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"Listen..."
"I don't hear anything!"
"That's the point..... no nightingales" Crowley said, huffing out the last part. New tears forming in his eyes, tried as he may, he couldn't push them back. Aziraphale stood there, Crowley unable to read his expression. The lump in his throat, growing by the second, finding it hard to swallow around it. It burned his throat, and not in the good way that alcohol did.
"You idiot. We could have been..... us!" the tears now threatening to spill over, Crowley choking out the last word. Aziraphale stared off to the side, unable to make eye contact with the demon. He grinded his teeth as he paced forward in long strides and grabbed the lapels of the angels waist coat, effectively locking their lips together. 'I need you' Aziraphale's words rung through his head as he kissed him. The tears that gathered around the corner of his eyes, finally spilling over.
'You can't leave this bookshop'
As they parted, Crowley waited for the angel to respond, heavy breaths leaving his lips, and tears gathering in his eyes in a mirror like image of Crowley.
"I...I..." he stuttered out, unsure of what to say, a million thoughts running through his head, the words 'I forgive you' on the tip of his tongue. His eyes scattered around the room until they settled on Crowley once more.
"I love you" he said instead, letting the words fall from his lips before he even registered what they were.
"W-What?" is all Crowley said, a confused look placed itself on the red head's face, expecting a rejection once more, like the angel had usually done for the past six thousand years whenever he showed him any affection.
Aziraphale took a step closer to Crowley, a small smile now displayed on his face.
"I said, Crowley, I love you. Although, I am quite sure that you heard me clearly," his smile grew and he gently lifted his arm to remove the dark shades from Crowley's face. The golden eyes that he loved so much, now shown with tears. From this close up, he could see the gentle and light freckles that littered the demons face. If he looked close enough, he was pretty certain that he could make constellations out of them.
The lump in Crowley's throat was still there, however, for a different reason. Beforehand, it was from the fear of losing his angel. From the hurt of Aziraphale choosing heaven over him, after all they have been through together. The fear of losing his angel to a place that would never let him go again. The toxic place that had casted him out and tried to destroy the only person he ever loved. Now, the lump in his throat that he had trouble swallowing around was there not out of despair and desperation. It was there because after six thousand years, the angel finally said those words. The words that he had dreamt of instead of 'you go too fast for me ,Crowley'.
"You love me?" Crowley asked in disbelief, even as Aziraphale's hand cupped his face, wiping the tears from his cheek.
"So much" he whispered and closed the distance between them, their lips pressing against each other in a much less, desperate, forceful and crushing kiss. This kiss was gentle, sweet and slow. Crowley closed his eyes and clung to the angel, afraid to let him go as if he would leave the second he did. As they parted, Aziraphale looked into Crowley's eyes, smiling at him. He leveled himself up on his tippy-toes to place a gentle kiss on the demon's forehead, as a result of Crowley being slightly taller than him.
Crowley finally smiled, placing his hand over the angel's that was still on his own cheek.
"You're not going to leave, right? because that would be a pretty shitty thing to do after all of that" Crowley asks and lets out a nervous laugh, a hint of humor playing a part in his question, yet, he felt worried that the angel might still have intentions to go to heaven. Anxiety crawling itself back into his mind.
Aziraphale let out a small chuckle, "no Crowley, I am not going anywhere" he said, calming the demon's nerves, the hand that was on Crowley's cheek, moving to play with the red hair at the back of his head.
"Good" Crowley said, and finally smiled.
"Come dear, should we do breakfast at the Ritz?" Aziraphale asked, removing his hand from Crowley's hair, straightening out his waist coat.
"An extremely alcoholic one" Crowley added, his smile growing wider when the angel chuckled.
"Perfect" he chuckled, "I believe someone's reservation has just been cancelled, so a table has just been made free"
"Lucky us!" Crowley grinned.
Aziraphale took the demon's hand in his own, interlocking their fingers, the demon's hand somehow fit perfectly with his.
"Oh, Aziraphale?''
"Yes dear?"
"I love you too" Crowley said, blushing. A bright smile revealed itself on the angel's face.
"Quite right"