tramitem_net | Cheeky piece

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good omens (tv): anthony j. crowley

Cheeky piece

[ Its a video call of one Anthony J. Crowley stepping out of a posh building eating a vanilla and chocolate swirled cone. ]

When you think about it sixty-five million isn't really so much to ask for a place like this in the middle of New York. Especially with all those terraces. Parking space for two cars. Concierge. More bedroom space than I'll ever need. And... ha! This might be the best part!

[ He laughed and attached a quick image to the post. ]

They don't want to take that painting with them so it would come with the place! You're an art restorer, what do you think of it, Mr. Fell? Cheeky piece. It's a bit like that play we saw last week, the one where you got all annoyed with me for magically upgrading our seats. I didn't hear you complaining when we ended up with that private box though did I?

[ He paused for a thoughtful lick of chocolate before it ran down the cone. ]

I never even dreamed of owning a place like this one before so of course I signed. What is the point of magic if you can't indulge?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

They've grown so accustomed to their usual shelving, it may take them a bit to adjust and settle in. Rigid things, books, you know. They don't bend or conform easily.

But with the right company, anywhere can be home.

I've noticed that about them. Especially the hardcovers... oo, very slow to bend those ones. Impossible maybe!

Good thing we aren't asking them to change, just to consider new possibilities.

[Oh, Anthony. Must you be so sweet to him?]

Thank you, you darling man. Thank you for being patient with me. I must have been very good in a past life to have you here in mine now.

Anyway. I will see you at 9.

[ The kindness and the desire to pamper the Hell out of Mr. Fell bubbled up naturally from some where beside the same place that had him responding to that with a smirk and some coy sarcasm. ]

Or very bad.

[ The time couldn't move fast enough! ]

9. I'll tell the doorman to expect you so he can give you the code for the elevator.

Me? Never. [The teasing accusation leaves him tickled. Suppose one would have to be rather naughty to capture the attention of a demon and he likes the idea he just might be bad enough. Maybe it should worry him. It doesn't. ]

A doorman. Goodness.

[ Didn't he had a wonderful smile. Most wouldn't have been nearly so thrilled to have it playfully hinted they might have a wicked side. It made Aziraphale all the more charming. ]

I'm used to them. My old place had one too.

[ He beamed and wiggled on screen like a serpent dangling from a branch, though he tried to play it cool. ]

See you at nine.

[ When Fell arrived the doorman would usher him into the lobby and to the elevator. As the device passed through several floors one needed to input a code to land on the correct one. Anthony had so enjoyed picking one out, it felt very Bond, but he hadn't made the most creative choice. It was 6665. The five added only to be slightly unpredictable. ]

Yes, but it just sounds so indulgent when you put it like that. But yes. I will see you tonight. Until then, mind how you go, love.

[Aziraphale arrives more or less on time. He gives an amused eyeroll at the code, because... of course. Though he did wonder about the five, if it bore any significance or if it was just a five for the sake of filling out the number set.

When Anthony let him in, rather than the usual hellos and greeting, he said with a fond tsk-tsk:]

Six-six-six. Really, Anthony. You're utterly ridiculous. I'm surprised to find there isn't an upside cross over the door, or some other devilish paraphernalia. I'd think you would have invested in some ghoulish gargoyles or appropriately flickering lighting by now. Maybe some Rolling Stones.

[He holds out a cheerful looking box of rich chocolate cupcakes tied up with a perky bow and his smile just glows.]

Congratulations on your new lair.

[ He considered these suggestions, flippant though they may have been, with more sincerity than they deserved as he closed the rod iron gate behind Mr. Fell, securing the elevator behind the elegant screen. ]

I could do a gargoyle or two, find a nice painting of a snake. There is plenty of time to customize the place.

[ Anthony drifted closer, drawn in by the scent of chocolate and Mr. Fell's unique brand of aftershave. ]

Those look sinful.

[ He couldn't help it. He was ridiculous so he had been told! ]

Devil's food?

Might as well lean into it, you're going to be a demon, I suppose? A little decadence... Spark envy? Show off some pride. Boost your...well, do demons get Brownie Points? Inciting sin must count for something.

[Indeed, Devil's Food. He straightens Anthony's collar as an excuse to draw him even closer, gazing up at him.]

Seemed apropos. [He leaned up for a kiss.]

[ His hand dropped like a guide to the small of Aziraphale's back, pulling him closer as their lips met. It was several greedy moments before he allowed their parting but the friendly hand remained. ]

You're the only one who gets that. Not even Alec...

[ His lips curled downward briefly but he escorted the both of them towards the great room. The original owners had been downsizing so they left a great deal behind, the painting Aziraphale had come to see along with the furnished room. ]

[He didn't pull away until Anthony prompted them to move through the rest of the residence.]

I'm sorry. I can imagine how much you'd like him to understand--I know I wish he would--but... As unrealistic as this all is, what we've found ourselves in--and as much as I worry... I just know it feels right, all of it. You, me. You as a demon, and all the trappings that come with it. Alec is a man of logic, though, and going on faith alone seems to be not his forte.

I don't know that I understand any more than he does, but nothing has ever seemed more natural than-- [Us. Teasing you about being a demon and bringing it up more often than not.]

[He is distracted by the painting, however. Is it real? The original must be in a private collection; there's no earthly way Anthony would have just acquired it along with his unreasonably expensive residence.
Or did he?]

It's larger than I expected, even with the billiard table for scale.

[He moved away from Anthony to inspect the painting, trying to determine what kind of print or the nature of the replication.]

Louis Béroud, a French painter at the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th. Not terribly famous, really. I took a moment to look him up when you sent that photo and found very little information on him. He apparently liked to paint in The Louvre as a copyist, but interestingly enough, he also liked to paint other copyists doing their work or conversing. It's suspected that the copyist featured here may be Beroud himself as most of his other subjects were women.

[He stepped back to gesture at the painting within the painting.] You can see one of Rubens’ works for Marie de’ Medici featured there as the picture coming to life.

Interestingly enough, Béroud apparently discovered the Mona Lisa missing around 1911. It had been stolen from The Louvre by an Italian patriot trying to take the masterpiece back to Italy.

[An embarrassed pause.]

Not that you at all wanted all that information. I'm afraid this kind of blathering on is just, you know, a, uh, hazard of the trade.

It's more than just that.

[ Anthony collected the box of desserts and set it aside on an in-table so he could tug at the bow while Aziraphale fussed over the painting. ]

Alec is logical, he likes things to make sense, one dot connected to the next, I get that! But I think he is afraid of losing me. He doesn't want the demon to take over entirely... Thing is that feels more like me. I've tried not to be reckless or to get into trouble, I went to Church for years... It never felt as me as this does.

[ He sighed and flipped the box open. ]

What if he is right? What if this does pull me away from the family? What if I DO lose him over this? Maybe demons were never meant for family...

[ His finger evilly dipped into one of the dollops of frosting and he licked it from his finger as he flopped across the arms on a chair to listen. Aziraphale was gone, giving him a mile-a-minute lecture on the nature of the painting. It should have been boring but as the words came from his angel he hung on every one of them. ]

Nah, its interesting. Carry on, angel. I'd like to hear all about it.

[ If only just to hear your voice.

It was very easy to tell by a mere glance that this wasn't a print. There was no signs of ink jet or other forms of printing and there was in fact a decent layer of paint over the canvas. A closer inspection would show it was oil paint as to be expected of a good copy or even of the original. It was signed and dated in the lower left, 'Louis Béroud 1910'. The size was a little off in that the piece actually looked a few inches larger than it ought but this was due to the addition of the golden frame which was likely a later addition. ]

I'm afraid that's all I really have to say about Béroud or that painting. It's an interesting choice, anyway. A painting coming to life as an artist tries to replicate a section from it? Could be turned into a metaphor for our situation, I'm sure, if I were creative enough to spin it into one.

As for Alec-- [He frowned as he noticed the missing smudge of icing, then glared at Anthony and pointedly did not address it.]

Or rather, well. Regardless of if a demon were meant to have family or not, or meant to love a human or not-- [He straightened up a bit, tugging at the waistband hem of his sweater vest and looking a little bit smugly pleased at being the human this demon loved.] you aren't entirely that demon anymore. Maybe you never were; I mean, you were an angel once and you've been living as a human for nearly fifty years, Anthony. You love your mother, and Alec, and me. Finding out you're a demon isn't going to change that unless you choose to change that. I think.

[He plucked a cupcake from the box, the same one Anthony had helped himself to the icing.]

You're a good man at heart, and if that makes you a bit avant-garde for a demon, well. It's in your nature to rebel against the rules, isn't it?

In any case, I think Alec will come around eventually, once he sees your brand of demonic is less... sinister and evil and more... [He swiped a dollop of icing with his finger and poked it onto the tip of Anthony's nose.] ...ungodly nuisance.

[ His eyes crossed in comedic fashion as he looked to the smear of chocolate on the tip of his nose then to Fell, who he had thought would never have had such a silly notion in him! The foul sneak!! It was difficult not to stare at him in open wonder and impossible not to blush.

Here Anthony had been worried that maybe he wasn't just some 'ungodly nuisance', that he might have at one time been a proper demon with all the sinister plans that went along with that. They had once plotted the murder of a child! That was more than Puck-like fun and games... And if he were more how could that not drive a wedge between himself and his rule-abiding family? They were old fears but they had bubbled to the surface again after his most recent conversation with Alec.

But instead of giving voice to any of these worries he was thrown off and left to laugh in affronted surprise as he stared at the dollop and spluttered something unintelligible about the dangers of starting a food fight. ]

You just... with the chocolate... I can't even...

[ He reached out to snag the cuff of Aziraphale's sleeve just to pull him close enough to nip a bite right out of the middle of that cupcake in retribution, then drew back smiling like the devil for the very wicked thing he had just done. ]

I do love you. Especially because you are such a sneaky bastard with frosting.

[ Which seemed to remind him of something for he bounced to his feet and gestured towards the door. ]

I promised you the stars didn't I? We have to go up two flights for that.

[ The cupcakes and Fell's arm were collected in one agile pirouette as the painting was left far behind them. It was a painting that could be fitting of their situation and whether it was real or not, Anthony had taken a liking to it. The piece would likely remain hanging just where it was.
The pair were back in the elevator and in a flash it opened into the hall of the top level. Just beyond was the covered patio with its excellent views of the New York skyline and if one looked up the brightest of the stars could still be seen through the glow of the city.]

I would give them to you. Every last twinkling one of them... If only you said you wanted them.

[They SHOULD talk about it, should address Anthony's concerns and shouldn't derail it with comforts and distractions, but Aziraphale was finding himself good at patently not addressing difficult issues lately. There was no boy. There was just the two of them. Anthony could just be a slightly demonic version of the man Aziraphale had hastily fallen in love with, rosy tint hiding any darkness.]

I love you, too. Especially endearingly covered in frosting.

[He preened at the bastard compliment, swept up in Anthony's attentions. Aziraphale liked to think that he was somehow the compliment to Anthony's demonic nature: human enough to balance out his otherworldliness, compassionate and earthly and yet bastard enough to keep him intrigued. He was avoiding considering what other kinds of uses (less sentimental and more purposeful) a demon might have with a human, because Anthony wasn't like that. He wasn't. He couldn't be.]

[What did it say about both of them, if Anthony was?]

[The stars were gorgeous, despite the city lights, and Anthony's promise felt very earnest, as if he might really bring them down, make him a garden of them if only Aziraphale asked. He suspected there was very little Anthony wouldn't promise him, if he asked. It was ...almost frightening.]

I believe you would, too. But that'd be awfully covetous of me, to take the stars for myself.

They're better like this, where I can see you among them.

[ The distractions and comforts drew him closer, encouraged his arms to wrap around this dear sweet man who was such an intriguing contradiction. Kind and yet with a hidden wicked streak that always seemed to make itself know when he needed it the most.

They probably should have talked about it, made some attempt to glen some measure of sense from all this craziness, but it was far more appealing to lean on Aziraphale's shoulder, give his evening cooled cheek a kiss, and... smear some of that frosting off his nose at the same time. Mr. Fell did look cute in frosting too. ]

Just like you to say something noble, but I bet if I offered you a glass of wine to go with your...

[ Smirk. ]

...frosting, you wouldn't turn that down?

[ He wrinkles his nose at bit at the mess of frosting on his cheek, but leans into the embrace, humming in thought at the question.]

Maybe.

[He tilts his head to follow Anthony's kiss and initiate one of his own.]

In a minute.

[ The stars faded from view as his eyes drifted closed. Everything felt right. When they were together it felt like time slowed to a crawl and the world drifted away just like the messy frosting that had marked their faces. It lifted and magically dissipated in the breeze like it had never been there, unbeknownst to Anthony whose entire existence had become that shared kiss. ]

In several minutes.

[ If Fell would allow just one more... ]

[He made a small noise of agreement, the frosting forgotten entirely except where he could still taste it in the sweetness of Anthony's kiss. Anthony could have as many as he wanted. Fell would allow it. He had to fight this unreasonable urge lately to hide their love or that they were on stolen time, but that was just ridiculous insecurity. He would always allow Anthony more kisses.]

[Dessert could wait.]

[ They were in danger then of spending the whole of the evening standing up there under the stars entirely wrapped up in each other's embrace. There was something forbidden in the feeling that drew them together though why this might have been Anthony could only puzzle at and assume it must have something to do with God frowning on demons interfering with her creations or... some such like that. It didn't matter in the least! ]

I've been wanting to do that all day.

So have I. Could do that all day, too; you're a terrible distraction. [He blushed at the words, both Anthony's and his own honesty. He's had plenty of lovers before, but none has occupied so many of his thoughts while away from them or been so overwhelming a presence in person. Nothing so new had any right to feel so essential to his day.
Sometimes it even felt like he could sense Anthony, but that was just ridiculous.]

Goodness, but we are a bit silly for each other, aren't we?

[He straightened out Anthony's clothes a bit, fussing over him, and only just managed to draw his attention away to their wine and cake.]

I've never been 'silly' for anyone before.

[ So he said but he must have been! It was why his heart beat stronger to the rhythm of the hands smoothing over his rumpled clothing and why he couldn't stop grinning like he had just stolen the finest of jewels right off the bloody Queen's finger!

He managed to pry himself away, but only just, to take a seat on one of the lawn chairs and present the cooled wine. Demon's Dance, naturally it was designed to fit the theme. ]

Until now. You've some sort of hold on me.

[Demon's Dance. He imagined that was a very sensual sort of dance, very alluring. It made him very tempted to try the wine. He took a seat on the neighboring chair.]

Oh, hardly. [There was no denying they held a strong sway over each other mutually, and had for some time. Coyly:] I'm not the demon. I'm your angel, remember? I'm sure angels don't do temptation.

You've a point. You ought to be talking me out of my wicked ways...

[ He popped open the wine and slowly poured two glasses one of which was placed temptingly close to Aziraphale. ]

Not encouraging me.

[He studiously resisted, running a finger along the stem of the glass as he watched Anthony.]

Oh, but that's no fun. You have to be wicked so that I can be very good.

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