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Crowley walked into the bookstore, ignoring the closed sign, holding a small box of pastries and some aged red wine. He wasn't planning on getting the sweet treats until he caught the name of their lemon creamed donut, Angels' Halo.
In fact, all of the treats were biblical themed.
Strawberry tarts named Devil's Kiss, apple danishes named Forbidden Snack, chocolate chip and white chocolate chip cookies named Demon Feathers and Angel Feathers respectively, a vanilla cake named God's Touch and a red velvet cheesecake named Demons' Tail.
So he picked up one of everything knowing the gluttonous angel would eat it and laugh about the naming. Probably ask why they didn't have devil's food cake since that already had a fitting name to begin with.
Already imagining the conversation, Crowley almost missed how extra holy the store felt. He went on guard immediately, holding on tighter to everything in his hands to be used as a weapon if necessary. But his now extremely high senses confirmed that the only angel within 5 kilometres is Aziraphale. He relaxes somewhat but is still uneasy about why the air was so holy.
Slowly walking to the backroom, he found the angel on the floor, trembling, back to him,with his wings out and droopy and clearly eating something. Worried that something happened, he sets everything down.
"Angel? You alright?" Was this his nervous eating? He has seen the angel do it before but not to this sorrowful extent.
There was no answer, just more chewing and what sounds like sniffing. He walked closer and that's when the angel turned his head to look up at him with tears in his eyes and the holiest object he could ever own halfway eaten.
"Is thAT YOUR HALO ?!"
He takes another bite while nodding.
Crowley took a deep, calming breath, trying not to think about how having no halo means that he's going to Fall. Clearly if that was the case, there wouldn't be white wings in front of him. "Care to explain what happened?"
Another bite, another sniffle, another tear running down his face. Finally, he mumbled something with his mouth covered in halo crumbs.
"Say again?" He sat down next to the celestial being, a weighted blanket appearing over his shoulders to comfort him.
"... don't want to be alone..." he says again, slightly louder, followed by another bite of his heavenly treat. The demon nods scooting closer so their shoulders are touching and the angel leans his head on him. Crowley puts an arm over him pulling him closer to this slightly awkward one armed hug.
A moment of silent chewing passes and the trembling slows so that it isn't as intense. "Aziraphale," he starts, speaking softly," May I ask what brought this about?"
A sniffle. "I went for a walk today when there was an accident." A bite quickly swallowed. " I was too late to save one of the drivers, she looked similar to you. From a distance I thought it was you."
A nervous laugh followed up by a bigger bite. Crowley doubted that he's even tasting it. "It wasn't you of course, obviously , but I..I couldn't help but think that it was. Hell wouldn't give you a new body if you discorporated!" The trembling started to pick up again. " You would be stuck down there forever without any way to escape! And..and you'll…be alone. I'll be on Earth alone."
Fresh tears started to fall down the tear stained face. "That's the worse kind of torture, to n-never see you again. I wouldn't know what to do with myself after you're gone, it would have been like you've d-d-died and...and.."
At this point, the halo only had a nibble left, and the angel looked slightly distressed over realizing this. He ate it anyway.
Crowley could finally put his other arm up and give Aziraphale the hug he desperately needed. It was tight and he kept whispering reassurances until he stopped crying. "Shhh, Angel, I'm still here, I won't leave you alone. Shh, I'll be more cautious when I drive and we'll both be alive and retired on Earth until long after the end of time itself. Doesn't that sound nice, Angel? You'll have to tolerate me until God takes me away herself. And she hasn't been around in forever so you know that you're stuck with me! Ah, but that means I'm stuck with you as well, ugh. You'll read every single text made by man and then quote your favorites to me at any time you wish to annoy me. And then you'll pretend that you haven't said a word saying something like ' i haven't clue on what you're talking about, my dear'. I know that you know that I hate that. Then I'm going to keep moving your precious books around to all the wrong places until you stop!"
Somewhere in his rambling, Aziraphale had stopped crying and was hugging him back with a smile. Above his head a small light was trying to rebuild itself, bite by bite. "...Thank you, Crowley."
The demon released him from the hug to give him a kiss on the forehead that cleans up the cherub's face. "Anytime, Aziraphale." He helped the angel to stand up, the blanket vanishing once it hit the floor. "Now, put away your wings! I brought you some treats from this place called Heaven's Best and I intend on watching you eat something that isn't your halo. What's with that anyway?"
They walked over to their usual spots on the couch, the pastries box already open and waiting along with the glasses of wine. Looking more human, Aziraphale picked up the strawberry tart. "Well, it's a bit of a habit I got as a fledgling. It started off as a teething ring of sorts and now I eat it like an over-sized donut. It does taste good, quite indescribable, but I prefer the delicacies that the humans make over it. " He took a bite of the pastry and moaned happily.
Crowley smiled at that and took a sip of wine while the angel enjoyed himself. "I wonder what other stupid things you did a fledgling." He said amiably.
Aziraphale tried to look at him with a frown, but the smile in his eyes gave him away before he started laughing. " Though you are in your shining days / Voices among the crowd / And new friends busy with your praise / Be not unkind or proud / But think about old friends the most / Time's bitter flood will rise / Your beauty perish and be lost / For all eyes but these eyes ."
He sighed." Ughh, who did you quote this time? A poet I assume?"
"Whatever do you mean, dear? I haven't said a word." He took another bite.
Fangs showed in his smile. "I'm going to switch your Owell books with Dickens and Doyle and then place them randomly around the shop."
A sharp gasp was almost enough to drop the delicious tart. "You wouldn't dare !"
"I told you I would. I'll never lie to you, Angel." Then Crowley snapped his fingers.