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Sharp steps echoed on the somber streets, the hastiness of them cutting like a surgical knife across the path. Light posts barely made a dent on the heavy mantle of the night. A perfect setting for the occult beings to lurk about and yet, only one such being roamed around that especially lurkable street.
It hadn’t been that early in the day when Anthony J. Crowley had received word of a peculiarly interesting party on the other side of town. Word had it that it was being hosted by a “decent” member of society, looking to a night of debauchery and lascivious indulgences. All and all, a normal night in these parts. It seemed like a few of the invited where to be new on the scene; pure, unadulterated young people, too naïve and too eager to become adults in this world.
Such a shame, they had such bright futures ahead of them, but they knew what they were doing, that was their choice after all. Crowley couldn’t help the grin that stretch the corners of his face. Not out of mockery neither out maliciousness, it just had been very boring lately, the night life where all the same, with the same people, the same drinks, the same set of minds.
It was all far too easy. Even tripping a couple of people out of sheer wickedness had been rather fun the past few days. Any more of those and Down Stairs would start taking notice of he’s lack of grand schemes. Not that it bothered his bosses at all really, any Evil deed was alright in their books so far, though direct approach was never Crowley’s preferred cup of tea. Knowing tonight’s little demonic influence could put another commendation under his name was all the motivation he needed.
It was not until he reached the appointed place for the party, did he noticed something peculiar from the place; it didn’t felt quite… wrong.
Oh, that could be easily arranged.
Clad in heels and tight dress curving in just the right places, Crowley snapped his fingers and the doors opened for him, inviting him into a world of hung silks and shiny beads, laughter from unbashful giddiness and roaring cackles. There were people moving chaotically in the center of the room at the rhythm of the music, some of them banishing around the silks that streamed down the ceiling, the stairs adorned with masked figures judging with wide eyes from above.
Crowley rolled his eyes behind the small circular dark tinted glasses as he reached towards a glass of wine from one of the waiters that roamed the room with plastic smiles.
Such a soulless party. Everyone was here out of pure boredom and yet, most were worse of it here than at their homes. At social parties, one could at least wander around the room listening to rumor after rumor, bits and pieces of trivia that could be used on ones favor if the moment was right; but this type of parties were just outright chaos. Everyone already here knew each other from all the same parties; you went to one, you went to all of them. He could practically feel the enclosed anxiousness that was impregnated in the building, cut easily in big chunks with a dull knife. These people wanted more in life and thought that a party like this gave them some sense of what it was like to be free and without a care in the world. If he so pleased, he could give them what they so deeply desired for the night, but what fun would that be?
Instead, he focused on searching for the right people between the multitude that kept staring at him with interest, considering the possibility of maybe finishing the night in a different way. No one approached him, though, if they knew what was good for them. A sudden fear of not wanting to bite more than they could chew enraptured them, froze them in place before they took a step towards him. Crowley smirked.
It wasn’t until he reached the half-top of the stairs that he noticed a familiar glow between the sea of silks down below. How had he not noticed before. The demon huffed a strained breath. What is he doing here of all places, Crowley asked himself as he watched his adversary having conversation with some wretched young lad, his angel smiling attentively at him.
Almost like a summer breeze, Crowley found himself on the ground floor, his eyes set to the resplendent aura of his angel. My angel, he hissed. The crowd made space for him to walk unburdened through it, until he was a short few steps from laying his hand on the creamed fitted suit, with full intentions of placing it there for the rest of the night as a sign and warning that his angel was his and his alone.
The young lad, barely even old enough to be allowed in there, took notice of the dark figure lurking closer to them, his eyes widening at the sight of Crowley. The angel turned back to glance at what had frightened his companion so, brightening up the moment he laid eyes on him.
Crowley’s stuttered in his step, avoiding a close encounter to the floor only by a quick reflex. Luck of the demon , his adversary would say. A warmth presence slithered through the ground floor. The atmosphere of the room feeling less heavy and abrasive.
“Crowley!”
“Aziraphale.” The demon tried to velvet, but after that gleeful inflexion of his name, his chest had refrained from letting the name come out less strangled than he had.
“What a surprise. I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.” Said Aziraphale, a small wiggle in his shoulders. “Just a moment, dear boy.” He turned around to the young man who had shrunk considerably in his place, his eyes barely meeting either person in front of him. Crowley couldn’t hear what Aziraphale said, but whatever it was, it washed away the weariness off the boy’s shoulders, feeling the small cold pull of a miracle done in his proximity. A small hiss escaped him when Aziraphale patted the boy’s shoulder before he went on his merry way. “There, all set. I’m all yours, now.”
Crowley tilted his head with a sharp grin, both pokingly malicious and surprised at what he heard.
“Er. I mean... you know, you get what I mean.” he quickly corrected himself, blushing ever so slightly.
“Do I, angel?” said Crowley, taking a step closer. Aziraphale clicked his tongue at him.
“Yes, that, that now we can keep each other company instead of being around this…” he waved a well-manicured hand towards the crowd. “this lot.”
“You’ve been enduring this lot for a long time?”
“If you knew.” Aziraphale huffed a sharp breath, pointing his eyes upwards in that little roll of them Crowley enjoyed seeing. The motions of it so dramatic in its subtle annoyance, the way his shoulders dropped ever so slightly before, the small tilt of his chin. “I arrive a couple of hours ago, mostly keeping to myself, really. I could waste a full monthly wage of miracles in just a couple of minutes... with everything these people are carrying around.”
“It has never stopped you before.” Said Crowley, just a bit too tender for his tastes.
“Oh, I know. But that was different. I wasn’t even assigned to anyone here; I’m mostly here as a favor.” That caught Crowley’s attention.
“A favor, you say? To whom if I may be so bold?”
Aziraphale did a one over at him before softly tilting his head towards the staircase. It didn’t take much convincing for Crowley to follow him; in a particularly good day, he could admit to himself that he would follow his angel through all the edges of eternity, but not tonight. For now, he would follow him to the other side of the room if only because it was far too cluttered as another group of people came practically barging in through the front door, carrying the appearance of having had one too many wild rides for the night. Or even the week.
Following Aziraphale up the stairs, he decided to observed the humans down below, in a grand effort to distract himself from the swaying form of his friend in front of him. From up the stairs he could see how different the atmosphere had become since he stepped for the first time in the building.
For a few minutes, it had stopped into a lull as people swayed and chattered through the room, mostly nursing their drinks and enjoying the stale h'ordeuvres. When the most recent group entered, they’re energy seemed to have seeped from them and infused the already weary dancers, the music turning up a notch again, the murmur of voices becoming almost silent. The cackling and frantic howls returned to the room.
Crowley sniffed the heavy concentrated air; for the first time in a while wondering where his targets were? For a moment there, he thought the group that had arrived could’ve been them, but they were already marked for a while now. It could’ve been them, though. He might have just been too late, or his informants had the wrong place. Let them pray to whoever they want to, that the former situation was the correct one.
“-Crowley?”
“Huh?”
“I said, if you are here for an… assignment?”
They’ve reached the top floor at some point, having stopped on back wall were the rail ended, hidden away from prying eyes by a couple of silks that hung loosely besides him. “Not really an assignment, per se. Call it a quick temptation. A bit of freelance, this once. Being rather a dull month if I do say so.”
“Not much has been happening on my side either. Seems I’ve been assigned small miracles as well. Watch over this, help here, comfort there. I’ve been having too much time on my hands, I’ve read most of my books twice or thrice already.”
“You’ve read your books at least three times more than you think you have.”
“But in a week?”
“Well, that’s… that’s, yeah. Okay.”
“In all seriousness, I think they haven’t sent any big assignment recently. Maybe because Up Stairs might know you’re here and they want my full attention in thwarting your wiles.” he said, squinting his smile into what could be passed as a dangerous expression. Crowley smiled.
“That could be it.” He suddenly felt conscious of that, looking around for any other ethereal presence other that his angel’s. Took a second extra to check for occult ones as well. One could not be too sure with his lot. “Could also be that both sides are preparing for something. They might be too busy to pay any attention to us right now.”
“I wished…” Aziraphale muttered.
“What was that?”
“That I wished I knew what was happening. It’s been getting on my nerves recently.”
“Relax, angel. It’s not the first time we’ve been given a small reprieve. Nor I hope it would be the last one.” Crowley said, bumping shoulders slightly, wishing it would be taken as a sign of the comfort he so desperately wanted to give his friend.
Aziraphale looked at him with shimmering eyes before turning them back towards the few people they could see on the ground floor from where they were, leaning closer to the demon with a long sigh. Snapping his fingers, the demon call one of the waiters towards them, his old drink already having been discarded at some point downstairs.
“I do hope that’s it. The war left too many exhausted souls in its wake. I wish I could do more for them but… I already received a strongly worded letter from Gabriel and I really don’t need another.” He said with a grimace as he was handed a glass of wine.
“Keep at it and you might fill a whole book of those.” Crowley said, making Aziraphale huff a laugh. “You haven’t told me what are you doing here?”
“Er, well. A friend asked me to keep an eye on his son if I were to see him. I heard they might be coming here tonight. So here I am.”
“Really?” he asked, stretching towards the silks, having to pressing himself to Aziraphale’s side to reach it. Crowley licked his lips, tasting Aziraphale’s earthly cologne as he did. Oh, that’s a new one, he thought, having half a mind to compose himself from burying his face on the angel’s neck. It would be too easy and he could excuse himself with the heavy air of smoke and alcohol that they were surrounded by.
“Yes.” Aziraphale breathed out, following Crowley’s hand as it tugged the bright cloth, trying his best to avoid gazing at the demon, and of course he noticed.
“If that’s so, I doesn’t seem like you're doing such an awful good job.” pull it towards his face, using it as a veil, pearing from atop his small circled glasses. “Standing inconspicuously hidden away while looking as bright as an incandescent light bulb?”
Azirapahle chuckled, batting the silk away when Crowley dropped it. “Well, perhaps so, or for all you know, I haven’t taken my eyes away from them.”
“Oh, sure. Is the son of your friend really here?” he asked incredulous.
“Maybe. But I won’t tell. I don’t want you to use your wiles on him. He’s a very bright young man that is destined for great things.”
“That great?”
Aziraphale deflated. “Not really, no. I’m mostly here just to spy on the boy. Like I said, it's a favor. I think he’s more inclined towards your side, though. He and his friends. Night after night, staying out at ungodly hours. I can’t do much but watch, maybe make sure that at least they reach home safe.”
“I think you’re taking this favor of yours too seriously.”
“Yes, well… not much to do these days. Or much I am allowed to, otherwise.” He shifted in his place, the moment sending a shiver through Crowley’s corporation. “And you? What’s your goal tonight?” he asked, his voice tinted in warm interest.
“Ah well, I was pointed at a group of kids whose parents are situated in very high places and thought it would be fun to watch the hubris of a well-planned temptation.” He said it as nonchalantly as he could, ignoring the glare he felt from the angel.
“A group? Oh, you better not have your eyes on who I think you have.”
“Probably, probably not. Either way, nothing’s going to happen while the two of us are here.” Crowley pointed out. “I can even tell it’s having an effect on the party itself.” he said, peering down below.
Aziraphale moved towards the rail “A bit of a lull, I mean, for a so called, wild party. Don’t you think?”
“Quite.”
“I’ve been to book readings more rambunctious than this.” “
“I bet.
“Can I tempt- convince you, yes, to go back to my bookshop? I have acquired a couple of bottles that might perk your interests.”
“Will they?” Crowley made a show of thinking it through, there was no way he could or would refuse his angel’s “suggestion” of better alcohol and even better company, but he liked being dramatic, if only to feel the angel’s pointed scrutiny on him. “Yeah, sure, why not? Anything would be comparable better than this place.”
Aziraphale frowned, pivoting ever so slightly to one side and the other.
“Much, much better than this.” Crowley tried again, softening his voice to purr.
His angel beamed. “Well then, with that settled,” he pushed himself away from the wall, offering his arm to Crowley. “Shall we go then?”
“Oh my, what a gentleman.” he crooned, taking his angels arm as they walked down the stairs past all the guests.
Crowley had no mind to care about the stares and whispers directed at them, he was too busy revealing on the warmth his friend radiated. When he felt himself leaning closer to Aziraphale as they walked, he didn’t stop. There was no reason why he shouldn’t. He’d made sure to watch the shadows before accepting his offer, so as far as he was concerned, they were safe.
He turned to look at Aziraphale once they were outside, the cold air brushing his hair softly. It might have been a trick of the playful shadows that danced across his angels face, but he was certain he’d the traces of a satisfactory grin. The kind of grin his angel got after pulling a particular tricky sleuth of hand (or whatever Aziraphale called magic tricks) or the type he gets whenever he thinks he gets the demon to do him a favor-
Oh .
“Angel?” Crowley whispered.
“Yes, my dear.” hummed Aziraphale.
Crowley hesitated. His angel was radiant, smiling at him and only him. The demon held to Aziraphale’s arm like a lifeline. A cozy, soft, dazzling lifeline.
“Nothing. I forgot.”
“Really, my dear.” Aziraphale chuckled. “By the way, I didn’t have a chance to tell you earlier, but I think you look enchanting tonight.”
Crowley was glad for once that he didn’t need to breathe.