And the one time Neal says it out loud and Peter hears

Peter:

Neal had left the watch on. Peter had left his laptop on, which had automatically connected and started broadcasting live. El didn't know what it was until she heard first Neal's, then James' voice. She called Peter down.

He went to turn it off but El stopped him. Listening. Peter didn't feel comfortable. It wasn't right. But El shushed him as he opened his mouth. They could hear James. Trying to convince Neal to cut him out of the loop. Withhold the location of Ellen's box of secrets. Neal was having none of it.

"I can't do that to Peter."

Peter felt a warmth stir inside him at hearing the conviction in those words, he thought he knew Neal well enough that he wouldn't totally double cross him, but hearing confirmation made the bubble of doubt pop. Then the conversation got heated. James wasn't giving up. It made Peter very uneasy. He didn't trust James, never had, but for Neal's sake since the DNA results he's kept his continued misgivings to himself. Wanting Neal to be happy. What was happening now didn't sound happy. James kept pushing. Neal pushed back. Neal was vulnerable to others, could be convinced to do just about of anything if given reason- Mozzie knew that and wielded his power sparingly thank God. James clearly had no such filter. There was no for his own good intent here. It was all for James. Peter knew in that moment he wanted to crush him.

"I'm not doing this without him." Neal's voice screams down the feed. James returns with some bullshit, but Neal interrupts him and his next words stop every working cell in Peter's body. "He's been more of a father to me than you ever were."

Even without seeing him Peter could tell via the silence the impact of that statement.

Same on this end. Peter could barely breathe. All this time he knew they were partners, there was a level of trust between them, but Peter never dared believe Neal truly understood how much it hurt when Neal let him down. Turns out he did know. He got it.

The silence following those words, it's deafening, in both houses. But it's what Neal says next that truly seals it for Peter.

"We're doing this with Peter."

Something else unfurls. A serene sensation filling him from centre out. Neal is a master manipulator, but also so very easy to manipulate. He's a people pleaser, can be swayed in any direction if pulled hard enough. Peter's seen it time and time again, with Mozzie, victims on cases, even El has used that desperation to be wanted to get what she wanted. Peter's never blamed her for that. She was just as desperate as Neal. And in knowing this about him Peter felt for sure if James Bennett demanded it Neal would deliver. After all James is the reason Neal Caffrey is a people pleaser. The con-artist is on Neal, plenty of kids experience tragic childhoods, they don't naturally go on to break the law. But the desire to be wanted? That's James. All James. He made a choice and threw his family to the wayside. A three-year-old who had no understanding of life beyond his parents was suddenly without. Peter's never been good around kids, but somehow, he feels he'd have been good with Neal.

"Hon?" Elizabeth touches his arm, the look in her eye suggests she's been trying to get his attention for a while. "I think someone's going to need company tonight."

Peter grabs his jacket from the coat rack at the bottom of the stairs. "We'll pick up take-out on our way home."

Neal:

James leaves. Neal feels the tears and blinks them back. He thinks about the words he spoke. The first honest words he's probably ever spoken. But that's not what's causing his emotions to get out of whack. It's his Dad's answer, the words James used in response. They sounded hollow. Like the words Neal speaks to those he doesn't know. Telling people what they want to hear to get what he wants or to get them to go away. It's a skill Neal thought he learnt to survive, but now he wonders. Nature or nurture? What truly makes us who we are? Maybe Peter's wrong, maybe he isn't good at heart. He allows a chuckle, but it comes out wet and his chest aches and he knows, he knows his Dad is conning him. He said he was proud, and after so long of wondering, it made him giddy with delight, but it means nothing from a man who hardly knows him. Hasn't cared to know him until now, when there's something he wants, when the evidence box is in play.

There's a knock at the door, and Neal opens his mouth to tell whoever it is to go away but Peter's already walking through the door.

"Jesus are you a telepath now,"

"That's a nice greeting." Peter chuckles. "You okay?"

Neal wipes all hint of a reaction off his face, but this is Peter and Peter sees everything, so he thinks he shouldn't bother.

"Am I interrupting?"

Odd question for Peter to ask, Neal shakes his head and asks what he's doing there this late. Not in a rude way, but Neal's still shaken from his confession about his perceived parentage and frankly didn't know what might come out of his mouth next. It was truth unfiltered and that wasn't like him. Neal was scared what it meant.

"I came back for the watch." Peter points heedlessly, "need to check it back in."

Neal blinks, looks to his wrist thinking as an excuse Peter's putting little effort into convincing him. But the gold GPS watch glints, still on his wrist. Still transmitting. Oh. Oh.

He looks up. Fear unhidden. Bad enough he just said what he said out loud, to a man whom he's been looking for most of his life. But for Peter to hear? For his friend to know that their relationship is unbalanced, that Neal looks to him as more than someone to share his life with, that without Peter Neal doesn't think he'd have a life. Peter looks like Peter still, so maybe he didn't hear? Then Neal remembers Peter knows everything and isn't that just perfect.

"You okay?"

Neal was wrong. He sees it now. The nervousness, the unsureness that isn't Peter. Is only Peter when it's something he didn't know, or at least hadn't really believed until he did. Oh shit. He heard. Neal swallows.

"Yeah I'm okay." Neal smiles watery and weak. "I'm kinda glad your here."

He's wrung out and after everything that's happened this month, hell this year its been such a rollercoaster, but Peter heard and Peter's here, which means…. I'm not going to cry… which means-

"Neal, what's wrong?"

Neal laughs through the tears that he doesn't want to let go but fall anyway. He's right in what he said to James. Peter has been more of a father to him, than anyone. Without even realising it. Time for another moment of honesty, before they regress back to old roles and the truth gets buried in subtext and small signs of affection that mean the world to Neal without him ever having realised before.

"I've got some news. I think we found the evidence box..."