~ To See a Man About a Snake ~
Leon was about to go into the pet shop when the door swung open and Count D came out, carrying a suitcase in one hand.
"Going somewhere, D?"
"Yes, I'm going to London for a few days."
Immediately suspicious, Leon narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why?"
"To see a man about a snake."
Man and snake were perhaps not the most accurate terms, but the count had learned to just put things into simple words from the beginning for his dear detective, who would ask far too many of the wrong questions if he did not.
Leon grumbled as he followed Count D through the crowded London streets.
To which D responded, "You didn't have to come with me." (Which he had also told him oustide the pet shop, and at the airport, and on the plane.)
"Yes, I did, to see what kind of dangerous snake you're buying."
Leon watched his companion's expression turn briefly to one of confusion. Then the count smiled.
"Ah. I didn't say I was buying the snake. I'm only here to see him." And perhaps pet him, if the snake allowed it, but he didn't need to tell Leon that. "Look, we're here."
Leon frowned as he read the weathered lettering on the shop's sign.
"This is a book store," he said, in a tone that implied he thought D might not have realized that.
"Yes, I'm aware of that," the count replied, as he turned the door handle.
It was locked. The sign in the window was turned to Closed.
This did not deter the count, who knocked on the door and called out to the person inside, "It's Count D. I have an appointment."
No one came to unlock the door but when he turned the handle this time, it opened.
"You're taking appointments now, angel?"
"He's not here to buy any books, dear. He came to see you," Aziraphale replied. "Serpent form, please."
"Oh, right. This is the guy you told me about," Crowley said with an akward hand gesture.
Then his body melted into the form of a large black-and-red snake, and Aziraphale waved a hand toward the door, using a very minor miracle to unlock it.
"Count D," Aziraphale greeted him, coming out from around the counter to shake his hand. As Leon followed the count into the shop, the angel said, "You didn't tell me you were bringing a friend with you."
"I didn't know he was coming along, or I would have told you when I called to arrange this meeting," D replied.
Aziraphale and Count D were sadly behind the times technologically, both still exclusively owning landline telephones, not cell phones.
Then the count introduced Leon and Aziraphale to each other, as was the polite thing to do. He made no attempt to correct the 'friend' label that the angel had applied to his dear detective. Leon was still deeply in denial about his own feelings, and this was certainly not the time or place to start an argument over the classification of their relationship.
"And here he is, the Serpent of Eden!" Aziraphale introduced Crowley, having promptly forgotten that one of the two visitors was a normal human being.
"Be nice," Aziraphale said in an undertone to Crowley.
At the same time, Count D was telling Leon in a similar tone, "Remain calm."
Leon stayed back as the count carefully approached the large snake.
Count D slowly reached a hand out toward the snake and asked him softly, "May I?"
Crowley lifted his head from where it rested on his coils and nodded. He allowed the count to stroke a palm over almost a third of the length of his body before he couldn't stand the stranger's touch any longer.
As the first signs of nervous tension began to tighten the serpent's coils, Count D lifted his hand away and stepped back.
He smiled at Crowley and told him, "It was lovely to meet you." Then he turned to collect his dear detective on his way out the door, saying, "Come, Leon. Let's not overstay our welcome."
"What?" Leon said as his companion hustled him out of the shop. "That's really all you came here for?"
"That coffee shop we passed on the way here looked like it had some nice sweets... and we have enough time to stop there on our way back to the airport."
"Did you seriously book our return flight for today? We just got here!"
~end~