Work Text:
Aziraphale's POV:
Oh, lord. Why does Nina have such a massive line already?
Aziraphale Zackery Fell glanced at his watch. He was shocked to realize he was the one who was breaking his own routine, not the people who had flooded the coffee shop before him. Usually, he'd be in and out of the shop before 6:30 AM. Not today, though. The previous night, he had underestimated how long he would be reading and ended up going to bed after midnight. To still rest a sufficient amount, he had decided to turn off his usual 5:00 AM alarm and set a new one for half an hour later. Unfortunately, he made the alarm, but forgot to set it.
I should have left my usual alarm on. I knew I had to get back on schedule with the Smith order. And I haven't even started on the Johnson order! Oh...
When he eventually made it to the front of the line, Nina greeted him with a smile. "There you are! Maggie and I were beginning to worry."
"I got a bit distracted last night, messed up my alarm settings." Explained Aziraphale.
"You and those smutty books of yours." Teased the barista.
Aziraphale blushed slightly. "Oh hush, they're the same ones your wife recommended to me. If anything, it's her fault I'm running late today!"
Nina grinned a little. "Uh-huh, sure. Your usual order, then?"
"Please. And add me a frosted, strawberry jam donut, please. I haven't had breakfast." He said, handing over his credit card.
"Will do." She said, ringing him up.
~~~~~
Crowley's POV:
Shitshitshitshit! Anathema, I'm gonna murder your husband if he doesn't get this solved by the end of next week!
Anthony Jay Crowley had been put in charge of his mothers' wedding anniversary party. Well, really, he put himself in charge of it. It was a surprise party. He had delegated several things between family and friends with time, to avoid things going wrong at the last minute. And yet, something still went wrong at the last minute.
His brother-in-law, Newton (his sister Anathema's husband), had been put in charge of getting the venue. And when the confirmation email reached Crowley's inbox last night, the redhead noticed the date was wrong by a whole month. It was supposed to be December 21st, not January 21st! He spent the entirety of last night raging over the mistake and trying to get in contact with Newton or Anathema, to no avail. Both of them slept with their phones on 'do not disturb' mode and wouldn't be waking up until about 9:00 AM, considering today was Saturday and both were off work.
Nevertheless, he kept sending text after furious text to both spouses, in hopes one of them would wake up earlier and get in contact with him. Had it been humanly possible, Crowley was sure his fuming mood would have made him burst into flames. He hoped a walk in the snowy middle of London could cool him down in some way. His car had been in the shop for weeks, so his choices were walking or public transit. And he wasn't a big fan of the latter.
He had exited his usual coffee shop, which was next door to his apartment building, and started moving towards Whickber Street. He was speed-walking, thumb racing across his keyboard, angrily tapping out another text with just one hand. Any other day, that would have impressed him. Suddenly, he felt a warm body crash into him. His cup of coffee went flying, as did his phone.
~~~~~
Aziraphale's POV:
Oh, no. Oh no, no, no!
Fretting about work had lead Aziraphale to not pay attention to his surroundings at all. Perhaps part of his brain had assumed he hadn't needed to. After all, this was the exact same exact route he'd take to work. But then again, it was usually much earlier in the day when he'd be on this sidewalk, which meant less people. He really should have set the alarm properly to avoid all this.
"Oh my God! Oh! I wasn't paying attention! I am so, so, so sorry!" Said Aziraphale, flustered, embarrassed and fretting all over again.
In the crash, the donut he had been eating splattered onto the taller man's onyx coat. He had also let go of his coffee shop bag, which had held his usual hot chocolate. He'd always wait until reaching the shop to drink it in peace while he worked. Somehow the bag had fallen perfectly on the ground, not spilling its contents. Aziraphale quickly grabbed the napkins from the bag and started wiping the stranger's coat.
"I'm such a klutz! I truly am sorry about all this, dear boy. I have the number to a very talented dry-cleaner. I can give it to you! I'll even pay for it, if you like!"
He isn't saying anything, why isn't he saying anything? Oh lord, he looks like he might snap at any moment...
~~~~~
Crowley's POV:
Crowley hadn't said anything because he was still processing what had happened. One second, he had been typing away, feeling like his head was going to burst into flames like Hades. And the next, he was looking down at a soft and frankly handsome looking man, who looked on the verge of tears. He was fretting and apologizing profusely to Crowley. That's when his eyes flickered towards the stain on his coat which the handsome man was so desperately trying to clean.
Ahh. I see. That's what he's freaking out about...
"Uh, sorry. My fault. Wasn't looking where I was going..." He finally said.
The other man stared at him, almost as though he was waiting for something else to happen. Almost immediately, he realized he still had his hands on him. And started apologizing for touching him without asking.
Oh no. He's adorable.
He looked like he was going down another rabbit hole of apologies, so Crowley grabbed the man's wrist. The action made the blond stop talking and look up at him.
"How about you have dinner with me tomorrow? To make it up to me, I mean."
The man blinked. A bit stunned. Unsure of what he had just heard. Then, he started laughing. Actually laughing!
Huh?
"Oh, thank you for the laugh, Mr...?"
"Crowley." Provided the redhead.
The chubby blond smiled sweetly. "Mr. Crowley. Thank you. I tend to get frazzled like this when I'm embarrassed. The laughing calmed me down a bit."
Heh. I know the feeling.
The man bent down to pick up Crowley's phone and he handed it to him. "I did mean it, you know. About paying for your dry cleaning."
"And I meant it too. About dinner tomorrow." Said Crowley.
"You were being serious?" He asked, eyes going wide.
"Yes. Only if you'd like to, obviously. If not, you can just give me the cleaner's info and I'll handle it myself. We were both distracted, clearly. It was my fault, just as much as yours. I'm not gonna let you spend money on cleaning my jacket."
"But I-" Started the man, his protest quickly getting interrupted by Crowley.
"You can pay for half of dinner, if you're gonna keep insisting on paying for something." Grinned the redhead.
There was a twinkle in his eyes and he gave a sweeter grin back. "I suppose that's fair. Did you have a specific restaurant in mind?"
"You like sushi? There's this new place that opened last week, just two streets over."
"I love sushi!"
Crowley nodded. "Great. 7:00 PM work for you? We can meet here, at the scene of the crime, and walk over there together. If ya like."
" 'At the scene of the crime' ?" Giggled the blond.
"Mutual reference point."
The man nodded. "Sounds like a plan, Mr. Crowley."
Crowley gave a small nod. Then, he unlocked his phone and opened the contacts app, creating a new one, before handing over the phone. The man looked a bit taken aback by the action but proceeded to fill out the info for the dry cleaners he had previously mentioned. Judging by the grin, he had done it on purpose. Crowley still saved it, then created another contact, this time specifically asking for his information.
A. Z. Fell. Wonder what that stands for...
Crowley saved it, called the number and the blond man saved it as 'Mr. Crowley'. Though, Crowley had insisted the 'Mr' was far too formal and that calling him by just his surname was fine and the preferred option. After a quick edit, the two men parted ways.
~~~~~
Aziraphale's POV:
Since their meeting yesterday, Aziraphale had felt incredibly giddy. And nervous. It had been about a year since his last date. It hadn't gone over terribly, but it hadn't been good either. They weren't very compatible. Which was a shame, because Aziraphale had thought he was quite handsome.
Not as handsome as Crowley, though. Aziraphale had been equal parts flustered and smitten when he noticed who he had crashed into the previous day. Frankly, he couldn't believe his eyes, at first. He thought for sure that he would find someone with a camera behind him, about to scold him for ruining their shot. But no scolding ever came. From Crowley, nor anyone else.
He told Maggie and Nina all about it when he went in to get his morning usual today. They were both thrilled and protective over him. The trio had known each other since they were in college and had always been very close. Many people, upon running into them, would assume Maggie was Aziraphale's older sister. If you ever did anything to get on Aziraphale's bad side, you had better hope Maggie never heard of it. Nina wasn't as protective of the chubby man as her wife was, but she too would jump in to defend him, if it were necessary.
This was how Aziraphale ended up standing at the agreed meeting spot while on FaceTime with Maggie. This way, she got a good look at the man who was taking Aziraphale out that evening. Not to mention, she had insisted Aziraphale give her the stranger's phone number, just in case something went wrong. Aziraphale had rolled his eyes at this, but he knew she meant well. He obliged, somehow knowing it wouldn't be necessary at all. He wasn't sure why, but he had a good feeling about this.
And the feeling only grew when he saw Crowley walking up to him.
"You actually showed up!" Said Crowley with a smile. He looked happily surprised.
"It would have been incredibly rude of me not to. Especially with no warning. Wouldn't you say?" Replied Aziraphale, letting his phone sag downward in his hand.
"Oi, Aziraphale! Still on the line here!"
"Ah, so that's what the 'A' stands for." He heard Crowley mutter under his breath.
Right, right. The show...
"Oh, yes. Sorry, dear girl." Said the blond man, bringing the phone up so she could get a good look at Crowley.
"Oh, Aziraphale, you liar! You didn't tell us how handsome he was!"
Crowley chuckled. "I like her. Who might you be?"
"Maggie. Just a friend of Aziraphale's. Keeping him company, while he waited for his date." She said, waving him off with a smile.
Crowley looked at Aziraphale. "Hmm. Hope you weren't waiting too long. Shall we get on?"
"Yes, we shall. I'll call you back when I get home Maggie. Bye bye!" He said, hanging up quickly.
"She seems like a very good friend." Said Crowley with a soft smile.
Dear boy, you have no idea.
"She is. Her wife is rather lovely too." Replied Aziraphale as they began the walk to the new restaurant.
~~~~~
Crowley's POV:
The pair had been seated at Rob & Terry's Sushi Palace and immediately got to talking. Well, more accurately, Aziraphale tried apologizing again for yesterday's coat mishap. Crowley quickly waved that off and asked about him. Where he was from, interests, stuff like that. To break the ice, so to speak. It had worked, since they had been talking, eating and having a very pleasant time, for hours. Crowley was surprised about a few interests they had in common, as well as living arrangements.
Turned out, they lived next door to each other. Technically speaking, anyway. Crowley lived in an apartment building in Mayfair. He had been there for about a decade now and Aziraphale had lived in the building next door for about four years. They'd often be leaving and returning to the flat at similar hours.
Unbelievable! So close to one another, and yet, we'd never even seen each other!
Then Crowley asked what had him so distracted yesterday. Aziraphale explained he was a rare book restorer who worked in a bookshop owned by his uncle. He had been dreading how behind he was on his orders when he had crashed into him, as well as trying to have a speedy breakfast.
No wonder he looked so worried. He's behind on his work and it's not the kind of work you can rush.
"What about you? What had you so distracted?" Asked Aziraphale, dipping a roll in some soy sauce.
Crowley groaned. "So, I'm planning a surprise anniversary party for my mums. They've been together for like eons, since way before they adopted me."
"Oh, that's very sweet of you." Beamed the chubby blond man.
Oh lord, he's so damn adorable. How can anyone be this damn cute?
Crowley shook his head, trying to focus again. "Anyway, I made the mistake of getting my brother-in-law to book the venue. He booked the wrong date. And when I finally contacted him and the venue owners, all they did was return the payment, because the available dates they have, aren't the ones I need."
"At least they gave you your money back." Offered Aziraphale as a bright side.
"Yeah, I know it could be worse. But I needed a place for December 21st. I've been calling every damn London venue that pops up on google since yesterday and no one has that date available. Everything else is set up and paid for, flowers, food, decoration, entertainment. Everything but the bloody venue! And the party's a month away!" Fretted Crowley, frustratedly biting into a sushi roll.
They ate in silence for a few minutes. Crowley had worried he had mucked up the entire mood for the evening. He was about to apologize for it, when Aziraphale spoke up.
"You know, I can't guarantee it, but I might be able to let you use the shop for the anniversary party."
What?
"...What?"
"I'll have to speak with my uncle first, of course. He's the owner. But he's rented it out for events before. There's been dinner parties hosted there numerous times. The bookshelves are quite easy to move out of the way and it's a very spacious area. I'm sure that-"
Crowley blinked, jaw nearly dropping. "Are you being serious right now?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"We just met! This is a pretty huge favor you'd be doing for a complete stranger." Said Crowley, waiting for the catch. There was always a catch. At least, that had been his experience when dating in the past.
Aziraphale shrugged, not really seeing his point. "Well, I like to help people. And, as I said, I would have to consult it with my uncle first. If all goes well, I could give you his number and you two would iron out the details."
How are you this nice?
Crowley started chuckling, not believing his luck. "You're an angel, y'know that?"
And you look like one too...
"Funny you should say that, I actually am named after an angel."
Bullshit.
"You're lying." Said Crowley, thinking it was a joke of some sort.
Aziraphale shook his head, he almost looked offended by the statement. Almost. "I most certainly am not! Look it up." He gently demanded, pointing at Crowley's phone with his chopsticks.
Crowley did, and sure enough, there it was.
"Ha. Look at that. Lucky me. I landed a date with the bloody guardian of the eastern gate... Hopefully it's more than just one." Said Crowley into his cup.
He then immediately realized he had said that last sentence out loud. "I mean! Well. Only if you would-"
Shit! Why would you say that?! Now he's gonna think you're weird and-!
Aziraphale smiled and cut him off before he could start stuttering and embarrassing himself. "Glad to know the feeling's mutual, dear boy. I was actually trying to find the courage to ask you out on another date."
His nerves quickly melted and he agreed to the next date. He felt giddy as anything, he couldn't believe his luck. This ridiculously adorable and sweet man actually wanted a second date with him. That never happened! It was always the losers who weren't worth his time who wanted to see more of him!
Maybe my luck's finally about to change...
~~~~~
Aziraphale's POV:
That same week, when Aziraphale had brought up the event to his uncle, he hadn't really shown much interest. He still gave him Crowley's phone number, so they could speak directly. He had wondered if he had ever contacted Crowley in the first place. Then, the redhead had called him, about two days after that. And any worry of whether or not the conversation had happened and how it might have gone, quickly disappeared. Crowley was thanking him a million times over the phone. So loud, in fact, that he was practically screaming his gratitude at him and Aziraphale had to put him on speaker to not damage his eardrum.
You sound like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
"I'm very glad to hear it all worked out, dear boy."
"Thanks to you! I'm definitely not letting you pay when I take you out this Sunday."
"Oh, come now, Crowley-"
"No, no, no. Not hearing it, angel! You single-handedly saved this bloody party. It's the least I can do! Hell, if you ever need some natural remedies, my mums run a homeopathic medicine shop a couple of streets away. And, they do acupuncture sessions too, if you like."
Angel... I could get used to that...
Aziraphale shook his head to focus on the truly important detail. "You've still got money to spend on the party! You shouldn't be spending it on dates! And don't be offering up services on behalf of your mothers, without asking. That's just rude."
"Nuh-uh. Not true. Already paid for everything, remember? Even sent your uncle the payment for the venue before calling you. I can definitely pay for our little theater outing this Sunday. Dinner included."
Aziraphale could practically hear the grin on the redhead's face. He loved it. Logically, he knew he was being ridiculous. There was no way he could love anything about this man, whom he'd only just met. But the more he visualized Crowley's joy, the more excited he felt for their next date.
I truly hope things go well...
~~~~~
Third Person POV:
A second date turned into a third. Then a fourth. And a fifth. Really, they had gone out every Sunday since meeting. Their eight date would have been on December 21st, had the party not been scheduled for that day.
Aziraphale had gushed about all his dates to Maggie and Nina. Crowley had done the same to Anathema. All three of the women had gotten dizzy from listening to them. But they felt very happy for them. Despite feeling like they were dealing with a couple of lovestruck teenagers.
When the day of the party finally came, Aziraphale had been put in charge of the shop for the event. His uncle had some important business to tend to outside of town. But he trusted Aziraphale. He knew everything would go off within a hitch. Crowley thought the same too.
He and Anathema had gotten there early in the morning to start setting up. And Anathema also started interrogating Aziraphale. The usual kind of questions one would ask. "How are you?" "What are your intentions with my brother?" "Are you a psychopath?", etc. Aziraphale thought her intentions were sweet, even if some of the questions had been a bit strange.
It took many hours, but they eventually got the shop looking exactly how they wanted. Anathema wanted it to feel like a classy, but slightly witchy, ball. Crowley believed they had nailed it. They had black drapes, folded into various designs to adorn the walls and bookshelves. The bundles of white flowers and bright cobalt colored crystals, contrasted against the dark backgrounds. And the rented decorations like chandeliers and candelabras felt like they had been part of the shop the entire time.
With everything set up, the siblings went to get the food. Bringing the food hadn't taken long. What had taken very long was Crowley and Anathema agreeing on how to organize everything on the table. For a moment, Aziraphale thought he might have to step in to avoid a fight. But Anathema assured him this was just how they talked to each other. They eventually did finish setting everything up and the trio went their separate ways to get ready for tonight's event.
~~~~~
While both Agnes and Tracy had suspected something was a foot, they were genuinely surprised as soon as they walked through the bookshop doors. Crowley and Anathema had spun a quick white lie about picking up their anniversary present in the shop before heading to dinner. All the guests happily yelled "Surprise!" when the wives crossed the threshold. Crowley and Anathema had been behind them, almost pushing them into the shop. Luckily, they had Newton inside the shop filming their reactions. Agnes had hoped no one would see her tearing up on video. Tracy didn't care and immediately started hugging her kids as she cried.
After some waterworks from the family, the party properly began. They all chatted, ate, played games, opened presents and danced. Everyone danced and drank a lot. Luckily, no had driven there. Several of them had very recognizable cars and it would have easily tipped off the wives, who were notoriously good with details.
So good with details, in fact, that they immediately noticed all the glances and soft touches that had gone on between Crowley and Aziraphale as the party rolled on. The two men were slow-dancing now, trying to hide amongst other guests who were doing the same.
Tracy smiled sweetly, seeing the comfort in her son's expression. "You know, dearie, I don't think I've seen that particular look on Anthony's face in a very long time..."
"Aye. Not since he became ours..." Agnes agreed.
Agnes N. Device and Tracy M. Potts-Shadwell had both been part of a widow support group when they met. Tracy had lost her husband James and joined the group in hopes that it would help her mourn, as well as keep her from isolating herself. About a year after that, Agnes joined. She had joined for similar reasons, though, she had her daughter Anathema to think of too. Anathema had been very young when she lost her father and Agnes wanted to be in a good and stable state to help her daughter grieve too.
Agnes and Tracy naturally gravitated towards each other. They weren't sure why, at first. But they both listened to the universe and leaned onto one another quite a lot as the months went by. This was how they ended up falling in love. They eventually became their own little family, just the three of them, for the longest time.
Until they met Crowley. He was an orphan who was in Anathema's class. The two had become very good friends and were practically inseparable when they were in school. On some days, Crowley would even come over to their household to do homework and spend more time with Anathema. He always looked sad when a social worker from the orphanage would come pick him up at the end of the day.
One night, he looked close to tears, gently whispering "I don't want to go." while the social worker escorted him out. It broke their hearts. The very next day, Tracy and Agnes went straight to the orphanage. They started discussions with the people in charge, to see if it was possible to adopt him. And while it took longer than expected, they eventually managed it.
Neither wife would ever forget the look on his face from that day. The look of a sweet little boy who was happy. Safe. At home. He was finally home.
And he had the same look on his face now, in Aziraphale's arms. Happy. Safe. At home. It was still early, of course. But Agnes and Tracy were certain, watching them now. Just like theirs, many years ago, Aziraphale and Crowley's meeting had been meant to be.