Peter unlocked the door to his home and greeted Satchmo as he slipped off his shoes.
"I'm home!" He called into the empty space.
"Welcome home, honey! I'm in the kitchen. There's a roast in the oven if you want to pull it out."
Peter sat down at the counter, too lost in thought to reply.
"What's up, hun? You have your thinking face on."
"El, Neal's been acting strange lately."
She laughed. "Lately?"
"Huh?" He looked puzzled.
"Oh, come on, Peter. ...It's obvious he has a crush on you."
The statement hit Peter like a ton of bricks.
Planning to escape his anklet, he could understand. Jewel smuggling? Fine. He and Haversham scamming the entire city of New York out of its valuables? Definitely plausible. But this? This wasn't even the last thing he'd expected to hear - it had simply never crossed his mind.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she watched her husband's gears turn.
"Really, hun. Do you mean to tell me that my husband, an FBI Agent who chased the elusive ex-con Neal Caffrey for 3 years, caught him twice, and then formed a close partnership with him solving cases together, generally spending all day, every day together since then hasn't been able to discern a simple crush? I'm not sure this is the man I married." She grinned.
Peter was dumbstruck, to say the least.
"...How long have you known?"
"Long enough. It makes sense, hun. Who wouldn't fall in love with someone so kind, responsible, trustworthy, strong, reliable and sensitive?" Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Peter's neck. "I'd be surprised if he didn't have a crush on you!"
This was absurd.
"Besides," She turned to open the cupboard and pulled out a big bag of dog food. "I think it's cute."
"But... what about us? You're not worried at all?"
She chuckled, kneeling over the food bowl to pour Satchmo's kibble. "Please, Neal's not a homewrecker. And we both know you're not going to leave your amazing wife, dog, and job at the FBI to follow a blue-eyed tempter and known criminal halfway across the Earth," She joked, returning the dog food to its place as Satchmo dashed over.
Ok, so that was true, but...
"But maybe you could get him to stay."
Peter's eyebrows shot up.
"Hun, I know you better than you do. You may not realize it, but you like him too."
"Wha-!" That was a sure blind spot if he'd had one. "And if I did... that wouldn't bother you?!"
Elizabeth smiled sympathetically. "Of course not. It's a good choice. You two bring out the best in each other," She paused.
"Minus the whole music box thing... and Alex... oh, and who can forget about Kate-"
"Ok, I got it!"
She laughed. Peter looked at her, his face tinged with worry.
"El, you know I love you."
"Oh, sweetie, yes! I just happen to know that you love him too." She gave him a Neal Caffrey-esque grin before kissing him on the cheek.
"And... well, I like him too!" She called before disappearing upstairs.
Peter was left frozen in the kitchen with Satchmo as company (and a homemade roast). Only one thought rang clear in his mind.
I have to see him.