#'u called me angel for the first time my heart leapt from me' and crowley cries himself to sleep

[p4nishers]

crowley, drunk off his ass: and i was yk just some fucked up soul born in cold and rain but he was my fucking sunlight or whatever

hozier, frantically writing on a napkin: HHHMMMM TELL ME MORE

[anythingforcrepes]

(hey so I really don’t post my fics often, but i’ve been so excited about good omens that I felt the need to share! hope u enjoy!)

[1.2k ; Aziraphale x Crowley at a carnival by the ocean ; fluff ; slight AU?? ; no spoilers]

A flock of seagulls tumbled and glittered in the light wind, blissfully unaware of the sticky, hot boardwalk below them.

Aziraphale closed his eyes and listened to their chortling. He sat on a metal bench in the full sun and in his hands he clutched a half-empty bag of jellybeans. He scooped up a handful, opening his eyes only to quickly inspect them, and began popping them in his mouth. They melted quickly there, staining his tongue and teeth with a riot of colour. The yellow and blue beans were wedged between the bench slats–the rejects. He leaned back and sighed through his sugar-coated teeth, listening to the seagulls cackle overhead. It was far from the most beautiful sound on earth, but he got a subtle pleasure from its roughness.

The sun was eclipsed by a shaggy mane of red hair. Aziraphale, unsurprised, squinted at the ironically haloed head and patted the spot next to him.

Crowley shook his head in disgust and sat beside Aziraphale, avoiding the melting sweets.

“I can’t believe this,” Crowley said, picking a yellow bean out of the bench. “You’re wasting perfectly good jellybeans.”

Flustered, Aziraphale looked over at Crowley, his mouth full of green jellies.

“It’s notf wmaste!” he protested. “It’s feeding the ants, see? They love it!”

Crowley scowled and threw the bean behind him. Anyone passing by would think he was angry, but Aziraphale knew better. Behind his dark shades and scowl, Crowley was laughing.

Rifling through the packet, Aziraphale pulled a red bean and placed it in Crowley’s hand.

“There, that one matches your hair.”

Crowley rolled his eyes and tossed the candy in his mouth. He nearly spat it out. Cinnamon heart flavour. Ugh.

“So, what’s the plan, angel?” Crowley asked, stretching his legs. “Stroll on the boardwalk? Corn dog or two? I can win you one of those stuffed panda bears if that’s the real reason we’re here.”

Aziraphale chuckled. “Well, no, but I was wondering if we could go up in… that?” He pointed hopefully to something behind them.

Crowley whipped around, lowering his glasses. He hoped to G-O-D that Aziraphale wasn’t pointing at–

“The ferris wheel!” said Aziraphale, nearly dropping his candies. “I’ve always wanted to go on one. Look how cute it is!”

Dragging a hand down his face, Crowley took a second look at the thing. It looked like a bunch of haphazard steel poles, some wires, and a couple buckets of pastel paint decided to go on a bender together.

“Aziraphale,” Crowley said, patiently. “May I remind you that you literally have the power of flight?”

“No need to remind me, Crowley. I’m well aware.”

“And that you can go about a thousand times higher than that thing could take you?”

“Yes, I am aware of that as well.”

Crowley took a long, slow breath, then jumped to his feet, striding towards the ferris wheel. “Well, c'mon then, let’s get it over with,” he said, glancing over his shoulder to watch Aziraphale blush with joy.

Each of his steps were three of Aziraphale’s, so naturally he reached the wheel first.

“Ticket please,” said the pimply gate watch, automatically extending his hand.

Turning to make sure Aziraphale hadn’t quite caught up yet, Crowley waved a hand in front of the teenager’s face. Instantly, the boy’s expression livened and he stood up straight.

“It’s free today, sir!” he said.

“Free?” Aziraphale said, a little out of breath. “Excellent!”

The pair picked a light pink carriage and sat down. It was a tight fit, to say the least. Crowley experimentally rattled the metal handle bar that rested across the two of them. Flimsy crap. Well, as long as Aziraphale was happy…

The ride jolted to a start, scaring both of them. Slowly, the wheel started to turn upwards. Crowley flinched at the creaking noise the carriage made as it swung in the wind, but his thoughts were directed elsewhere when he looked over at Aziraphale. The angel was in his element; with his eyes shining and white-gold hair being tousled by the sea air, he embodied the term angelic. Aziraphale held the bar with one hand and pointed out with the other.

“The ocean looks spectacular from up here, look! And the motion of the ferris wheel feels like waves…it’s almost as if we’re really among them.”

Crowley grinned and started violently rocking the carriage. Aziraphale gave a little yelp and clutched at the handle.

“Crowley, stop! I didn’t mean it like that!”

They laughed as their carriage made it to the top of the wheel and gently halted.

A few moments of comfortable silence passed between them, punctuated only by faraway seagull calls, the crash of a wave, and the gentle swish and creak of their carriage. Crowley eyed Aziraphale’s hands, still wrapped around the metal bar. If he could just scoot one of his hands closer, his pinkie finger could brush against a single knuckle. Aziraphale wouldn’t notice, would he? No. He hardly ever did. Crowley inhaled gently, and started to inch his hand along the bar.

Before he could get very far, Aziraphale lifted a hand and placed it on top of Crowley’s.

“Thank you for coming up here with me,” Aziraphale said, smiling at him. “I know it’s a bit of a silly bother, but it’s just one of those human contraptions I find so interesting…”

“Uh, yeah,” Crowley said, feeling his face go red and turning away. “No prob.”

“Crowley?”

“Angel?”

As Crowley turned back, Aziraphale’s other hand was there to cup his face.

Crowley froze, instantly remembering the words that had haunted him ever since Aziraphale said them just a few years ago:

It’s no risk for you and all the risk for me.

After an extensive dinner outing and several drinks they had been dancing, or swaying, more like, in the back room of Aziraphale’s shop. Crowley could hardly remember to move his feet, as the angel’s head was on his shoulder, and they had never been close like this before, despite their many previous drunken expeditions. Before Crowley could think too much about it, he had placed his fingers under Aziraphale’s chin and tilted his face upwards. Aziraphale eyes had flicked through emotions like a slot machine before landing on neutral seriousness. And then he had said the words.

And now, he would say them again. So Crowley sat still, and waited.

“I know what you’re thinking,” said Aziraphale. “But it’s okay. For just this moment, it’s okay.”

It was like letting a ferret out of a cage. Crowley instantly reached across and buried his fingers in the back of Aziraphale’s hair. So soft, like duckling fluff. Aziraphale marveled at how Crowley’s fingers tangled desperately in his hair, and how hot his face was under his hand. Crowley leaned towards him, remembering the movies he’d watched, the half-joking, half-serious practice sessions he’d had in front of the mirror.

The ferris wheel took this moment to clunk back to life, throwing the pair forwards and almost out of the carriage.

“Oh, for Heaven’s sake!” said Crowley. He slammed his hands down on the bar, half out of frustration, and half because his tongue burned the second the H-word was on it.

Aziraphale began to laugh, reaching up to cover the deep blush that had spread across his face.

The carriage soon touched the ground once more, and Crowley leapt out of it as if it was doused in holy water. Aziraphale took his time, dusting off his pants, getting a handkerchief out to wipe his forehead, thanking the ticket boy.

They walked back towards the boardwalk in silence. Crowley shoved his hands deep in his pockets and squinted at the sun, the hot dog vendor, anywhere and at anything but Aziraphale.

“Crowley, could we stop for a moment here?”

The pair halted by a booth for a ring toss game.

“Want the panda after all?” Crowley asked, unable to keep the gloomy edge out of his voice.

“No thank you, I’d much rather show you a magic trick,” Aziraphale replied.

Crowley groaned. Not another one. One a year was enough for him.

“Just bend down a bit…” said Aziraphale, rummaging in his pockets. “That’s right so your face is level with mine…”

They looked at each other for a few seconds, long enough for Crowley to see that Aziraphale was still blushing, ever so slightly. Then, Aziraphale leaned forward and pecked Crowley on the cheek.

“There,” he said, quietly. “I didn’t want you to go on that terrifying wheel for nothing.”

“It was fun, angel,” Crowley replied, giving Aziraphale a quick, barely perceptible nuzzle before straightening up. “So…corn dogs ?”

“Yes please,” the angel said, entwining his fingers in Crowley’s. It took nearly all the demon’s concentration to remember how to use his legs.

On their way to the stand, they passed a bench. In the slats, blue and yellow jellybeans had melted together under the midday sun. Soon, the ants would be upon them. But for now, they looked like crystals: sparkling, fresh, and bright.