Discorporated Part 5
It had been fifteen years since the accident that led to Aziraphale haunting the bookshop that was now a library. It was doing very well. Crowley actually seemed pretty happy as he ran the place. And it helped that Aziraphale was still around. He'd gotten much better at touching things. He was actually able to help straighten up a bit after hours. He would also clean up a bit on the occasions when Crowley had to run errands.
Usually when Crowley came back he had a few new books in his hands or some other kind of shopping. He'd be whistling sometimes and just call out to let Aziraphale know that he was back. Today was a little different. He did come back from a run to the grocery store to restock his favorite coffee flavoring, most people called it whiskey, but he was a bit quieter than usual.
"Everything alright, dear?" Aziraphale asked as he floated over closer to Crowley. He offered to take the bottle but Crowley just looked at him for a moment.
"I'm.....not sure." Crowley cleared his throat as he just stared at the ghost that was his best friend. He'd gotten much better at being corporeal over the years as well so he wasn't actually staring through him as he'd been in the beginning.
"What is it?" Aziraphale asked, putting a hand on Crowley's arm. Crowley shivered a little but tried to hide it. Nothing could change the fact that there was no heat coming off of Aziraphale.
"I....well...." Crowley cleared his throat. "I've been asked on a date." He bit his lip and looked down a little.
"Oh. I see." Aziraphale didn't move his hand from Crowley's arm. He just watched him for a moment. "And what did you say?"
"I said I had to think about it." He cleared his throat again and then went to go put the bottle of whiskey away. "I couldn't just say yes without talking to you first."
"Do you want to say yes?" Aziraphale asked from where he floated. He hadn't followed Crowley as he moved around the shop. Crowley came back to where he could look at Aziraphale.
"I'm....not entirely sure." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. There was a part of him that did want to say yes. "It would mean getting involved with a mortal...." He'd done that before and it hadn't gone all that well. Though Aziraphale was proof that getting involved with an immortal was no guarantee either.
"I see." Aziraphale nodded and went over to rearrange some books that didn't actually need to be rearranged. "When you were asked, what was the first thought that popped into your head?" He was trying very hard not to sound hurt.
"Yes." Crowley moved over to stand next to the bookcase that Aziraphale was rearranging.
"Then why didn't you say that?" There was no missing the hurt in his tone this time. Crowley desperately wanted to reach out and hold him but they hadn't been able to accomplish that just yet.
"Because I wanted to talk to you about it first." He put his hand on a book that Aziraphale was about to grab. "If you want me to say no....." Crowley started. Aziraphale looked at him.
"Do you really, honestly believe me to be that utterly selfish?" Aziraphale raised an eyebrow. The entire room got very cold suddenly. It usually happened when Aziraphale was angry or upset.
"No, of course not." Crowley shook his head. "But I'm not going to just go on a date without considering your feelings first, Zira. Given everything...." Crowley sighed. Aziraphale had given up Heaven to be with him. He couldn't ignore that.
"Crowley." Aziraphale sighed himself. He reached out and touched Crowley's cheek. "I truly appreciate that but the truth is, I am just a ghost. I can't give you everything that you need from a relationship." He made a face. They had actually tried that particular aspect and it hadn't gone all that well. "Just promise me one thing?"
"Anything, Zira. Anything at all." Crowley smiled a little.
"Don't bring her here." Aziraphale looked a little sad. He wouldn't keep Crowley from having a life but he didn't want to have to watch it.
"I promise I won't bring him here." Crowley smirked a little. It was slightly amusing that Aziraphale assumed his date was a woman. Aziraphale just nodded and gave Crowley a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Does he know?" Aziraphale motioned toward Crowley's eyes.
"Yes, he's aware. And it doesn't bother him in the least." Crowley nodded. The number of humans that knew about him had grown quite a bit over the years. Aziraphale just nodded and went back to rearranging the books. Crowley took his phone and stepped outside to make the call and set up the date.
Usually when Crowley came back he had a few new books in his hands or some other kind of shopping. He'd be whistling sometimes and just call out to let Aziraphale know that he was back. Today was a little different. He did come back from a run to the grocery store to restock his favorite coffee flavoring, most people called it whiskey, but he was a bit quieter than usual.
"Everything alright, dear?" Aziraphale asked as he floated over closer to Crowley. He offered to take the bottle but Crowley just looked at him for a moment.
"I'm.....not sure." Crowley cleared his throat as he just stared at the ghost that was his best friend. He'd gotten much better at being corporeal over the years as well so he wasn't actually staring through him as he'd been in the beginning.
"What is it?" Aziraphale asked, putting a hand on Crowley's arm. Crowley shivered a little but tried to hide it. Nothing could change the fact that there was no heat coming off of Aziraphale.
"I....well...." Crowley cleared his throat. "I've been asked on a date." He bit his lip and looked down a little.
"Oh. I see." Aziraphale didn't move his hand from Crowley's arm. He just watched him for a moment. "And what did you say?"
"I said I had to think about it." He cleared his throat again and then went to go put the bottle of whiskey away. "I couldn't just say yes without talking to you first."
"Do you want to say yes?" Aziraphale asked from where he floated. He hadn't followed Crowley as he moved around the shop. Crowley came back to where he could look at Aziraphale.
"I'm....not entirely sure." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. There was a part of him that did want to say yes. "It would mean getting involved with a mortal...." He'd done that before and it hadn't gone all that well. Though Aziraphale was proof that getting involved with an immortal was no guarantee either.
"I see." Aziraphale nodded and went over to rearrange some books that didn't actually need to be rearranged. "When you were asked, what was the first thought that popped into your head?" He was trying very hard not to sound hurt.
"Yes." Crowley moved over to stand next to the bookcase that Aziraphale was rearranging.
"Then why didn't you say that?" There was no missing the hurt in his tone this time. Crowley desperately wanted to reach out and hold him but they hadn't been able to accomplish that just yet.
"Because I wanted to talk to you about it first." He put his hand on a book that Aziraphale was about to grab. "If you want me to say no....." Crowley started. Aziraphale looked at him.
"Do you really, honestly believe me to be that utterly selfish?" Aziraphale raised an eyebrow. The entire room got very cold suddenly. It usually happened when Aziraphale was angry or upset.
"No, of course not." Crowley shook his head. "But I'm not going to just go on a date without considering your feelings first, Zira. Given everything...." Crowley sighed. Aziraphale had given up Heaven to be with him. He couldn't ignore that.
"Crowley." Aziraphale sighed himself. He reached out and touched Crowley's cheek. "I truly appreciate that but the truth is, I am just a ghost. I can't give you everything that you need from a relationship." He made a face. They had actually tried that particular aspect and it hadn't gone all that well. "Just promise me one thing?"
"Anything, Zira. Anything at all." Crowley smiled a little.
"Don't bring her here." Aziraphale looked a little sad. He wouldn't keep Crowley from having a life but he didn't want to have to watch it.
"I promise I won't bring him here." Crowley smirked a little. It was slightly amusing that Aziraphale assumed his date was a woman. Aziraphale just nodded and gave Crowley a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Does he know?" Aziraphale motioned toward Crowley's eyes.
"Yes, he's aware. And it doesn't bother him in the least." Crowley nodded. The number of humans that knew about him had grown quite a bit over the years. Aziraphale just nodded and went back to rearranging the books. Crowley took his phone and stepped outside to make the call and set up the date.
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