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It’s Tickety Boo!
It will always be a strange occasion an angel and demon sit together on a bench. They can obviously sense the other’s demonic and miraculous abilities so there’s no hiding it. They are hereditary enemies anyways. What purpose would they have to sit together on a bench?
That is if it’s anyone other than A Serpent and An Angel Who Was Technically on Apple Tree Duty. Then it’s quite normal.
Sitting together on a bench was their trademark of The Arrangement. Once benches were invented, that is. Aziraphale sat politely on the left and Crowley slouched with his arm over the side on the right.
Although the location was in no way strange, the occasion was world endingly intriguing. The particular angel and particular demon had worked with an 11 year old human child, and had saved the world.
The two boarded a bus, and due to an incredibly demonic intervention a bus going to Oxford had changed paths to London and no one knew why. It was a miracle no one noticed the changing paths.
The bus pulled up and the hereditary enemies boarded together. Finding a seat in the middle they stuck up a conversation.
“Choose your faces wisely.” Crowley though for a moment. “What do you reckon that means.”
“Not a clue.” Aziraphale replied. “How about: for soon you shall be playing with fire?”
“Not a clue.” The demon enchoed.
There was a length of silence. “What do you think they’ll do?” Aziraphale asked.
“What would you do if two people caused a collective of twenty billion supernatural beings to put down their swords in a battle six thousand years coming?” Crowley scoffed. “Make an example.”
Azirphale didn’t answer for a moment. “Fire.” Aziraphale came to a realization. “Could she mean hellfire?”
“No.” Crowley said. “They would kill you… Would they? No. They’re angels they’re… the good guys. Right?”Aziraphale’s lack of an answer was the response in of itself. “Right.”
“But what burns a demon?” Aziraphale asked.
There was a ominous pause before Crowley answer, the word was cruelly familiar in his moth. “Holy water.”
Aziraphale thought about it. “Would they really?”
“I wouldn’t put it past them.” Crowley said. If angels would kill one of their own demons definitely would.
“Choose your faces wisely.” Aziraphale mumbled. Trying to decipher the rest of the prophecy. Another realization dawned on him. “What if she meant it literally!”
“What?” Crowley asked, confused.
“Choose your faces wisely, well what if that meant our actual faces.” Aziraphale told his counterpart.
“I still don’t get it. We what? Wear makeup?”
“No. We switch places.” He said it like it was obvious. “Angels aren’t harmed by holy water and demons are immune to fire.”
“How else would I have rode in a flaming Bentley 50 kilometers.” Crowley grinned, he looked like someone in solitary for a few to many years.
“Yes exactly.” Aziraphale said, trying to ignore the image in his mind of Crowley driving through a giant hellfire symbol at 100 kilometers an hour in a burning pile of metal and rubber. “So we find a way to switch places.”
“This isn’t like the Arangment. They’ll notice if we switched because of the magic. Besides how would we even do that?” Crowley said.
“I… hmm.” Aziraphale though for a bit. “Well. This might sound crazy.”
“Never a good sign from you.” Crowley mumbled.
“But what if we… I don’t know. Possess each other.”
“What?!”
“We’ll do you have any better ideas?”
“Aziraphale. Seriously.”
“Crowley.” He sighed.
“An angel. A demon.” Crowley stated.
“Crowley.” Aziraphale said in a more warning tone.
“It’ll probably explode.” Crowley continued.
“Crowley!” It was the same tone that had been used back all the way in the 1850’s. When Crowley asked for… insurance. It was a tone that meant Aziraphale wasn’t just annoyed. It was desperation. “I don’t want to loose you.” He said in a gentle but hurt tone.
Crowley paused. “Nor I you Angel.”
The bus pulled to a stop, halting the conversation with it.
They stepped off the bus, the city calm in the late night. Aziraphale paused outside of the flat. You haven’t got a side anymore. Neither of us do. Aziraphale blinked away tears. He had been devoted to heaven for so long. Trying to stop a war because it would destroy the one place that mattered more to him. Earth. He thought the angels were guardians of the earth against Hell.
He couldn’t have been more wrong.
Angels were cruel. Not in the way demons are cruel. They do good. They do what they think is good. They’re only interested in stopping demons. No angel, nor demon could see the true beauty of it. They only saw earth as a place for a game of cosmic chess that must be won at all costs. Not a place of living and breathing, loving and hating.
“Aziraphale?”
“Hm?” The angel snapped out of his thoughts.
“I said are you coming?”
“Oh of course.” He smiled politely.
“After you.” Crowley said, holding open the door.
Aziraphale smiled warmly. The flat was quite minimalist but had a feeling in the air that would only be described as ‘Crowley’.
The flat was like the polar opposite of the book shop.
But at the same time, there was a spark of similarity. Just enough to make it worth staying.
Aziraphale sat on the gray couch as Crowley pulled out a bottle of wine.
“Could it actually work?” Crowley asked.
“I don’t know. But it is worth a try isn’t it?” Aziraphale replied.
“I guess.” Crowley returned to the couch with a bottle. The cork was removed and he took a swig.
“All of Agnes prophecies have been on the mark so far.” Azirphale stated.
“Why didn’t your lot stop her abilities?” Crowley asked, passing the bottle.
“If I do recall she was so accurate no one listened to her. The book never sold but for one copy kept by Agnes’ family. She was so correct she didn’t need to be incorrect.” Aziraphale took a drink.
“Huh.” Crowley said.
A tense silence filled the space.
“We might as well try it.” Crowley finally said. “Just to know now.”
“Yeah.”
“How would we go about it.”
“No idea.”
Aziraphale paused for a moment. He held out his hand, “If we’re going to try it we might as well just… do.”
Crowley looked confused. “Angel. I have no idea what that means.”
“Well it would take a work demonic power for a demon to convincingly posses an angel, and a miracle indeed for an angel to do the same. So let’s approach it like that.”
“Just magic it to happen.” Crowley scoffed.
“Might as well.” Aziraphale countered.
Crowley shrugged. “Worth a shot.” He grabbed Aziraphale’s hand.
Both beings willed the swap to happen, and well. It just happened. The two literally swapped places. It wasn’t like possession though. Not inhabiting another as much as become one another. It was more evident by the fact they still sat in the same places, just in different bodies.
“Huh. It worked.” Crowley said. It came out Aziraphale’s voice, but the tone was much different. It was lower than his usual tone, not as polite.
“Well I’ll be.” Aziraphale replied in Crowley’s voice. Once again it didn’t have the same tone. It was quite a scene to hear Crowley’s voice spoken in such a high pitch.
Crowley just stared. This was very nearly, but definitely not the strangest thing to happen all day. “You really don’t sound like me.” He stated.
“I don’t know what you mean. It sounds as if I’m using your voice.” Aziraphale said. The tone was polite and outgoing.
“No but you don’t sound like me. You sound like me imitating you.”
“Well… actually you sound the same way.” Aziraphale realized.
“I guess.” Crowley‘s voice dropped down when Aziraphale’s would go up at the end of a sentence like that. “Oh I see what you mean.”
“So we just pretend to be each other until they capture us?” Aziraphale asked.
“What else is there to do?” Crowley asked back.
“We have all night to practice being each then.” Aziriphale said. “Let’s hop to it!”
“Lesson one. Don’t say ‘hop to it’.” Crowley grumbled. A scowl really didn’t fit Aziraphale’s face. Crowley clearly didn’t care.
-ineffable-
By the morning both beings had fallen asleep, but throughout the night had realized they were quite adept at copying one another. They had spent six thousand years together of course.
Crowley woke up first. He looked at the sleeping Aziraphale. Even though he was looking at his own body, the peaceful look showed who it actually was.
What also showed was that Crowley’s body was on the left of the couch. To most this wasn’t anything significant, but Crowley knew. Only Aziraphale ever sat on the left.
He gently shook the angel awake. “Hm?” Aziraphale mumbled. He looked confused at first when he woke. “Oh. Right.” He chuckled softly. Not something that came naturally to Crowley’s voice.
“Reality shifted overnight. I can feel it.” Crowley said.
“Yes me too.” Aziraphale nodded. Curiosity sparked his eyes. “Do you think the book shop could be back?”
Crowley chuckled. “It could be.” He secretly hoped the Angel’s treasured collection was okay. He know how much it meant to the poor being.
“Oh I do hope so. Shall I go check?”
“I think it’d be better if I did. Not to raise suspicion.”
Aziraphale realized he was indeed in Crowley’s body. He nodded. “Right.”
“The first meetup spot midday?” Crowley asked.
“It that the park or the bus?”
“The park obviously.” Crowley scoffed. Another thing really not suited for Aziraphale’s voice.
“Right.” The real Aziraphale nodded.
“You you at noon angel.” Crowley smiled. Even with Aziraphale’s face, the look of someone who spent a few too many years in solitary reflected through his eyes.
“Begone demon.” Aziraphale smiled kindly. Something that even on Crowley’s face was the sweetest thing second to chocolate.
And so the two separated to the other’s home in the other’s body, looking as if nothing was wrong.
-Ineffable-
Crowley sat in the taxi, he was already putting up the act of being his counterpart. He got out and stood on the street corner. He looked at the old building. It had been there since the French Revolution. It had been there until yesterday. Yesterday when he found it burning, and his best friend dead. Now he stood there in his best friend’s body.
He tried not to tug on the tight waistcoat. Alt though his posture was good enough to convince any passerby he was Aziraphale, The skeptical glance ever present in his eyes still stayed. That was something he couldn’t quite disguise. He was a demon after all.
He had been to the book shop many times. He knew the place all to well. The rest of Hell’s spawn probably wouldn’t like that fact but it didn’t matter now. He could tell when he walked in everything was in the right place. The feel of the room. It was almost, but not entirely the room he was used too. One thing stood out. A collection of bright red children’s books. Something that he was sure Adam was directly responsible for.
“Those are new.” The words were in Azirphale’s voice and accent even, but still held Crowley’s timbre. Crowley did let a snake smile out though. Azirphale would be thrilled.
-So Gay-
Azirphale walked down to the corner of the block in perfect swagger. With the glasses it was hard to tell he wasn’t Crowley in the moment. He came to a slow stop. The Bentley, good as new, sat on the street corner. It gleamed. Though the hood ornament was slightly different, it was truly the Bentley.
I glowing smile spread onto his face. Azirphale gave up the ruse. Crowley was going to be so happy! He saw a taxi drive by and had to let go of the train of thought. It was nearly noon
and time to meet up. He couldn’t wait to tell Crowley! He let the smile go as he walked to the cab. The tartan collar sat nice sat against his neck.
Secretly he knew there was one thing Crowley might not like.
And it was the collar.
-It’s So Cute-
“Strawberry lollie and a vanilla with a flake please.” Azirphale knew both their favorite ordered from the ice cream stand. Both stood with the respective posture of the body they were in.
Azirphale resisted a mischievous smile, something even he would crack sometimes. They were sitting ducks though, and it had been long enough each delegation of Heaven and Hell would be coming. “How’s the car?” Asked the demon impersonating an angel. He was really asking for himself, but to others it appeared he was wondering for his friend.
“Not a scratch on it.”
Crowley silently cheered.
Crowley could right now, as both could, feel time was drawing closer to the time they would be taken in. Although they planned for it, neither would like to risk being brought to heaven and hell. Even in disguise.
“How’s the book shop.” The angel impersonating a demon asked in response.
“Not a smudge. Not a book burnt, everything back, just the way it was.” The mock Azirphale said. He paced to the left, wanting to get every detail right.
As the man gave the two beings their ice cream ‘Crowley’ gave an uncharacteristically cheery smile. If one knew he was actually Azirphale it would be perfectly in character.
“You heard from your people yet?” ‘Azirphale’ asked glancing around.
‘Crowley’ shook his head. “Yours?”
“Nothing.” The demon replied in almost a whisper.
“Do you… understand what happn’d yesterday?” The angel asked.
“Well, I understand some of it.” Crowley couldn’t resist the chance to use the word. “But some of it… well.” A smile played at his lips. “It’s just a little bit too, uh—“
INEFFABLE.
Doves flew as Death appeared.
‘Crowley’ opened his mouth. “Oh that… that’s funny seeing him here.” Azirphale for a moment forgot about his act. “That’s meant to be bad luck.” He suddenly felt something. Angels. Archangels. “That’s meant to be bad.” Crowley was gone.
Muffled cries were pulled away. Azirphale watched as Crowley was dragged away.
“Renegade angels all tied up with string, these are a few of our favorite things.”
It was a angelic work of evil that no one noticed the scene that followed. “Stop! Stop them!”
Everything happened back to back to back. “What’s wrong love?” A woman cried, before smacking him round the head with a crowbar. “Ooh. Bad luck dear.”
Azirphale felt his vision tunnel in. Even supernatural beings were affected by a crowbar to the skull. He looked up at the demons surrounding him. He was terrified, but technically… it was all according to plan. The band music echoing through the park faded. Nope. “It’s not a problem.” ‘Crowley’ said weakly. “It’s tickety-boo.”
-HAHAHAHAHA-
Azirphale sat in heaven. Disgruntled but civil, and tied to a chair. At least that’s what Gabriel thought. In fact, it was Crowley. And Crowley sure as hell hoped this plan would work.
“Ah. Azirphale.” Gabriel smiled. The smiles was his outer layer of evil. Not demonic evil.
Just evil.
“So, glad you could join us.”
“You could have just sent a message.” ‘Aziraphale’ said. Crowley was really struggling to resist the urge to punch this angel in the jaw and ruin his oh so “perfect” complexion. “I mean, a kidnapping in broad daylight.”
“Call it was it was an extraordinary rendition.” Gabriel mockingly replied. Crowley tried to give a polite smile, but had to try harder not to scowl. “Now! Have we heard from our new associate?”
“He’s on his way.” An angel answered.
Gabriel smiled excitedly. “He’s on his way.” Clearly he was trying as hard as Crowley not to be rude. Or openly murderous. Same difference.
It didn’t matter, because both rude and murderous were not angelic appearances. Crowley forced a smile back.
“I think you’re going to like this. I really do.” He bent down to ‘Azirphale’, who was still tied to a chair. “And I bet you didn’t see this one coming.”
Crowley now truly have a polite smile. But this time it was to hide a smirk. That was a very nice and accurate smile in fact. Crowley thought to himself unironically.
Oh they saw this one coming.
-ITS INEFFABLE-
Aziraphale had been dragged through nine circles of hell, and now located in the pentagon of hell. Where most demons work. He stood to the trial of a traitor. He had already made three jokes. It was almost fun putting up this act. It most definitely would be if he wasn’t a sliver away from death and extremely worried about his demonic friend (read: lover) up in heaven. Neither had been to the other’s domain in over six thousand years.
Through the jokes and act he was putting up, he was indeed terrified though. One angel against all of hell. One demon against all of heaven. It wasn’t exactly an even match.
“And the murder of a fellow demon.” Hastur stated. “A crime I saw with my own eyes.” The eyes he spoke of were infinite pools of dark ink.
What exactly had Crowley been up to?
“Creatures of hell!“ Beelzebub announced. “You’ve heard the evidence against the demon known as Crowley.“ she said bored. Aziraphale looked back to the crowd of demons behind the glass of the trial room. A bathtub sat between the areas. “What is your verdict?”
As predicted the demons hagan to chant his guilt.
“Do you have anything to say before we take our vengeance on you?” Beelzebub asked. Surprisingly merciful demons are… Azirphale thought.
“What’s it to be?” Azirphale asked. “An eternity in the deepest pit.” He wondered of the verdict, although he knew, or hoped her knew, what it was already.
“No we’re going to do something even worse.” Hastur said, his voice slimy with rage. “Letting the punishment fit the crime.”
Ticking footsteps approached through the hall. ‘Crowley’ turned around to see… “Archangel Michael? That’s… unlikely.”
“Cooperation with our old enemies.” Old enemies? That wasn’t a good sentence.
“Well wank wings brought the stuff?” Hastur asked.
Michael seemed to contain her temper. In her hands was a small vase of holy water. It obviously contained more than it seemed to, the magical aura was visible around it. “I did. I’ll be back to collect it.” She offered, implying she would leave the water for the demons to pour themselves.
Hastur eyed the vase. “No I think you’d better do the honors… I’ve seen what that stuff can do…” he grumbled the end.
Azirphale watched blankly as Michael poured the seemingly normal looking water into the bathtub.
It was anything but normal.
-OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCHES-
“Don’t get this view down in the basement.” A familiar voice spoke. Crowley recognized it as the horn haired demon that oversaw many of Hell’s diplomatic stances. The demon released a ball of hellfire, it spun into a gleaming tornado of flame.
The archangels took a step back.
Crowley eyed it, his smirk shone through in Azirphale’s eyes.
-HERE WE GO-
The demons watched with a mixed range of emotions as Michael finished pouring the water. “That’s holy water.” ‘Crowley’ stated. To those in the room it seemed Crowley was seeing his six thousand year life flash before his eyes. In fact it was Aziraphale beginning to doubt the plan.
“The holiest, yes.” Michael said sternly. Perhaps even a sliver of amusement played beneath her voice. An angel enjoying killing anything was unthinkable though.
“Uh it’s not that we don’t trust you Michael but obviously we don’t trust you.” Beelzebub said lazily. “Hastur. Test it.”
Michael walked of the scene as Hastur tossed an imp into the water. It struggled, begging mercy. But demons didn’t respect imps quite as much as angel, and it was thrown into the tub of water, thrashing.
“Wrong place wrong time.” Hastur shrugged as the imp simply vanished. Melting into the water.
Aziraphale felt bad for the poor imp. Really it was the wrong place wrong time for him.
“Demon Crowley. I sentence you to extinction by holy water. Have you anything to say?”
If it all went according to plan then Azirphale would get Crowley’s clothes dreadfully wet. So, since he could do something about that he did ask.
“Well yes, um.” He did his best to channel Crowley’s vanity. “This is a new jacket I’d hate to ruin it.” He couldn’t help being a teensy weensy bit sarcastically polite. “Do you mind if I take it off?” Okay. Maybe a bit more than a teensy weensy bit.
For once, Azirphale really did smirk.
-LMAO-
“So. With one act of treason.” Gabriel punctuated every word. “You averted the war.”
“Well I think the greater good—“
“Doing talk to me about the greater good sunshine. I’m the archangel fucking Gabriel.”
Oh shit. Crowley though. When Aziraphale said strongly worded letter from Gabriel… he meant it. At the same time Crowley realized just how bad these angels were. Gabriel didn’t even smile.
Crowley’s face fell.
“The greater good was we were finally going settle things with the opposition once and for all.” If Gabriel was a demon who would have fell for rage. His temper leaked to the surface in his tone.
In a mockingly polite manner Crowley smiled for an instant. Clearly another Angel had lost their temper too.
Crowley didn’t know their name but an angel with gold flakes on their face demanded him up, and removed the ropes holding him down. If everything goes to plan… Crowley suddenly doubted the entire plan. His gut filled with worry for Aziraphale. If every thing went to plan, these total assholes of angels would leave his friend (read: boyfriend) alone though. As would the demons. Continuing his act Crowley stood up and adjusted the arms of his coat. He did adjust the cot and tie as well. Although he didn’t really know how to adjust a tie, and more just shook it a little.
“I don’t suppose I can,” he forced his tone upwards how Aziraphale would, “persuade you to reconsider?” He flashed a smile only Aziraphale’s face could shine, even scrunching his eyes in the way his companion would. It had no effect on the angels. The smile fell. “We’re meant to be the good guys for heaven’s sake.” He couldn’t believe said that twice in one weekend.
“Well, for Heaven’s sake we are meant to make examples out of traitors. So.” A pause. “Into the flame.”
They didn’t even have mercy! That was one of the seven saving graces of whoever wasn’t it? Or something like that. Azirphale was the most Angelic angle out of the whole lot!
Crowley approached the inferno. What if somehow went wrong… it was always possible. He sighed solemnly. He was a demon. He grew up dancing in flames. Now it was time to put that to use. “Right.” He said starkly. “Well, lovely knowing you all.” Crowley tried to think of something Aziraphale would say. “Maybe meet on a better occasion.”
“Shut your stupid mouth. And die already.” Gabriel smiled. Unlike even Crowley’s fake smiles it didn’t reach the Archangel’s eyes. It was plastic. Crowley stared at him. It was the closest he could get to a glare without giving himself away. He returned the smile with a small tug of his lips.
It was more like an upside down scowl.
He walked into the flame.
-FUCKING GABRIEL MAN-
Demons stared in horror, shock, or some combination of confusion as ‘Crowley’ lay pleasantly in a bath of holy water. Crowley’s long legs lay over the side protecting the high socks Azirphale had chosen from the water.
Azirphale was currently having a much more pleasant occasion in Hell than Crowley in Heaven. Ironic.
Azirphale was actually enjoying this act very much. A little to much actually, but in the moment he blamed it on being in either Crowley’s body, or being in Hell.
He tossed water onto the glass and it evaporated into the sulfuric air. “I don’t suppose anywhere, in the nine circles of Hell… there’s suck thing as a rubber duck? No?”
-yeah it’s not hell dude, just admit it, you’re just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing-
Crowley sighed as if the blazing pire of demonic plasma he currently stood in, was a sauna. He popped his neck as Azirphale did so often.
The Archangels only stared in confusion.
Still mad a Gabriel for how he was treating Aziraphale (technically Crowley but the asshole didn’t know that) Crowley decided to scare them. A sinister look appeared on his face. He breathed a length of flame towards the three angels like a dragon.
He smiled devilishly, but not the flirty kind of devilish, the actual devilish kind of way.
“It may be worse than we thought.” Gabriel admitted.
-RAWR-
“He’s gone native.” Beelzebub was… some emotion other than Sloth, so that was something. “He isn’t once of us anymore.”
Azirphale chuckled internally, they had no idea.
-GASP-
“What… is he?” The gold specked Angel asked.
Crowley grinned in a truly snakelike manner.
-SNAKE-
“So you’re probably wondering… if he can do this. I wonder what else he can do. And very, very soon, you’re all going to get the chance to find out.” Azirphale was more cat like than serpentine in his motions. It still portrayed the character though.
“He’s bluffing. We can take him. One demon against the rest of Hell.” While he was bluffing, he wasn’t a demon. Which they clearly didn’t know.
“Shut it!” Beelzebub snapped. “Get him out of here, this’ll cause a riot. What are you all looking at? Nothing to see! Nothing to see here!”
The elevator dinged. Michael approached. “I came to bring back the— oh… lord.”
“Michael! Dude..” that word, no matter what body, did not fit in Aziraphale’s mouth and never would. He was so secretly exited inside it didn’t matter. Crowley would love this when Aziraphale told him! “Do us a quick miracle, will you? I need a bath towel.”
Michael did as requested. She confusedly handed him the towel.
“I think.” Azirphale said, ready to make his point. “It would be better for everyone. If I were to be left alone in the future. Don’t you?” He looked to each of the demons and the one angel. They all nodded in reply.
“Right.” He couldn’t resist. He flashed an Aziraphale (tm) smile.
-DING-
Crowley was sitting on the left. Aziraphale on the right.
They had both been sent back from their respective levels of management back to the park where they were taken from. There was had been a long hug involved when they reunited.
Aziraphale leaned back onto the bench, his arm draped around the side of it. Crowley on the other hand was sitting quite… er… politely. His hands were crossed in his lap and he sat up straight.
“Do you think they’ll leave us alone now?” Azirphale said, in a tone that obviously did not belong to him.
“At a guess, they’ll pretend it never happened.” Crowley said, also in a tone that even more clearly was not his own.
The actual Crowley just grumbled in return.
“Right. Anyone looking?” Azirphale asked with an innuendo. It was quite an interesting sound spoken in Crowley’s voice.
Aziraphale looked around as Crowley used a demonic trick to check the minds of the humans around them. “Nobody.” He readjusted. “Right. Swap back then.”
They joined hands and in an instant one was sitting in the other’s spot. Although their minds stayed in the same place. So Azirphale was back as himself and Crowley was finally not wearing a waistcoat.
The both readjusted. The positions of each looked much more natural to their own bodies. Aziraphale shook his arms out, and Crowley suddenly noticed…
“A tartan collar? Really?”
“Tartan is stylish.” Aziraphale said, mock offended.
Crowley blew his lips together. That man sometimes.
“So. Agnes Nutter’s last prophecy was on the money.” He leaded over conspiratorially. “I asked for a rubber duck.” That got Crowley’s attention. “And I made Michael miracle me a towel.” He giggled.
Crowley laughed, but changed the topic. He didn’t want to tell Aziraphale how Gabriel acted. It was already a touchy subject how to the Angel how Heaven’s task force had been acting. “They’ll leave us alone. For a bit.” Both sighed. “If you ask me, both sides are going to use this as breathing space. Before the big one.”
“I thought that was the big one.” Aziraphale said concerned.
“No, for my money the really big one… is all of us, against all of them.” Crowley admitted. He looked to his Angelic friend, who was processing what the demon just said. Crowley thought what he said though. Both sides had no respect for the humans in the game of cosmic chess. So far the match had ended with a tie, the the pieces were soon to be knocked down.
“What?” Aziraphale asked. His face was creased with concern. “Heaven and Hell against… humanity?”
Crowley realized he had spoken to many thoughts to fast. “Right.” He spoke up. “Time to leave the garden.” He eluded to their first meeting. “Let me… tempt you to a spot on lunch?”
“Temptation accomplished.” Aziraphale laughed. He thought for a moment. “Hmm… what about the Ritz. I believe a table for two has just miraculously come free.” He smiled.
“Ahh.” Crowley smiled.
Maybe it wasn’t over yet. But they had their own side now. They would take this as breathing space too.
Maybe they weren’t done. But they were together.
Crowley smiled with a hint of kindness when he tempted his friend to lunch.
Aziraphale have a hint of a mischievous smirk when he miracled their party a table.
They were okay for moment.
And a nightingale sang.