Work Text:
The world was gone if you could some it all up in a few words.
Europe, Canada, the stars, they're all gone and its nothing the bloody world could do about it if there was a world.
But there was a bookshop. And in the middle of it all was crowley and aziraphale. Of all people when the earth needs saving they’re always there in the middle of it. Except now they truly are in the middle of it now. Middle of nowhere.
Crowley threw the book in his hands up into the air, all gone, all words nonexistent, there's nothing in this bookshop worth of anything now as it is. It's all gone, erased, and as said before, nonexistent.
“Well,” Aziraphale's voice came up high again. Panic still in the room as Crowley grabbed another book. Although the answer to what was in the last book was still there, nothing. “If its all come down to this, then,” He paused for a moment, looking around as crowley through the book in his hand down to the floor with the other. Typical.
“There must be some sort of answer here, finally. To everything.”
The books were empty. No notes, no rules of life. Not the book of life but the book of life doesn't exist anymore, all burnt in the eternal flames. And yet Aziraphale was persistent, checking his catalog again and again. The years of books he’d kept, the years of keeping it organized and kept safe. They must have the answer.
Crowley was not thinking that way. Not in the slightest.
“Oh, yeah, a hundred thousand blank books. But one with all the answers in them.” Crowley snickered, well he thinks he did but all he did sound like was not amused. Still got the job done. “Doesn’t sound very likely isn’t it?”
The two stood there for a moment, blank books in hands from their endless search. Both looking at one another for any clues but in reality, or if you could call their situation a reality, a failure.
“But there must be something.” Aziraphale spoke up in the silence, that pitiful look on him as always before politely putting down the book in his hand, grabbing another copy to try and search for words, for any meaning to fix this. Everything is gone and yet they were still here, it must mean something it must! “Anything, this can't be it. can it?”
Aziraphale looked back at Crowley, the papers of the book in hand were a slight crumpled by his grip before putting the book down on the table, debating himself before looking for another.
Crowley watched the frantic search with a look in his eyes. Watching his angel run around for any clues his god had left him. A message, a simple word of instruction. Crowley knew there was nothing, there was always nothing and as he watched Aziraphale pick up another book, a rather slimmer one than the rest, Crowley just couldn't stand it anymore.
“Stop it, stop it there’s nothing! Alright!” Crowley covered the book with his hand in Aziraphale's grasp, pushing it down to the desk to the side of them to try and stop Aziraphales prancing. He hasn't been that mad in ages has he? Isn’t much of a good look on him. “Angel, there isn't,"
“There’s nothing. Everything's been burnt alright? It's just you and me and this bloody bookshop.”
“Well at least don't use this bookshop in vain.” Aziraphale Spoke up, Like he cared of the place so much still. He left it high and dry for three years and now he still gets ‘the bookshop is mine’ privileges still? Practically crowleys.
“Oh and when have you cared about the bookshop these past few years eh? Prancing around heaven going ‘tickly boo’ to everything that isn’t right.” Crowley wasn’t yelling. He was done with yelling, that slip up happened out of nowhere. Like it never happened. “Look angel, I know you tried but tried isn’t enough anymore. The worlds done for. The universe is over and the only thing left is this bookshop.”
“Our bookshop.” Aziraphale added.
“Our bookshop whatever.”
The pair were at ears. Ready for any kind of rash conversation the two were gonna have, the final questions. Final answers before everything goes to light and nothingness. But the two weren’t speaking. Just standing there with nothing in their hands.
Crowley was leaned against a pillar, hands in his pockets while Aziraphale held to his jacket length. What a nasty conversation.
“You should say something.” Aziraphale noted in the silence. He seems he can’t find any ground with this anymore. Can’t fight for himself. It’s just them.
“… alright I’ll talk.” Crowley was at a lost for words and yet he still spoke.
“I think this is a good time to talk about ourselves.”
“Right.”
Aziraphale noted quickly moving towards their chairs. One on the left of the coffee table and one on the right. As always and as forever written. Aziraphale sat down with less grace as usual and Crowley sat with less pride. The room was off as the darkness outside was pouring in.
The damage, the years, everything leading up to this moment and yet the room was as silent as ever. Nothing to break the tension, nothing that exists really. No customers to come in and empty the moment, no leaving. It was just them and their reality.
“…”
“…”
“Would you like some tea?”
“Of course, angel.”
~
“I loved you more than the stars. I really did love you. As humans go and say, I mean it.”
“I know you do Crowley.”
“And it just hurts being pushed away. Pushed away like you don’t matter. Pushed away by heaven. Again.” Crowley spoke more foul with the last word. Again. So much meaning and yet it isn’t written than more than it does now. “Welp that’s all I wanted to say these past few years.” Crowley put down his cup, a black mug that he insisted he have except for Aziraphale’s large selection of nice mugs.
“But you must understand what I could do. I could’ve changed everything, get everything changed and the second coming could’ve been about peace and joy and us.” Aziraphale felt the familiar sensation. The hot temple, the dry eyes. And yet no tears came as they spoke. Just understanding and listening. “Us and the world and we could do whatever we want without no Armageddon or second coming of war. No war with the heavens and hell. Us.”
“Well look where that ‘second coming’ got us.”
Crowley and Aziraphale haven’t moved much, just looking around the bookshop, the dust and all its centuries of knowledge.
But nothing mattered more than the two in the room. One angel, and one former demon.
“It got us back together.” Aziraphale noted. Getting Crowley’s attention back which gave Aziraphale a smile. A smile knowing he still has the attention of the former demon even if there was nothing else. “And I must thank the lord for that.”
“Where is god anyways?” Crowley looked over his chair than back towards Aziraphale, looking over his should for him.
“Thought that at least one deity might be here.”
“I think it’s just us as you said.” Aziraphale spoke for the group, laying back in his seat more as he looked out the windows. Nothing. No darkness, in darkness there’s something. But this? Was nothing.
“Truly?” Crowley pipped.
“Truly so.”
“Ah.”
Crowley lifted his leg off the edge of the seat, bringing it up to the arm rest as the both of the men thinked for a moment. Thinking of what’s next.
“We don’t have much time.” Crowley spoke for the group this time, standing up as Aziraphale made up his mind. Standing up also as Crowley walked around the area also. To the middle of books, the entrance to the front.
“Well angel, how would you like to spend your last moments aye? More cups of tea, a bit of music.”
Crowley moved his head side to side with the options, turning back to Aziraphale to face to face conversation. As Aziraphale came closer.
“Though I suppose your records don’t work anymore—“
Aziraphale came closer than ever once more, bringing his hands up to cup both of Crowley’s cheeks quickly before he ran off to another area of a bookshop before looking straight at him. And kissing him softly, softer than a rubber duck in a bath. Lip to lip, nose to nose as they kissed.
And when they parted just a moment after, Aziraphale relaxed. seeing his former demon dazed and looking straight at him in a softer light. Just letting Aziraphale take charge once more.
“I want to spend our last moments together.” Together as one. One to two and two make a pair as good as them. The moment went on without a breath. As Aziraphale’s fingers curled in slight happiness at what he’d just done. Or regret. Or another human emotion that hasn’t been named yet. “Please.”
Crowley stayed silent for a moment as Aziraphale stepped back, having space between them once again before sighing, watching a plea fall from Aziraphale’s mouth as they spoke was refreshing and familiar.
“You don’t need to beg, it’s not like I have a choice anyways.” Crowley head fell downwards as he spoke, sighing heavily before Aziraphale looked at him in surprise. Letting the moment linger for a moment before he spoke.
“Aren’t you gonna say something else? Something more important?”
“Not like when I kissed you you were all happy and go getting, you were acting just the same.” Crowley spoke up as Aziraphale fumbled with his words and hands, trying to justify himself.
“We’ve already been over this,”
“Barely.” Crowley cut into his sentence quickly.
“Heaven was a great chance to make a difference in the second coming.” Aziraphale knew his words were meaningless to Crowley. He was sorry for breaking his heart but still!
“And,” Aziraphale was about to explain himself once more, but Crowley cut him off.
“And what? We’re just gonna explain ourselves over and over till the nothingness takes over this very bookshop? To say sorrows, to say pleas that mean nothing right now?” Crowley’s hands went up to his side more, spinning around the entrance of the bookshop in all its heavenly glory or even if heaven still exists still. And as Aziraphale watched, Crowley calmed down. There wasn’t much to be mad about. “It matters but it doesn’t have to matter, angel.”
“It just,” Crowley took off his glasses, yellow eyes more prominent than ever as a glossy tint went over them. “I don’t want to spend our last moments arguing again even if it really matters.”
The two stared at each other for a moment before Aziraphale let out a quick laugh at the tension, his hand coming to cover his mouth to try and not ruin the moment as Crowley came up to him.
“And for the record, that kiss was pretty darn you.”
“Oh, Crowley.”
Aziraphale smiled. And so did Crowley. The two were once again on the same level.
“I just want to spend my last moments with you.” Aziraphale noted quickly. “As us.”
“And shall it be.” Crowley spoke as Aziraphale cupped Crowley’s cheeks once again.
“You know you don’t-“
A kiss was met.
“, have to hold my face-“
Then another.
“, everytime.”
“Well I want to, why is that so bad?” Aziraphale spoke up, scrunching up slightly as he looked at Crowley. A soft glance at each other at the intimate kissed shared together. And Crowley kissed back. Soft and innocent before speaking up.
“Well let’s get in with it then. What do you want to do on our last moments of the universe?”
Crowley extended a hand to Aziraphale’s, which was met quickly. Not rushed just a bit quicker than what would’ve been met earlier. And the two held hands, Aziraphale’s over Crowley’s as they spoke to one another.
“Well I would like to spend these last moments together, obviously. But,” Aziraphale spoke before feeling the ground shake lightly. This was it wasn’t it? Oh gods.
“We don’t have much time.”
“Maybe god will spare us a few minutes.” Crowley pipped.
“Gods not here.” Aziraphale was scared, sad and regretful. And Crowley stood there with him, squeezing his hand.
“You’re an angel. Gods always on your side.”
“Not today it seems.”
“…” Crowley was silent before walking towards the bookshop’s record player. And kneeling down. The shelf was full of what Aziraphale would listen to on a daily basis. And in the counter was a small, dabble of a section that Crowley picked out before grabbing a smaller record.
the record was placed on the record player as it spun. It took a moment before the music started to play.
♪ you had to kill the conversation ♪
“How about some music then. Cheer up the mood.”
Crowley extended a hand to Aziraphale again. This time slower. More careful as Aziraphale answered to it again.
♪ got caught in love and stepped in sinking sand ♪
The two stepped closer to one another, hand’s together as they spun around the bookshop floor slowly.
♪ you had to go and ruin all our plans ♪
♪ pack your bags, and your leaving home ♪
“You know where did the nickname come from?” Aziraphale spoke up over the music, the music blurring out as they danced slowly.
“What?”
“The nickname, you know. Angel. I don’t call you demon.”
“Oh that. You’re just so sweet. Like an angel. Like you are. You don’t go around calling people ‘demon’ Aziraphale.”
The two spoke before going back to the music, the ground rumbling once more as they changed pace, moving clockwise before meeting chest to chest.
The perfect form.
♪ I guess we drift along in separate ways ♪
The two looked at each other as they spun around, their arms moving to go around the two.
“The universe damned us all. God, satan. Anyone.” Crowley reminded Aziraphale. “But not you. You did the best you could.”
“Crowley.”
The two’s forehead’s met, the rumbling in the book shop becoming more prominent but the music kept them busy.
♪ We were born to be just losers
So I guess there’s a limit on how far we go
But we only have one more night together, so ♪
“Love me like there’s no tomorrow.” Crowley whispered, singing the lyrics as Aziraphale was close to crying. “Hold me in your arms, tell me you mean it.”
♪ This is our last goodbye, And very soon, it will be over ♪
“But today, just love me like there’s no tomorrow.” Crowley returned to his normal voice after speaking those words. “A classic isn’t it?”
“Very much so. And very,” Aziraphale paused for a moment. “Fitting.”
“Isn’t it?”
Crowley took in a deep breaths, dancing with Aziraphale as the universe crumbled around them, but they were together. They weren’t scared.
♪ anything can happen, but we only have one more day together, yeah ♪
The two were silent. Listening to the music play as they danced together to calm themselves. Spinning and laughing together. The world was ending, the universe was ending but there was the bookshop. Aziraphale and Crowley.
And that was enough.
“I love you, Crowley. I hope you know that.” Aziraphale spoke up in the music.
“I love you too, angel.” Crowley answered. Both smiling happily as ever. They were happy.
♪ But today, just love me like there’s no tomorrow ♪
“Wait”