Merry Christmas

[sauntereddownward]

While Aziraphale had been in his room letting his cocoa go cold with his nose in a book, no doubt, Crowley had been quite busy down in the library. He'd found a tree. And he'd trimmed it especially for Sol Invictus. It was artificial, of course, since plastics were evil. And Crowley, given the choice, had selected a shimmery black tree. His decorations included blood red tinsel garland, and tiny little angels and demons scattered amongst shiny black and red ornaments.

It stood directly in the middle of the room, between the door and the desk. Annoyingly in the way.

He stood back, quite proud of it.

And then he settled in his favorite chair and pulled out his phone to make a little mischief on the tiktok thing.

Comments

[sauntereddownward]

"I was the one who invented snow, you know. Right after the neula, I was commanded to create something new. And so I invented the snowflake. The good ones. Like this. Not shitty snow. I delegated that," he bragged.

There was a 99% chance it was all lies. He was a demon, afterall. The father of storytelling.

What a story he had told The Woman.

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale did not believe him. But it was Christmas.

"How clever you are," he said indulgently. "An artist, really."

Then he moved to the window and opened it. A chill came in, but he flicked his hand and the fire roared to life in the fireplace at the same time. He stuck his head out of the window and opened his mouth. Then turned around and showed Crowley an absolutely perfect snowflake stuck to the tip of his tongue.

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley's brow arched above his dark glasses.

"Come here," he said, gesturing to Aziraphale to join him.

[theangelfell]

For some reason this made Aziraphale nervous, and also for some reason he wanted to preserve the snowflake. So his cheeks were slightly pink and his mouth was still open when he approached Crowley.

[sauntereddownward]

"Put your tongue back in your mouth, angel," Crowley said. He set his cocoa aside and moved in close, chest to chest.

"Oh. Would you look at that?" he said, looking into Aziraphale's eyes for a long moment...before tipping his head up to look above them.

There hung a sprig of mistletoe, berries white and ribbon red.

"Well. It is Christmas," he said and looked back down. He waited for the highly anticipated look of shock on Aziraphale's face before he kissed him softly.

[theangelfell]

There was indeed a look of shock. Shock, and then feeling the soft touch of Crowley's lips to his own. Then more shock.

"I - I - " Aziraphale stammered.

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley kissed him again, in part to shut him up. The other part was simply because he'd never felt the angel's Grace quite liked this...

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale gasped into the kiss.

A kiss.

A kiss?

When his lips parted it was entirely on instinct, and then, when he started to like it, he pulled away, horrified.

"You - you - " he stammered.

[sauntereddownward]

"I, I. You, you," he dismissed. Crowley cradled his face gently.

"Happy Christmas, Aziraphale."

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale. Not angel.

His eyes were wide with disbelief. But somehow all he said was, "H-happy Christmas, Crowley."

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley smiled indulgently, stroking the angel's cheek.

"What did you ask Santa to bring?" he asked as snow slowly fell outside the window and the fire crackled merrily.

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale didn't answer him. "Crowley," he said softly, bewildered by the way Crowley was looking at him. "You kissed me."

[sauntereddownward]

"Of course I did," he said.

He paused a moment, then added, "You don't seem to mind."

[theangelfell]

"I... I'm too confused to mind," Aziraphale said honestly. "Why did you do that?"

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley's smile grew a bit smug, but he looked rather self conscious. The truth was that he'd been trying to find the right time for a couple centuries...but what he said...

"Is it tempting?"

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale's face fell. He looked wounded. And then he looked away. "I see," he said quietly.

[sauntereddownward]

"Is. It?" Crowley demanded. "Do you...have you ever...haven't you wanted to?"

[theangelfell]

"Stop," Aziraphale said quietly. "Don't, Crowley. It isn't funny, to try to tempt me. This is..." He hesitated. "It's cruel."

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley scowled and huffed a sharp breath out his nose.

"You're cruel," he accused.

[theangelfell]

Now Aziraphale just looked upset. "What?"

[sauntereddownward]

"Or you're stupid. You're definitely oblivious," he pouted.

[theangelfell]

"I'm not oblivious, I know exactly what you're doing," Aziraphale sputtered. "You're - you're pretending to - just to tempt me!"

[sauntereddownward]

"The tree? The snow? The kiss? And you think I'm pretending?" Crowley said, shocked and offended.

"You're ob.liv.eee.ous."

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale shrank back a little. "I don't understand. Can you just... say what you mean?"

[sauntereddownward]

"I don't see why. You clearly think the worst of me," he grumbled.