The Park, Friday Afternoon

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

[ooc: RPed via email with tooniceuglyties. Now open to interaction from anyone who happens by (Hey, new people! Come say hi!). SP until evening EST.]


After a pleasant breakfast of toast and eggs again (although Aziraphale wonders if he ought to learn to cook something else) with Wilson, the angel had wandered back to the shop to check on things. Suspecting that the students would be very busy registering for classes, he'd spent the morning continuing with his cleaning project and reading about tropical fish. At some point in the afternoon, he'd decided to head down to the park as he and the doctor had agreed.

So now Aziraphale is sitting on his favorite bench, with a good view of the park, his shop, and the street leading toward the town clinic. He has a cup of tea and a thermos beside him on the bench, and he's crumbling up bits of day-old bread for the totally not evil omg ducks gathered at his feet.

Wilson adored the toast and eggs breakfasts and honestly, it was only the angel's effort that enticed the normally breakfast shy oncologist into eating anything but it was a nice half hour with Phale, quietly sharing the food.

***
As they'd parted ways, Wilson had settled down at the front desk and made some phone calls. Well...okay he'd picked up the receiver and dialed phone numbers but hadn't gotten any of the contacts he expected! Going back and forth between the phone and work on the computer, it was about noon when Wilson got the message that sent him over the edge.

"You've reached the 'Baaaaahhhh like a sheep' pr0n line, how would you like one of Little Bo Peeps' sheep to Baaaaahhhh for you today?"

Slamming the phone down and shuddering delicately, Wilson decided he needed to get away from his desk. He couldn't remember if leaving now was going to make him early or late for his meeting with the angel but in short order, Phale would see the slim figure of the doctor making his way down the path. Wilson was walking on autopilot, reading a journal in his hands and he only looked up when he was within about five feet of the bench.

"Hello there, my friend."

Aziraphale notices his friend well before he arrived at the bench, but he looks up with a smile at the man's greeting. "Hello, James dear. Sit and have some tea with me?" he asks, as if they're meeting by accident rather than design.

"Did you have a good morning at the clinic?" He cocks his head at the reading material Wilson's brought with him. "For your article, I presume?"

Wilson moved around a couple of ducks, shifting one very gently with his instep so he could sit down next to the angel, scooting...perhaps a little closer than he officially needed to be.

"Huh...I think they really have missed you." He commented with a grin, watching the ducks crowd back around Phale's feet. "I...it was quiet but honestly, Aziraphale I think I'm going to have to have the phone company come back out. A wire is crossed somewhere or something." He was not about to bring up the idea of beastiality to the angel so that was enough of that subject.

Instead, he tilted the journal towards where Phale could read the title of the article. It was called Terminal Diagnosis, how to prepare the family. "My esteemed colleague...is an ass. I'm picking out which points to rebute him on."

Looking a little bit ashamed of himself for having neglected the ducks, Aziraphale smiles and drops a piece of bread to the who'd been nudged out of the way. Leaning slightly to look over Wilson's arm at the article, he nods. "This is written by the person you're trying to refute, then. When will you have to submit your own article?"

Settling back against the bench again, he puts down the sack of bread and pours the young doctor a cup of mint tea. "I'm terribly sorry to hear about your telephone. You're welcome to use the one in the shop if you need to."

"Yeah, this doctor believes in the idea of false hope." Wilson shook his head and drew a pen out of his pocket to make a mark in the journal. He reached for the tea, humming contentedly when he took a sip and then turning to smile at the angel. "By the end of February, for a quarterly publication that comes out in April."

Settling in more comfortably, Wilson took another sip of tea, leaning his shoulder against the angel's as he drew one long leg up onto the seat of the bench. It felt good, just to lean against Phale and Wilson appeared to get sucked back into whatever little mental world he was inhabiting, simply content to be with the other man.

Comments

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Noticing that Wilson's attention has been drawn back into his reading, Aziraphale simply sits and enjoys the quiet. He's forgotten how relaxing the park can be, and the action of feeding the ducks brings back good memories. He sighs softly, leaning a little against his friend's shoulder, and watches people go about their day.

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

Wonder of wonders, Sara has voluntarily left her office. It really is a pleasant day. And she has several errands in town to complete.

How fortunate that the objects of two of those errands happen to be in the park.

"Morning, guys."

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

"Good afternoon, my dear," Aziraphale answers, looking up with a smile. "Would you like to sit and join us for a bit? Have some tea?"

He indicates the thermos next to him, which he picks up before nudging Wilson to scoot down the bench and make room. A couple of the ducks waddle expectantly up to Sara's feet, quacking at her.

"Don't mind them, Miss Sidle. They're greedy little things," he says with a chuckle.

[dr-jwilsonmd.livejournal.com]

Wilson looked up with a blink and then a quick smile to Sara before he obediently went scootching down the bench, grabbing a scone and the attention of a few ducks.

"They're F.A.T is what they are." He said archly at the angel, dark eyes twinkling a bit before he patted the bench for Sara to sit between them.

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

"No worse than pigeons. At least they aren't trying to dive bomb people. And please, call me Sara." She smiles, taking a seat next to them.

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale raises an eyebrow at Wilson's comment about the overweight ducks and turns his attention to Sara. "If you like, my dear," he says, smiling.

"Do you drink tea? I'm happy to share if you do. Are your class registrations going well?"

[dr-jwilsonmd.livejournal.com]

Giving Phale an innocent look that was positively boyish, Wilson began to break up the scone to feed to the ducks, his head half tilted towards Sara politely.

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

"Well enough. Not as many problems as last term, though the school is new and I shouldn't criticize. Though I am reminded--" and here she digs in the backpack she was carrying. No purses for Sara.

"Gil and I thought you would like this wine (http://www.vintagewinegifts.co.uk/acatalog/P062.jpg), Phale. And this (http://www.forcounsel.com/products/0240.jpg) is in appreciation for all you have done for him, Dr. Wilson. You're one of the few doctors I have met that is also a true healer."

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Accepting the wine, Aziraphale gives a bright smile. "Sara, my dear, thank you! What a lovely surprise. Please tell Mr. Grissom I said thank you as well."

He looks at the bottle and then up at Sara. "How kind of you," he says. "Perhaps the two of you will come sometime for a visit and share it with me."

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

"That sounds lovely, actually. I keep meaning to go through your store--books are an addiction I hope to never give up."

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

"I have some very rare ones that I'd be happy to show you, if you like. You're welcome any time, you know, just to browse and sit in the lounge if you like."

Still smiling, he tucks the bottle on the bench next to him and offers Sara a piece of bread for the ducks.

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

One can almost see the ducks homing in on the bread in her hands. She wisely throws it away before losing a finger.

"How was your break?" She hasn't had continuous access to the radio and is thus unaware of the strain of emo going around.

[dr-jwilsonmd.livejournal.com]

Wilson blinked more than a little surprised and incredibly touched not only by the thoughtfulness in the gift but also by the thought that went into it.

Rubbing his thumb across the pendent he smiled at Sara. "Thank you, both of you." He said softly, the words feeling paltry but spoken in a heartfelt tone.

He fell contentedly quiet then, letting them continue to talk.

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Sparing a warm smile for Wilson and his gift (which he'll take the time to inspect more closely later), Aziraphale tosses a bit of bread to the ducks, distracting them from giving Sara too hard a time.

"It was...interesting. Some good and some bad, which really I suppose is the way things are supposed to be." He looks a little rueful as he answers. "And how was your holiday?"

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

"Better than I'd hoped for, even at my most optimistic," she says honestly, shooing a duck away from her foot.

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

"I'm pleased to hear that, my dear. Did you travel out of town? It's been rather quiet here the past few weeks -- I suspect most people went away for the holidays."

Aziraphale waves his hand at the ducks, who -- except for a couple insistant ones -- mostly leave off harrassing Sara. He sets the paper sack of bread on the bench between them so she can have access to it if she wants.

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

"We spent Christmas in Las Vegas, visiting our old colleagues and friends. I met Gil's mother--lovely lady--and he met my brother when we went to San Francisco for New Years." In the interest of preserving her shoelaces, she's making sure the ducks are fed.

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

"Ah...Las Vegas," he replies, raising his eyebrow. "One of Crowley's favorite places, I understand." Whether or not Aziraphale considers this damnation or praise is debatable.

"It does sound like you had a lovely time. I'm afraid I've never been to either place -- haven't traveled much at all on this side of the pond, in fact. But it does sound like an interesting trip. And now you're both looking forward to getting back into classes, I hope?"

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

"Sin City," she confirms with a sigh. "Can't say I particularly miss dealing with drug dealers, rapists, murderers and the like. San Francisco has a charm to itself, in my opinion. And the Golden Gate bridge truly is breathtaking at sunrise."

One particularly persistent duck is rewarded with a beakful of breadcrumbs. "Both of us are--I'm looking forward to seeing what the kids think of forensic work. And Gil's focusing on the sociological aspects of deviance and the like."

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

"Really?" Aziraphale says in response to the mention of Grissom's coursework. After all, if there's one person who's familiar with deviance it's an angel who's best friend is a demon. "Those sound like very interesting classes. If either of you are in need of books to be ordered for your students, do let me know, and I'll be happy to stock them at a student discount."