Convention Part 3
Aziraphale decided that he was going to give the convention a chance. Crowley and the kids really enjoyed themselves so maybe he could too. And Crowley informed him that there were booths in the dealer room that had all kinds of sweets that he could purchase. He could always be tempted with food. It was what he considered his downfall.
Crowley had managed to talk him into doing a bit of a themed costume for the day. The kids were still wearing the same cosplays from the day before, having only had enough money for one really good cosplay. He'd told them that he could just miracle them up new ones but none of them wanted that.
"It's not the same." Adam shook his head and the others agreed.
"Fair enough." Crowley nodded. And then he'd talked Aziraphale into a costume. They were wearing the outfits they'd worn when running into each other in Rome.
"Are you quite certain we won't look absolutely ridiculous?" Aziraphale asked as he looked at himself in the mirror.
"There was a man walking around yesterday in nothing but a giant diaper. We won't look ridiculous at all." Crowley said with a chuckle. He adjusted his sunglasses. The main difference in their current togas was that both of them now contained pockets, something that wasn't the case when they'd originally worn them.
"So, we get to the convention and the children go off to do whatever they want and then come back and find you when they need money?" Aziraphale raised an eyebrow. Crowley laughed.
"That's essentially it, yes." He nodded. He hadn't thought about being their walking ATM until just then. "But we can go do our own thing as well. If there's something you want to see or try...." Crowley shrugged.
"Ah yes. The adults go off and do their thing while the children go have fun together." Aziraphale smiled a little. "And what was the story that you came up with yesterday?"
"I'm Pepper's uncle." Crowley grinned. "You should see the looks we get when we tell people that." He chuckled and shook his head. Aziraphale chuckled as well.
"I can only imagine." He made sure that he had his phone and his wallet and anything else he might need in his interestingly large pockets.
"Well, you'll probably get to see today." Crowley shrugged and went about doing the same. Of course all he really carried on him was his mobile phone. The money could be miracled up without a thought.
Things seemed to be going pretty well when they got to the convention. They were early enough that there weren't too many people. Crowley gave Adam a handful of bills and told him not to wander too far off and to keep his phone on at all times. Adam just rolled his eyes and the four kids went off.
"Now, where are these sweets that you promised me?" Aziraphale asked with a raised eyebrow. Crowley chuckled and offered his arm to the angel before leading him to a booth with all kinds of themed chocolates. They spent most of the day wandering around the dealers room and looking at various items for sale. Of course Aziraphale found someone that was selling books.
"Only you could find books at a convention." Crowley rolled his eyes and laughed a bit. Aziraphale just grinned and then kept looking at the various books on the table. "You stay here, I'm going to go look at something at that table over there, alright?" Crowley pointed to the table he was heading to. Aziraphale just nodded and Crowley assumed that the angel was actually listening to what he said. Crowley then headed to the table where he'd spotted some jewelry.
"Crowley?" Aziraphale asked after about twenty minutes. He had ended up buying one of the books for probably more money than it was worth but he'd heard the young woman saying she hadn't made very much money so far. Aziraphale turned in a circle, looking for Crowley. His red hair shouldn't be too hard to spot, should it?
"Crowley?" He asked again as he started to walk away from the table a bit. The dealer room had gotten considerably more crowded in the time that he'd been book shopping and it was hard for him to see any one specific person. It was also getting harder for him to move around. He didn't even think about the possibility of pulling out his phone and calling Crowley to find out where he was. He managed to get himself into a main walkway but there were so many people that he couldn't move. He felt absolutely trapped, people brushing against him and pushing him out of the way. He closed his eyes and tried to take deep breaths but it wasn't helping. When he opened his eyes again, still scanning for Crowley, he was in the middle of a full blown panic attack.
"Too many people. I can't....I need to...." Every time he turned around there were more people. He closed his eyes again but he couldn't stop himself from hyperventilating. He just stood in the middle of the walkway letting people pushing him and move him as they may because he literally couldn't move himself. After what felt like an eternity, he finally felt strong hands on his upper arms.
"Zira, I need you to breathe, okay? Slow, deep breaths." Crowley could recognize the signs of a panic attack from a mile away. The angel didn't have them often but they did happen every few decades or so.
"Crowley....I couldn't.....you disappeared...." Aziraphale stared at him with big, terrified eyes.
"I shouldn't have left you. I'm sorry." Crowley said as he pulled Aziraphale into a hug. He wrapped his arms around him and then they were suddenly outside in a big, open space. There was a cool breeze and Aziraphale was able to step back a little and try to calm down.
"We might have been seen...." Aziraphale started to worry about the fact that they had just transported themselves in the blink of an eye.
"Don't care." Crowley shrugged. He pulled out his phone and sent Adam a quick text before he put his hands on Aziraphale's shoulders again. "Are you alright?" Crowley's sunglasses had slid down his nose a bit and he looked Aziraphale in the eye, concern evident on his face.
"Yes. I mean, I am now." Aziraphale nodded. He still had his new book clutched tightly to his chest. Crowley put a hand on Azirpahale's cheek and stroked gently with his thumb.
"I'm sorry. I should have stayed with you." He thought for sure that Aziraphale had heard him and he felt bad for not double checking.
"It's not your fault, Crowley." Aziraphale shook his head. "I'm...." He started.
"Don't you dare even think about apologizing." Crowley took the hand from Azirpahale's cheek and pointed at him. Aziraphale looked at his finger and then just nodded. "There's a little food truck over there. We'll get a bite to eat, enjoy the fresh air and wait for Adam and the rest to get done inside, alright?" Crowley smiled a little.
"You don't want to go back inside?" Aziraphale tilted his head. Crowley shrugged.
"I've already got the one thing I was planning on purchasing, and if I want something else I can always get one of the kids to get it for me." Crowley smiled a little.
"Can I see what you bought?" Aziraphale started to walk over to a bench that was nearby. It was stone so it wouldn't be too comfortable but at least it was a place to sit. Crowley acted as if he had to think about it for a moment before pulling the small paper bag out of his pocket.
"It's for you anyway." Crowley said as he held it out. Aziraphale put his book on the bench and took the bag gingerly.
"You didn't have to buy me anything, Crowley." Aziraphale looked at the bag and then looked back at his friend.
"It screamed your name, Zira. I couldn't not buy it for you." Crowley chuckled.
"Oh." Aziraphale nodded and then slowly opened the bag. Inside was a sterling silver ring with a pale blue teardrop gem being held by a pair of angel wings. Aziraphale smiled and turned it over in his fingers as he looked at it. "It's is absolutely gorgeous, Crowley, thank you."
"It's no trouble." Crowley shrugged and looked over in the direction of the food trucks as he pushed his sunglasses back up. "I'm going to go find you some food. You stay here. I'll be within sight, alright?" He pointed over to the food trucks.
"Okay." Aziraphale nodded. Crowley got to his feet and headed over to see if any of them had anything the angel might want to eat. Aziraphale just kept staring at the ring for a moment. He tried it on his pinky and noticed that it was a little big. It did, however, seem to fit his ring finger perfectly. He looked up at Crowley, watching him as he moved through the trucks trying to buy some food. They'd definitely have to have a discussion about that later.
Crowley had managed to talk him into doing a bit of a themed costume for the day. The kids were still wearing the same cosplays from the day before, having only had enough money for one really good cosplay. He'd told them that he could just miracle them up new ones but none of them wanted that.
"It's not the same." Adam shook his head and the others agreed.
"Fair enough." Crowley nodded. And then he'd talked Aziraphale into a costume. They were wearing the outfits they'd worn when running into each other in Rome.
"Are you quite certain we won't look absolutely ridiculous?" Aziraphale asked as he looked at himself in the mirror.
"There was a man walking around yesterday in nothing but a giant diaper. We won't look ridiculous at all." Crowley said with a chuckle. He adjusted his sunglasses. The main difference in their current togas was that both of them now contained pockets, something that wasn't the case when they'd originally worn them.
"So, we get to the convention and the children go off to do whatever they want and then come back and find you when they need money?" Aziraphale raised an eyebrow. Crowley laughed.
"That's essentially it, yes." He nodded. He hadn't thought about being their walking ATM until just then. "But we can go do our own thing as well. If there's something you want to see or try...." Crowley shrugged.
"Ah yes. The adults go off and do their thing while the children go have fun together." Aziraphale smiled a little. "And what was the story that you came up with yesterday?"
"I'm Pepper's uncle." Crowley grinned. "You should see the looks we get when we tell people that." He chuckled and shook his head. Aziraphale chuckled as well.
"I can only imagine." He made sure that he had his phone and his wallet and anything else he might need in his interestingly large pockets.
"Well, you'll probably get to see today." Crowley shrugged and went about doing the same. Of course all he really carried on him was his mobile phone. The money could be miracled up without a thought.
Things seemed to be going pretty well when they got to the convention. They were early enough that there weren't too many people. Crowley gave Adam a handful of bills and told him not to wander too far off and to keep his phone on at all times. Adam just rolled his eyes and the four kids went off.
"Now, where are these sweets that you promised me?" Aziraphale asked with a raised eyebrow. Crowley chuckled and offered his arm to the angel before leading him to a booth with all kinds of themed chocolates. They spent most of the day wandering around the dealers room and looking at various items for sale. Of course Aziraphale found someone that was selling books.
"Only you could find books at a convention." Crowley rolled his eyes and laughed a bit. Aziraphale just grinned and then kept looking at the various books on the table. "You stay here, I'm going to go look at something at that table over there, alright?" Crowley pointed to the table he was heading to. Aziraphale just nodded and Crowley assumed that the angel was actually listening to what he said. Crowley then headed to the table where he'd spotted some jewelry.
"Crowley?" Aziraphale asked after about twenty minutes. He had ended up buying one of the books for probably more money than it was worth but he'd heard the young woman saying she hadn't made very much money so far. Aziraphale turned in a circle, looking for Crowley. His red hair shouldn't be too hard to spot, should it?
"Crowley?" He asked again as he started to walk away from the table a bit. The dealer room had gotten considerably more crowded in the time that he'd been book shopping and it was hard for him to see any one specific person. It was also getting harder for him to move around. He didn't even think about the possibility of pulling out his phone and calling Crowley to find out where he was. He managed to get himself into a main walkway but there were so many people that he couldn't move. He felt absolutely trapped, people brushing against him and pushing him out of the way. He closed his eyes and tried to take deep breaths but it wasn't helping. When he opened his eyes again, still scanning for Crowley, he was in the middle of a full blown panic attack.
"Too many people. I can't....I need to...." Every time he turned around there were more people. He closed his eyes again but he couldn't stop himself from hyperventilating. He just stood in the middle of the walkway letting people pushing him and move him as they may because he literally couldn't move himself. After what felt like an eternity, he finally felt strong hands on his upper arms.
"Zira, I need you to breathe, okay? Slow, deep breaths." Crowley could recognize the signs of a panic attack from a mile away. The angel didn't have them often but they did happen every few decades or so.
"Crowley....I couldn't.....you disappeared...." Aziraphale stared at him with big, terrified eyes.
"I shouldn't have left you. I'm sorry." Crowley said as he pulled Aziraphale into a hug. He wrapped his arms around him and then they were suddenly outside in a big, open space. There was a cool breeze and Aziraphale was able to step back a little and try to calm down.
"We might have been seen...." Aziraphale started to worry about the fact that they had just transported themselves in the blink of an eye.
"Don't care." Crowley shrugged. He pulled out his phone and sent Adam a quick text before he put his hands on Aziraphale's shoulders again. "Are you alright?" Crowley's sunglasses had slid down his nose a bit and he looked Aziraphale in the eye, concern evident on his face.
"Yes. I mean, I am now." Aziraphale nodded. He still had his new book clutched tightly to his chest. Crowley put a hand on Azirpahale's cheek and stroked gently with his thumb.
"I'm sorry. I should have stayed with you." He thought for sure that Aziraphale had heard him and he felt bad for not double checking.
"It's not your fault, Crowley." Aziraphale shook his head. "I'm...." He started.
"Don't you dare even think about apologizing." Crowley took the hand from Azirpahale's cheek and pointed at him. Aziraphale looked at his finger and then just nodded. "There's a little food truck over there. We'll get a bite to eat, enjoy the fresh air and wait for Adam and the rest to get done inside, alright?" Crowley smiled a little.
"You don't want to go back inside?" Aziraphale tilted his head. Crowley shrugged.
"I've already got the one thing I was planning on purchasing, and if I want something else I can always get one of the kids to get it for me." Crowley smiled a little.
"Can I see what you bought?" Aziraphale started to walk over to a bench that was nearby. It was stone so it wouldn't be too comfortable but at least it was a place to sit. Crowley acted as if he had to think about it for a moment before pulling the small paper bag out of his pocket.
"It's for you anyway." Crowley said as he held it out. Aziraphale put his book on the bench and took the bag gingerly.
"You didn't have to buy me anything, Crowley." Aziraphale looked at the bag and then looked back at his friend.
"It screamed your name, Zira. I couldn't not buy it for you." Crowley chuckled.
"Oh." Aziraphale nodded and then slowly opened the bag. Inside was a sterling silver ring with a pale blue teardrop gem being held by a pair of angel wings. Aziraphale smiled and turned it over in his fingers as he looked at it. "It's is absolutely gorgeous, Crowley, thank you."
"It's no trouble." Crowley shrugged and looked over in the direction of the food trucks as he pushed his sunglasses back up. "I'm going to go find you some food. You stay here. I'll be within sight, alright?" He pointed over to the food trucks.
"Okay." Aziraphale nodded. Crowley got to his feet and headed over to see if any of them had anything the angel might want to eat. Aziraphale just kept staring at the ring for a moment. He tried it on his pinky and noticed that it was a little big. It did, however, seem to fit his ring finger perfectly. He looked up at Crowley, watching him as he moved through the trucks trying to buy some food. They'd definitely have to have a discussion about that later.
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