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“Goodnight, angel.”
Crowley hung up the phone and slid off the desk he had been sitting on. A nap it was, then. He pointedly ignored the part of him that was severely disappointed at Aziraphale’s rejection as he strode into the bedroom. As much as they might be “on their own side” now, 6000 years of having to be cautious about each and every one of their interactions couldn’t be undone overnight.
Over the millennia they had known each other, Aziraphale almost never accepted Crowley’s invitations outright. It’s just how they did things-- Crowley would persuade, and Aziraphale would eventually, begrudgingly accept. (The unspoken truth of this, of course, was that Aziraphale was never truly begrudging, and Crowley never really had to do all that much persuading.)
Crowley paused, his fingers halfway to a snap that would change his clothes to pajamas. Perhaps that was just it. Maybe all Aziraphale needed was a little persuasion. More than that, maybe he expected Crowley to convince him…
Crowley was back at the phone and redialing the bookshop far quicker than he’d be willing to admit.
“I’m so sorry, I’m afraid we’re quite definitely closed at the moment--”
“Angel, it’s me.”
“Oh, Crowley! Hello, my dear. Is everything alright? I thought you were taking a nap?”
“I still might,” Crowley said, trying to maintain some air of nonchalance. “It’s just-- well-- I was thinking-- you wouldn’t be breaking the rules, is the thing.”
“What?”
“It’s-- if I came over, that is. I’d be breaking quarantine, breaking the rules, whatever. You’d just be-- well, you’d just happen to be there. You wouldn’t have to do anything wrong, technically-- and we could be--” he paused.
How much of his hand was he really willing to show, here? Ever since the averted apocalypse, it had become very clear that he and Aziraphale were moving towards… something. It was slow going, but it was certain. The thing was, they had never talked about it openly. Which was fine-- this charade of persuasion and reluctance was proof enough that they didn’t typically have those kinds of conversations directly. But, well, Crowley was tired. Not physically-- he couldn’t think of a time when he had wanted to take a nap less-- but tired of not saying what he felt.
“Together, angel. We could be together.” He felt his cheeks heating up already, but he pressed on. “I’m tired of-- that is, I don’t want, er. I don’t want to go months without seeing you-- I don’t want to be stuck in my flat for the rest of this lockdown, trying to will myself to fall asleep but being unable to because all I can think is that I want to be with you. I… I always want to be with you.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
Then, Aziraphale said, “Don’t drive.”
“What?”
“Just-- miracle yourself, or-- or I can leave the phone line open, if that’s easier, just-- if people see the Bentley out in front of the bookshop, it could give them the wrong impression, and we’re uniquely positioned, my dear, we’re not in any danger, but they are, and I don’t want them seeing your car and deciding it’s okay to go out and about again-- they need to be staying safe, and--”
Crowley materialized in the bookshop before Aziraphale finished his sentence.
“Hey angel,” he grinned as Aziraphale spun around to face him. “I brought wine.”
“Crowley.” Aziraphale’s voice was soft as he stepped towards him. He took the bottle out of Crowley’s hands and set it down, before pulling him into a tight embrace. “I missed you,” he whispered, head tucked into Crowley’s chest.
“Angel, it’s only been a couple weeks,” Crowley chuckled. Then he pulled back to look Aziraphale in the eye. “I missed you too.”
“Did you mean it?” Aziraphale sounded nervous, but hopeful. “When you said you ‘always’ want to be with me?”
What had felt like a slowly building incline for the past few months abruptly morphed into a cliff’s edge. But, well-- in for a penny, in for a pound, Crowley supposed. He had brought them to this point, had cast aside their usual dance in favor of honesty-- it was up to him to see it through.
“Yeah, ‘course I did,” Crowley said. He took a deep breath. “Aziraphale, I love you. I’m always gonna be happiest when I’m with you.”
It’s funny, how simple it was. After 6000 years of buildup, the words came out easily, naturally. And when Aziraphale leaned in to kiss him for the first time, it felt just as effortless.
“I love you too, darling.” Aziraphale smiled at him as they separated. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Nowhere else I’d rather be, angel.”