Awkward Gospel

To Shudder at His Touch

Chapter Four

Aziraphale didn't feel like himself at all. He was anxious, which was, in its way, comfortably familiar, but that was the only real comfort he had. He was wearing jeans again, something he hadn't done for over a year, as well as a t-shirt with actual words on it. (It had a witty quip in Latin.) He'd even updated his underwear. Normally that would seem absurd to him, but today it might very well be important.

After his talk with Salandra in the cafe the two of them had gone shopping. It had turned into a bit of "clothing montage" as Crowley might put it, with Salandra nodding and shaking her head at various ensembles until she approved of one he could stand to be seen in. Then she had smiled and taken her leave.

"Don't worry about me," she'd said. "I'll just practice doing more good deeds for a bit. I'll make you proud!" And she'd disappeared, quite literally, into a passing crowd.

Aziraphale didn't like it, but there wasn't much he could do to track her down. His best option was to go speak with Crowley, even if that was exactly what she clearly wanted.

He took the bus to Crowley's flat, which gave him time to think. Salandra was certainly unpredictable and annoying, but he was starting to wonder if she actually was evil. Most demons weren't strictly evil in Aziraphale's experience. They just did evil deeds because that was their job. They didn't take a particular pleasure in it, never mind brutes like Hastur and Ligur.

Finally he reached Crowley's door. He raised his hand to knock, then paused, sensing something strange. A little investigation confirmed his suspicions. Crowley had put up wards around his flat, ones that would deter angels and demons alike. Aziraphale knocked nervously. On previous occasions the knocking was just a matter of courtesy. Now he genuinely needed Crowley's permission to enter.

A moment later the demon opened the door, though he carefully did not cross the threshold. He looked at Aziraphale carefully then peered up and down the hall, clearly looking for someone else.

"Alright," Crowley finally said, "where's she gotten to? Is she playing a new game now that she's gotten you in that ridiculous outfit?"

Aziraphale flinched, feeling hurt. "You don't like it?" he said, looking down at his new clothes.

"Er," Crowley hastily back-tracked. "It's not that. They look fine. Good! They look good on you. I just didn't expect to see you in jeans again and it's so different from your usual style and...Oh, just come in already!" He shot another look down the hall as though looking for a mocking audience, then pulled Aziraphale inside his flat.

"So what happened after you left? Did Salandra cause any more trouble? Are you alright?"

Aziraphale paused, unsure how to summarize the events of the past few hours and his thoughts on them, but Crowley misunderstood his silence.

"You don't need to worry about being open," Crowley said. "I just finished putting up some few wards so she can't spy on us anymore."

"Anymore?" Aziraphale asked with a sinking feeling. "You mean she's been watching us up til now?"

Crowley nodded. "For who knows how long. I get the creeps just thinking about it."

"...Quite." For his part Aziraphale felt both embarrassed and possessive. How dare she watch Crowley like that without his knowledge? Didn't a man have a right to yell at his plants in privacy? Or...or whatever else Crowley did when he was alone. Aziraphale blushed at the images that suddenly flooded his mind.

"So what did happen?" Crowley asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"We, um, we talked. It's a shame you missed it. I think you would have enjoyed the questions she had about creation and the Great Plan." She also said I wouldn't have loved you if you weren't my only option.