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“We need to talk,” Aziraphale said to Crowley as the demon entered his bookshop.
“Last time a conversation started like that Angel, the Antichrist had just been delivered.” Crowley smiled as he sauntered towards the back room.
“Right,” Aziraphale smiled. “Well, it’s nothing like that, just something I haven’t been able to get off my mind since we switched back.”
“Okay,” Crowley spread himself across the couch, one leg over an armrest, and his arms hanging off the back. “Everything alright, Angel? You look rather nervous.”
“Everything’s perfectly fine,” Aziraphale tried to smile his normal smile but clearly he was nervous.
“Come on,” Crowley straightened up a bit and tapped the couch. “You can say anything to me Angel, sit here with me and tell me what’s on your mind.”
“Right, of course,” the angel sat on the couch next to Crowley who had straightened up fully now, and was actually sitting properly for a change.
“Well,” Aziraphale began. “When I was in your body I couldn’t help feeling a great deal of love. I thought at first it was my own angelic love feelings coming through, but then I realized it was something different.”
“Really? Different how?” Crowley raised an eyebrow and laid down in the angel’s lap.
“Well,” Aziraphale took a big gulp of air before he continued. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot and the only conclusion I can come to is that I was feeling your love for me.” The angel smiled nervously down at the demon who was smiling up at him, head on the angel’s lap.
“That’s it?” Crowley smiled. “Of course I love you Zira. You’re my best friend, my only friend. It took you till we switched bodies to realize that? Maybe you’re not as clever as I thought you were,” the demon teased.
“Oh,” Aziraphale blushed. “Well it’s just, I mean, you always say how you’re a demon, you’re not nice. And I. . . I’m an angel love is kind of in the job description. What was that you called me? Zira? I like that, it’s nice. Oh, I love you too Crowley, you’re my best friend.”
“Really?” Crowley took his glasses off so he could see his angel more clearly, he had a genuine look of surprise on his face. “You really feel the same Zira?”
“Oh my dear man,” Aziraphale smiled and started to run his fingers through the demon’s hair. “I absolutely do, have for many years actually. If I’m truly honest with myself I think it goes back to Mesopotamia, you were so worried about the children. However, the first time I didn’t fight the thought away was when you saved the books.”
Crowley laid perfectly still for a minute, he didn’t want Aziraphale to stop touching his hair, the sensation was so lovely he’d never felt anything like it before, but he knew he needed to say something. Aziraphale had just confessed to loving him for nearly as many years as Crowley had love the angel.
“I’m sorry if I’ve overwhelmed you dear,” Aziraphale gently ran his fingers over Crowley’s scales.
Sssory Zira, didn’t realize I had changed. Crowley thought at Aziraphale as he started to slither up the arm of the couch.
“It’s quite alright darling,” Aziraphale kissed the top of Crowley’s head. “All of this is so new to me too.”
Let’s take a nap angel, I promise we can talk more later. Crowley thought sleepily at the angel.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Aziraphale snapped his fingers and the pair were upstairs in his bed, Crowley curled up in a ball on the pillow next to him.
“Sleep well my dear,” Aziraphale laid his head on the pillow next to Crowley. “We’ve got all the time in the world to discuss what this means for our relationship.”
I like the sound of that. Sssleep well my angel. Crowley thought back at Aziraphale.