'To the world.'
Aziraphale beamed as his eyes met Crowley's.
Their glasses clinked together.
His reply seemed to have a little more direction to it than his own Crowley thought but shook it off and snapped his fingers for the waiter to bring another bottle of champagne. Lunch became dinner and dinner became more drinks until finally they staggered, quite drunk, from the Ritz.
'Back to mine for another?' Asked Crowley his words slurring slightly as he tried to focus on the angel in front of him.
'I really shouldn't.'
'Go on, we stopped the apocalypse, we have to drink to that!'
'Did we though?' Aziraphale hicupped. He swayed gently on his feet.
'When you think about it we didn't really do much in the end.'
He giggled to himself thinking of how they really were a bit rubbish at their jobs. Crowley cracked a smile.
'Still though, I think we deserve to celebrate, come on one quick night cap and you can get back to your precious books.'
Aziraphale wrinkled his nose a little at the pointed remark but he nodded finally and Crowley started a brisk pace towards his apartment, a little demonic miracle making the walk a lot shorter than usual.
'You really should decorate a bit more, it's frightfully bare in here. I do like your plants though.' Aziraphale was tottering around the apartment giving it a once over.
Did the plants shiver just then? No, it was just the drink.
They sat down on the black leather sofa at opposite ends, Aziraphale unconsciously matching Crowley's effortless slump though it didn't look quite as good on him.
'Tequila!'
A bottle appeared in Crowley's hand as the word left his lips. A little known fact about Crowley was he had a soft spot for tequila. He had in fact invented the Tequila song, a top notch ear worm he was quite proud of. He made sure it was the only working song in any karaoke bar he visited. The drink was sloshed into some rather larger than usual shot glasses and he pushed one across the coffee table to the angel.
'To us!'
He threw back the drink and smacked his lips appreciatively. Aziraphale spluttered a little as he downed his own. He'd never been much of a drinker if you didn't count wine but he could still put a shot away if he absolutely had to. He unfastened his bow tie and popped two buttons before leaning heavily back again.
'Look at you loosening up a little, I don't think I've seen you out of that bow tie in half a century.'
Aziraphale waved Crowley away.
'I'm drinking with you aren't I? I'd say that's plenty 'loose' by heavens standards.'
The fiery liquor was seeping into his bones warming him quite nicely. He slumped into a half lying position on the sofa feet still planted on the floor but his head was now resting a few centimetres from the demon's right leg.
'Six thousand years and you're still a light weight angel.'
Aziraphale had closed his eyes ignoring the remark. Crowley looked down at his face. He looked older. Not literally, but more tired than he used to. The long centuries were starting to wear him down a little. Angels didn't need to sleep but he seemed overdue for a nap.
Why am I worrying about him he's not a child. Crowley huffed a little, chiding himself for caring about the angel lying drunkenly on his sofa.
'You know Crowley I never really enjoy being drunk unless it's with you. It's different with humans. Always watching your words in case a drunken story turns out to be something that happened when they're grandfathers hadn't even been born. But with you I can just relax.'
He smiled contently, eyes still shut and Crowley felt a tiny twinge in his chest. The same annoying twinge that had started in the garden. That he'd felt every time Aziraphale smiled. Humans came and went at a frightening pace but even if centuries passed by he knew he'd see that one familiar face somewhere along the way. He would never admit it out loud but loneliness had sneaked up on him at times no matter how hard he had told it to fuck off. But sitting here with the angel lying next to him slurring his words was as close to contentment as possible for a demon.
'Another Crowley!'
Aziraphale's eyes had snapped open and he'd managed to push himself up a few inches, his arm trembling to support him.
'I think you've had enough.'
'No! Another one! I'll sober up after but the last time we were drunk we had the apocalypse to worry about and now it's just you and me and the whole world!'
He giggled and his nose crinkled. Crowley felt the twinge in his chest again.
'Ok one more and then I'm taking you home.'
He poured the tequila into the shot glasses miracling a little water in with the angels. He enjoyed drinking with him but a passed out angel was a boring angel.
'To um, to... Oh blast I forgot what I was going to toast.'
Aziraphale started giggling again. He downed his drink and flopped onto his back kicking his shoes off and plunking his feet up on the sofa's arm. His head was now just touching the demon's leg. He closed his eyes smiling.
'You're always so warm Crowley like a mug of hot cocoa.'
He lifted his head a little and shimmied down the sofa a few more inches and dropped his head down on to Crowley's thigh.
'Ooh yes, nice and comfy.'
He laughed again. Crowley threw his shot back, hands shaking slightly. He hadn't been this close to, well anyone in millennia. Contrary to popular belief demons didn't go around screwing everything they could. They just tempted humans to sin with one another and even that had become hard when sex before marriage wasn't so much of a sin anymore as just slightly frowned upon by the older generation. So Crowley had avoided most advances over the centuries and was rarely touched by anyone outside of some personal grooming he enjoyed at the local nail salon. (some demons did actually care about their looks.)
So it was a shock when the angel's head had appeared in his lap. He looked down at him. Aziraphale stared back, eyes slightly out of focus.
'Now that our respective sides have backed off a bit we can spend some more time together. I have some lovely old films somewhere. We could have a marathon.'
Crowley nodded slightly distracted, his mind still far off.
'Oh not that old stuff again Aziraphale, really.'
He'd snapped back into focus.
'You need to start watching the new stuff. When was the last time you were even at the cinema.'
The angel paused in thought. A very long fuzzy thought.
'2002.. The Tarantula man movie.'
'Spider-Man Aziraphale, it's called Spider-Man.'
'Ah yes so it was, I don't really recall much from it, except the scene where the young man is kissing the pretty red head upside down. I thought that was quite sweet.'
'You always were a softie for romance even if you've never so much a kissed someone.'
'I have too!' Aziraphale blustered. 'In Rome there was a lovely chap who gave me a peck. It was rather nice actually.'
'So just half the world ago.'
'Oh shut up Crowley.'
Aziraphale had turned his head in towards Crowley's stomach, a light blush dusted his cheeks.
Why was he blushing? The demon wondered. Such a prude, can't even talk about something as mundanely human as a kiss.
'Even with a few bottles in you you're still wound so tight.'
The angel's head snapped up.
'No I'm not! I was just blushing because I, well I was thinking of how I'd, at some point, like to kiss someone like that. Just for fun I mean. Not many new experiences left and what not.'
'Going to go find yourself a nice pretty human to try it with?'
'No of course not. The logistics of it alone would be near impossible and I think my head would hurt in that position.'
Crowley snorted with laughter.
'What's so funny?'
'Just imagining you in that position.'
The angel scowled and turned his head away to face the room.
Before realising what he was doing, Crowley had placed his hand on the angels cheek and turned his face back towards him. He pulled his hand away when he realised what he'd done.
'It's ok, your hands felt rather lovely and soft.' The angel hummed appreciatively.
'You must share your skin routine with me.'
He reached up and touched Crowley cheek.
'Soft as a baby demon's bottom.'
he started giggling again his breath wheezing out of him, head buried in Crowley's waistcoat. The demon scowled.
'Shut it, I'm not soft.'
He scowled even harder but more to set the angel off laughing again than out of actual annoyance. Aziraphale looked up suddenly.
'Have I ever told you how beautiful your eyes are.'
Crowley froze.
The angel's eyes were no longer unfocused. He seemed to be making his mind up about something.
'You know maybe we could re-enact that scene, I'm basically upside down already.'
It was meant to come out casually but the angel hadn't quite manage it.
Crowley stared down at him.
'You're asking me to kiss you. You're asking me, a demon, to kiss you, an angel.'
'It's fine, forget it! I just thought it would be a bit of fun that's all-'
Before Aziraphale could sit up the demon's hand was resting on his cheek. Yellow eyes met blue. Crowley lowered his head until his lips were an inch from the angel's.
'If that's what you really want I guess I can't refuse.'
He moved his lips a fraction closer. He could smell the angel's familiar cologne and the scent of tequila was warm on the angel's breath.
His lower lip brushed Aziraphale's. Just the tiniest of touches. It felt like an electric shock through his body. His chest filled with heat and blood thundered in his ears. The angel had stopped breathing all together, not that he needed to but he had formed a habit over the centuries. But now he was absolutely still apart the tiniest tremble of his lips. Crowley presses his lips to his.
The universe paused for a second. It had become confused. It was a very new experience for the universe, two beings connecting where they really shouldn't. It adjusted itself, checked the threat, saw there was none, and restarted.
Aziraphale wrapped his arms around the demon's neck and kissed back. They broke apart after a long minute and their eyes met again.
'I think I rather enjoyed that.' Smiled the angel.
He hesitated and stared up. A similar smile had spread across the demon's face.
'Agreed, not the worst way to end a good night.'
Crowley held back from saying more. They had time. Time to say and do everything. He leaned back down and kissed his angel again.