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[conning]

"It's Caffrey. Remember the value of plausible deniability. I'll get back to you."

Comments

[conning]

I don’t… like him. [It’s a barely audible mutter, Neal taking his turn as the sullen one.] But he’s your inmate, and I care about you. So sure.

[cactusy]

Why don't you like him?

[conning]

Because I don’t. Do I need a logical reason?

[cactusy]

Nope. I just wondered if there was one.

[conning]

[The prickliness leaves his voice.] There isn’t. I can at least admit that.

[cactusy]

If you're worried that's gonna offend me or piss me off, it doesn't.

[conning]

I actually wasn’t. [A little amused, a lot fond.] Which is probably why I said it.

[cactusy]

Okay, cool.

[And while they're putting their cards on the table...]

He thinks you have a thing for Bright.

[conning]

[There's a long, pregnant pause, and his tone is decidedly less friendly when he answers, though it's not at Shaw in particular.]

I changed my mind.

[cactusy]

Okay.

[And that's it! Just okay.]

[conning]

[He waits. He waits for all of maybe ten whole seconds.] Okay but?

[cactusy]

But what?

[conning]

'Okay but here are all the reasons you have to do it anyway.'

[cactusy]

... Oh. You meant you changed your mind about the drinks, not about having a crush on Bright.

[Welp.]

You still don't have to do it; that's-- on me. I'm the one who just messed things up.

[conning]

[NGNRHGNRHGNHNDDSJHF]

It's none of his business, and it's definitely not his business to talk about it.

[cactusy]

He didn't really talk about it; it was just mentioned.

[conning]

That counts.

[cactusy]

Okay.

[conning]

[A long pause, but he hasn't hung up or ended the conversation, so that's something?]

I don't like it when people share things that I don't want shared. Things that-- [Actually matter.] There's a reason I don't tell people about myself, particularly people I don't know well, and I make sure what I do share is as much spectacle and as little substance as possible.

[No one can hurt really hurt you that way.]

[cactusy]

Same here, actually. Uh, except for the spectacle part.

My guess, he figured it was okay because I'm his warden. Or he figured that you wouldn't share anything sensitive with him, so if you'd told him, it wasn't a big secret.

[conning]

I didn't. [Which is part of why he has such an issue with it being shared. Will discovered that one himself, or was told by Malcolm in some peripheral way and figured out how deep it went when Malcolm couldn't see it.]

[cactusy]

... Oh.

[conning]

[A soft snort.]

Yeah.

[cactusy]

Sorry, that... sucks.

[conning]

Yeah. [He sighs.] If it's important to you, I'll do it. But I'll do it for you.