White Collar - "And Isn't It Ironic, Don't You Think?"

[tj_teejay]

Title: And Isn't It Ironic, Don't You Think?
Author: TeeJay
Genre: Gen
Characters: Neal
Summary: New York can be dangerous to roam alone at night. Neal has to learn that the hard way.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: More Neal!Whump. It's like an addiction I can't shake. *sighs*
Written for Round 4 of yesterday's thenewpub challenge. Theme this week was "Literature", this was for prompt "Framing Device".
Disclaimer: White Collar, its characters and its settings belong to Jeff Eastin and USA Network. And, guys? Your characters are not only welcome, they're wonderful. I'm just borrowing, I promise.

 

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In retrospect, Neal realized he should probably not have carried a large, expensive looking box emblazoned with a huge B&H logo through the streets of New York at night. Because that would just invite the muggers to snatch it out from under your arm.

As it so happened, the guy who'd jumped him in the dark side street had just had that exact intent. Until the moment that the figure clad in black had suddenly appeared at his side, he'd never given the possibility of being mugged even a second thought.

Of course Neal didn't just want to just let go of $2,000 worth of video recording equipment, so he'd yelled a few choice words at the guy and taken chase.

The mugger had zero tolerance for patience or insubordination. The subdued pop with which the gunshot rang out from the firearm that came out of nowhere, was in stark reciprocity to the pain it caused as it ripped through Neal's flesh. 'Fuck, no!' shot through his head as he went down, clutching his hands to his shirt that was already turning crimson.

It was all he could do not to lose consciousness, and as he sank down with his back against the wet concrete, cool, soft raindrops caressed his face. He turned his head, and in the murky light he could make out the object he had sunken down next to. It was an old, carelessly discarded box with a B&H logo on it, soggy from the November rain.

The last thought Neal had before everything faded to black was how poetically ironic in its own way that really was.

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to be continued in
"Thou Shalt Not Kill"
"At The Mercy Of Fate"
"Through The Haze"

Comments

[ivorysilk]

Say what? Peter finds him, right? RIGHT????

I really hope you make it so in a sequel!

(You can't stop writing; I can't stop reading--it works. :-))

[tj-teejay.livejournal.com]

Of course Peter finds him. Or... someone. Can't let Neal die. I'm not that cruel. :-P

[tj-teejay.livejournal.com]

See my comment above. Yes, Neal will be saved. Can't have him die on us, can I? ;o) Not sure I'm gonna write a sequel. I'm already working on another major whump story, and I need to get that out of my system first. And then it's one of the million other prompts I wanna work on. *sigh*

[tj-teejay.livejournal.com]

Ooh, really? Do tell! What's the premise?
It's another prompt fill for collarcorner. You can read the prompt here (http://collarcorner.livejournal.com/5027.html?thread=133795#t133795), but it's slightly spoilery for the big thing that happens in the story. You have been warned. :o)

[nefhiriel.livejournal.com]

Eeep! Poor Neal. The irony of him getting shot in a mugging--when he's been involved in so much crime (albeit nonviolent crime, on his part)--is truly angsty. *pats him*

But I'm glad to hear he gets rescued! If you don't write it, I'll just have to imagine it. ^^

[tj-teejay.livejournal.com]

But I'm glad to hear he gets rescued! If you don't write it, I'll just have to imagine it. ^^
Exactly! And there's still plenty of prompts to come for whitecollar100, so maybe I'll go back to this at some point.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Awww sad! I love things like this, however. Lovely detail and description.

[tj-teejay.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[saphirablue]

Ack! Don't leave it here! *bites nails*

It would be sad if Neal!whump wasn't addictive, wouldn't it? ;) :)

Thank you!

[tj-teejay.livejournal.com]

Well, sometimes I think there must be something wrong with wishing so much suffering on the poor man. But better to whump fictional characters than real ones, I say! :-P Thanks for your comment.

As for leaving the story as it was, I might write a continuation at some point. Who knows?

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Ack, nooo! But that you promise Peter saves him makes it all better *sighs in relief* Nicely intense.

[tj-teejay.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And, yeah, Neal will be saved. If not by Peter, by someone else.

[crism79.livejournal.com]

Where is the "like" button? lol God, I was on the bus reading this and I was fumbling with the mobile to get to the next story to see what happened and it just was sllloooowwwww :)) Oh dear I needed to read something like this... poor Neal...