Ineffable One Shots

Sleepless (1912 continued ✨again✨)

Oh My God. I am sorry😭 this is the one shot that never ends. I didn't want this to be as chaotic as it is. Also writers block is fun. I'm so sorry y'all. I'm back, I'm trying. Enjoy
The following is an odd mixture of the book and show.

"Um..." said Aziraphale.
"Close the door behind you," Crowley asked him with a cold edge to his tone.
Not taking his eyes off of Crowley, Aziraphale did as he was told. The angle then raised his eyebrows, as if to say what now? Crowley gestured to the chair across from him. Aziraphale nodded, then silently made his way to said chair. When he sat, he considered crossing his leg over the other like Crowley, but decided that it would be too casual for the tone that the demon had.
They said nothing. Crowley took a sip from his glass.
Aziraphale got up with a clap.
"I'm quite tired, I best be off to bed," He sped away to his room, but before he got there Crowley stopped him.
"Not so fast Angel, you've been getting a lot of sleep lately. I mean, I though sleeping was my hobby, but I suppose you've taken it up as well? Or maybe you're avoiding a conversation with a dear demon of yours?"
Aziraphale turned to face the demon. Crowley raised his brow at the Angel. Aziraphale sighed and walked back towards the chair, but made no move to sit.
"Now how about you tell me what's wrong?" The demon asked with a bitter tone.
"I... don't know if we should talk when you're angry like this, perhaps you should go to bed-"
Crowley slammed his cup down on the table causing Aziraphale to jump. He was shocked the glass didn't break.
"Crowley-"
"Don't you Crowley me! You've been distant and cold and not even trying to talk to me and tell me what the heaven is wrong!" He shouted.
Aziraphale gaped at him and blushed. Crowley has never yelled at him before!
"Well, I'm sorry that you haven't been around for me to talk to! Maybe you should talk with Lore!"
Crowley shot out of the chair with choleric eyes squinting at Aziraphale.
"Is that what it's about?! Oh ho! Is the selfless Angel jealous?!"
"Jealous?!" Aziraphale laughed incredulously. "Of what? You think I'm scared Lore will take my place? I sure will miss your ability to disappear for a century without a word!"
Crowley froze. He took a step forward, his face softening. Aziraphale took a step back as tears prickled in his eyes.
"A-Angel?"
"You disappeared in 1827 and I have had no letter, no call, no nothing! I was scared to death about what happened to you! You could have been discorporated forever or tortured or.... Or worse! And then out of the blue you show up 85 years later and act like nothing happened!"
Aziraphale turned away from Crowley and wiped his eyes.
"Aziraphale," the demon croaked, then grunted, trying to clear the emotion from his voice. "Aziraphale, that's what's been eating you? I thought we were fine, you seemed fine since our first meet up since then. You seemed fine when I asked you to come with me, there has to be more to it..."
Crowley stepped towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. Aziraphale jerked away and swung around.
"It's called pretending, Crowley! Which you're so good at. What did you do when you were gone? Were you just avoiding me? Or am I being selfish and you had some good reason to disappear? Because when I asked you last month when you first returned you didn't answer any of my questions. You shrugged them off and said 'oh, I'm sorry-'"
"I AM SORRY!" Crowley roared at him.
Aziraphale gazed at him sadly, unbelieving. Crowley's rage melted into sorrow and shame. He paced back to his chair and slumped onto it, defeated.
"I... I do owe you a better explanation. Please Angle, come sit with me?"
Aziraphale silently eyed the demon, still hurt, but slowly made his way to sit in the chair across from him.
Crowley licked his lips nervously and squirmed in the chair. He sighed and settled down, until he saw Aziraphale still waiting patiently.
"You don't have to tell me if it's too painful," Azirphale said quietly. "You don't owe me anything, I just need time to get over it,"
"That's where you're wrong, Angel," Crowley confessed, "I do owe you, I owe you a lot. You've been my good... acquaintance for a long time, better then I deserve,"
"Don't say that, Crowley. You're better then you give yourself credit for,"
Crowley observed the Angel calmly.
"Well, it's still something I should get off my chest...Of course it began in 1827..."
Crowley told him of Hell's punishment. Not what it was, just that there was punishment. Crowley did a very good thing that night, he changed that human's life for the better, and unfortunately Hell happened to be watching at that moment.
He was stuck in Hell for a year. They must've grow bored of him then, because he was released without much fuss.
Crowley was in pain and he was tired. On top of that all, he was stupidly embarrassed and hated pity. So to avoid the pity of humans who saw a bruised, beaten man, he went to his house and slept.
Hell paid his taxes and life went on like nothing happened. Except for the fact that Crowley slept through most of the 19th century and the start of the 20th.
The exception was just a few years into his hibernation, 1832 to be exact, when he was awoken by a nightmare. He did not tell Aziraphale that this nightmare was about heaven and contained the crying eyes of a beloved Angel. He did tell him however, that he got up, went to the loo, freshened his clothes, had a cup of water, and then went right back to bed where he stayed for roughly the next 80 years.
When he woke, all his past signs of abuse were healed.
He also didn't tell Aziraphale that the first thing he did when he woke up was refresh with a shower, new clothes and then caught a ride to Aziraphale's bookshop (He was considering getting himself a car just for convenience sake, but was unsure about it.) He didn't bother to eat or drink anything first, he knew Aziraphale would have something.
He perfectly remembered that day. He felt horrible and relieved at the same time when he saw Aziraphale's shocked face. The angel did seem a bit upset, but Crowley thought it was because of his human friend. Aziraphale talked sadly about him after they settled down into a conversation that lasted a whole 24 hours and consisted of most of the current events Crowley missed. The thing that Crowley missed the most was undoubtably hearing Aziraphale talk. He missed the angel's brilliant mind so much that he didn't even notice that the 24 hours had passed until Aziraphale had to shoo away a customer. To be fair, his trouble keeping track of time could've been because he was still drowsy from a century of sleep.
That was the day of Hell's big meeting. It was where all the major plans for the next century were discussed. It typically happened a decade or less before the 20's of that year (Hell needed time to plan for the 20's disaster of the century. Generally they loved to pick a disease, Crowley was quite frankly growing very tired of illness and hoped that the 21st century would be something far more interesting then some stupid plague.)
When he was done he sat quietly.
"I'm really sorry, Angel. I didn't know... I- I thought you would be fine without me, better off even. You know we shouldn't be fraternizing, hopefully Hell won't be watching us too closely anymore,"
"It's alright now, Crowley. I understand now"
Aziraphale did understand now. He didn't realize before, but now looking back, the day Crowley showed up at his shop he truly did seem tired and a bit absent.
Crowley laughed, a bit bitterly.
"It's funny, because these past few days have been the most I've slept since I woke up. I don't need to sleep, immortal and all," Aziraphale nodded in agreement. "But," Crowley continued "I haven't really wanted to sleep either. I don't think I will tonight. I don't want to disturb anyone though by wandering this boat at night. Do you have a book I could borrow?"
Aziraphale didn't bother to correct him that it's a ship, he was wondering about Crowley reading.
"You want to read?"
"Well... not overly. But I have to do something, don't I?" The demon confessed.
The Angel considered this for a moment.
"What if I stayed up with you?" He suggested.
Crowley raised his eyebrows before smirking.
"I thought you were quite tired?" He mocked.
Aziraphale blushed and waved him off.
"Human schedules are quite heavy on sleep, I've also been growing bored of it. What if we just stayed up and talked? Or we could find something else to do?"
Crowley felt warmth replace the previous coolness that their distance left. An idea occurred to him.
"What if I took you below deck?" He suggested.
Aziraphale looked unsure.
"There will be no drinking. Or gambling," Crowley promised. "It will be fine,"
Drinking and gambling wasn't what Aziraphale was unsure about. It was who was doing the drinking and gambling. He looked at Crowley's hopeful expression and relented.
"Alright," he smiled. "Let's go,"