Chapter Text
Aziraphale smiled as he sat down. "It is quite a lovely day, isn't it, Crowley? You look quite handsome yourself, as well." Crowley nearly choked.
“Uh, yeah. You're.. you're looking good too." Aziraphale's smile grew and he placed a hand on his chest, taking in a deep breath.
"Oh, it's such a wonderful feeling. From those two, over there. I think that sweet girl is going to propose to them!" Aziraphale nodded to where a couple was sitting, a couple tables away. A woman was fumbling with something in her pocket, looking over at her lover with an expression of such longing. Crowley couldn't help but relate with that feeling. He sighed, of course Aziraphale would bring it up, even though the lunch date was supposed to be for them. He was an angel, he could sense love.
Wait a minute.
"Hold on, Angel. You can sense love, right?" Crowley sat up slightly, which wasn't much considering it was him, and he sat like he was melting. "Of course. I am an angel, am I not?" Crowley's face deadpanned for a moment.
Now I'm going to interrupt here to explain something quickly. All angels have the ability to sense love. Some may be better at it than others, because they have been on earth for longer, or more times. But they all have the ability. Crowley has loved Aziraphale since Eden, even if he wouldn't admit it to many people. But I would know. I know everything.
"Angel, I've loved you since the bloody apple tree! And you've never, not once in our entire existence on earth, noticed that I am practically pouring out adoration for you?" Aziraphale looked quite shocked.
"Well, I'm not sure why. It's all quite the same, I do think." He said, rubbing the fabric of his coat between his fingers. Crowley put his head in his hand, thinking.
"Of course.. Angel, I never wanted you to know. I wanted anything but that. I must have.. I must have blocked your signal thing out, so you could never feel it from me." Aziraphale nodded after a moment. "That would make sense I suppose, my dear."
The two sat, talking, and after a waiter came, ordered their food. Or, Aziraphale ordered his food. Crowley got a glass of wine. Crowley let himself look a little lovesick as he watched Aziraphale eat his food. All of a sudden, the angel stood up very quickly.
"I have to use the lavatory." Crowley nodded. "'Kay." He tapped his wine glass with his fingers a few times, before straightening up again. "But you don't even need to- oh bugger, he's already gone."
•
Aziraphale hurried out the entrance and into the street. He ducked into an alley and glared at the form in front of him.
"What would you like? You've interrupted my lunch." The man sighed, stepping forward and putting his hand on Aziraphale's shoulder.
“Please. It's gotten chaotic. Gabriel won't shut up, Michael's ego is still bigger than a whale, Uriel is following Gabriel around, it's all just.. I need help, okay? Please, Az?" Aziraphale sighed and patted the other man's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait. Come to the bookshop after I'm finished, I'll send Crowley home early." The man flinched at the name.
"That's another thing. They really aren't happy about you and him. Gabriel and Beelzebub want to keep you apart to 'break their friendship. They won't be able to fight back.' I don't want you getting hurt, Az, because he decided to be your friend."
Aziraphale chuckled nervously. "He isn't exactly my friend anymore. At least I hope so."
The man lifted his brow. "You hope?"
"You see, we've both.. well not discovered.. brought to attention a mutual longing for a romantic relationship."
"Seriously?"
"I can't help it! He's just so.. oh.. he's just Crowley!" The man chuckled.
"It's alright. I still don't want him hurting you, though. If you have any problems, and I mean any, let me know." He said, backing up.
"I will, brother. I will." And the figure was gone. Aziraphale sighed and made his way back to Crowley.
"I apologize, dearest. There was something I had to address." Crowley nodded. "'S alright, Angel." He took another sip from his wine glass, finishing it off.
Conveniently, a waitress was passing by. She looked at Aziraphale, noticing his glass was also empty.
"Would you and your partner like some more wine?" She smiled brightly, and Aziraphale was quick to answer. "Oh he's not my-" he paused for a moment. "Yes. Yes we would. Thank you very much, dear."
Crowley nearly choked again. The fact that Aziraphale had stopped declining the lady, pretty much implied that they were indeed a couple, had Crowley turning his face away very quickly and silently cursing the pink slowly painting his cheeks. He grabbed his phone from his pocket, suddenly very interested in something that had popped up. The wine arrived, and he hid his face with that.
"It's a shame this will be over so soon. I know we've done this before, but now that we've... confessed our feelings, it feels special."
Crowley choked this time.
"Dear boy, are you alright?!" Crowley hacked a few more times and gave Aziraphale a thumbs up.
"What's it you say? Tickety-boo?" Aziraphale huffed indignantly. "You gave me a fright." Crowley shook his head, waving away the subject. "'M fine."
Maybe he was thinking too hard about this. Probably, so many things circulated his mind that it was almost dizzying.
He looked around, letting his tongue slip out, tasting the air for sin. Though the scent wasn't something that was exactly.. comforting, it was familiar. Hell was full of it, obviously, and he had been there since before time was created. A scent from outside. Panic, and lust. He raised an eyebrow and focused his attention on it. After a moment, he stood up quickly. That was where he drew the line.
"Sorry Angel, there's a.. problem. Outside. Be back." He shoved his hands in his pockets and made his way out, into the alley home to the scent. He glared at the man gripping the girl's wrist.
"I'd suggest you stop." Crowley's voice caught the man's attention, and he let go of the woman to walk towards him.
"And I'd suggest you leave, and forget what ya seeing." Crowley sighed. They always made it harder.
"Aight, we're doing this." He moved to walk past the man toward the woman, and was stopped by a firm arm on his shoulder.
"What do ya think you're doing? You want a piece of the action?" The man smirked. The woman scrambled farther back. "Nah, I have an Angel to get back to, and I'd prefer to finish whatever you're trying to start."
The man huffed, a confident grin falling in place. He obviously thought he could take the skinny man. Crowley took his glasses off, staring at them. He hummed thoughtfully and stored them in his pocket. The man lifted his fist, aiming at Crowley's face. "As you wish." And he punched.
"Hm. A punch isn't going to stop me." Crowley smirked, his eyes glowing slightly. He had caught the man's fist in the air. "I s'pose when you meet everybody else downstairs you'll figure that out."
And the man was flung backwards. Crowley let himself return to the form he was in earlier, although he opted for the larger version. And that was how a forty-foot snake found himself wrapped around a very confused woman. With a flick of his tail, the man had blacked out. Crowley moves his large head to stare at the woman.
"Are you alright?" He hissed. She nodded, not trying to hide the bewilderment and fear in his eyes. "Ar.. are you some kind of angel?" Crowley snorted, changing back. "Definitely not an angel. Quite the opposssite." He said, outstretching his hand to pull her up and towards the street.
For you, Angel. Crowley thought, waving his hand in front of her face. "You'll awake from a dream of whatever you like besst, or sssomething.." He muttered, and walked away (after situating his glasses back on his face).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aziraphale smiled at Crowley as they left the Ritz. "That was scrumptious, dear. Thank you, for taking me." The Angel said.
"Yeah, no problem, Angel. Mind we take the car?" Crowley asked, nodding to the curbside, which now was housing the black machine he was so fond of. A ding from his pocket caught his attention, and he pulled his phone out. It was a text from Warlock.
'Thought you would like this.' Crowley clicked the link. It was coordinates. He frowned, why would he be interested in coordi-
oh, hold on a moment. In less than a second they were in a different part of London, and Aziraphale stumbled slightly. "Crowley! Do warn me next time!" He scolded.
"Please." Crowley looked to the side, where several cars of all fashions were in a park. "Angel, just this once. I want to make a fool of them." He begged.
Aziraphale stood still, studying the strange event. "What.. what is this?" He asked, looking back at Crowley. The demon sighed.
"Car show, motor show, plenty of names. Please let me go.." Though it thoroughly hurt his pride to beg, this was a day for both of them, and he didn't want to force Aziraphale into anything. "You can go home if you'd like." He added. Aziraphale thought for a moment. "We can go. Lunch was for me, this will be for you. Besides, I see some folks with a good sense of fashion." Aziraphale said, smiling.
Crowley perked up, miracling tickets and a place with the other cars. A small side-miracle so the humans along them thought they'd been there the entire time, and he was good to go.