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No no no no NO! There had to be some kind of mistake. Crowley had pulled up to find the bookshop on fire.
He ran in instantly, his molten lungs breathing in the smoke as if it were air. It couldn't have been him, no matter how upset he was, he would never-
"Aziraphale! Angel! Where are you? You idiot. Aziraphale!"
"I can't see you! For someone's sake, where ARE you?"
"WHERE ARE YOU?!"
He screamed until his throat was hoarse. It was no use. He stared at his waxen hands in despair. He must have done it. He was so upset when Aziraphale had told him he wouldn't go off to the stars with him, he must have caused this by accident. He sobbed and collapsed, shaking knees adding further scorch marks to the already blackened floor.
It would have been perfect. A beautiful mix of Desolation and Vast, burning stars collapsing into themselves and an immaculate, endless void for his angel.
But now Aziraphale was dead. He had to be, nothing could survive flames he created. He stood. The emptiness in his chest a gaping chasm, and he headed back to his car.
On his way he spotted a charred book on the floor, relatively intact. He stood still among the flames, and flicked to the first page.
A Lietner. Of course. hollow laugh escaped his throat. He handled it carefully though, closing it gently and holding it close to his chest. A reminder of his sentimental angel.
God , someone from that side should've thrown him permanently into the Lonely at this rate. He would've deserved it too, he thought bitterly to himself as he left.
...
He ended up in the pub eventually. It wasn't like he could stop that stupid plan for The Extinction on his own, and he hadn't come up with the idea to do so anyway. Aziraphale had wanted that.
He downed another bottle of wine, the ethanol causing the fire inside him burned with a sullen ferocity. He sighed, and made sure that a couple of the more promising patrons had their potential extinguished. It wasn't like they had any time left anyway.
Aziraphale would've reprimanded him for that. Would've put on airs and graces, tutted and said "true terror doesn't need to show dear boy. You mustn't hurt people so, damaging them psychologically is more than enough" although he didn't really believe it.
His lighthearted angel, who sat in the sky with practiced ease, his eyes as blue as the firmament itself, and his hair mimicking the clouds that surrounded him.
And it was his fault he was gone.
Pain gripped Crowley's burning intestines once more, and boiling tears evaporated from his cheeks.
"Hello? Can you hear me?"
"Wh- what?"
A blurry, indistinct, but very Aziraphale shaped figure sat opposite him, fog in shades of white and pale blue shifting around it.
"I said," he answered politely "Can you hear me?"
"Yes, I can hear you angel," his voice broke, his mind in shock "I'm trying to get drunk. Failing. Are you... are you here?"
"Good question. Not certain? I've never done this before... you're sure you can hear me?"
"Of course I can hear you" Crowley scoffed with unconvincing nonchalance.
"I'm afraid I rather made a mess of things, I can't see much apart from you..." Aziraphale chuckled nervously, sounding rather worried "did you go to Alpha Centuri?"
"No. I changed my mind. Stuff happened. I killed my best friend" he coughed, embarrassed at how genuinely heartbroken he came across.
Aziraphale rushed on, a little puzzled "I'm so sorry to hear it... Listen. Back in my bookshop there's a book I need you to get."
"Your bookshop isn't there anymore"
"Oh." He sounded profoundly hurt.
"I'm really sorry... it... burned down" he whispered the last part. "I..." He felt horrified, what would his angel think? Wait, what had even happened?
"It burned down and I'm so so sorry. What happened to you? I don't understand"
"All of it?"
"Yeah all of it!," he choked, guilt smothering his senses "Angel it burned! I must've done it, I can't believe I-" he sobbed, breaking down.
"Crowley! Crowley are you alright?! I attemted to contact the higher ups, but all I got was the Metatron, one of the Lukases I believe'" he huffed, frustrated "he made me open a rift into the wider domain of the Vast... some human involved themself and it all got a little complicated after that"
The steam billowing from underneath Crowley's glasses slowed. "I didn't do it?" He swallowed.
"I should hope not. Dear me, my dear boy, I... wait. I'm your best friend?"
"Oh." He shook his head to dispell the remaining steam. "Yeah, of course you are," heat rushed to his cheeks and he mumbled "who else did you think I was talking about?"
Aziraphale's form shifted in its seat, a blurry version of one of his happy little wiggles, and hummed sounding very pleased "I'm glad. You're mine too you know"
The scent of ozone was overpowering now and causing small, familiar explosions In Crowley's bloodstream. For once he didn't just feel the scathing burn, but gentle warmth. "What book was the book?"
"Oh!" he sighed "Yes, The nice and accurate prophesies of.."
"The End and Extinction, by Agnes Nutter! I took it, memento."
"You have it? Look inside, I've made notes, the boy's name and address, and everything else," he was rather smug about it "I worked it all out."
"Look, wherever you are, I can come to you. Where are you?"
"I'm not really... anywhere? I've been, ah, discorperated." He frowned "The Vast does have it's downsides, so dizzyingly high up it's hard to percieve where you end and it begins, and then you end up like this. It is decidedly not tickity-boo. You need to get to Tadfield Air base"
Crowley snorted "Serving occult beings of fear does tend to be a bad thing, angel-" Aziraphale interrupted, grumbling something about 'occult' and 'ethereal' "-Why do I need to be there?"
"The world's ending, and I know we'd both rather it didn't. It's where it's all going to happen. I'll get there too, I just need to find a receptive body. Someone who isn't aligned but has a relatively steady connections to a fear. Harder than you'd think... Pity I can't use you, you know."
"Yeah, Vast and Desolation..." he replied, trying not to sound dejected "we'd probably explode"
Aziraphale hummed in agreement and nodded "Better not. We're both going to have to get a bit of a wiggle on"
Aziraphale's hazy form faded out of sight, leaving the pub pleasantly cooler than it was before. Crowley sighed and slumped, feeling exhausted and empty. So much had happened so quickly. But he hadn't killed him, he hadn't destroyed the being that he... that he loved.
"Wiggle on"
He shook his head and sighed fondly
.......
It was all over now. The sides had met, talked (well, Beelzebub had complained, flies swarming them, the stench of rot nauseating everyone, and Gabriel had shouted, attempting to intimidate. his spider silk suit shining oddly shining In the fading light.)
And The Child had been sent home, a human as he always had been. The Extinction had been prevented for now.
No one was happy with Aziraphale or Crowley. Well. Apart from the few rather scarred humans and themselves.
After having handed back the four artefact to a rather forgettable delivery man (only one... for some reason that seemed odd), they walked towards the bus.
Crowley grinned "We did it, we really did it angel!," he laughed "We really showed them."
"Of course we did, my dear," he smiled and then huffed "What were they thinking? trying to control the Extinction of all things... it would never have worked. Really my dear, It would've gotten out of hand in a matter of minutes, So many would've died too... We need people, and some of them are quite lovely when you get to know them."
"I know angel, I know. That's why we're on our side. There's not much difference between the two, not really, one side isn't any better because it scars people emotionally instead of physically. And both sides do both anyway! They're just weirdly secretive about it."
"We know that, dear" As they sat down, Aziraphale reached over and took Crowley's hand. He just held it.
Crowley breathed in sharply "I-I really thought I killed you"
"What!?"
"With- With the fire in the bookshop"
Aziraphale was shocked "No, no, oh darling, no. I'm alive and it truly wasn't your fault," he watched Crowley searchingly, then held his face with his free hand, turning his head towards him "It's all alright now. We did it, we saved them and we're alright. That's all that matters"
"Yeah. We're alright. that's all that matters. I- Thankyou. I..." he struggled, swallowing hastily, "It's just, we've been on Earth together a long time angel. And..."
Aziraphale laughed softly, shifting closer towards him, his normally cool cheeks flushing a pale pink. "I love you too"
A very soft emotion that was definitely love settled over Crowley's face "You do?"
"Of course dear, I have done for a very long time. I love you so, so much," he bit his lip "I'm sorry it took me so long to say it"
And Crowley just melted. He put his head on his angel's shoulder and wrapped his arms tightly around him. "I love you. So much. More than- more than anything"
"Oh," Aziraphale said softly. "You're so warm. I'm usually quite cold." He laughed a little "high altitudes I suppose"
"Ngkgkk.... you make me feel warm too angel, not burning. Explosions of warmth. s'nice, feels... lovely, really. Always did."
Aziraphale pulled back gently and slid Crowley's glasses gently off of his face. "There you are." He smiled warmly. His dashing... well if he was an angel, Crowley was certainly a demon. The most loving, caring, beautiful demon. His bright gold eyes pools of sparks, and his red hair mimicking the flames within. Lightly scorching every surface he touched with practiced ease. Oh how he loved him.
"I love you" whispered Crowley, holding on to Aziraphale's hand.
Aziraphale lightly kissed the top of Crowley's head "Let's go home dear. It's the first night of the rest of our existence"
"A- Aziraphale, the bookshop burned down remember?"
His demon was so soft, wasn't he? "I do. But any place with you is home. Yours then"
"Ngkk Alright" It was good they were alone in the bus, so no-one could see how brightly Crowley blushed. "On we go"
There was no driver at the front of the bus, but the engine ignited anyway, and drove them away. And in the woods nearby, a Nightingale sang. Both of them heard it, although neither said anything.
But they each squeezed the others hand, and quietly resolved to never let go.