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Aziraphale followed the Metatron with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He left Crowley, the earth, his bookshop. How could he do such a thing? Panic started to raise inside him, he took a big breath. No, he wouldn't blame himself. For the very first time someone in Heaven recognised his value, how could Crowley not understand and accept his choice?
"Here we are," the Metatron said. "You did the right thing," a smile on his face. Aziraphale smiled back. He looked around. Heaven was always the same, too white for his tastes. Oh, I'll miss earth so much, he thought.
He was the boss now, he could change Heaven. Crowley was right, it truly was a toxic environment but he could change that. He was different. He cared about humans. His choice was right and if the demon couldn't understand that then it wasn't his problem anymore. Oh, Crowley. He missed him terribly. And at the same time, he was so angry at him! They could have been together by now, in Heaven! Only if he hadn't said no. He touched his lips. A kiss. Could entities like them even kiss? It was a human thing really. To show affection, love. He shook his head. What was he even thinking? They were an angel and a demon, for God's sake!
"I'll leave you with your colleagues now. I have big plans for you, Aziraphale. Don't disappoint me."
The look he gave the angel made him shiver. And just like that he disappeared.
"Oh, the traitor!" Uriel said.
"Uriel, Michael," Aziraphale replied politely. "I am now the new boss, I don't know if you have been informed..."
"Oh yes we have, and we are astonished that you agreed to be in this position!" Michael said with a tight smile.
"Leaving earth, your boyfriend with the dark sunglasses..." Uriel continued with a smirk. Crowley. What is he doing now?
"He's not... We weren't... Nevermind. I'm here because I care too much about the earth, you see. I want to change Heaven."
"Oh that's funny. The last time someone tried to go against heaven you know what happened. This archangel in question was sent to earth without his memories. Yes, I'm talking about Gabriel. Do you really think that the Metatron will let you behave as you please?" Michael wasn't entirely wrong. However, he could do it. He was sure. The Metatron chose him, and he knew he cared a lot about the earth. Surely he wouldn't have chosen him if he had been planning to destroy the planet in question.
"Watch me," said Aziraphale with a provocative smile.
┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ °
Crowley was in his Bentley, driving around. He hadn't much to do anyway. Aziraphale left him. His companion, his only friend. And the only thing he had now was his beloved car. Six thousand years. He expected better than that. He expected better from him. He left Hell for him! For him he would do anything. But Aziraphale? His angel wouldn't do the same apparently. His angel. Crowley, for somebody's sake! Wake up! He's not yours anymore. And maybe he never was. He wanted to cry, he felt so pathetic.
What was he doing in Heaven? Were the other angels treating him well? Shit. Why was he even worrying about him? Sod him! Sod this! He was not his problem anymore! He chose this path. And he had to accept that.
He had to leave the earth, too many memories. 'Were should I go?'
┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ °
two weeks later
He would prefer never eating again than admit this but Michael was right. They wouldn't let him change Heaven. Then why making him the boss? He didn't understand. Oh, he felt so lonely. All the angels hated him. Nobody was on his side. Well, except Muriel. But they didn't count, they were too young, naive and pure to hate him. Crowley. Only if he could see what he was doing now, if he was feeling well.
Immediately his face lighted up. He had an idea.
"Okay, let's do this!" he said while snapping his fingers. Suddenly in front of him appeared a sphere. "Oh, um, hello!" he said with a warm smile "Show me Crowley, please."
Oh, Crowley! He was sleeping in their car. His. His car. The expression of his face was almost pained. Oh poor thing. Was he feeling lonely as much as him? He must do, he thought. Six thousand years they have been together, and suddenly they parted ways.
'You idiot. We could have been us.'
Oh dear, what have I done? He smiled sadly.
"Now you will dream of whatever you like best."
And he snapped his fingers.
┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ °
Crowley woke up with a strange feeling. He dreamed about Aziraphale, it was a pleasant dream. They were dining at the Ritz together, just like the old times. Nightingales were singing. But he could feel something different inside him. Something angelic almost. A blessing, perhaps. Aziraphale? No, it couldn't be.
He had to stop thinking about the angel, it wouldn't do any good. Not that he needed good. Big 'no good' fan him. Aziraphale was in Heaven, he probably had heavenly thingies to do. He wasn't surely making blessings to make him sleep better. What was he even thinking?
┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ °
When Aziraphale understood that Crowley was right all along it was too late. He had never felt so alone. He missed Crowley desperately. Sure, he monitored all his mouvements through the sphere but it wasn't the same thing. He had to do something. He entered in a isolated room and closed the door carefully. He took a phone from his pocket. "Please call the phone of the bookshop, the one on the desk!" He waited a few seconds when someone replied.
"Ello, ello, ello!"
"Muriel! It's me, Aziraphale," he whispered.
"Oh? Hi!!"
"Hello!"
"Why are you whispering?"
"There is an important matter I shall discuss with you right now. I'm going to give you a task, and you have to complete it bravely."
"A task? For me?"
"Exactly, would you be willing?"
"Of course!" they said excitedly.
"Jolly good. You have to deliver a message for me. To the demon Crowley."
"Crowley? He's here with me! Do you want me to pass it to you?"
Aziraphale screamed internally. WHAT?
┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ °
Crowley was feeling nostalgic and before he knew it the car stopped by the bookshop. "Evil car," he said with a smirk. He knocked at the door.
"Crowley? What are you doing here? Do you want to be arrested again? Because you can fool me once, not twice!" Muriel exclaimed seriously.
"Nothing of the sort. I just forgot... some things here, in the bookshop. I used to spend lots of time in here y'know" he said as an excuse.
Their face brightened. "Oh, of course! Come in come in!"
The bookshop was almost the same, Muriel didn't change anything. Although the organisation of the books now was different. Maybe it was for the best though, since Jim...Gabriel made a mess of things last time.
Suddenly the phone rang. Who is it now?
┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ °
"He...he is there? In the bookshop?" he said with a shaking voice.
"Yes, do you want to talk with him?"
"Better not. He must hate me. Just deliver my message for me dear, alright?"
"Sure thing."
"Say exactly these words: 'Hello, Crowley. I'm afraid I made a mistake and you can't understand how much I'm sorry for it. I'm so sorry and I miss you, everyday, every second. I, ah, hope you're well. I think I'm in a bit of trouble right now but don't worry. It's all tickety-boo. I'll try to escape from heaven and meet you soon. Of course if you are willing to speak to me. If you are not, I completely understand. You were right, I was wrong. Again, I'm terribly sorry. Hopefully we'll meet soon. Bye."
┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ °
"And that's what Aziraphale wanted to say to you."
Crowley remained silent for a few seconds. He was so angry at him! However he couldn't ignore the fact that he was in trouble. He had to do something. He had to save him.
"Muriel," he said angrily.
"Y..Yes?" The angel stammered.
"You have to arrest me. We are going to Heaven," he added firmly.
"Why?"
"We are going to save an idiot."
┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ °
A few hours later
Aziraphale was desperate. The angels wouldn't let him go. He technically was the boss, but it was just a title really. They wouldn't let him make any decision. Well unless it wasn't what they wanted to hear. His eyes started watering. Am I crying? He was such an excuse of an angel. Too good to be a demon, too bad to be a respectable angel. He was tired of all this. How could they want to destroy the earth? Now he understood Crowley, why he didn't want to be an angel again. He was such a fool. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice.
"Bring me to Aziraphale now!!"
"Please, you have to keep your voice down. If they knew what I'm doing I'd be in so much trouble!"
Crowley? Muriel? What are they doing here?
He followed the voices. There they were! He stood still. Crowley. He hadn't seen him in so long.
"Crowley," tears in his eyes. The demon looked at him and started to walk towards him angrily. Aziraphale wiped away his tears. "What are you doing here? It's dangerous!"
"You said it well, angel. 'S dangerous. And we have to get out of here."
Angel. His heart might just explode.
"Why are you here? You should hate me for how I treated you!"
"Why don't we go somewhere private? You said it yourself, 's dangerous," he insisted.
Oh, right! If someone saw his demon there... he couldn't even think about it.
"Follow me."
"Muriel, you can go back to the bookshop" Crowley faced the other angel. "And... thank you."
They nodded with a warm smile.
Crowley followed Aziraphale in a small room. The angel closed the door.
"Here we should be safe for now," he took a big breath. "Why would you do this? Did you forgive me?"
"Oh, angel. You are nowhere near my forgiveness." he said harshly.
"Then, why?"
"NGK. You're so stupid. An idiot. Well it doesn't matter now, does it? We don't have time. We'll talk later."
Aziraphale played nervously with his fingers. "You're right, I am. An idiot, I mean. The biggest in the whole universe. I shouldn't have said those things to you."
Crowley grumbled.
"Argh, okay okay. Now listen!"
"I'm so so sorry, genuinely sorry," Aziraphale started to cry.
"Why are you cry- stop crying!"
"Sorry."
"Stop sayin' sorry!" he grabbed him by his coat. They looked into each others eyes. Then the angel's gaze lingered on his lips. He suddenly remembered their kiss. How he wanted to kiss him again! "Angel...we have to go".
The demon's voice brought him back to his senses. Aziraphale shook his head. Crowley was right. They'll talk later.
"How are you planning to do that?"
"Do you remember the half miracle we performed to hide Gabriel? It was so powerful. I was thinking we could do something similar to... hide us. For a few months at least. Until we find a solution to all of this. Surely they'll look for you after a while. It's the only thing I could think of," the demon explained.
"I think it's a good idea."
Crowley nodded. "Take my hand." The angel followed his orders.
"Remember: it has to be an half miracle. Use as less magic as possible."
They snapped their fingers. "It worked?" Aziraphale asked.
"Well..." Suddenly an alarm went off. "I think so...we have to go!" Crowley snapped his fingers again.
Oh. They were inside the Bentley. Aziraphale looked down at their hands noticing they were still entwined. Then he looked at Crowley who was as well looking at their hands. His demon cleared his throat, then he let go of him. He started the engine and the car took off.
"Where are we going?" Aziraphale asked with curiosity.
"Oh far... so far away from here."
"It is probably for the best," the angel said nervously, he sighed. "Um, Crowley? Don't worry about me... you can leave me anywhere. I'll be fine."
Crowley looked at him with an angry frown. "Leave you anywhe-...What are you talking about?What do you mean? I won't leave you!"
Aziraphale was astonished.
"After all I've done? You have every right if you don't desire to deal with me."
"Like I said before, an idiot. Listen, 's not like I'm not angry anymore. Nor I forgave you, you still have to do the dance! But I cannot leave you, you said you are sorry already. I believe you," he explained, then he sighed. "The problem is if you want to be together, or am I too demonic for you?"
Remorse and shame grew inside Aziraphale. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things. I thought that the only way we could be together was as angels. And I was wrong. So wrong. But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate you as you are now. It's quite the opposite actually. I feel like we have a lot of things to talk about. So just as you very bravely did that day, I wanna talk about us as well. This time I talk, you listen."
Crowley nodded, "Go on."
"You are right, what we feel for eachother is deep. We have known each other for a long time. Six thousand years. If we count the years when you were an angel, even more. And I care about you, so much. I know I can rely on you and I hope you still feel like you can rely on me, because you can. I... um, I cannot say how much I'm sorry. You are the only one who understands me, when I'm with you I don't feel alone. Ever. I don't want you to think I don't accept you because you are a demon. I..." he took a big breath. "I like every part of you, I lo... I... Terribly sorry, this is hard for me" He apologized, not looking at him in the eyes. He couldn't.
Crowley stopped the car. He placed his hand on Aziraphale's. "You don't have to..."
"No, I do. You were right, we spent our existence pretending we aren't a group, a duo, partners. No more of that. Crowley..." The angel faced him, looking right into his eyes. "I love you, I love you deeply. You can't understand how much. When we are not together I always think about you, If you are doing well, if you miss me just as much as I miss you. And I would also like to spend the rest of my existence with you. Oh, Crowley. I'm not a human but I know what I feel. I love you desperately. You don't have to say it back, of course. I don't know if demons can even love but it doesn't matter. I'll love us enough for the both of us. If, that is, you'll have me."
A sob.
"Crowley? Are you crying, dear?"
"You idiot! Of course I love you. How could I not?"
Aziraphale squeezed his hand gently.
"Oh Crowley..."
They hugged. Crowley sobbed into his arms. Aziraphale was crying too. They held eachother tightly. The angel swore to never leave him again. Then he put his forehead on the demon's.
"Hello, dear," he smiled warmly.
"Hi, angel," the demon smiled back.
"Can I...?" the angel said looking at his lips. Aziraphale didn't have to repeat it twice. The demon joined their lips. The angel made a surprised sound. At the beggining the kiss was chaste, then it got more passionate. Their tongues danced together. They tried to communicate the other all their feelings through that kiss. Six thousand years of words not said, all in that kiss. Even though they didn't need to breathe, eventually they broke the kiss gasping for air.
"Don't ever leave me alone like that, okay angel?"
"I won't. I couldn't."
They had many hardships to face, but as long as they were together everything would be fine. As long as they loved each other. For all their existence, and even more if it was possible.