

In the (Second) Beginning
As their lunch stretches on Aziraphale slowly comes to realize that Crowley is—enjoying him. Enjoying Aziraphale’s conversation, and company, far more openly than he has in most of Aziraphale’s memory. And Aziraphale knows that he himself is just chattering on, letting conversational tangents carry him along, and—it’s definitely relief, for him, knowing for the first time in a long time that they aren’t being watched, that no one is keeping score for now. - Aziraphale realizes that Crowley's been saying something rather loudly for a week.The afternoon sun slanted across the cobblestones of Place des Vosges, gilding the edges of Crowley’s sunglasses as he leaned back in his chair, one hand lazily tracing the rim of his wineglass. Aziraphale prattled on about Renaissance manuscripts, then shifted to the moral implications of pigeon feeding, then to why Debussy outshone Ravel—entirely unaware of how brightly he was glowing in the dappled light.
Crowley wasn’t correcting him. Wasn’t rolling his eyes. Wasn’t even pretending to check his phone. He was smiling—soft, genuine, and aimed directly at Aziraphale like a secret.
And then it hit him: Crowley had been saying something. Something important. For a week. Not in words, but in gestures—the way he always arrived precisely when Aziraphale needed tea, how he’d started lingering after cases closed, the warmth in his voice when he said our bookshop.
Aziraphale’s breath caught. This wasn’t just camaraderie. This was… courtship. From a demon.
And worse—he wanted to say yes.




