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[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

Date: October 5, 2000
Status: Private - Crowley and John (complete)
Setting: Central Park
Summary: The boys they go a-wilin' among the grass so green...


Three days into their trip found John and Crowley people watching from a bench in Central Park. Crowley suspected that John just didn't want him to be alone so often, but he didn't mind. It was nice to have company, even if that prevented the excesses he might otherwise have gone to, and, in fact, had over the last couple of nights.

The park was busy, full of joggers in matching track suits, bored young mothers pushing prams, and executives in suits on their lunch break busily talking on cell phones or typing on laptop computers. The demon was amused by how peoples' gazes slid away from John, and by extension him, as if they were afraid he was going to ask them for money. And the best part was that it required no expense of power. They did it of their own volition. Because there was clearly no way that a well dressed and handsome young businessman would voluntarily sit next to a scruffy middle-aged man in Central Park and so therefore it didn't happen. They weren't there, which gave them a measure of privacy in this intensely public city.

Comments

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

"That one," John said around a freshly-lit cigarette, jerking his chin in the direction of a dignified older gentleman in an expensive (and very conservative) pinstripe suit who walked with an authoritative stride, carrying a briefcase, his expression seemingly fixed in a permanent sniff of disdain. "Lessee. Republican, I'll wager. Business owner mebbe, or an attorney or some such rot." He studied the man critically, taking care not to be too obvious about it. "I'll lay odds he's a Mason."

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

"Yup," said Crowley cheerfully, "Vice-President of a major international bank. Married thirty years with three grown kids." He grinned. "He's also got a leather fetish and has weekly appointments with a black dominatrix named Monique."

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

"Tsk. Shocking," John said, shaking his head disapprovingly. "You'd think someone with that kind of clout would find himself something a little more exotic." He considered the businessman thoughtfully for a minute. "Think he's got anything on under that suit he wouldn't want becoming common knowledge?"

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

"He thinks it's exotic," Crowley replied sitting back on the bench. "You mean like the dog collar he's got on under that hideous tie?"

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

"It is ugly," John agreed, nodding solemnly. "Looks a little too tight to me, too. Bet he'd relax a mite if somebody loosened it up for him."

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

"I think you're right. We'd really be doing the poor man a favour," said Crowley maliciously, making a subtle gesture. The man's tie loosened without his knowledge and his top button mysteriously opened, revealing a hint of black leather and metal.

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

"There we are. All ready to face the board of directors with head held high. Ah, but that does the heart good." John chuckled. "...kee-rist, how the hell does she walk in those things?"

This last was exclaimed as he caught sight of a woman in stiletto heels that must have measured nearly four inches, tottering along with her rump in the air and another prominent section of her anatomy at the other end threatening to tip her head-over-heels. She was walking a tiny Pomeranian on a leash with a rhinestone-studded collar. The dog's claws were painted the same shade of hot pink as the bow on top of its head and the woman's lipstick. "Fucking dog probably eats better than I do," John muttered, eyeing the animal with deep distaste.

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

"Just takes practice," grinned Crowley. "I mean, if Gabriel could figure it out, I'm sure you could too..."

It was rather unfortunate at that point that the little dog's leash suddenly snapped for no apparent reason and the thing darted off. The lady yelled, "Mopsy, come back!" but the dog was off like a shot and she couldn't follow in those shoes. Crowley chuckled. You had to love New York. No one moved to help.

The animal first headed straight for a mud puddle and rolled lovingly around in it to the woman's great distress, before jumping into a garbage can and eating the remains of a hot dog and whatever else it could find.

Finally, the woman made it to the trash can and with an intensely disgusted expression, reached in to pull out her dog by the collar. The creature was filthy and smelly and had lost the bow long ago, but it couldn't have looked happier. "Oh, Mopsy..."

"Shame, really," observed Crowley innocently.

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

"Oh, absolutely. Terrible shame. Scoffing rubbish like that, poor little blighter'll prolly spew his ring when he gets home. All over Mummy's nice rug." John grinned and waved jauntily to the filthy dog as the woman carried it away, then turned his attention to scanning the passers-by for a very particular kind of mark.

He nudged Crowley with his elbow. "Here, help me find a real shithead, would you? One with a guilty conscience and more money than sense."

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

The demon surveyed the people around, narrowing in on one young man who would match John's description. He inclined his head. "How about the kid over there? The one in the preppy clothes. Attends Columbia University. Son of a senator. Slips roofies into girls' drinks and thinks date rape is fun."

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

"That'll do." John's eyes narrowed as he rummaged around in his trench pockets for a moment. Pulling out a worn silver coin minted in a country that hadn't existed for a long time, he examined it for a moment to make sure the sigils cut into the surface were still clear. Then he flipped it carefully into the air, allowed it to rotate exactly three times as he recited three arcane words, and caught and palmed it as he focused his attention on the rich boy Crowley had pointed out.

"'Scuse me, guv," he called, his entire bearing shifting subtly as he spoke. Though nothing overtly changed, suddenly his age was more apparent in his face and voice, and clothes that had seemed merely ordinary and comfortably broken-in spoke of wear and ill-use that they hadn't actually experienced. That wasn't part of the spell; it was just a matter of changing how he carried himself and letting the observer fill in the details from his first half-formed impression. He'd had a lot of practice at it.

The young man glanced in their direction, and John smiled benignly. "Spare a poor Scouse a fiver for lunch?"

He watched as the boy's lips started to curl into an arrogant sneer and he opened his mouth to deliver a snarky retort ("Get a job," would be John's guess, not that he'd ever find out,) and marked the precise moment when his spell took hold and the haughty expression wavered, fading into mild confusion. Got him.

"I...uh. I suppose," the kid said, slowly reaching into his back pocket and withdrawing a fat leather wallet, all the while staring into John's eyes as though he couldn't tear his gaze away, which wasn't far from the truth. "Are, uh. Are you sure five is enough?"

"I reckon so. Wouldn't say no if you were feeling more generous, though." John would have liked to wink at Crowley, but he didn't dare take his attention off his mark. He kept on smiling, radiating harmless benevolence with just the right touch of world-weary resignation as the boy opened his wallet and fumbled through it, never glancing down at the contents for more than an instant at a time.

"Well, I...actually, you know what, I really don't need this," the boy said dazedly after a moment. "I've got thousands in the bank, and a trust fund...here, why don't you just take it?" He closed the wallet up and handed it over with only a flicker of hesitation.

John took the billfold and nodded politely. "Ta, guv, right decent of you."

"Yeah," said the kid with a weak smile. "Hey, do you want my checkbook, too?" he added as if on a spur of inspiration.

John's eyebrows rose fractionally. Clearly, the Force had a strong influence on the weak-minded. "Nah, I think I'm good," he said. "Tell you what though, why don't you stop on your way home and make a donation to a charity?" His smile hardened a bit. "Like mebbe a battered womens' shelter."

The boy flinched visibly, and nodded. "Sure. Good idea. I'll, uh, see you around then." He turned and shuffled off down the path, shoulders slightly hunched and looking thoroughly bewildered.

"Tosser," John muttered when the kid was out of sight, pocketing his coin and opening the wallet to take inventory.

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

Crowley watched the whole scene with interest, careful not to move or speak or otherwise draw anyone's attention while the spell was being performed. Frankly he was impressed at the man's concentration and control if nothing else, but being a demon and being very cool, he refused to express this through more than a twitch of the lip.

"I always wondered how you paid your rent," he joked. "Since you don't have a real job or anything..."

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, between this and gambling, I do all right," John said, counting out several hundred dollars in cash and stuffing them into an inner trench pocket before he turned his attention to the assortment of cards in the wallet. "Heh. Rich Boy's lucky I'm just after his money and not his identity. Look at this. Social Security card, voter ID, medical insurance, platinum Visa--remind me to stop and charge a bunch of controlled substances, Daddy'll love seeing that on his statement--picture of his girlfriend..." He paused to study the photo for a moment. "Christ, is she outta his league. Anyway, by the time that spell wears off, I could destroy his credit record for at least the next ten years, and maybe have a warrant out for his arrest."

He chuckled, pulling out the remaining useful items. "Hate to get rid of such a nice billfold, but he'll prolly report it stolen once he comes to his senses..."

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

"Let me guess," said Crowley as if it were a sudden revelation, "you don't rely on Lady Luck in your gambling, either." It wasn't a criticism.

He looked over the contents of the wallet disinterestedly. "What idiot carries around his social security card? Americans are fucking stupid." Without thinking much, Crowley turned the brown leather wallet into an equally attractive black snake skin one.

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I play what I'm dealt," John grins. "No fun at all if there's not some risk involved. It just makes it a lot easier knowing what the other bloke's holding, too."

He raised his eyebrows at the changed wallet. "Nice. It's not just Americans though, you know. Hate to say it, but I've run across a few back home who were just as bad." He tucked the wallet away and got up from the bench. "C'mon, lunch is on me."

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

Crowley nodded. He wouldn't have expected anything else.

"A few?" he asked. "Then you're lucky." With a glance at the fat wallet, Crowley added, "No shit, lunch is on you. Hot dogs don't count."

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

"What, not in the mood for assorted lips, arseholes and other minced cow parts better left unnamed?" John grinned as they passed a vendor's cart, deliberately elevating his voice slightly so the man's customers would overhear the remark. "What a shocking insensitivity to the cultural mores of this great nation. Where d'you want to go, then?"

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

"And you make it sound so appetizing," Crowley retorted, making sure that the next customer would find one of those unpleasant parts in his meal. "But how could you think of me as insensitive, you bloody great prat?"

The demon thought for a moment and then laughed. "Kosher deli?"

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

John snorted. "Works for me.

"By the by," he added as he took out his cigarettes and lit up, "I had a word with Loki before we left..."

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

Crowley's face went completely blank. "Did you now?" he asked evenly. "Lucky..."

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," John sighed, taking a deep drag and exhaling slowly. He really wasn't keen on bringing it up, but Crowley had a right to know, so he forged on in the hope of getting past it as quickly as possible, "Took some arm-twisting, but I got something pretty close to a confession out of him. He was lying. Made the whole thing up."

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

"You didn't need to do that," said Crowley, looking askance at John, still unfamiliar with the feel of friendship; of knowing that someone would go out of his way to look out for Crowley's interests. He looked away again.

"But I... I think I knew that already." Still, it was a relief somehow to have confirmation. Though it also took away his scapegoat. Ignoring the brief stab of fresh pain, the demon walked faster toward the edge of the park.

"He was rather horrified at the mere idea of being with a woman," Crowley laughed, trying to sound casual, though there was a faintly hysterical edge to it.

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

John nodded somberly, unsurprised by either statement. "Yeah, I figured. Told you once before, he's mad about you," he said, sensing this might be the only time they would broach the subject directly. An unconscious frown creased his forehead, and he cleared his throat uncomfortably, thrusting his hands in his trouser pockets.

"Sometimes that's just not enough," he concluded bleakly.

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

The demon's jaw was tight, though he betrayed no other emotion. He wasn't sure whether to be glad or concerned that John's second sentence seemed to apply equally well to them both. "Apparently not."

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

Awkward silence fell for a few moments, and then John deliberately changed the subject. "Ben's (http://www.bensdeli.net/) isn't too far from here," he offered.

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

"Go on, then," said Crowley stuffing his hands in his pockets before he could do anything embarrassing. "I'm right behind you."

[dangeroushabits.livejournal.com]

John looked at him sidelong for a long moment and then nodded. "Yeah, all right. Don't take too long, or I'll order without you." He smiled slightly and walked on ahead, leaving Crowley to whatever sorting out he needed to do.

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

It was nothing much. Crowley merely turned back to face the park wanting to see its tableaux playing out. Old couples holding hands and strolling slowly, people biking, children playing... it was life. And if there was one thing life did, it was go on. He'd seen it so many times. But humans were resilient. They could handle anything that was thrown at them. They could have their lovers die or leave in thousands of painful ways and still pull the pieces together enough to live fulfilling lives.

He could, too.

Crowley turned away and coolly sauntered toward a faint flash of brown and blond down the street...