Neal sat and tried to catch the tears before they fell and streaked his face. He had made a mistake and now he was going to pay for it. He hadn't intended any damage but there was damage.
"Were we just another one of your cons Neal?" Peter asked, anger flushing his face.
"No, Peter, no!" He sobbed, his voice high pitched and strained.
"What were you thinking?" Peter shouted.
"Peter I... He couldn't keep control any longer. The tears started to pour down his face. He felt his knees grow weak. He felt like he was going to fall over. He searched Peter's eyes and saw them soften and he wrapped his arm around the older man's shoulders. Peter wrapped the opposite arm around Neal and pulled him close. Neal rested his chin on Peter's shoulder. The office was quiet other than the quiet sobs of Neal and the stern breathing of Peter.
"Neal, I'm sorry I left you in that situation. I shouldn't have. This was not the way it was planned. None of this should have happened." Peter muttered into the younger man's neck.
"I should have refused." Neal muttered.
"No! That would have been worse. El would never forgive me if you got hurt." Peter laughed through his own tears. Neal moved away from Peter and cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Peter. I didn't want to go to the hospital." Neal mumbled so that Peter couldn't really hear.
"Neal, what's wrong?" Peter asked, scanning the young man's body. His eyes rested on Neal's left leg. there was a sticky stain about a foot long up his claf. He pulled his pant leg up and revieled a gash that ran up from his ankle to knee. There was dry and sticky blood covering it. He slumped into the chair behind him. Peter sat down heavily on his desk and stared at the gash.
"It hurts, Peter, but Hospitals scare the heck out of me, you know. I didn't think it was this bad." He felt fresh tears in his eyes. Peter moved over to him and hugged him. Neal, still sitting, settled for hugging Peter's waist. They both suddenly felt a small pair of arms wrap around them.
"You two had me so worried!" El said through a sob. Peter kissed El's head and Neal looked up to get a kiss to the forhead from El.
" Neal! Your leg!" She exclaimed.
They drove to the hospital and sat in the room for an hour. Neal cried and screamed in fear, not wanting the shots or the stitches and had his face buried in El's chest the entire time. He did not like needles in any form. The stitches were to be left in for three months. He winced in pain as they helped him limp to the car. He didn't want to use crutches but it was obvious he would have to. His lovers just were not strong enough. He smiled at both in turn as they painfully lowered him to the seat. El kissed him then kissed Peter.
"I will see you two at the house." She winked and went to her own car.