crack_van | Broken Road by Hoosierbitch (Explicit)

Fandom: White Collar
Pairing: Neal Caffrey/Peter Burke
Length: ~15k total for the series
Author on LJ:

hoosierbitch
Author Website: On LJ
Why this must be read:

This is, basically, a must-read for all Neal/Peter shippers, because it is one of the few stories that confronts the consent issues inherent in their relationship head-on. The set-up is from a kink meme prompt: what if Peter thought he and Neal were in a relationship, when all that Neal was doing was giving Peter what he thought he needed to in order to keep from being sent back to prison? What follows is emotionally raw and devastating, as we see first-hand the toll this strategy takes on Neal, followed by Peter coming to the sick realization that he’s not so much Neal’s lover as he is his rapist.

Though it features some very heavy sex scenes (read the author’s warnings, seriously), the story also shows the hard path to healing and forgiveness (as well as a few setbacks), the devastation low self-worth can have on a person, and the redeeming nature of true friendship (seriously, Moz is a total mensch here). Written during the first season – when much of the characters’ backgrounds were unknown – this story also presents a backstory for Neal and Moz’s friendship that is touching and, I have to say, 100% better than what we got on the show.

I can’t recommend this story (or literally anything else written by hoosierbitch) enough.

The Broken Road Series