Chapter Text
The Ritz was especially bright tonight. The people were happier, the food even more scrumptious, and the wine perfectly wonderful.
Done with his dessert, Aziraphale sat back with a sigh, feeling full and happy. Glancing at Crowley, he found him in a position similar to what it always was, sprawled in his chair, pointed chin in one hand, glass of wine in another and staring intently. It was what he usually did when out, but today, for some reason, he felt himself blush.
"Enjoyed your food, Angel?" Crowley tilted his head, a small smile lighting on his face. He looked absolutely beautiful, relaxed.
But did he have to make his voice so tempting? Goodness, he was blushing redder than ever.
"Why, yes. It was absolutely scrumptious, dare I say it, more wonderful than ever before." he smiled at Crowley, "You really should have tried the dessert my dear boy, it was exceptional today!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Crowley was smiling bigger, looking so happy and goodness he looked absolutely div- well, sinful. He was still murmuring. Aziraphale was starting to think he really was being tempted, now.
And all he could do was sputter out something or another, and hopefully hiding his flushed cheeks behind his glass, sipping his wine, searching for a topic change.
"Oh yes!" He remembered something now, "What were Nina and Maggie saying, back in the bookshop? You were discussing something, weren't you?"
To his great astonishment, Crowley blushed. He would deny it of course, growling something about how I'm a demon, Angel, and I don't blush. But there was no denying the steady reddening of his cheeks now, glowing warm under the lighting in the Ritz. Crowley was aware of it too, if the way twitched was anything to go by.
"Well- they, that is," Crowley sighed, Aziraphale was starting to feel confused now, what had they been talking about?
"Well if you must know", Crowley finally continued, "They were asking about last night. They, of course, had some questions, mostly regarding why we were pushing them together."
He gave Aziraphale a look, to which he blushed.
"They told me," Crowley softened suddenly, shoulders slumping slightly, "They said to me that we shouldn't have been doing that. That Nina had just got put of her relationship and needed time to get over it before getting together with Maggie. They also said.."
Crowley trailed off, looking uncharacteristically vulnerable. Aziraphale frowned, wondering what he was going on in his head. The demon had a tendency to be dramatic, but this felt... oh gosh, but this felt entirely too emotional. As long as they had been friends, Aziraphale couldn't remember the last time Crowley had shown so much emotion, even in front of him. Especially in public.
"What did they say, my dear boy?" Aziraphale prodded as gently as he could, desperate to understand what the matter was.
Crowley looked at him, lips turning up into a facsimile of a smirk, "They said, they'd get together in their own time. They would need to.. to talk.. that they couldn't just 'magically' fall in love."
"Oh." Aziraphale blinked. "Well."
"And, they also said, well that we, that is to say, you and me, well we don't..."
"Hold that thought!" Aziraphale burst out, so suddenly that it startled not only Crowley and himself, but also at least half the tables around them. A sudden silence followed by increasingly curious stares came their way from all around them.
Poor Crowley looked frozen. Aziraphale, very tentatively, touched his arm, afraid the demon might.. not react very well to his touch.
"Can we take this talk to the bookshop, dear one?" He asked softly, trying not to startle the demon further, "I-I need to say something as well and... well.. won't that be more comfortable? We're done here anyway."
Crowley blinked, snapping his fingers so fast Aziraphale thought they blurred.
"Let's go then, no point in loitering here." Crowley then all but shot out of his chair, bill settled and their server tipped generously.
Aziraphale sighed, knowing the ride back in Bentley was going to be anything but pleasant for his nerves.
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Back in the bookshop, Aziraphale had been right, the ride back had been terrifyingly fast, made even more uncomfortable by whatever the tension was now pulsing between them.
Now that they were here, Aziraphale could only watch as Crowley paced about the place, obviously agitated. He himself couldn't even think of sitting down, both of them restless.
Turning sideways, he looked at the spot where Gabriel and Beelezebub had been standing, holding hands. They had left, together, to be with one another.
They had found something so special with each other that it had even caused Gabriel to choose it over heaven. Just like he and Crowley had.
What had taken him so long to realize? Why had he waited? Especially after the Apocalypse-that-wasn't. They'd been left alone, why, oh why hadn't he just- well nothing for it now. He could do it now, he could look Crowley in the eye, and tell him-
Wait.
He was suddenly struck by something, a throw away comment Crowley had made, which he was too.. distracted... in the moment to notice.
He was living in his car?
Turning around, he saw Crowley had stopped pacing and was staring at him, opening and closing his mouth. His heartbeat was suddenly racing, thudding loud in his ears, his fists clenched, wanting to hold-
Say something, say anything... Aziraphale thought desperately to himself, sensing the same need in his demon's face.
"The Metatron."
They both blinked, startled.
See, Aziraphale was an angel. He had been on this planet for a while now. And of course he'd done somethings and said somethings, that he wished he could take back. Especially when it came to Crowley.
Never had the urge been so strong, though.
"What? What happened? What did he want, anyway? You were gone with him for a while, weren't you?" Crowley furrowed his brows.
He was right, after the Metatron had sent the angels away, he'd taken Aziraphale outside, wanting a chat. He'd seen Nina and Maggie sneaking in, when he'd been outside. They had indeed been outside for a while.
"Yes, he, well that is to say, we had a.. chat." Aziraphale nodded.
"What about, Angel?" Crowley seemed to have recovered from whatever jitters he'd gotten, now leaning casually against the back of Aziraphale's chair, sunglasses finally off and folded in his jacket.
Aziraphale hesitated, "Nothing, nothing of import, I assure you, dear boy. Just- he just offered me coffee, which I declined, of course. If he would have offered me tea however.. maybe I would have-"
"Angel." Crowley had walked a few steps forward, thankfully interrupting his nervous rambling. "What did he say? Did he say something to you? Did he threaten you? Do we need to-"
"NO! Well, not really-"
"What do you mean not really, what- Aziraphale!"
He sighed, removing his fingers from his waistcoat, tangling them together instead. There was nothing to it, no point in hiding this from Crowley.
"He- Crowley, he basically offered me a promotion." Aziraphale sighed, again, watching as confusion downed over Crowley's features.
"Promotion? What? I thought you weren't even representing Upstairs anymore? After the trials?"
"No, you're right. I wasn't a representative, haven't been for 4 years now. But, with Gabriel leaving... he, the Metatron said, that the position for the Supreme Archangel had opened up."
He watched as Crowley processed it, holding up a hand before he could interrupt, wanting to get everything out now that he'd started.
"He also said, well he offered really, even for you. That is to say, he offered you a position too, back in heaven, for us to- to work together, rebuilding heaven, how we wanted, and well of course, that would have been wonderful, and I said so to him. But-" Aziraphale sucked in a breath, a breath he didn't even need.
"Oh, oh no.. I should have asked you, I should have told you.. I shouldn't have answered on your behalf, oh my goodness."
Now they were both staring at each other in what could only be horror.
"Crowley, oh my dear boy, I'm so sorry. I, it's just that, in that moment, I'd been so sure of what you'd want, so I just told him- I cannot believe I did that. I should have atleast-"
"Angel," Crowley's voice broke, that was the only thing that stopped Aziraphale from talking further, his heart in pieces.
"Angel, please tell me we weren't.. we weren't, were we? At the Ritz?"
"My dear boy, what-" His throat felt painfully tight, unable to bear the desperation in Crowley's eyes.
He saw as Crowley took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, however ineffectively.
"Is that why you wanted to dine at the Ritz? To celebrate your, your promotion? Was that our- was that supposed to be our last dinner together? Before you, you ran back to Heaven, trying to, what was it, rebuild-"
Crowley was all but growling, spitting out the word 'promotion' as if it was a disease. Aziraphale had never felt more horrified, and confused.
"NO!" He all but shouted, fortunately cutting off whatever rant Crowley was building up to. He watched as the demon gaped a little, Aziraphale shouting was a rare sight, but the emotion in his voice-
"Crowley, no!" His eyes were filling with unnecessary moisture, skin prickling around them, throat tight. "Why would, why would I even..? Didn't we establish that we were on our own side? Why would you think..?"
"Angel, Aziraphale, tell me you said no."
"Oh Crowley! Of course I bloody well said no!" Aziraphale was about to lose it. "Why would I say yes?"
"Because you're good! Because you love Her! Because you love Heaven! What reason would you even have to stay down hear-"
"I stayed because I love you more, you silly demon!"
For nearly 6000 years, Aziraphale had enjoyed, truly enjoyed Crowley's company. Of those 6000 years, most were spent in denial, of their friendship, of their 'own side', of his own feelings for said demon. But once the feelings had decided that they were not to be ignored, well, Aziraphale had been powerless.
Powerless to stop ignoring them, powerless to not imagine..
And of all the ways he'd imagined confessing to Crowley, this was not how he'd envisioned it.
"I, Crowley," He choked out, "I'm so very sorry that I didn't ask you, I should have at least said something.. but. But I couldn't imagine leaving this planet behind, leaving our world behind. I really was sure you'd have not wanted to return to that place, so I.. I said no. I said no, Crowley."
He was feeling wretched, he really should have asked Crowley if he wanted-
His lips were so soft.
That was the first thought to enter his mind. As soon as he could think, that is.
While he'd been fretting, Crowley had grabbed him by the lapels and all but smashed their lips together.
His lips were soft on Aziraphale's, but the kiss was anything but. It was hard, teeth clacking and desperate. His own hands then decided on their own, to rest on Crowley's back, pulling him in.
He knees nearly gave out at the sound of Crowley's moan.
Tilting his head, he slotted their mouths together, softening the kiss, but the desperation stayed.
For as long as they had denied their feelings, it was only natural, that their emotions were going to boil over at some point. This kiss just proved that.
Pulling back slightly, Crowley rested his forehead against his, panting and still clutching his lapels in a white knuckled grip.
"Angel..." Aziraphale felt Crowley's hand on his cheek, wiping away tears that had spilt unwittingly.
"Oh Angel, please. I love you too." Aziraphale couldn't stop the noise leaving his throat any more than he could have stopped his heart skipping an unnecessary beat.
"You were right," Crowley pulled back, catching his gaze, "You were so right, I wouldn't ever go back. Not for anything. I have all I need. You are all I need."
"We're a team, a group." Crowley continued, in choked voice, beautiful yellow eyes galzed with emotions and tears, causing his fingers clutch tighter at his jacket.
"We've spent so long.. so long pretending that we aren't, that we don't need each other, but.. but now. We could be... us."
"Oh Crowley.."
They were kissing again, as soft as the feathers on his wings, as bright as the stars Crowley had loved so, before.
"What I want to say, that is, my point is," Crowley stuttered, breaking away but still holding his face gently in his long elegant fingers, "I love you Angel. I've loved you for a long time, and I'm so-"
Aziraphale's heart broke with Crowley's voice. Gosh, how had he been so blind?!
"I'm so happy you didn't leave."
As if Aziraphale could ever, willingly leave him.
For the first time since, well, as long as he could remember, Aziraphale was exactly where he wanted to be, doing exactly what he wanted to do, with the only being he ever wanted to be with. Without any misgivings.
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Outside, Maggie glanced at the bookshop, almost on a reflex really. What she saw, made her stop and smile wide.
Stepping inside the coffee shop, she made her way towards the counter, selfishly glad there were no customers in, so close to the closing time; feeling lighter especially with Nina smiling at her widely.
"The usual, then?" she asked.
"Yes, the usual." Maggie couldn't stop smiling, even when it made Nina blush preciously. "Oh! You wouldn't believe what I saw!"
"Oh? What would that be?" Nina tilted her head, handing her the coffee.
"Seems like our conversation with Mr. Crowley was successful. I saw them while coming in here. They were hugging, in there."
She couldn't help but giggle, absurdly glad she could help kind Mr. Fell in any way she could. Especially grateful to him and Mr. Crowley, for a chance at her own love story.
She watched fondly, as Nina exclaimed something and hurried to the windows of the coffee shop, peering out curiously towards the bookshop.
Yes, she was indeed happy.
And if the evening felt especially lovely, with a pretty sunset and nightingales singing, well. No one needed to be the wiser about it, other than the two beings wrapped in each other's arms, oblivious all the same.