Crowley awoke hours later, feeling thirsty and hungry. It was dark under the bed but when he emerged the sun was shining brightly through a gap in the curtains.
It had taken Crowley a long time to get back to sleep after his nightmare, but when he did, he dreamt of flying away through the window and dashing away over rooftops with the wind in his hair and under his wings.
A quick glance at the clock on the wall told him it was 10am. He had not meant to sleep this late, no wonder he felt so hungry.
He filled up a glass with water from the bathroom and then grabbed a few biscuits from under his bed.
He wondered what time Aziraphale would fetch him for breakfast. He had said it wouldn't be too early because he didn't want to interrupt his sleep, but it was getting late already. Crowley had visions of Aziraphale coming up here at regular intervals and sensing - with his angelic powers - that he was still asleep and going away again.
Crowley was glad to have some time to himself, but the longer he waited for Aziraphale, the more worried he became. Perhaps he had missed his chance. Perhaps Aziraphale was angry that he had slept the morning away, and would not allow him to have breakfast. Or maybe Aziraphale had already grown bored of him.
Before long it was twelve o'clock, and Crowley was so hungry he couldn't wait any longer. He unwrapped his leftover breakfast from the day before and devoured it. It looked nowhere near as appetising as it had, and it didn't taste as good either, but it filled his belly all the same and he felt better for it.
Crowley opened the door and waved a hand out into the hall, surprised to find that the ward was still down. He peered out, but he didn't dare leave his bedroom.
He wondered if Aziraphale had gone to bed in the early hours and was still asleep. He had been told that he could shout for Aziraphale if he needed anything, but he didn't dare do it.
There was the sound of hurried footsteps coming up the stairs, and Crowley quickly but silently closed the door and backed away.
"Crawly?" Aziraphale cried breathlessly before he had even reached his bedroom. "Crawly?" he said again as he knocked on the door. "I'm so terribly sorry! I didn't realise the time! Can I come in?"
Crowley opened the door for him.
The angel was wringing his hands together and had guilt plastered all over his face. "I'm so sorry! I was restoring my books, and then the next thing I knew it was midday! You must be absolutely ravenousness. I'm so sorry I made you wait so long. Come along, and let's get you something to eat."
Crowley's original fears that this had all been some sort of punishment were quelled by Aziraphale's obvious shame and remorse. Aziraphale was still apologising as they went downstairs. Crowley wasn't used to his owners feeling guilty, and he certainly wasn't used to them apologising to him. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond.
"It's okay," said Crowley. "I had some biscuits left over, so I ate those."
Crowley's heart raced. He didn't want Aziraphale to know how much food he had squirreled away in case Aziraphale took it away from him, but Aziraphale didn't seem to mind. In fact he seemed pleased.
"Oh! That's a relief. I'm glad you've had something at least."
They entered the kitchen and Aziraphale put all of the sandwich supplies on the table while Crowley got plates from the cupboard. Soon they were both sat at the table with their sandwiches.
"I know how important food is for you, Crawly," Aziraphale said, his voice full of shame. "I'll make sure this never happens again. Please know that you can get food from these cupboards whenever you're hungry. There's biscuits and cereal in that cupboard over there. Please feel free to pop down to the kitchen in the morning as soon as you fancy breakfast. I hate the thought of you being hungry. And you can get things out of the fridge too, though not the bottom shelf – we'll keep that for meals I am planning to make for the both of us. But everything else is up for grabs. Just try not to eat too much before meal times."
"I- Thank you," Crowley said, shocked that Aziraphale would allow this, though he wasn't sure he would be brave enough to take Aziraphale up on his offer. What if he accidently did something wrong?
After lunch they put everything away and Crowley did the washing up again, enjoying looking out of the window.
Aziraphale switched on the electric kettle. "Would you like a drink? How about tea or coffee?"
"Tea please," Crowley said. "I can make the drinks if you like."
"Oh, yes please. I'll show you how I take my tea."
Crowley found himself reminded of how he used to make tea and coffee for Michael. The process was pretty much the same, despite it being over a hundred years ago. The only difference was that back then he'd used a kettle that went on the stove, and now the kettle was electric and boiled in a fraction of the time.
Aziraphale picked up his cup of tea from the counter top, and then gazed outside. "What a lovely day. Perhaps we could go outside with our drinks? Would that be alright with you, Crawly?"
Crowley's heart pounded. He nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please. I'd like to go outside."
Aziraphale unlocked the door and then stepped outside. He turned around and lowered the ward so that Crowley could follow him.
"Don't forget to bring your drink with you," Aziraphale said.
Crowley picked up his teacup, his hands trembling, and then he moved towards the open door.
He stood in the doorway with his drink while Aziraphale pulled the little table and chairs into the shade.
Crowley stepped outside for the first time in six thousand years. He could feel the breeze, and the warmth of the sun on his skin. He could hear traffic and birds chirping, the sound no longer muffled by closed windows and doors. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes, and his breath hitched.
Aziraphale got the table into position. "Come and sit in the shade with me- Oh! Oh, Crawly, are you okay? You don't need to come outside if you don't want to."
Crowley took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. "I- I'm okay. I want to come outside. I just- I've not been outside in a very long time."
He took several slow and deliberate steps across the patio, staring at the paving, and then he moved towards Aziraphale. His hands were still shaking as he put his teacup on the table and sat down, feeling overwhelmed.
"Crawly? Are you sure you're okay?"
Crowley looked all around him. There was no grass, except for what was trying to grow in between the paving stones. A few raised flower beds and flower pots sat in the corners, though they were mostly empty and neglected.
Crowley smiled. It was the first genuinely happy smile that he'd had for a long time. "I'm okay. This is good. I like being outside."
Aziraphale gave him a cheerful smile. "I'm glad."
Crowley admired some plants growing in one of the flower beds. "Those yellow flowers are nice."
"Oh, they're weeds technically, but now you mention it, dandelions are rather pretty. Feel free to have a look around the garden if you like."
Crowley got up, and went over to the dandelions. Next, he looked at the ivy that covered a wall, and then a spider in the centre of a web. He reached a hand out towards a large leaf but then he hesitated. He looked back towards Aziraphale for permission.
"You can touch the plants. Just be careful not to upset any of the creatures."
"Thanks." Crowley held a leaf between his thumb and forefinger, rubbing it, amazed by the texture. "Wow. I never touched a plant before."
Aziraphale looked surprised by this information.
"Can I touch the dandelion too, please?"
"Yes, you can touch any of the plants you like."
Crowley made his way around the courtyard, touching the plants. He found some flowers that he recognised from television or illustrated books, like a white daisy that was growing through a gap in the patio stones. Aziraphale freely offered up the names of the plants which he didn't recognise.
"I like the leaves on this one. What did you call it?"
"Clover."
Crowley moved away from the flowerbed containing the clover to stare at a beetle as it scuttled across a wooden gate that blocked off a narrow passageway. It had a lock on it.
"That leads to the street," Aziraphale told him.
Crowley stepped closer to Aziraphale, full of questions, his fear of his owner outweighed by his curiosity. "The street? Are there people out there? Human people?"
"Yes. This street has lots of shops on it, and it can get rather busy."
"I never met a human before. Are they the same as on television?"
"I suppose. Would you like to meet a human one day?"
Crowley thought about it for a moment, and then he nodded. "Yeah, I think so. One day."
"Maybe, when you're ready, we could go for a walk out there together."
"Out there?" Crowley said in amazement, glancing at the gate. "I think I would like that. I'd like to see the human world. I've only ever seen it on television and through windows. Thank you for letting me outside today." Crowley tried to sound casual, as though this wasn't the best thing that had happened to him in thousands of years.
"I'm glad you like it out here," Aziraphale said with a smile. He glanced around at the plant pots. "I do feel I've neglected this poor little patio. Perhaps I should invest in some new plants. Would you like to help me tidy up and plant flowers one day?"
Crowley nodded eagerly.
"Do you have any favourite plants?"
Crowley paused to think about it. "I- I don't know."
"I have some botanical books inside which you might enjoy looking through. And if there's a plant you really like, I'll do my best to get hold of it for you so we can plant it in the garden."
Crowley gasped, amazed that an angel would do this for him. At the back of his mind he wondered what Aziraphale would want in return - there was always a catch – but he smiled nonetheless. "Thank you."
Later, they went upstairs to the sitting room, and Aziraphale took down some books about plants from the huge bookshelf and handed them to Crowley. Aziraphale then went down into his bookshop and came back with another armful to add to the pile.
"See if any of these books take your fancy."
Crowley chose a few books – mostly the ones with the most pictures – and sat down with them on the sofa. Aziraphale sat at a desk by the window, explaining that he had to write up a report about his latest divine work among the humans.
Crowley was mesmerised by the colourful photos of plants. While he flicked through the pages he listened to the scratching of Aziraphale's pen on paper.
Occasionally the scratching stopped and Aziraphale would stare thoughtfully out of the window, or turn to ask Crowley if he was alright, and if he was enjoying the books. They stopped for lunch, and then moments after Aziraphale had gotten back to his work and picked up his pen, he set it down again and declared that he was going to go downstairs and make them both a hot drink.
"I can do it," Crowley offered. Aziraphale took him up on this offer, though there was an odd reluctance behind it, and Crowley couldn't help but suspect that Aziraphale was trying to procrastinate.
Not long after, Crowley handed Aziraphale a cup of tea.
"Oh thank you, my dear."
"You're welcome," Crowley said after a moment, bewildered that anyone would describe him as being 'dear' in any way whatsoever.
"Have you seen any plants you like in the books? Do you have a favourite?"
"I think the dragon plant is my favourite," Crowley said, picking up one of the books and then opening it to the correct page - he had memorised the page number. He showed the picture to Aziraphale. The plant had long, thin and pointy leaves which were green with bright red edges.
"Oh! Very elegant," said Aziraphale. "I'll try to find one for you."
Crowley couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. "Really? Thank you."
Aziraphale went back to his writing, and almost an hour later he folded the paper up and popped it into an envelope.
"I must drop this off at head office," Aziraphale said. "Will you be alright if I nip out for a couple of hours? I'll be as quick as I can."
Crowley nodded.
"Jolly good. I was thinking of picking up some fish and chips on the way home for dinner. Do you like fish and chips?"
Crowley nodded again. He had made his own chips by slicing up potatoes when Michael was his owner, and he had eaten all sorts of fish and enjoyed it.
"Perfect. Feel free to watch television or read a book - whatever you would like to do." Aziraphale paused. A nervous smile pulled at his mouth. "I hope you've had an alright time here so far. I want you to feel at home."
"I… Yes. Thank you," Crowley said, wanting Aziraphale to know that he was appreciative of everything he had done for him so far. He had been allowed to read, watch television and eat delicious food. He had even been allowed outside.
Aziraphale's smile widened, and then he said his goodbyes and left.
After a few minutes, Crowley put down the botanical book, picked up their teacups and then carried them downstairs carefully.
In a distant part of the building he heard a door close and the tinkle of a bell. That must have been the front door closing as Aziraphale left.
As Crowley washed and dried the cups, he looked out of the window at the patio, remembering how wonderful it had been to go outside. He hoped Aziraphale would let him go out there again soon.
Through the centuries, Crowley had always felt safest whenever his owners were out, and he felt no differently now. It was exhausting, constantly being on guard and trying to pre-empt an angel's wishes. This was the only time he could truly relax.
After putting the teacups away, he decided to explore. He looked in all of the cupboards, careful not to disturb anything, and then he went upstairs, pausing to admire every picture on the walls as he went past. He looked around the sitting room, then, his heart racing, he went to stand outside of Aziraphale's bedroom door. He was tempted to peek inside but he was terrified that he would get into trouble. Something occurred to him, and he touched the door, looking for a ward. He was surprised when his hand met no resistance. It shocked him that Aziraphale would not ward his own bedroom, but from what Crowley had learnt so far, Aziraphale tended to stay up all night anyway so maybe he didn't like sleeping.
His curiosity got the better of him, and he tried the door handle. He was amazed when the door started to open–
-and then his hand bumped into an invisible ward which lay just on other side of the door.
The door carried on opening into the room, the handle slipping out of his grasp. His heart jumped into his throat as he scrambled to grab the handle again, but the door had already swung open too far into the room, and he couldn't reach it with the ward in the way. Although the door was only open by a couple of feet, it was enough that it would be obvious that he had been trying to get in.
Crowley made a panicked noise, terrified that Aziraphale was going to react violently when he realised.
He had to get this door closed somehow, and fast.
He raced into his bedroom and searched through his clothes with shaking hands until he found a scarf. He tied the ends together to make a sort of lasso, and then raced back into the hall.
It took him a distressing number of tries, but eventually he managed to hook the door handle with the scarf and pull the door closed.
He went back into his bedroom, untied the scarf and then returned it to his wardrobe.
He threw himself down onto the bed, utterly exhausted. He lay there for a while, listening to his own ragged panting until his breathing levelled out and he became aware of a tapping sound against the window. He sat up to see what was making the noise.
Rain was pattering against the glass.
Crowley had seen rain before, but only through windows, he had never had the opportunity to feel it.
Trembling with anticipation, Crowley opened the window and breathed in deeply, intoxicated by the new smell. Tiny droplets of rain fell onto his hands as he pressed them against the ward, and more dripped onto the window sill. He tasted the rain on his fingers, and then he moved his face closer to the window.
He realised that he might be able to get closer to the rain if he went into the kitchen, and so he closed the window and then dashed downstairs, full of excitement.
Once in the kitchen, he looked at the clock. Aziraphale hadn't even been gone an hour yet, and he said he would be away for a couple of hours.
Heart pounding in his chest, Crowley turned the key and was surprised when the door unlocked. He tried the door handle, keeping a firm grip this time as the door swung open, expecting his hand to be stopped by a ward, but it wasn't. He reached outside. There was no ward. Rain droplets fell onto his sleeve and his bare hand.
He could go outside in the rain if he wanted to. There was no one here to stop him, and it was only a light drizzle so he wouldn't get too wet. He wanted to know what it felt like to stand in the rain.
He shouldn't do it. Aziraphale would be angry if he caught him, and yet he found himself stepping outside anyway, unable to resist, giddy with the thrill of it.
The water felt cool against his skin. He looked up and saw rain spiralling down towards him, it fell on his eyelashes, and then he opened his mouth and let the rain fall on his tongue.
It was like being in a shower, and yet, at the same time, it felt nothing like that at all.
He savoured this new experience, and he could have happily stayed outside in the rain much longer, but he decided to go back inside before he got soaked through. Besides, he was scared Aziraphale would come back early and catch him.
He locked the door again, and then went upstairs. He dried his hair, face and clothes on a towel, and then he used the hair dryer just to be sure that there was no evidence of what he had done. Aziraphale would never know.
Kneeling on the bed, Crowley gazed out of the window at the rain and felt triumphant. He had won a small victory. He, a demon, had managed to do something naughty without an angel knowing. He felt wonderfully wicked.
He heard the sound of a distant door opening within the shop, and looked over at the clock on the wall. Aziraphale had only been gone for an hour and a half. It was just as well he hadn't spent any longer outside.
As Crowley made his way downstairs he ran his fingers through his hair – perfectly dry.
As Crowley reached the bottom of the stairs, a door in the hallway opened and Aziraphale stepped through carrying a white, plastic bag. He saw Crowley and smiled. "Good timing! Here," Aziraphale said, holding out the plastic bag towards him. "The fish and chips. Please take them through to the kitchen and I'll join you in a moment."
Crowley took the bag and started towards the kitchen while Aziraphale turned around and went back through the doorway. Aziraphale did not close the door behind him, and Crowley slowed down to peer into the dark room beyond. He saw a wall of books, and then he refocused his attention on his task and marched away into the kitchen.
Through the window, Crowley could see that the rain was now coming down full force. He wondered how on Earth Aziraphale was still dry, but supposed that was easy for someone who could perform miracles.
Crowley placed the bag on the kitchen table and peered inside. The bag contained two small parcels wrapped in paper. He could smell the fish and chips within and it made his mouth water.
Crowley turned around to face Aziraphale as he came into the room, and his eyes widened. Aziraphale was carrying a huge potted plant in his arms. It was a dragon plant.
"I got you one of those dragon trees you said you like."
Crowley stared at the plant, unable to believe Aziraphale had done this for him. He was so overcome with emotion that for a moment he couldn't speak.
The plant was placed on the floor with a heavy thump.
Aziraphale straightened up. "Phew! Maybe I ought to have bought one of the smaller ones! But I did think this one was rather impressive. Slight change of plan though - the lady in the shop said they do better indoors, especially with English weather. Would you like to have it in your bedroom?"
Crowley opened and closed his mouth a few times.
"Or- You don't have to," Aziraphale said. "I suppose it would take up quite a lot of space. We could keep it in the sitting room upstairs if you prefer? I bought the plant for you. It's yours. So you can keep it wherever you would like it."
"It- It's for me?"
"Of course, my dear. I hope you like it."
"I- yes. I like it a lot. Thank you." Crowley moved towards the plant and touched the leaves, amazed that anyone would do something this kind for him.
"The taxi driver was rather surprised when I showed up with it!" Aziraphale said with a chuckle. "It would only just fit in the rear foot well."
A taxi - so that explained how Aziraphale had managed to keep himself dry.
Aziraphale went quiet. He was staring thoughtfully at the tiled flooring by the back door. Crowley followed his gaze, and his heart almost stopped.
There were wet footprints by the backdoor.
Aziraphale had come in through the shop itself so it was clear that the footprints were not his.
Crowley felt paralysed with fear. How could he have been so stupid? Especially after putting so much effort into drying himself.
"Did you go outside in the rain, Crawly?" Aziraphale asked.
"I- I- I'm sssorry. I just wanted to feel the rain-" Crowley was struggling to breathe. He expected Aziraphale to yell at him, attack him or punish him in some other way, maybe by making him stand out in the rain which was now hammering down full force. He wanted to run away but he was too frightened to move.
"It's alright," Aziraphale said. "You're not in any trouble. I ought to have put the ward back up really, but I honestly don't mind you going outside. There are wards up all around the perimeter anyway."
"I wasn't trying to escape," Crowley said quickly.
"I know. I believe you. The surrounding wards are to keep you safe as much as anything else. I wouldn't want to risk you getting lost or we would both get into terrible trouble. And I don't want to risk anyone sneaking in."
"I know what happens to demons that run away. I would never do that."
"It would be incredibly dangerous for a demon out there alone in the human world. I want to keep you safe."
Why wasn't Aziraphale angry? Crowley didn't know how to react.
"Please don't worry, Crawly. I would never hurt you, no matter what you do. You are safe here."
Crowley blinked away tears. "I shouldn't have gone outside without your permission. I'm so sorry."
"Apology accepted. For future reference, you are allowed in that courtyard whenever you like. And in the kitchen and in the sitting room upstairs too. This is your home too, and I want you to feel comfortable here. Forgive me, I should have made that clear before now. We are both still learning how to live together."
Crowley opened and closed his mouth a few times. Why was Aziraphale being so nice right now? Was it a trick? None of his old owners would have ever reacted in this way, and Aziraphale was even laying the blame on himself. It didn't make any sense. Surely he wasn't really allowed outside whenever he wanted? That didn't make any sense either. Crowley felt overwhelmed, and couldn't help but feel that Aziraphale would soon change his mind.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his plant. He turned away from it, unable to look at it. Surely, after what he had done, he would not be allowed to keep it.