Valentine's Day Romance

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley had made a vow to learn all he could about wooing Aziraphale properly. He'd read a few paperback romances, then had found a world of ebooks with romance of every flavor. And then he'd gone online to find more ebooks and Crowley had found a miraculous new world of something called Fan Fiction. It was remarkable. He devoured it. He had no idea who most of the characters were, so they were just lovely stories.

Stories with...trends. Crowley quickly picked up on how these stories were written. Certain elements recurred, certain things were important.

And over the weeks, Crowley carefully crafted a plan and when Valentine's Day, the most holy day for love, came round, he barged into Aziraphale's room at sunrise and flung the curtains open.

Rose petals appeared and fluttered down on him.

"You need to get up. I have a plan," he said.

Romance got directly to the point, he had learned. If it didn't get directly to the point then it was called slow burn, and, in Crowley's opinion, they'd already done that bit.

Comments

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley's car was parked in a garage on campus and he led the way there. His car was the same as it had been the day he bought it, with the addition of the bullet hole decals he quite liked. It was clean and quite warm and dry despite the damp of the garage.

The engine roared to life.

"Seat belt, angel," he smiled.

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale buckled his seatbelt very quickly. "Not too fast though, right?" he said.

[sauntereddownward]

"Just the right speed, Aziraphale. Always," he assured him, then took off screaming away from campus and through the narrow streets.

[theangelfell]

"You and I have quite different definitions of that, my dear," Aziraphale said, gripping the side of his seat.

[sauntereddownward]

"Perfectly safe, my dear. We won't wreck. Not a bump, not a scratch," he assured him as the car turned at angles and speeds physics scoffed at.

They flew through town and into the countryside. As they approached a sleepy village well away, the car choked and sputtered and rolled to a stop at the end of the main road where there was a lovely little hotel with a cafe in the lobby and a single bedroom left for the evening.

And thunder clapped overhead.

Crowley smiled at Aziraphale.

"We should find somewhere warm before the storm hits," he said.

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale looked very alarmed. "Oh my," he said. "But - well, we're in a town, at least? We could stop for a spell?"

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley smiled, slow and sly. It was so delightful when his plans went correctly.

"Of course," he agreed, then confidently led them straight to the hotel.

"I'll get the room if you get the tea in the cafe," he told the angel...mostly to distract him from knowing they had a reservation.

[theangelfell]

As they headed in, it occurred to him that Crowley could fix the car, couldn't he? But maybe he didn't want to use magic, he was so particular about that car.

He went to the little cafe and ordered tea, then spent a moment fussing over it to get it just right before walking out to Crowley and handing him one of the cups. "Do they have rooms?" he asked hopefully.

[sauntereddownward]

"They had one for us," he said, figuring the truth was more damning...and also certain Aziraphale would believe him even if it had been a lie.

"Come along."

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale wasn't sure why sharing a hotel room somehow felt so much more scandalous than simply sharing one or the other's bed, which they'd certainly done a number of times now, simply falling asleep together, and kissing, and sometimes... other things.

"All right," he said, only a bit apprehensive, and followed along.

[sauntereddownward]

The room was charming. Each room in the hotel had different decor, and this one was quite cozy with the antique woods and quilts.

On the bed.

The one bed.

And outside lightning crashed and thunder struck.

Crowley could not be more pleased.

"This is...nice," he noted.

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale jumped slightly at the thunder. "Oh - yes, this is just fine. Bit of a small bed I suppose, but... I assume you don't mind sharing?" He sounded a little unsure.

[sauntereddownward]

"I could complain. But she said this is the only room..." he said tempting.

"I'm sure we can make it work."

[theangelfell]

"Oh of course," said Aziraphale. "Completely fine." He sat down in a chair so that he could drink his tea, which of course was still piping hot. "Better than being outside in the storm. Oh, is that a fire place?"

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley had no idea if it actually worked or not, but with a minor miracle a cheerful little fire ignited.

"Quaint," he said, a bit distastefully. And then he took the seat next to Aziraphale and took his tea.

"Oh, you kept it hot," he smiled, a little surprised. He shouldn't be. Aziraphale was the kindest, most thoughtful, most Good thing he knew. Of course he kept the tea hot.

[theangelfell]

"I couldn't let you drink cold tea, my dear," Aziraphale said, and crossed his legs as he took a sip.

[sauntereddownward]

The room warmed with the fire as the wind howled and rain pounded the window panes.

"Particularly nasty weather," he mumbled, so badly in fact he could have plausibly said 'tickle your ass with a feather'.

And then the power cut out.

[theangelfell]

"Oh my!" gasped Aziraphale, and tried to see Crowley in the light of the fire.

[sauntereddownward]

The way the light of the flames danced in his auburn hair made him look impossibly youthful. Crowley wasn't ugly by any means. He'd once been an angel. Not as beautiful as Aziraphale, but he'd say he was a solid 'not bad'.

The angel in the firelight, though, it made his heart sing. It made his chest want to burst.

Thunder boomed again as a white flash lit the room.

"It's just a storm," he said. "Remember that first storm?"

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale meanwhile was thinking how Crowley's hair glowed in the firelight. Like flames, but Crowley.

Aziraphale jumped a little at the thunder, and the movement sent him closer to Crowley. He relaxed. "I do," he said softly. "Your hair was getting wet."

[sauntereddownward]

"We've seen a few storms in our time, hmm?" he purred, leaning in as close as he could get to Aziraphale.

[theangelfell]

It's not like it was actually raining inside, but for some reason Aziraphale opened his wings and held one over Crowley.

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley looked up and smiled a bit to himself.

He was truly a genius.

"You like to read, angel," he said. "What do you think is the greatest love story ever told?"

[theangelfell]

"Mmmm." Aziraphale considered this. "I like Pride and Prejudice."

[sauntereddownward]

"False!" he declared loudly.

Another flash and boom.

"I mean the greatest."