All the Stars and Boulevards
This piece is best enjoyed while listening to Stars and Boulevards by Augustana.
I don't own any of the characters, franchises, songs, or concepts you may recognize. The italic text is a direct quote from the song "Stars and Boulevards" by Augustana. Thanks for reading!
"Wait. Wait, don't go, I will be everything I never was, an honest man, I will change. I promise you."
But he never said it. Because Neal Caffrey knew that none of his promises ever came true.
Better to leave it unsaid, better to never have to face her when everything fell down.
And so she left, and not a day passed when Neal didn't wish he had been able, been willing to lie.
To her, to himself, about who he was, about who he never would be.
And still the white horse haunted his dreams.
She never ever wanted that, but he did.
He wanted to be the white knight, sweeping her away.
But Neal Caffrey was no hero.
He was a thief and a liar, and yet…
He did somehow manage to save the day.
But not this time.
Wait dear, a white horse is walking down my street here,
Your words are creeping at my feet
I fear, sunrise will come too soon and you'll disappear
Into the haze of this city and go south..."
The sunrise ended their night, and Kate was gone.
She was always too good, too good to leave a direction, too good to say goodbye.
And as Neal sat with his head in his hands, his last bitter thought was that he'd taught her well.
She knew him far too well.
And she didn't even know his name.
And now, Nick, who was as closest to the real Neal as he'd ever gotten, was going to disappear.
And a con-man would take his place.
And no matter what anyone said after that, the game was through.
He wasn't the person Kate thought she knew.
Look out, they're coming after us with big guns,
They're only gonna tell you all the bad things I've done
Even if they words they say aren't true they've won,
Now I'm left here dying in the sun
Filing with regret turned Neal hard, harder than he wanted to be.
In case, just in case they ever met again, Neal wanted to show her he hadn't changed, that he was still the man she…
The man she didn't know.
But loved.
Loved?
Did they ever love, could they truly?
Or was it always tainted, false in its very nature?
No, Neal refused to believe that.
But he always was bad at lying to himself.
Oh...seems like I'm always on my own,
Seems like I'm never coming home
Seems like I'm always on my own...
All the stars and boulevards aren't close enough for you...
Never ever coming home, because home was with her.
On his own, because he didn't want to hurt anyone.
And the promises of riches and fame he was trying to fulfill weren't even what she wanted.
All she ever wanted was a home- and an exciting life.
And now all was lost. Because Neal was numb, and that's one thing he'd swore he would never become.
And then they found her, and he knew.
He knew it was a trap, he knew that.
Love didn't make him stupid.
But more than he knew it was a trap, he knew it was worth it.
He needed to see her again.
Oh...seems like I'm always on my own,
Seems like I'm never coming home
Seems like I'm always on my own...
All the stars and boulevards ain't close enough for you...
He wanted one last glimpse of home, before he fell.
Fell from the sky, shining all the way, and everyone would know that Neal Caffrey lied about a lot of things.
But he never could lie about love.
And how he wanted to hear her voice, even if it screamed at him to get out.
It would still be the same voice that told him she loved him in the morning as they watched the sun rise over the boulevards of Paris, one last falling star in the sky.
Now he was the one falling.
Neal had always had a keen sense of irony.
One last phone call from you, it wouldn't hurt much,
Just like to hear your voice and pretend to touch,
Any inch of you that hasn't said it all or read it all or sung
My life away
~end~
A/N
Hello again! I know it was supposed to be a one-time thing, but I keep finding songs that match Neal and White Collar so well,... suppose I keep this going for a few more chapters? ;p
Thanks to reviewer JosieStyle; this one's for you.
Augustana is a seriously underrated, AMAZING band, and this song just immediately made me think of Neal and Kate.
I know there's bound to be mistakes, but I'd appreciate it if you tell me what you think.
Love, Leviosa