Peter knew that he was, technically, supposed to keep an eye on what Neal was doing, so he went and looked over the other man's shoulder to see what site he was currently visiting. "You're on Facebook?"
Neal grinned. "I have a few Facebook accounts. None under my real name, though."
Peter glanced at the status updates on Neal's Facebook page. "I see your friend Mr. Haversham is there, too."
"Yeah, Mozzie has a few accounts."
"Now what are you doing?" Peter asked when Neal went to a different page.
"I'm playing Farmville," Neal answered. "I plant crops and raise animals. I just advanced a level," he added. Seeing the look Peter gave him, he said, "Hey, I have to amuse myself somehow when I'm not out chasing bad guys with you."
"Somehow I just thought you'd be playing Bejeweled," Peter replied. "Knowing how much you like gems."
Neal gave Peter a "well, duh" look. "Of course I play Bejeweled. Just not right now."
Peter went back to his paperwork and made a mental note to send Neal a friend request when he got home.
A little while later Neal asked, "Hey, Peter, which do you prefer — hugs or kisses?"
"Pardon me?"
"Hugs or kisses — which are better?"
"I don't know." Peter shrugged. "I guess it depends on whom I'm hugging or kissing. I don't kiss many people. What brought up that question?"
"Someone posted a poll on Facebook. Who do you kiss? Besides Elizabeth, obviously."
"My mother, mainly. Why, who do you kiss?"
Neal was quiet for a moment, and Peter realized that he must be thinking of Kate.
"Well, Kate, I guess, if she were here. I haven't seen my mother since before I went inside; she lives outside of my two-mile limit. June sometimes, if she's done something nice for me."
Now Peter's curiousity was piqued. "Where does your mother live?" Neal had never spoken of any family members before.
But Neal's only reply was "Somewhere."
Peter continued with his paperwork until he realized that it was getting very late. "You can go now, if you want." There was no reason for Neal to stay.
"I'm fine. I'll go when you go."
"Any more interesting Facebook polls?"
"Nope."
Peter noticed that he and Neal were the only ones left in the office. This led him to some thoughts that he wouldn't otherwise entertain inside an office with walls made of glass. He shoved his papers inside a folder and tossed the folder in a drawer, then he stood up and walked around his desk.
"Neal."
"Mmm?"
"Come here."
Neal looked puzzled. "What?" he asked.
"Just come over here for a minute."
With a shrug, Neal did as he was asked.
Holding out his arms, Peter enveloped his partner in a bear hug. When Neal didn't hug back, Peter sighed. "I get the feeling that no one has hugged you in a long time." He lifted Neal's arms and placed them around his own body. Neal seemed to get the idea then, and he returned the hug carefully, almost as though he were afraid to hurt Peter.
"There's not exactly a lot of hugging in prison," Neal finally said as they broke apart. "And outside of prison, well, the only person who ever hugged me on a regular basis was..."
"...Kate." Peter finished the sentence.
"Mozzie isn't really the hugging type."
"Do you think you'll ever forget about her?" Peter asked.
"No. I'll never forget her. I may never get her back, but I'll never forget her." He sighed. "Maybe if there was someone else, I wouldn't be so — so obsessed with her. But there hasn't been anyone else. I mean, maybe there have been one or two people who I've been attracted to, but no one who's returned my interest."
"Do you think this would make you forget her for at least a little while?" Peter asked as he kissed the other man.
This time there was definite reciprocation from Neal. He returned the kiss with enthusiasm.
It was Peter who finally broke the kiss. As much as he was enjoying himself, he didn't want his office to be associated with memories of making out with Neal. It would make work difficult. "Let's get out of here," he said.
"Your place or mine?" Neal asked. "Oh, wait a minute. Elizabeth...?" He looked troubled.
"It's okay. El understands. But I'd better call her and let her know that I'm not coming home tonight."
Neal stepped out of the room to give Peter some privacy.
Coming out of the office, Peter took a good, long look at his partner. "Tell me if you're not okay with this," he said. "You're not on the job. You don't have to do what I say. Just tell me no, and I'll forget anything ever happened."
In response, Neal put his arms around Peter. "Peter, when I'm with you it's the only time I can forget about Kate. When we're together it's like Kate never existed.
"When I said there were one or two people I was attracted to, I lied. There's only one. You're the one, Peter — the only one."
At a loss for words, all Peter could do was hug Neal and then kiss him again. When he was able to finally speak, he said, "Your place. Now."
Neal took his hand and led him to the car.
At Neal's place they tore their clothes off as soon as they got in the door. Peter could hardly believe how beautiful his partner was when he was naked.
"What are you staring at?" Neal asked.
"You. You're amazing."
Neal pulled him over to the bed. "You ain't seen nothing yet."
He was right. Neal did things to Peter's body that no one, not even Elizabeth, had done before. Peter relished the feeling of Neal's hands on his bare skin. And from the sounds that Neal made as Peter touched him, Peter could tell that he was having the same effect on Neal. They lay on their sides, facing each other, pressing their bodies together as tightly as they could. Peter noticed that while Neal touched him everywhere else, he stayed away from Peter's cock, probably to prolong their time together as much as possible. However, Peter couldn't resist touching Neal. He gently brushed his fingers against Neal's hardness, eliciting a shudder from the other man.
Pressing his lips to Peter's ear, Neal whispered, "I want you, Peter. I want you inside me."
Peter groaned. He'd wanted this almost since he had met Neal face-to-face for the first time. He'd been fascinated by the elusive con man and scam artist for a long time, but when he had finally met Neal, he'd fallen hard for him. "Do you have anything?"
In response, Neal opened a drawer and withdrew a tube of lubricant.
"Don't tell me you were a boy scout, Caffrey."
"Always prepared," Neal answered with a smile. He prepared to apply the lubricant to Peter's cock, but Peter stopped him.
"Don't. If you start doing that, I'll...."
The hand at his crotch stilled. Neal handed him the lubricant. "You can do it to me," he suggested.
Before he began, Peter said, "Tell me that you're sure about this. Once we do this, there's no turning back. We can't undo it. Understand?"
Neal kissed him hard. "I understand completely, and I want this — want you. Now stop talking and fuck me."
Peter spread the lubricant on himself, then he squeezed a dollop on to his fingers and carefully spread it inside Neal, stretching him with the fingers. Pretty soon Neal was in full-on begging mode.
"Please," he moaned. "Please, Peter. I don't want to wait any longer."
Slowly, carefully, Peter entered Neal. The other man gasped at the sudden penetration. Peter immediately stilled his movements. "Did I hurt you?"
"It's okay. There's a little bit of pain, but I can stand it. Don't stop," he added. "Please, whatever you do, don't stop."
Trying to take things slowly, Peter began to thrust. But before long he was speeding up. Part of him wanted to make this last as long as possible, but Neal pushed against him and encouraged him to go faster. The movements beneath him excited him beyond reason until he couldn't hold off his orgasm any longer.
He kissed Neal as he withdrew, and then he realized that his partner still had a hard-on. Without saying a word, he moved down and took Neal's cock in his mouth.
He was rewarded with another gasp from Neal. Neal's hands gripped the bedclothes as he tossed his head back and forth and tried not to buck upwards into Peter's mouth.
When they were both finished and cleaned up they fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.
The next morning at breakfast — apparently June had somehow discovered that Neal had an overnight guest and had made sure there was enough for them both — Peter had a question for his partner. "How did you answer that poll, by the way?"
Looking up from his eggs, Neal gave him a quizzical look. "Poll?"
"The one on Facebook about whether you preferred hugs or kisses. How did you answer it?"
"Oh, that. I didn't. Couldn't decide. You're not going to make me choose, are you?" He squeezed Peter's knee under the table.
Peter leaned across the table and kissed him. "Definitely not."
END