just-a-raine-day

[just-a-raine-day]

I know it’s not hard to point out reactionaries hypocrisy when it comes to like safe spaces or hug boxes or whatever but genuinely how much of an echo chamber do you have to exist in for you to think this is a reasonable thing to say

[just-a-raine-day]

cant help myself

[just-a-raine-day]

Just in case you were feeling happy today 🥲

[just-a-raine-day]

I was reading this while listening to Wasteland, Baby! by Hozier

It’s just so soothing, I can’t breathe-

Home is not a place

Summary

Walking home, looking around, Aziraphale recalls moments from his past and, above all, realizes that home isn't where you are, but who's there.

Notes

I just love the feeling of being home

On Ao3

Rating G -  1080 words

Aziraphale would never tire of this sight. 

On his way back from some errands, the sight of "A.Z. Fell And Co." had a way of soothing him. It was the sight that told him, "Welcome home."

But not because it was his bookshop.

The sense of belonging that made him think he was home came not from the place, but from the person who was there.

Just knowing that Crowley was there had that kind of power.

Though he hadn't been away long, Aziraphale felt like the sailors who sailed into the storm and saw the light of the lighthouse pointing them to safe harbor. 

No matter how chaotic the outside world was, when the angel saw this, he knew that once the door was closed, once he would be with his demon, the chaos would fade away to make way for the warmth of their home.

His gaze fell on the Dirty Donkey, and inevitably he thought back to the elevator door to their former sides, from which no one had come for several months.

His throat tightened at the thought of how close he'd come to following Metatron there and leaving everything here.

"Anything you need to take with you?"

Metatron's question, which had made him realize that he couldn't leave, echoed in his mind.

He couldn't leave all the things and places that reminded him of Crowley and their history together. He had realized in that moment that it would be like amputating a part of himself. 

Even today, the mere thought of it made him shudder with dread.

Instinctively, he turned his head toward the bookshop, and the sight of Muriel and Crowley chatting instantly brought him peace.

Yes, that was their life today.

There had been so many misunderstandings and unspoken words between him and Crowley.  They were still learning to speak and act openly with each other, and their team of two had been joined by others. Muriel, Nina, Maggie, Mrs. Sandwhich, Justine and even the annoying Mr. Brown. 

He was now only a few feet from the bookshop.

Home.

As Crowley escorted Muriel to the door of the bookstore, Aziraphale thought back to their first encounter with the angel.

What a change.

He watched in amusement as Crowley pulled Muriel's woolly hat over their head and couldn't help but smile fondly, knowing that under the guise of teasing the angel, the demon was just making sure they were well covered for the winter cold.

His nice demon pretending not to be nice.

But Crowley could no longer pretend with Aziraphale, not when right now, unaware he was being watched, he was following Muriel with his eyes, an affectionate expression on his face.

"He's quite fond of our little bee, isn't he?"

Aziraphale gasped slightly, lost in his thoughts he hadn't seen Nina leave the coffee-shop and come closer. 

He just nodded and Nina added, "He still thinks no one can see through his game when he's just a piece of marshmallow once he interacts with Muriel."

Aziraphale chuckled before replying, "For your sake, I will not repeat your words to him."

Nina smirked before saying, "Like he'd do anything to me.  Mr. Grumpy, right? He is grumpy in name only now. Anyway, I have to go home, have a good night."

Nina didn't wait for an answer and went on her way, obviously to Maggie.

The coffee-shop owner was right, and it warmed Aziraphale's heart that other people could see beneath Crowley's mocking demeanor and see what a good person he was.

And good he was.

Aziraphale had lost count of how many times he'd been the recipient of the demon's kindness.

"Oh, the books. Oh. I forgot all the books. Oh, they'll all be blown to..."

Aziraphale hadn't even finished his sentence when the demon handed him his satchel of books and said quietly, "Little demonic miracle of my own."

As if the miracle of saving him wasn't enough.

"Lift home?"

Aziraphale watched in amazement as the demon walked past him to the Bentley.

That day he had known, or rather he had stopped lying to himself.

He was hopelessly and irrevocably in love with Crowley.

Even if nothing had happened between them then, the dynamics of their relationship had changed and planted the roots of their current one.

They had both reaffirmed the fragile mutual trust that had germinated millennia ago.

Aziraphale had found in Crowley a listening and understanding ear, and had been able to express his fears and doubts. Crowley had accepted and validated all. He had found in Crowley a partner who complemented him, who allowed him to be himself, far from the expectations of heaven, which had long ago made it clear to him that he would never measure up.

Crowley had helped him rebuild what heaven had fractured inside him.

What a journey...

Watching Crowley greet Justine from a distance, smile, and return to the bookshop, Aziraphale couldn't help but feel the love he had for him all the more. 

Crowley had his back to him and was about to turn to close the door when Aziraphale hurriedly took the last few steps between him and the demon and, placing a hand on his shoulder, said softly, "Good evening, my dear."

The ange3 closed the door behind him as the demon turned and said, "Angel, are you here already? I thought you'd be a little longer. Not that I'm complaining, but..."

The demon couldn't finish his sentence because Aziraphale had cupped his face with his hands and pulled it down to his own, planting a tender kiss on his lips before saying softly, "Thank you."

"Thank you for what?" the demon asked, a little confused.

"For being here. For having stayed."

Aziraphale let one of his hands linger on the demon's cheek and added, "On the way home, I looked around at the street, the people, the bookshop, you inside, and I remembered a lot of things, good and bad, and most of all I realized that it's not the walls of this place that make it my home, but the fact that you're in it."

Crowley took Aziraphale's hand on his cheek and brought it to his lips before saying softly, "It's not because I'm there, Angel. It is because we are there."

"We," the angel repeated, his voice tight with emotion, then he added, smiling softly, "I'm glad to be home."

Crowley, with the same smile on his lips, replied just as gently, "Welcome home, Angel.”

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Growing Love series : (After season 2) 

Part 1 Story 1-99

Part 2 Story 100-?

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here (Before season 2)

[just-a-raine-day]

The Fall

“He just wanted to ask some questions”

Haven’t drawn in SAI for ages, but I wanted to give it a shot

#good omens #good omens 2 #crowley #fanart #ineffable husbands #angel crowley #art

[just-a-raine-day]

Pt 2 of making @asleepyy ‘s lovely Azazel

The hair

I feared it. It frightened me. You know, having no experience in something didn’t boost my confidence at this stage, and I was really terrified of irreparable damage to this lil owl, but I had my yarn, I had my acrylic paint, it wouldn’t be too hard to fix it, right? So I just went into it, glueing individual pieces on the pencil line on the head. With the first layer he looked like a judge (picture 3)

The robe

Cut from a sock with no measurements, purely intuitively. Hand sewn with care and attention!!

Finale (cutting hair)

I actually thought of leaving Azazel with long hair as, again, I was pretty nervous about doing something wrong, but I looked at him and thought “He deserves a haircut”.

So..here we are!

That was lovely to have you here, reading about Azazel’s creation!! Of you have any questions, I’ll try my best to answer it, don’t hesitate to ask<з

#good omens #aziraphale #azazel #oopsie!omens #crafts

[just-a-raine-day]

Okie, here’s ✨the process✨ of making @asleepyy ‘s wonderful and amazing Azazel!! (Pt. 1)

Again, this was my first time making something like this, so..I may have done some mistakes along the way, or there was a much easier way, but it all turned out tickety-boo

First of all, the head (there’s aluminium foil inside of it)

At this stage I didn’t know it was yet-to-be Azazel, so the nose was a tad different (had to cut some clay off)

Body, palms and feet

I relentlessly dissected a whisk for the frame and the legs, and for arms I decided to use a different kind of wire so that they could be bent!

✨Painting time✨

I also thought of creating some “flesh” for the arms as I wanted them to look like, well, arms in sleeves, not like wires in sleeves-

It’s just pieces of cotton pad tied up with some thread

See you in part 2!!🤲🏼☕️

#good omens #aziraphale #azazel #oopsie!omens #crafts

[just-a-raine-day]

I’VE MADE ✨the thing✨

@asleepyy this one’s for you!!

From the very first chapter I fell in love with this good omens AU, and now Azazel and Jophiel are living rent free in my fyperfixated head-

One evening I got bored, and next to me were lying some aluminium foil and polymer clay, and I made a head without any idea of whom I’m doing

But then. Then I figured out that the head looked- owl-ish? AND, YOU GUESSED IT, my brain immediately conjured up the Azazel’s image

And I started working. That’s my first time doing something like this, so please do be kind and don’t judge too harshly🤲🏼☕️

And?? If anyone’s interested, I have photos of the process of making this figure, so- should I post it??

Bonus: three last pictures are taken before a haircut- Consider it to be Azazel with Crowley-like ✨biblical hair✨

#good omens #aziraphale #azazel #oopsie!omens #fanart #well sort of a fanart #crafts #this is my favourite au thank you so much

[just-a-raine-day]

GOOD OMENS (2019-) | 2.06 'Every Day'

[just-a-raine-day]

It belongs to us

Summary

As he fulfills his lifelong fantasy of being able to touch Crowley's long hair, Aziraphale and the demon share a sweet moment, but this tender moment is interrupted when the angel, overcome with emotion, realizes that they could have missed all of this. 

Notes

The hundredth story in this series.

Thank you for always being there and following the ineffable idiots and the universe I've created for them.

On Ao3

Rating G -  1263 words

Soft jazz tones lent a warm color to the atmosphere of the bookshop, illuminated only by a few dim lights here and there.

It was Crowley who had chosen the music as the two enjoyed a quiet evening on the sofa.

The demon lay on his side, his head in the angel's lap, while the latter had his hands in Crowley's hair, enjoying the silky softness beneath his fingers.

As he let go of one of the short strands, he said softly, a little hesitantly, "You know, there's something I..."

Then he stopped, blushing slightly.

The demon, recognizing that kind of hesitation in his angel, said nothing and just hummed. He didn't try to turn his head to look at the angel, knowing that it would probably make him even more uncomfortable, and just waited. 

Aziraphale took a deep breath before confessing softly, "I've always wondered what it would be like to... bury my fingers in your long curly locks, like the ones you wore on the wall of the Garden of Eden."

The angel didn't even dare look down at the demon, and with his hands still in his hair, he waited, embarrassed by his confession, for the demon's reaction.

But Crowley didn't move and said nothing until Aziraphale felt the hair move under his fingers and, looking down, saw the strands grow and curl to the length he remembered.

He let out a small gasp of surprise and wonder.

Aziraphale buried his hands in the long hair, as he'd always dreamed of doing, and it surpassed anything he'd imagined. 

He enjoyed sliding the silky, curly strands between his fingers, wrapping a lock around his forefinger and unwinding it.

Crowley murmured softly, "I so love it when you do that, Angel.

Aziraphale replied softly, burying his fingers in the curly mass near the demon's neck, "And I love doing it. It's so beautiful."

Seeing the demon's cheeks blush slightly, the Angel continued, "You're so beautiful."

Crowley wanted to hide his face in Aziraphale's lap, but the angel held his head in place and stopped him.

He said softly, "Crowley, my dear, you're always showering me with praise, let me return the favor a little. You have nothing to say, nothing to do, just let me do it."

Crowley who knew when surrender, sighed, "Okay, angel..."

With one hand buried in the demon's hair, Aziraphale slid the fingers of his other hand from the hair to the demon's cheekbone, then followed the arch of the eyebrow with a light finger before moving gently down the slender nose. From there, the angel's fingers followed the curve of the other cheekbone before cupping the demon's cheek, forcing him to turn his face toward him.

With his thumb, he gently caressed the demon's thin, slightly parted lips, and again said softly, unable to hide his admiration, "You are so beautiful, my dear. I love everything that is part of that beauty."

Letting go of the demon's hair, he grabbed one of the long strands and pushed it back, continuing, "This hair, gorgeous, no matter how it is cut, no matter how long it is." 

The angel leaned forward and pressed a long kiss to the demon's hair, then his mouth slid to the demon's eyes, and after kissing one eyelid after another, he added still so softly, "Those eyes, whose warm color mesmerizes me."

His thumb caressed the demon's lips once more and he said, "These lips that give me the sweetest kisses and tell me the most charming, funny, and true things.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the demon's for a long time, then his eyes met his, he placed his hand on the demon's chest and continued, "But your beauty, my love, has its source in that huge, sweet, kind heart that you hide under a layer of sarcasm and coolness, but which is very much there."

Crowley wanted to escape the Angel's intense, adoring gaze, but part of him wanted to accept everything Aziraphale said, to acknowledge the craving inside of him. The longing for his angel's soft touch and kind words. After years of denial, he just wanted to give in, so he decided to let go and ease up. 

Aziraphale, who had seen his inner struggle, said softly, "Yes, just like that, my love." then leaned forward and pressed another tender kiss to the demon's lips.

He pulled back slightly and, as he continued to delicately map the demon's face, he said softly, a hint of emotion in his voice, "Crowley, do you know what a blessing it is that you allow me to do this?"

He let his hand rest on the demon's cheek as Crowley shook his head.

Aziraphale continued, "To touch you so freely is amazing. That you'd let me is even more amazing. Of all the things I forbid myself to do, forbidding myself to touch you was the worst. Yet, it was the thing I longed for the most. Without admitting it, of course."

His hand trembled slightly as it slid from the demon's cheek to his neck before coming to rest on his chest.

Seeing the way the demon's gaze was so trusting and gentle, the way he accepted his touch, Aziraphale felt overwhelmed with emotion and gasped for breath. 

He felt a retrospective panic as he realized that they had almost not been able to experience all of this.

That they could have gone the rest of their lives without knowing.

That they'd almost lost everything.

"Angel?"

The demon's worried voice snapped him out of his thoughts and Aziraphale realized he was crying. Crowley sat up and, sitting next to Aziraphale, took his face between his hands, his thumbs wiping away the tears rolling down the angel's cheeks.

The demon repeated, his voice more pressing, "Angel, what's wrong? Tell me, please."

Aziraphale replied, his voice broken with emotion, "I just realized we almost didn't have all this. If I'd followed Metatron, if I'd--"

Crowley interrupted, pulling him to his chest and saying softly into his hair, "Oh, Angel...but you didn't. You're right here. I'm right here. And this is all ours. No one can take it from us now."

The demon took the angel's face in his hands again and said forcefully, "Can you hear me? No one can take it. No one."

He brought his face close to the angel's and added in a whisper, "No one," then pressed his lips to the angel's, not realizing that he had begun to cry as well.

The kiss lingered. 

It had the salty taste of their tears, and it went on and on, neither of them wanting to part. As soon as one pulled away to catch his breath, the other almost immediately pulled him back in to continue the kiss.

When they finally calmed down, Crowley, still holding the angel in his arms, lay down, his head on the arm of the sofa, and pulled Aziraphale with him until he was lying on top of him.

The angel murmured against his chest, "It really is ours now."

His voice was full of wonder.

Crowley replied quietly, "Yes, Angel. It is."

He wrapped his arms around Aziraphale, who curled up even more tightly against him. They held each other for a long time, drawing comfort and reassurance from each other. 

They were one now. 

They always had been, but now their bond was strengthened by the awareness of each other's feelings. 

Strengthened by the power of their love. 

Whoever came between them was neither born nor created.

Because it was theirs.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Growing Love series : here (After season 2)

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here (Before season 2)

[just-a-raine-day]

Crowley's favorite song is The Velvet Underground's Pale Blue Eyes. Aziraphale's favorite color is yellow because it's "pretty" and has painted the walls of his bookshop with it. Hmmm, I wonder why THAT is. What could POSSSIBLY influence those choices...

They are so excruciatingly, devastatingly in love, they give me tooth aches.

[just-a-raine-day]

You just have to tell me

Summary

Finding a feather from Aziraphale on the ground, Crowley is shocked at its condition and wonders how long it's been since his angel tended to his wings. Once again...

Notes

I take responsibility for the amount of sugar in this fic

Day 30 : Wing Grooming

On Ao3

Rating G -  1339 words

As Crowley entered the bookshop, his gaze was immediately drawn to something on the floor. He took off his glasses, bent down to see what it was, and realized it was a white feather of medium size.

He picked it up carefully and noticed that it was more gray than white, as it was so dusty and that the tip looked a bit ruffled.

Looking closer, he realized that it was probably a feather from one of Aziraphale's wings and wondered if his angel hadn't taken good care of his wings once again.

Knowing that Aziraphale would soon return, he sat down on the sofa and, looking at the feather in his hand, wondered how he was going to broach the subject.

He still hadn't found an answer when the front door of the shop opened, so the demon decided it would be best to confront the angel directly.

He stood up and, feather in hand, walked toward Aziraphale who had just closed the door behind him.

First he greeted the angel with a kiss on the cheek, then he lifted the feather between them and said softly, "Angel, I found this on the floor when I came home."

Aziraphale exclaimed, "Oh, it's one of my feathers, it must have got caught on my clothes the last time I used it and fallen to the floor.

The demon nodded and replied, "That's probably what happened, but my problem, Angel, is not that it was there, but the condition it's in.

Seeing that the Angel was now wearing a sheepish expression, he added quietly, "It's not a reproach, I'm just wondering how it got to be in such a state. Like it's been a long time since you've taken care of it."

Aziraphale mumbled unintelligibly, "I'vetriedtotakecareofthem, butit'snotthesameifit'snotyoudoingit."

Crowley chuckled slightly and replied, "Angel, I don't know what language you're speaking, but you're going to have to explain it to me again because I didn't understand a word of it."

Aziraphale lowered his head and repeated more slowly, "I tried to take care of them like you did for me, but... but it's not the same when it's not you. I can't forget how I felt when you did it to me."

With his eyes downcast, the angel did not see the tender expression that appeared on the demon's face at his words. Crowley gently cupped his chin and lifted his head, saying softly, "Angel, you know you only have to ask."

Aziraphale shook his head and replied, "I don't want to come across as demanding. You already take such good care of me. I-"

He stopped when Crowley rolled his eyes.

The demon said to him in a tone of gentle reproach, "Idiot, when will you understand? It's not demanding to tell me what you need. I love you, so I love taking care of you, wings included, and it hurts me more to see you deprive yourself of something you enjoy just because you're afraid to ask for too much."

He caressed the angel's lips with his thumb and asked gently, "Would you like me to take care of your wings, angel?"

With the demon still holding Aziraphale's chin, the angel could not look away and simply nodded, breathing, "Yes," blushing slightly.

Crowley leaned down and pressed a kiss to Aziraphale's forehead before saying softly, "Well done."

Then he turned to the shop door and made a small gesture to lock it before grabbing the angel's hand and pulling him toward the stairs that led to their bedroom.

As they climbed the stairs, the demon said in a slightly teasing tone, "Seeing the state of this feather, I wonder what state your wings are in."

Aziraphale mumbled an incomprehensible reply as he was dragged along.

Arriving in the bedroom, the Angel sat down on the edge of the bed and began to unbutton his waistcoat, but Crowley crouched in front of him and placed his hand on his, asking softly, "Will you let me do this, Angel?"

The angel nodded quietly and placed his hands on either side of him on the edge of the bed. Crowley stripped him down to his undershirt, but before he continued, he looked at Aziraphale questioningly and asked softly, "Do you want me to stop here, Angel?"

Aziraphale replied gently, "You can take that off too."

Crowley smiled and removed the vest, then helped the angel get comfortable. 

Aziraphale chose to lie on his stomach, his head resting on his crossed arms, and once he was settled, Crowley told him gently, "You can spread your wings now."

Aziraphale nodded and obeyed, allowing his wings to spread smoothly behind him.

"Oh, Angel..." the demon sighed at the state of the angel's wings.

Aziraphale buried his face in his arms and murmured sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I..."

But the demon didn't let him continue, and as he tenderly stroked his back between the two wings, he said reassuringly, "We both know that old habits die hard, and even more so when those habits have been in place for millennia. We just have to learn to replace them with new ones."

He pressed a delicate kiss to the angel's neck, and as he did, the angel hummed with appreciation, then Crowley asked gently, "I'm going to start, are you ready?"

Aziraphale just nodded.

Crowley, straddling Aziraphale, began to tend to the angel's wings.  

First, he tracked down the slightest dust, the slightest dirt, sometimes grumbling about the state of certain feathers, but always soothing the angel with a caress to show him he wasn't upset with him. 

Then, when this first task was completed, he set about putting each feather back in place and smoothing it out. 

He checked frequently to make sure the angel was as comfortable as ever. 

When he was satisfied with the result, he finished with the base of the wings, where the little feathers were fluffy and a bit tousled. 

Just like his angel's hair, he thought with a fond smile. 

He remembered how sensitive that spot had been and how much it had delighted Aziraphale the first time, so he took his time, massaging that particular spot gently and lengthily, pleased to hear the angel's little appreciative whispers in return.

When he was finished, he leaned forward and murmured softly, "It's all done, Angel," then planted a tender kiss on the angel's hair before stepping back to let Aziraphale retract his wings.

Once the angel had retracted his wings, Crowley slid up beside him, wrapped his arms around him from behind, and turned him over, pressing Aziraphale's back against his chest.

He asked softly, "Are you all right, Angel?"

Aziraphale hummed and pressed even closer to the demon, answering in a voice he couldn't hide the emotion in, "Better than all right, thank you, my dear."

After a few minutes of quiet silence, Crowley asked gently, "What do you say we make this a ritual, a regular thing? You take care of my wings and I'll take care of yours, we could even dedicate a certain day of the month or week to it, depending on our needs."

Crowley couldn't help but laugh slightly at the eager way Aziraphale nodded before rolling over in his arms.

The angel said softly, "Thank you for always giving me what I need."

Crowley raised his hand and, brushing the Angel's hair back, replied with a small smile on his lips, "I can only do that if you tell me what you need, Angel."

Aziraphale nodded slowly, "I'll try."

Crowley hummed in appreciation and replied, "That's all I ask."

Then the angel's smile turned playful as he said, "By the way, I'll try it right now."

The demon, playing along, asked, "Oh, and what does my angel need?"

Aziraphale replied bluntly, his eyes in those of Crowley, "A kiss."

Crowley chuckled softly and replied, "Your wish is my command," then he brought his face close to Aziraphale's, pressed his lips to his in a long, tender kiss, and gave his angel exactly what he needed.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Growing Love series : here (After season 2)

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here (Before season 2)

[just-a-raine-day]

Crowley loves in such a human way, desperately and with all his heart. And his heartbreak is also so painfully human.

[just-a-raine-day]

Simple but yet precious

Summary

Aziraphale has prepared a surprise for Crowley. 

In the Bentley, blindfolded, the demon lets the angel lead him, not knowing what to expect. What does his angel have in mind?

Notes

Autumn, picnic, some fluff…

Day 27 : Picnic

On Ao3

Rating G -  1181 words

"Angel, where are you taking me?"

Aziraphale was pulling Crowley toward the Bentley, and Crowley, though reluctant and showing it, let himself be pulled along anyway.

"So, lovebirds, are we having a good time?"

They turned to see Nina leaning against the coffee shop door, a mocking smile on her lips.

Aziraphale exclaimed as he opened the passenger door for Crowley, "We're having a great time, my dear Nina. Tip top!" he added to the demon, "Come on, dear, get in."

Crowley stopped short, shook his head, and replied, "No, no, no, you're not driving."

Aziraphale pulled him toward the car anyway and said with puppy eyes, "Come on Crowley, do me a favor, please, it's a surprise."

Crowley sighed, "Angel, that's not fair, why are you looking at me like that, you know I can't resist when you do that."

Aziraphale, when he was sure Crowley was properly seated in the car, leaned forward, planted a light kiss on his lips, and replied, "I do it precisely because I know you can't resist."

He slammed the door and heard Crowley retort, "And I'm supposed to be the demon?!"

The angel laughed slightly as he walked around the car to sit on the other side.

The demon asked, "So where are we going?"

Aziraphale shook his head and replied, "You'll know when we get there. Would you like me to explain what a surprise is?"

Crowley raised his hands and said cheekily, "Very well, I surrender, Mr. Fell, do with me what you will."

Aziraphale replied a little more hesitantly, "Speaking of doing what I want, will you allow me to blindfold you?"

Without a second's hesitation, Crowley grabbed the piece of cloth Aziraphale had just pulled from his pocket and blindfolded himself. He immediately felt the gentle caress of Aziraphale's hand on his cheek and the angel said softly, "Thank you for trusting me."

Crowley simply replied, "Always, Angel. But..."

"But what?"

"Next time I want a blindfold in something other than tartan."

Aziraphale exclaimed, "But tartan is stylish!"

They both laughed as the Bentley pulled away.

Crowley felt Aziraphale's hand rest on his knee, and his hand naturally came to cover it as their fingers intertwined.

They drove for half an hour, and Crowley's keen senses enabled him to recognize certain parts of London, but for the last fifteen minutes he had no idea where they were, except that they had left the city. He tried several times to trick the angel into revealing his secret, but Aziraphale remained absolutely tight-lipped and gave nothing away.

Suddenly, the demon felt the Bentley slow down and then stop.

Aziraphale squeezed his knee and said quietly, "We've arrived. Please stay in the car for another five minutes and I'll come get you."

Crowley replied, raising an eyebrow, "So much mystery.... "

Aziraphale planted another kiss on his lips, then Crowley felt him pull away, heard him open the trunk, then walk away again, and finally heard him return a few minutes later, just as he'd said he would.

The angel opened the car door and said softly, "I'm back."

Aziraphale took Crowley's hands, helped him out of the car, and led him forward, still blindfolded, along what appeared to be a narrow path. 

Crowley said amused, "You know, we could have, I don't know... teleported here?"

Airaphale replied gently, "But what's the point of the mystery, of the surprise, my dear?"

Suddenly, they stopped and Aziraphale released Crowley's hands, moved behind him and unfastened the blindfold.

Crowley blinked a little before realizing where they were, and the first thing he said, surprised, was, "You brought me here for a picnic?"

They were in a small clearing, a blanket, tartan of course, spread out at the foot of an oak tree and a picnic basket beside it. The natural world around them wore the shimmering colors of autumn, the air temperature was mild, and the sky was perfectly clear of clouds.

Aziraphale chuckled before replying mockingly, "How perceptive!"

Crowley turned to him and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why, Angel?"

Aziraphale smiled fondly, grabbed the demon's hands, and led him to sit on the blanket. Then, as he began to unpack what was in the basket, he explained, "Well, I thought a little interlude would do us good. The uncertainty of the future doesn't allow us to go on vacation or anything like that for now, but there's nothing to stop us from taking a few moments like this, so I wanted to do this for us. Aren't you happy?"

Aziraphale couldn't hide a slight concern at the thought that Crowley might not want to do this. That dinners in restaurants, walks in the park were enough. That maybe he'd asked for too much. That maybe he...

The demon's voice kept the angel from worrying any further as he replied softly, "On the contrary, Angel, I'm delighted that you've done this for me, for us. It's a lovely surprise."

Crowley leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to Aziraphale's lips, backing up his words. 

Tha angel continued to unpack what he'd brought and handed a bottle of wine to Crowley, who opened it and filled two glasses.

They ate and drank side by side, talking about anything and everything. 

When they finished their meal, Crowley leaned back against the tree and Aziraphale naturally sat down against him, his back against Crowley's chest as the demon wrapped his arms around him and kissed him gently on the neck before murmuring, "Thank you, Angel.

Leaning against the demon, Aziraphale replied softly, "You're welcome. I'm glad we could spend some quality time together like this."

Crowley murmured against his hair, "When we're together, it's always quality time."

Aziraphale chuckled softly and replied, "You're absolutely right," then rested his head on Crowley's shoulder as the demon rested his chin on his hair.

At that moment, a warm, bright yellow leaf twirled in the breeze and fell onto Aziraphale's lap. He took it delicately and murmured, "Beautiful, just like your eyes."

He laughed softly as he heard Crowley sigh against his hair, then gently placed it in his jacket pocket.

Crowley, curious, asked, "What are you going to do with it, Angel?"

In the most natural way in the world, the angel replied, "Dry it out and make it into a bookmark so I have something to remember you by."

Crowley buried his face in the angel's hair and whispered, "Angel, you're killing me, you know."

Aziraphale reached back and as he stroked the demon's scarlet cheek, he said, "You'll get used to it in time."

Crowley shook his head, "I doubt it."

Aziraphale replied quietly, "That's all right. I've got enough faith for two."

The angel leaned comfortably against the demon and they stayed that way for a long time, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and each other's company.

They had both long thought and believed that they would never know peace or even happiness, not like this. 

And yet, here they were, sharing moments as simple and precious as a picnic together, forgetting for a moment everything that wasn't them.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Growing Love series : here (After season 2)

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here (Before season 2)

[just-a-raine-day]

Canon GO things that are important & should be talked abt more

- crowley miracles his clothes on so he never actually wears clothes

- aziraphale just causally has a gun in his bookshop what the hell is up w that

- Crowleys favorite TV show is the golden girls

- Literally everyone who meets azi immediately assumes that he is gay and british.

- Anathema just legit assumed that crowley and aziraphale were a couple.

- Aziraphale is a doctor who fan??? This guy is a nerd lmfao

- Crowleys favorite animal is kids. What does that even mean Mr. Gaiman

- Azi calls crowley “my dear” and this is very important to me

- Shadwell thought that azi was a russian spy ???

- Crowley slept for an ENTIRE CENTURY.

- Azis tax reports are so incredibly accurate that the authorities got suspicious.

- the apology dance exists and idfk what to do with that information

- When crowley told az that he changed his name, az asked if he changed it to asmodeus. The demon of lust. Dude.

- Crowley doesnt blink a lot, and he has a tendency to hiss. And can do weird things with his tounge.

- The. The discreet gentlemans club that aziraphale joined was an actual club. And it was a gay club. He learned to gavotte at a gay club.

- early versions of the gavotte involved kissing- bro???

- AZ STARTS HIS JOURNAL ENTRIES WITH “DEAR DIARY” BRO I LOVE HIM HES SO DUMB

- THYE LIKE HOLDING HANDSSS

- Crowleh invented game shows

- CROWLEY IS A HOZIER FAN???

- Az likes abba and death cab for cutie (ofc he does)

[just-a-raine-day]

It’s been a month and a half and I’m still not okay

[just-a-raine-day]

Can we talk about this moment for a sec? I don’t think it gets enough notice (not that I’ve seen at least!) For some reason this moment is so, so precious. Crowley is tired, stressed, and upset after the fight with Aziraphale. We get to see a rare version of his real self, his real vulnerability when he’s on his own, not interacting with anyone, not reacting to anything. Just a quick little moment to himself where he’s FEELING something, and that to me is filled with a ton of character information we just don’t get to see very often.