Chapter Text
Aziraphale knew his new job in Heaven would be lonely, he just didn't know the extent of it all. Everything felt empty. No colour, no smell, no music, no food, no humour, no... human touch as one would call it. He wasn't surprised or ungrateful, just... so lonely. If only there was a friendly face around. Not the looming Metatron, not the ever suspicious Michael, not uneasy and unapproachable everyone else.
"Muriel!" He exclaimed and immediately his hand flew to cover his mouth, startled by the loud sound coming from his throat and echoing in the white void that was his office. When his fingers brushed his lips he thought of the only person than would make Heaven or Hell feel like home. The only person that didn't want to follow him anymore. No, better not think about... him. Muriel will have to do.
---
He didn't see Muriel arrive. Or to be more precise, he couldn't see Muriel over the big boxes they were struggling to carry and balance before offloading them on Aziraphale's desk.
"You see, supreme archangel, when I got the message that you want me to wrap things up in the bookshop and they told me I wasn't supposed to actually wrap every single book or the cups or the armchair..." Muriel paused for a while watching a warm smile spread on Aziraphale's otherwise tired face.
"...anyways, when I told everyone I was about to come join you..." the supreme archangel gave her an encouraging nod.
"I was supposed to tell you Maggie says hi and she's sending you some records you might enjoy. So, tadaaa!" Muriel gestured to the two huge boxes that turned out to be an old portable gramophone and a box of old records.
"Thank you, my dear. It's good to see you again."
---
Having a friendly face around was a relief and the following few days Aziraphale managed to get much more work done as he was finally able to focus on planning the second coming. He even wrote down the speech for the UN and a few notes for his own speech towards the angels.
He gave out a contented sigh and looked around his "office" to make sure all the paperwork was in its propper place and ready to be handed out. Then he noticed the boxes Muriel brought in from Maggie. A few moments listening to music couldn't hurt, right? Just a record or two, a bit of home away from home...
Aziraphale made sure his current corner of Heaven was soundproof and that the spellwork sent a clear "do not disturb" message to anyone daring to bother him with anything for the upcoming minutes or hours. A few hours tops. Definitely not days.
He opened the portable gramophone, made sure there was no dust and picked the first record from the box, taking it out of its sleeve as the rarest of artifacts. His soft fingers held it gently by the edge and placed it on top of the turntable. A tiny miracle later, the record was spinning and Aziraphale eased the needle onto the very edge of the record, listening carefully.
Neither the sleeves nor the records where labeled, so hearing what delights Maggie sent his way was a thrilling surprise the angel enjoyed sitting comfortably in his chair which had the decency to turn into a large armchair with tartan upholstery.
The first song had a playful tune and reminded him of the jazz clubs he used to visit back in the day. He'd never heard this one though and he couldn't help but close his eyes and let his mind wander with the lyrics that seemed a bit...
I'm a country girl, I ain't seen a lot,
But you came along and my heart went POP!
You took a little street car to my heart,
And an apple of love fell off my apple cart!
(an apple reference? So on the nose!)
You looked at me, my heart began to pound,
You weren't the sort of guy I thought would stick around,
(I could never be sure when I would see you again...)
Hey, but it don't have to be eternally;
(nothing last forever, does it?)
My bad, bad Angel put the Devil in me!
(am I a bad angel?)
---
When the first song ended, Aziraphale didn't feel the lightness he was expecting the music to deliver. Curiosity had him wait for just one more piece and was relived to find out it was a song he knew well by none other than Frank Sinatra. However, he'd never listened so carefully to the lyrics before.
Fly me to the moon
Let me play among the stars
(the stars that you created)
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars
(or Alfa Centauri)
In other words, hold my hand
In other words, darling, kiss me
(I'm sorry I didn't kiss you back)
Fill my life with song
And let me sing for ever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you
---
Aziraphale felt his pulse quicken eventhough his heart didn't need to beat. But it did. It was beating for one particular reason, one particular being and there was no miracle that would stop its frantic pace. Before he could recover enough to get up and remove the needle from the record, yet another song was threatening to break his heart and spill his tears although the melody was more than cheerful.
Let me tell you bout a guy I know,
He's my baby and he loves me so,
Every morning when the sun comes up,
He brings me coffee in my favourite cup
That's why I know, yeah I know
Hallelujah, I just love him so
When I'm in trouble and I have no friends,
(he's really my only friend, isn't he?)
I know he'll go with me until the end
Everybody asks me how I know,
I smile at them and say he told me so
That's why I know, yes I know,
Hallelujah, I just love him so
If I call him on the telephone
And tell him that I'm all alone
By the time I count from 1 to 4,
I hear him on my door.
---
"Hallelujah, I just love him so!" Aziraphale exclaimed and immediately looked around to check the soundproof spells were holding. What a coward. Before the angel could decide whether he's brave enough to endure one more song, he heard the first notes of a piano.
If they would let me trade
I'd give a year for half a day
Just, curled up on the sofa with you
(The sofa in my backroom, like always)
We'd wander down to Cottesloe
Eat fish'n'chips in the final glow
I'd hold my breath for, "I forgive you"
(please, forgive me, my love, I should have never...)
Sometimes I feel you with me in the dark
And your face is in the faces of
The strangers walking by me in the park
And reflected in your eyes
Is all my love and all my lies
Is all my promise and my pride
Is all my fear and all my fight
Is all my dread and my denial
So though we cannot be together (We cannot, can we?)
I know that I will carry you wherever I go
I will carry you
Lord knows (She really doesn't)
I will carry you
I will carry you
---
Aziraphale was sobbing, hot tears running down his cheeks and soaking his grey suit that never seemed to fit.
"I think I've heard enough." He said to noone but himself, standing up from the armchair and snapping his fingers. The gramophone was gone, so was the box with old records. The armchair remembered it was supposed to be an ugly office chair and the ugly suit was as dry as Airaphale's mouth.
"Quite enough of this nonsense."
----
1) My Angel Put the Devil in Me: Murray Gold, Peformed by Yamit Mamo
2) Fly Me To The Moon: Frank Sinatra
3) Hallelujah, I Love Him So: Peggy Lee
4) Carry You: Tim Minchin