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The small demonic presence seemed tentative even as it approached where Crowley sat, staring moodily into space. He transferred the look to the little wisp of a demon when they leaned against the wall he’d been watching.
“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” he asked.
“Probably,” Maldin replied. “Not that anyone will notice if I’m not. I wanted to see what you were up to.”
“Same thing I’ve been up to,” Crowley grouched. “Waiting. At this point I practically wish they hadn’t given me a ‘break’ from admin. At least that was something to do.”
Maldin looked at him sympathetically. “You really like it up there, don’t you.”
Crowley shrugged, shedding the accusation of enjoyment out of habit. Still, he followed it with a hint of a wry smile. Maldin wasn’t wrong.
Satan, he missed his sunglasses. It was really an unpleasant side effect of discorporation, losing all your accessories. As if being knocked back to Hell amid gleeful and displeased glares and stuck there for months or years wasn’t bad enough, he had to be feeling vulnerable all the time.
“Wish corporations were my department,” Maldin said. “I could check and see where your request is.” They sighed. “As it is, I don’t know how to help you.”
“Eh.” Crowley waved a hand. “I get it. It’ll come through eventually, I’m sure. Even if that’s not until next decade.”
“But you’ll miss so much, then!” Maldin exclaimed. “The humans change fast, right?”
“Well, yes,” Crowley admitted. “Not that the corporation department cares.”
“They should,” Maldin muttered mutinously. “I don’t want to miss things.”
Crowley grinned. “It’ll be years until I get back to tell you things anyway. What’s another decade?”
“Oh, I can wait,” Maldin said. “I’m just not sure you can.”
Crowley opened his mouth, closed it, and glared at the smaller demon. “Of course I can. Don’t you have work to be doing?”
“Probably.” Maldin pushed away from the wall, smiling at Crowley. “Don’t worry, I’ll come back and check on you later, make sure you don’t crack from boredom.”
“I won’t,” Crowley retorted as they disappeared down the hall, his face entirely failing to reflect the annoyance in his tone.
It was nice to have somebody care about him.