In Honor Of Oscar
Crowley made his way to the bookshop and let himself in. He headed to the back room and found Aziraphale sitting on the sofa rather than at his desk.
"Ready for lunch?" Crowley asked with a smile. The smile faded when Aziraphale didn't smile in return.
"I'm rather not in the mood today, actually." Aziraphale cleared his throat. Crowley looked at him over his sunglasses.
"Everything okay?" He tilted his head.
"Yes, everything's fine. I'd just rather stay inside today." Aziraphale forced a smile but it didn't go beyond his lips. "You should go enjoy yourself. I'll be okay."
"Are you sure?" Crowley raised an eyebrow. He hadn't seen Aziraphale like this in a long time. Sad was the only way he could describe it. Aziraphale got up and gently pushed Crowley toward the curtains that separated the office from the rest of the shop.
"I'm very sure. Now go before I swat you." Once again Aziraphale tried to smile but it wasn't quite right. Crowley just nodded and did as he was told, leaving the shop.
After wandering around Soho for a bit, Crowley found himself standing in front of a more modern bookshop. He decided to go in and see if there was something he could find to cheer up the angel. Maybe something ridiculous that they could make fun of together. He made it about halfway down the main aisle when he noticed a table with a display on it.
"Excuse me, miss?" He flagged down the girl wearing a name tag that he didn't bother to read.
"Yes, sir?" She gave Crowley what he liked to call the customer service smile.
"What's all this?" He pointed to the display.
"It's Oscar Wilde's birthday today. One hundred and sixty seven years to be exact." This time her smile was genuine. Crowley nodded as he looked at the display and then realization dawned on him.
"Right....Wilde's birthday. Okay, thank you very much." Crowley nodded and then turned to leave the shop. Now he understood exactly what was going on.
It wasn't often that Aziraphale was affected by Oscar's birthday. It had been over a hundred years since he died. And he did usually find ways to distract himself if the thought came up. But for some reason, this particular year it was bothering him a great deal. He really did miss his old friend and he hated that he hadn't been able to keep him out of the trouble he'd been forced into. It wasn't the easiest life there toward the end.
He felt a little bad about turning down Crowley's invitation to lunch but he knew that he'd be horrible company and he wasn't even sure that he was all that hungry. He just wanted to sit and read and be sad for a bit. He'd gone through The Picture of Dorian Grey about twice since he'd woken up and realized what day it was. He had just finished up reading through the script for The Importance of Being Earnest when Crowley came back into the bookshop carrying a rather large shopping bag.
"What on Earth...." Aziraphale just stared at the demon. Crowley put the bag down on the desk and started pulling out items.
"This is the most decadent hot cocoa I could find. Dark chocolate peppermint. I also managed to find those little dinosaur shaped marshmallows that you like so much. That wasn't easy." Crowley smirked a little before he set the bag of marshmallows down. "I also have your favorite crepes from Casse-Croute." He set the covered plate on the desk as well. "And some cherry chocolate cheese cake from that bakery down the way. As well as..." He paused before pulling out a bottle of wine. "Domaine de law Romanee-Conti La Tache 1996." He smiled as he held the bottle out for Aziraphale to inspect.
"Crowley....this wine costs $7500 a bottle..." His eyes were wide as he took the bottle and then looked at Crowley.
"Very well aware. But you deserve it." He then took the tin of cocoa and started toward the stairs.
"Crowley, wait." Aziraphale got up and walked over to put a hand on Crowley's arm. "Why are you doing all of this?" Crowley took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"I realized what today is. And I know what he meant to you." Crowley cleared his throat. "And if you recall about ten years ago you did the same for me on Freddie's birthday...."
"Well, yes. There was that." Aziraphale nodded, looking down at the bottle of wine in his hand. "Though not quite the same." He chuckled. Crowley gave him a little grin.
"Yes, your taste in wine is much less expensive than mine." He laughed. "But. You go sit. I'll make the cocoa and you can eat the crepes and the cheese cake and we can talk about Oscar, or we can just sit quietly and not talk at all whichever you prefer."
"Thank you." Aziraphale nodded and patted Crowley's arm before going back to the sofa to sit down. Crowley went upstairs and got the cocoa all made up and then brought it downstairs. They shared the cocoa and the wine while Aziraphale enjoyed his treats. Crowley even indulged in a piece of the cheesecake. The rest of the evening was spent with Aziraphale telling Crowley stories about the time that he spent with Oscar Wilde, even though Crowley had heard most of them quite a few times already.
"Ready for lunch?" Crowley asked with a smile. The smile faded when Aziraphale didn't smile in return.
"I'm rather not in the mood today, actually." Aziraphale cleared his throat. Crowley looked at him over his sunglasses.
"Everything okay?" He tilted his head.
"Yes, everything's fine. I'd just rather stay inside today." Aziraphale forced a smile but it didn't go beyond his lips. "You should go enjoy yourself. I'll be okay."
"Are you sure?" Crowley raised an eyebrow. He hadn't seen Aziraphale like this in a long time. Sad was the only way he could describe it. Aziraphale got up and gently pushed Crowley toward the curtains that separated the office from the rest of the shop.
"I'm very sure. Now go before I swat you." Once again Aziraphale tried to smile but it wasn't quite right. Crowley just nodded and did as he was told, leaving the shop.
After wandering around Soho for a bit, Crowley found himself standing in front of a more modern bookshop. He decided to go in and see if there was something he could find to cheer up the angel. Maybe something ridiculous that they could make fun of together. He made it about halfway down the main aisle when he noticed a table with a display on it.
"Excuse me, miss?" He flagged down the girl wearing a name tag that he didn't bother to read.
"Yes, sir?" She gave Crowley what he liked to call the customer service smile.
"What's all this?" He pointed to the display.
"It's Oscar Wilde's birthday today. One hundred and sixty seven years to be exact." This time her smile was genuine. Crowley nodded as he looked at the display and then realization dawned on him.
"Right....Wilde's birthday. Okay, thank you very much." Crowley nodded and then turned to leave the shop. Now he understood exactly what was going on.
It wasn't often that Aziraphale was affected by Oscar's birthday. It had been over a hundred years since he died. And he did usually find ways to distract himself if the thought came up. But for some reason, this particular year it was bothering him a great deal. He really did miss his old friend and he hated that he hadn't been able to keep him out of the trouble he'd been forced into. It wasn't the easiest life there toward the end.
He felt a little bad about turning down Crowley's invitation to lunch but he knew that he'd be horrible company and he wasn't even sure that he was all that hungry. He just wanted to sit and read and be sad for a bit. He'd gone through The Picture of Dorian Grey about twice since he'd woken up and realized what day it was. He had just finished up reading through the script for The Importance of Being Earnest when Crowley came back into the bookshop carrying a rather large shopping bag.
"What on Earth...." Aziraphale just stared at the demon. Crowley put the bag down on the desk and started pulling out items.
"This is the most decadent hot cocoa I could find. Dark chocolate peppermint. I also managed to find those little dinosaur shaped marshmallows that you like so much. That wasn't easy." Crowley smirked a little before he set the bag of marshmallows down. "I also have your favorite crepes from Casse-Croute." He set the covered plate on the desk as well. "And some cherry chocolate cheese cake from that bakery down the way. As well as..." He paused before pulling out a bottle of wine. "Domaine de law Romanee-Conti La Tache 1996." He smiled as he held the bottle out for Aziraphale to inspect.
"Crowley....this wine costs $7500 a bottle..." His eyes were wide as he took the bottle and then looked at Crowley.
"Very well aware. But you deserve it." He then took the tin of cocoa and started toward the stairs.
"Crowley, wait." Aziraphale got up and walked over to put a hand on Crowley's arm. "Why are you doing all of this?" Crowley took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"I realized what today is. And I know what he meant to you." Crowley cleared his throat. "And if you recall about ten years ago you did the same for me on Freddie's birthday...."
"Well, yes. There was that." Aziraphale nodded, looking down at the bottle of wine in his hand. "Though not quite the same." He chuckled. Crowley gave him a little grin.
"Yes, your taste in wine is much less expensive than mine." He laughed. "But. You go sit. I'll make the cocoa and you can eat the crepes and the cheese cake and we can talk about Oscar, or we can just sit quietly and not talk at all whichever you prefer."
"Thank you." Aziraphale nodded and patted Crowley's arm before going back to the sofa to sit down. Crowley went upstairs and got the cocoa all made up and then brought it downstairs. They shared the cocoa and the wine while Aziraphale enjoyed his treats. Crowley even indulged in a piece of the cheesecake. The rest of the evening was spent with Aziraphale telling Crowley stories about the time that he spent with Oscar Wilde, even though Crowley had heard most of them quite a few times already.
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