rehabilitation
The first thing that Aziraphale did after Crowley showed up in his shop completely unable to see was to change the layout of the rooms upstairs. Rather than just the one bedroom, the building now had two, both very easily accessible from the stairs. He also added a better railing to make it easier to get upstairs in the first place. He then got Crowley upstairs and situated into one of the rooms. Aziraphale thought that this would help. It wasn't the first time he'd been wrong.
Crowley simply curled up under the blankets and went to sleep, which was understandable at first. It was a lot to deal with. He had to have been exhausted. But a few hours turned into a couple of days and then nearly three weeks. Nothing Aziraphale did got Crowley to get out of bed. He'd managed to wake him up occasionally but the demon would just roll over and go back to sleep. Aziraphale couldn't even tempt Crowley out of bed with a nice bottle of his favorite Scotch.
"Darling, you have to get out of bed." Aziraphale said as he sat on the edge of the bed. He reached out to touch Crowley's arm and Crowley just rolled away.
"What's the point?" Crowley's voice was muffled by the blankets that he currently had pulled completely over his head.
"The point is that this isn't the end of the world, Crowley. You have a perfectly fully functional.....everything else." He sighed. "The rest can be worked around."
"The rest?" Crowley pulled the covers down from his head and tried to look at Aziraphale. His eyes were completely black now, and devoid of any kind of spark. "You mean being blind? I'm very well aware of the fact that can be worked around, Aziraphale."
"Then why won't you let me help you?" He kept his tone soft and even.
"I am allowed to mope and be completely miserable for as long as I see fit and I am not done doing that just yet." He made a face and then pulled the blankets back over his head. "I just want to be left alone."
"Alright, dear. You know where to find me if you change your mind." Aziraphale said with a heavy sigh.
"Yes, hovering." Crowley said bitterly. He wasn't really angry at Aziraphale, it was just very easy to take his anger out on the angel. Aziraphale just sighed again and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. If Crowley wanted to continue moping, he'd leave him to it.
It was a full two weeks later before Crowley finally got out of bed. He'd made sure to move around in bed so that he wouldn't get too stiff but it hadn't helped completely. It took him a couple of minutes of very carefully maneuvering around the room before he felt comfortable enough to actually try to head downstairs. Aziraphale had not been up to see him during that entire time and he was starting to worry a little bit, but only a little. He'd heard the angel moving around downstairs. Crowley kept his hands out in front of him as he moved toward where the railing was supposed to be. He managed to slip off the top stair before he got a good grip, though he wasn't in danger of falling. It took him several minutes to actually get down the stairs, having to carefully feel for each one.
"Finally decided to get out of bed then?" Aziraphale asked as he waited at the bottom of the stairs. He'd been standing there pretty much since he heard Crowley moving around.
"Got boring." Crowley cleared his throat and tried to keep a smile off his face. "You didn't come bother me."
"You said you wanted to be left alone. I decided to respect that." Aziraphale smiled a little. When Crowley got within reach, he put a hand over Crowley's on the railing.
"Next time don't listen to me, okay?" Crowley put his other hand over Aziraphale's and managed to make it down the last two steps without a problem. As soon as he was on the ground floor, Aziraphale took Crowley's arm and started to slowly guide him over to the couch.
"I promise." He said softly. Aziraphale realized just then that a large portion of the way they communicated with each other was completely out of the question now. He would have to put everything into the tone of his voice from them on. It was going to be a challenge but it was one he was willing to take on. "Would you like some coffee, dear?"
"Not right now, no." Crowley shook his head. Once they were at the couch, Crowley managed to get seated without it being too embarrassing. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.
"Is there anything you would like?" Aziraphale was ready and willing to get him literally anything he wanted. It was just a snap of his fingers away.
"It's going to sound a bit silly." Crowley cleared his throat. He folded his hands in his lap and started to pick at his nails. Aziraphale had never seen him like that. So unsure of himself.
"Silly is perfectly alright, Crowley. Please, ask away. Anything at all." Aziraphale smiled and sat down next to Crowley on the couch. Crowley lifted his head in the general direction of Aziraphale's voice.
"Would you.....read to me?" He blushed just a little bit. Aziraphale practically melted at the request. He took a deep breath to steady his voice before answering.
"Of course, darling. What would you like me to read to you?" He got up and started to move toward the closest bookshelf.
"Doesn't matter." Crowley shrugged. "I just....want to hear your voice." He felt entirely ridiculous saying things like that but it was the truth. Aziraphale's voice was extremely comforting, even when he was angry with him. There was just something about it.
"Of course, dear." Aziraphale had to fight hard to keep his voice from shaking. He was being bombarded with about a million different emotions all at once. "I know just the thing." Rather than getting a book, Aziraphale sat back down on the couch. There were actually a few books that he had memorized. When he was situated back on the couch, Crowley shifted so that he was laying with his head in Aziraphale's lap. Aziraphale started to gently run his fingers through Crowley's hair as he started.
"Here is Edward Bear, coming down the stairs now, bump bump bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin."
Crowley simply curled up under the blankets and went to sleep, which was understandable at first. It was a lot to deal with. He had to have been exhausted. But a few hours turned into a couple of days and then nearly three weeks. Nothing Aziraphale did got Crowley to get out of bed. He'd managed to wake him up occasionally but the demon would just roll over and go back to sleep. Aziraphale couldn't even tempt Crowley out of bed with a nice bottle of his favorite Scotch.
"Darling, you have to get out of bed." Aziraphale said as he sat on the edge of the bed. He reached out to touch Crowley's arm and Crowley just rolled away.
"What's the point?" Crowley's voice was muffled by the blankets that he currently had pulled completely over his head.
"The point is that this isn't the end of the world, Crowley. You have a perfectly fully functional.....everything else." He sighed. "The rest can be worked around."
"The rest?" Crowley pulled the covers down from his head and tried to look at Aziraphale. His eyes were completely black now, and devoid of any kind of spark. "You mean being blind? I'm very well aware of the fact that can be worked around, Aziraphale."
"Then why won't you let me help you?" He kept his tone soft and even.
"I am allowed to mope and be completely miserable for as long as I see fit and I am not done doing that just yet." He made a face and then pulled the blankets back over his head. "I just want to be left alone."
"Alright, dear. You know where to find me if you change your mind." Aziraphale said with a heavy sigh.
"Yes, hovering." Crowley said bitterly. He wasn't really angry at Aziraphale, it was just very easy to take his anger out on the angel. Aziraphale just sighed again and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. If Crowley wanted to continue moping, he'd leave him to it.
It was a full two weeks later before Crowley finally got out of bed. He'd made sure to move around in bed so that he wouldn't get too stiff but it hadn't helped completely. It took him a couple of minutes of very carefully maneuvering around the room before he felt comfortable enough to actually try to head downstairs. Aziraphale had not been up to see him during that entire time and he was starting to worry a little bit, but only a little. He'd heard the angel moving around downstairs. Crowley kept his hands out in front of him as he moved toward where the railing was supposed to be. He managed to slip off the top stair before he got a good grip, though he wasn't in danger of falling. It took him several minutes to actually get down the stairs, having to carefully feel for each one.
"Finally decided to get out of bed then?" Aziraphale asked as he waited at the bottom of the stairs. He'd been standing there pretty much since he heard Crowley moving around.
"Got boring." Crowley cleared his throat and tried to keep a smile off his face. "You didn't come bother me."
"You said you wanted to be left alone. I decided to respect that." Aziraphale smiled a little. When Crowley got within reach, he put a hand over Crowley's on the railing.
"Next time don't listen to me, okay?" Crowley put his other hand over Aziraphale's and managed to make it down the last two steps without a problem. As soon as he was on the ground floor, Aziraphale took Crowley's arm and started to slowly guide him over to the couch.
"I promise." He said softly. Aziraphale realized just then that a large portion of the way they communicated with each other was completely out of the question now. He would have to put everything into the tone of his voice from them on. It was going to be a challenge but it was one he was willing to take on. "Would you like some coffee, dear?"
"Not right now, no." Crowley shook his head. Once they were at the couch, Crowley managed to get seated without it being too embarrassing. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.
"Is there anything you would like?" Aziraphale was ready and willing to get him literally anything he wanted. It was just a snap of his fingers away.
"It's going to sound a bit silly." Crowley cleared his throat. He folded his hands in his lap and started to pick at his nails. Aziraphale had never seen him like that. So unsure of himself.
"Silly is perfectly alright, Crowley. Please, ask away. Anything at all." Aziraphale smiled and sat down next to Crowley on the couch. Crowley lifted his head in the general direction of Aziraphale's voice.
"Would you.....read to me?" He blushed just a little bit. Aziraphale practically melted at the request. He took a deep breath to steady his voice before answering.
"Of course, darling. What would you like me to read to you?" He got up and started to move toward the closest bookshelf.
"Doesn't matter." Crowley shrugged. "I just....want to hear your voice." He felt entirely ridiculous saying things like that but it was the truth. Aziraphale's voice was extremely comforting, even when he was angry with him. There was just something about it.
"Of course, dear." Aziraphale had to fight hard to keep his voice from shaking. He was being bombarded with about a million different emotions all at once. "I know just the thing." Rather than getting a book, Aziraphale sat back down on the couch. There were actually a few books that he had memorized. When he was situated back on the couch, Crowley shifted so that he was laying with his head in Aziraphale's lap. Aziraphale started to gently run his fingers through Crowley's hair as he started.
"Here is Edward Bear, coming down the stairs now, bump bump bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin."
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