Chapter Text
The bookshop located on Greek Street in Soho belonged to an A. Z. Fell who was by all accounts unusual. Although, unless the account was that of a Demon that went by the name Anthony J. Crowley it was essentially void of all meaning because it was only this Demon named Anthony J. Crowley that really truly knew what A. Z. Fell was like, or Angel as the demon called him. Were he asked, Anthony J. Crowley would describe his Angel as "just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing" however, the likelihood of this particular Demon being asked about a rare book dealer in Soho was in and of itself incredibly rare. Regardless, someone had asked him at some moment in time. And that is what he said.
At the current moment in time, which was nine thirteen in the morning on Tuesday the twenty-ninth of October, the Demon Crowley had pulled up rather speedily in his Bentley and parked outside A. Z. Fell and Co's Bookshop. He rushed up the steps and opened the door to find Aziraphale glaring at a customer across the shop who had picked up one of his books. Aziraphale's face instantly lit up once he noticed it was Crowley walking in.
"Crowley!" He smiled delightfully.
"Angel." He replied as he began walking to the back of the shop.
"I'm terribly sorry Madam," he told the customer as he walked over, "however the shop is now closed. Have a wonderful day." With that he plucked the book from her hands and smiled as he watched her leave the shop, very confused. With a fresh smile on his face Aziraphale flipped the sign over to closed and made his way to where Crowley had disappeared.
"My dear you have wonderful timing," he smiled as he went over to the cabinet and began searching for his favourite bottle of red wine and two of his finest crystal glasses that Crowley had given him as a gift a while back, "that woman was just about to buy one of my first edition of William Shakespeare's sonnet books. Luckily I keep my signed copy in the back room, Bill would have liked for me to keep that one. Don't you agree?" Crowley didn't give a reply.
"Ah!" Aziraphale pulled out the bottle that he had been looking for and turned towards the Demon. "Crowley? What on earth are you doing?" Crowley was, for some reason, digging around through the piles of books by Aziraphale's old gramophone.
"Doing?" Crowley looked up as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have. Although,, this might just be his natural reaction. He is a Demon after all. "What am I doing? That's a good question actually, what am I doing?" He looked around to where he had been looking, confused. "You know I'm not too sure I know the answer to that question Angel."
"Well, perhaps a glass of wine might help you remember." Aziraphale smiled as he set the glasses down on the little round table and checked the label on the bottle. There was a crash behind him and he turned to see Crowley on the floor in a heap of books, although he quickly scrambled to his feet as if nothing happened.
"Perhaps wine isn't a good idea," there was clear concern in Aziraphale's eyes, "are you okay Crowley?" Crowley nodded quickly.
"Me? I am perfectly fine. Actually, as a matter of fact I was thinking that maybe we could go out for a spot of lunch?" Aziraphale smiled warmly at Crowley.
"Oh! My dear that would be lovely, but it's a bit early for lunch don't you think?"
"Brunch then? Or maybe we could go for a walk through St James' Park first? What d'ya think? Hm?" Crowley seemed nervous as he glanced around the shop hurriedly.
"I'd like that very much." Aziraphale put the wine bottle back in the cabinet along with the glasses and looked up at Crowley who stopped shuffling around to stare at Aziraphale, specifically his bowtie.
"Did you get a new tie thingy?" He said pointing to the other's neck.
"Why, yes I did. Do you like it?"
"It's tartan." Crowley pointed out.
"Tartan is stylish!" Aziraphale defended.
"It's just like your old one." He continued to stare, Crowley was right, although this time it was a lighter shade of blue. "Suits you," he said finally, "now let's go." Crowley rushed out of the bookshop with Aziraphale beside him.
"It doesn't look bad, does it?" Aziraphale asked above the sound of Crowley's car radio that was playing what Aziraphale would describe as some kind of bebop that he had never heard before.
"It looks good Angel, why are you even thinking about it?" Crowley assured him.
"Well, it's just, after what happened last week, you know with Armageddon and the Adam the Antichrist and all that, I've been trying out some new things, just in case God decides that she wants to try setting another one of her plans in motion." He admitted and Crowley gave him a sad glance.
"If God wanted to try for round two I say bring it on." Crowley announced confidently.
"You're not worried?" Aziraphale was worried, it was plastered all over his face.
"Of course not! God isn't going to be trying anything any time soon. She needs to come up with a whole new plan so it'll be a bloody long time before anything happens." Crowley assured him.
"You're sure?" Aziraphale asked nervously.
"It took her six thousand years to think of the first one. And even if something does happen and it all goes awfully wrong we've always got Alpha Centauri."
"Oh, I couldn't leave the humans to fend for themselves." Crowley turned to his Angel.
"You really are fond of the humans aren't you?" He asked softly.
"Why yes, I suppose I am." Aziraphale smiled and Crowley smiled too, but not so Aziraphale could see him. The rest of the car ride was filled with the bebop that Crowley was fond of, or as regular humans would call it: Queen.
The Demon Crowley and the Angel Aziraphale had decided to leave the walk in St James' Park until after their brunch which Aziraphale was very much looking forward to. It was at their usual table at the Ritz which Crowley had booked the proper way this time, not just as he usually does which is just miracleing it free while they were on their way.
The smiling waiter came over and took their orders; Aziraphale decided to go with something sweet today, Crowley went for a glass of champagne. After all, today was a very special occasion. Crowley was planning something very big and very different today.
Their orders were out almost as soon as the ordered them and Aziraphale waisted no time before he began praising Crowley for the miraculous state of his bookshop which he had repaired for him after the fire.
"Not a single book out of place!" He said gleefully.
"Weeell, after two hundred and fifty years you'd expect anyone would know what goes where." Crowley shrugged it off as if it was nothing although he was secretly quite relieved. He was sure he had messed up on the bench at the back. Aziraphale was always changing the order of those books. Picking them up and moving them from place to place out of habit.
"I suppose you're right, but I still wanted to say thank you Crowley. You did a wonderful job." Crowley could feel his cheeks heating up and tried to brush off the embarrassment.
"I could say the same to you." He pointed out.
"About your car?" Crowley nodded. "I suppose you could say that," Aziraphale admitted, "but it's not nearly as impressive."
"Let's not worry about who was more impressive," Crowley took his glass, "let's enjoy today Angel." Their glasses clinked together.
"Let's." Aziraphale smiled.
The Angel and the Demon were so very happy together. In fact, they were so happy barely anything could spoil their moods. Not even when the swan had started chasing after Crowley through St James' Park. Or when Crowley had got them both ice creams, they had lost their ice creams last week so they decided that new ones were in order. Except, they weren't, because on the way over to the bench Crowley had dropped them right on his shoes.
Crowley did not seem to have much luck today, which was not considering how important today was. He only hoped that everything was going fine back at Aziraphale's book shop back on Greek Street in Soho...