Work Text:
It was a nice day. All the days had been nice this May. The kind of weather that was perfectly normal for the time of year. You were sitting at a table outside of a café, wearing a brimmed summer hat and your favorite green bracelet. You noticed a man dressed in old-fashioned and prim clothing fussing with the café door. It was a complicated thing, after all, with its newfangled two-way swinging hinges and frameless clear glass so as to blend in with the wall of storefront windows. You placed your macchiato down and assisted him with the door. After a moment of shuffling through, he turned to offer you his quick thanks. Upon seeing you properly, he lit up in the brightest smile you had ever seen.
“Thank you, my Dear,” said the gentleman. “That was very kind of you.”
You were a bit surprised by the praise, but you were already smiling. His smile was contagious. “Umm, thank you,” you managed. “Do you need any help with your things?”
He was carrying an armload: bags of pastries, a baguette, some parfaits, and two coffee drinks. Actually, his balancing act seemed a bit of a miracle. The name ‘Aziraphale’ was scrolled on one of the paper bags.
“No, thank you, my Dear. My dining companion should be along shortly.”
“Alright then,” you said as you returned to your table. Just then you noticed a slender man dressed in tight black clothing sacheting over to the friendly gentleman. “Wow,” you accidentally let the reaction slip from your lips.
Aziraphale turned to you and gave you a knowing smile. He then turned his attention to his companion as they settled at a nearby table. They enjoyed their goodies together, laughing and smiling. Well, one of them ate anyway, while the other merely chewed a few bites and sipped coffee. You stayed a while and watched. After all, you had had a long week at work and this was a lovely May afternoon. You had some leisure time, and you found this a worthy leisurely activity. The two men had a magnetism about them.
You engaged in some people-watching for some time. You also checked your social media and continued observing the couple. Eventually you decided to leave because your legs were feeling antsy and you fancied a walk. You left a generous tip on the table for the waiter and made sure your destination would require passing their table. You walked past, smiled at them, and wished them a good day.
Both of them looked up to smile at you. Aziraphale said, “And you as well. And may I say you have lovely brown eyes. They remind of someone I saw on a television program once.”
“Oh, well, I am not sure about all that. But thank you,” you replied. You were blushing. His companion with flame-red hair was staring at you through some stylish shades. He gave something resembling a crooked smile. You continued, or rather began, your walk. The weather and spring blooms were perfectly pleasant. In fact, after the encounter at the café, your entire day had seemed perfect. You didn’t have to wait in any lines, you spotted a sale on some jade earrings you had been eyeing and got them at an amazing price, everyone on your train ride home smelled nice, a friend you hadn’t heard from in a month phoned you and you two chatted for an hour, and your heart felt light and warm.
That night you tucked into your comfortable bed. The next morning you awoke, having had the loveliest dream.