Chapter Text
When he opened his eyes, Crowley felt lost for a second, his dark glasses made it difficult to recognise where he was and with who, as the world around him became clearer he recognised the bandstand and the park, the other persons voice was muffled until he heard himself start talking and realized Aziraphale was with him, just like many other times before, but this time something was off and he didn't want to experience this again.
"How long have we been friends? Six thousand years."
Here it come, the worse stab he ever lived before.
"Friends, we're not friends. We are an angel and a demon, we have nothing in common I don't even like you."
Yeah, it hurts just as the first time he heard it.
"You do."
He wanted to stop this, the angel and him were free now, they were fine, everything was fine, they were the happiest.
"Even if I did know where the anticrhist was I wouldn't tell you, we're on opposite sides."
"We are on our side."
No, he didn't want this but the words kept sliping from his tongue.
"There is no our side Crowley! Not anymore! It's over."
"Well... Alright... Have a nice doomsday."
As he turned around to leave, Crowley noticed that he was no longer in the park but in certain street in Soho he knew all too well and in the distance the sirens he heard were also awfully familiar for him, like a really bad joke he spoted the dark smoke a few shops away and smell of old books burning, his blood ran cold, his heart clenched and the world around him started spinning, his blood ran cold and even though he didn't really need to breath he felt like suffocating.
"No... No no NO! Not this again."
He started running towards the bookshop, stumbling with his own feet, there was a deafing buzzing in his ears but he didn't care about it, he wanted to get to the angel as soon as possible, he ran or at least he felt like he was running but didn't get anywhere near the shop, his breath hitched and his eyes burned, from his place he spoted Aziraphale inside the shop looking terrified as everything around him was being destroyed by the fire. Crowley could tell the angel was trying to miracle himself somewhere safe or maybe miracle the fire away but indeed trying to do something but achieving nothing.
The fire danced a wicked waltz around his angel, it was a bitter irony that the flames moved around Aziraphale like serpents stalking their prey while devouring every book near them it was like the inferno itself bloomed in a sick way inside that shop. All Crowley could do was witness how the portal in front of the angel glowed and Gabriel appeared before the angel wearing the most terrifying and wicked grin Crowley has ever seen in all his six thousand years of existance in earth.
He saw Gabriel's lips moving and how Azirapale stumbled backwards before he desapeared and there was an explosion or more like an implotion, all the windows broke and the glass went flying inside and the piercing scream of Aziraphale and sound of flesh being sliced was the las thing he heard.
Monday 02:37am
"AZIRAPHALE!"
Crowley gasped siting in his bed, his heart wild inside his chest and hurting as if holy water was being poured slowly over his chest, his eyes where completely yellow and he was panting unable to focus on anything, unable to realize that he was in his flat, in his bedroom, in his bed and there was no fire, no smoke, no destroyed bookshop, no Gabriel and the angel was probably reading something, sitting on his chair enjoying a hot cup of tea. His head was spinning and he could taste the bile pooling in his mouth, his skin was burning and his eyes stung, there was no coherent thought in his head and for the rest of the night he stayed awake, replaying that dream over and over again.
Monday 10:46am
Everything in the bookshop was as normal as it could be, costumers annoying Aziraphale wanting to actually buy some books, a young couple snogging each other at the very back of the shop hiding behind some bookshelfs, a mother looking for her lost kid who was just reading something inadequate for their age and a man trying to ask the angel for dinner, wich of course Aziraphale courteously declined, yeah just another usual monday morning. The angel was feeling the beginning of a migraine with all the noise and hoped for it to miaculously stop and finally be able to drink a hot cup of choco. But the problem was that something was missing and had the angel axious today or rather someone. The sofa at the back of the shop was cold and empty, lacking some slithery read haired demon with dark glasses.
After helping the mother scold her child, Aziraphale was pacing uneasy behind his desk, it was almost 11am and the demon was late, that was very unusual for him since he was always the first one tempting the angel some fancy lunch at the Ritz but as the time passes it seemd like today was going to be an exception, not that eating by his own bothered the him, it was just that he wanted to talk about something important that had him sighing for some weeks now.
As the minutes passed Aziraphale went to do some inventory, "clean" around a little and wait hopefully that his friend would arrive at any time.
Monday 13:15
Something was definitely wrong with Crowley, he could feel it, like if he had a pebble in his shoe, ever since they saved the world Aziraphale was able to feel Crowley's mood. He never told him of course, how can he posibly explain it?
"Oh dear, it's 1:18pm now and he hasn't even called yet, I hope everyth-"
His monologue was interrupted by the screeching of some wheels just right outside the shop followed by the sound of the door being open abruptly and a lanky figure entered with long strides looking frantically everywhere until they locked eyes, fixing his hair and with a soft smile on his face, the demon aproached him leaving little space between them.
"Hello angel, ur ready?"
"Of course darling, lead the way."- nervously, Aziraphale lean forward and give the demon a soft kiss on the cheek.
Crowley was frozen in place and felt, what he liked to call, hell spiders crawling in his stomach, he felt his knees getting weak and even though he didn't need to breathe he felt like chocking in his spit. Slowly the demon lift his hand to touch the spot the angel's lips left burning and his mind started to race with different thoughts but the one that made him groan in annoyance at the one that told him that probably Aziraphale was just being friendly and did the same with his other male friends, not that he was anything more than a demon.
Noticing that he was alone in front of the door, the angel glanced back to where he left Crowley and thought that maybe kissing him on the cheek was too sudden and a mistake. But he couldn't help it, today Crowley felt icy cold and not precisely because of the weather, it was like his whole aura was in negative degrees or like a dark shadow above his head.
"Crowley dear, is everything ok?"
"Wot? O-oh yeah angel 'ts ok, shall we?"
Crowley's attemp to be nonchalant was poor and Aziraphale can see past it but didn't say anything. They went outside and the demon opened the door of the Bentley for him to get in. The ride to the Ritz was quiet but not necesarily uncomfortable, the angel couldn't help it but stare at Crowley the whole time because he wasn't speeding, he was driving slow, as slow as it someone can say, it was Crowley after all.
This time he could see the diference in his companion normal looks, his lovely freckles were nowhere to be seen, his skin was a bit darker than usual as if he had a tan recently, his very kissable lips where a unusual shadow of red and there was a slight differece undertone in the demon's scent, but Aziraphale new better than say it aloud.
"m sure today there miraculously are some new desserts on their menu they didn't know they had, it'd be a shame to waste them, don't cha think, angel?"
Aziraphale jumped a little the moment he realized that Crowley was looking directly at his eyes, his dark glasses a little down in his nose so he could see that breathtaking yellow eyes, but he was instantly distracted by the black outline and shadows that definitely were a massive difference than the demon's usual make up.
"Dear, I realized a few hundreds of year ago that you always look stunning no matter what you want to present as or what you wear, but today and I can't help but wonder"
Aziraphale leaned forward and gently removed Crowley's glasses.
"Was it really necesary that you apply this amount of shades under your eyes?"
"NGHK! I just err bought some ehh for my last temptation but didn't get the chance to try it so... Better not waste it, right?"
Crowley was avoiding the angel's gaze but was aware of how it was lingering at his lips, his eyes and he was sure the tips of his ears were getting red by every passing second. His heart was like a wild horse racing in his chest when Aziraphale leaned in a grabed his chin to make him look in the eyes.
"Well, I must say, it suits you my dear."
Aziraphale's smile was as bright as the sun and his eyes... oh his eyes were like the stars he made long ago.