Discorporated Part 7
A note was posted on the library door.
Due to unexpected circumstances, the library will be closed until the end of the month. All late fees will be forgiven during this time. (not that he actually charged late fees) The WiFi will still be available from Mrs Abernathy's tea shop next door, as well as a few laptops if you don't have your own computer. Very sorry for any inconvenience.
Angeline was extremely confused by the posting of the note. She'd been helping out with the library since it opened and had a key to let herself in. She'd been made aware of Aziraphale's presence and had actually started seeing him a few years ago. She'd also gotten very close to Crowley over the time they'd been working together.
"Tony, dear. Where are you?" She asked as she came into the library. It was completely dark except for the light on the desk.
"I've asked you not to call me that." Crowley said from behind the desk.
"It's why I keep doing it." Angeline smiled a little and made her way over to stand next to him. She sighed a little when she saw the look on his face. It was a look she hadn't seen in a very long time. "What is it, love?" She put a hand on Crowley's shoulder.
"He's gone." Crowley said as he looked up at her.
"What do you mean, he's gone?" She asked softly.
"Aziraphale." Crowley cleared his throat. "He's gone." He bit his lip trying to keep it from wobbling.
"I thought you made sure he couldn't leave?" She looked around the library before looking back at Crowley.
"I made sure he couldn't leave unless he wanted to." Crowley closed his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "But I guess he wanted to."
"Oh honey." Angeline knelt down beside Crowley's chair and put a hand on his knee. "Are you sure he's really gone? Maybe he's just staying invisible."
"I can't feel him anymore." Crowley put a hand over Angeline's. It was nice to have a friend that he could really talk to just then. Someone that wouldn't think he was crazy.
"Did he say why he was leaving?" Angeline furrowed her brow. This was very confusing indeed.
"He said he's holding me back." Crowley replied. He sighed at the confused look Angeline gave him. "I was asked on a date and I went and it was a nice date but I realized that I'm not over Aziraphale and it wouldn't be fair to James to keep seeing him when I'm in love with someone else."
"Wait.....James Heathersby?" Angeline asked.
"Yes, James Heathersby." Crowley chuckled.
"Oh, he's gorgeous. And very picky. And you got to go on a date with him?" Angeline shook her head.
"Yes. He asked me on a date and we had a great time but I can't string him along." Crowley felt like Angeline was missing the point.
"What did he say when you told him you just wanted to be friends?" Angeline got back to her feet and put a hand on Crowley's shoulder.
"I promised that if getting over Aziraphale happens sometime in his lifetime I'll give him a call." Crowley ran his fingers through his hair.
"And then you came home and talked to Aziraphale and then he just....disappeared?" It didn't sound right to Angeline at all.
"I kissed him." Crowley looked up at her.
"Kissed James?" Angeline raised an eyebrow.
"No. Well, I mean yes but I meant.....I kissed Aziraphale. I could touch him and he kissed me and...." Crowley sighed.
"That's when he disappeared?" Angeline patted Crowley's shoulder. "Saying you needed to get over him and move on, right?"
"Yes, exactly." Crowley nodded. "But I don't want to move on and get over him. It's just going to end up with me getting heartbroken all over again because apparently even immortals don't live forever." Crowley started to pick at a spot on the desk. "So what's the point?"
"The point is being happy for even just a little while. You became best friends with several mortals over the years. And you lost a couple of them along the way." Angeline squeezed Crowley's shoulder. She'd been there for him after Shadwell's funeral.
"That's different." Crowley shook his head. He could handle losing a friend. Losing the person you love was completely different.
"It's not really but I know you well enough to know you're going to argue with me." Angeline made a face. "So what's your plan? You said the library is closed until the end of the month. That's three weeks. What are you going to do?"
"I am going to sulk for a little while and then I'm going to think about what I really want out of the rest of eternity." Crowley got to his feet and went into the back room to get himself a bottle of scotch.
"Eternity is a really long time to be by yourself, hon." Angeline sighed. She got a glass and poured herself some scotch, downing it before refilling her glass.
"I'll figure something out." Crowley nodded before downing his own glass of scotch. "And for right now, I am going to get very, very drunk. You can hang around and join me or you can let yourself out." Crowley picked up the bottle and started toward the stairs to his flat.
"I think I'm going to let myself out. Call me if you need anything, okay?" Angeline tried to hide the concern in her tone.
"I will. Thank you, Angie." Crowley went back and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Angeline made a face.
"I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Make sure you're still in one piece."
"Alright." Crowley nodded and headed up the stairs. Angeline made her way back out to the main part of the library and stood in the enter of the room for a moment. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Listen. I know you're still here. I might not be able to feel you the way Crowley can, but I know you haven't actually left yet." Angeline pointed upstairs. "That man is hurting a lot right now and it is 100% your fault. You better fucking fix this. Got it?" She didn't wait to see if there was some kind of response. She just stormed out of the library and locked the door behind her.
Aziraphale had heard the entire conversation. He'd simply gone invisible and made it so that Crowley couldn't tell he was actually still there. After a while he went upstairs to check on Crowley, finding him passed out drunk in his bed. He was laying on his front, sideways on the bed and still clothed, the bottle of scotch on the floor under his hand.
"I'm so sorry." Aziraphale said softly. He made that Crowley was properly tucked into the bed and gently stroked his hair. He kissed him softly on the lips and sighed. "I'm going to fix this. I promise." He then lay down next to Crowley and just kept an eye on him as he slept off the booze.
Due to unexpected circumstances, the library will be closed until the end of the month. All late fees will be forgiven during this time. (not that he actually charged late fees) The WiFi will still be available from Mrs Abernathy's tea shop next door, as well as a few laptops if you don't have your own computer. Very sorry for any inconvenience.
Angeline was extremely confused by the posting of the note. She'd been helping out with the library since it opened and had a key to let herself in. She'd been made aware of Aziraphale's presence and had actually started seeing him a few years ago. She'd also gotten very close to Crowley over the time they'd been working together.
"Tony, dear. Where are you?" She asked as she came into the library. It was completely dark except for the light on the desk.
"I've asked you not to call me that." Crowley said from behind the desk.
"It's why I keep doing it." Angeline smiled a little and made her way over to stand next to him. She sighed a little when she saw the look on his face. It was a look she hadn't seen in a very long time. "What is it, love?" She put a hand on Crowley's shoulder.
"He's gone." Crowley said as he looked up at her.
"What do you mean, he's gone?" She asked softly.
"Aziraphale." Crowley cleared his throat. "He's gone." He bit his lip trying to keep it from wobbling.
"I thought you made sure he couldn't leave?" She looked around the library before looking back at Crowley.
"I made sure he couldn't leave unless he wanted to." Crowley closed his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "But I guess he wanted to."
"Oh honey." Angeline knelt down beside Crowley's chair and put a hand on his knee. "Are you sure he's really gone? Maybe he's just staying invisible."
"I can't feel him anymore." Crowley put a hand over Angeline's. It was nice to have a friend that he could really talk to just then. Someone that wouldn't think he was crazy.
"Did he say why he was leaving?" Angeline furrowed her brow. This was very confusing indeed.
"He said he's holding me back." Crowley replied. He sighed at the confused look Angeline gave him. "I was asked on a date and I went and it was a nice date but I realized that I'm not over Aziraphale and it wouldn't be fair to James to keep seeing him when I'm in love with someone else."
"Wait.....James Heathersby?" Angeline asked.
"Yes, James Heathersby." Crowley chuckled.
"Oh, he's gorgeous. And very picky. And you got to go on a date with him?" Angeline shook her head.
"Yes. He asked me on a date and we had a great time but I can't string him along." Crowley felt like Angeline was missing the point.
"What did he say when you told him you just wanted to be friends?" Angeline got back to her feet and put a hand on Crowley's shoulder.
"I promised that if getting over Aziraphale happens sometime in his lifetime I'll give him a call." Crowley ran his fingers through his hair.
"And then you came home and talked to Aziraphale and then he just....disappeared?" It didn't sound right to Angeline at all.
"I kissed him." Crowley looked up at her.
"Kissed James?" Angeline raised an eyebrow.
"No. Well, I mean yes but I meant.....I kissed Aziraphale. I could touch him and he kissed me and...." Crowley sighed.
"That's when he disappeared?" Angeline patted Crowley's shoulder. "Saying you needed to get over him and move on, right?"
"Yes, exactly." Crowley nodded. "But I don't want to move on and get over him. It's just going to end up with me getting heartbroken all over again because apparently even immortals don't live forever." Crowley started to pick at a spot on the desk. "So what's the point?"
"The point is being happy for even just a little while. You became best friends with several mortals over the years. And you lost a couple of them along the way." Angeline squeezed Crowley's shoulder. She'd been there for him after Shadwell's funeral.
"That's different." Crowley shook his head. He could handle losing a friend. Losing the person you love was completely different.
"It's not really but I know you well enough to know you're going to argue with me." Angeline made a face. "So what's your plan? You said the library is closed until the end of the month. That's three weeks. What are you going to do?"
"I am going to sulk for a little while and then I'm going to think about what I really want out of the rest of eternity." Crowley got to his feet and went into the back room to get himself a bottle of scotch.
"Eternity is a really long time to be by yourself, hon." Angeline sighed. She got a glass and poured herself some scotch, downing it before refilling her glass.
"I'll figure something out." Crowley nodded before downing his own glass of scotch. "And for right now, I am going to get very, very drunk. You can hang around and join me or you can let yourself out." Crowley picked up the bottle and started toward the stairs to his flat.
"I think I'm going to let myself out. Call me if you need anything, okay?" Angeline tried to hide the concern in her tone.
"I will. Thank you, Angie." Crowley went back and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Angeline made a face.
"I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Make sure you're still in one piece."
"Alright." Crowley nodded and headed up the stairs. Angeline made her way back out to the main part of the library and stood in the enter of the room for a moment. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Listen. I know you're still here. I might not be able to feel you the way Crowley can, but I know you haven't actually left yet." Angeline pointed upstairs. "That man is hurting a lot right now and it is 100% your fault. You better fucking fix this. Got it?" She didn't wait to see if there was some kind of response. She just stormed out of the library and locked the door behind her.
Aziraphale had heard the entire conversation. He'd simply gone invisible and made it so that Crowley couldn't tell he was actually still there. After a while he went upstairs to check on Crowley, finding him passed out drunk in his bed. He was laying on his front, sideways on the bed and still clothed, the bottle of scotch on the floor under his hand.
"I'm so sorry." Aziraphale said softly. He made that Crowley was properly tucked into the bed and gently stroked his hair. He kissed him softly on the lips and sighed. "I'm going to fix this. I promise." He then lay down next to Crowley and just kept an eye on him as he slept off the booze.
Comments
Post a Comment