#today a girl asked me how I shade. I replied “really messy hatching” but it's not even that. I'm scribbling

[shibusawaz]

"I'm going to draw a spider today!"

experiences the 5 stages of grief before starting to shade

[julemmaes]

ahem... cassian taking nesta to that bookstore (fluff, don’t try making shit sad aight?)

Our First Non-Date

SURPRISE I GUESS!!

Nessian Archeron x Cassian

You can find the first part here.

A/N: this month has been really nice on me. I finally feel better, not crying every day for literally nothing and I wanna dedicate this to my fren Sim (@perseusannabeth) cause homegirl just finished the offcampus series and she's grieving. I know she is. So yep. Take some Nessian fluff

And Nina, I had to add some angsty parts, but they're not Irene Angst Level, okay?

Word count: 6,833

When Cassian had called her back the night after their outing with Amren and Varian, she'd stared at the phone for a full minute until it had stopped ringing and she could go back to reading the article on poisonous plants that Elain had sent her.

It hadn't even been five minutes before the words had been obscured from the call screen again and the name "Cassian Navarro" appeared.

When she had ignored the call for the second time as well, he had decided to change tactics.

Hi Nes, I was thinking about when you'd be free to go to the library. I need a couple of manuals because I'm building a little gazebo in Rhys and Feyre's garden and your sister is putting a lot of pressure on me, so I was wondering if you had the day off tomorrow.

Nesta was stunned at the amount of useless information he had given her, but managed to reply with a simple, Working tomorrow, day off on Wednesday. Sending you the address later.

She certainly hadn't anticipated how hard it would be to get up that day, her will to live must have been hiding somewhere under her bed and Nesta didn't know if it was directly related to their going out or just her stupid brain not being able to connect to real life.

The only other worst thing she'd been able to think of at that moment was having to explain to Cassian what was going on, so, pulled out of bed by the future embarrassment they'd feel in such a situation, she'd managed to dress, wash and style her hair so that she had a braid crowning her head.

She hadn't put too much effort into deciding what to wear, after all, it wasn't a date and Cassian had seen her many times before in far more outrageous and scruffy clothes than the comfortable black jeans and grey jumper she was wearing right now.

The silence had made her uncomfortable at first, only because Cassian seemed to be really stressed - about what, she certainly wouldn't ask - but after about ten minutes, he'd turned on the radio and popped a CD into the player and the melody of a Verve song had filled the cabin.

She'd started humming under her breath and he'd looked at her with a faint smile on his lips and his eyes sparkling. She hadn't mulled over that look too much, but she'd started eyeing him more closely and noticed the way he narrowed his eyes at every street sign and how he ran a hand over his face every time a strand of hair landed in front of his eyes.

When Cassian had to blow the hair out of his face for the millionth time, Nesta pulled a rubber band off her wrist and handed it to him abruptly.

Cassian looked surprised, but took it almost immediately, brushing her fingers. Nesta immediately withdrew her hand, feeling how warm and calloused his were.

"Thanks, my hair is killing me today," he finally spoke.

Nesta continued to look ahead, noticing that they were about to enter the highway. "Well, it wasn't very wise of you not to tie it up before you got in the car. I never drive with my hair down."

He nodded slowly, still with the band clutched between his fingers. And then, suddenly he let go of the steering wheel, "Hold that for me for a second." and Nesta's eyes went wide, launching herself at him to grab it and keep the car in their lane.

"Are you nuts?" she almost shrieked, keeping her gaze fixed on the road and feeling every nerve ending vibrate with anger.

"Relax." he said in a calm tone, shifting her hands and gently pushing her back into her seat one more time. "It wasn't even five seconds."

Nesta huffed out a laugh that lacked amusement, "You do something like that again without warning me first and I'm getting out of the car."

Cassian looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "A bit dramatic, but alright."

She sighed, shaking her head slightly and resting it on her hand propped against the window.

That awkward silence fell again and Nesta couldn't figure out what the problem was. She hadn't felt any kind of unease three days before, but after all, they'd been with friends and busy walking, not stuck in a car for two hours with no chance of walking away or splitting up.

And in that moment, the reality of their situation overwhelmed her.

She forced herself to steady her breathing, opening the window slightly so that more air could get in. She forced herself to think about all the things she would see today at the library and how beautiful and spectacular it had looked from mere pictures. She wasn't going to let her twisted mind stop her from having fun with someone who was desperately trying to be her friend.

She took a deep breath and a surprising calm enveloped her. She looked to her left to see if Cassian had noticed that temporal change in her behaviour, but it seemed to her that he was just as fidgety.

She was about to ask him if he was okay, because the knee that kept bouncing and the fingers opening and closing on the steering wheel were obvious nervous tics, when he did the eye thing again, this time leaning forward over the dashboard as well, and the sharp turn he took to the right caused her to shift in her seat so much that she bumped her shoulder against his.

Cassian grimaced, "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"What's wrong?" she asked, readjusting in her seat.

"Sorry?"

"What's the matter? With your eyes, I mean."

"Oh." he seemed surprised by the question, almost as if he hadn't realised she'd been observing him for the last twenty minutes. He cast her a curious glance immediately returning to the road. "I wear glasses when I drive, but I couldn't find them this morning and these contacts are the wrong shade and I can't see very well."

Nesta nodded thoughtfully, "Where do you normally keep them?"

"In the glove box. But I already checked," he replied, rolling his shoulders. Another nervous tic.

Nesta had to suppress a smile. There was no way he could be so worked up just because they were talking. She looked down at the phone in her hand to check the time, and a flash of light momentarily dazzled her. She blinked a couple of times and then scoffed, "Found them."

She reached a hand towards the hatch compartment and pulled out a pair of very plain black glasses, handing them to him. Cassian seemed to finally relax since she'd gotten into the car.

"Thank fuck." then he pulled into a lay-by and without turning off the car, slipped two fingers in his eye, removing one contact and then the other, leaving Nesta stunned. He put the glasses on his nose and flashed her a smile that went from ear to ear. And Nesta was stunned for other reasons.

She couldn't deny that Cassian was an attractive man. She wasn't stupid or blind, but the man next to her should have come with a warning sign or a bell.

Attention, hot stuff coming your way.

Nesta forgot the comment she had wanted to make about how antigenic and risky it had been to remove his contacts without first cleaning his hands and in such a dirty environment.

His hair tied back in a messy bun, with the hint of a beard he was letting grow, and now his glasses on, Cassian looked like a model on the cover of a newspaper about sexy carpenters. The short-sleeved black shirt he wore that pulled on his huge biceps every time he moved in the slightest was just one more point to add to the list of things that made him appealing.

"So," he began, getting back on the road, "what's your favourite colour?"

Nesta snorted, "Are you serious?"

Cassian seemed to blanch, "What?"

"Have you ever been out with a girl?" she asked him sarcastically, knowing full well what the answer would be.

He clenched his jaw so hard that a muscle popped out on his face, "Only on dates."

"And this isn't a date." pointed out Nesta, holding back a laugh at how tortured he sounded.

"It's not."

Nesta touched the tip of her nose, thoughtful, "Shouldn't this be easier for you then?"

Cassian released a breath through his nose, "I'm under a lot of pressure right now."

"Yeah?" she asked, looking away and smiling.

"Yeah, and stop looking like you're enjoying it." he retorted.

She feigned innocence, "Enjoying what?"

"My pain." he sheeted.

Nesta laughed, unable to contain herself any longer and when he glared at her, she covered her mouth with one hand, laughing harder. Only when he snapped his fingers against the steering wheel did she stop, laying a hand on his arm, just for a few seconds, "I'm so sorry." she wheezed, "I just don't understand. When you're hanging out with my sisters or Amren, or Mor, I don't know, you don't seem to be in this much discomfort."

Cassian sighed again and Nesta chuckled one last time, stopping when he smiled slightly. "I'm just trying not to make you uncomfortable. You accepted I take you on this non-date, and I'm doing my best not to flirt badly with you every chance I get." he confessed, nodding slowly, as if to convince himself that he was doing the right thing and not wasting their time.

Nesta was genuinely surprised at his answer and decided to offer him an olive branch.

"My favourite colour is blue."

"Nice." he smiled, showing a hint of a dimple, "Mine is red."

"It's too bright of a colour," she said lightheartedly.

Cassian chuckled, "I'm pretty sure it reflects my peppy personality."

Nesta nodded, "I read an article once about how a person's favourite colour says a lot about the person themselves," she said annoyed, "It sounded like one of those quizzes you find in gossip magazines, like it was written by a third grader. I hate those things, like horoscopes."

He grunted, "God, Mor's obsessed with horoscopes..."

The conversation continued without any more awkward silences for the remainder of the ride, and when Cassian turned onto a bumpy road, Nesta knew they were close. Of course, even if she hadn't looked at the directions from her house to the place, the myriad cars parked along the road would have been an indication.

They parked in the first vacant spot they could find and as soon as Nesta was out of the car, an icy gust of wind hit her face, making her shiver with cold. She looked over the bonnet at Cassian and found him staring at her with a half smile on his face. He'd left his glasses in the car and had let his hair down again, her hair band on his wrist, and he looked even prettier than before.

"Do you want my jacket?" he asked her, with a conflicted look on his face, as if he didn't want to. Nesta narrowed her brows and he hurried to add, "There's no hidden agenda to my offer, just a friend lending a jacket to another friend."

Nesta watched him for a moment, trying to really understand his intentions, but then remembered reading in one of the reviews that the library was heated inside and shook her head.

Cassian gave a small nod of assent and then pointed down the street, "Shall we?"

From where they had parked to the library it would have been about a ten minute walk and Nesta couldn't help but notice the way Cassian kept his distance between them as if he was afraid she would get scared and run away.

He was back to fidgeting nervously with his fingers and when he realised she was looking at him, he put them in his pockets, smiling tensely at her. He took a deep breath and then said, "So, what do you know about this library?"

Nesta looked ahead, hoping to catch a glimpse of the building, but the foliage of the trees was still too thick and they were still too far away for it to see anything. She brought her hands to her stomach, crossing her fingers, "I actually did a bit of research before I came. Did you know that the Peace Treaty between Prythian and Hybern of 1864 was signed here?" she asked in an excited voice.

Cassian smiled at her so naturally that she felt herself blush. He had an expression she couldn't decipher, but Nesta had never been good at cracking people in general, so she didn't venture to continue until he said, "Tell me more."

And Nesta launched into a detailed description of the events that had taken place inside the building, which only a hundred years before had become a bookstore. Only one wing of the building had been furnished in such a way as to become a real shop, the rest had been set up to be visited as a museum, one of the oldest libraries. She talked about the architecture and how it was obvious that the palace had been built long before it became an important meeting place for scholars and researchers.

"And in 1932 a fire destroyed the science wing, burning more than a hundred textbooks." Nesta sighed, thinking how devastating that loss had been. She lit up with happiness when she remembered what happened next. "But luckily, one of the most important literary clubs in the city got together and they managed to recover a small portion of the books. It took them years to rewrite every manual, but they got help from one of the local researchers, a certain Mr. Hawthorn, I can't remember the name or details of the research, only that he's mentioned often in the article I read."

When she paused to catch her breath, Nesta realised with immense horror what had just happened. Cassian had not spoken a word after asking her if she knew anything about the place and she had monopolised the conversation without even acknowledging him once. She felt herself flare up and knew in that moment that any hope they had of becoming real friends was gone.

Sometimes she would get lost in thought and ramble on about the things she was passionate about. Quite often people had stopped her, letting her know they weren't interested in the subject, but Cassian had never interrupted her and she was afraid to look at him, convinced she would only find boredom and disgust on his face.

That was why, when he spoke, she was struck dumb.

"I'm impressed." he breathed, chuckling immediately afterwards.

Nesta pushed herself to look at him and he stood admiring her with his mouth slightly open, as if he couldn't find the words. She felt her heart clench in her chest so tightly that she didn't know if she could survive the pain. Who knows how many times he'd tried to stop her and she'd gone on and on about windows and arches and treaties of peace.

But when she got a better look at him, stopping in front of him, Cassian looked... happy.

He let out a laugh, running a hand through his hair, and Nesta was distracted for a moment by the sway of his arms before she was brought violently back down to earth when he said, "You surprise me more and more every time, Nesta."

And the way he said her name - Ne-sta - made her toes curl.

"Why?" she managed to throw out in a weak voice.

Cassian laughed again, raising his eyebrows so high they ended under the hair on his forehead, locking his eyes to hers. "I have a degree in history and my final thesis happened to be on this very library." Nesta felt the ground open up beneath her feet and hoped it swallowed her alive. "I came out of university with top marks and various accolades for finishing my studies on time and you, dreadful creature that you are, have just taught me at least three new things about this place."

His gaze was so intense that Nesta had to lower her head to hide the satisfied and surprised smirk that popped up on her lips.

"You're amazing." huffed Cassian, "Perfect in every way."

She shrugged.

"Although," he clicked his tongue against his palate, "You made a mistake."

Nesta looked up at him, frowning, "Oh, yeah?"

Cassian nodded, smirking fiercely, "Why don't you turn around and admire the palace, and once we're inside, I'll explain what it is?"

She must have been so lost in her chatter that she hadn't noticed that they had arrived in the large entrance forecourt, because when she turned, her back to Cassian, the building stood among the forest trees, as imposing and splendid as ever. The photos had not done it justice in the slightest and Nesta was left speechless.

Living in a country with a history going back millennia, it wasn't hard to stumble upon historic streets with old buildings and monuments, but this was completely different.

She was still admiring the way the stone around the windows had been carved to look like trees trying to get into the building when she felt something settle on the small of her back. A hand.

Nesta stiffened slightly, before closing her eyes and relaxing.

Cassian must have noticed her discomfort because a moment later his hand was no longer touching her.

They entered the museum part of the building in silence and Nesta paid the entrance fees, reminding him of the tea he'd offered her last Sunday and Cassian hadn't been able to argue with that.

They had just passed the doors to the first room, the smallest in the entire palace, when he leaned towards her, to the point of touching her ear with his lips.

The fact that he was whispering as if they had been in a sacred place did things to her little icy heart, "Mr. Hawthorn was not a man."

Shocked by that information, Nesta's head snapped in his direction and she realised too late that she had miscalculated the space.

Her lips brushed against his cheek, the corner of his lips, before Cassian reacted so quickly he startled her, but avoiding them both an involuntary first kiss. His sudden movement caused him to lose his balance and he reached out his hands towards her, straightening as he held on to her shoulders.

Both of them were holding their breath.

Cassian cleared his throat, shifting his gaze to the wall of books, but returning to look at her soon after, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, you just surprised me," she said when she had recovered. "I must have read the article wrong."

He was still watching her and shook his head, "Oh no, I don't think it's that. They only found out a few months ago that it was Georgina and not George Hawthorn. They found letters in the house of what was thought to be Hawthorn's wife. Some people think they were just friends, but anyone who has read the letters they exchanged knows full well that they were lovers. Anyone who says otherwise is either homophobic or stupid."

Nesta realised that she could have listened to this for hours on end. And so it was.

The visit continued relatively quietly, Cassian explaining every detail to her, expanding on things she already knew and when he forgot something, she would step in and have her say, commenting on every little aspect.

She'd noticed how Cassian hadn't tried to touch her anymore and how whenever someone was about to bump into her, he'd vocally warn her instead of wrapping an arm around her shoulders to move her out of their way like he had on Sunday.

The visit to the museum lasted less than expected unfortunately, because Nesta hadn't had this much fun in too long. It was becoming easier to smile at him or tease him when he said dumb things and even he seemed to finally be more at ease when he had to make jokes that smacked of him.

When they finally got to the shop, Nesta couldn't stand on her feet anymore, she just wanted to buy all the books she saw and go home and arrange them on her shelves.

"Which section do you want to see first?" she asked him, even though she had started hopping impatiently about the place.

Cassian gave her a smug look, "Why don't you go wherever you want and I'll look for the manuals for the gazebo in the meantime? That way you don't waste time keeping up with me. I'll be right there."

Nesta let out an excited squeal and ran off, hearing only the echo of laughter that shook Cassian from head to toe.

***

As Cassian flipped through the various books to find a picture of a gazebo that looked similar to the one Feyre had requested, he kept casting glances at Nesta.

Her eyes sparkled as she grabbed book after book without even reading the synopses. She was in the romance novels section, from what he could see from where he stood, but soon ended up in the classics, where she grabbed just as many books. She moved to the mystery books section, this time stopping to read the plots and putting most of them back on the shelves.

Then, surprising Cassian, she walked over to where the historical novels were and turned to face him. He bent his head to the side, raising an eyebrow to ask her what she was doing there. Nesta seemed at a loss, trying to move all the books from one arm to the other to point him to join her, but Cassian was already halfway there and when she looked back up at him and found him standing in front of her, she gave him a bright smile.

"Hello." she exclaimed.

Cassian's breath caught for a second before he too sighed a greeting.

"I was thinking," Nesta began, running her eyes over the titles in front of them, "that you could recommend something about..." she wiggled her fingers as much as she could, trying to point to the shelf, and Cassian leaned forward, cursing himself for not thinking of it sooner.

"Here," he removed the first stack of books from her arms and she sagged a little, giving him a thankful look. "I can go get a bag so you can put them all in there and you don't have to carry them like this," he said taking all the books and having her help him arrange them so they wouldn't fall out.

He smiled at her over all the books, looking down at her and she smiled back just as happily.

Hell, if she looked at him like that every time he took her to a bookstore he should do it more often.

He had just turned to go towards the entrance, where he had seen special bags for carrying books, but Nesta stopped him by putting a hand on his arm.

"Wait!" she exclaimed almost impishly.

Cassian turned his head, genuinely worried that something had happened to her in the mere seconds he had been shot. He must have moved too fast, because one of the smaller classics flew off the top of the stack and landed right in her face.

Nesta groaned at the impact and brought her hands to her face, rubbing her forehead where it hurt.

"Oh my God, are you okay?!" he asked with wide eyes. And then Nesta laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she stared at him and he visibly relaxed. "Christ, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to throw a book at you."

She waved a hand in mid-air, to let him know it was nothing, and bent down to pick up what he realised was A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Of course Nesta was reading feminist classics.

She turned back to the books as if nothing had happened and Cassian had the urge to look for a list of all the bookstores in the world to take her to if it meant having her in such a good mood by his side, it didn't matter if she would never agree to go on a real date with him, he realised. As long as he could see her smile like that, he didn't need anything else.

"So, I was saying, before you battered me with a book-" she cast an amused glance over one shoulder at him.

He frowned, muttering, "I said sorry."

Nesta ignored him, "What do you recommend?"

Cassian blinked.

"You said you read historical novels right?" she asked, looking for confirmation, "You could recommend your favourites. But not the English or Russian classics. Or French ones. Chances are I've already read those."

Cassian was stunned. Nesta wanted advice on books. From him.

They were silent for too long as she turned around impatiently, "You lied?"

He looked surprised, "When?"

"When you said you were reading. Were you just doing it to impress me or were you serious?" she asked and maybe Cassian imagined it, but she looked disappointed.

He was quick to reply, "The Black Coat, by Neamat Imam. It's pretty recent, but set in the 1970s in Bangladesh. It's about a man who needs help and seeks it from a journalist he asks for work and one of the main themes is the famine that hit the country after it became independent. It's not my absolute favourite, but it certainly gives you something to think about."

Nesta nodded, searching through the titles and finding it almost immediately, "Anything else?"

Cassian felt his neck heat up and coughed a little before resuming speaking. "The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson. Set in the tenth century, it's about a Viking who is called Red because of his hair and focuses on the European political outlook in the late Viking Age. Again, it's not as good as the historical classics, but it's nice and shows a way of life that we're definitely not used to. It's different."

After looking for a few minutes, Nesta gave up reading and turned to him, crossing her arms. She tilted her head to the side, watching him closely, "What's your favourite book?"

Cassian shrugged, settling the books against his chest, "I think at the moment it's The King Must Die by Mary Renault. But I change my mind every month when I find something more interesting or captivating."

She nodded thoughtfully, "I'll take that one then."

And Cassian wished he could change the title immediately because... what if she didn't like it? Or if she thought it was a stupid book? What would she think of him then?

But Nesta had already found a copy a few shelves down and there was no turning back.

He could counterattack, though, "What about yours? You're not going to give me any advice on feminist classics or blatantly trashy romance novels?"

Nesta opened her mouth wide, looking outraged as she placed the latest addition on the pile, settling the book under her chin, "How can you say they're trashy if you don't even know what they're about?"

Cassian chuckled, "On the cover of You Came," he said as he gave her a sly look, "there's something called a 'spicymeter'. How am I supposed to take you seriously?"

Nesta blushed, "I read erotic novels, so what? I have to keep myself busy in my spare time somehow."

And then he challenged her, "Get me the hottest book you've ever read," he said in a joking tone, "I'll go get the bag in the meantime."

She had already left for the section when he had an idea that would surely doom him depending on how Nesta would react.

He walked up to the cashier's desk, making sure she didn't notice, and begging the clerk behind the counter to be quick, paid for all her books, gently placing them back in the bags.

When he reached her again, she seemed not to have noticed anything.

"'So, what did you get me? Ride Me? Fucked You Good? Last Night I Gave You A Thousand Orgasms?" he teased her with an annoyed grin on his lips.

Nesta gave him a fiery glance before noticing the bags, quite different from those you put the things you wanna buy in, and closed her mouth tightly. She frowned and looked at them for so long before speaking that Cassian began to feel self-conscious.

"You paid for my books?" she whispered, looking at him.

He nodded.

"It's not a date, Cassian," she reminded him for the umpteenth time.

"I know, but-"

"So why would you pay for things that are mine?"

He couldn't read her. She wasn't hinting at anything.

She didn't look angry but she didn't look impressed or grateful either.

Cassian placed the bags on the ground between them and Nesta followed his every movement with her eyes.

He ran a hand through his hair, sighing, "My adoptive family is filthy rich. I have a trust fund that I never get to spend on things I really want to do, the only way I get to use it is by giving gifts to my friends, so just accept these as my first gift - friend to friend - and call it a day."

Nesta continued to be impassive as she kept her eyes fixed on the books.

Perhaps he had gone too far. After all, she had taken more than a hundred and fifty euros worth of stuff, but he really didn't mind.

He was about to apologise, tell her she could give the money back if it made her feel better. Cassian would find a way to spend it back on her at other times anyway.

Then she raised her head, handing him two books with hilarious covers to say the least, "These two have storylines full of plot twists. You won't be able to put them down, but don't expect big epic battles or Viking warriors. It's just two college kids trying to survive in the modern world while finding solace in each other."

He didn't even have time to thank her that she was already across the room and waiting in line so she could pay them.

He scoffed, shaking his head.

"I guess you'll be paying for these two," he said as he caught up with her.

Nesta didn't even look at him, pulling out her wallet, "A gift from a friend to a friend."

As they walked back to the car, Cassian offered to carry the bags, but she didn't want to hear one more word so they had managed to compromise and had split the load equally.

They'd been on the road for about thirty minutes now and Nesta had gone through every book he'd bought her, talking about all the previous works by the authors she was holding in her hand at the moment.

Cassian could have died like that. Happy, relaxed, listening to the plots of those dirty books with no moral lessons to teach the reader, just pure entertainment.

He wondered at that moment if he would make it through the first few chapters of the books she had offered him and let out a heavy breath through his nose as he turned right towards the coast.

Nesta looked at him wide-eyed, stopping her rant about the headmaster's son getting the occasional model student to fall in love with him. She brought a hand to her mouth, "Oh dear, sorry, I'm boring you. I'm sorry."

He gave her a confused look ready to tell her she didn't have to apologise, but she continued.

"Sometimes I do and I don't even realize it. And I realize they're not challenging plots where you have to apply some hidden lobe of the brain to understand them, but they distract me from everyday problems, you know? It's fun to be able to unplug a few hours after I get home from work and-"

"Jesus, Nesta, stop!" he laughed, placing a hand on her thigh. She sighed. "You don't have to apologise. Not when you're so excited about something." he looked at her slyly, offering her a reassuring smile, "In fact, I'm glad you're talking so much today. Normally I have to pull the words out of your mouth."

She blushed slightly and then grew sullen soon after, sitting up straighter, "This isn't the way to Velaris, where are we going?"

Cassian didn't answer.

"You're taking me into the woods aren't you?"

"We literally just came out of a forest."

She ignored him.

"I knew it. You're a serial killer."

"Nes-"

"You're a little dense though. Why would you spend so much on someone if you're going to murder them?"

He decided to ignore her, chuckling, "I'm taking you to the beach."

"Why?" she asked, somewhat unconvinced.

Cassian shrugged, "I wanted to see the sunset."

"You didn't ask."

He sighed, gripping the steering wheel, "Okay," he whispered, then louder, "You want to go to the beach and watch the sunset?"

She nodded in assent and then continued to read the plots aloud.

And Cassian could have sworn he was in heaven.

***

Nesta gathered more sand, making a small ball out of it and placing it on the top of one of the towers she had made so far.

"Where did you learn to make such good sandcastles?" asked Cassian suddenly from behind her, startling her.

She jumped in the air, turning to face him and noticing the satisfied smile on his face for having taken her by surprise.

Nesta didn't answer him immediately, but allowed herself to admire him a bit.

Since they had arrived at the beach, they had taken off their shoes and were now both barefoot and then Cassian had bent down and started to roll his trousers around his ankles, offering to do it to her jeans as well, but Nesta had refused. She had sat down, looking at the sea for a while, while he walked along the shore and collected stones and shells.

When he had come back to her and shown them to her, asking her to make a sandcastle, she had laughed at first, but faced with his serious expression, she had been unable to do anything but get up and roll up her sleeves, moving to where the sand was a little more workable.

She looked away from that heavenly vision and made another ball, placing it next to the one she had just made. "When I was little my mum never let me do these, she said I'd get too much sun and forced me and Elain to stay under the umbrella all day," she replied truthfully, remembering the cruel bite of jealousy watching the children on the shore.

"And Feyre?"

Cassian had joined her, kneeling beside her and had begun to place the shells so that they served as windows to the towers.

Nesta sighed, "Feyre was still too little when Mini Me wanted to build sandcastles, but as soon as I became 'too old to play like a kid'," she gave him a knowing look, mimicking her mother's voice, "and Feyre started to figure out she was an actual being, Mama let her do whatever she wanted. Even stand in the sun for hours on end." she shrugged. "Whether it was out of indifference or love, I never understood."

Cassian had been silent the whole time and now he watched her, hands on his thighs as he waited for her to give him more. For her to tell him another little piece of her soul.

So she offered him a forced smile, "So to answer your question, it's all pent-up creativity."

"Well, you're very good at it," he granted her. "I can imagine what you could have done if your mother hadn't been so strict."

Well, yeah.

"What about you?" she asked him.

"What about me?"

"Did you go to the beach a lot?"

Cassian smiled weakly, getting up and heading towards the water to collect more shells. He nodded a couple of times and then said, "My mum and I loved coming to the beach and she loved making castles. And she always put so many 'windows' on the towers-"

Nesta turned to look at their work, realising how many shells he had placed on the piles of sand. She smiled softly, covering her eyes from the sun and watching him walk towards her.

"We always came when she was free from work."

A charged silence settled between them until Cassian chuckled, drawing her attention, "What?"

"You said this wasn't a date. And that we're just friends. Right?"

Shifting her gaze to him, she noticed how he kept his hands hidden behind his back and the mischievous glint in his eyes didn't reassure her at all. Slowly she stood up, nodding.

"So, I must treat you as I would treat my friends. Correct?"

"Cassian, I swear to god that-"

She didn't have time to finish her sentence that something wet and sticky landed in her face with a resounding splash, making her jump back.

She took a deep breath and immediately regretted it when a strong smell of stale water and seaweed flooded her nostrils.

When she opened her eyes again, wiping the seaweed from her face, Cassian was doubled over in laughter.

She didn't even give him time to get up when she started to run towards him - to do what, she had no idea - but he started to run away too and soon they were chasing each other all around the beach, not noticing the sweet looks they were getting from the people around them.

At that moment, Nesta was running so fast that she could feel the wind in her hair and the smell and sound of the sea, together with the laughter of the man who was chasing her, mixed with her own and the continuous tapping of her feet on the sand, made her feel alive.

She felt Cassian come closer every few metres until two strong arms wrapped around her waist and she was pulled up and spun around in the air.

A surprised yelp escaped her as Cassian laughed in her ear, "Gotcha!"

It wasn't until he stopped spinning with her in his arms that they realised the position they were in and immediately broke away, laughing embarrassed.

Nesta turned to face him, her face red from running and her breathing laboured. He was in no better condition. His hair was pointing in all directions and his sculpted chest was rising and falling with haste under the black fabric of his shirt.

He looked away first, scratching the back of his neck and fixing his eyes on the sunset, and offered her his arm as they returned to where they had left theirs things unattended.

Nesta shook her head, laughing one last time and started to run, " Last to reach the castle is stupid!"

Cassian burst out laughing, but he caught up to her in the blink of an eye and they both knew that she had doomed herself to lose. That's why, when he fell tripping over his feet, Nesta knew he had done it on purpose.

She helped him up and they sat back as in silence they watched the sun go down, disappearing past the horizon and the blending lights of the sky created a breathtaking spectacle.

Nesta couldn't have noticed, too busy admiring the clouds, but Cassian had been watching her the whole time, trying to understand how something as sombre and secretive as her could look so bright just by being.

The journey back was silent, but this time the silence was not awkward. They both welcomed it with open arms, a new awareness that there was no need for it to be filled with chatter and that gave Nesta the opportunity to close her eyes for a moment and doze off.

When the car stopped outside her flat, Nesta was surprised to find that she didn't want to get out.

She turned to Cassian after she had gathered her things and nodded, "I had fun today."

He gave her a genuine smile, looking surprised, "Me too."

And then she permanently shocked him, adding, "I'm not working on Saturday, we could do it again. Changing location."

He blinked once. Twice. Then he nodded, "Sure."

He didn't seem to want to say anything more, so Nesta waved goodbye to him and then got out, not waiting for an answer from him.

Cassian stood motionless in the car park of her flat for another half hour, trying to figure out what had just happened, and when the reality of things finally dawned on him, he smiled, "Fuck yeah."

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[solargear]

🛑🔞Warning🔞🛑 Angel Next Door Part 2

Angel Next Door

Part 2

 Friday had finally rolled around. The moving truck had just pulled up to Aziraphale’s house late morning and parked. The driver and three other movers exited the cab, and the three other workers headed to the back of the truck and opened the trailer. One of the workers pulled the ramp out and walked up into the trailer first. Following behind, the remainder employees start to unstrap the tied down items. The Driver walked up to the front door and knocked and was greeted by the new owner. The pair walked to the open trailer and the owner viewed his furniture. Once pleased not damaged befell the furniture, the new neighbor instructing the movers what items went into certain rooms, which were labeled. After the movers understood the instructions, the councilor excused himself and ventured to his next-door neighbor. Considering the work load, Aziraphale was wearing jeans, a light blue t-shirt, a medium blue long sleeve plaid shirt, and cream sneakers. With a bounce in his step, Aziraphale walked up to Anthony’s door and knocked.

Crowley knew the day was Friday, and he was already expecting a visit from his new neighbor. He had not seen the councilor since Sunday or heard from him. Crowley was not too dismayed by the absence, considering Aziraphale was very busy all after just moving in. However, the ginger did miss the blonde. A smiled grew on his lips when he had heard the truck pull up and park, but he was not going to act too excite. The slender man wear pretty must the same outfit every day. Black tank top, fitted black jeans, and black boots. This day, the gardener had a friend chilling around his neck.  Crowley had been sitting on his couch with one of his pythons lounging around his neck as he typed on his laptop, ordering some garden supplies to help his plants stay perky through the fall and winter. He had to keep his cool, and he sure has HELL was not for to be a giddy school boy seeing his crush after a long vacation. As he waited for that knock, the ginger stayed on the couch. Finally hearing that knock on the door, the ginger smiled a bit to himself and stood to go unlock his door. With his snake still coiled around his neck, he opened the door and greeted the blonde. He cursed as he couldn't help the warm grin coming to his face. Aziraphale looked even cuter today then the day they first met. Crowley tried not to scan the blonde from head to toe, but he could not help himself. Those jeans were just the right fitting around that lower half. The tall ginger leaned against his door way and smiled. "I assume you're here to ask for some man power?"

Finally seeing Anthony, Aziraphale instantly blushed. “Um yes...” Instantly his body felt hot. He tried not to have wandering eyes, but he was unable to resist. Soon aquamarine eyes set upon the beautiful snake lounging around the gardener’s shoulders. “Oh… how lovely Aziraphale reaches up and brought a finger about an inch in front of the sweet face of the python. “And what is your name?” The snake slithered out some and flicked her tongue out to smell the stranger. She could tell the new comer meant no malice toward her.

Behind his dark shades, Crowley’s widened. ‘He likes snakes?!’ Had he just won the lottery? This beautiful, pleasantly plump, blonde man couldn’t be any more perfect! To but the icing on the cake, Aziraphale was sweet and not afraid of his precious scaly children! Hidden eyes softened, and he shifted so Aziraphale could get a better look and touch the python if he wanted. "Her name is Hela. You know from Norse mythology, Loki's daughter?"

Aziraphale could feel those golden suns loving gaze on him which made his heart flutter a bit. The councilor reached up further and Hela allowed his to stroke her head. Aziraphale swooned. “Hello Misssss... Hela...” Aziraphale giggled. “You are a very beautiful lady.” Then he looked up at Crowley and saw the endearing look his neighbor was giving him. He smiled and looked away to hide his blush. “So, is she your only baby?”

Crowley saw Hela accept his neighbor. A snake welcoming a stranger was a good sign; however, his prize snake would be the true test. Then the ginger caught the angel blushing, which caused his cheeks to pink too. "Oh… Um… no... I have several! I'm sort of a breeder. She's the offspring of my other larger snakes Loki and Luci. I sort of have a theme with names if you can't tell..."

Aziraphale knew all too well of themed names. He had a pet owl named after a Greek god. “I do like those names. Gods’ names seem to, give animals a… majestic air to them.” He as still loving on Hela when he looked back to Crowley. “May I see them... the rest of your snakes. The movers are unloading the truck, so they will be little while...” Still petting Hela, Aziraphale felt her slither onto him. He watched her slide up his arm and soon lay around his neck. He tilted his head to look down at his new friend. “Oh... well I didn’t expect this”

The ginger blinked in surprise. His snakes were not the type to warm up to strangers so quickly, and to see Hela cuddle his neighbor so quickly, Anthony knew he had just hit the jackpot. " Wow... She really likes you. Please come in!" He ushered Aziraphale inside and hoping his house wasn't too messy. He didn't want to leave a bad impression. The gardener led the councilor through the house to the master bedroom.

Hela continued to nuzzled Aziraphale has he was led by Crowley. He was still beside himself to have a snake be so cuddly. “Do snakes normally warm up to strangers so quickly?”  As they walked through the house Aziraphale looked around. It was a little messy, but he didn’t mind. He had seen far worse.

"I suppose it depends on the snake. Hela is pretty accepting. She is the sweetheart out of all my snakes. Loki is choosey, and Lucifer seems to like only me." He chuckled a bit as he guided Aziraphale through the hall and into his large bedroom. He housed most of his prized plants and his prize snake, Lucifer. Crowley stepped aside and let Aziraphale study the room.

Once Aziraphale was in Crowley’s room. his eyes widen. It was beautiful, almost like a jungle. “Oh wow... your room... Amazing...” He made a 360 and took in the entire room. Then he walked over to the tanks and looked to the other snakes. Some of the snakes he could not see, because here were hiding. He wondered which one as Lucifer and turned to Anthony. “Anthony... which one is Lucifer...”

The taller man walked over to the largest enclosure in the room and grinned. He leaned against the huge tank built into one wall and softly patted the glass housing an enormous black and crimson colored python with gold eyes. "THIS… is my Luci~"

The blonde walked up and gazed into the tank. He watched as two golden eyes peered out from under a large leaf, and a huge head rose slowly up to inspect this new person his owner brought in. The neighbor stretched his right hand out almost touching the glass. Soon he felt Hela raised her head and slithered down Aziraphale’s arm and greatest her father. Lucifer greeted his daughter and in silent conversation, they seemed to communicate to each other “Anthony?” He looked at the ginger in question.

Crowley was a little confused, too He never witnessed this behavior before. "Well…Luci is the father to all my other snakes aside from some the females I breed him with. He is the head honcho in this house!" Crowley smiled and crouched down to look at the massive reptile endearingly. "I've had all my adult life... Ever since he hatched."

The Blonde looked down at his neighbor and smiled. “So... Lucifer is like your son?” he crouched down next to Crowley and place his left hand on Crowley’s left shoulder in an endearing way. Lucifer watched how the blonde man interacted with his human father and moved to the cage’s lock. He looked at His dad asking to be let out. The blonde watched the snake and stood up and stepped back, letting his hand slide from the ginger’s shoulder “Looks like he wants out.”

The brief physical touch of Aziraphale shook Anthony to his core. The councilor’s hand was heavenly soft and warm, and the botanist hoped one day those hand would touch more than his shoulder. Crowley blushed, a little, at the other man so easily accepting his devotion to his pets. He looked back at Aziraphale and smiled slowly. “You're not scared of him? If I let him out, I mean...”

Aziraphale looked at Lucifer then looked at Hela. The sweet female snake slithered back up to the blonde’s neck and nestled in again. Smiling, Aziraphale looked to the ginger. “No... I am not...” He replied with a soft voice, scratching under the sweet girl’s chin. Hela seemed like she smiled at the touch. The smaller man nodded “Go ahead.”

With slight worry. Crowley nodded and unlocked the tank. After unlatching the lock and opening the enclosure door open a little, Lucifer easily pushed himself out over the rim of the custom tank and slid smoothly onto the floor. Slowly the black and red python snaked across the floor and arched up to eye-height to look at Aziraphale. The python started at the blond unblinking. Its black tongue flicking slowly to taste the air around Aziraphale and smell his skin.

Aziraphale watched Lucifer glide across the floor and met the soon to be mate to his owner. Unblinking fire-yellow eyes greeted bright aqua-blue eyes. Unafraid and confident, the new comer smiled. “Hello dear Lucifer. I am honored to meet such a handsome snake.” Without fear, the blonde held out his hand, faced-up, and waited for Lucifer to react.

Slowly, the imposing serpent tipped forward, bringing its large head to rest in the out stretched hand and rested there. Aziraphale smiled. “You are a sweet boy aren’t you. Your papa has raised you very well.” The blonde rubbed under the big boy’s chin. Then Aziraphale caught Crowley’s eyes on him and smiled.

Quietly, Anthony watched in amazement. Knowing Lucifer was very particular about who he liked, the ginger was elated his prized snake, his baby, accepted the new neighbor. Crowley was gazing at Aziraphale softly. His dark sunglasses slid down his nose, and those hazel-yellow eyes tenderly watched the interaction. When their eyes met, Anthony suddenly thought back to the view he'd had several nights before and his face colored. “You're really amazing.”

Aziraphale blushed. “Oh, I am not that amazing. I am just an animal lover of all types, and they can sense that.” Then he turned to looked at his neighbor and caught Anthony gazing at him endearingly. Aziraphale’s eyes softened more as he returned the heart-felt look back. Oh, how he loved Crowley’s eyes. He could gaze into them all day. Lost in the moment, he felt a little tickle of a tongue and giggled.  Lucifer flicked his tongue out to get the councilor’s attention. With that, Aziraphale realize he had to get back. “Anthony... I need to get back...”

“You… uh… Still need help with the furniture, right?” Crowley mused and moved to gently remove Hela from around Aziraphale’s neck to set her back in her enclosure.

Aziraphale felt Crowley’s fingers gaze his neck and he shivered. Though the touch was brief, he felt the slightly rough texture the gardening hands, and the sensation was divine. “Y-yes... I do please.”  He rubbed the area of his neck Crowley touched. As the red head put Hela away, Lucifer decided to slither around Aziraphale. The mighty python gingerly and tenderly coiled around the plush man. Lucifer made sure Aziraphale’s arms were free to move. Before the big boy laid his head on top of the neighbor’s head, Lucifer nuzzled Aziraphale’s neck. “It… uhm… seems someone does not want me to go.”

Anthony glanced over and swallowed hard. His mouth dropped a little in the vision before him. Seeing Aziraphale wrapped in the coils of his dark snake sparked numerous fantasies.  The thought of his neighbor’s naked pale skin lounging back on black and red scales, numbed his mind. Crowley did not want to admit how sexy the image in front of him was. Lucifer cradling Aziraphale’s body, and his own mouth sucking greedily on the blonde’s perfect cock. Let Anthony be damned to Hell for his fantasy to one day be reality. ‘Damn it… get it together!’ Crowley internally yelled. He quickly glanced away as his face went nearly as red as his hair and he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. “Y-y-yeah he can be pretty cuddly. I slept with him a lot to keep him warm at night until I could get him a proper enclosure."

“My sweet Lucifer, your papa has offered to help me move in today, so he needs to place you back in your home.” Aziraphale coaxed his new scaly friend off his blonde hair and leaned over and eskimo kissed the snake. Lucifer nuzzled the blonde a little more before releasing the councilor and slithered back to his enclosure. “I promise to come back and cuddle... ok?”

Hearing Aziraphale would come back to cuddle only added to the fire. Internally, Crowley took a deep breath and calmed him imagination down. “You… certainly have a way with him. I have to admit, I might be a little jealous." Crowley mumbled with a soft chuckle, holding the tank door open until Luci was back inside before locking up again.

“Well... just need to talk to them with love and understanding. Same way with plants~ “Aziraphale gave a cute but slightly smug little smile. He knew all living things respond better to positive energy.

Anthony was a little offended. He puffed out his chest and huffed indignantly as he crossed his arms. “I'll have you know I have a prize-winning garden! And my methods work just fine."

Seeing how Crowley defended and cared for his garden, Aziraphale bit his lip and held in a giggle. He honestly thought Anthony was adorable standing his ground, but the councilor knew love and kind words were stronger and yielded more positive results. “Yes… You garden is gorgeous, but imagine how more glorious your garden would be if kind words were spoken instead.” Aziraphale took a step closer to Crowley and waved his left hand to his prized foliage. “After all, love is the strongest feeling.”

The ginger swallowed a bit as Aziraphale stepping into his personal space. Slightly intimidated, he leaned back just a bit, but not without being able to smell the aroma of the blonde’s shampoo and the sweet scent of a pastry on his breath. Internally cursing again as he stammered a bit, Crolwey was distracted and felt disoriented. “D-did y-you have crepes for breakfast?”

That question threw Aziraphale off. He indeed did have crepes for breakfast. Embarrassed, He threw his right hand over in mouth and stepped back. “I-I... um yes... I did. Sorry... I brushed my teeth before I ate...” The blonde now felt that he had to brush them again. “Let’s… go... I will brush them before we start with the unpacking the large items.” Aziraphale felt so embarrassed that he started to exit the bed room in a hurry.

“Fuck!” Crowley rolled his head in self-loathing and cursed under his breath at having embarrassed his neighbor. He could not let his love interest slip through his fingers, so he stepped forward, reached out, and grabbed Aziraphale’s left hand to stop him. Crowley just about pulled Aziraphale into him, but stopped himself from doing so. “No! please! I-I like it!! Well I mean, you smell nice... I mean… ‘IT’… smells nice… It doesn't bother me."

Aziraphale felt his hand being grabbed and pulled to a stop. Biting his lip, he turned to Crowley and looked into the hazel yellow eye. The tall man’s hands felt so strong yet soft, and when he heard ‘you smell nice’, Aziraphale’s brain immediately wanted to say ‘Would you like to taste?’ Luckily, he controlled the near outburst and lowered his right hand from his mouth but kept it tight to his chest. “Well... um... I still need to get back.”

"Yes… of course... Would I still be able to help you?" The way he spoke, did sound a little too much like pleading, but he desperately wanted to spend more time with Aziraphale and to hold his hand a little longer.

With a puppy-eyed look Crowley was giving, the shorter man could not say no. “Yes of course you may.” Aziraphale stepped to Crowley a little more and completely lowered his right hand. Seeing still connected hands, the blonde wanted stay like this, but he knew they couldn’t. “Um Anthony...” Aziraphale smiled and looked down their hand.

The ginger glanced at their hands and suddenly pulled his hand away and shoved it into his pocket. Then he rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “S-sorry...!”

The shorter man just smiled. “We better get going so I can take you to dinner tomorrow~” Aziraphale kept his gaze on Crowley until he faced completely forward. Then he started slow out of the room. With the recent exchange, Aziraphale bit his lip. The intimate time they shared gave the book lover so many thoughts about Crowley, and that if they didn’t leave now, he may just act of them, which is not like him at all.

Anthony trailed behind Zira. He still felt like a fool over his actions, but at least his sweet new neighbor still wanted his assistance. As they left the master bedroom, the slender ginger tried not to openly ogle the cute blonde’s backside, but how could he not? He had a pleasant view last night that was burned into his brain. “So~ What are we building today?"

“Well... my bed... and, if we have time, my Aviary for my pet owl.” Aziraphale said nonchalantly. “Everything else is assembled... just need to unpack. “My sister is bringing my owl later.” He walked over to the movers with a sheepish grin. “I am sorry... Mr. Grant... my neighbor kidnapped me, and I was held hostage by his pet snake” Aziraphale joked.

The driver looked at Aziraphale then to Crowley. “No problem Mr. Godwin… We are nearly done… Just one more load to go.”

Aziraphale nodded and started up the path to his house.  

The ginger blushed a little when the angel said ‘kidnapped and hostage’. He quickly followed and arched his brows as they walked up to Aziraphale’s house trying to absorb what the book lover just said. "Wait... And OWL?! You own an OWL?!"

“Yes... I have a pet Elf owl, and her name is Athena.” Aziraphale walked into his home. Most of the large furniture was moved in, and he would have to rearrange it later once the movers were gone. “I have had her for seven months now. Since she was a hatchling.”

“How did you manage that? Aren't they endangered?"  Crowley asked as he moved over the pieces of the aviary laid out on the floor.

“I found her after a horrid rain storm. She was just a few days old, and I decided to rescue her. The first couple of days, I did make her a little homemade shelter and keep her outside in hopes her for her mother and father to get her, but they never came.  So, I took it upon myself to learn about the food elf owls ate and reared her. She is too tame to be set free, so now she is my little sweetie. As for being endangered, in California, they are.” Aziraphale notice Crowley starting to work with the owl cage “Oh, we can to the aviary later. She will not be her till next week, when my sister can fly out here with her. My bed is first on the list.” Then Aziraphale started to his room.

The taller ginger swallowed at being invited back to Aziraphale’s bedroom. Remembering the naughty way the angel stroked himself and spoke his name, the ginger was excited and nervous. "What size bed do you have?"

“A queen size...” The blonde responded. He saw the box that contain his new bed. The book lover decided to own a captain’s bed. He loved the idea of drawers built in to the bed for storage, and a bookshelf for a headboard. All he needed to do was to assemble his bed, and with Crowley the work would go quicker. “Well... This will be my first time in such a big bed... before I had an extra-long twin.” He went to his air mattress and began to deflate it.

"A lot of bed for just yourself. You like to sprawl out?" Crowley looked at Aziraphale with a smile and leaned down to help squeeze the air out of the mattress.

“Well... I do not know, really. I never slept in a bed this size before. I wanted to spoil myself when moving here. So, I bought it.” As the mattress deflated Aziraphale, with Anthony’s help, rolled the mattress up. The bookworm did notice Crowley’s bed and how big it was. He wondered the same thing but did not ask. With a cute smile, Aziraphale looked to Crowley. “I guess I get to find out tonight.”

"I'm sure it will feel amazing." Anthony winked at the blond before moving over to the boxes and looking at what the bedframe was supposed to look like. "Seems simple enough..."

Aziraphale packed up the air mattress and walked over the ginger. “No really, the bed is quite large. It has drawers and a bookshelf head board. Then the little man pulled out a two-inch pocket knife and cut along the corners of the box. Once open he looked for the instructions and the hardware kit.

Seeing all the pieces on the floor had Crowley second guessing his 'seems simple' idea. " Ok... This might take longer than I thought... But! Four hands are better than two, right?"

“Quite~ If we organize the pieces first, the task will not seem so daunting.” Then Aziraphale rolled up his sleeves, revealing the tips of some of the feathers of the tattoo, and started to separate the pieces. He places each drawer into separate piles. “Mmm, looks like we will need more tools. I will be right back I will get my tool box from my car” Then before Crowley could say a word, the blonde trotted off to his car.

Crowley watched Aziraphale roll up his sleeves and spotted the tips of the feather. He decided he was not going to mention the tattoo unless Aziraphale mentioned the body art first. Then he watched the cute blonde head out the room. The snake lover tried his best not to totally stare as the blonde’s ass while he walked away, but he could not help it. That luscious posterior was too plump not to watch. Swallowing and shaking his head, the ginger went about getting the drawers set up for easy assembly Anthony tried to focus on his task and not the memory of what Aziraphale did in this very room only days before.

When Aziraphale was out in his car the mover started to pick up. The blonde noticed the movers were packing up and decided to thanked the movers by giving them a very hefty tip for their troubles. Then Aziraphale headed to his car, grabbed his tools and headed back to Crowley. He as pleasantly surprised that the ginger separated the smaller pieces in to piles ready to assemble in to drawers. He was falling for this endearing neighbor more and more even though they had only met a few days ago. Aziraphale decided to see if making small gestures of interest would be gladly received or rejected. “You know... I never imagined that I would find such a helping neighbor. The world today, it seems to lack kind hearts now a days.” Aziraphale sat next to the red head and scooted close.

Crowley blushed at what his neighbor said. He snorted a bit and shook his head. "Tch! I'm NOT nice... I'm decent. There's a difference."

Aziraphale was taken back a bit at the ginger’s words, but did not take them to heart. He started to giggle, because he knew Crowley was nice and kind.  “That is funny… I never said ‘nice’.... I said Kind...” he sided glanced into Crowley’s shades, knowing those bright yellow eyes were behind them, and repeated his words. “There is a difference...” Aziraphale raised a brow and smirked.

The ginger side-glanced his neighbor and blushed a bit, clearing his throat. " Y-yeah, true... I just mean... Oh you know what I meant!"

“You are only ‘decent’ to those you deem worthy of it?” Aziraphale placed right his hand onto Crowley’s left. This was the moment of truth. The bookworm never was so bold before, but with this man... he felt Crowley was different.

Anthony looked down at their hands, feeling his whole body warm before he chanced a glance up at Aziraphale’s eyes. " Well... Yeah... I mean most people are shitty at best."

Those brilliant yellow eyes were still hidden behind those circular sunglasses. Aziraphale reaches up, breaking the connection of hands, and gingerly took ahold of the sunglasses and slid them off. “And some hide the kind souls they have.” Blue finally met yellow. At that moment the connection finally hooked firmly. The counselor didn’t understand how within a few days a man he barely knew had his heart already.

Crowley felt a little exposed with his shades removed and his face colored slightly before he hid his own embarrassment behind a mild laugh. " Heh, if you say so Angel..."

Angel? He was given another nickname, but he like it. “I do not think so...” Aziraphale said quietly and leaned forward giving Crowley a kiss on the right cheek “I know so my dear Anthony. You would not be here if you were not kind enough to help me.” The sweet man smiled with a little pink on his cheeks.

Anthony felt like he might faint. Not only had he blundered by calling Aziraphale an angel -which he TOTALLY was- but Aziraphale just KISSED him!!! He could die happy right then and there. No wait, lip kiss first, then death! "Y-you uh... I mean... You're?" He didn't want to be awkward and say 'gay' but, he needed to know if Aziraphale was flirting or just super friendly.

Aziraphale gave the sheepishly smile with a nod. “That is the reason why I moved, to start anew. My father and mother disowned me after I was caught kissing my ‘friend’ from work a year ago. I was told never to talk to them again. So, I ended up getting a small studio apartment and saved up to move. My sister is the only one that does not care and hopes for the best for me. Then I met you... and well...” Aziraphale looked away some, then back into Crowley’s eyes. “I liked you from the very start.”

The ginger felt himself smiling softly. He felt bad that Aziraphale had been disowned and forced to move, but the universe brought the blonde into his world.  He was immensely grateful. "The feeling is mutual, believe me… Angel." He whispered softly and covered Aziraphale’s right hand with his left before reaching up with his right hand to cradle the other’s left cheek tenderly.

Aziraphale’s heart raced, but when Crowley cupped his cheek, the angel felt like his heart exploded. He was called ‘Angel’ again. He looked back into the two shiny suns and leaned his cheek more into the hand. The blonde sighed happily, because the world seemed to just be him Anthony and him.

Crowley's gaze softened and he smiled as Aziraphale nuzzled against his palm, his thumb softly stroking the other man’s cheek. Damn he really is an angel "So... That kiss then... That means dinner’s tonight can be a... Date?"

“Well, tomorrow is the actual dinner, but the dinner is now an official date.” Aziraphale leaned more in to Crowley’s hand. Then he decided to leaned up, cupped the ginger’s cheeks, and kissed Crowley on the lips. The angel has been wanted to kiss this sly serpent holding his heart in loving tight coils.

A little surprised, Anthony could have faint. The kiss was probably the best thing Crowley had experienced is a long, long time, and he instantly closed his eyes to savor the sensation with a soft moan. " Mhnmm...~"

Noticing his neighbor did not pull away but deepen the connection further, Aziraphale moved closer to Crowley. He continued the kiss and slid his fingers up into the red locks. Every inch in his body and soul was filled with joy.

The slender man felt himself get lost in the feel of the others lips. Crowley felt that spark, and the warmth of the spark traveled through the angel’s fingers as they played through his hair and sent wonderful chills through his nerves. He had to control himself from simply pushing Aziraphale back against the floor and having his way with him right there. Anthony was not going rush this like he did with past lovers. Anthony didn’t want to lose Aziraphale, for this man, in his arms, was special.

Aziraphale wanted to have the connection last longer, but he reluctantly broke the kiss with a sweet moan. For some unheavenly reason, he wanted, what he imagined a few nights ago, to happen But he did have the bed to make, and it would take up most of the day. With slight glazed if desire in his eyes and slightly heavy pant, Aziraphale spoke softly. “We um... should probably get working on the bed...” he combed his fingers through Crowley’s hair, letting his hand taper down the taller man’s lean neck.

Anthony leaned his head back as the bookworm slid his hand down his neck. A shiver shot straight from the spot Angel touched to the ginger’s groin, but he suppressed a groan. Crowley laughed softly, and his bright eyes hooded under heavy lids as he gazed back at the other man, lightly licking his damp lips. "Mmm yes, a bed will certainly make things more comfortable."

Aziraphale slightly raised a brow. He had to tease Crowley a little. “And what are your plans after we put my bed together... Mmmm?” The angel moved back over to his tool box and got out the instructions for the bed. He started to gather the tools he needed.

“Well…” Crowley chuckled, “More kissing for one thing!" Then the ginger shifted back to the task at hand. Crowley took out the bag of nails and screws and peered over Aziraphale's shoulder to see which ones needed to go with which pieces.

Aziraphale blinked, blushed, then giggled. The idea of cuddling, with Anthony, was a wonderful thought. “We’ll see~” Then he turned to Crowley and kissed his cheek again considering the red head was peering over the angel’s shoulder. Then he picked up the screw drivers and handed one to Crowley.

Crowley smirked a bit at how easy the affection came from Aziraphale... It felt so carefree and natural. "Careful with those kisses Angel, or we'll be stopping often for make-out breaks...."

“Then don’t make it so easy” Aziraphale mused. Then he took the bag of screws from Crowley and opened them up and took a few. He then started to assemble the first drawer.

"Me?!" The ginger snorted a bit and reached to gather his longer hair up and tie it back with the band around his wrist, keeping it out of his face as he leaned over to start on the second drawer.

“Yep… you…” Aziraphale smiled before looking up and catching Crowley pulling his hair back. The angel’s moth dropped. He had a thing for long hair and ponytails ‘oh heavens’ he mentally cursed... in his own way. He had to keep focus on the task at hand. “So... your garden... how long have you been maintaining it?”

After securing his hair, Crowley shrugged a bit as he worked on the drawers, tightening screws with easy twists of his wrist. “Years... Some of the larger plants outside came with me when I moved. I’ve never had my own yard to plant in before and they do better with their roots in the earth... Some of my cactus though I've had since I was a kid. Good plant for a kid, you know? You forget to water it for months but it survives anyway."

Aziraphale enjoyed listening to Anthony. He listened intently was his neighbor talk about his garden. When cactus plants were mentioned, knew he wanted a Christmas cactus. “I will have to bring you along when I decide to buy plants for my place. I know I would like a Christmas cactus... they have such beautiful flowers when they bloom.” As Aziraphale babbled on, he assembled his drawer and was now attaching the drawer’s front. “I also... always wanted to play my cello in a beautiful garden... Plants love music.”

"Wait…  You're a musician?" Crowley asked mildly and side glanced Aziraphale as they worked. Crowley’s imagination started to go into overtime visualizing Angel standing amid the lush landscaped.

“A hobbyist musician, but yes I have a few string instruments. Cello is my favorite stringed instrument. The mellow tone is very soothing and relaxing.” Aziraphale was now working and the rolling tracks for the drawer. He looked up at Crowley and saw those yellow eye gazing at him. The angel tilted his head in Curiosity “Anthony? Are you alright dear?”

The taller man looked away with a small, private smile. "Just fine... I was just imagining what you'd look like is all."

“What I looked like?” Aziraphale finished his draw. He got up and placed it out side of his room to have more working space. When he came back, grabbed another pile material to build another drawer and started to assemble.

"Yeah, I mean... I bet you're beautiful when you play. You are anyway, honestly." Crowley mumbled and looked a little embarrassed at sounding so cheesy in his compliments. But what Anthony said was true; Aziraphale was really beautiful.

For a man who had a stare that could kill, Anthony definitely had a very soft side. “Then how about this weekend then? I give you a concert in your garden. Before we go out for dinner.” Aziraphale sat next to Crowley. The councilor noticed a strand of hair that fell from the ponytail and moved it behind Crowley’s ear.

This offer made the ginger perk up with surprise and delight. He'd never had anyone offer to do anything special just for him. " Really? My own private concert? They do say plants enjoy music." When Aziraphale reached up and moved that strand of hair, Anthony blushed and sheepishly smiled.

Aziraphale nodded with a smile. The child like excitement that came over Crowley was just to adorable. Then the blushing and cute smiled gave the angel the desire to kiss the ginger again, but if he did, the bed would not get made. "We better get this bed put together. I do not think my back can handle one more night on that air mattress" Aziraphale crawled to his spot and sat back down.

Crowley's eyes instantly moved to the perfect roundness of the blonde’s backside as he crawled back to his spot. He idly wetted his lips while trying to keep his body under control. He moved his focus back to the task so to distract himself from the sexiness of his neighbor. When he heard Aziraphale’s discomfort, Crowley looked up. “Well... You could stay at my place tonight.”

The blonde's ears perked up at 'staying at Crowley's place.' His mind was going a mile a second. Would he sleep on the couch... or with... Anthony?

“I mean we are neighbors, so it would be convenient for you and better for your back. I certainly wouldn't mind you staying over, since you aren't afraid of my snakes.” Anthony rambled a bit before catching himself and clearing his throat. “I mean just in case we don't get the bed done.” Then he lowered his voice timidly. “Or... Even if we do?"

Aziraphale's ears turned pinked at Crowley’s admittance wanting him to stay over. “And... Where would I sleep.” He asked bashfully. Would Crowley invite him to sleep with him or the couch? The new neighbor would like snuggle up to this handsome ginger. Heaven knows, just kissing the man gave him all types of naught thoughts.

“Anywhere you'd like... I mean, my couch isn't so bad, but my bed would be better for your back." Crowley glanced over with a light smile. “But it IS up to you, really. And I can take the couch.” Crowley bit his lip and lowered his voice. “Or…if you would like… company or not?”

“Oh my… Uhm… Well…” The angel saw that little smile, but when the offer of sleeping together was brought up, his mind was going in all which ways. "Well... we uhm... we will see how far we make progress with my bed." Aziraphale was all frustrated. Half of him so wanted to spend the night and snuggle up to Anthony, but they just meet and even just sleeping together.

Crowley noticed the hesitation and he backed off a bit. Even he had to admit, the offer as too soon, but he still wanted the offer to stand. Even though Aziraphale seemed bold enough to be the one putting on the first moves like touching and kissing, but Anthony could sense that the blonde’s courage stopped there. That was ok though, he was NOT mood to rush this relation. “Hey, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel pressured and uncomfortable.”

 “It is alright, Dear.” Aziraphale gave a consoling gaze. “Let’s… just finish the bed.”