I don't own White Collar, but I do own a heart that loves it! :D

Peter Burke's gaze was firmly locked on the form of Neal Caffrey who was sitting across from him in the hospital waiting room. For the past hour, the younger of the two sat quietly with a distant expression plastered on his face. Peter knew all to well what that expression meant. The walls had been built and were not going to budge. Neal Caffrey had put enough distance between himself and emotion that he wouldn't be able to find it for several days. He would carry on conversations, act as if nothing was wrong, and plaster a fake smile upon his face to prove to his peers that he was indeed, fine.

Déjà vu. Peter thought as he looked at his partner and thought back to the death of Kate.

Neal was the best of the best of conmen. But Peter was the best of the best of agents and for that reason, he couldn't be fooled, not even by the best conman that ever conned. He could see past the facade Neal so easily put up. He could hear the desperation in Neal's voice. He could see how tense Neal's cat-like movements had become. But what got to Peter the most was his smile. Neal's genuine, heart-warming smile was gone. Sure, Neal would flash his pearly whites but it wasn't the same. There was no meaning behind it. No happiness. No charisma. His bright blue eyes now dulled, held no life. Most people were considered alive by the rise and fall of their chest, but that wasn't enough for Peter to consider Neal Caffrey alive. No, if Neal wasn't happy, bouncing on the balls of his feet, teasing Peter or doing something the agent told him not to, Neal Caffrey wasn't alive. He was just a shell that once held the soul that Peter fought so hard to protect.

It had been days since Peter had seen Neal's real smile or heard his light-hearted voice. When Neal spoke it was in such a low tone that Peter had trouble comprehending anything the ex conman said because he was too busy trying to convince himself that it was in fact Neal Caffrey speaking to him. All Peter wanted was for Neal to believe that everything would be okay, for Neal to believe in him to make everything alright. Peter knew that the younger man would get through whatever was bound to happen, because Peter would always be there for his best friend. He would always make everything okay, again, like he somehow partially managed to do when Kate died. No, Neal wasn't completely okay, but then again, who would be after watching the love of your life die and possibly lose one of your two best friends. But Peter was growing impatient. He wanted to see Neal's real smile and hear Neal's laugh, to be reassured that his partner was still alive.

He heard Neal sigh and watched as the younger man leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He kept his gaze on his partner and watch as he succumbed to sleep. In his slumber the man looked vulnerable, worried, tired and lost, something Peter desperately wanted to change. His mind started to reply memories of the duo laughing and teasing each other. Peter began to smile as he thought about how irritated Neal got when the agent teased him about prison and looking good in orange. Then one specific memory came back, one that had embarrassed Peter to no end, but still meant a lot to him. Peter's eyes widened as an idea came to him. Grinning from ear to ear, he stood up, took one last look at his sleeping partner, and quietly exited the waiting room.

"Diana, I need you to keep an eye on Caffrey for a little while. I have got to go do something." Peter said as he approached his agent who had been standing outside talking to an officer that had been at the scene where Mozzie was shot.

"Sure Boss, but what's up?" She asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, I just have something I need to do."

Thirty Minutes Later

Peter stealthily made his way to the hospital waiting room window that his partner and agent were sitting in. He poked his head slowly around the wall and peeked through the window. He saw Diana reading a magazine and Neal still sleeping.

Perfect. Peter thought as he grinned from ear to ear.

Diana looked up when she heard the door open quietly. She eyed her boss holding a little brown paper bag suspiciously, when he slowly sat down next to Neal, trying his best not to wake the younger man up.

"What's in the bag?" She whispered and grinned when Peter smiled at her.

"Shh" Peter whispered back placing his index finger over his mouth.

Diana placed her magazine on the table and shot her boss a questioning look.

She watched Peter quietly opening the bag as he glanced at Neal making sure he was still asleep. Peter finally pulled out the item the bag held and Diana had to place both her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing. Peter was grinning from ear to ear, he took one last look at Neal and he placed a fake moustache under his nose. He sat back in his chair next to his partner, and looked at Diana, who was trying very hard not to laugh. But when they met each other's glances they couldn't help but burst out laughing. They both chuckled loudly, before quickly covering their mouths to stop the noise but it was too late. Neal began to stir. Diana quickly picked up her magazine and held it up in front of her face, while Peter turned his head away from Neal like he was looking out the window into the hospital.

Diana peered over her magazine at the ex conman and watched as he rubbed at his tiredly. Feeling like she could keep a straight face she dropped her magazine into her lap.

"Hey Neal, sleep good?" She asked casually.

Neal looked at her through squinted eyes. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm going to go to the restroom." He said as he stood and walked out of the waiting room without looking at Peter.

Neal walked back into the waiting room a few minutes later and sat back down. He had yet to look at Peter.

"Hey Neal, Elizabeth wanted me to ask you to come over for dinner. You coming?" Peter asked casually hoping Neal would look at him. He did.

"Yeah, sur-" Neal began to say but his response was cut off by his hysterical laughter.

Finally, for the first time in days Peter felt relief wash over him. He watched as Neal doubled over with laughter and his eyes watered from laughing so hard. He felt his own smile growing on his face as the sound of Neal's laughter reached his ears. Diana and Peter glanced at each other and smiled. Diana went back to reading her magazine.

After a few minutes Neal sat back in his chair, giving a small chuckle every once in awhile.

Peter smiled along side his partner until Neal looked at him.

"Hey Peter?" He asked.

"Yeah Neal?" Peter asked as he took off his fake moustache.

"If you are Mario, does that make me Luigi?" Neal asked grinning, but his eyes showing more of a serious question.

Peter grinned at his best friend and slung an arm around the younger man.

"Yeah Buddy, I guess it does."

Neal's smile widened.

"You do realize that makes us brothers, right?"

Peter chuckled and shook his head.

"The sad thing is it took YOU this long to realize we already were."

AN: I just really loved that scene in the episode of Need to Know... and this one shot just came to me. ahah Review?