2015

It was an absolute gorgeous day, one in which Crowley basked in like a snake sunning themselves on a rock. He reclined on a lounge chair in Tony's backyard, sunglasses on despite his siblings being very used to his eyes. He could hear Warlock babbling away on a blanket with his Tony, and Crowley felt utterly content.

"How can you stand that much black?" Chrissy asked as she sat on the second lounger, and Crowley peeked at her with a smirk.

"Just do," He replied with a careless shrug. "Wore it all the time while gardening, too. Though I must say, the shorter hair is better for the heat. Lighter, that's for sure."

She hummed, her own long hair piled up high on her head. She fidgeted with it, then looked at the glass of lemonade in her hand before taking a slight sip.

"How do you think you did?" Crowley asked after a moment of quiet between them. "Your interview, I mean?"

"I think I did alright," She said with her own little shrug. "Wasn't all that bad, but I can't say I answered everything the way I should have either. Probably could have been better prepared."

"As long as you think you did well enough to get hired. That's the main thing, right?"

Chrissy smiled and turned to face him. "If I did end up not getting the job, I can I come work for you."

"It won't come to that," Crowley smiled.

"You're staying over tonight, aren't you?" She asked curiously. "I thought I saw an overnight bag in the guest room."

Crowley scratched his head, "Yeah. Figured might as well. By the time we get dinner done, and have a laugh, it'll be late, and I hate driving back to London with Lock that late. Getting him out of the car seat is like trying not to detonate a bloody bomb. Figured maybe I might… explore the old haunts if I feel up to it. Nostalgia and all."

Chrissy stared at him. "You mean torturing yourself?" She challenged.

"Meh," Crowley shrugged. "Same thing, really."

"When are you going to get over him?"

"Never." Crowley swore. "Don't want to. Think I would have given his name to Lock if I wanted to be over him? No, I just… miss him. Every day, I miss him, and I'll probably never see him again. Just don't wanna let him go, either. Reminds me I gotta watch what I say, think it over before I react."

Chrissy hummed, shrugging a shoulder. She then leaned back, face toward the sun. "I left Roland."

"Did you?" Crowley asked, genuinely intrigued. Roland had been around for as long as Crowley had known the Adams as his family. He was a handsome lad, but a bit possessive and more than a little controlling for Crowley's liking.

Chrissy nodded while keeping her eyes closed. "Met someone else, someone I like more. Elliot, good bloke, thespian, nice though."

"Good for you." Crowley said and meant it.

"Just sort've saying." Chrissy went on. "Roland I've known since I was fourteen."

"I know what you're gettin' at, but it's not the same. You and Rolly were datin' the whole time."

"No, might not be the same, but you get the idea."

He did know what Chrissy was trying to get at, but it was best to let it lie. She wasn't there, she didn't live with him through it all. She only knew the aftermath, the heartbreak, and like a good sister, she took his side.

Like Eliza would have taken Ezra's.

It suddenly occurred to him, for just a brief moment, that someone in town might still have a way to get in touch with Ezra. Maybe he could ask about some of those old haunts, see what he could learn.

Or, as he was pretty sure was going to happen, he'd just drive back to London in the morning and try to forget the idea entirely.

~A~

"It's sunny out," Ezra observed from where he sat in the cafe he and Crowley used to frequent before his shifts at the library. It was also a very short walk away from the hotel he and Eliza were staying at. Gabriel had been kind enough to drop them off, give them space after the service. There hadn't been a gathering, there were so few people who attended the funeral as it was. And of those who did, Ezra and Eliza barely knew any of them. It would have been terribly awkward, and they were already dealing with enough emotion.

Eliza looked at him, he could feel it, but he still studied the world outside while bouncing Adam on his knee.

"It's always depicted in books," he continued, "And in film to be raining when the protagonist buries someone they love. And it was quite heavily overcast the day we buried dad. It just never really occurred to me that a day of sorrow could be bright and cheerful."

"Well that's fiction, Ez." Eliza countered.

"Yes, I know. But it's an observation nonetheless." He paused, looking at the cup sitting untouched and well out of Adam's reach. His tea was probably cold, and he wasn't sure he rightly cared. "I don't know why I thought he'd be there."

"I don't know why you thought he would be, either." She said, and he looked at her then.

Eliza's eyes were still a bit pink from earlier, though neither of them had really cried.

They had gotten a call from the nurse nearly a week ago, saying the time was coming. He and Eliza had packed what was needed, got on the train, and were there within a couple hours. They were at Cynthia Fell's side when she passed, and that was when they grieved their hardest.

After that, it had been setting in motion the various arrangements Cynthia made. They started with packing up the house, or at least what they hadn't already here and there since they were told it was only a matter of weeks. They made the calls required, said their farewells to their family home, and booked rooms at the hotel.

There had been some tears during the service from them both, parts that moved them, made their hearts hurt, but they had long found acceptance and so their grief was muted.

Ezra sighed. "I suppose… he was there for dad. You had Deirdre, and I had Anthony. And now, you had Deirdre and I had…."

"Gabriel." She said, "loathed as I am to admit it. He showed. He helped how he could."

"He did, didn't he?" Ezra conceded.

"Have you ever considered…?" Eliza began and he turned to her in shock. She put her hands up, "I'm not saying I suddenly like him. I still think he's a bit of an arrogant prat, but he cares about you. And what's more, he's here. A bloke who will go to a town he's never been to for the funeral of a woman he's never met because she happened to be the mum of the one he fancies? I'd consider him if I could tolerate him."

Ezra scoffed. "A ringing endorsement, that."

"It's something," Eliza shot back. "Now, give me my son back, please. You've had enough snuggles."

Ezra giggled as he passed Adam back to his mum, the baby quite pleased if his outstretched, grabby hands had anything to say about it. He watched them with a smile, still sometimes taken aback by how naturally Eliza had taken to motherhood. How much she seemed to bask in it even when it challenged her the most. She was quite a bit like their own mother, he realized.

His heart clenched.

"I think I might start heading back," He said. "I realize it's probably not what anyone would call wise, but I think I would quite like to be alone for a while. Read a book, drink some wine."

"Maybe not wise, but you are nearly thirty, and live with your sister and her infant. Circumstances what they are, I don't think anyone could fault you for wanting some space." Eliza assured. "Quite looking forward to a bit of it myself, if I'm honest."

"Is this a hint you want me to move out," Ezra smirked as he began to get up.

"Don't you dare," Eliza half teased, though that brief spark of fear in her eyes betrayed her. "Not quite ready to be entirely on our own yet."

"Of course," Ezra said as he placed a hand on Eliza's shoulder. He then placed a kiss on her head. "Do let me know when you two make it back to the hotel, though." He said, and she hummed her agreement before he left, starting his own walk back and trying not to think about anything but a novel and a good bottle of red.

Hours had gone by, the sun starting to set outside, and Ezra still was….

He didn't know.

He'd come back and read in his room yet not retained a word. He'd gone out for an evening stroll, even stopping by the library to see a few of his former co-workers. But all they did was offer condolences, and act as though he would burst into tears at a moment. After that, he went and bought a bottle of wine, then returned to his hotel room, opened it, and went for a shower.

The day wouldn't leave him. He'd scrubbed and stood in the scalding heat, trying to just penetrate the strange sort of numbness that took over reality. He wanted something to make sense, to fit within his perception of reality.

People wanted him grieving and upset, and he was, but not for the reasons he should be.

Of course, he mourned the loss of his mum, but it had been a while coming. And yes, his heart ached at the thought of never seeing her again, never hearing her voice, but there was so much more to it than that. It was the stark reality presented to him by the funeral, by handling the aftermath, that it was really just he, Eliza, and Adam left. There had been no aunts or uncles, no cousins in attendance. There was no family left, or if there was, they were so far removed they didn't count.

It was seeing that he didn't have a lot of people in his life in general. Eliza had friends from the paper she worked for, she had Deirdre (which hurt the worst for so many reasons), and he had… he had Gabriel, Oscar and Richard. A call from David when he'd heard but he was in France for a few weeks and wouldn't be there. Ezra liked his quiet life, he liked his books and his simple pleasures, spending time with Eliza and Adam and only a select few. But seeing so few people there for him when he may have needed them was a eye-opening.

It was missing Anthony Crowley so damn much more than he had in the last five years that he felt near the tailspin he'd gone through when they first separated.

Dried and dressed in his tartan pajama bottoms and simple white t-shirt, he moved to the small sofa in his hotel room, the wine he'd opened to breath and his mobile resting on the coffee table in front of it. He'd grabbed a tumbler from beside the ice bucket as he went, and didn't even lament that it wasn't a proper glass.

Ezra poured a decent amount of the red liquid, and then sat trying to sort through the aches and numbness, wanting to find a way to fix something inside him.

He looked at his phone, and picked it up, unlocking and opening his contacts.

Anthony's name was no longer listed, not since he realized Eliza had noted it. He'd changed it to a simple Astrix, keeping it there, at the top, and as something he knew only he would relate to Anthony. A star, really, for all those times they'd laid out and looked at them - drunk or otherwise. For the interest he had, though maybe not quite enough to become his focus, not like plants had. Eliza had explained emojis once, but he wasn't about to use a plant to mark a number he hadn't used in years. A number he purposely carried over from his old flip phone to this new, stylish touch screen despite it's disuse.

He looked at it now as he took a sip of wine. What would Anthony do if he called? Would he answer at all? Would the conversation be polite and stilted? Would he immediately hang up upon understanding it was Ezra?

There was a fantasy, though, of "oh my god, how've you been?" Of "It's so good to hear from you, I've missed you." There was a longing for some breathless declaration or apology, and hours talking and catching up. Ezra couldn't even bring himself to hope for more, to even imagine for a moment it could happen. So he refused, and stared at the phone, sipping his wine, working up the courage.

Caution was just about thrown to the wind, his thumb just about to tap the call button, when there was a knock.

Ezra sighed heavily, setting down his phone and wine, ready to assure Eliza that yes, he was fine. No, he didn't need anything. Yes, he'll watch Adam if that's what she needed. He crossed the room and went for the door, and was quite surprised to see Gabriel on the other side.

"Oh." He said.

"Hey, sunshine," Gabriel smiled.

"What… why are you still here? In town, I mean? The service was hours ago."

Gabriel shifted from one foot to the other, looking oddly nervous for a man who never seemed to be nervous.

"I… didn't want to leave until I knew you were okay." He admitted. "Thought I'd have a drive about, see where you grew up, all those places you talked about. Had dinner. I was about to head out, but… I had to check on you. Make sure you were alright."

"That's awfully kind of you," Ezra said, Eliza's words from earlier in the day whispered in his mind. "Would you like to come in, have a drink? I only have a red wine, but it's not a terrible vintage."

Gabriel's eyes widened, and… was that a blush on his cheeks? Did Gabriel blush?

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I would like that." Gabriel replied with a shy smile.

Shy, really ? Ezra thought as he opened the door wider and stepped aside.

He watched Gabriel enter the room, look around as one always seems to do when they enter a room for the first time. He was still in his suit from earlier, dark gray and perfectly tailored, a fine figure by anyone's standards.

Ezra shut the door and grabbed the second tumbler, gesturing for Gabriel to follow him to the sofa. He set down the second glass and poured, then resumed his spot from earlier.

"How are you, really?" Gabriel asked as he picked up his glass and took a sip.

"I'm… I really don't know." Ezra confessed with a shake of his head. "A mess, I would wager, but just not the way everyone thinks I am." He glanced up and met purple eyes. "I'm quite tired of seeing people who knew me watching me with sympathetic eyes, waiting for me to break down at a moment. I'm… not content by any means, but I don't feel… bloody hell, I'm not sure what I'm feeling." He said with a strained chuckle, taking a drink. "I would love to feel something I could grasp, something I could hold and say 'this is it, this is what I am in the moment.' Be it sadness, love, humored, angry, something tangible that I can put a name to so I can sort it out."

Gabriel took a very delicate sip of his wine before he set it down on the table. He stared at it for sometime. "You want to..." He said.

"I want to feel something that isn't this odd numb state I find myself in, yes." Ezra agreed.

"Can I…." Gabriel started and then seemed to stop. His head and shoulders dropped a moment, and he closed his eyes. Ezra took another drink before he set his own wine beside Gabriel's, frowning at the man. A beat later, Gabriel squared his shoulders, lifted his head, turned to Ezra. "Can we try something? If… if it doesn't help, if it doesn't… spark anything you can tell me to leave, and we can never talk about it again, if you don't want, or…."

"What do you have in mind?" Ezra asked.

Gabriel put his hand on Ezra's shoulder, giving it a squeeze, kneading the flesh beneath it. Then he leaned in, very slowly, and Ezra's mind kicked into gear.

His initial, visceral instinct was to shove Gabriel away. But Eliza had made a point, Gabriel had been there and maybe he deserved a chance. And what was a kiss, anyway?

Gabriel's mouth touched Ezra's very hesitantly, delicately, and Ezra nearly laughed at how careful it all was.

But it did start to wake something up. Gentle, careful kisses were awakening a whole other part of Ezra that he hadn't examined in over a year: lust. And lust was easy to grasp onto, once it made itself present. Lust could consume, Ezra had learned, and chase away everything else, including common sense.

Ezra took hold of lust as he took hold of Gabriel's lapels, and pulled them closer, diving into both with abandon, and shoving everything else to the back of his mind.

At Gabriel's surprised, pleased moan Ezra pushed him back on the sofa, chasing what was on offer and pinning it down. Briefly he recalled a kitchen counter, the taste of beer instead of wine on lips that were similar but oh so different beneath his own.

He shoved it to the back of his mind, too. Focused on the man beneath him. The man that was there. He loosened buttons at the collar of Gabriel's shirt, feeling his pulse jump and race beneath his finger tips.

Gabriel threw his head back, away from Ezra's lips, and did not shive Ezra away as he ventured to Gabriel's neck.

"Ezra," he panted. "I-"

"Just tell me if I'm overstepping," Ezra said, his thumb grazing Gabriel's jaw.

"Not overstepping." He rushed to say. "I'm yours, do with me what you will." He sat up, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it aside before undoing his cuffs and pulling his shirt right over his head, throwing it on the floor with his jacket. "I'm here, sunshine, for whatever you need."

For a brief moment, Ezra hesitated. Gabriel, however, didn't seem to notice. He was pulling Ezra back to him, a hand in his curls firm but not demanding. The other went beneath Ezra's t-shirt, his wide, warm palm caressing Ezra's side and back. He kissed expertly, and yet desperately.

Gabriel was giving himself over to Ezra. Considerate and caring Gabriel, the one who was there, and had been there, for the last five years. Longer even. The one who didn't leave. The one who, when he kissed Ezra, didn't run away.

Ezra let go of everything else but the moment, and lived it.

~C~

Crowley went for a walk around town before their late dinner, Neil and Terry coming in from out of town, and still a bit aways. Far enough that Tony had encouraged Crowley to head out on his own for a while, have a break from Warlock without having to put effort into anything because he had a date.

Admittedly, while it was all nice in theory, he missed his boy something terribly fierce.

Crowley had made it down near the old library, contemplating cutting his time short at nearly every block when he turned around and smacked right into someone.

"I'm so sorry, mate, wasn't payin' attention." He apologized, reaching out and steadying the person he bumped into.

"Anthony?"

He frowned.

"Anthony Crowley. Bloody hell, you turned out fit."

It took entirely too long for Crowley to realize who he was speaking to. "Freddie?"

Freddie laughed, throwing his hands out to the side before wrapping them around Crowley.

With his arms pinned to his side, and his brain having a hard time comprehending what the hell was happening, Crowley let himself be rocked against the shoulder of his first boyfriend, trying to think of something nice to say. Freddie wasn't even a fraction as beautiful as he'd been in Crowley's memories, and when he was finally released, a second look confirmed it.

He wasn't unpleasant to look at by any stretch, but he wasn't the radiant thing Crowley recalled when he thought back to that time oh so long ago. Like a fallen angel that lost their shine but was maybe still made for temptation.

"How've you been, mate?" Freddie asked jovially.

"Good, good. Got a shop in London these days, selling plants. I'm a dad." He added, pulling out his phone and showing Freddie the picture on his lock screen. "Lock's a little over one now."

"Thank Christ you don't go in for that month nonsense." Freddie mumbled. "So, you're…?"

"Single," Crowley replied, knowing the question. "Decided I didn't wanna wait, got a surrogate, went it alone."

"Really? Brave man." Freddie grinned.

"You got a husband, kids?" Crowley asked, starting to feel a bit awkward.

"Ah, divorcing, actually." He said with a foot shuffle. "Well, legally separating. We had a partnership, not an actual marriage."

"Sorry to hear," Crowley said genuinely.

"Yeah, well, these things happen, ya know?" He shuffled. "You ah, you um still… no, you know what, never mind. What are you up to?"

"Just having a walk about." Crowley confessed, adjusting his shades. "Gotta be back at my dad's by like seven or so, but I mean, hey, if you wanna join me, catch up."

He was guessing at where Freddie was going with their line of conversation, the way he was standing near, the way he turned toward Crowley.

Freddie grinned. "Yeah, would like that." Crowley nodded once, waving the way forward for Freddie to lead. And Crowley grinned, acknowledging to himself that it may not have been who he wanted to run into on the streets, but it wasn't a bad reunion.

It was also sort of amusing when he realized one of the things that made Freddie a bit less beautiful was the fact his nose was just a bit crooked.

~A~

He hadn't expected it to go on for so long. He knew by about one or two in the morning he wasn't going to want to get on the train with a one year old and endure a trip back as tired as he was. So Ezra called the front desk, and was gladly told an extra night would not be a problem.

Part of him had expected Gabriel to slink home in the early hours after they'd gotten a bit of sleep. Instead, Gabriel had ordered breakfast, stayed, continued to be there for Ezra however he wanted Gabriel to be there. He expected Gabriel to be ready to pack up and go by lunch, having not had a change of clothes with him. He'd never known Gabriel to want to look anything less than perfectly put together, at least he hadn't before last night.

And it was fun, sort of. Awkward in many ways, as every time he'd tried to keep it light, keep it fun in a playful way, Gabriel would be far too serious, damn near devotional in some instances. It had been enjoyable, and eased something in Ezra he hadn't been able to settle on his own.

He'd be much more grateful if he could just know when Gabriel intended to go home.

"Hey," Gabriel said, pulling Ezra from his thoughts. They were still on the hotel bed, though Ezra had had his pajama's back on for a while. Gabriel had only managed to pull his boxers back on, lounging about decidedly on display.

When Gabriel had Ezra's attention, he ran his knuckles down Ezra's arm. "I've had a bit of a surprise I'd been meaning to share," he said. "Figure now is probably the best time."

"Is this a good surprise, or am I going to have to make an immediate appointment with my physician?" Ezra asked with a crease of his brow, and Gabriel threw his head back laughing.

Honestly, it wasn't that terribly amusing, and Ezra wasn't entirely joking.

"No, no, nothing like that. You're fine. No, it's umm…. I bought a house."

Ezra's eyebrows went up. "Oh, that's wonderful to hear." He said with a genuine smile. "Where abouts? Soho, Mayfair?"

Gabriel made a face. "Tadfield." He said like it was obvious.

Ezra blinked. "Tadfield?" He repeated. "Did you… have you transferred?"

"No, nothing like that," Gabriel shook his head. "It's just, well, I wanted to be closer to you. And now, well, now we can make it our home?"

"Our home?" Ezra repeated, voice pitching as a sinking feeling started to form in the pit of his stomach.

Oh dear .

"Yeah," Gabriel went on, oblivious or ignoring Ezra's widening eyes. "I mean, I get that it might be a bit. You've got to make sure Eliza's alright, after all. But, you know, once you know she's good, you can move your stuff in. I couldn't help it, there's this spot by the bay windows where a set of bookshelves would be amazing. And, you know, we'll have a couple of spare rooms, one could be our office, one could be a guest room. Or Adam's room, because it's more likely that's what it will end up being used as. But what would you want to do for a backyard? I was thinking something simple."

"Gabriel." Ezra jumped in. "I… I think we may have had a bit of a misunderstanding in regards to what's happened here."

Gabriel gave a nervous chuckle. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Well, I mean," Ezra began, sitting up and wringing his hands in his lap. "That is to say that while this little, uh, dalliance of ours was nice- er, lovely. Umm, I don't… I don't really view you as more than a friend. A very good friend, especially after, well, umm, everything that we've done. Ah…." He sighed, shoulders sinking. "I've used you terribly. I'm sorry"

"Sunshine, hey," Gabriel said as he scrambled up on his knees, cupping Ezra's face. "Don't be sorry, okay, you have nothing to be sorry for. Look, I may have… maybe jumped the gun, got a bit hopeful. But, hey, you know, I get it. Sometimes you just need to get laid. And I'm here for you, if that's all you want or need. And when you want something more, I'm open to it."

Ezra chewed his bottom lip. "That's the thing, Gabriel. I'm not sure I want something more. I'm…."

I'm what? Ezra thought to himself.

"I get it," Gabriel said in a way that made Ezra sure he wasn't getting where Ezra was coming from at all. "And, hey, with me being closer, we can hang out more. Have dinner, get a movie, something."

"Right," Ezra said, feeling a bit lost.

"I should probably be heading back." Gabriel said, getting off the bed slowly, gathering his clothing and putting them on in no great rush. "Taking yesterday off, I probably have a lot of emails to sort through, reports to look over." He listed. "I mean, nothing too terribly important I'm sure. So, you know, nothing that couldn't wait until Monday, but… but might be better to get done now."

"Of course." Ezra nodded.

"Do you, umm, need a lift back to Tadfield, or?" Gabriel said, moving his hands about now that he had his clothes mostly to rights. A few buttons that could be done up, but nothing he'd be thought of as indecent if he left them undone.

"Well, seeing as how I very foolishly, or perhaps wisely, paid for another night here, I may as well use it to my advantage. A night away from Eliza and Adam, or an extra night, anyway, means a little quiet. I may even finish the book I had intended to read."

"Sounds great, sunshine." Gabriel smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "You know, if you think you might get lonely-"

"Oh, no, I'll be just fine." Ezra assured. "Mind how you go, dear fellow." He said, and Gabriel headed for the door with his jacket slung over his arm.

He paused with his hand on the handle, turning just enough to give Ezra what might have been a devastating smile, then finally left.

Ezra remained exactly where he was for long enough that he was very, very sure that Gabriel was probably down by the lifts. He then went for his phone, and quickly dialed Eliza's number.

"Got your text," she said when she answered. "You were planning another day there? What possible reas-"

"Liza," He said calmly, surprising himself a bit. "I have just made a terrible mistake."

Eliza was quiet for a long time before she said, "You slept with Gabriel."

"How-?"

"I saw him in the lobby, heading up when I was walking Adam about. And then suddenly you're not coming out of your room, you're staying longer. Sorta was able to put it all together. Big question is, why was it a mistake?"

Ezra glanced at the coffee table, at the open bottle of wine that remained mostly untouched. He grabbed the bottle and took a drink right from it. Then, he told her.

~C~

"Surprised you didn't sleep with him." Bea told him as they moved around the kitchen, helping Crowley throw together a meal for the two of them.

He'd just relayed his reunion with Freddie from the night before to Bea, much to their dismay. But Bea had always been a pretty good listener, and they didn't judge outwardly, which Crowley liked at the moment.

"Would've been weird." Crowley protested, glancing in the living space to make sure Warlock was still on the rug playing away with his big wooden blocks. "Bloke was my first boyfriend, lost my virginity to him. And besides, wasn't all that attracted to him when it boils down to it. Was just sorta nice to catch up, have a chat with someone I sorta knew. Grab a drink that wasn't alcohol with an adult that wasn't family or you."

"I'm touched," Bea said without feeling. "Still, so we're clear, you and I are not getting back into all that."

"Yeah, why is that again?" Crowley asked. "Not that I'm protesting, or anything, just curious."

Bea shrugged. "Seeing someone. Or, nearly seeing someone. Don't want to have to explain how my boss is also the person I tend to shag casually now and then. People get weird about it."

"Yeah, they really do." Crowley agreed, making a face as he thought on it. "Well, no problem there. Thinking about abstaining for a while."

"Oh?" Bea said in disbelief.

"Well, it's just…. Keep saying I'm going to give up men, give up women, back forth, and you know, maybe it's me."

"Insightful, continue." Bea said, tossing a veggie bit in their mouth as Crowley moved around them.

"And me? Well, I quite like me, really, no need to change me. I got Lock to think about, and I just can't fuck around anymore. Pun intended. 'Cause I'm not finding any good ones out there. They're all… married, or vapid, or just plain awful. And they keep finding me. Like Freddie. Freddie was gorgeous back when we were young and I was just so blinded by it. But he was awful, still sorta awful. Fun to have a chat with and all, but no one I would wanna date."

"Dating isn't exactly required for a shag, AJ." Bea pointed out.

"Yes, but it's going to start being mandatory for me." Crowley said with conviction. "Fifth date. Third if I already knew them for a while before we start dating. I just… can't anymore. I'm going to be thirty years old next year, time I better bloody well grow up."

"Good for you." Bea deadpanned. "Now, are we going to eat or are you just going to rant all night."

"Actually, I wanna hear more about this person you're thinking of datin'?" Crowley said, and so they traded off, Bea telling Crowley what was happening, and Crowley listening while tending to Warlock and cooking.

It was, all in all, a pretty good night. Something Crowley thought he had a few too little of in the recent years.