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“Oh careful dear! That’s the one with the snow globe in it,” A muffled, no longer angelic, voice traveled through the glass dome overhead.
“I got it. I got it,” A, no longer demonic, voice replied. “Nothing will happen to your lucky snowglobe angel,” The sound of a few sparse laughs sounded like music to Aziraphale's ears.
And the placement was gentle. There'd probably be a few dozen books to reshelf, but those things shifted with even a slight twist of the base. Nothing a quick miracle couldn't fix.
Aziraphale heard a small bell ring from behind him. “Nghh, finally unpacking, are they?” A more serpentine voice yawned.
“Seems they’re getting all the boxes out of the moving van first,” Aziraphale took a sip of his hot cocoa. “You know how Asa loves his checklists,”
“That I do,” Crowley perched his chin on Aziraphale’s shoulder. “I am curious about how this South Downs cottage they’re always talking looks,”
“Oh I do hope it has a good view. Not like that one in the 1960's,” Aziraphale hummed.
“Ohhh the asbestos house!” Crowley cackled. “I almost forgot about that one,”
“I don’t see how. Took a miracle a night to keep them breathing in while they slept,” Aziraphale shuddered at the memory.
“Ya, but they figured it out,” Crowley stretched his arms over his head as he stepped to Aziraphale’s side. “Personally, I’m hoping they have a nice garden,”
“Why’s that?” Aziraphale glanced over at Crowley.
Crowley glanced back. “'Cause I always hoped we’d have one,”
Recently, something Azirpahle had found funny was just how much, yet so little his demon had changed. Some of his harsh edges had smoothed out, the crows' feet by his eyes had seemed to settle, and the yellow of his eyes seemed a bit brighter than the color of Aziraphale’s pillars. Something he would fix later.
Aziraphale wasn’t really one for change but this didn’t feel like "changing his outfit" kind of change, but the kind of “putting a book back on the shelf after having it displayed for so long” kind of change. The kind of change that would settle right back into place.
“Me too,” Aziraphale took Crowley’s hand.
“What’s with the look angel?” Aziraphale didn’t need a glass mirror to see what expression Crowley was referencing. Crowley's growing smile was enough of a mirror for him.
“Oh nothing,” Aziraphale lightly shook his head. “But you know-?”
“Hmh?”
“I actually never imagined you as a professor,” The angel hummed. “But I think it fits well,”
“Hnngk, well you know, can’t really show humans the center of the universe but I guess you could teach about it. I say it’s a… decent compromise?” Crowley wavered a bit on the decent part. “Still think the center of the universe idea would’ve been nice,”
“Yes and how would that have worked out? Astronomy wise?” Aziraphale’s smug smile was only partly obscured by his mug.
“It’s the universe, it would’ve figured something out. Change the rules, mess with gravity, add in a new element,”
Maybe he had a point. They found their way to this small part of the universe after all. “I also find it nice how Anthony gets to answer questions from students all day. He’s very patient with them,”
Crowley snorted. “Ya but the last email wasn’t really needed was it? Could’ve looked it up on Google. Don’t know why he responded to it”
“I think that’s the point dear,”
“Who knows,” Crowley shrugged.
Crowley and Aziraphale looked up when they heard what sounded like the echoing of packing tape being broken.
“You know, I think these are my favorite so far,” Aziraphale, still looking up, stated
“You say that about each pair angel,”
“And I’ll keep saying it. Because it’s us,”
It’ll always be us.
They stood like that in the silence for a few seconds. The rest of the contents in the box making not so distant sounds. “Come on angel, let’s head inside. I think they’re about to take us out of this box,”
“As you say,” Aziraphale followed Crowley back into the bookshop.
“Huh..?” Anthony looked in at the snow globe he had just placed on the mantle.
“Something wrong dear?” Asa asked, looking away from the box in his arms.
“Nothing, I-I just swore I saw a light turn on in the bookshop,” Anthony, fixed on the paint on the left side of the miniature, replied. It was a small yellow dot that looked like a lamp was always on, but it hadn’t been there a second ago.
“Probaly just some snow covered it,” Asa replied. “Also, did you want this telescope inside or in the garden?”
Anthony glared at the small yellow dot a second longer. “The garden works,”
“Yesss!” But a small hiss brought Anthony’s attention right back.