#and then i was yelling at azirphale to use chopsticks

[snonkerdoodlefizzy221b]

just watched season 1 of good omens. i have ideas brewing

[aredhel85]

Compromises

The last two weeks and three days had been like a dream.

(And no - Crowley was certainly not counting days!)

Crowley still couldn’t believe that Aziraphale returned his feelings after 6,000 years of forcing himself to be content with the friendship (or whatever it had been) he had had with the angel, they were finally free to be together.

And they had made the most of that time. They had gone to Azirpahle’s favourite restaurants, spent a lot of time in the park, enjoying the warm and sunny autumn weather, gone to the theatre … Sometimes he had spent the night in Aziraphale’s flat over the book shop, but they hadn’t done anything beyond kissing and just holding each other. They had time after all and there was no reason to rush. Crowley had been perfectly content with sleeping by Azirphale’s side while the angel had been reading one of his books, now and then running gentle fingers through the demon’s hair.

Today they had gone on a short walk in the park, but the weather had changed and it was several degrees colder and rather damp, which made walking more strenuous. Crowley was glad when they had returned to the shop where Aziraphale was busy stopping customers from buying his precious books.

As always, it was pretty amusing to watch, but the pain in his legs and hips didn’t get better and after a while he had left, telling Aziraphale that he had to water his plants before their dinner date tonight. It hadn’t been a real lie, strictly speaking, he had actually watered the plants, but now he was lying on his bed, hoping the pain would lessen before the hour was over and he had to drive back to pick up the angel. Today it would be the sushi place Aziraphale liked so much and Crowley would be damned before he ruined his evening.

But it didn’t get better. Even while lying still, there was this constant dull ache and when he finally got up, he hissed through his teeth and sat back down.

This evening would be everything but enjoyable, he knew that, but he had gone through worse days and wasn’t it worth it if it made Aziraphale happy?

It definitely was, but there was also the promise he had made the day they had confessed their feelings to each other. Aziraphale had asked him to be honest with him, if he didn’t feel well. He had actually been pretty insistent about it, too. And Crowley had promised.

Of course he was a demon and therefore it was in his nature to lie, but it didn’t feel right to lie to the angel, especially so early in their new kind of relationship.

And Crowley really didn’t feel like going out anymore today. It would be so perfect to just curl up on the sofa together with Aziraphale, warm and comfortable, watching a film or two on Netflix before falling asleep.

But he knew that neither films nor sleeping were Aziraphale’s thing.

True, he hadn’t been interested in two of the three theatre plays they had visited in the last two weeks but that was different, wasn’t it? If Aziraphale was happy, he was, too, so he hadn’t been bored at all. Well, almost.

He knew he should just call the angel and cancel the date. It wasn't a big deal. They had spent every day of the last 17 days together; it was normal to do something alone for once. Aziraphale could have Sushi as planned and Crowley would curl up on the sofa alone and watch Netflix until he passed out.

Nothing wrong with that.

Except maybe that the thought of cuddling up with his lover instead of lying there alone for once had already made him feel better.

Sighing, Crowley slowly sat up again, reached for his smartphone on the nightstand and called the angel’s number.

The phone was answered almost immediately. “Hello, dear! Are you coming? I’m almost ready.” The enthusiasm in the angel’s voice almost made Crowley reconsider his decision.

Almost. He still chose to stick to his promise. He wanted to do this right. He knew he didn’t deserve being with someone like Aziraphale and Aziraphale absolutely deserved someone better than him, but still a very selfish part of him couldn’t stand the thought of fucking this up. “Hey, angel. No … actually, I gotta cancel on you.” The disappointed “Oh” made him feel like the most horrible being of the entire creation. “You know, the walk earlier and the weather … I guess I gotta get used to the crappy weather again.” He tried to make his voice sound light. “I don’t really feel like going out tonight. But you have fun without me, that’s fine. I’ll just stay at home and watch some telly. Tomorrow I’ll be better and make it up to you. I promise.” He bit his lip a bit anxiously, already regretting his decision to be honest. Dragging himself through the night would have been easier than disappointing Aziraphale and admitting his weakness. He really, really hated both of that.

But Aziraphale didn’t sound disappointed anymore when he spoke again, just a little worried. “Oh my dear boy, don’t worry about that! Actually, I’d rather spend the evening with you … watching telly … than going out. Or I could pick something up on the way to you and we can still eat together. That is, if you want me to come over. Please tell me if you’d rather have me leave you in peace for today.”

Despite everything, Crowley smiled a little and a suspiciously warm feeling spread in his chest. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to just accept the offer. “You don’t like watching telly,” he pointed out half-heartedly instead.

“True. And you didn’t like ‘Hamlet’. ‘Swan Lake’ probably even less. Yes, I know, you enjoyed the seduction part, that’s not the point. You still came to the theatre with me although you weren’t interested in the plays, don’t think I didn’t notice. Today we can do something you enjoy.” When he didn’t get an answer, Aziraphale continued in a voice even gentler than before. “It’s not just about making me happy, dear. You are as important in this relationship as I am and if you feel like staying at home today, we can absolutely do that. Remember when I told you that I didn’t want you to be alone with this anymore? I meant it.”

It still took Crowley a moment to find his voice again. “Ok then.”

“Splendid. I’ll be over in a jiff and I’ll bring us dinner!” Crowley could practically see Aziraphale beaming on the other end of the line. “And who knows? Maybe I will enjoy watching films with you. To be honest, I never gave it a real try.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

The angel ignored that comment. “Alright, I’ll see you soon, dear!”

---

When Aziraphale hung up, Crowley stiffly walked over to the sofa, not even yelling at the plants on the way, and tried to get comfortable there.

Half an hour later he heard the doorbell. The angel had been fast, considering he had probably taken the bus and gotten something to eat on the way. “It’s open.”

He heard steps coming towards him and when he opened his eyes, Aziraphale just put the bags with the sushi on the table and took off his coat. Smiling, the angel gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “Hello, dear. How are you?”

Despite himself, Crowley smiled a little. “Ok, as long as I don’t try to run a marathon.”

“We should avoid that then.” Aziraphale smiled mildly, went to the kitchen and came back with two plates and forks.

“I brought your favourite,” he said while unpacking the sushi and placing it on the plates. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

However, the angel didn’t start eating immediately, which almost certainly meant that something was on his mind.

“What?” Crowley looked at him expectantly. The answer wasn’t at all what he had expected.

“You know … you shouldn’t leave the door open like that. Anyone could come in. The flat is rather fancy, so burglars …”

Crowley couldn’t help but laugh at this, which earned him an irritated glance. “I don’t think that’s funny. You do sleep, so it’s possible you won’t hear it when someone comes in.”

“Nobody will come, angel. Except for you that is. There’s no key to this door. I get in. You get in. That’s it, nobody else. Humans most likely won’t even really notice the flat. It’s a handy little protective mechanism. Similar to the one Adam had on him. And even if someone tries to open the door for some reason, it won’t.”

“Oh.”

“Yep.”

“That means I can get in any time?”

“You did get in when you watered the plants after the Apocalypse thing.”

“Sure, but I thought you just forgot to lock the door before going to sleep.”

“The door was never closed to you.”

“But you’ve had the flat for decades!”

“Yeah. You knew where it was, didn’t you? Sure, you never paid social visits, but if you had needed to come in for a reason, you could’ve. Even if I wasn’t home.”

“Oh. That’s … really nice of you, dear.”

Crowley rolled his eyes. “Shut up and eat.”

The angel just smiled and finally started eating his sushi, for once with a fork, and Crowley made a mental note to get some chopsticks, just in case.

As usual, Crowley was finished long before Aziraphale. He was a fast eater, probably the snake in him, and as usual, he just leaned back and watched Aziraphale enjoying his dinner. Watching the angel read or eat or do anything that made him happy, was Crowley’s favourite thing to do, had been for a long time. Watching the way his eyes lit up, the small smile on his lips, was even better than watching the stars and he could do that for hours without getting bored.

When he was finished, Aziraphale put away the plates and sat down on the sofa, smiling as Crowley slowly came closer and finally ended up with his head in his lap. The angel took his hand and stroke it with his thump. “So, dear, what would you like to watch?”

Crowley, who was totally content with just lying there like that, now with Aziraphale running hand finger gently through his hair, didn’t even care about the throbbing in his legs and hips anymore, not really at least. He reached for the remote, switched on the big flat screen tv and clicked on the Netflix logo. “You choose, angel.”

“Oh no, your turn, darling. I chose ‘Hamlet’ and ‘Swan Lake’, tonight we watch what you like.” Again, Aziraphale leaned down and gently kissed the demon’s lips.

“You probably won’t like what I choose.”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s enjoyable enough to just be here with you. The film is just a bonus.”

It was strange, Crowley had long accepted that it was this way for him, that it was normal that he was happy as long as Aziraphale was, but it had never occurred to him that it was the same the other way around. “Ok then,” he said quietly and eventually chose ‘Final Destination’ which was, strictly speaking, a horror film, but it was also kind of funny.

And it turned out that Aziraphale was just enough of a bastard to enjoy himself.

When Crowley fell asleep, they had already finished the second part and third was about halfway through. Aziraphale finished watching it, gently running his hand through Crowley’s hair as the demon slept.