(no subject)

[a_fell]

A:

Found something of yours. Will be by to drop it off.

-R

That's all there is, though Aziraphael reads the text wave over several times.

There's no postscript; there's no attachment. He reads it forwards; he reads it backwards; he applies every one of the considerable number of ciphers he can think of, including seven that civilians are quite probably not supposed to know, and three that haven't been used since invisible ink fell out of fashion. He looks and looks for hidden messages that fail to appear - that in fact seem bound and determined not to exist at all, despite his diligence in seeking them.

The problem, of course, is that it's Raguel. With Raguel, Aziraphael has learned, nothing is ever that simple - except when it is.

And so he frets, although he tries not to. The surface message of the wave is itself worrying enough; it might be the next day that Raguel decides to come by, or it might be next year. Of course, the knowledge that it could be any time doesn't stop Aziraphael from scanning the skies nearly all the time, in between trying his luck with Raguel's useless link. It gives him the same message over and over: UNABLE TO CONNECT - INTERFERENCE.

This does nothing for his nerves.

As it happens, however, it's only about two weeks later that a bustling novice, far too officious for his tender years, brings him word of an incoming craft. Or rather, an incoming craft that doesn't then appear in reassuring black and white when Aziraphael listens to the sudden certainty in his gut and goes to check the planner. And as he expected, nobody is expected.

And so it's midafternoon of a lovely Persephone day - beaming and blue-skied and with just the right amount of breeze to provide relief from the sun - that finds Prior Fell making his way up towards the landing dais a short distance from the main buildings at Southdown Abbey.

His pace is just a little too brisk to be called a stroll.

Comments

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

His first impulse is to slide his hand beneath Crowley's neck and to pull the demon up to meet him halfway in a kiss; to tangle his other hand in Crowley's hair and not let go until -

(But a memory flickers somewhere in the back of his head, and it's not only the one of Crowley jerking back from his hand with a rigid look on his face that Aziraphael doesn't think he has the strength to deal with yet.)

Smoothly, he alters the first abortive movement of his hand and swats Crowley lightly instead.

"Even so. You're quite welcome to come up to the orchard and see for yourself how much scope I'm giving it."

[aj_crawley]

"You sure?"

Yeah. There.

Whatever it was that had wound up quite so tight behind his breastbone has loosened, just a little. He feels... better. Not -

Well. He feels better.

He waits for Aziraphael's hand to settle back on his shoulder, and tangles his fingers with the angel's once again.

"I dunno if the trees'll be able to handle it, after a year of your coddling."

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"They've proven themselves to be quite resilient, I'd say." He raises an eyebrow, still wearing a ridiculous smile and trying to ignore his heartbeat, still racing from that smothered impulse.

"I'm not completely hopeless as a gardener, you know."

[aj_crawley]

Crowley makes a derisive sort of sound, the sort of sound of which pfffff is only a rough approximation, and says, "Never sseen you offer anything harsher than consturc- consstructive criticism."

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Nothing wrong with constructive criticism," he says, stubborn.

"It's worked quite well for the vast majority of them. Where required, of course; a kind word and a little fertilizer never goes awry, otherwise."

[aj_crawley]

"Oh, at first, sure," Crowley allows, waving a dismissive hand. "But as soon as that first flush of enthusiasm is gone, disscipline goes right out the window. And it's all curling leaves and limp petals from there on in. It's all about discipline."

It's all about control.

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Hmm," he says doubtfully.

"This 'discipline' you're thinking of exacting sounds fairly harsh. Perhaps I should provide a reassuring presence if you're planning to inspect them."

There's no ulterior motive here at all. Well, perhaps just a little one.

[aj_crawley]

"See," he says, freeing his hand from Aziraphael's just long enough to prod the angel in the stomach. "Coddling. Mind, you're coming anyway. 'S no fun if I can't point out everything that's wrong in person."

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Oh," he says, but his face doesn't convey a stern look at the 'coddling' comment, the way he had no doubt intended. In fact, he looks even happier than he did before. It's quite embarrassing.

"I suppose I shall have to, yes."

[aj_crawley]

"Tomorrow, then." he says.

"Or the day after."

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

Aziraphael's hand curls gently in Crowley's sweater.



"We'll see," he says.

Perhaps the day after.

[aj_crawley]

"We'll see," Crowley agrees.

They will, too.

(The thought settles warmly behind his breastbone.)

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

He feels dizzy with it: with the sheer mundanity of it; with the fact that he is sitting here with Crowley lounging in his lap, and talking about horticulture. About visiting the orchards.

"Perhaps in the meantime, you could look in on something more local," he suggests. "I seem to recall bringing down that interesting cactus you gave me last spring, the other day."

[aj_crawley]

Crowley's eyebrows lift, climbing towards his hairline in astonishment that may or may not be feigned.

"That's - "

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Still alive, yes," Aziraphael interrupts firmly.

Or perhaps not so firmly, as the case may be. He can't quite seem to hold onto it, and the fact that Crowley can almost certainly tell doesn't do a blind thing to make him regret it.

"As a matter of fact, it's still blooming. I have no idea what you said to the poor thing to make it bloom for more than a year; I'm sure that isn't normally what happens."

[aj_crawley]

"That," Crowley says after a contemplative pause, "sounds disgustingly ssymbolic. If you ask me."

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps it is," he murmurs, entirely failing to sound as nonchalant as he'd hoped. The last word trails away to silence, barely completed.

There might have been more - indeed, there most likely was - but he doesn't continue; something in the yellow eyes looking up at him trumps his need for words. This time, he leaves his hands where they are, and slowly, carefully, leans down.

[aj_crawley]

He doesn't have far to go.

It takes Crowley a moment to situate himself, delaying the proceedings by one second, two, as he lifts himself clumsily up on one elbow.

But this time, he meets Aziraphael halfway.

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

He honestly hadn't intended to, but once there... well, awkward position or not, it would be very difficult to pull away. Crowley's lips are warm and gentle and very slightly cracked. It's almost - almost - as though he'd never been gone at all.

The hand over Crowley's heartbeat feels its steady rhythm increase, not that he registers this. He barely even feels the elbow digging into his lap.

[aj_crawley]

It's longer than the first; more lingering. But that doesn't make it any less intense, and - and Aziraphael's lips are even softer around the edges, and he tastes of green tea, and when his mouth catches minutely against the chapped skin of Crowley's lips, he nearly -

(He doesn't make a sound.)

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

The unsustainable position finally forces them reluctantly apart, but Aziraphael doesn't sit up the rest of the way just yet. There are things, he feels, that should be said.

(He doesn't make a sound, either.)

[aj_crawley]

Crowley's just a little too close for his expression to be seen as a single, cohesive whole - but where the curve of his mouth is insouciant, even a little wicked, his vivid yellow eyes are just a bit too sincere.

The sunlight streaming in through the window is the honeyed gold of late afternoon, and in the silence it fills the room behind them with an easy glow. He'd like (Crowley reflects) to switch arms - to reach up and slowly tug Aziraphael's hair free of its queue and see if this time, he can find what it is that draws the sun; that soaks it up and turns all the ends and flyaways into little threads of spun light.

Unfortunately (Crowley reflects), at the moment he's liable to end up pulling Aziraphael's hair instead, and almost certain to end up elbowing him in the stomach - or worse.

That's alright, though.

Things are really quite acceptable as they are.

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

The careless quirk of Crowley's mouth isn't fooling him, but he wisely doesn't mention it.

Aziraphael knows the next step; they've been at this point before so many times that he can almost feel Crowley's hands in his hair already. But much as he'd like to imagine that Crowley's never been gone at all, he knows that precise movements are nearly impossible right now. And yes - things are quite acceptable as they are - but he has a hand free.

A moment later, he pulls the band out himself, just in case.

[aj_crawley]

And quite suddenly, there's the strangest sound coming from Crowley. The conventional simile is that of steam escaping from a kettle - but to be perfectly honest, this sounds rather more like air escaping from a balloon; a hissing sound, certainly, but one which in parts sounds markedly... squeaky.

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

Aziraphael pulls back, surprised and more than a little jumpy. His eyes had been drifting closed again and now they fly open on a tiny gasp.

"All right?" he asks hesitantly.