Hello everyone! Sorry for taking so long to update; I was waiting for this chappie to get beta-d, but I figured it wouldn't be too nice to keep you on waiting anymore so… here's the update!

Thanks to my beloved reviewers: Hopelesslielost, Random-Kitty-Yuffie, Sorryll, storm101, MingledFish, 8Caravan8, meggie272, icingsugar and to everyone who added this to their favorite/alert story list.

Good Omens and all characters related are property of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.


Chapter 7

The first thing you would notice if you entered a particular Soho's bookstore, on that particular morning, was that the owner looked seriously distressed. It might be the ruffled hair, the wrinkled clothes or the red eyes caused by sleep depravation. Maybe it was the whole picture. Either way, Aziraphale was the perfect picture of a disturbed man.

Crowley's words rang on his head, refusing to give him a single moment of peace. 'I think I've already had'. What did that mean, exactly? Well, he knew what it meant. He wasn't stupid or naïve enough not to see the whole meaning behind those five words. But oh God, how much he wished he was!

Sighing, the angel stared at the cocoa mug still sitting over the counter, going cold. It gave him a feeling of déjà-vu. After all, just before the Apocalypse-that-wasn't he had spent countless hours at his shop, with a cocoa cup going cold. Only that this time the world wasn't about to end. Or maybe it was, in a way. If he was to Fall…

No, but he wasn't. He couldn't, never mind what he felt towards Crowley or what the demon felt towards him. Because they weren't really in love, you see, it was simply impossible. It wasn't love. It couldn't be love. Demons don't love and angels love everything and everyone; they can't love something or someone above other things or creatures.

But -and that was the problem, wasn't it? - that there was a but. That he could think of thousands of buts, as the matter of the fact. But, he had said the night before he believed creatures like them could truly fall in love. Give or take a few words, he had said so. Had he been lying?

By mere logic, he hadn't. Because he was an angel and angels don't lie. Then again, angels don't fall in love -especially not with demons- either. However…

Oh, why was it so confusing?!

He heard the door opening and the bell over it ringing. Slowly, he turned around, afraid of facing the newcomer. Yet, as soon as he saw who was standing by the door, he relaxed "Morning Karin" he greeted, surprising himself by the steadiness of his voice.

"Morning, sugar pie" she replied back, closing the door with her heel and staring at her friend up and down "Rough evening?"

Not even knowing why, Aziraphale blushed. She offered him a knowing and understanding smile, though admittedly a sad one too "This cocoa is ruined" she pointed out, picking the mug still resting over the counter "Come on, I'll prepare some more" and with that, she made her way to the back store, as if she was the owner of the place and the angel was a guest. He realized he didn't mind.

So, eager to distract himself from his inner turmoil, he followed her.


"I… need to ask you something"

Karin sighed, finally hearing what she had been waiting for all along. Two hours had passed since her arrival and she was starting to wonder how much longer Aziraphale would last making mindless chitchat.

Apparently, now they were going to get down to business.

"Just say it"

"I… umm..." the angel bit down his lip and he looked around, as if ashamed of himself. Which might have been the case; problem with angels, Karin thought, was that they were taught to love everyone and everything but when it came down to actually handing their hearts… they always assumed it was wrong.

And maybe it was "Maybe you're not supposed to love Crowley. But" he was looking at her and he looked so scared! Like a deer caught in the headlights, with nowhere to run. The look of pure and simple terror "don't think for a minute it's wrong what you're feeling"

"Does that make any sense? At all?"

No, she wasn't making too much sense. Not even to herself "Love is to be treasured, Zira. Maybe angels aren't supposed to fall in love with demons, but if they do, what's wrong with that?"

"There must be something wrong"

The whole conversation had sense of déjà-vu but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Inwardly, Karin was smiling. She knew exactly what memory was fighting its way from Zira's subconscious to his conscious mind. For better or for worse, she had seen the beginning of what she thought was the most dramatic yet sweet love-story of the world.

"Anyway… even if there's nothing wrong with it, I'm not in love with Crowley, nor the other way around"

Incapable of helping herself, Karin hit her head against the back of the couch, with a frustrated groan. Honestly, one could only live with so much denial "Oh, really?" the tone was more ironic than intended, though she didn't truly mind. Hopefully, it would help to get her words through Zira's thick skull.

"Really" he replied calmly, completely missing the tone "For starters, I'm not even his type. Or he's mine" as if that had something to do with love. The emotion always found its way around people's standards, didn't it? "Secondly, we're too different" no, they were different in things that didn't matter. They had similar points of view, actually "He's a demon and I'm an angel" but that was just their jobs; it didn't say a thing about who they truly were "ideally, we wouldn't have chosen the other's company" That was too much for the female shaped demon and she had to snort "What?"

"You wouldn't have chosen the other's company?" she repeated, her eyebrows arched "Well then, please tell me if this conversation sounds remotely familiar" she cleared her throat, preparing herself to make a big interpretation. With fake and mock concern, she exclaimed "Zira, what do you think you're doing?!"

She changed her tone, to a slightly deeper and more masculine one "'Whatever you mean, my dear?'

'That… that creature you were talking too! Do you know…?'

'Crawly, you mean? Oh, he's just…'

'A demon! A demon, Zira, one of the Enemies! The one who managed to get the first couple kicked out of Eden, actually! Have you lost your mind?'

'Of course not, dear. He's quite nice actually. I think I rather enjoy talking to him'

'But Zira…!'

'Don't you worry your pretty head about it, Karin. Trust me, I know what I'm doing'"

She ended her interpretation, with a wide smug smirk. He frowned; he did remember that conversation, now that she mentioned it. But it hardly proved something…!

"I… we just… I mean…"

"Save your lame excuses for someone who might actually believe them" she protested, the smugness evident on her voice "I'm not buying it"

Aziraphale decided it would be safer to stay quiet and did exactly that. No use in arguing with the demon when she was absolutely confident she was right. It just wouldn't end up pleasantly.

Tense silence followed, while the angel reflected on his friend's words. Maybe she was right. If that was the case, there was just something left to ask "Was it worth it?"

"The Falling, you mean?" a stiff and yet nervous nod. She smiled "I go to sleep asking myself that same question every night. Most times, the answer is yes"

"Most times?" it was her turn to nod stiffly and nervously "You said you woke up in Heaven everyday"

"And it's true. When I open my eyes and see Louis gazing at me- he's always up before I am- I believe I'm in Heaven. You've never tried sleeping, right? You should. You'll see that, when you wake up, previous night's problems have miraculously disappeared. They came back after a while, naturally, but the moment you open your eyes… you just don't remember them"

"I don't think I'm following you…"

And he truly seemed confused. The girl sighed and tried to reorganize her thoughts. She needed to be as clear as possible; she needed Aziraphale to understand… no, to see… "We get into fights, as every other couple in the world. We argue, we bicker, we say very unpleasant things to each other … so yes, sometimes we go to sleep being angry at the other; wishing to never have met, or, in my case, to never have followed him around. But the anger fades and what's left… what is always left, is the absolute certainty that we're in love. So, most times, I definitely think it was worth it"

Aziraphale nodded. He could understand that. No couple was perfect, of course; arguments were bound to arise because two people couldn't think and act the same way, differences always exist. Yet, would he and Crowley…?

As if she could read her mind, she added "You've been together for six millennia. Not… in a couple-way, but together nevertheless. You even have an Agreement, despite it's clearly forbidden by both sides. You survived the Apocalypse and faced Beelzebub and the Metraton and were even willing to face Satan himself together. Do you honestly believe there's something that could break you apart?"

The sincere answer was no. Perhaps that was why it was so disturbing and scary.

Just then, the bell over the store's door rang and Aziraphale froze. Oh no, not yet, please! He had most of his feelings figured out but wasn't ready to…

"Aziraphale? Are you in here?"

Well, ready or not, here went nothing.


So, how did you like it? In my opinion, it turned out a bit more rushed than previous chapter but I still kinda like it. Not as mushy as most of my stories… lol

Anyway, thanks for reading!