Chapter Text
“Oh. Hi. You must be the new neighbour. I’m Aziraphale Fell. Apartment 4A. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Ngk. Yeah. Crowley. Anthony Crowley. Ah. Nice to meet you too.”
“Can I help you with those boxes?”
“Nah. No. I’m good…. Thank you though.”
“You’re welcome. Well. Have a good day, Anthony.”
“Crowley, please.”
“Crowley. Have a good day, Crowley.”
“See you around, Aziraphale.”
“Good morning, Crowley.”
“Morning, Aziraphale.”
“Have a pleasant evening, dear.”
“You too.”
“Thanks for holding the elevator door for me.”
“Of course. How was your day, dear?”
“Ngk. Busy.”
“What was it you do again?”
“Ngk. Nothing special, really. I work at Agnes Nutter’s apple orchard. It’s just… October is our busiest season, with Halloween and all”
“Oh, that must be so lovely. I do love apples… and pears.”
“We have pears too.”
“Oh, how marvelous.”
“Maybe you could… Ngk.”
“What was that, dear?”
“No. Ehm. Never mind. Don’t mind me.”
“Oh? Alright. Well. Here we are. After you, dear.”
“Thanks, Aziraphale. See you around?”
“Yes, dear. Good night.”
“Good night.”
“Morning, Aziraphale.”
“Good morning, dear.”
“Crowley? What a surprise, seeing you without your sunglasses. Oh, you look… Wait. Are you alright, dear boy?”
“Yeah. Just… Ugh. My sunglasses… they’re… well, not just for show. I have photophobia. Light sensitivity. And they broke this morning. My head is killing me.”
“Oh no, my dear. Can I do anything for you?”
“Nah. Just need to grab another pair. And sleep my headache off.”
“Oh. Alright. Well… If there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know.”
“Ngk. Thanks angel.”
“Angel?”
“Oh. Ehm. Just… You’re always asking to help, and– and you look… just… Sorry.”
“No. No. I–I don’t mind it. At all. Really.”
“Oh. Oh. Ngk. Alright. Good.”
“Quite, my dear.”
“Well… Uhm… See you, angel.”
“Feel better soon, my dear. Oh, and Crowley?”
“Yeah.”
“Your eyes… They’re quite beautiful.”
“Ngk. Thank you.”
“Hello Crowley. Are you feeling better?”
“Hi Aziraphale. Yeah, much better. Thanks.”
“Jolly good. Have a good day.”
“You too.”
“Hello Crowley. Oh, this is Tracy, one of my closest friends. Tracy, this is Crowley. My neighbour.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine.”
“Such a charmer.”
“Ha! Well. See you around, Aziraphale. Nice to meet you, Tracy.”
“You too.”
“Bye, Crowley. Have a nice day.”
“...He sure is handsome, isn’t he?”
“Sst!”
“But he is, isn’t he?”
“Yes. Yes, he sure is.”
“Hi, Aziraphale. You look happy?”
“Oh, Crowley. Yes. I managed to get hold of tickets for a production of Hamlet later this week.”
“Hamlet, huh?”
“Oh yes. I love Shakespeare, don’t you?”
“I can appreciate his funny ones.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah, not really a fan of all the misery in Hamlet.”
“Oh… I see… That’s… Uhm.”
“Well. I’ll see you around, Aziraphale. Have fun at the theatre!”
“Yes… Thank you, dear.”
“Good morning, dear.”
“Morning, Aziraphale.”
“Oh, Crowley! What luck that I’m bumping into you now. I’ve been wanting to tell you how much I love the Christmas wreath on your door.”
“You do? I–I made it myself.”
“Did you really? Oh dear. You have a gift. It’s beautiful.”
“Thanks, angel. That means a lot coming from you. I would love to chat, but I’m actually late for a—”
“Oh no, I’m sorry. Don’t let me keep you!”
“See you around, yeah?”
“Yes. Absolutely. Have a good day, my dear.”
“Crowley? Hi. What—”
“Hi Aziraphale, I… ngk. Merry Christmas.”
“Oh Crowley! You… Really? You made me a wreath?”
“Ngk. Yeah.”
“Thank you, my dear. It is lovely. So intricate. You are a marvel.”
“Ngk. You are welcome. No problem. So… uhm, any plans for the holidays?”
“Tracy has extended me an invitation for her Christmas dinner. And you?”
“I’ll be going to my sister’s house.”
“Oh how lovely. Well. Have a happy holiday, Crowley. And thank you again.”
“You’re welcome.”
“That’s a gorgeous wreath you have there, Aziraphale.”
“Isn’t it just.”
“I can’t help but notice that your neighbour has a similar one.”
“Yes. Crowley makes them himself actually.”
“He does? And he made one especially for you?”
“He did.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Yes. Yes, it is rather.”
“Mmm. I wonder how you can repay him such a kindness.”
“Oh hush, Tracy.”
“You’re blushing!”
“I am not.”
“You like him!”
“Sst!”
“You want to slip those impossibly tight jeans right off of his long legs, don’t you?”
“Tracy! Not so loud.”
“Ha! I knew it.”
“Stop flustering me!”
“Oh hush. With the way he looked at you, I’m certain that he would not object.”
“You— You really think so?”
“Absolutely positive, I am.”
“But he’s so… And I am–”
“You’re a handsome man. He’s a handsome man. What’s the problem?”
“A man like him wouldn’t—”
“Aziraphale Fell. Stop that right now or there will be no roasted potatoes at Christmas dinner for you.”
“It’s just—”
“You should ask him out.”
“I don’t know.”
“Aziraphale. He doesn’t look like the sort of person who just goes around making anyone a Christmas wreath.”
“No… Maybe not.”
“And look at this. He even added a little tartan bow on yours.”
“Yes.”
“That means he’s been eyeing you.”
“Does it?”
“He likes you.”
“Does he?”
“And you like him. So go for it.”
“Maybe...”
“Aziraphale—”
“Maybe. I– I’ll think about it. Can we please go to your house now?”
“Fine. Yes, alright. I’ll drop it to preserve the Christmas spirit.”
“Thank you, my dear.”
“Crowley! Hello! How was your Christmas?”
“It was fine. How was yours?”
“Oh. Perfectly adequate.”
“Perfectly adequate? Doesn’t sound like you had the best of times?”
“Oh no. I had fun. I mean, it is awfully nice to spend the holidays with friends and all but… well—”
“Well?”
“I just… It would’ve been nice to have someone special to spend it with.”
“Oh.”
“Please don’t think me ungrateful. I love Tracy, and her family, but well… everyone else there had a special someone, you know?”
“Yes. I know what you mean.”
“You do?”
“Mmm. Anathema and Newt are so in love, and I’m happy for them, but it can make you feel lonely at times.”
“Anathema and Newt?”
“My sister and her husband.”
“Oh, I see. Yes.”
“Well. We survived, and now we won’t have to worry about it for a whole year.”
“Yes. Yes, I believe you’re right.”
“And maybe by next year we will have found someone to share the holidays with.”
“Yes. Maybe…. You see, Crowley, I was wondering if—”
“Oh shit. I didn’t know it was already. Fuck. I have to run, gotta be late for work. I’m sorry. See you around, Aziraphale.”
“Yes. Yes, of course…. Have a good day, Crowley.”
“Hey! Aziraphale.”
“Hello Crowley.”
“I’m so sorry I had to run this morning. Was there— Was there anything you wanted to say to me?”
“Oh. Um. No. No, I– I can’t really remember.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Sorry.”
“No. No. That’s understandable.”
“Must not have been important.”
“No… No, I guess not.”
“Well. Good evening, Crowley.”
“Good evening, Aziraphale.”
“Any plans for New Years Eve?”
“No. I will ring in the new year from my bed. What about you?”
“There’s this… party. A friend of mine is hosting. It’s an… uhm. Yeah. New Years Party.”
“Oh, I see. Well. That shall be fun, I reckon?”
“Yeah. Should be.”
“Well. I’ll see you in the new year then, dear boy.”
“Ngk. Yeah. Yeah. See you, Aziraphale.”
“... Crowley?”
“Yeah?”
“Be safe. Please.”
“I will... Thank you, angel.”