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He thought that it was just a phase. He was over it by now, right?
Still, wasn't like Neal hadn't heard it multiple times in elementary school; from his para, the counselor and the principal.
‘We don’t hiss at our teachers’
Unfortunately, no one told him the same courtesy should be extended to FBI agents.
Peter was emphatic in his rejection of Neal’s plan, on legal grounds as per usual.
When Neal tried presenting it in a different way, his handler switched gears as well.
“Do you really want to pin Mozzie up against the DOJ?” he challenged the con man.
Neal hissed at him in response.
Instead of Jones riffing off Ms Riley’s old rule, or a witty comeback from the recipient, the whole room went silent.
Peter, incredulous, defaulted to a sharp tone “Did you just hiss at me?” he understood the overarching sentiment, despite the unusual method of communication...
Neal responded with a simple “meow” still with a feline intonation, but noticeably subdued under the weight of the awkwardness. He cleared his throat and glued his eyes to the table.
“Remember, no hissing at the ASAC,” Peter chastised gently with a bemused smirk.
Neal nodded without looking up from his files.
Old habits die hard.