Work Text:
Title: Guns
Author: 
shingo_the_pest
Fandom: White Collar
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Neal, Kate, guns
Summary: Pre-series, pre-arrest. Where did Neal learn about guns? Kate and Neal argue about what skills and knowledge are really necessary in their profession.
"This is a Ruger Bull Barrel .22 caliber," Kate lectured as she screwed a silencer on.
Neal nodded and warily watched the way she assembled then unassembled the gun. Kate was quick about it. Like she had practice putting a gun together to use it, then taking it apart to sneak away, after the deed was done.
"Under 30 seconds. Impressive." He praised, though he looked a bit uncomfortable.
"Under 10 seconds," she corrected. "Now I want you to do it."
He sighed and stepped away, looking anywhere but at her or the gun. "No, Kate, I don't need to..."
"Yes, Neal. Sit down and do it." She nodded to the chair next to her at the small square card table. He reluctantly sat down.
"I'm going to show you pistols first. Then we'll move on to rifles and shotguns." She explained.
"I don't need to know this," Neal argued.
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't-"
"Yes, you do Neal. Sometime, you will run into someone that carries a gun, and you might even have to pretend that you know how to use one too, so yes Neal, you do need to know." She put the pistol down and stared at him with a frustrated expression.
Neal looked away, pouting like a baby, then finally shrugged in agreement.
But she wasn’t going to let the argument drop until she knew he was convinced. "You tell me that I need to know about Modernism and Post Modernism and all that contemporary junk,” he looked about to protest, so she pushed on, “and you insist that I know about obscure details like the difference between engraving and etching, so you can just sit and listen to what I think is important, " she gibed.
His eyes lit up. "But it is important to know! If you're going to deal in the art market, then you need to know the techniques, the trends, the subtleties of the art market-"
"And if you're going to be dealing with the black market, then you need to know the subtleties of the black market," she shot back.
Frustrated, Neal threw his hands up. "Fine. Show me how to put it together. I just don't want to argue anymore."
"What kind of gun is this?" She quizzed.
"A pistol?" He asked in confusion.
"It's a Ruger Bull Barrel. Remember that. You're going to know the names of most guns by the time we're done. Now let’s talk caliber."