#white collar fic

[thesirencove]

𐙚. ݁₊⋆❀˖° (neal caffrey x reader) WIP soon!

hi y'all !! it's been a while , i'm sorry for that ! classes has been insane and i swear my professors love torturing me . i do , however, have a wip that i've been working on recently that i will be finishing up and posting soon !! i decided to share a little blurb from it (unedited !!!) beforehand to give y'all a little piece of what's to come <3

i hope everyone is doing well , and thank you for your patience !! :)

my requests are still open by the way ! so be sure send in any y'all have :)

upcoming neal caffrey x fem!reader wip :)

sneak peak word count: 222

thirty minutes passed. she tried to text him, but the text never went through. the wifi here never worked, the officiant told her. she nodded, staying silent.

an hour passed, and she tried again. the officiant was getting a little restless. so was she. he felt bad for her, she could tell considering how his eyes shone with pity whenever he looked at her. she sat on the bench, anxious, thinking maybe something happened to him on the case. she felt her nails splitting at she picked and scratched at the stone bench, attempting to calm herself.

more time passed, and it only got darker and darker. it had been hours since their agreed upon time, and neal never came. once eight o’clock hit, she accepted he wasn’t coming.

“i’m sorry for wasting your time,” she said, getting up from her spot on the bench. “it seems my fiancé is occupied by another matter.” it took everything in her for her voice not to break. 

“i’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said. 

“it’s alright. nothing i can do, right?” she responded, a grave smile adorning her face. the man nodded. 

“please let me know if you need anything.” her head fell at the words, and she hear his footsteps in the grass as he walked away. 

her smile wasn’t as bright as this morning.

[caffreyburke]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: White Collar (TV 2009) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Burke & Neal Caffrey Characters: Neal Caffrey, Peter Burke, Elizabeth Burke (White Collar) Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Hurt Neal Caffrey, Whump, Caffrey-Burke Day 2024, #WhiteCollarBingo Summary:

“You fell,” Peter said after a pause, surprise evident in his voice. It wasn’t even a question. “Damn it, Neal, are you hurt? Tell me the truth.”

Or, Neal has to stay with Peter and Elizabeth for a few days after an incident at June's. An easy beginning turns out too good to be true when Neal manages to injure himself. --- Happy Caffrey-Burke Day everyone! This fic is me finally breaking out of a long writing slump. I’m so, so happy I managed to get something in for Caffrey-Burke Day this year :) @operationmorewhitecollar

[anxiety-banana]

hi uh i know it's been so many years since white collar was The Thing but i kinda really want to release a bunch of my old wc fics publicly... keep in mind i was real sad when i wrote these so uh not the greatest? but the prose was pretty fire during the Great AB Depression

also i'm doing it anyway HERE YA GO

you're in between who you are and who you want to be

we are led on by our eagerness of praise

losing my balance again and again

by your side in it all

love grows (and pain festers)

not equal to the best (but better than the bad)

[acasualcrossfade]

Whumpril Day 1: Panic Attack

Unraveled

White Collar: Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey

For Day 1 of @whumpril

TW: panic attacks

1.5k, includes spoilers for Season 1

“Nice work, Diana. Couldn’t have done it without you,” Peter said, shaking Diana’s hand. 

Diana smiled back easily. “Always a pleasure, boss.” She nodded towards Neal’s departing form. “Looks like he’s got somewhere to be.”

Peter chuckled. “Looks like it.” He pointed towards the back of the building.  “We parked out back so I’ll see you back at the office.”

Diana nodded a farewell in return and Peter jogged a few steps to catch up to his CI. Neal seemed to be walking fast; maybe Diana was right and he had somewhere to be?

“Forget something?” Peter called when he was in earshot of Neal, holding up his anklet. Neal had a knack for remembering birthdays and anniversaries, but he always seemed to conveniently forget about his anklet after solving a case. 

As Peter neared the car, he immediately knew something was wrong. Neal was pacing back and forth, and running his hand through his hair. Peter checked the time; was he late for something?

Peter had barely gotten a few steps closer when Neal began shrugging out of his suit jacket, allowing it to fall to the ground in a heap. Neal huffed a breath before leaning heavily on the car, almost like he was going to be sick.

“Neal? Neal?” Peter’s voice had gotten lower and more serious; he’d never seen Neal like this. In the years Peter chased Neal and caught him, twice, he’d never seen Neal look this…unraveled.

Peter knew it’d been hard for Neal after Kate and the plane, so it was to his utter surprise that Neal had come in after one day off, ready to take on a new case. It seemed like working cases like usual helped, and after Mozzie assured Peter he’d be doing the same to keep Neal on track…it seemed that Neal was functioning. 

But more than once, Peter caught Neal staring off into space and when Neal would turn back, his eyes would look shinier than usual. 

Work kept his CI busy enough, but even with a full schedule and a pile of cases, it was clear that keeping busy could only do so much. 

“Neal?” His voice came out softer. He glanced at his outstretched hand, caught between wanting to offer comfort and unsure if it’d be welcomed. 

Up close, Neal looked sick; his face had paled to a significant white. One hand white-knuckled the metal of the car as he panted out short, shallow breaths. Neal’s eyes were a terrified blue as his other hand clawed at his collar. His fingers struggled at his neck, trying and failing to get a grip on his tie to loosen it. 

The tie slid slack and Neal moved on his collar.  His hands shook as he grasped uselessly against the small buttons as he tried and failed to undo the buttons at his collar. He moved to his shirt next, and he yanked it from where he’d carefully tucked it in that morning.

Neal whimpered between uneven pants, his breaths a syncopated staccato.

“Neal?” Peter knew what his training had taught him, but he pushed it aside, trying to focus. This wasn’t some criminal; this was Neal.

Neal finally managed to undo the buttons, gasping in breaths as he pulled his shirt loose and away from his neck. His grip on the car seemed to be the only thing keeping him upright.

Neal snapped back to the nightmarish memory of the explosion; the air stung his nostrils and the heat made it hard to breathe. 

Neal could feel the scorching heat against his back, the stinging impact of his palms against the concrete from being pushed over, and worst of all, the sick realization seeping through him that Kate, his Kate, had been on that plane…

The very plane he was about to board…

He tightened his grip on the car. “I-I’m alright, just-just need…” Neal breathlessly explained. Words tangled and caught in his throat as his vision dotted.

“Whoa, whoa,” Peter started, catching Neal just as the man’s legs buckled. In his arms, Neal shook terribly and his wild blue eyes were wide and unfocused as he gripped Peter’s forearm. “Head between your knees, head between your knees,” Peter coached, helping Neal lower down and sit on the ground of the parking lot.

Neal obeyed with no fight or crude argument, and its absence made Peter’s heart tighten with worry. Peter placed a hand on Neal’s back. “Now deep breaths,” Peter went on. “Like this.”

Peter took a slow, exaggerated breath and let it slowly, loud enough for Neal to hear. 

Neal trembled and his breath stuttered out of him, but Peter could hear Neal’s wheezy breaths as tried to imitate Peter’s.

Peter continued and slowly, slowly, Neal’s breathing evened and with his hand still against Neal’s back, Peter could tell that his shakes had weakened to shivers. His shirt was damp with sweat. 

The knot of worry that had taken up residence in his chest loosened as Neal’s breathing slowed. Peter let his hand move to Neal’s shoulder. He expected the man to pull back, but to his surprise, Neal leaned into it slightly.

Slowly, Neal lifted his head. Peter could see the pronounced dark circles around Neal’s eyes, and the way his cheekbones seemed to be sharper. His eyes were an electric blue and they darted around with uncertainty. 

“S-sorry,” Neal apologized. “I-I didn’t mean…they start…I don’t…”

Peter had never heard Neal stutter, let alone trip over his words, but he gave Neal’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. “It’s okay,” Peter assured. “You’re okay.”

Neal’s body shivered and he wiped the back of his hand against his eyes quickly. 

Peter was quiet for a moment, giving Neal the time to process and breathe. “You wanna talk about it?”

Neal silently shook his head. “N-not now,” he managed. His voice came out in a broken choke. 

Peter rubbed Neal’s shoulder. He kept his voice quiet and even. “How about we head back to my place, then? Elizabeth would love the excuse to make some tea.”

It took a long moment, but Neal nodded slowly.

“You think you can stand?”

Again, a slow nod.

Peter knelt, guiding Neal’s arm around his shoulder. “You good? Here, up on three,” Peter explained, and when Neal’s grip tightened on him, Peter paused to give Neal a minute.

“S-sorry,” Neal breathed.  “J-just need a minute.” He took another breath and adjusted his grip on Peter. His eyes refused to meet Peter’s.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Peter nearly whispered. There was something about seeing Neal like this that made him want to treat him ever so gently. Slowly, Peter carefully sat on the ground, letting Neal lean against him. “We’re in no rush.”

Neal seemed to relax minutely at that and took another breath before nodding.

A pang of guilt washed over Peter; he shouldn’t have pushed Neal. He knew Neal well enough to know that even as the best con could only hide so much. This was the proof.

By the time Peter got Neal in the car, the man was quiet and looked more worn than ever, as if dealing with any emotion had sapped him of any of his remaining energy. Neal pinched the bridge of his nose, using his thumb and forefinger to rub at his eyes.

Peter sat in the driver’s seat and nodded towards the glove compartment. “There’s some water in there. And a few granola bars, if you need.”

Neal raised his eyebrows at the sight, and leaned over to reach into the glove compartment. His eyes glinted in surprise as he pulled out a granola bar, giving Peter a peek at Neal’s usual self.

“There’s never snacks,” he piqued. He stifled a stubborn yawn against his sleeve.

Peter shrugged and chose to ignore the way Neal’s ears turned red. “They help on busy cases,” he said casually. “And it’s handy for stakeouts if Elizabeth doesn’t have time to make deviled ham.”

He looked over to see Neal unscrewing the cap on the water bottle before taking a small sip. And then, another. To his relief, Neal seemed to have stopped shaking.

The New York City traffic looked dense. Cars moved slowly, and it took Peter three tries to pull into traffic. He kept his head on a swivel, trying to find room to merge.

And by the time Peter wanted to ask Neal about the whole ordeal, he found Neal leaned against the window, his eyes closed. The sight made Peter’s heart squeeze; he also felt a shiver of worry. Peter had seen the man grumpy and hangry, but never asleep, let alone asleep in his car. 

Neal had at least eaten some of the granola bar and drank some of the water. The remnants of both sat in the cup holder between them.

Peter considered that a win and made a mental note to set up another meeting with Mozzie.

Still, he was glad the man was in one piece. Neal slept on, and Peter was still at a loss of what to do, if letting him sleep would be best, or waking him when they arrived? But, behind his worry was a strong sense of gratefulness and luck.

It could have easily been Neal on that plane, too.  

And although Neal wouldn’t or couldn’t talk about it with him now, Peter knew that like everything else, they’d get through it together.

And for now, that was enough for Detective Peter Burke.

[icemav86]

new fic (white collar): make you wait (till you’re mine)

ship: Peter/Neal

characters: Peter, Neal, El

rating: explicit

word count: 5.4k

tags: First Time, Dom/sub Undertones, Orgasm Denial, Honor Bondage, Face-Fucking

“Oh, no, no. That’s not how this is going to work. That,” Peter said, tilting his head toward Neal’s erection, “is a punishment. You are going to keep your hands to yourself and think about all the ways you could have gotten a confession before things got so out of hand. Mull it over in a cold shower if you need to.”

Neal gets overly invested in his undercover work. Peter has something to say about it.

make you wait (till you’re mine)

Written for ropememory for the kinkluckydip exchange

[authorangelita]

WIP Wednesday 11/30 (White Collar Edition)

I'm trying to get in a White Collar mode to work on a Neal Hughes holiday fic, so I watched some WC today. I miss Neal and Peter and Sara and Jones and Diana and Elizabeth and most especially Mozzie. I've had about 1200 words of this fic written since 2019. It's about time I finish it.

~~

“Which one?” Emma asked, holding up two nearly identical dresses. 

Neal pretended to examine both closely.  “The one on the left.”

“That’s my favorite too!  Did you find anything?”

“No, but this is a great store.  I can see why you wanted to come here.”

“We used to come up here every year when I was a teenager, and this was my favorite shop.”  She headed for the cash register by the door.  “What’s got you so distracted?”

“I’m not distracted.”

“You barely looked at any of the ties, you didn’t look at pocket squares at all, and you’ve been practically staring out the window ever since we came inside.  What are you worried about?”

He shrugged but stayed quiet while she paid for the dress and the cashier folded and bagged it. 

[penna-nomen]

This week's word is perfect for my WIP, titled Overcomplications, which involves planning multiple parties and events. Here's my sentence:

Their one concession to simplicity for the impromptu party was to make it a potluck, with guests invited to bring a dish they felt fit the fantasy theme.

This week’s word is…

✨ PARTY ✨

Find the word in any WIP and share the sentence containing it. Reply, reblog, stick it in the tags, tag us in a new post, or keep it private. All fandoms, all ships, all writers welcome.

[mysterycitrus]

where are the supporting casts in batman fic. why is everyone just hanging out at the manor. why are the only leaguers mentioned clark and diana and maaaaaybe ollie if his parenting is getting slammed. where is everyone. why does no one have any friends. why do the friends they do have no rich inner lives outside of batangst. is gotham city trapped under the gd simpsons movie dome. dick grayson blink twice if ur being held hostage

[lefish]

Ok, so you know all those cross over fics where one of the bats is undercover as neal caffrey, right?

So the idea is El gets kidnapped by someone and it’s being live streamed to the fbi people and neal!tim says to peter something along the lines of “i can do something to save el, but you’re not going to like it, so I just need a yes or no. Do you trust me peter?” And peter takes a long moment before saying “ i trust you neal”

so tim is like “bet, ima step out to make a reallly quick phone call then ima be right back”. And tim calls jason and is like “ can you go rescue my friend please” and jason agrees cuz he’s not doing anything and is in the area, so like 20 minutes later the goddamm red hood shows up at whatever wearhouse or basement el is in and beats up her kiddnapers and looks into the camera and is like “ ive done my part baby bird, ill be sure to get what im owed” or some shit cuz he’s dramatic.

So obviously peter and el and the rest of the fbi people freak out cuz “holy shit thats the fucking red hood!!” and “neal what the fuck do you owe him???!!?”

and jason just wants tim to take a nap, eat a proper meal and watch all three legally blonde movies with him or some dumb brotherly bonding shit like that.

If someone writes this please tell me :)))))



[suburbonlegends]

Hey I'm gonna go on a rant:

it's like. insane to me how much in "Front Man" Neal was just straight up lied to so that he could be put directly in danger. Agent Rice fully grills him, criticizing, dehumanizing (you're a tool in my belt, keep your mouth shut) Neal when he first talks to the dad so that she can cover up the fact that Neal almost found out that HE was the demands!!! She then belittled him into submission because if Neal did too much, you know, actual investigating in the case he was brought in on to help investigate, he would've found out that he wasn't actually brought in on good faith. He was brought in to be disposed of!! She brought him to Gless only to be like "See? I have him, he's the goods we can exchange for information." Neal was a living, breathing form of cash in a briefcase.

And then she lies, like almost immediately afterwards, to Neal telling him he's going to go undercover "clubbing." She went to Hughes that morning KNOWING that evening she was going to put Neal on the spit roast. She lied to Hughes, to Peter, to Neal at every step of the way. She heard Neal be like "oh yeah this man wants me dead" and was like yeah that's fine, I'm still completely okay with letting him have you. She picked Neal up from his home knowing fully well that there was a high probability of Neal not coming back (she would've been a fucking idiot to genuinely believe all Wilkes wanted was a face to face) and she didn't say a goddamn word.

Like I'm just so boggled by how orchestrated the betrayal for Neal was. And then she has. the. ever. loving. fucking. audacity. to come up to him at the end and be like "No hard feelings?"

and listen I know this whole rant is about Rice but fucking Peter at the end giving her the pass "In the end we got it done" because the show simply CANNOT allow for this episode to have long lasting repercussions even though it's like. by far the biggest betrayal Neal faces for a good chunk of the show. Peter went HOURSSSSSS not even knowing if Neal was ALIVE what do you MEAN "in the end we got it done" Neal was KIDNAPPED, TASED, BEATEN, NEARLY SHOT, nearly watched someone else get murdered in front of him AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

out of all the episodes that get the consequences pushed under the rug so that the plot can be pushed forward, this is one that hurts me a lot.

[nicedeviledhamrightthere]

This is from my main blog, and my whole heart is currently in filling as many of these with White Collar as possible so if anyone has any requests...feel free to send them on over! Be as specific or vague as you like.

hurt/comfort bingo 2024

I'm a sucker for bingo cards. I fail at them usually, but I can't help signing up anyway.

I'm willing to accept requests for these - I can't promise I'll fill them, but I can promise I will try. Sometimes my brain says no to certain circumstances, and will not twist the plot into something viable no matter how badly I want to do it. Please be kind and patient, and if your request isn't filled...it isn't because I didn't want to. Sometimes I hang on to things because they eventually strike something in me, it just might take some time. (Or wine. I've been drinking a lot less wine lately which also means less really fun ideas flowing all over the place. lol)

I'll write any of these for Hotch/Morgan or White Collar (Peter & Neal, gen - no ship, but any character pairing platonic).

Completed Fics:

'cause i'm near: peter & neal (white collar) for prompts: recovery room, hand holding, staying at their bedside

need you tonight: hotch/morgan (criminal minds) for prompt: late-night call (nsfw)

i'm wearing my heart like a crown: peter & neal (white collar) for prompt: you always know what to say

[faeriekit]

hi! hope you're having an okay day. I was wondering if you had any fic recs, specifically with Matches Malone and/or identity shenanigans? I also really enjoy those fics :D hope you have a good day!

Identity shenanigans or Matches Malone?? Uhhhhhhhhhhh (*immediate panic*).

So the thing is, it really really really depends on what you, stranger, are comfortable with, and what you enjoy?? There are a lot of fics I like, or at least have tried out myself, but there are also a half-dozen that are super content sensitive, especially when it comes to, like, gang stuff and Gotham's underbelly...? I'm going to put a couple things here, but. Uh. I will also recommend just opening the Matches Malone tag on ao3 and applying your own filters, since I don't know any of your hard lines! There's only like 173 fics in total. Sorting through them is super easy. Have fun and be yourself.

On the other hand, I've got some stuff here:

Matches Malone identity nonsense:

⭐Good girls don't, but I do: Superbat, several undercover identities, gender fuckery (of what nature is up to reader interpretation), Journalist Clark Kent, and first time meetings! Unfinished so far, but super fun with a lot of potential! I am very excited about this one!!

⭐Have I told you about Minnie? Steph and Bruce bonding! Turns out, if you're pretending to be someone else, it's super easy to say nice things about your kids when they're not listening, lol...or are they? 👀

Matches Malone Has Too Many Kids: Man, weird how Matches Malone has as many kids as Brucie Wayne, huh....and boy will he tell you all about what his crime family has been up to! Features Bruce & Family bonding via undercover identities; what could go wrong?

⭐homewrecker: Omegaverse; Red Hood accidentally tells Two Face that Matches Malone (Bruce, undercover,) is his mom. ...Whoops. Now all of Gotham has an opinion on Matches' (Bruce) and Batman's (also Bruce) custody battle over their crime lord son, and new step-mom Bruce Wayne (also also Bruce) is asked to weigh in lmao. Top tier comedy. So dumb. Cannot recommend enough. Every single Bat kid takes the piss. Gotham's undergound is in a tizzy. Bruce is so, so tired.

⭐Under(under)cover: DC x White Collar. Tim, undercover as an ex-con in the government's favorite form of law enforcement, suddenly has to get the detectives around him off his back before his identity is exposed...so obviously pulling out a few Malone family members is a good enough distraction, right? 💀 Pretending you've recently escaped a crime family is totally not an extra burden to your already half-busted cover identity, Tim! There are no possible consequences for this!

Don't Mess with Ma's Boy: Ma's Boy, Metropolis's enforcer for Mafia head Ma Kent, catches a Bat in his back yard. Obviously, the solution is to show him around town and share street food, of course. (SuperBat, with Super Shenanigans lmao)

Other Malone nonsense (Batfam Identities Two, Electric Boogaloo):

Playing with Matches: Batfam-centric secondary identities schtick. You're a Malone! You're a Malone! Red Hood's a Malone?? Everyone's a Malone!! Outside POV from Red Hood's gang and more!

⭐Robbie Malone saves the day & spills secrets: a DC x White Collar undercover op extravaganza, featuring Jason and Dick as our MCs. (TW: does feature fears of sexual assault, nothing onscreen.)

The one who got away: another DC x White Collar fic. Turns out, uh, if you don't tell your new kid that you're the famous Gotham Bats or why one of Gotham's most famous untouchable mob families is coming around to visit all the time, they're going to come to their own conclusions! Those conclusions may not be flattering! They might be scared enough to cut and run, actually! You may have to apologize for making this extremely stressful on them!! ...If they let you back in at all!

Features smut (mostly SuperBat)(There are other ships in the tag they're just not my thing; go explore the tag yourself for other options):

⭐I want to sell what you're buying: Clark Kent, journalist, meets Matches Malone, informant, for a...wilder time than he was expecting to agree to on his trip into Gotham. (TW Fic eventually makes it more obvious that Clark knows who/what he's agreeing to, but it does read on the edge of identity dubcon for a hot minute if you're sensitive to that)

Matches and the Doll: I do love the dynamic of a ne'er do well and his extremely obedient Super as choice of undercover roles, but this is, at the end of the day, all leading up to wild exhibitionist smut FYI

Pretty Reporters Are Always In Need of Saving (title is largely self explanatory) is followed up with by a SuperBat week 2024 fill Good Boys Play with Matches. It's uh. You know. Alley sex and roleplay. Read the warnings.

Recs from the discord (Home of the Apiary Genders!)

(Un)Conventional Date Night: Dp x DC. Matches Malone and two out-of-town scientists tear up the town on their night off!

Your Boy That Was, the Son That Is... More Matches Malone & Red Hood identity angst. What happens when the son recognizes his father, but the man himself cannot?

Art:

Bruce as Matches Malone and Clark Illustration, as presented on ao3!

I think that's all I have time for today...? There are other identity shenanigan fics I love that aren't on here, but this list took me like an hour and a half and there is other writing I'm supposed to get done today...lol. I'm only 181 pages into this unreleased fic! I better get moving! 😜

Thanks for asking!🧡

[ataraxetta]

Listen White Collar is so fun. It's so clever and funny and touching and sweet. Yes it's the same storyline over and over like all the USA shows from back in the heyday of USA network, and yes every single time I gasp with shock and awe and seal clap cos it works for me every time. Me, every single episode falling all over myself because Neal is so beautiful and Peter/Elizabeth/Neal are so in love and also Sara Ellis best character I love her so much and if she had been introduced before I latched too hard onto OT3 I'd be writing curtain fic and also Neal is so beautiful. *chinhands* why NOT watch a 15 year old show and check out a 15 year old fandom a lil bit?

[acasualcrossfade]

For WIP weekend, New Tinsel or Reckless--whichever one you feel like working on more at the moment :)

Eeee thanks for helping me write!! Actually worked on both today so I'll share a quick peek from each :)

New Tinsel--> the quick stop at Eddie's dorm

Eddie’s dorm looked a bit cleaner and organized since the last time Steve visited. There weren’t any clothes on the floor or hanging over the post of either bed. Even the top of the mini fridge in the corner was clear of clutter and organized.

“Gareth,” Eddie explained. “He’s pretty serious about leaving things neat and clean before he leaves.”

Reckless --> White Collar Whumpril fic

“P-Peter, s’hurts,” Neal gasped. His eyes were screwed shut in pain, and beads of sweat ran down his temples. Neal’s breath was too fast, and Peter felt each pant of breath as Neal curled tighter.

“Where’s that ambulance?” Peter shouted to his team, scrambling to help Neal to stay on his side.

“Around the corner,” Diana called, already heading for the stairs. “I’ll meet them.”

Peter nodded his thanks and turned his attention back to Neal.

[penna-nomen]

This is a fun fic, and I love the elements of sound and music!

This month’s Drabble for @operationmorewhitecollar‘s prompt, “term”

not gonna lie I struggled with this one haha but once I started going the “science/music terminology” route, this came out. 😅

I hope you enjoy! ♥️

And I hope you all are having a great weekend so far. 🥰

Summary:

Mozzie has his hypothesis behind why Neal calls Peter so often. Neal comes to his own conclusion.

[authorangelita]

WIP Wednesday 12/7 (White Collar Edition)

Introducing Mozzie into the Neal Hughes verse! It only took, um, 8 stories 🤷🏻‍♀️

~~

“What bird flies west?” a familiar voice asked, from somewhere near a stack of empty cardboard boxes waiting to be broken down for recycling. 

“A dove flies west.” Neal replied in their code, giving the signal that he came in peace.  He grinned when Mozzie stepped out of his hiding spot.  “It’s been a while, Moz.”

Mozzie gave him a small smile and nodded but didn’t move closer.  “I’m hoping this is more of a phoenix conversation.  I need a front man for a job tonight.”

“Tonight?”  Neal gestured back toward the grocery store.  “It’s Christmas Eve.”