Work Text:
The coffee shop's door jingled as a young boy, no more than 16 years old, burst inside. His eyes scanned the room with urgency, seeking out a particular individual. After a moment, his gaze settled on Crowley, who was seated in a dimly lit corner of the shop.
Crowley was a mess, his constant state of inebriation a mystery as he never seemed to order or consume more than the one drink. Almost like the eight shots of espresso, died and became spirits in the miserable loneliness of Crowley's grasp. Nina could have kicked him out and pestered him to buy more drinks, but in a way, she felt guilty and protective of him. She had pushed him to be open about his feelings and ultimately his heart break.
"Where is he?" the boy demanded, grabbing Crowley by the collar. "Where is the angel?" The boy was visibly distressed, and Nina moved closer, prepared to step in if things escalated. "I have to see the angel. The world is ending," the boy yelled, shaking Crowley's stumbling, intoxicated figure.
‘ he’s’, Crowley drunkenly waved vaguely upwards.
Nina placed a gentle, supportive hand on the boy's shoulder.
He whirled around and forcefully swatted her hand aside. 'Don't touch me!' he exclaimed, shoving past her, grumbling about the lack of respect. Crowley trailed after the young man, stepping out onto the bustling street. She glanced down at her hand, uncertain whether the brief sensation of heat where he had made contact was genuine or merely imagined. Her uncertainty was short-lived as both Crowley and the young man were suddenly enveloped in a raging fire.
‘I told you he is up …,’ Crowley begged the kid, but was otherwise unfazed by the fire.
‘UP, up where?’ the boy shouted again. ‘I have had enough of all of you, disrespectful adults.’
‘Adam, my lord, ’ Crowley bowed unsteadily. ‘ Aziraphale has been promoted to Archangel. He took his post upstairs several weeks ago, and I haven’t seen him since.’ Crowley's words were emotionless, as though he no longer had the energy to be upset. The flame around the two of them subsided. ‘He promised he would be watching’, Crawley continued. ‘I’m sure if the world is ending, he will come down and see us.’
They both gazed toward the corner of the building, where the entrance to heaven and hell was hidden. Nothing occurred. There was an eerie stillness as if the entire world was holding its breath.
Esxaibated, the kid gave out an unnatural scream. The fire engulfed him, then the street and then the surrounding shops.
Nina felt a wave of familiar dread wash over her as she grappled with the same gut-wrenching fear she had experienced when Crowley lost his temper. She instinctively tried to open the door, but it remained stubbornly stuck. For the second time, she found herself trapped in her own shop by demonic forces. Panic quickly set in as she rattled the door in a desperate attempt to escape, her heart racing as she realized that no one seemed to notice her distress. Her customers continued chatting and sipping their coffee, while passersby remained oblivious to her plight.
The only person who noticed was Crowley. With a flick of his fingers, the door swung open effortlessly, as if it had never been stuck. He then ushered in a visibly deflated Adam.
‘Nina, Adam, Adam, Nina, ’ Crowley quickly introduces them. ‘What do you recommend for those with the world on their shoulders?’
"How about a hot chocolate?" she asked shakily, a fake smile plastered across her face. It was the kind of smile that comes with working with customers and dealing with people or, in this case, entire worlds that you don't understand.