross. Do you want to try the truth this time?"
"What makes you think I'm not telling the truth?"
"Neal."
The younger man knew that the man wasn't going to stop until he got the answers he wanted, but he wasn't sure he wanted to tell. He also knew that the last thing Mozzie would want was the Suits knowing about them. Even if they wouldn't care.
"Neal?" Peter prompted once more his voice softening as his arms crossed over his chest, "What's going on?"
"It's getting close to the holidays," Neal spoke up after a moment of silence, "I was thinking of presents for everyone."
"You were thinking of presents?"
"It's important to get the perfect present for everyone. The last think you want to do is hurt someone's feelings. The perfect present can make or break a friendship."
"Really?"
"It shows how much you know the person. Let's say you get Diana a book. You have to know exactly the right book to get her. Wrong book and she thinks you grabbed the first thing you saw on you way to the office. Right book and she thinks you listen to her and value her as a human being and not just an agent."
"You get all that from a present?"
"Yeah, everyone does. Don't worry about my focus though. I have one more gift to get and I'll be done."
Smiling widely Neal stood up and waited for a moment. When Peter didn't say anything else he left the office. He doubted that the agent believed any of what he just said, but it was strange enough to get him off his trail for awhile.
When he go to his desk Neal dropped into his chair and pulled his phone out again. Pulling up the message from his lover he let himself smile softly before going to compose a text back to him knowing he couldn't leave like he planned before.
'Glad to know you're back, Moz. I can't join you for lunch though. Unless you want Peter to follow me.'
'Why would he do that, Neal?'
"I got a little distracted during a meeting. Let's just say he suspects that I'm up to something, but he doesn't know what.'
Neal waited for the other man to respond, but after a few minutes with nothing he slipped his phone in his pocket. He didn't know exactly why he quit responding though he doubted that would last very long.
If there was something that he knew about Mozzie it was that he always had a plan to get what he wanted. It was one of his favorite things about the man. Though there were very few things that actually annoyed him when it came to the man.
Blinking a few times he looked over at Peter just in time to see him look away. A sigh fell from his lips at that. He really wasn't going to be able to sneak out without having a tail. Sometimes he hated working with the F.B.I.
"Neal," Jones greeted stopping at this desk, "You good?"
"I'm good," he responded with a smile.
"Good. Here."
Taking the first that the agent was offering he saw that it was for the case that they were working on. Neal smiled in appreciation at that. If he was honest with himself Jones was probably his favorite of Peter's team.
The day seemed to move in slow-mo and it took all of Neal's control not to break and leave. He had spent the rest of the day sitting at his desk going over cold cases. They might have an active case, but Peter and Reece wanted to do a lot of research first.
Neal couldn't really blame them. Ivory meant poachers and poachers were a breed in and of themselves. He hadn't been lying when he said that he never did business with them. For a lot of different reasons. Most involving fear.
He knew that Mozzie did though. It was hard to find something that the older man had been a part of. Neither of them really liked to think of the things he had done in the past. Not that he ran away from what he had done.
Shaking his head Neal shut the file he was working on before standing up. He didn't want to think about it anymore. He had an hour left at the office before he got to leave. Mozzie would know in an instant what he had been thinking about.
Of course that would lead to the man almost shutting down. It wasn't that he was ashamed of himself and his past. He just hated the idea of Neal thinking less of him for them. Not that he really could. The man wasn't who he used to be before they met.
"Stretching your legs?" Peter questioned walking up to him.
"I am," Neal nodded turning to face the man, "I'm also trying not to starve."
"You skipped lunch?"
"I did. I thought I'd be nice and stay here and give you and Jones a chance to eat in peace instead of tailing me for no reason."
Peter stared at Neal for a moment as if he was trying to figure out if he was lying. That was a familiar look. One that made him feel more than a little proud of himself. He might work for the F.B.I., but he loved messing with them.
"Go home," the agent finally offered after a moment, "There's nothing you can do here tonight anyway."
"Are you sure?" Neal questioned already reaching for his coat and hat.
"If you want to stay I'm sure Diana and Jones can find some..."
"I'm already gone."
Climbing into the elevator the ex-con felt as if he was practically vibrating. He wanted to get to June's place and see if Mozzie was waiting for him there. It was the probable answer that he would be, but that didn't mean that he hadn't left thinking Neal might not be alone.
When he got outside the door to his apartment though he froze. As much as he wanted to go inside he didn't want to be disappointed. Taking a deep breath he opened the door ready to confront whatever it was on the other side.
Mozzie," Neal greeted seeing his lover sitting at the table with a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.
"You're early," the older man retorted putting the book down.
"Peter let me go early since I skipped lunch."
Mozzie rolled his eyes at his words before standing up. He started towards the fridge to get them both some food bringing a smile to the ex-cons lips. The man always had a protective streak when it came to Neal.
Before he could get there though the younger man reached out to grab a hold of his lover shoulder. The man turned to him his mouth already open to tell him off. Leaning down he pressed their lips together cutting him off.
Letting his eyes slip shut he pulled Mozzie to him feeling his warmth soak in. A part of him wanted nothing more than to drag the man to bed and curl up with him. Anything to feel them pressing against together. Then his stomach growled loudly.
"Food," Mozzie stated stepping back.
"Let's go out to dinner," Neal prompted hopefully, "It's been awhile since we went out to eat."
"You just want to go on a date."
"Of course I do. Remember when we were in Peru?"
"I remember you dragging me out to a new restaurant every night. I can't remember ever eating that much before."
"We had fun though. You can't deny that."
Mozzie fell silent at that and Neal was sure that he was going to refuse. It wouldn't be the first time. Sometimes he had a tendency to go overboard and the older man had to pull him back from pushing too far.
Then the man signed and moved to place his glass in the sink before starting for the door. A blinding smile came to Neal's lips as they left the house and started to walk down the street. He was glad that it was turning out to be a fair night outside.
The feeling to reach out and link their fingers washed over him, but the forced himself to push the thoughts away. Mozzie might like being touched when they were alone, but he was not a fan of public displays of affection and Neal respected that.
The walk to the restaurant was filled with a comforting silence. It was nice to know that they could still just be around each other without expecting anything. There wasn't any reason for Neal to question it, but he always did worry a lot.
Before long they were sitting at a table looking at menus. At least Mozzie was looking at the menu. Once more Neal found himself distracted as he looked over his lover taking him in. He really did love watching people.
"I'm not going to order food for you, Neal," Mozzie spoke up not looking from the menu.
"You never have," Neal smiled finally tearing his eyes from the man.
"I'm not your parent."
"Good."
A small smile tugged on Mozzie's lips as the waitress came over and offered to get them a drink. Instantly, the older man ordered a bottle of wine for them both causing the ex-con to chuckle softly. He wouldn't order food for Neal but wine was something they both agreed on.
The truth was that he had gotten his love of wine from his lover. He had said that people like them had to know and love the finer things in life. It had taken awhile and a lot of drinking but he finally started to really appreciate wine.
It was odd to think of the person that he used to be before he met Mozzie. He might have had the skill and raw talent, but the older man had showed him everything that he could be if he studied and cared about what he was stealing.
Smiling to himself the younger man reached out and rested his hand on his knee. He started to pull away only to have a hand be placed over it keeping it in place. It took all of Neal's control not to react. He didn't want him to pull away.
"Neal," Mozzie whispered his voice tight though nothing else changed, "We have company."
Before Neal could say anything else the chair next to him was pulled out and Peter plopped down. His heart dropped seeing the agent. Any hope of having a nice quiet evening with his lover was gone now that he was here.
He started to pull his hand way from Mozzie only to feel himself tighten his grip. As much as he wanted to turn to question the man he simply offered Peter a smile. Tonight was going to be long if the responding smile was anything to go on.
"Hey, guys," Peter said just as the waitress came up with their wine, "Mind if I join you?"
"Is Suit Jr. going to join us as well?" Mozzie questioned motioning to the door with his free hand.
Peter shrugged his shoulder before waving Jones over. Soon all four of them were at the table waiting for the two new comers drinks to come. The longer they sat there the more sure Neal became that Mozzie was planning something.
"Neal's told you about the case," Peter started after a moment of silence.
"Not at all," Mozzie responded taking a sip of his wine, "We haven't gotten to the work part of this evening."
"And you weren't curious?"
"If it's an interesting case I'm sure I'll hear about it."
"Of course."
"Is that why you're here? You need more help on your case? Your team did solve cases before Neal joined, didn't they?"
The agents must have noticed the harsh way the older man was speaking because they shared a confused look. It wasn't as if Mozzie wasn't hostile around them anyway. He was just being a lot less subtle about it.
A voice in the back of his mind told him that he should try to get his lover to calm down slightly, but his own anger at the situation made him keep his mouth shut. If Peter wanted to ruin their date than he could deal with a little attitude.
"I told you, Peter," Neal jumped in when the agent opened his mouth, "I never dealt ivory and I have no contacts in poaching."
"Poaching?" Mozzie questioned turning to look at him.
Mozzie's grip on his hand tightened once more. The ex-con knew instantly that the two of them were in for along talk later. Poachers were not something that should be messed with alone. Or ever if Neal had his way.
"What about him?" Jones asked pointing at Mozzie.
"There are some lines that a person can't come back from if they cross them," the older man answered deceptively calm.
"Surprisingly enough," Neal shrugged offering a fake smile, "There are some things that even people like us wouldn't do."
It probably wasn't right of him but watching the agents look so uncomfortable was actually very amusing. Still the ex-con looked over at his lover and knew that there was something else he wanted to do before they left.
"So neither of you can help us on this," Peter sighed deflating slightly, "You're not here to met some contact."
"No," Mozzie waved his hand dismissively, "Just a normal date."
Neal couldn't stop his head from snapping to the older man. He had thought that he would want to keep their relationship a secret from everyone. At least from the government. Why would he tell the people that he didn't trust that they were together?
"Right," Peter started to stand up to leave, "We'll just...Wait...Date?"
The agent looked between Neal and Mozzie in shock slowly dropping back into the seat. Both he and Johns stared at them with wide eyes as the waitress came over to take their food orders. The two cons ordered their food then waved her away when she tried to get the agents to talk.
"How long do you think it's going to take for them to process this?" Neal asked in amusement.
"Long enough to enjoy our meal," Mozzie smirked taking a sip of wine.
Chuckling softly he tipped his head at his lover and turned to watch the other men. It was difficult to get either man to freeze up like this. Mozzie really did have the best ideas when it came to small amounts of torture.
"As in 'date' date?" Jones asked his eyes locked on the table.
"Yes, Jones," Neal rolled his eyes, "Mozzie and I are dating."
The man opened his mouth to say something else only to have his mouth snap shut. Shaking his head the ex-con turned to his lover. The older man simply shrugged his shoulder before squeezing his hand.
"Okay," Peter finally spoke up clearing his throat, "We're… We're sorry for interrupting? We'll just… We'll leave you to it. Have a nice night. See you at work tomorrow, Neal."
Peter grabbed Jones by the arm and dragged him away. As soon as they were out the door Neal found himself practically doubled over in laughter. He knew that it would be funny to walk Peter flail, but he had no idea how much until now.
"That was fun," Neal said once had had himself under control.
"I can tell," Mozzie replied his dark eyes twinkling, "Do you know the best part?"
"What?"
A smirk came to the older man's lips as he lifted his free hand showing Neal the cash he now had. Grinning the ex-con reached out and took it from him counting it out in his head before handing it back.
"Jones is paying for our dinner."