Discorporated Part 3
Crowley decided to turn the bookshop into a library. He certainly didn't need the money from book sales to keep the place open. Also he felt that he wasn't really good at the whole sales thing. Especially after spending twenty minutes talking someone out of buying a book. It was much easier to just let people borrow the books. Aziraphale had been rather unhappy with the idea until he watched Crowley put together a special section that was not allowed to leave the shop under any circumstances. The most rare books were put in that section. Of course it was renamed The A.Z. Fell Memorial Library.
"You know he'd be absolutely devastated that you let people touch his books." Angeline said when she walked into the now library and looked around.
"I don't know about that." Crowley said with a shrug. Of course Angeline couldn't actually see Aziraphale standing over close to the special books. "I keep his favorite ones under lock and key. The only ones that actually get to leave the building are the ones he really didn't like anyway."
"Like the Jeffrey Archer books." Angeline said with a grin. Crowley laughed and nodded.
"Exactly. I don't even know why he stocked them." He shook his head and tried to ignore the look that the ghost was giving him from the corner.
"I think it's really great that you're doing this, hon. This shop has meant quite a lot to us in the neighborhood. We were all afraid it was going to go away." Angeline picked up a book and just held it, wanting something to do with her hands. Crowley lightly ran his fingers over some books on a nearby table. There was a hand written sign sitting in the middle that said "It had a blue cover."
"He'd have come back from the dead just to murder me if I'd shut this place down." Crowley smiled a little, though there was some sadness behind it. "It was his pride and joy." He cleared his throat. Angeline came over and put a hand on his arm.
"You really did love him, didn't you?" She asked softly. Crowley closed his eyes for a moment. It had been about six months since Aziraphale's discorporation but it felt like it was yesterday. Angeline had been there for him, helping him go through the shop and sort everything out. She was an absolute godsend. Crowley had taken his sunglasses off when they were alone in the shop one day and she didn't flinch. She also didn't ask any questions. It was nice having someone he could just be him around. He opened his eyes again before smiling at her.
"More than you can ever know." He sighed a little, then cleared his throat again. "Right. Thank you so much for helping out again Angeline. You're far more than I deserve." He chuckled.
"It's no problem at all, love. And please, call on me again if you need anything at all, alright?" Angeline gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before patting his arm and heading out the door. Crowley took a deep breath and let it out slowly before going to sit behind the desk that was now facing the front door.
"She really is wonderful." Crowley said to the ghost that was now standing in front of him.
"I told you she would be helpful." Aziraphale nodded. He desperately wanted to put his arms around Crowley. Crowley settled into the chair and leaned his head back a bit, almost like he was looking at the ceiling. Aziraphale came around and looked down at him.
"You have a lot of friends around here." Crowley said softly.
"They're all wonderful people." Aziraphale nodded.
"I couldn't have done this without them." Crowley closed his eyes and sighed. "I think I'd still be sitting in the middle of the shop crying." Or possibly worse, he thought. His eyes popped open when he felt what could only be described as cold lips pressed against his forehead.
"Did you just...." He shifted and turned the chair to look at Aziraphale.
"I wasn't sure if you'd feel that...." Aziraphale shrugged. "I've been practicing. Azrael told me that if I tried hard enough I could actually touch you. It just takes a lot of practice."
"Remind me to thank Azrael." Crowley said with a chuckle.
"You know he'd be absolutely devastated that you let people touch his books." Angeline said when she walked into the now library and looked around.
"I don't know about that." Crowley said with a shrug. Of course Angeline couldn't actually see Aziraphale standing over close to the special books. "I keep his favorite ones under lock and key. The only ones that actually get to leave the building are the ones he really didn't like anyway."
"Like the Jeffrey Archer books." Angeline said with a grin. Crowley laughed and nodded.
"Exactly. I don't even know why he stocked them." He shook his head and tried to ignore the look that the ghost was giving him from the corner.
"I think it's really great that you're doing this, hon. This shop has meant quite a lot to us in the neighborhood. We were all afraid it was going to go away." Angeline picked up a book and just held it, wanting something to do with her hands. Crowley lightly ran his fingers over some books on a nearby table. There was a hand written sign sitting in the middle that said "It had a blue cover."
"He'd have come back from the dead just to murder me if I'd shut this place down." Crowley smiled a little, though there was some sadness behind it. "It was his pride and joy." He cleared his throat. Angeline came over and put a hand on his arm.
"You really did love him, didn't you?" She asked softly. Crowley closed his eyes for a moment. It had been about six months since Aziraphale's discorporation but it felt like it was yesterday. Angeline had been there for him, helping him go through the shop and sort everything out. She was an absolute godsend. Crowley had taken his sunglasses off when they were alone in the shop one day and she didn't flinch. She also didn't ask any questions. It was nice having someone he could just be him around. He opened his eyes again before smiling at her.
"More than you can ever know." He sighed a little, then cleared his throat again. "Right. Thank you so much for helping out again Angeline. You're far more than I deserve." He chuckled.
"It's no problem at all, love. And please, call on me again if you need anything at all, alright?" Angeline gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before patting his arm and heading out the door. Crowley took a deep breath and let it out slowly before going to sit behind the desk that was now facing the front door.
"She really is wonderful." Crowley said to the ghost that was now standing in front of him.
"I told you she would be helpful." Aziraphale nodded. He desperately wanted to put his arms around Crowley. Crowley settled into the chair and leaned his head back a bit, almost like he was looking at the ceiling. Aziraphale came around and looked down at him.
"You have a lot of friends around here." Crowley said softly.
"They're all wonderful people." Aziraphale nodded.
"I couldn't have done this without them." Crowley closed his eyes and sighed. "I think I'd still be sitting in the middle of the shop crying." Or possibly worse, he thought. His eyes popped open when he felt what could only be described as cold lips pressed against his forehead.
"Did you just...." He shifted and turned the chair to look at Aziraphale.
"I wasn't sure if you'd feel that...." Aziraphale shrugged. "I've been practicing. Azrael told me that if I tried hard enough I could actually touch you. It just takes a lot of practice."
"Remind me to thank Azrael." Crowley said with a chuckle.
Comments
Post a Comment