There Will Come a Day: A Good Omens Fanfic

Beautiful world

The Torrontés was indeed delicious, almost Heavenly in its lightness and fruity aromas. The one bottle became two, then three. Crowley didn't say much, keeping their glasses filled as music and dancing and conversation in five languages went on around them, the noises confused with the rain pounding on the roof, the clink of glasses, the occasional rumble of thunder. Aziraphale could feel the hidden eyes fixed on him behind their shields, but Crowley appeared content to drink and let a faint smile play on his lips while he devoured the angel with his eyes.

It was nerve wracking. All the times Aziraphale had imagined the reunion, had imagined the thousand ways the conversation could go and how strong he would have to be. Instead the contrary demon seemed perfectly happy just looking at him. Aziraphale felt like his inner world was shattering into rainbow shards of glass, and didn't know if they were more beautiful or lacerating. All he knew was that he was in shreds from it.

Crowley looked, if anything, thinner than Aziraphale remembered. It was ridiculous to find that pathetic. While Aziraphale had seen humans abstain from food out of grief, Crowley didn't actually require mortal sustenance any more than he did. Maybe Aziraphale was imagining it. Maybe he secretly wanted Crowley to look thinner. Maybe he wanted a reason to pity Crowley, and forgive him, and make it all better. Take him in his arms, chastely of course, and kiss him in forgiveness, and... 

His thoughts were going in precisely the wrong direction for safety. He blushed, fingers fidgeting nervously with his waistcoat button.

Actually, when he looked again, Crowley looked absolutely fine. As Aziraphale's gaze fluttered away again, he almost thought Crowley was radiating joy. How could he have thought he looked sad and lost only a moment ago? And by what infernal powers did a demon manage to glow like that?

In the end, Aziraphale couldn't stand it any more. "You wanted to talk?"

"Not here. Too many humans, too loud." Crowley frowned briefly. "That's the problem with being out of our usual haunts, no rendezvous points set up. Suppose you won't come to my room for a chat?" Aziraphale's hand, reaching out for his glass, froze. "Just to chat," Crowley said patiently.

"I'm supposed to trust a demon?"

"I don't know. Do you trust yourself?" Aziraphale's hand shook. "Interesting reaction," Crowley said, a little more cheerfully than Aziraphale liked, making him feel uncomfortably like he had lost a point in some kind of game. "I won't try to seduce you into wicked perversion, deal? Unless you ask me to."

"That's not very likely."

Crowley smiled with his teeth. "Then you have nothing to worry about. Come on, angel, let's go upstairs."

Crowley's room was as sumptuous as could be expected from a tavern like this. He gestured to the one chair and, while Aziraphale primly perched in it, hands folded on his lap, Crowley flung himself on the bed, arms and legs sprawled wide. Aziraphale gave him a suspicious look, and met his own image reflected in black glasses in return. Sitting tight, shoulders rigid, arms and legs held in close. Defensive. He tried to relax, to look less at a disadvantage, but he could never relax like Crowley. Crowley relaxed with intent.

The rain was loud, and no one could hear what they were saying. That helped.

Crowley spoke first. "I'm sorry, angel, I truly am. The last thing I wanted was to end up like this. I forgot the first rule of temptation. Don't push it, just create awareness of the beautiful possibilities of this world."

"You shouldn't have been tempting me at all." Outraged tears pricked Aziraphale's eyes. He had spent years mulling it over in his head.

"That's really not fair of you. I'm a demon, darling. I haven't pretended otherwise, not since the Garden. I was sent up to tempt in the first place." Crowley sighed, casting his glasses off and closing his eyes. "Do you know how many seduction plans I made in between naps last century? If dancing in my arms in moonlight failed to get you to kiss me, I had so many other things to move onto. I was sure one would work, the way you look at me sometimes." Aziraphale started automatically to object, but Crowley held up a hand. "I'm trying to be brutally honest here. I thought it was going to be fun. And I didn't get to try any of my wonderful plans, because I was too impatient and fucked everything up. I'd do anything to start over, angel."