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Here is the thing: Crowley has ample, and he means ample, experience in being a liar, a cheater, a criminal, despite naturally never have seen the inside of a prison (he said criminal not amateur). He is more than ready to do anything to get what he wants – although, so far, when it comes to his goody-two shoes neighbour Dean Winchester, his efforts have proved useless – and so, he has never been one to lei to himself and pretend he’s one of the good guys, not since he’s been out of school, anyway, and even back in those day, he usually just lied to get his mother off his back.
So, yes, he is most definitely not what most would consider a good man, and as such, probably not the best candidate to woo the teacher from next door, but he can’t help it, he’s wanted Dean Winchester since he first laid eyes on him, and he doesn’t think that will go away any time soon because he’s tried, god knows he’s tried.
The point is, he has already invested somewhat more time in this adventure than he usually does and with no payoff so to speak. Normally, when someone doesn’t make it clear they are interested he is out the door and yet, with Dean Winchester, he just keeps coming back. There’s something about those green eyes and that boyish smile even though he must be close to forty that draws him in in a way he’s never known before.
It’s also the reason he is now part of their neighbourhood group, of all things. It’s not much, really, just a monthly meeting of business owners and those who live on their street, but well, dean is the one usually responsible for the snacks and the music and everything else he can think of, so helping him organize this kind of thing is just another way to get close to him.
Or at least that’s what he keeps telling himself. At the beginning it was easy, because most of the neighbours, knowing his reputation, did a double take but immediately decided they were not going to approach him, leaving him all the time in the world to focus on Dean, but then Charlie came along, then garth, then Benny, then the million other people Dean calls his friends, and these days, they are so busy dealing with very thing (at least they are together while doing so, he will say that, but still) that there is hardly any time for flirting.
At least they managed to save the old oak at the corner, just getting the news today only that it’s not much of a comfort because Crowley just came home, realized what he’d done and is now busy drinking a glass of Craig, wondering what happened to him: If he ever tells Gavin, he’ll never hear the end of it, although he and Dean would probably get along like a house on fire…
His doorbell rings out and when he goes to investigate, dean strolls in like he does it all the time. “Hey, figured we had something to celebrate”.
“If you say so”.
Dean looks at him and raises an eyebrow. “Why that tone? You didn't do anything wrong"
He knows. He knows that. He knows that the tree should be allowed to stay standing so that the neighbourhood children can play around under it like their parents, that there should be someone fighting for nature because no one is going to profit when the planet dies, that all in all, people are too blasé about nature and the environment they live in anyway but none of that fits with the man he knows himself to be.
A moment or two of silence and then Dean adds, “wait, that’s the problem, isn’t it. You can’t fathom that you’re actually one of the good guys.”
“nonsense”
“I’m right! I can’t believe it – forget it, actually I can, Sam is the one who won’t believe me –“
He has not spent much time with Sam, even with everything that’s been going on, mostly since he realized early on that it would not be a good idea if he wants to pursue his plans concerning Dean. The brothers are close, and Sam has clearly never been impressed with him, not even when he was on his best behaviour (and he knows that’s a good trick of his because it has fooled countless rivals, policemen, agents over the years in thinking he is a good man when he really isn’t).
He decides to take another sip of his drink.
Dean shakes his head “I see I have my work cut out for me… Don’t worry Peaches you’ll get it eventually.”
He doesn’t think he will, but he is soon too busy to wonder what he means, since Dean then drags him into a kiss.