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[conning]

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

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[conning]

Neal takes a slow breath, silently readying himself for Not Angry Just Disappointed. He's certainly the latter in himself.

He gets to his feet and gestures toward the entrance, leaving the book he was reading behind. "Lead the way."

[cactusy]

Shaw half-turns to do just that - but then she stops, considers him, considers the book, and then scoops it up to take along, just in case he wants it later.

[conning]

He pauses in surprise, but doesn't ask. Maybe she's interested in Practical Blacksmithing. It does involve hitting things with a hammer.

"I'm... doing better. Than I was. I'm..." His inclination is to say fine but it's wildly untrue. "...tired, but I am better than I was."

[cactusy]

"Better, or just better at repressing it?"

Because those are not the same things, Neal Caffrey.

[conning]

"Both." It doesn't occur to him to say anything else, to obfuscate or misdirect or tell enough of the truth to be a lie if taken at face value. God, he must be more tired than he thought.

[cactusy]

Hm. There could be worse answers, she supposes.

"Okay."

And into the elevator they go.

[conning]

He fidgets silently. And fidgets. He can't help fidgeting HE DOES A LOT OF FIDGETING.

[cactusy]

Fidgeting is okay, Neal! She won't judge the fidgeting. She will give him an amused sidelong glance, though.

Ding ding, the doors open and spit them out onto Level 1.

[conning]

He only thinks of it when they're right outside Shaw's door. "Is Root...?"

Not that he doesn't like Root, and not that she isn't his sister-in-law, he just... well. He's frangible.

[cactusy]

"At work," Shaw confirms, unlocking the door. "The dogs are in, though; is that okay?"

[conning]

What's that? A genuine smile? Why yes, it is.

"I never mind dogs."

[littletonoidea]

Eiffel minds dogs. Or, as the other two walk in, he minds when Jet is standing on both hind legs half-pushing him off balance with the bowls of popcorn in his arms, as Bear waits to one side with full alertness on display for the inevitable structural failure of Eiffel's leaning tower of lank.

"I told you no-!" As he tries to nudge Jet with his foot to get him back on the floor. "Down, bad dog!"

[cactusy]

"Jet. Af."

The fact that Shaw says this through very obvious laughter probably cuts the effect a bit, because Jet looks over at her and wags his tail, then resumes his previous activities. It takes Shaw loudly clapping her hands for him to put all four paws back on the floor, though he's still eyeing that popcorn.

"You having fun, Eiffel?" Shaw asks, giving him a shit-eating grin.

[conning]

"I would ask if you even taught him the commands but my guess would be the attempt was made."

Neal keeps his snark relatively quiet, in case Eiffel is actually upset with him.

"Jet, hier." Still quiet, but firm. Jet hesitates, looks at Shaw, then pads over to Neal for a scratch behind the ears. It at least means he doesn't have to look his brother in the face immediately.

[littletonoidea]

"Look, I'm just not a dog person. I'm a 'please keep all hands and belongings out of the enclosure' kind of animal person."

But he's able to reclaim his balance as Jet leaves him alone, leaving Bear to look faintly put out as only a dog expecting snacks can, but Eiffel ignores him too to look at Neal. With nothing but fond sympathy.

"How you going, bruiser?" he asks warmly.

[cactusy]

Shaw is still cackling over this - but she's going to scoot out of the way and corral the dogs back towards the TV area. It's a small cabin, so it's going to be hard to properly give Neal and Eiffel some privacy, but an attempt will be made all the same.

[conning]

He sees what you're doing Shaw, and it's silently appreciated as an effort.

The tension drops out of Neal's shoulders, leaving his neck sore. "Not great," he says quietly, the truth again getting ahead of any impulse to mislead. "Thinking I picked a bad way to try and distract myself from the flood. Mostly - tired. And confused."

[littletonoidea]

"Yeah." It's sort of a sigh, as he finds a spot to safely put the bowls down. "Coulda told you how that was gonna go from autobiographical experience."

But he has his arms free now, and he opens them in a gentle offer for Neal. "Still - first thing first?" With a little flap of his hands for emphasis. Bring it in, brother?

[conning]

Neal doesn't exactly flinch, but he does look down and away. It's a tell that Shaw and Eiffel both probably know well by now as Neal at his most silently self-recriminatory. Still, he's not going to refuse a hug, and the relief that Eiffel really doesn't seem angry is reassuring.

"I apologized to Jedao," he says to Eiffel's shoulder.

[littletonoidea]

And the hug is a tight one, half-yanking him in once he's in reach to try and squeeze all the doubt out of him that Eiffel doesn't still adore him.

And that news makes Eiffel cling again, a rewarding extra snug. "I'm proud of you, man," he says quietly, mostly for Neal's ears only. "That's really big."

[conning]

He relaxes into the hug with a small wheeze. "I don't think I had all that much to apologize for, truthfully, but I didn't... mean to lose it on him. And he matters to you, and that matters to me."

Neal rests his face against Eiffel's shoulder.

[littletonoidea]

Eiffel pauses with a slight frown, but the energy of the hug doesn't change.

"Wait, so... did you only apologise 'cos you thought it'd make things awkward for me?"

[conning]

A tired little not-laugh. "No. Not just because of that. There were other things, moments, but it was a contributing factor."

[littletonoidea]

That gets a slight chuckle out of Eiffel, too.

"Well you're awfully candid today," he comments wryly, pulling away just so he can look at Neal properly.

[conning]

"I think I'm... tired."

Tired is better than 'resigned' or 'defeated' or 'humiliated.'

"I still don't know if I know why I'm here any more. But I don't have anywhere else worth going."