INEFFABLE

Chapter 2: The Bookshop

Crowley carefully parked his Bentley before the 300 hundred year old bookshop and took a deep breath. He stole a glance at his watch and realized that it was half past six. 

"Dammit Crowley! Can't you be on time just once in your life?" He thought to himself. Crowley straightened out the front of his jacket with his hands and walked into the bookshop. 

The shop was filled with thousands of books, hundreds of which hadn't acquired a space in the shelves. They lay piled up on the various desks across the shop. 

"Knock knock angel! Where the heck are you?"

"Right here…" Aziraphale's voice answered. Crowley looked around as a little white head cropped up from behind a giant mountain of books. 

"Dammit Aziraphale… I'm afraid someday I'll find you pressed between your beloved books on a tiny little shelf."

"Oh shut up! Now tell me something" the angel said, wiping the dust off his hand with a cloth "Is it a demon thing to be late all the time? Like seriously, when have you actually been on time?"

Crowley slumped onto the couch which stood at one corner of the room and gave out a sigh. "I was just busy, Angel…"

"Doing what?" asked Aziraphale, dropping down on the couch beside Crowley "As far as I remember, both of us have been officially fired by our respective headquarters. What on earth could have kept you so busy on a Friday evening?"

Crowley glanced at Aziraphale's face and took off his dark sunglasses, revealing his bright yellow eyes. 

"Woah… Slow down Angel" he said, smiling softly "Someone might think you're angry with me…"

Aziraphale's face suddenly turned a bright shade of red. " Wha-? No, absolutely not! Why would I care, you demon? It's just…" The angel gulped "...a mild annoyance… Be on time next time!"

Crowley's face broke out into a huge grin as he looked at his "friend" again. 

"Are you actually blushing?" He asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the angel. 

"Umm… I am gonna go now…" said Aziraphale, standing up "Gonna get some tea for us." 

Before Crowley could reply, he had already walked out of the room. 
Crowley felt the heat rise up in his cheek as he stared absent-mindedly at the scenery of books. 

No no no… Is it really happening? It can't be… It simply cannot… Did I make him uncomfortable? Oh shit… you idiot… should have taken it slower… Oh for Hell's sake, get a grip on yourself Crowley!

After about five minutes of Crowley nervously pacing up and down the shop, he saw Aziraphale emerge from the kitchen with a tea tray. 

"Hey!" Crowley said abruptly. 

"Hey" the angel replied, putting the tray down on the table. He handed Crowley a cup of tea and took his into his hand.

It was followed by the most excruciatingly awkward silence that either of them had ever experienced. The slow sipping sound of the tea and constant tick-tock of the huge grandfather clock on the wall filled the air. The walls of the shop seemed like they were closing in on the two friends. The scariest part of it all was probably the fact that they couldn't stop staring at each other, looking for a clue of emotion in each other's eyes. After about twenty minutes of this, Aziraphale broke the silence. 

"So… You said you would read a book. Can you, now?"

"Umm… yeah, sure…" said Crowley, dropping his eyes to the floor and scratching his forehead. 

"Oh I have the perfect book for you!" said Aziraphale, excitedly scurrying his way across the shop. "Will be back in a jiffy. Finish your tea!"

Crowley looked down at the cup of tea in his hand and made a disgusted face. 

Too sweet… Too much… ew!  And he isn't even eating a cake…. Dammit!

Crowley gulped down the tea in one giant gulp and kept the cup aside. 

"I think you're gonna like this book…" said Aziraphale, dusting the dirt off an old book. 

"I swear to Satan, if you make me read fluffy stuff…" muttered Crowley, taking the book for the angel's hand. 
As he read the title of the book, his eyes widened. 

Blood: An illustrated compilation of the history of Mediaeval Torture Devices by Jeremy Botha. 

"Well?" Aziraphale asked, smiling "Is it too 'fluffy' for you?"

"Oh stop!" replied Crowley, already ruffling through the pages of the book "Aren't you supposed to be an angel? Isn't it too 'sinful' for you?"

"Ah well…" Aziraphale gave out a sigh "A book never hurt anybody…. I guess… Moreover, I'm not an emissary of Heaven anymore. We are on our own, remember?"

"Yeah yeah…"  said Crowley, absent-mindedly as he flipped thrugh the pages of the book. 

"You seem quite absorbed already" remarked the angel "I should go make something… You're staying for dinner, I suppose?"

"Mmm…. Yeah…"  said Crowley, slowly melting into the couch with his new favorite book. 

Aziraphale walked out again, quite proud of himself for having been able to make the demon read a book for the first time in six thousand years. 

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Author: Hey... I'm sorry for such a late update. I have been very busy lately, with work and stuff. And I know this chapter is not as crisp as it could be. I've been kinda distracted while writing it. Kindly ignore all the cringeness and if you decide to read it, I'd be over the moon. Thank you! Good day!