Title: one day, summer ends
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: takes place during season 1
Pairings: implied pre-Peter/Neal
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 175
Point of view: third
Prompt: Green
Sometimes, for a few moments, Peter is jealous of Neal. Neal seems to be what everyone wishes they were, fun and free and beautiful and brilliant. And Neal is all of those things, except free. He belongs to the FBI for the next four years. More specifically, he belongs to Peter.
And, Peter knows, he belongs to Neal almost as much as he belongs to El.
For a long time, Neal did what he wanted when he wanted. He could hop a plane and go anywhere. He listened to no one, followed no law. And now he has to or he's headed straight back to prison.
Of course, Peter also knows that Neal could slip his leash and run away at any moment. That he hasn't shocks Peter less each day.
As jealous as Peter is sometimes, it's for the mask Neal wears, not the actual Neal. Neal convinced himself for the longest time that he didn't care. Peter knows better.
And Neal is far more jealous of Peter than Peter has ever been of Neal.