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The bell to the front door jingled out loudly, filling the empty silence of the bookshop with it's delicate tones.
A figure dressed in a tight black shirt, jacket and tight black jeans stumbled in past the door, barely grazing it with his shoulder and closed the door with a snap behind him. His long nimble fingers darting out quickly to move the Open sign to Closed. His eyes flitting about on the crowd that passed by the door's window. He stood there for a moment before the figure turned to face the bookshop, slowly taking off his black round glasses as he went, stuffing them in the breast pocket of his jacket.
'Angel!" the figure called out as he moved further into the Bookshop.
Sunlight streamed in through the windows, lighting up random shelves with brillance and the figure couldn't help but scowl at the endless rows of books. He spun slowly in a circle, searching for whom he was looking for.
His eyes fell on a pile of books that sat delicately on his friend's desk and he couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Angel!" he called out again and there was a noise from the back of the shop.
He whirled elegantly to look in that direction before a mop of curly white hair popped out from behind a bookshelf, followed by piercing blue eyes and a wide brilliantly white smile.
"Crowley," the Angel breathed out, a touch of fondness in his tone.
Crowley's eyes focused on the Angel before falling to the books in his hands.
"And what are you doing?" Crowley asked, a hint of distaste in his voice.
The Angel in question tapped the book in his hand with his other, his smile widening.
"Oh, I'm just curating a reading list for Maggie. She's recently taken up reading." he replied, walking gently over to the books on his desk and placed another to the pile.
"Reading?" Crowley half muttered, as he also moved towards the desk.
Aziraphale moved away, disappearing once again into the stacks.
Crowley's eyes roamed over the titles before settling on one. His eyebrows shot up in surprise and he picked it up.
"How to love yourself in eighty simple steps." Crowley read the title before looking up and over at Aziraphale.
The Angel poked his head out again with a nervous chuckle.
"I wasn't aware Maggie was in such dire need." Crowley said with heavy sarcasm.
"She's not, that's not for her." Aziraphale replied, as he lifted his arm to pull a book out from the shelf in front of him.
"No? Pray do tell me who is in desperate need of loving themselves." Crowley replied, his nails digging slightly into the cover.
"I actually brought that for you. I was-"
"For me?" Crowley interrupted.
Aziraphale faltered, his hands rubbing slightly on his jacket.
"I was passing through the market and I saw it, gave it a skim through and I thought that maybe you'd lik-"
"I don't read Angel, for starters and I definitely do not need to love myself. I'm a demon, I don't feel love." Crowley replied as he slammed the book back down on the desk.
"Well you and I both know that to not be true, don't we Crowley?" Aziraphale stated, tilting his head to study in friend in detail.
His eyes roamed over the demon as one would look at a priceless artefact.
Crowley stared at his friend, debating whether or not if the Angel had indeed lost his head.
"Besides, reading is a perfectly splendid hobby. You should attempt to read something at least once in your life." Aziraphale changed the subject quickly, turning back to the shelves.
"I read the Bible, didn't like the ending." Crowley replied, turning his head away to look around.
He moved to the nearest armchair and flung himself down upon it, picking his leg up to let it rest on the arm. The demon watched the Angel for a moment before sighing.
Ever so carefully, Crowley reached across to pick up a book from Maggie's stack and flicked it open.
"Why would she ever want to read about such nonsense. Should go in the bin, I think." Crowley said to whomever would listen.
He moved his hand and the book to hover over the bin and turned his head to wait for the Angel of Books to notice.
"Would be a shame if I were to just drop it." Crowley tried again.
"Dropped what?" Aziraphale asked, distracted as he absorbed himself into the literature in his hands.
"This book, into the bin." Crowley reaffirmed.
Aziraphale looked up then, his smile dropping.
"You wouldn't." Aziraphale dared to challenge.
Crowley only smirked and let the edges of the book slide between his fingers before stopping as the Angel jolted forward, panic on his face.
"Crowley, put the book down." the fear was evident in Aziraphale's tone.
"Or what?" Crowley asked, tilting his head dangerously as he studied his Angel friend, the book in question dangled loosely from his grip.
"Oh come on, what did they ever do to you?!" Aziraphale was begging at this point.
"They stole your attention, and that to me deserves the deepest punishment!" Crowley replied back, seriously.
Aziraphale sighed and put the book he had in his grasp back on the shelf. As a show of peace, he held out his hands to show Crowley that he was empty handed.
"Now, why don't you just put the book down and we can talk." Aziraphale tried to reason.
"Are you asking me to admit defeat, Angel?" Crowley asked, the book dangling from his fingertips.
"Not at all." Aziraphale replied, his eyes glued to the book.
He darted forward at just the right time to wrestle the book from Crowley's grasp and raise it above his head with a yell of triumph.
He shot Crowley a smile worth more than a thousand watts.
"Uh HA! You lost! I succeed! Once again, I best you, you wily demon!" Aziraphale crowed happily.
"Yes yes, well done Angel. You beat me, defied all odds." Crowley murmured as he watched the Angel grin and dance slightly with the book.
Aziraphale gave Crowley a once over.
"Okay, even I could tell you were being sarcastic. You're usually a lot better at hiding it. What's on your mind?" Aziraphale asked seriously as he put the book back on Maggie's pile and took the armchair opposite Crowley's.
Crowley looked away for a moment, his eyes landing on the spot he'd been standing not too long ago when he poured out his emotions and wore his heart on his sleeve.
They had never really discussed what had happened, maybe they both were just pretending that it had been a fever dream and that Crowley, the worlds first non demonic demon had not told his hereditary enemy that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. Crowley often wondered if it had indeed happened at all.
"I've been thinking," Crowley began.
"Never a good thing." Aziraphale replied, trying to the lighten the mood.
Crowley turned his golden gaze to the Angel who tilted his head and frowned at the seriousness in Crowley's eyes.
"Thinking about what?" Aziraphale asked, worriedly.
"About a lot. Mostly about our partnership. I worry I put you in further danger just by being around you. We both know Heaven won't take lightly to you saying no and like it even less when they realise it was because I asked you to." Crowley replied, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers.
Aziraphale let his fingers pick at the small threads on his otherwise neat armchair.
"Not to assume you stayed because I asked you to, but you get the idea." Crowley quickly added.
Aziraphale did know what he meant. It wasn't hard to remember the shifting white light of the elevator as Aziraphale changed his mind. Chose humanity. Chose Crowley.
"I did-" Aziraphale said without thinking.
Crowley silenced himself and looked at his friend who met his gaze.
"I did stay because you asked me too but it was not the only reason." Aziraphale finished.
Crowley swallowed heavily and let his gaze drop.
"Crowley, we still need to- talk about what you said." Aziraphale brought up as Crowley flicked his eyes back to that spot on the carpet.
"No we don't." Crowley replied as he pushed himself up and out of the armchair.
He sauntered to the middle of the bookshop, lifting his arms in a dramatic shrug.
"I said what I said. There's no taking it back, as much as I wish I could. Its dealt with. Over and done." Crowley replied.as he turned to look at his friend who also stood up.
"Why would you wish to take it back? You were honest, you-"
"I felt. And I should not have." Crowley replied, looking anywhere but at Aziraphale.
"Crowley." Aziraphale's tone was filled with disapproval.
"Angel." Crowley replied, exasperated.
"It's not a bad thing to feel. It's certainly not something to want to take back." Aziraphale replied quietly as he laid a hand on Crowley's chest.
Crowley looked down at the contact, before lifting his chin to meet Aziraphale's gaze.
"I think you keep forgetting that I am a Demon. It's entirely a bad thing to feel. We're not supposed to." Crowley replied stiffly.
"Since when have you ever done anything you were supposed to, Crowley? When you were an Angel, you questioned. Remember?" Aziraphale asked.
"It's hard to forget." Crowley replied, rolling his shoulders back stiffly with a wince.
"Any danger you think you're putting me into, is nothing I am not prepared to fight. I knew that stakes when I chose humanity over Heaven. I knew the risks and I took it anyway. You are in no way responsible for my actions, Crowley. I assure you that despite how we feel about each other, I can make my mind up on my own." Aziraphale replied firmly.
'I'm aware of that but it wo- wait, how we feel about each other?" Crowley asked, his gaze softening as his snake eyes landed on Aziraphale's.
Aziraphale let his hand drop and quickly entwined it with his other, rubbing them together nervously.
"Like I said, we need to talk about this." Aziraphale stated.
"Angel, no offense. But I'm not exactly in the mood to get my heart broken again. I get it, you don't feel that way. Let it go." Crowley snapped as he moved away.
"Crowley, if you'd just-"
"I should go." Crowley interrupted quickly.
"For Heaven's sake, Crowley. Stay still and be quiet!" Aziraphale snapped loudly.
His tone echoed around the bookshop and Crowley turned to look at his white haired friend. Shock and surprise flitted across the Demon's face before it smoothed over into his usual unreadable mask.
Aziraphale slammed a hand grumpily on top of the pile he'd been curating for Maggie, sighing as he gathered his wits.
"You're impossible to deal with! And there's literally no sense to our friendship. An Angel and a Demon, why have we even spent more than six thousands years together? You cause nothing but absolute chaos, and you'd rather run away than stay and fight for what you believe in. You're a demon, and I've been taught that you're inherently evil!" Azirpahale made Crowley flinch.
"There's no rhythm or reason to us. No reason for us to even be standing in this bookshop together but yet, we are. Six thousand years I've watched you wrestle with your humanity, watched you fail and succeed. Watched you choose the humans over Hell, and watched you fight for them too. I've seen you care for kids, goats and ducks. I've seen you be the complete opposite of what you're supposed to be."
"Get to the point Aziraphale," Crowley spoke through his teeth.
Aziraphale faced him.
"No matter what face you wear, Demon, Human, man of the people, the forgiver or the Angel. I was, am, irrevocably in love with you."
Crowley's breath caught.
There was a beat of silence before Aziraphale lifted his head to lock eyes with the Demon. Honesty and integrity shining through.
"I've been in love with you from the single moment I watched starbursts in your eyes. It took me so long to realise that this wasn't normal, and that what I was feeling was more than friendship, more than brotherly camaraderie. I've seen worlds, galaxies and the most beautiful creations ever made, but all I ever wanted is to look at you forever." Aziraphale finished, reaching out to run the back of his fingers along Crowley's chin.
"I choose you six thousand times over. More, infinite. Because if I know if there's one thing that's real, that's honest and true. It's us. You and me. I didn't need Heaven, Crowley because I already had it. Each mom-" Aziraphale was cut off by Crowley's abrupt touch of his face.
Crowley let his thumb trail delicately over Aziraphale's nose, traced once side of his lips and danced lightly up his jawline.
Aziraphale watched him carefully, not wanting to break the spell.
Goosebumps erupted along the Angel's skin at Crowley's touch and his eyes stayed locked on Crowley's. Watching and waiting.
When Crowley finally let his thumb stop at the connection where Aziraphale's jaw met his neck, he let his fingers spread out and quickly slide into the white curls that laid at the nape of his neck.
A gasp escaped Aziraphale's lips as his chin was tipped up and head tipped back, controlled by Crowley's fingers tugging at his strands of hair.
"You love me?" Crowley asked, his voice a soft whisper.
It sounded like he couldn't almost believe it. That maybe he expected Aziraphale to suddenly laugh at him for thinking him so serious.
"Yes," Aziraphale rasped out, breathing uneven and laboured from the closeness.
"If you say those words again, you cannot take them back. They will forever be burned within the story of us, of how I remember you. Are you willing to make that sacrifice?" Crowley tempted, serious.
"For you. Yes." Aziraphale replied, firmly.
Something lit up Crowley's eyes, and a smirk wound its way onto Crowley's lips.
"Oh Angel," Crowley murmured.
Unable to focus completely, Aziraphale lifted his hand to rest it directly over Crowley's heart.
"Crowley, please, tell me you feel the same. I need to hear it." Aziraphale whispered, knowing exactly what Crowley felt..
They shared air as Crowley dipped his head slightly, the tips of their noses brushing. Aziraphale could feel the heat pool in his cheeks from the closeness. Butterflies raging hard in his stomach, swirling and swirling. His fingers felt weak as he gripped onto the lapel of Crowley's jacket.
A mere centimetre away from everything he'd ever wanted.
"I've yearned for you since the beginning, Aziraphale." Crowley said his name with such deepness.
Aziraphale's breath stopped.
"I've longed for your embrace since you placed those pretty blue eyes on me. I've dreamed of this very moment, a million different ways and one thing had always remained fixed." Crowley added, his voice dropping an octave.
Aziraphale shivered slightly.
"And what was that?" The Angel asked innocently.
Crowley's fingers curled a little tighter in his hair, a wicked smile dancing on the Demon's lips should have been a clear indication. But then Crowley was swooping down and crashing his lips to Aziraphale's.
Stumbling slightly from the impact, Aziraphale's arms flung around the taller of the two. Fingers digging into the soft black fabric of Crowley's jacket as their mouths tangled heatedly.
Crowley ripped a moan from Aziraphale's throat, swallowing it with his own lips. Angling further to deepen the kiss. Crowley's fingers fell from Aziraphale's nape, to rest at the Angel's hip. Pulling, tugging him closer until they were flush and pressed together.
"Crowley," Aziraphale groaned out when Crowley finally parted to take a breath.
"There is it. That fixed point." Crowley leaned his head forward to whisper in Aziraphale's ear.
He pressed a gentle kiss just under Aziraphale's earlobe before trailing kisses across his neck, jaw and stopping just at his cheek.
Aziraphale could not have told you what time of year it was.
Crowley's kisses felt like molten lava, hot and hurried across his skin. Setting aflame his body and the emotions that raged inside. For too long, Aziraphale had imagined being rejected and tossed away for his affections. For too long, Aziraphale had listened to those who had only wanted to hurt him and here, was a Demon who knew him better than anyone, treating him like fragile glass.
Aziraphale let his nose bump into Crowley's, breathing shared as Aziraphale closed his eyes.
"Crowley, please." He whispered.
No. Begged.
He wanted to be taken completely, to give himself wholly to Crowley. Just wanted to be his, and only his.
If loving Crowley was a religion, than Aziraphale wanted to sign the hell up.
Crowley kissed him again, this time softer. More warmth than need. It was a kiss that said 'I'm here, I'm yours'. Six thousand years had amounted to Aziraphale begging to feel the demon against him, to feel Crowley's nails digging into the meat at his hips.
It was delicious, raking fire through his system. Their tongues and teeth clashing hotly as Aziraphale met Crowley's enthusiasm with his own.
"Angel," Crowley moaned, unable to stop.
How could he stop? Aziraphale was pressed up against him, completely at the Demon's mercy and all he wanted was to take the Angel apart, over and over again until he knew of nothing else but Crowley.
They parted finally while Aziraphale stumbling back from the forceful separation, sucking precious air into his lungs as Crowley's hand dropped to his own side. Flexing and itching to touch his Angel again.
They both swallowed heavily before Crowley chuckled slightly at the heated tension in the room.
Aziraphale's eyes dropped to look him over, probably assessing to see if Crowley was as affected as the Angel clearly was.
"If it weren't the middle of the day with things for us to do, I would have my wicked way with you Angel." Crowley stated clearly, making the Angel flush red hot.
"Must you always speak so audaciously, Crowley?" Aziraphale stuttered out.
Crowley let his tongue swipe across his bottom lip, watching Aziraphale's eyes follow it.
"For you, yes." Crowley used Aziraphale's earlier words against him.
"Especially when you look like that." Crowley added, referring not to Aziraphale's usual attire but to the heavy gaze that Aziraphale was giving him and the dishevelled look that the Angel had going.
Aziraphale flushed again.
"You made me look like this." Aziraphale brought up matter of factly.
"Indeed I did, Angel. Me. All me, remember that before you go looking for other boys." Crowley replied, a hint of possessiveness in his tone.
"Oh you silly snake, I don't want other boys. Just you." Aziraphale closed the distance between them.
"Just me? Exclusively?" Crowley needed to know.
"If that's okay with you?" Aziraphale asked, worried that maybe it wouldn't be enough.
"I belong to no other and I kind of only do the one person for everyone type thing." Crowley confirmed.
Aziraphale's mouth curled up into a beaming smile as he reached across to take Crowley's hand. Their fingers entwined.
"So does that make you my boyfriend?" Aziraphale asked sweetly, having once read it somewhere.
"I think we're about six thousand years too late for that label, Angel." Crowley replied, his thumb caressing Aziraphale's wrist gently.
Aziraphale pouted.
"You don't want to be my boyfriend?" The Angel asked, still pouting.
"I want to be your everything." Crowley replied, before he dipped down to place a kiss on Aziraphale's pouted lips.
"Good, because I want to be your everything too." Aziraphale replied, dropping the playfulness.
"You are my everything."
Crowley's hands curled around Aziraphale's waist and tugged him close again. Their chest pressed together, breathing in sync.
"You are the reason I'm still here, Angel." Crowley added, softer.
"Oh Crowley," Aziraphale whispered before reaching up to place a delicate kiss to Crowley's lips.
The spell was broken when the bell to the shop rang out and Aziraphale turned his head to look at the incoming nuisance.
Maggie appeared from behind the wall and stopped when her eyes locked on Crowley's hand on Aziraphale's waist and Aziraphale's hand resting gently on Crowley's shoulder.
Her eyes widened as Crowley seemed to pull Aziraphale closer in, almost protecting him and their shared moment from Maggie.
Her grin lit up the room before a frown set upon her brow.
"Aww man. Now I owe Nina fifty bucks." She huffed out.
Both Aziraphale and Crowley sighed in relief.