Something Different

Chapter Two

He had almost forgotten all about the woman when he accidentally ran into her while on the way to do some shopping a few weeks later. He immediately recognised those eyes as he looked down to apologise for knocking her over. And he could see the recognition in her eyes too.

"Arthur! How nice of you to run into me like this. Do you think you could help me back up?" she asked, holding one hand out for him to grab. He noticed that her fingernails were dirty and in need of a good manicure, but decided to keep quiet for the time being. She may be one of those people who is insulted by such comments.

He leant down and grabbed her hand, helping her get back on her feet. They stood face to face, and Aziraphale was suddenly uncomfortable in her presence, the complete opposite to how he felt last time while she was in his shop. "Er. Well, it was nice to see you again," he said, and felt rather embarrassed by it. He didn't know what he wanted to do, invite her back to his shop, or run in the opposite direction and hope that he never set eyes on her again.

Linda chuckled slightly. "Well, we really need to meet when no one is either sopping wet, or being flattened to the ground."

Aziraphale blushed, his face feeling like it was on flames. "I'm so sorry about that, I wasn't watching where I was going."

"That's alright, I wasn't either. So! What are you going walkabouts for?"

Aziraphale gave her an odd look. Was she purposefully treating him like a child, or was that just her? "I am off to do a little bit of shopping. You know, bread, milk, tea. The essentials for life on Earth." He blushed again. He was beginning to sound like...like something that wasn't him. It was rather annoying, and a little scary at the same time.

Linda just looked at him and smiled. "You blush easily. I like that."

He could feel the heat in his face climb down his neck, and up to his ears. Now he was just plain embarrassed., but a little bit of his mind was glad that she found something in him worth liking enough to comment on it. Even at the expense of his ever growing embarrassment. "Er, well, thank you...I think?"

He began to walk back towards the little corner shop he was fond of at the moment, but was stoped by a hand at his elbow. "Care for some company? I was just walking and wouldn't mind the company."

Aziraphale's mind went blank. Usually he was intelligent, very intelligent, but right now he couldn't utter anything bettter than a quick "Uh," before quickly walking away. She followed his steps. Why oh why wouldn't she leave him alone? She stayed with him as he bought his milk and tea, even as he grabbed at the loaf of bread and absently began walking straight towards the park to feed a few lucky ducks the crust.

She had the gall to actually steal the first true slice of bread and shredded it for the ducks so she could join in. Before he could tell her off, he noted that she seemed genuinely happy to be feeding the birds and decided to let it go this once. After the crust and slice were gone, they both walked back to his shop for lunch.

For some odd reason, strawberry jam sandwiches with tea had never tasted so good. And he found himself enjoying her company again.

They talked. About mundane silly things like the weather and how it hadn't rained since she had ran into his store seeking shelter, how the ducks always looked so funny squabbling over pieces of bread, how nice it was to have a good lunch with better company. Yes, Aziraphale was definitely enjoying her presence again.

So much so that by the time she left, it was well into the next morning.

The same pattern went on for days, which stretched on to weeks and Aziraphale found that her presence was missed if she didn't rock up for one reason or another. She always had an excuse, but it made him feel like she should be with him instead. It was very non-angelic of him, but he shrugged it off, finding that he just liked the company of a friend that didn't also happen to be a demon.

Crowley was currently in some other part of the world, up to miscief as usual, but this time for official business. He had heard a muttered sentence of something to do with the small country islands of Indonesia before heading on his gloomy way.

He had been gone for months now and Aziraphale didn't really miss him which was odd really. Usually he waited for him, but with Linda keeping him company, he found himself forgetting the demon and focusing his attention on her instead. He wondered vaguely if he should feel guilty for forgetting his infernal opponent who was more a friend than anything else.

Currently, Aziraphale was sipping tea from his favourite mug, and listening to Linda as she told him of her day. She had come around with the news that she had just gotten a new job as a waitress at a little Italian restaurant that had just been started and was finally making some money. She had been out of work for a week, having been fired from her other job working in a plant nursery.

If he had been expecting it, he probably wouldn't have been as surprised as he was, but when she leaned over towards him and kissed him gently on the lips, he found his surprise was only matched by his sudden breathlessness. With limbs that seemed to have slowed down, he brought a hand up to touch at his lips experimentally, before looking towards Linda.

He would never know what had possessed him in that moment, but he cupped her chin with one of his hands and gently brought her face back to his to kiss her back. This kiss was longer, it was sweeter and it was making him feel light headed. It was one of the best feelings he had ever had in his very long life on Earth.

The world outside the two of them disappeared as the kiss deepened slightly, his free hand coming around to the back of her head, to lightly caress her brown hair. It was a lot more course than he was expecting, and it was more straggly than wavy, but somehow, he found himself liking that in her.

He made a little sound in the back of his throat as he began to enjoy it more than he should, but he couldn't stop. Didn't want to stop. He didn't remeber when Linda crawled out of her chair so that she was sitting on his lap, but he couldn't find it in himself to really care. It was just making him feel warmer than he already was.

The sound of someone clearing their throat from the doorway made them break up quickly and look towards the sound. After all, the shop door was closed and locked. Aziraphale was actually surprised to see Crowley standing there. "Wow, angel, who would ever have thought you had it in you," was the first thing out of the demon's mouth.

Linda sat back down in her own seat, squirming slightly at the awkward moment. Aziraphale cleared his own throat before attempting to talk. He was quite out of breath he found. "Hello Crowely. When did you get back? Did you have a good time?" he asked, hoping to calm himself down, and hopefully all those present in the room with some friendly chit chat.

Crowley grimaced. "What do you think my time was like? Starting disputes is a lot more boring than it may sound, and I would prefer to use my charms and good looks for other more interesting kinds of work, if you get my drift." The demon looked between the two and smirked. "And I can see what you have been getting yourself into. Hi."

The last was said to the woman, who smiled slightly and waved as a reply. Aziraphale was seriously getting angry over the lewd responses that Crowley was making. "If you don't behave yourself, my dear, you can just leave my shop and go home."

The demon went still. "I already was home. Home home, if you get what I mean by that. London will always feel like home to me now. Thought you would be alone."

The last sentence was enough to alert Aziraphale to the fact that Crowley probably had been away longer than was necessary for his job as he had been sent back to Hell for some reason or another. Perhaps he had been discorporated? In any case, Crowley always came to him afterwards, wanting to moan about how bad Hell was. He rarely talked about what happened to him while there though. He just needed an outlet for anger which he always felt after being sent back up to Earth.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Come join us. Would you like some tea perhaps? There is plently to go around." He got up quickly, went to kis little kitchen and filled the mug Crowley used with some of the lukewarm liquid from the kettle, he turned around and walked back to Crolwey, a steaming mug of tea now in his hands.

Crowley nodded and sat down on the nearest chair, his gaze always flickering towards the girl behind his sunglasses. Aziraphale may not be able to see it happening, but after too many long years of seeing Crowley wear the dark glasses, he was used to knowing what he was doing behind them. And right now, he seemed very interested in Linda.

Aziraphale felt like a complete fool. He hadn't introduced the two yet! Where had his manners gone? "Linda, meet Crowley, Crowley, meet Linda."

"Hello," they said to each other at the same time. Linda looked away, Crowley looked at her with a wicked smile on his face.

"So...should I leave now? I was interrupting, I realise. Should just let the two of you to mate like mad animals."

Aziraphale paled. Not that he was embarrassed, of which he was too horrified to even think to be. There was real spite in the demon's words.

"Crowley...did anything bad happen to you?" he asked, more out of a need to try and understand why Crowley was acting this way and it was the only thing he could think of.

"No. Just the usual. Business, a little talking to..." Crowley got back to his feet, tea cup still in hand. "Well, I'm leaving so you to can continue on where you left off, Ciao."

Aziraphale would never understand why Crolwey did it, but the next second went by so fast he barely registered it had happened until he heard a shriek coming from the seat next to him. Sitting on the table, now quite empty was Crowley's mug. The tea that had once been inside now dripping down the fromnt of Linda's clothing. The demon was out the door before either the human woman or the angel could blink. Linda leapt to her feet soon afterwards as the burning made her aware of what had happened. "I'm sorry, but...I have to leave now."

And leave she did. Aziraphale sat at his table, slowly sipping from his own full mug of tea and wondering what had just happened. He felt rather alone right then.

A/N - Any and all mistakes (and the crap ending) are my fault. And this has not been beta read either. Ah well, hopefully someone out there enjoys.