“Stupid angel – not me, you! Well, maybe me too, but mostly you! I couldn’t-” He cut himself off again.
They drove on in silence, Crowley reluctant to explain himself and Aziraphale pondering this news. Someone wanted to kill him. But... “… me? Whatever for?”
“Letting you bite the big one would violate rule number two,” Crowley mumbled, running a hand through his black locks.
“… … yes, I suppose my untimely demise would end the Arrangement, now would it?” Truth be told, Aziraphale had no idea what to think anymore, so he decided to stop thinking altogether. These things had a way of fixing themselves, after all.
“Listen, I don’t know why he’s after you,” Crowley snapped back, “I – it just wasn’t – never mind.”
“… … I see… and so you’re taking me to Adam for… my protection, then? I… thank you, I suppose, but really you ought to have discussed it with me first… Oh dear.”
More silence filled the Bentley as they drove towards Lower Tadfield. “I’m not… just leaving you there. Who knows what you’d get into without me around.”
Aziraphale couldn’t help but smile. “Of course. You’ve always been the more responsible one, haven’t you…”
Crowley glanced at Aziraphale sideways. “What’s that s’pposed to mean?”
“Well you know me and my nasty habit of dragging you places without telling you the why of it beforehand…” Aziraphale smiled broadly.
Crowley’s glance turned into a glare. “Funny. Very funny.”
“In fact, as much as I would like to, I’ll even neglect to connect your sense of responsibility to your inherent spark of goodness that you may or may not have.”
“Yeah. Thanks a bunch. For not mentioning it or bringing it up at all.”
“You’re welcome, dear.”
Crowley sighed, pressing down on the pedal a little harder. “You’re a bit of a bastard yourself, you know,” he said fondly.
Aziraphale chuckled and looked out the window. The silence that fell between them was telling – Crowley was desperately hoping Aziraphale would quit prying him for information. Well, Aziraphale certainly wasn’t going to make it that easy for him. “So, whom do I have the pleasure of avoiding this time? Any of your friends I might know?”
Crowley responded so quickly there was no way he thought about it beforehand. “It's none of your business.”
It was Aziraphale’s turn to glare. “Oh really. How, pray tell, do you justify my not knowing my own apparent attacker, hmm?” When Crowley didn’t respond, he continued, “This should be interesting. Do tell, dear boy.”
Crowley responded so softly that Aziraphale couldn’t hear him. Then he said a little louder, “Because I say so.”
Aziraphale crossed his arms and stared out the window. “Hmph. Fine. I’ll wheedle it out of you eventually. Or when they kill me; whatever comes first.”
“AZIRAphale...”
“You're going too fast, I can't see the countryside that well.”
Aziraphale could practically feel Crowley’s eye-roll even as the demon acquiesced and slowed down a little. “Satisfied now?”
Aziraphale wasn’t, neither with the scenery nor with Crowley’s answers, but responded, “I suppose.”
The rest of the drive was silent until Crowley broke it with a soft murmur, “Ah, the Manor.”
Aziraphale looked from the side window to the front. “Ah. I wonder if there will be any nuns this time, Satanic or otherwise.”
“I sure as He – something hope not.” He pulled the Bentley into a parking space that he created, one very close to the door.
Aziraphale pouted as he exited the car. “Although I really wish I’d brought all my books with me, especially if this is an extended vacation.” He moved to the back and began gathering what few books he had brought, the laptop, the wine and the chocolate together. “Oh well, I suppose I’ll have to take a field trip some time to get the rest.”
“I have a few more plants to pick up too,” Crowley responded, a large hydrangea under one arm and a particularly beautiful aloe vera under the other. He gestured to the manor with his head, walking off. “Well c’mon angel. Let’s go see what the kid is up to.” Aziraphale followed him, books and computer trailing behind him dutifully, miraculously.
Crowley pushed open the door to the manor and glanced around, walking in. Aziraphale smiled at the demon’s paranoia and followed.
no subject
They drove on in silence, Crowley reluctant to explain himself and Aziraphale pondering this news. Someone wanted to kill him. But... “… me? Whatever for?”
“Letting you bite the big one would violate rule number two,” Crowley mumbled, running a hand through his black locks.
“… … yes, I suppose my untimely demise would end the Arrangement, now would it?” Truth be told, Aziraphale had no idea what to think anymore, so he decided to stop thinking altogether. These things had a way of fixing themselves, after all.
“Listen, I don’t know why he’s after you,” Crowley snapped back, “I – it just wasn’t – never mind.”
“… … I see… and so you’re taking me to Adam for… my protection, then? I… thank you, I suppose, but really you ought to have discussed it with me first… Oh dear.”
More silence filled the Bentley as they drove towards Lower Tadfield. “I’m not… just leaving you there. Who knows what you’d get into without me around.”
Aziraphale couldn’t help but smile. “Of course. You’ve always been the more responsible one, haven’t you…”
Crowley glanced at Aziraphale sideways. “What’s that s’pposed to mean?”
“Well you know me and my nasty habit of dragging you places without telling you the why of it beforehand…” Aziraphale smiled broadly.
Crowley’s glance turned into a glare. “Funny. Very funny.”
“In fact, as much as I would like to, I’ll even neglect to connect your sense of responsibility to your inherent spark of goodness that you may or may not have.”
“Yeah. Thanks a bunch. For not mentioning it or bringing it up at all.”
“You’re welcome, dear.”
Crowley sighed, pressing down on the pedal a little harder. “You’re a bit of a bastard yourself, you know,” he said fondly.
Aziraphale chuckled and looked out the window. The silence that fell between them was telling – Crowley was desperately hoping Aziraphale would quit prying him for information. Well, Aziraphale certainly wasn’t going to make it that easy for him. “So, whom do I have the pleasure of avoiding this time? Any of your friends I might know?”
Crowley responded so quickly there was no way he thought about it beforehand. “It's none of your business.”
It was Aziraphale’s turn to glare. “Oh really. How, pray tell, do you justify my not knowing my own apparent attacker, hmm?” When Crowley didn’t respond, he continued, “This should be interesting. Do tell, dear boy.”
Crowley responded so softly that Aziraphale couldn’t hear him. Then he said a little louder, “Because I say so.”
Aziraphale crossed his arms and stared out the window. “Hmph. Fine. I’ll wheedle it out of you eventually. Or when they kill me; whatever comes first.”
“AZIRAphale...”
“You're going too fast, I can't see the countryside that well.”
Aziraphale could practically feel Crowley’s eye-roll even as the demon acquiesced and slowed down a little. “Satisfied now?”
Aziraphale wasn’t, neither with the scenery nor with Crowley’s answers, but responded, “I suppose.”
The rest of the drive was silent until Crowley broke it with a soft murmur, “Ah, the Manor.”
Aziraphale looked from the side window to the front. “Ah. I wonder if there will be any nuns this time, Satanic or otherwise.”
“I sure as He – something hope not.” He pulled the Bentley into a parking space that he created, one very close to the door.
Aziraphale pouted as he exited the car. “Although I really wish I’d brought all my books with me, especially if this is an extended vacation.” He moved to the back and began gathering what few books he had brought, the laptop, the wine and the chocolate together. “Oh well, I suppose I’ll have to take a field trip some time to get the rest.”
“I have a few more plants to pick up too,” Crowley responded, a large hydrangea under one arm and a particularly beautiful aloe vera under the other. He gestured to the manor with his head, walking off. “Well c’mon angel. Let’s go see what the kid is up to.” Aziraphale followed him, books and computer trailing behind him dutifully, miraculously.
Crowley pushed open the door to the manor and glanced around, walking in. Aziraphale smiled at the demon’s paranoia and followed.