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Although it had been Aziraphale's idea to buy a cottage and live a simple lifestyle, free from the trouble of their past, it was Crowley who took joy in the simple pleasures. Sure, Aziraphale appreciated gardening, but even though he had left his life as an angel behind, he had an overwhelming urge to help people. Since the community in South Downs was older, Azi was always cooking for people and cleaning houses. As if that wasn’t enough, he worked at the local library because he still had an overwhelming urge to be surrounded by literature.
After he became a fallen angel, Crowley quickly realized he would never have the opportunity to relax. Hell was not a very forgiving place, and being a demon wasn’t something you could just walk away from. It took him over a year to settle into their new life, but once he did, it felt more natural than anything Crowley had ever done. He had developed a love of cooking, and an even greater appreciation for baking. Some days, Crowley barely left the kitchen. Other days, he barely left the couch. Occasionally he would stop by the library to visit Azi. It wasn’t often he found a book to read, but when that happened, it became Crowley's main focus for as long as he needed to finish reading.
Crowley had recently started Hogfather and spent the whole day reading. Before he knew it, Azi had come home from his shift at the library.
“Hello darling,” Aziraphale said, walking over to the bed.
“You’re home already? I was just going to make dinner,” Crowley said jokingly.
“We both know that isn’t true,” Azi said, sitting down at the end of the bed. “I find it so odd that you never read when I owned a bookshop, but now that I work in the library, you can lose the whole day.”
“Maybe the people in South Downs just have better taste in books,” Crowley said with a sly smile. Although he had left his life as a demon behind, he couldn’t help but tease Aziraphale whenever he got the chance.
“Oh, hush,” Aziraphale said with a soft smile as he grabbed Crowley's hand. It wasn’t often that he stopped to appreciate their simple life together, but there really was so much to appreciate.
“How about I take you out for dinner,” Crowley suggested, finally putting the book down. “It will be my treat after all your hard work today.”
“You don’t have to,” Aziraphale said, although he was already blushing at the thought of it.
Crowley knew better and stood up to get ready. He walked over to his closet and picked out a black button up. As he started getting dressed, Aziraphale selected his best coat for the occasion.
Ten minutes later, they were in the Bentley as Crowley drove towards the closest Italian restaurant. Throughout their millenia of life Crowley and Aziraphale had tasted some of the finest cuisine. Somehow, it didn’t compare to what had become their all time favorite restaurant.
After enjoying their dinner, Crowley and Azi made their way home. Once the Bentley was parked, they just lingered in the car, appreciating each other's presence. They appreciated a lot about the human race, but in Crowley's opinion, date nights were one of their finest creations.
After they got home, Crowley and Aziraphale drifted towards the couch. After Aziraphale insisted on watching Notting Hill, Crowley sat on the floor in front of the tv.
Aziraphale's fingers twirled through Crowley’s hair as he watched the movie. When the famous Anna Scott met humble bookstore owner William Thacker, Azi was constructing a dutch braid. When Anna’s boyfriend came back into the picture, Azi was creating a french braid. Throughout the duration of the movie Aziraphale constructed and deconstructed a variety of braids before settling on a basic braid.
Crowley sat on the couch for the end of the movie, laying his head in Aziraphale's lap. He still wasn’t used to being so comfortable and so vulnerable. After everything they had been through, Crowley half expected the rug to get pulled out from under him. After finding a local therapist, Crowley had discovered that even if everything were to change, there was nothing to stop him from appreciating each individual moment. The flowers Aziraphale worked on every few weeks that had become the prettiest floral display in town. The simple pleasure of late night walks and bright stars were a priceless sight.
Out of all the small habits Crowley appreciated, there was one that stood out the most. It was a simple ritual, and one that had surprised Azi almost as much as it surprised Crowley.
At any given time, Crowley was reading at least one book. There were the books Crowley found at the library, and the ones Aziraphale brought home.
Because Aziraphale did so much around town, his time to read was limited. That was the main thing he missed about being his own boss, because when he owned A.Z. Fell and Co., Aziraphale could read whenever he wanted. That was a pleasure Crowley now enjoyed, so he put it to good use.
Crowley put on his pajamas, a simple black t-shirt and worn gray bottoms. Aziraphale had gotten dressed to the nines in what Crowley could only describe as a nightgown. Although he found it hilarious that Azi was incapable of dressing casually, Crowley appreciated that Aziraphale had maintained his sense of style.
“What book are we reading tonight,” Aziraphale asked as he settled under the covers.
“We have two options tonight. I’m about halfway through Hogwatch, which you might enjoy,” Crowley stated. He would have appreciated the chance to keep reading his book, but he knew Azi had other things in mind.
“That is a splendid option,” Aziraphale said with as much tired enthusiasm as he could muster.
“Or, we could go for the alternative,” Crowley said with a small smile.
“I do love a bit of Jane Austen,” Aziraphale said. Crowley, who had been anticipating this answer, pulled out a copy of Persuasion.
As Crowley began reading about Sir Walter Elliot, Aziraphale quickly fell into sleep. Crowley continued reading until he felt tired, knowing he would be reviewing some of the chapters with Azi tomorrow.