[ Crowley, of course, drowned himself in entirely too much of another good thing and he's feeling too much and not enough, all numb and upset at the same time. It's more from the blood than the party, but the party isn't helping matters. ]
[ Boundaries? What boundaries? Blake shows up at Crowley's door not all that long later, knocking quietly. He doesn't try the door, but he has the urge to. ]
[ Crowley can hardly blame Blake for his lack of boundaries given the murkiness of Crowley's own and he's not annoyed with Blake, per se, but he is annoyed in general. ]
One moment!
[ Through the door, Blake might hear Crowley scrambling around to neaten his bed and make sure he hasn't left a syringe out.
It takes nearly a minute for Crowley to open the door and when he does, his shirt's half-unbuttoned with his undershirt showing and his pants are a wrinkled mess, as if he's slept in them. On top of the disarray of his clothing, he looks just slightly out of it. ]
[ Blake's actually a bit surprised, not only by the fuss, but also by what's being presented to him.
He raises an eyebrow. ]
Partyin' hard?
[ Considering the last several nights for Blake have all been spent staying up late and drinking, it's a real surprise to see this role reversal. But he's not judging or anything, no. ]
[ This is exactly the state that he's been trying to keep far away from his visits with Blake, both because he has a sense of pride and because when he's feeling this much, Blake is even more of a danger to Crowley than he is normally.
[ Blake considers leaving Crowley to have his space, but some niggling concern rules his momentum and before he knows it, he's stepping into the demon's room. ]
Thanks. [ He shoves his hands into his pockets and looks around the room, taking in the details. ] What's goin' on? Look... off. You okay?
[ He purses his lips and moves into the room, sitting at the foot of his not-quite-neat bed. ]
I would be lying if I said I wasn't feeling a tad emotional about the whole thing. Where I'm from, Kevin's just died and the last time I saw River, she had no idea who I was.
[ Blake takes it upon himself to sit next to Crowley. He's on the opposite end of the spectrum, somewhere on cloud 9 with his best friend back, pointedly ignoring the fact that it's going to end. ]
Not a problem this time, right? Seems a lot of 'em came back with their memories.
[ Crowley's admission is more than enough to throw up some red flags. This guy never wants to shut up, so if he's passing on an opportunity to talk, he must be really bothered. Blake frowns at the realization that he's been particularly absent for considering himself and Crowley friends and reaches a hand out to rest it on Crowley's shoulder, just a simple gestures, but one he hopes the demon understands. ]
Maybe you need to. This is— this is an opportunity for some closure. Don't pass on that, Crowley. Might not come again.
Blake, I... died keeping her safe. It isn't exactly a common occurrence in my life.
[ Not that he dies often, but the dying isn't what he means. He doesn't protect people like that. He doesn't protect anyone and the fact that there are people he's grown so dependant on that he needs to keep them in his life?
That's a big deal. It's a game changer, really, and he's still trying to figure out if they're special or if he's changing. ]
I did everything I could to keep her and she still disappeared.
[ He's saying that as a friend, and if Crowley doesn't think so, then he hasn't learned enough about Blake to earn the candor. It's delivered devoid of emotion, but he's trying to be encouraging. ]
Count regrets later, if you got 'em, 'cause there's gonna be plenty of time for that. But there's not a lot of time with her, and she needs you. And you need her.
[ Crowley shakes his head. Really, no one needs him. The best he has are people who sort of enjoy his company here, but Blake's the only one of them who really knows what he's done. ]
What makes you think she needs me? Things aren't always the same both ways. I'm well aware of that.
[ So many things come to mind, but Blake is at the forefront of that. Crowley's made headway with him, yes, but he's taken plenty of steps backwards, too. At the end of the day, he knows that he cares about Blake more than Blake cares about him and it's just one of many things that he tries not to focus on too much. ]
[ Sure, Mr. Paranoia, rear your ugly head. Blake's somewhat surprised that Crowley's so big on the pessimism, but maybe that's just because Blake's feeling relatively good for once, and Crowley's the one looking down.
He smiles encouragingly and manages something akin to a softness, which is entirely uncommon for him. ]
She needs you. Ask her. And I need you, too, okay?
[ Whether Crowley wants to believe it or not, John's presenting it as every bit the truth, circumstances be damned. Crowley keeps him grounded in a way no on else is accomplishing, Blake included. ]
[ Crowley turns his head sharply, surprise clear on his face. That's the last thing he'd expected to hear from Blake and, really, the last thing he would have believed without being told it.
It takes him a moment to catch his breath and he hadn't even realized that he'd stopped breathing until that warm feeling in his chest had started to register. ]
[ Crowley's got a bit of a smile now as he stands and moves closer to Blake.
It's really not fair that Blake makes Crowley want to kiss him this much, because Crowley doesn't deserve Blake or his forgiveness or his friendship, but he can't imagine Wonderland without it. Blake's been such a constant in his life here and even as others have been here all along, Blake's the only one who remembers all of it and he's become such a focus and a source of strength here.
Crowley's become accustomed to creating his own strength and fighting his way through life with his wit and sometimes his fists and finding it in an outside source is strange. He's afraid he'll become too dependent on it, but then he can handle himself and his dependencies just fine, can't he? ]
Of course you have. You and I are going to watch some movies together when we've got the time.
Sure. Got quite a collection goin' already. Maybe we can do that after dinner.
[ Not like a date or anything. Just two dudes hanging out, right? Because that's the impression he's hoping to give, but for whatever reason, he doesn't think it's going to work out that way.
Whatever. He'll cross that bridge when he gets to it. One step at a time. ]
[ Dinner and a movie sounds exactly like a prelude to more, but Crowley's a little too distracted by his own thoughts to point that out. As far as he's concerned, though, Blake's already agreed to give him a decent shot at getting in his pants. ]
Are we? Alright.
[ Before he makes any move to go anywhere, though, he starts to button his dress shirt and smooth out what he can of the wrinkles in his pants. It's one thing for Blake to see him like this and quite another for most of the others to. ]
[ Fortunately, Blake will oblige the delay, mostly because he'd be the same way. No point in letting the world see how truly unbuttoned a person can get. ]
Yep. You're with me for a while.
[ Where they go from there and what they do is likely all up to chance, but it'll probably involve a stop off to see River, and maybe a stint in front of the television for some good, old-fashioned together time.
How... exactly did these two become friends again? ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text;
[ Maybe better than alright for now. ]
Where are you?
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[ Crowley, of course, drowned himself in entirely too much of another good thing and he's feeling too much and not enough, all numb and upset at the same time. It's more from the blood than the party, but the party isn't helping matters. ]
You?
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It's Blake.
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One moment!
[ Through the door, Blake might hear Crowley scrambling around to neaten his bed and make sure he hasn't left a syringe out.
It takes nearly a minute for Crowley to open the door and when he does, his shirt's half-unbuttoned with his undershirt showing and his pants are a wrinkled mess, as if he's slept in them. On top of the disarray of his clothing, he looks just slightly out of it. ]
Hello, Darling.
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He raises an eyebrow. ]
Partyin' hard?
[ Considering the last several nights for Blake have all been spent staying up late and drinking, it's a real surprise to see this role reversal. But he's not judging or anything, no. ]
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[ This is exactly the state that he's been trying to keep far away from his visits with Blake, both because he has a sense of pride and because when he's feeling this much, Blake is even more of a danger to Crowley than he is normally.
Still, he steps aside, anyway. ]
Would you like to come in?
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Thanks. [ He shoves his hands into his pockets and looks around the room, taking in the details. ] What's goin' on? Look... off. You okay?
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[ He purses his lips and moves into the room, sitting at the foot of his not-quite-neat bed. ]
I would be lying if I said I wasn't feeling a tad emotional about the whole thing. Where I'm from, Kevin's just died and the last time I saw River, she had no idea who I was.
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Not a problem this time, right? Seems a lot of 'em came back with their memories.
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[ An all too human moment to have happened before he started to inject himself, but Wonderland's been exceptional at twisting him inside out. ]
I don't like thinking about it.
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Maybe you need to. This is— this is an opportunity for some closure. Don't pass on that, Crowley. Might not come again.
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Blake, I... died keeping her safe. It isn't exactly a common occurrence in my life.
[ Not that he dies often, but the dying isn't what he means. He doesn't protect people like that. He doesn't protect anyone and the fact that there are people he's grown so dependant on that he needs to keep them in his life?
That's a big deal. It's a game changer, really, and he's still trying to figure out if they're special or if he's changing. ]
I did everything I could to keep her and she still disappeared.
action;
[ He's saying that as a friend, and if Crowley doesn't think so, then he hasn't learned enough about Blake to earn the candor. It's delivered devoid of emotion, but he's trying to be encouraging. ]
Count regrets later, if you got 'em, 'cause there's gonna be plenty of time for that. But there's not a lot of time with her, and she needs you. And you need her.
[ From the mouth of babes. ]
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What makes you think she needs me? Things aren't always the same both ways. I'm well aware of that.
[ So many things come to mind, but Blake is at the forefront of that. Crowley's made headway with him, yes, but he's taken plenty of steps backwards, too. At the end of the day, he knows that he cares about Blake more than Blake cares about him and it's just one of many things that he tries not to focus on too much. ]
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He smiles encouragingly and manages something akin to a softness, which is entirely uncommon for him. ]
She needs you. Ask her. And I need you, too, okay?
[ Whether Crowley wants to believe it or not, John's presenting it as every bit the truth, circumstances be damned. Crowley keeps him grounded in a way no on else is accomplishing, Blake included. ]
action;
It takes him a moment to catch his breath and he hadn't even realized that he'd stopped breathing until that warm feeling in his chest had started to register. ]
I don't deserve you, Darling.
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[ He gives the demon's knee a squeeze and then stands and gestures for him to get up, too. ]
That's from Unforgiven. Have seen that movie.
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It's really not fair that Blake makes Crowley want to kiss him this much, because Crowley doesn't deserve Blake or his forgiveness or his friendship, but he can't imagine Wonderland without it. Blake's been such a constant in his life here and even as others have been here all along, Blake's the only one who remembers all of it and he's become such a focus and a source of strength here.
Crowley's become accustomed to creating his own strength and fighting his way through life with his wit and sometimes his fists and finding it in an outside source is strange. He's afraid he'll become too dependent on it, but then he can handle himself and his dependencies just fine, can't he? ]
Of course you have. You and I are going to watch some movies together when we've got the time.
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[ Not like a date or anything. Just two dudes hanging out, right? Because that's the impression he's hoping to give, but for whatever reason, he doesn't think it's going to work out that way.
Whatever. He'll cross that bridge when he gets to it. One step at a time. ]
You an' I are goin' for a walk in the meantime.
[ Blake's totally your accountibuddy, Crowley! ]
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Are we? Alright.
[ Before he makes any move to go anywhere, though, he starts to button his dress shirt and smooth out what he can of the wrinkles in his pants. It's one thing for Blake to see him like this and quite another for most of the others to. ]
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Yep. You're with me for a while.
[ Where they go from there and what they do is likely all up to chance, but it'll probably involve a stop off to see River, and maybe a stint in front of the television for some good, old-fashioned together time.
How... exactly did these two become friends again? ]
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