Here with me
Epilogue: Things as they should be
Bobby was reading on his preferred armchair, feet up, clean white socks on.
He enjoyed a great variety of reading material, but today he had chosen a fashion magazine. It would come handy next time his partner tried to convince him that some monstrosity was an acceptable haute-couture choice in any realm.
It was a now a fond memory the day they strolled through the most expensive shops of New York, Crowley speaking non-stop, explaining everything he could about labels and trends while Bobby listened in amusement.
He just went along, initially, glad to see the enthusiasm on the other's face. However, soon the hunter realized he was being taken for a redneck who would be out of the loop if not guided by the hand through fashion culture.
The former King of Hell couldn't have known that Robert Singer was enough versed in fashion to not just keep up, but to a) point out he would prefer they picked some place in bloody Milano for their next clothes-exploring trip and b) explain his choice dropping some relevant names.
Crowley had stopped middle step when he was proven oh, so wrong, and stared at Bobby for a whole minute.
And then, his face turned into pure adoration, he caressed the bearded cheeks, said he admitted his mistake, was a good sport and a true gentleman, and offered to prepare a typical Italian recipe for their next meal, in homage to having such an amazing man by his side.
That was why the menu was pasta with sausage ragu, today.
Every joke on Bobby's liking his sausage spicy was worth Crowley's worshipping look at him just because he had been, again, surprised at the hunter's knowledge and savoir-faire.
(Being a Tori Spelling fan had broadened his perspectives in ways he could never imagine – from pedicures to fashion sense, everything was being useful now that he shared his existence with a dandy.)
Bobby closed the magazine and looked toward the double doors that lead to the kitchen.
He could block his senses from what was happening there, but he didn't want to. He enjoyed the scents (currently, onions and tomatoes), and the sounds of something frizzing and a song to which the cook was singing along (currently, Ever changing time).
Once the previous song was On my own, it meant today was, obviously, a Michael McDonalds Duets day.
Bobby smiled at the memory of the angels who came by to check if everything was all right when the love songs started playing on their Heaven. The poor bastards couldn't get their wings around the concept of someone being happy and enjoying love ballads that spoke of difficult relationships.
(They came during Whitney Houston Greatest Hits day.
It had been fun.)
The double doors to the kitchen were quite similar to the ones Bobby had in his house in Sioux Falls. However, these were painted in deep red, because Crowley enjoyed the lay-out of the place but was not exactly fond of what he called a wee out of hand rusticity, and added elegant details and some artsy things here and there.
Against all odds, their tastes didn't clash that much; still, sometimes Bobby disappeared with an object or changed the material of an entire wall, just to see how much time it would take for Fergus to realize it, and then what kind of answer he would come with.
(Sometimes he was appalled, sometimes he found it, for some reason, hilarious.
He always considered forceful kisses and not very gentle sexy advances fitting forms of revenge.)
There was an unspoken agreement that the double doors would always be slightly open when Crowley was in the kitchen, because Bobby enjoyed seeing him pass from a side to the other, fetching things and keeping the place organized while having some me time.
It was fascinating to see a creature who lived so close to gore and violence for his whole existence – as human and, obviously, as demon – developing all kinds of hobbies and interests that couldn't be more distant from what he came from.
Initially he researched recipes and cooking utensils, and started testing his abilities in simple dishes.
When it worked out, he decided to try more sophisticated things, and found out the desire to found out more on the culture and History involved in the ingredients and recipes.
Bobby was up for anything cultural (and anything Crowley, to be sincere), and engaged easily in the studies and 'field trips' required.
(Teaching advanced Japanese to his partner was especially amusing. It was still a work in progress, but the man was clever, and Bobby loved watching the sincere efforts to modulate the usually raspy and seductive tone of voice into something humble and polite).
Of course, the sharp mind of the former King needed more than some honest cultural learning, and soon he was treading into unexpected territories.
Auto-mechanics, for example: cars were Bobby's me time, but he was glad to teach some basics when Crowley asked to. The explanation that grease stains were not a problem, anymore seemed good enough.
The afternoons spent in the simulation of the old yard turned into something unpredictable.
Sometimes Crowley would pay attention and be really invested in reforming a car. He especially enjoyed choosing colors and working on the most refined details. In other days, he was just for the country songs playing in the background while Bobby tried not to be too distracted by the carefree dance steps and unexpectedly informal outfits the man brought on.
The only stable thing about those afternoons was that at some point Crowley would blackmail Bobby – a kiss in exchange for a tool was some of the most common and appreciated.
Yes, no matter what the circumstances were, Crowley still enjoyed scheming.
Luckily, working on New Heaven gave him plenty of opportunity for that.
Naomi was again on top of what Crowley called the winged food chain, and even if she would deny it under her own torture methods, it was obvious she had a soft spot for him and his talents.
Bobby chuckled to himself at the memory of the time he had mentioned her preference for Crowley to the former demon.
'Jealous, pet?'
'Just wondering. From where do you know each other, again?'
'You're definitively jealous'.
'Starting to get, once you seem to be stalling'.
'Time-travel thing. She needed someone to do the dirty work, I was available, she was forced to accept my help, she hated every minute of it but we accomplished the mission and she begrudgingly admitted I had integrity and was worth the effort to clean the sulfur I left behind'.
'So she just acts like she should despise you because all angels are stuck up dicks?'
'Quite so'.
'And she didn't kill you when she had the opportunity because she is torn between hate and admiration?'
'I'd say hate is a given, and you can add some loathe for her own respectful thoughts about me', Crowley baited his lashes, 'You don't need to worry. I'm sure her thoughts are all respectful, nowadays. And I just have eyes for you, beardy'.
'All right'.
'Besides, I know about you and Ellen Harvelle and I don't make a fuss about it'.
'What do you mean you don't make a fuss? You squint at her when you think she is not seeing'.
'We're souls. Of course she is seeing'.
'Your point?'
'She was married to you in at least one timeline'.
'And you are bonded to me in the Heaven of this one'.
'Oh, well…'
'Shut up, Crowley'.
'Bollocks'.
'What?'
'It's not fair you use that name. You know I get aroused and can't win the argument'.
'Yeah, I've noticed you enjoyed when we did it in your old throne room and I came saying that name'.
'One less thing in my to-do list, lover'.
Bobby smiled fondly.
That idjit.
His idjit.
It was a lovely thing to see him making plans with Ash and Charlie. It was like seeing geniuses from different fields reunited in the same room, discussing things with such clever machinations that even Bobby – who was far from dumb and they relied on for the logistics and more realistic approaches – sometimes had difficulties following.
Crowley's friendship with the red-head had another upside: she had given him a taste for Fantasy and Science Fiction, and he immersed himself in a bunch of movies and books just for the sake of discussing them with her in the next meeting.
(Fergus was adorable when he did his homework, and Bobby made sure to tell him that, just to see the man squirm in joy.)
Bobby got up from the armchair and put on his slippers. He intended on going to the kitchen to pester the cook, just to keep him sharp.
He had been half way when the double doors opened sudden and completely.
That was Crowley's usual invitation to be joined in, but something felt hurried about it. In a shared Heaven, you could feel when something was wrong through a multitude of clues like the slightest difference in the sound of familiar doors.
Bobby frowned at the intensity of the emotions coming from the kitchen and decided to tease to test the waters, 'Prepare yourself, demon. I'm going in there'.
There was no answer, what was unusual.
The pet name demon usually brought up some hunter comment in return.
When Bobby reached the kitchen, Fergus was staring through a side window, the water and all ingredients that had been boiling in saucepans and frying pans frozen in time.
'Something the matter?'
'Come here, Robert', he motioned, 'Take a look at what just appeared in our horizon'.
He obeyed, standing by the other man's side.
His jaw fell.
There was, across the field currently displayed, a projection of an immense W in the sky.
Both knew what that meant.
They had some figurative codes with Ash, developed for easy and quick info to be passed on. Sometimes the sky would be all red and they knew Charlie was asking for a visit, or a guitar riff would play, and it was Ash calling for a meeting in the Roadhouse.
(Any movie villain score was for Angel Trouble.)
The projected W, quite similar to the bat-signal, was an inside joke on the possibility of them having to deal with the Winchesters.
(Because with the Winchesters you must be always prepared.)
So, they had the Wonder Boys in the Roadhouse.
'You're going, aren't you?', Crowley asked, looking at his partner's face, 'It doesn't seem to be an emergency, but I suppose whoever is there would like to see you'.
'Of course I'm going', Bobby answered, already moving to the other room, 'And you are, too'.
'I'm not sure I will be welcomed. It depends, in fact, on who is there…', Crowley sighed, 'Oh, what am I saying? It's probably both of them, if I know those morons. I just wonder-', he noticed Bobby's agitation and sudden changes of clothes, 'What are you doing?'
'I don't know', he paced anxiously from one side to the other, different vests materializing on him and being dismissed, 'What do I wear?'
'For Gods, sake, Robert. It's your boys, not Prom night. They will love to see you, no matter what you wear'.
'Yes, yes, I know. I just miss them so much', he threw a look at Crowley, 'Take off the apron, Fergus', Bobby ordered and turned away to deal with his own problems: he conjured a mirror, chose a cap, gave up putting on a vest, took off the cap and passed his fingers through his hair nervously, 'I hope they are not in trouble. Those idjits', he felt satisfied with the plaid shirt, jeans, no vest and no cap, 'How do I look?'
'Handsome, as always'.
Bobby looked at Crowley through the mirror and blinked in surprise.
The man had not just taken off the apron, but put on a nice black shirt and leather shoes, combed his hair, and was now patiently waiting.
'What?', he asked, confused at the wide eyed ex-hunter who had turned to look at him from head to toe, 'Thought you wanted me to look like someone's well behaved stepdaddy'.
Bobby smiled fondly, 'You look great, Fergus', he took the other man's hand and kissed it, 'They won't believe you're well behaved, but, well, does it really matter?'
xxx
They opened the door of the Roadhouse and immediately spotted the brothers in an animated chat with Ash, who was behind the counter fussing in one of his complicated hacking machines.
The moment they heard the door, Sam and Dean turned, left their bar stools and ran to Bobby.
Crowley stepped aside and just watched the reunited family hugging and laughing in complete happiness.
He was happy, too, that they were happy.
All of them.
When the boys managed to look at anything else but their surrogate father, they turned to him.
'Hey, Crowley!', Dean extended a hand, 'Good to see you, man'.
He hid his surprise as well as he could and took the offered hand, 'Same here, Squirrel'.
'Ash said you are working for Heaven, now', Dean shook the hand but pulled him into a hug, clapping his back soundly.
The gesture took Crowley off-guard, but he was able to hug back and make some affirmative sound.
(The former demon could go without the manly show of affection, but Bobby deserved he endured it.
Besides, it was nice to be finally acknowledged as part of the team.)
Dean parted, 'Hope you're terrorizing the angels for us'.
Crowley couldn't help but smiling, 'I'm doing my best'.
'Yes, he is', Bobby confirmed, rolling his eyes.
Dean grinned and slapped Crowley's shoulder as a fond parting gesture, given space to his brother.
Sam approached more cautiously, 'So, Crowley', the giant offered a hand, 'Congratulations for… you know… being here'.
Crowley hesitated but, seeing the nice – and knowing – look on the giant's face, accepted the hand for the expected polite exchange, 'Thank you, Moose'.
Their eyes locked while their hands touched, and it was clear Sam was seizing the opportunity to look through him.
The younger Winchester's eyes softened.
He liked what he found out in Crowley.
'Ash told us you've been working all together', Dean spoke, ignoring whatever silent understanding had just passed between his brother and the former King, and got back to the stool he had been occupying before.
'When I get the location right, Charlie will be here', Ash talked without taking his eyes from the screen in front of him.
Dean nodded and turned to the newcomers again, 'What were you two up to now, eh?'
'Now we were just home', Bobby answered, pulling a chair for Crowley, then one for himself.
'We came as quick as possible to see what's going on with you two', Crowley sat beside Bobby and raised a curious brow, 'Are you dead or just in the middle of one of your delightfully moronic plans?'
Bobby accepted a beer from Ash, while Crowley thanked the man but didn't accept anything.
(Bobby fought a smile. Crowley LARPing as well-behaved middle-aged husband was funny.)
'No, we're not dead', Sam sat on his spot again and explained like the usual thing it was for the Winchesters, 'We're looking for a deceased Man of Letters. We couldn't involve Cas, and everybody knows Ash is your man when walking through Heaven without a guide'.
Bobby smirked at the reference of his time as an inside man.
Ash made a thumbs up still without taking his eyes off the screen where he was working intensely to find whatever the boys needed.
'Hey', Dean suddenly frowned in confusion, 'What do you mean you were home?'
'We live together', Bobby answered calmly.
'Like in some kind of hotel?', the older brother was trying to understand, 'Heaven has such things?'
'No', Crowley smiled sweetly, 'He means together together'.
'We share a Heaven', Bobby clarified.
Dean froze, beer bottle mid-movement.
'Wait', Sam leaned forward as if starting to get what was going on, 'Ash told us once that just soulmates could live in the same Heaven'.
Ash made a distracted affirmative sound.
The brothers looked at each other, then at their surrogate father and the former King of Hell.
The older men were looking right back at them: Bobby with challenging raised brows, Crowley with the cheekiest grin on his face.
'Wow', was all Sam could say when the new information registered.
'That's all right!', Dean yelled, raising his hands as if he needed to pacify a crowd, 'That's ok! I mean, this is Heaven, right? It's not like you're doing anything-', now the older guys rolled their eyes and understanding washed over him, 'Son of a bitch, you're doing it!', he turned to his brother, 'Sam, they're doing it!'
'Angels are genderless, Dean', the youngest Winchester tried to rationalize, 'They don't care who does what to whom', he turned to Bobby and Crowley, 'Right?'
'Yeah, right', Bobby said, 'Not that it would make any difference if they did care'.
'Oh, Robert, you're such a rebel', Crowley smiled proudly, 'He does what he wants. Totally Team Free Will'.
'Stop it, Fergus', he said, but smiled fondly.
'Praising you? Never, love'.
The Winchesters were staring, not sure of what to say next.
'You'll be ok as long as you don't keep imagining it', Ash chimed in, still working non-stop.
Both brothers grimaced because, yes, their only problem with it was that they couldn't help themselves but imagine those two doing, well, what couples were expected to do.
'What the Hell…', Dean groaned, then straightened his back, suddenly uncertain, 'May I mention Hell, here? Because I keep mentioning Hell'.
Bobby looked at Crowley, 'You're really alike. He could be your son'.
'Nope', the former demon scrunched his nose, 'I'm more sensitive and made more stupid decisions through life and un-life', he shrugged, 'Moose would probably like me better if he could trust me'.
Sam blinked, surprised, 'I have no reasons to not trust you, anymore, Crowley', he shrugged, proving Crowley's point on their similarities, 'You're in Heaven and Bobby, well, married you. It can't go any more redeemed than that'.
'Is that a jab on me?', the older hunter squinted.
'No, it's on me', Crowley said, smiling, 'But you're right, Sam. I did enough to be redeemed', he took Bobby's hand in his, 'And to me it means I deserve to be loved by the most generous soul I had the honor to meet'.
Bobby held the hand back and smiled at his partner.
'I'm kind of disappointed on you two', Charlie spoke from the door, hands on her hips,
'Love is beautiful, no matter the genders involved'.
Both boys got up, Sam stuttering he had not said anything, Dean babbling some undecipherable words.
The girl at the door waved a hand, 'Oh, that's all right. It's a lot to take in', she stepped inside, the door closed behind her in a badass way that was just for show and she opened her arms, 'Come give me a hug, bitches!'
Relieved, Sam and Dean celebrated their reunion with their surrogate sister and started exchanging stories about the last years and what they needed from her now.
Bobby and Crowley, after each receiving a warm hug from the red head, helped with some info, but things were running smoothly, and soon they could just sit and watch the younger people make plans.
At some point, the former demon looked at Bobby and saw the plain affection on his face at the Winchesters.
'You did a wonderful job with them', Crowley spoke softly.
'And you picked it up decently where I left', Bobby took the other's hand in his.
Crowley smiled dreamily, 'We would have been terrific fathers'.
'You would be unbearable if you were not so cute'.
They looked up in surprise – Charlie was the one to mock them.
They chuckled.
The Winchesters smiled, in peace with the situation.
When they turned to Ash again, Charlie still waited a moment, just to give the most enthusiastic thumbs up ever to the couple, behind the brother's backs.
The last doubts that Sam and Dean would be all right vanished, and Bobby patted Crowley's knee, getting up from his chair and inviting the other silently to stand with him closer to a nearby window.
They stood side by side, just watching the empty road, until Bobby put his arm around Crowley's shoulders, 'We are going to be, you know?'
He knew what Bobby meant, 'Do you think…?'
'We're one of New Heaven's most successful projects. We have credit enough to afford it', Bobby smirked, 'And Naomi is working with us'.
Crowley breathed deeply, more confident that they would be permitted to stay larger periods of time with Gavin. The boy had been ecstatic to see his father when he visited, adored Bobby since their first interaction and wanted to redo his relationship with his family as soon as possible.
They just needed the green lights from the angels to start the McLeods reunion.
Of course, it may require New Heaven to open the possibility of receiving Rowena when she died, too, but, well, that was something to be pondered on later.
And, maybe, just maybe, it meant New Heaven must consider the possibility of rescuing entities that nowadays belonged to Purgatory or the Empty – like Benny, Gabriel and, somehow in the future, Castiel.
They would cross that bridge when they got there.
It would not be easy, but Bobby and Crowley were known for the success in the most improbable situations, and the angels better be prepared.
They would do anything to make the road ahead a lot happier than the road so far.