(no subject)

[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

[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...