You were halfway through the newest AU when your phone buzzed with an incoming text and the message appeared at the top of your screen.

C: Mind if I pop in?

You thought about it for a moment, then typed your reply. What? You're asking permission?

C: Just being polite, princess.

Don't you think it's a little too late for that?

C: I assure you, our last face-to-face was as embarrassing for me as it was for you.

Somehow, Crowley, I don't believe you.

C: You wound me. Truly.

You'll get over it.

C: You still haven't answered my polite question, and I'm still politely waiting to hear yes or no.

You heaved a sigh, then typed, Fine. Whatever.

The message barely read as "sent" before he appeared, and you gave him an exasperated look. "What do you want?"

He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "So much hostility. Am I interrupting? Again?"

"No," you replied, "but you can't blame me for being annoyed."

He shrugged. "Honestly, love, a simple mistake. Had I known what you were up to, I would have--"

"Offered to join me?" you interrupted.

You had to say, that's probably what got under your skin the most. Not that Crowley showed up in the middle of your solo session, completely cheating you of what would have been an amazing orgasm, but that he came onto you so offhandedly right after. You were used to his innuendos and often had to hold in your laughter when he used them on Sam, Dean, and Cas, but he never tried any of it on you. Well, he never tried before.

You had known Crowley almost as long as the boys, when after joining forces on a hunt you collectively decided riding  together wasn't a bad idea. For all they had to do with him, neither Sam nor Dean trusted him any farther than they could throw him, and you had to admit they had their reasons. He wasn't just a demon, he was the frigging King of Hell. You had always gotten along pretty well with him, though, and he actually seemed to like you. At the very least, he was never anything but courteous to you, and definitely didn't antagonize you like he did the boys.

It sucked on all counts, really. Not only were you embarrassed to the point of wanting to leave the country, but Crowley had to go and be an ass about it. The only thing that could have made it worse was if he knew you were fantasizing about him while you were pleasuring yourself.

Your stupid, ridiculous, completely insane crush on their frequent nemesis. Something else not to tell Sam and Dean about.

"Had I known," he pressed on, "I would naturally have chosen to inconvenience Rocky and Bullwinkle and let you carry on in peace. I'm a gentleman, after all."

"Really," you responded skeptically. "And what about your parting shot?"

Were you seeing things, or did he actually look uncomfortable? You had never known him to be anything but confident to the point of arrogance. "As I said, love. It was as embarrassing for me as it was for you. Not my finest moment, I admit."

"You're an asshole."

"And water is wet, darling. What else is new."

I've liked you for a while now, so I'm clearly off my frigging rocker. Also, your cologne is fantastic, where did you get it?

You could blurt it out, you reasoned, if only to see the look on his face, but fat chance it would end in anything other than more embarrassment for both of you, and in that case why bother?

Heaving a sigh, you asked again, "What do you want? You've got a kingdom to run, but you're here instead, so..."

He lost the awkward look, though he carelessly glanced around your room rather than look at you. "I was wondering if you're free this evening," he said. "It seems I need some research done, and I haven't the time or the patience for it, so perhaps you'd be so kind?"

You stared at him and repeated, "Research."

He nodded.

"You made it a point to ask to come over because you want me to do research."

"You make it sound like I have an ulterior motive."

"When do you not?"

He sighed. "You're too smart for me, love. I confess. I'm here to renounce my ways, pledge my loyalty to Moose and Squirrel, and help exterminate demonkind."

"Really?"

"No."

You rolled your eyes. "Either way, I'm on down time," you replied, looking back at your phone. "I'm not researching anything tonight."

"Have a heart, darling. Do a friend a favor."

You sighed and glanced up at him. "How important is it?"

He stared back, looking as serious as you had ever seen him. "Very."

"Hmm. Okay." You looked away again. "Text it to me in the morning, and I'll see what I can do."

"Oh, for the love of--stop teasing me so much," he implored, crossing to where you lounged on your bed."What could you possibly be doing that's so urgent--"

"Nothing," you argued, holding your phone away from his reaching hand. "That's why it's called down time, which some of us take seriously--"

"It's not going to take long," he insisted, still grabbing for the phone "just a few minutes--"

"Then it can wait until tomorrow!"

He snapped his fingers and the phone vanished from your hand, reappearing in his. You snatched at it frantically, trying to get it back before he saw anything incriminating. The last thing you wanted was more cause to be embarrassed.

"What's this?" he asked, frowning slightly as he tried to read the phone and hold it out of your reach at the same time.

"Nothing!" you insisted. If you could at least turn off the damn screen...

"Hang on..."

"Crowley, give me my phone or I swear to God--"

"I've read this one."

You froze, gobsmacked. "You what?"

"Well, maybe not this one, exactly," he added, "but I know the series."

Your hand fell back to your side and you gave up trying to reach your phone, too surprised by his revelation. "You read fan fiction?" you asked.

He looked down at you with a haughty expression. "Is there a reason why I wouldn't?"

"I...I guess not..." you replied.

"Didn't peg you as the type, though," he went on, looking back at the phone and scrolling to the top of the page where your username was displayed. "I always saw you as the outdoorsy kind. What do you have bookmarked--"

"Crowley." You managed to snatch the phone back and quickly locked the screen. "You were here about research."

He nodded slowly and looked at you again, seeming to think it over before saying, "It can wait until tomorrow, I suppose. I'll get back to you in the morning."

"Wait, you're serious?" you asked. "Five minutes ago, you were practically begging."

"I never beg. I simply prefer it when you're cooperative, and it's worthwhile to keep you that way."

"So, let me get this straight. I'm going to spend the night wasting time reading fic about my friends instead of doing your all-important research, and you're not going to argue about it?"

"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted," he answered. "Besides, I should let you finish something, am I right?"

You narrowed your eyes at him, but there was nothing in his tone or manner suggesting he was trying to provoke you. "That's considerate of you..."

He shrugged. "I'm a decent guy, love. Well, some of the time." One final nod, and he added, "Enjoy your night." And he was gone.

Your phone went off a few moments later with a new message, and you opened it to see Crowley's proposed research...and a few links that turned out to be more fan fiction, with the words, A peace offering.

You couldn't help but smile, the incident at the motel forgiven. Though you really hoped he didn't remember your account name.

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Forever/SPN/Crowley tags: @rckyfrk @letsby @slytherkins @sheppardaddicts