Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to us. It's all USA Network and Jeff Eastin
Author's Note: Yeah, we all have these days or more nights when we can't sleep because of an idea got stuck in our heads. And since Ion of us crazy girls watched a certain promo on Monday evening her brain couldn't get rid of something. So, here it is! And don't forget to hit the shiny button with "review" written on it!
There are certain things that point out very clearly what people were doing on several occasions. At this place it was quite easy to read the signs to come to a certain conclusion. The undeniable signs of a dinner like dishes, glasses and plates and two empty bottles of an expensive Merlot. Also the cork of champagne bottle among a beginning trail of clothes which guided the way to the bed. Luckily no one who had tossed them carelessly on the floor had hit one of the candles placed to add some soft kind of lighting. A light quite comforting the bodies of the couple sharing the bed together still slightly entwined with each other. Rebecca turned her head trying to read the content looking smile on Neal's face. She wrapped an arm around his waist to snuggle up closer to him and she also had to smile.
"It's the first time I see you without your glasses."
"Yeah, I only need them for work reasons. Most old books are very sensitive to light and to catch every detail it's better to work... gosh sorry, I'm rambling again."
"I love it when you do that. It shows how passionate and dedicated you are to the things you like."
"Then you're the first... most people get bored when I talk so much about it."
"Don't worry. And you're not only passionate about your work as far as I recall."
"I don't think there would have been another way to react towards you."
"You could have said no," Neal said and pulled her close to kiss her.
"Are you serious?" Rebecca asked after she broke loose from the kiss.
"Why not?"
"Oh, come on. You can't tell me that you don't know which kind of impact you have on women."
"Let's say. It's still sometimes a bit surprising."
"It must be so hard to be you."
"Rebecca, I..."
"I know, I know," she interjected and sat up, "you have an important meeting tomorrow and you need to get up early. Don't worry. I find the way all by myself."
"Hey, wait. Where do you want to go?"
"Home. I'm used to this."
Rebecca wanted to get up but Neal wrapped his arms around her to make her stay.
"Don't go. You got me wrong. Please stay here."
"You want me stay over night?"
"Yes or the whole weekend just as you want."
"Are you sure?"
"Rebecca, look at me. I know I conned you first and I lied to you regarding the codex but I never lied about my feelings for you. I really want you to stay here. I want to wake up next to you and see your adorable smile tomorrow morning."
She closed her eyes for a second wile listening to him and feeling his hand touching her cheek.
"It's not fair," she murmured while burying her head between his neck and shoulders.
"What?"
"You're sort of manipulating me."
"I'm telling the truth. It has been way too long I spent the night with someone who means something to me."
Rebecca looked up to him and she knew that Neal told her the truth despite what had happened between them in the beginning. She smiled and nudged her head against his to draw him into another kiss.
"So do you stay?"
"You're not sure if I would?"
"You didn't give me a yes or no by now."
"Then you should take an educated guess."
"I start to think that you weren't completely telling the truth, Miss Lowe."
"When and about what?"
"Could it be that you were not only talking about the codex the first day we met?"
"I don't need what you mean."
"You said that the Mosconi Codex is a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a shatterproof glass box."
"Sure cause it is."
"It's not the only riddle."
"Not?"
"No, cause you're also a riddle wrapped in an enigma but wrapped in a very beautiful body and a fascinating personality."
"At least I'm not wrapped in a shatterproof glass box," she tried to hide her embarrassment.
"Rebecca, could it be that you're not really aware of how wonderful you are? "
"Uhm..., it is... most times when I heard compliments it was more about being smart than other things. I guess people want to see only one of those things either beauty or cleverness and since I'm rambling about those nerdy things, it ends up with cleverness."
"Then those people missed out a lot."
"You think so?"
"Would you be here otherwise?"
"It's not fair to answer with a question."
"I'm sorry."
"I forgive you if you tell me something."
"What do you want to know?"
"Okay, uhm... no, forget it. It's rubbish."
"I don't think so. If it bothers you it is important."
"When we first met... what was it that... you know what? I don't wanna know. I mean since I'm here and we're not sitting on that table over a party of chess..."
"You're wondering if your intelligence or your looks were more appealing to me?"
"It was my intention to ask this."
"You deserve an answer. At first I was a bit surprised cause it wasn't the answer I had expected and then it was your beautiful smile. I don't know if you believe me and I can't force you to but I appreciate your beauty as much as your cleverness and your rambling about different things."
"I tend to believe you but wouldn't it be the most stupid thing ever to believe the words of a conman?"
"Am I only the conman to you? The charming bad guy your mother would have warned you about?"
"No, but it's an undeniable a part of you. And I assume it is a part you will never really let go of cause it helped you to survive for a long time of your life. Of course I could ask you to change and break loose from that part of you if things will get further between us. And I'm sure you would try to do it but you wouldn't be the Neal Caffrey I met and that I felt attracted to. We both wouldn't be happy. It would be the same if you would ask of me to stop rambling when it comes to old books. I know I can't change who or how you are and I don't want that. And which reason should you have to con me right now? You told me the truth about you."
"And I'm a bit surprised that you came back after I told you."
"Neal, look, it took me some days to think about all the things you said. So I think when I break it down to the core of it all, everything you ever did had never the intention to hurt someone on purpose. When you got the possibility to crack your anklet you could have run to leave everything behind. Now I really need to ask you something."
"Then go ahead."
"That you made this kind of "deal" with Hagen to clear Peter's name... did you think that you deserve to be put in danger and punish yourself for the things your father had messed up?"
"There was no one else left around to make things right. And I was the one who brought James into the lives of the people I consider to call a family. After there hadn't been a real close relationship to my mother and after Ellen's death I think I desperately wanted to have one constant and functional relationship in my family. And that made me ignore the signs what was really going on until it was too late."
"That's just normal. I never studied psychology but after all you told me... I'm wondering that you didn't became a creepy sociopath."
"Actually I've been called that once."
"Ouch... but what I wanted to say is that you could have changed for the worse. I know that sounds stupid but without this whole mess you would haven't come into the Gershon to find the Codex."
"That's true. And I would have missed your very charming rambling about it."
"I can't believe you really think it's adorable."
"It is. You get this childlike excitement, your smile increases and you start talking more with your hands than you normally do."
"You have no idea how many things I hit while talking so enthusiastically."
"Rare and expensive things?"
"For God's sake no," Rebecca chuckled.
They fell silent for a few minutes simply enjoying each others company.
"Would you tell me if you were about to run?"
"Why should I run when I have reasons to stay?"
"So you have actual reasons to stay?"
"A lot and one of them is laying right next to me."
"And the other reasons?"
"All the people I have in my life who became some kind of family for me... it took years to build up this trust and I thought it would be the best to run after all what happened during the last months. I felt like everyone of them was pointing the finger at me and that I was to blame. In fact I was the only one who accused myself of being guilty for what happened. I was the one who sowed a feeling of distrust."
"But at least you told them."
"There was no other. It was quite similar to the evening when you appeared on my doorstep and wanted answers. There was no option to stay shut about it any longer without going back to prison."
"I'm glad you did."
"Me too. It's hard to set up dinner dates while being in prison."
Both were chuckling before sharing another kiss.
"And it would be impossible to do this," Neal said with a smirk and kissed her collarbone over to her neck while unwrapping her from the sheets.
Rebecca woke up when she felt the sun on her face and Neal softly kissing her neck. She turned around and faced a sleepily smiling Neal.
"Good morning."
"Morning," she murmured and tried to hide her face.
"Don't hide. I want to see your adorable smile."
"It is buried under my hangover and lack of caffeine."
"Hangover?"
"Yeah, the champagne last night was too much after all that Merlot."
"Headache?"
A muffled sound was the only kind of confirmation he heard.
"I get you some painkillers and make breakfast."
"No... just stay here."
Quite like a little monkey Rebecca wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled close.
"Not even painkillers or a coffee?"
"Would you have to leave the bed for it?"
"Unfortunately yes."
"Then none of it."
"Are you sure?"
"I don't want to let go of you."
"Rebecca, it would only be for 5 minutes if you want to have coffee."
"Too long."
"I understand. But if you need something you let me know, okay?"
"I will but right now I want to stay snuggled up in your arms."
Neal smiled down at her and kissed the back of her head. He wondered how many more sides he would discover on Rebecca cause now she seemed very soft and vulnerable. While she slowly fell into a light sleep again Neal observed her. Compared to all other women he had shared his life with Rebecca was more than different. Her intellect was outstanding and even though he had used her and cause her job loss she was able to see more in him than just a criminal. Neal wasn't sure if Rebecca really knew how much it meant to him. But that she wanted to know the man behind the charming conman smile had happened at the right time and he wouldn't let that opportunity pass to make things right.