Comment fic meme: Breaking up

[noracharles]

Any fandom, any character, any sort of relationship.

Write about a character breaking up with a person they have any sort of relationship with, or a character breaking up with an institution, an organization, an ideal...

Comment with prompts by putting this in the subject line:
Prompt: fandom or just Prompt if it's for any fandom. Feel free to specify characters and relationship types too, if you have any preferences.

Answer any prompts which interest you, and also feel free to comment directly to this entry with an off the cuff ficlet or fragment, or a link to where you've posted it. Reposting previously written fic which fits the theme is fine.

Absolutely no care or effort or beta-reading or editing is expected or required! I'm just hoping someone will entertain me. People I don't know are very welcome indeed ♥

Master list

The Aeneid - Dido breaking up with Aeneas: Vergil fanfic because that's how I roll by calvinahobbes in both Danish and English

Avatar: The Last Airbender - Mai breaking up with Zuko: Avatar: TLA, during The Boiling Rock by jalendavi_lady in English

Red Dwarf - Rimmer breaking up with the Space Corps: Red Dwarf: Rimmer leaves the Space Corps by evilawyer in English

White Collar - Neal breaking up with Peter: Four years and counting [White Collar] by snakeling in English

Comments

Four years and counting [White Collar]

[snakeling]

"Look, this can't come as a surprise to you, can it? I mean, you didn't seriously expect me to stick around after my four years were up?"

Peter feels like the ground is being pulled from under his feet. Not in his worst nightmares had he imagined something like this.

"Well yes I did! You liked it, I know that. You liked chasing criminals, you liked the challenge."

"To a certain point, Peter. I hated being leashed, and I don't mean only the anklet. I hate the restrictions, I hate being bound by the law, hell, I'm starting to hate New York, because it's all I've seen in the last four years. I want to see Paris again, and Los Angeles and London and Rome and Jo'burg and Athens. I want to be able to go wherever I want. Not just where the Bureau sees fit to send me."

"So you want the 'freedom' of being a criminal, then?" Peter injects as much venom in his voice as he's able.

"Yes, yes I do. See you, Peter." Neal even manages to sound sad and a little wistful when he says it. Peter feels like it's all been a lie, as if he's never known Neal at all, like his partner and friend is a stranger.

He hates him so much in that instant, hates himself for caring.

Re: Four years and counting [White Collar]

[calvinahobbes]

Noooo! Ow >.<

That was perfect.

Re: Four years and counting [White Collar]

[snakeling]

Thanks :)

Re: Four years and counting [White Collar]

[noracharles]

Yessss! Oh Snakeling, it's like you're in my mind picking out my most fondest wishes for White Collar fic.

I understand the fannish appreciation for the power differential between Peter and Neal, and how that is magnified and kinked in fic and fanon, and how it is downplayed and negotiated to a non-issue too, but I've been hungering for a counter-point to it, where Neal does appreciate Peter as a person, working with him, and what Peter has done for him, but he would never voluntarily let his wings be cut.

Clever of you to write it from Peter's PoV, it shows both Neal's motivation and his new equilibrium having come to his decision as well as Peter's immediate pain and anger.

You convey that feeling of confusing, rage, self-hatred and suddenly seeing your ex as a stranger very well! I love it, the cathartic emotionality combined with an ability to see it from the outside at an intellectual distance :-D

Thank you!

Re: Four years and counting [White Collar]

[snakeling]

I honestly can't see Neal staying when he's free. We've seen in canon how he chafes at the restrictions put on him, on his methods, and how he flouts them every time he can (and he's shamelessly enabled by Mozzie :P)

I started writing it from Neal's POV, and then it wouldn't go anywhere until I realised it needed writing from Peter's POV, so I'm glad it worked for you :)

(Do you realise that your feedback is almost as long as the fic itself? XD)

Thank you!

Re: Four years and counting [White Collar]

[noracharles]

I don't see him staying either, but then again, my knowledge of canon is still mostly gleaned from reading episode reactions and meta, as I still haven't had time to catch up on the episodes I've missed.

Yup, the point of view definitely worked for me, I think it was a wise choice. You deserve lots of feedback for cheering me up :-D

Re: Four years and counting [White Collar]

[secretsolitaire]

So sad for Peter, but I can certainly see this happening. :-)