stark_international | [Crowley/Aziraphale] And I found love where it wasn't supposed to be

And I'll use you as a warning sign
That if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind
And I'll use you as a focal point
So I don't lose sight of what I want
And I've moved further than I thought I could
But I missed you more than I thought I would
And I'll use you as a warning sign
That if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind""

Characters: Crowley and Aziraphale
Slash Warning?

It had been six months since the world ended. Or, at least, since the world didn't end when it was supposed to. It had been a terribly quiet six months for the demon. What were you supposed to do when you avert the apocalypse and find yourself in that terrible feeling of limbo. Were they in trouble? Were they safe? Did they still have ties to their respective sides? There were a lot of questions and not a single answer. Sure, they could pop back down and above for a quick chat, but why the heck would they want to do that? Why rock the boat when it was sailing just fine?

So, Crowley decided, they needed a break. At least, he needed a break and he was sure he could twist the Principality's arm into going with him. And that's how he found himself sauntering into the bookshop just before closing time. He wondered if the angel would try to shoo him away for the late hour or welcome him despite it being far past tea time.

"Angel?" He called, looking about somewhat warily.

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Aziraphale, for his part, was perfectly comfortable with the silence from Upstairs. It wasn’t unusual that he would be left to his own devices for long stretches of time and he knew they had a lot of thinking to do about the Plan and all. And he certainly had a lot of books to read, anyway (and some to sell, goodness).

He was just thinking it might be time to close up shop. Or at least he had about 30 minutes prior, but he got to a very interesting part of his book and he couldn’t help but get stuck in the narrative and forget to actually lock up. So when the bell over the door tinkled wit h the door opening, it jarred him out of the novel he was reading. Not a customer at this hour, he thought to himself before the familiar voice spoke.

He couldn’t help a relieved smile crossing his lips as he responded, “I’m in the kitchen. Would you be a dear and lock up, please?”

Not a customer. The demon perked up a bit and strolled into the kitchen after locking up the bookstore and flipping the closed sign. With a little bit of thought, the sign now stated that the bookshop would be closed for a brief holiday. At least, he hoped he could convince the angel to join him. He was a persuasive snake after all.

"So you are." He replied and lounged in a doorway, watching the angel. "All locked up." He gestured behind him with his thumb. "How've you been, Angel?" Crowley, you're being awkward. Stop it.

He picked up his bookmark and marked his spot in the book before getting up just as Crowley slinked into the doorway. “Thank you for locking up. I got a bit carried away with this novel I’m reading, I’m afraid. Lost track of time a wee bit.”

He absentmindedly went over to the stove to pick up the kettle and fill it with water. Even if it isn’t tea time, having guests over (no matter how unexpected) meant he should make tea. At this point it was rather standard operating procedure for the angel.

Crowley’s question, while not terribly odd in and of itself, was odd coming from Crowley, he thought. Certainly the angel was polite enough not to point that out, but he still puzzled over it in his mind as he answered, “Er... Well enough, I suppose. And yourself?”

"Some things never change." He might've been trying for insulting snark there, but it was said almost endearingly which sort of negates the effect.

Crowley tipped his head just a bit, curiously. "Ah, yes. Same, I suppose. No uh, no calls<\i> from the good old Mettaton?" He was hedging around the question a bit, but still curious. If Aziraphale had been contacted, then it was just a matter of time before Freddie Mercury started yelling at him over the Bentley's speakers.

He picked up two of his favorite teacups and their saucers from the cupboard and set them on the table. “No, none whatsoever. It’s not entirely unusual for them to be out of contact for so long, but after all that dreadful business, I must say I am grateful for the reprieve.”

The sugar bowl was already on the table, but he pulled the cream out of the fridge along with a bowl of fresh strawberries. “Have you heard anything from yours?” He was a bit worried about that to be honest.

"Not so much as a burst of static from my side. It's unnerving." He followed the angel to the table and fluidly slid into his usual seat.

"I'm not saying I'm against the silence," His sunglasses came off, folded into his breast pocket. In the comfort of Aziraphale's company, he was always able to relax more. "but I am concerned that they may be regrouping."

Aziraphale nodded thoughtfully. “ It is perhaps a touch worrying.”

He prepped the teapot with some Darjeeling tea and poured the hot water in once the kettle started whistling. Comfortable silences were things he was grateful to be able to have with Crowley. They had spent so much time together over the last several millennia that the angel felt the most comfortable with his demonic counterpart. He brought the teapot and a tin of biscuits over to the table and sat down.

He smiled at Crowley. How long had it been since he felt comfortable enough around Aziraphale to start removing his sunglasses when they were in a private location? He couldn’t quite remember, but he never stopped secretly delighting in seeing Crowley’s eyes. There was a hidden warmth and kindness in them that Aziraphale could plainly see once he noticed it. He felt a small twinge of pride in his heart that the demon chose him of all beings to let his guard down with, if even only a little. He was “chosen” as it were, like meeting a stray cat for the first time and it allowing one to pet it.

“Though I suppose in the meantime, we should continue with what the boy said. ‘No more messing about’?”

Crowley likely didn't even remember when it had started. It just became a thing. And from there it devolved into a habit. Really, he had no clue it touched the angel the way it did. It was just a matter of fact: Aziraphale was special, so there were few if any pretences left that he upheld around him.

"It just so happens that I've a little brilliant plan for ensuring we adhere to that little order." Not that they really needed any sortof plan for it. They'd been doing just fine behaving in the last six months, but he felt like he needed a sales pitch if he was going to convince Aziraphale.

Crowley plucked one of the strawberries from the bowl, but didn't eat it yet. He used it to gesture absentmindedly as he spoke. "Hear me out before you turn me down," he began. "We go on holiday. I was thinking tropical, but I'd be willing to settle for wherever you're comfort niche would be--here does not count. It would keep us out of trouble and off the radar while spending quality time together that we never afforded ourselves when we were being hounded by our respective bosses."

There might just be a hopeful looking those serpent's eyes of his. You wouldn't want to crush that hope, would you, Angel?

Aziraphale blinked, his mouth falling open slightly in surprise. That was hardly the idea he thought Crowley would come up with. They really hadn’t ever been on Holiday before, but there also waasn’t exactly anywhere on Earth they hadn’t been.

“Holiday, Crowley?” He wasn’t sure, but he could tell this was something his dear friend really wanted. “I mean, I suppose we could. It’s been rather a while since we wen’t somewhere tropical. Did you, er, have some place in mind?”

"I mean... yes?" Don't mind him while pauses with the strawberry. A moment later he decides to just eat the poor fruit and set the green crown down. "Nowhere specific." Crowley actually hadn't thought quite that far ahead. Mostly because he thought it might take some wrangling to get the angel to agree.

"Are you... okay with the beach? Fiji? I know we've been everywhere, but we've never actually been without motives. A proper holiday."

To be fair, he hadn’t agreed yet. But he was considering Crowley’s proposal. It certainly would be nice to get away for a bit and the warm tropical air would be a nice change from the cold winter they were going through.

“Fiji could be nice.” He considered Crowley with gentle, yet discerning eyes, trying to suss out what brought this about from the demon’s face.

He realized the tea had steeped long enough and poured some into both their teacups. he added two sugar cubes to his and stirred it carefully. “What brought this to mind, dear?”

[Crowley/Aziraphale] And I found love where it wasn't supposed to be

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