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The Bentley was not far from Wickber Street when the phone rang. Since there was only one person in the Bentley to call him, Crowley answered, "Yes, angel?"
"Ah, Crowley. Good. Could you pick up a record at Maggie's before you come?"
Crowley frowned and replied, "Angel, you're in the store next door, you'll get it faster than me."
"No, no, my dear, please. I'm busy with Muriel, you know, and..."
Crowley chuckled softly, "It's okay, angel. I understand that after Gabriel's, how shall I say... peculiar sorting out, you're afraid to leave another angel alone near your books."
"Mmmmh. Thank you."
Though he doubted Muriel would have the same foolish idea as Gabriel, knowing Aziraphale, Crowley understood his fear of leaving anyone else alone with his precious books.
Moments later, he parked the Bentley on the street before quietly making his way to Maggie's shop.
He noticed Nina watching from the cafe and thought to himself that Maggie might not have to wait long. He nodded to the coffee shop owner before entering the record store.
"Hi Maggie."
"Oh, Crowley! How can I help you?" the blonde woman hastened to ask as she walked towards him.
"My... uh, Aziraphale said you had something for him."
Maggie nodded, "I'll get it."
She went to the back of the store and returned almost immediately with a record in her hand and handed it to Crowley.
Crowley asked, "What about payment?"
Maggie shook her head, "Mr. Fell and I have an arrangement. You know... um... rent. He doesn't pay his records and accepts my late rent." She hastened to add, "I know it's not fair, and I promise you that--"
She had stopped herself because Crowley had raised his hand and said, "It's his decision, I don't need justification. It's between you and him."
He was about to leave when the woman said quietly, "He really is an angel, isn't he?"
Crowley replied with a half-smile, "So he thinks. But he's so much more than that..." then he walked out without looking back, heading for the bookstore.
As they left the coffee shop, a blonde woman stopped them and called out to Aziraphale, "Oh, Mr. Fell, about the rent. I just want to say you're an angel."
Aziraphale shook his head, "Oh, nothing of the sort," then held up the plate of cake in his hand and added, "Eccles cake?"
The blonde woman shook her head and they each went their separate ways.
Crowley asked the Angel, "Doing good again, Angel?"
Aziraphale chuckled softly, "Oh, it hardly counts. A purely selfish action."
A purely selfish action.
Bullshit!
My stupid angel.
By the time he'd thought about it, Crowley was on his way through the bookshop door. The two angels hadn't seen him enter, and Crowley watched with amusement as Aziraphale fussed over Muriel as they delicately handled an ancient book.
Crowley poured himself a glass of wine, Aziraphale a glass of scotch, and sat down to wait for them to finish. He watched as the angel was attentive to Muriel, speaking kindly to them, giving them advice, gently correcting them when they made a mistake. So different from the way they must have been treated up there. And Aziraphale knew that better than anyone.
Selfish?
"Is this for me?"
The angel's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Crowley pushed the glass toward him and nodded.
Instead of sitting down, Aziraphale walked around the table and kissed him on the forehead before pulling up a chair beside him instead of the usual spot in front of Crowley.
Crowley stopped himself from touching the still-warm place where the angel had pressed his lips, amazed at the way Aziraphale was getting bolder with him.
He reached for his hand and gently kissed the palm before picking up his glass and clinking it against the angel's.
He said quietly, "You're kind to Muriel."
Aziraphale replied, "No, I'm just doing what's necessary to make them as comfortable as possible."
Crowley replied in a slightly drawling voice, "Yeah, yeah, tell yourself whatever you want."
Aziraphale frowned, "What do you mean, my dear?"
Crowley straightened, put his hand on the Angel's and asked softly, "Angel, tell me, why are you doing all this?"
"Doing what?"
Crowley raised an eyebrow and replied, "Help Maggie with her rent, help Muriel."
Aziraphale shook his shoulders, "I told you, it's selfish for Maggie and necessary for Muriel."
Crowley sighed and, intertwining his fingers with the angel's, asked softly, "And the sword of fire?"
Aziraphale frowned, "What, the sword of fire?"
Crowley continued in the same gentle tone, "Why did you give it to Adam?"
Aziraphale, a bit annoyed, replied, "I told you, she was pregnant, they were going to face animals, it was going to be cold."
"Hm," Crowley hummed, "but you were an angel, you weren't supposed to do that, and yet you did because you couldn't leave them in need."
Aziraphale wanted to pull his hand away, but Crowley held it tight as he continued, "Job's children, helping Gabriel, helping me by playing the magician, trying to help Wee Morag, and finally protecting me with your wing, why did you do all this? Why are you kind, Aziraphale, why do you want to do good so much?"
Aziraphale replied stubbornly, "Because I'm an Ang..."
Crowley interrupted, "No, Angel, you're kind because that's who you are, regardless of your function. It's who you are. You can't help but come to the help of someone in need because it's what your heart dictates."
Pointing to Aziraphale's chest and then to his forehead, he said quietly, "You're a good person, Aziraphale, whether you've made mistakes, whether you've been wrong sometimes or not, at the end of the day, you're a good person."
Aziraphale remained silent for a few moments, digesting the demon's words, then narrowed his eyes and asked Crowley, "What about you?"
"What about me?"
Aziraphale half smiled, "Mr. 'I'm not kind', do you think you're in a good position to lecture me?"
Crowley grumbled, "That's a low blow, Angel."
Aziraphale's smile widened, "So I'm not so kind after all."
Crowley let go of the Angel's hands and moved closer, smirking as he replied, "Oh, yes, you are. You may be a smartass, but you're a kind one."
Aziraphale chuckled, then with a serious expression, he raised his hand and brushed away a red strand of hair that had fallen across Crowley's forehead. Looking him in the eye, he placed his hand gently on his cheek and replied, "You're kind too, Crowley, you know. If you have examples for me, I have more. If you like, I'll list them-"
He was interrupted when the demon put a finger to his lips and shook his head. Crowley replied softly, "Let's call it a draw...we're both nice and we're the only ones who need to know."
Aziraphale smiled and kissed the finger on his lips before saying in an affectionate voice, "You're silly, but that's why I L..."
He stopped before he could finish the sentence, realizing what he was about to say.
He knew it was true that he felt that way, so why had he stopped?
Crowley looked at him and smiled softly before saying, "I know..." then leaning forward to close the distance between them, he pressed his lips gently to the Angel's, and they both soon forgot for a moment the word that hadn't been said.
Those words had been there since the beginning of time.
They had only just acknowledged them.
They would have plenty of time to tell each other.