Crowley didn't start his new job until the New Year, meaning he had the week leading up to Christmas – and the week after - completely free. He did some Christmas shopping and hung out with Anathema - who was thrilled to hear from Newton. Almost every day that week, Crowley brought Aziraphale lunch in his bookshop and kept him company while he worked on some book restorations.

On Friday evening while Crowley was in the backroom of the bookshop, Aziraphale received a call on his mobile. As soon as Gabriel's name flashed up on his screen, he sighed and muttered under his breath that this had better not be another attempt to pressure him into bringing extra food and drink.

Crowley, who was sprawled across the sofa with his head on Aziraphale's lap, gave him a comforting pat on the knee.

"Hallo, Gabriel. Yes. I'm quite alright. Beatrice? The girl you work with? What a surprise!" Aziraphale exclaimed with mock surprise. "Yes. I remember her from your parties. I'm very happy for you both, but isn't she married to that awful man? Oh, they split up last Friday! What luck! Well, I'm glad to hear it. Oh, how terrible! My goodness. I'm glad she gave him the boot. Yes. I'm very happy for you. Oh? Crowley? Yes, he's here with me now actually. I'll tell him. Oh, good. Yes. Have a lovely evening with Beatrice. Yes, I will. Yes. Goodbye."

Aziraphale hung up. "My word."

"Bee ditched Lu?"

"Yes. She caught him at a bar kissing another woman and promptly 'ripped him a new one,' as Gabriel put it. And the other woman threw her drink in his face!"

"Please tell me that Bee has moved out?"

"She has. Gabriel, Dagon and Sandy all helped her move into Dagon's place, and when Lucas got angry about her moving out, Sandy got in his face and scared him off. She's going to live with Dagon until she can get somewhere of her own, although I suspect she's going to be spending most of her time with Gabriel."

"I bet she is. I'd almost feel bad for Lu if he wasn't such a knob. I'm glad the woman at the bar saw his true colours."

Aziraphale nodded. "It was difficult pretending I didn't already know about Gabriel and Bee's relationship. Gabriel was acting as though they'd only just started seeing each other. I hope I was convincing."

"You were, yeah," Crowley said. He swallowed, nervous suddenly. "Er. Did Gabriel want you to tell me something? I'm very aware right now that the main reason Gabriel stopped trying to split us up was because I found out about him and Bee, so…"

"It's quite alright. He asked me to thank you for 'being such a good friend to Bee and everything' and that you'd know what I meant. He's also asked me to keep their relationship quiet for now, as he's still wary of Lucas finding out about them this soon after they split up. But he said I could tell you. He was so excited about Bee ditching Lu that he forgot to even mention Christmas day and that wine I owe him."

"The one we drank together?"

"The very same. Luckily I picked one up at Waitrose. Two actually. I thought we could share one. For old times' sake."

"The olden days of three weeks ago?"

"Oh! You're right! It was exactly three weeks ago that we first met! That makes it our anniversary. I'll grab the wine so we can celebrate…"

"No arguing with that."

"Ugh," Crowley groaned as the curtains were pulled back and the early morning light filtered in.

"Merry Christmas, Crowley!" Aziraphale exclaimed cheerfully.

"Merry Christmas, angel. What time is it?"

"8am, sleepy head. I've made you a cup of coffee, and would you believe it – Santa's been!"

Crowley shifted in bed, dislodging several presents that had been placed around him on the bed while he'd slept. "So he has. I suggest you have a peek inside your wardrobe."

Aziraphale gave him a confused look and then opened the doors to his antique wardrobe, revealing a red and white Santa's sack which Crowley had smuggled into the bookshop a few days ago. He'd snuck it upstairs while Aziraphale had been deeply engrossed in a book repair.

"Oh! You minx!"

"Surely you didn't think Santa would forget an angel like you. Even if you have been very naughty."

"If I'm on his naughty list then you definitely are, you wicked fiend." Aziraphale smirked as he jumped into bed beside him, bringing the bag along.

Crowley sat up, looking at the presents Aziraphale had scattered all around him. He made a sound of mock annoyance. "Tartan wrapping paper? How do you always manage to find tartan versions of everything? Tartan isn't festive, angel."

"It's red and green," Aziraphale said defensively while rooting around inside the Santa's sack and then pulling out a present. The wrapping paper was black with gold stars. "Does it matter which one I open first?"

"Nah," said Crowley, picking up his cup of coffee from where Aziraphale had placed it for him on the bedside table.

Aziraphale tore the paper free, revealing a giftbox which contained a mug with angel wings for a handle and a jar of 'Heavenly' Hot Chocolate. The mug didn't look very practical, but it made Crowley smile when he saw it in the shop. "Oh, how delightful! I love it! Look at those darling little wings! Oh, thank you so much!" Aziraphale handed Crowley one of the tartan-wrapped presents. "Here, I think you should open this one first."

Crowley put down his coffee on the bedside table and then unwrapped his first present, soon finding himself holding a black mug with a snake wound around it, the tail making the handle. "Oh! This is awesome! The snake looks just like Crawly."

"That was my thinking," Aziraphale said with a smile after taking a sip of his own coffee. "Perhaps I should have waited until we'd opened all our presents before making our morning coffee. Although, I think it'll be fun to christen both mugs with this Heavenly cocoa."

"Definitely."

Aziraphale had barely opened his next two presents before he was wearing them over his pyjamas – a tartan scarf in shades of beige, and a Christmas jumper which depicted a cheerful snowman wearing a red and green tartan bowtie and a matching top hat.

Crowley was currently wearing one of his presents too – a hoodie with a black and red scale print. His other two presents - a cool belt with a snake buckle and a box of fancy mint chocolates - were sat on his lap. He planned to wear the belt today, and he was currently trying to resist opening the box of chocolates.

"You know," said Aziraphale, "for someone who dislikes tartan so much, you've certainly brought me quite a lot of tartan."

"Yeah, well. I didn't expect so many shops to sell tartan stuff. It's a travesty, but what's a man to do when his angel is crazy for tartan? There should be one last present in the bottom of the bag – no tartan in sight on this one. Please tell me I didn't forget it…"

Aziraphale excitedly rummaged around in the bag. "Oh, yes, here it is. I can't believe I almost missed one."

Aziraphale unwrapped the last present and gasped. He held a collector's edition of A Christmas Carol. It was a reproduction of the original 1843 edition, complete with the same elegant red cover and illustrations.

Crowley knew that Aziraphale already owned two copies of A Christmas Carol – an extremely early edition worth thousands of pounds which he kept locked away and hardly ever dared to look at, let alone open, and an old but certainly not vintage copy which was now so delicate from constant rereads that Aziraphale had been forced to rebind it once already. Crowley had learnt all of this while they were watching the film two week ago.

"Oh, Crowley, it's beautiful. Thank you so much. It looks just like the original edition I own from the 1840s! It's even got the same illustrations."

"Yep. And you'll be able to read this one without fretting about damaging it."

Aziraphale kissed him deeply, and Crowley drew him in closer by his tartan scarf.

"What do you mean, you were gonna walk?" Crowley said as the car pulled up outside Gabriel's building. "With all those heavy bags?"

"I've done it before," Aziraphale said. "It's not that far really. 45 minutes at most. And I wouldn't want to make a taxi driver work on Christmas Day. Uriel sometimes picks me up, but she's made it clear in the past that she'd rather not. Besides, It's a nice bit of exercise." As Gabriel often reminded him. Aziraphale forced a smile. He was nervous. Not just about having to face Gabriel and Uriel - who had a habit of ganging up on him - but also because he'd be meeting Crowley's mother for the first time in a few hours.

"Would you like me to come in with you?" Crowley asked.

"No, no. I think it'll be easier to make my excuses and dash off if you're waiting for me. So long as you're sure you'll be alright out here?"

"Yep, I'll be fine. And if it's all a bit much, you can always message me. I can burst in and rescue you at a moment's notice."

Aziraphale gave him a smile. "That's very heroic of you, my dear. Thank you."

Crowley looked over at the block of flats. "Heh. You know, it's kinda funny. This is where we first met."

Aziraphale chuckled. "Yes, and I don't think I'll ever be able to go up on that roof again without blushing, you wicked fiend."

Crowley laughed, a wide grin on his face.

Aziraphale kissed him goodbye, grabbed his bags and then headed away down the path towards the swanky block of flats.

He typed in the code to the building, let himself in, and then went upstairs.

It was a couple of minutes after knocking on the door that it finally opened, revealing Uriel looking elegant in a gold dress with matching eyeshadow and lip gloss. "Merry Christmas," she said, and then immediately swished away down the hallway into the kitchen. She sat down at the dining table next to Gabriel who was busy chopping vegetables.

Gabriel was also stylishly dressed, wearing a pristine, expensive-looking white shirt with a grey suit. Aziraphale secretly hoped he'd get cranberry sauce all over it.

Setting the bags down on the kitchen table, Aziraphale smiled. "Hello, Gabriel! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you to. Did you remember the profiteroles?"

"Yes, yes. In here, along with your presents."

Uriel took the profiteroles out of the bag, nodding in approval before putting them in the fridge.

"Your presents are under the Christmas tree," Gabriel said, gesturing to the living room with a knife. He looked Aziraphale up and down and then snorted. "What on earth are you wearing? You look like you've had a fight with a Christmas tree."

"Oh," said Aziraphale, looking down at his Christmas jumper and mumbled something about feeling festive.

"Hides a multitude of sins, I suppose," Gabriel muttered as he got back to his chopping.

Aziraphale glared at him but didn't say anything. He resisted the urge to offer to help like he usually would, reminding himself that he wasn't staying. Instead he picked up the bag of presents he'd brought with him. "What should I…?"

"Leave them under the tree," said Gabriel. "But leave the wine here."

Aziraphale took two wine bottles out of the bag.

"C'mon," said Uriel, and led Aziraphale into the living room where there was a large Christmas tree covered in silver decorations and bright lights. Aziraphale added to the pile of presents under the tree and then Uriel handed him his own presents which he put into the bag, filling it up again. He'd unwrap them later.

Last year Gabriel's present to him had been a 6-month membership to a gym. Aziraphale had ended up giving it away to a customer who would actually make use of it. Uriel had given him a gift card for a well-known chain of bookshops, and while that might be a thoughtful gift for most booklovers, it was perhaps ill-advised to give a bookshop owner a gift card for their nearest competitor. Besides, Aziraphale purchased all of his contemporary books wholesale from his suppliers. At least the other bookshop didn't run a book binding service like his did. But what the other bookshop did have was a coffee shop on the second floor, so Aziraphale spent the entire sum of money on cakes and hot drinks.

Once they'd returned to the kitchen, Uriel inspected the wine Aziraphale had brought along, opened it, and then topped up her and Gabriel's wineglasses. As an afterthought she turned to Aziraphale, "Would you like a glass?"

"Oh, thanks but no. I'd better get going. Crowley is waiting in the car."

"Who?"

Aziraphale realised that he'd never told Uriel about Crowley. This was the first time he'd seen her in months, and he didn't tend to call or text her as he wasn't especially fond of her. She was a bit of a bully, when the mood struck her, and she had a temper worse than Gabriel. He'd assumed they'd been gossiping about his relationship and was surprised to find that she didn't even know about it. "My partner."

Uriel's eyes bulged. "You have a boyfriend?!" She turned towards Gabriel. "You hearing this?"

"Yeah," Gabriel said, rolling his eyes and then getting back to chopping the carrots. "Don't get too excited. They've only been seeing each other for a couple of weeks."

"A little over three weeks actually," Aziraphale corrected. His heart leapt into his throat as Uriel raced to the kitchen window and peered out, nose pressed against the glass.

"Is that him? With the red hair? He's cute."

Aziraphale's face heated up. "Yes to all of the above. But- Uriel! What are you doing?!"

Uriel had dashed into the hallway and was currently opening the front door. "You have to introduce us! C'mon!" she shouted before sprinting away down the stairs.

"Nooooooooo!" Aziraphale cried after her. She failed to respond so he gave Gabriel a desperate look, but he merely shrugged and went back to his carrots.

Aziraphale raced after Uriel, but by the time he'd caught up with her she was already opening the passenger side door – the absolute nerve! – and introducing herself to Crowley who was staring at her in bewilderment.

"Good grief, Uriel!" Aziraphale shouted as he reached the car. "Leave the poor fellow alone!"

"I'm fine, angel," said Crowley.

Uriel laughed. "Angel?! Oh my god, that's adorable."

Aziraphale felt his cheeks heat up as Crowley explained why he called him that nickname.

"A Christmas party?" Uriel glared back at the flat. "Gabriel never invited me." She shook her head. "Never mind. So. Do you have photos? Of Zira dressed up as an angel?"

"No," said Crowley, sounding genuinely disappointed about it.

Aziraphale decided against telling them that he'd taken photos of himself dressed up before the party.

Uriel grinned at Aziraphale. "Do you remember when we were in primary school, and you were an angel in the school play?"

"Er..."

"Well, I found the old photos in the back of a cupboard. Now I'm extra excited I brought them along!"

Aziraphale watched in slow-motion horror as she produced a set of photos from a pocket in her dress. She drew one from the pile and thrust it towards Crowley who took it eagerly.

"Gosh!" Crowley gasped. "You look adorable! How old were you?"

"Oh, give it here. Really, Uriel, you're unbearable."

Aziraphale squeezed past Uriel and climbed into the passenger's seat. He held out his hand and Crowley reluctantly gave him the photograph.

"He was seven," said Uriel. "He was a cute kid, huh? Now he's just a big grump."

Aziraphale gave her a warning look which she ignored.

"If it makes you feel any better," Crowley said to Aziraphale. "My mum is definitely going to show you several albums worth of embarrassing photos of me."

Uriel pulled out another photo and handed it to Aziraphale. "Here's one of Gabriel in the school nativity. Do you remember? I think he must have been nine?"

Aziraphale did remember. Gabriel's teacher had thought she was being very clever by casting Gabriel as the archangel Gabriel. The photo showed him pointing ominously at a girl dressed in blue.

"Oh my god! Let me see!" Crowley took the photo and then immediately burst into laughter.

"You should come inside. Both of you," Uriel said. "It's freezing out here. You can have a glass of wine before you go. And there's mince pies."

"We really need to get going. Crowley's mother will be waiting." Aziraphale looked at Crowley who was still laughing at the photo. Crowley gave him an easy-going shrug.

Aziraphale sighed, somewhat tempted by the promise of mince pies. "I have left the bag of presents inside, and I should say goodbye to Gabriel properly. Crowley, would you like to come inside, just for a moment?"

Crowley was already unfastening his safety belt. "Yeah, why not. I'm sure we can spare a few minutes. I'd better bring Crawly in with me though."

"Crawly?" said Uriel as Crowley got out of the car and opened the back door. Her eyes widened as he lifted Crawly's travel tank from the back seat. "Eww! Is that a snake?"

A voice piped up from nearby. "Holy shit, the famous danger noodle!" Aziraphale turned to see Beatrice strolling towards them down the street.

"Hallo!" Aziraphale said with a wave. She waved back.

"Bee!" Crowley called. "I didn't know you were gonna be here!" He grinned as she came up beside him and peered into the tank.

"Sorry I missed your leaving do," said Beatrice. "I was too busy telling Lucas to go fuck himself."

"I'm glad you're finally rid of him."

All four of them – five, if you counted Crawly, which Aziraphale did – headed inside, although Uriel kept her distance from Crawly.

The mince pies were delicious.

Two hours later, they were pulling up outside of Crowley's mother's cottage.

Aziraphale gazed out of the car window at the garden, filled to bursting with shrubbery, trees and winter flowers. "I can see where you get your green fingers," he said, trying to sound chipper, but he could hear the nerves in his voice.

Aziraphale adjusted his festive bowtie in the fold-down mirror and then corrected his collar once again before plucking lint from his jumper.

Crowley touched his arm. "You look perfect, angel."

"Thank you."

"She's going to love you, I promise," Crowley said with a smile, the warmth in his expression making Aziraphale feel better. Crowley looked beyond him out of the car window and started to wave. "She's in the living room window."

Heart in his throat, Aziraphale turned and then he saw her. She had long dark ringlets cascading down over her shoulders, and she was wearing a red and green stripy Christmas jumper. A huge smile lit up her face as she waved excitedly at them.

Aziraphale waved back, and then he returned his attention to Crowley. "What should we- The bags?"

"We'll just bring the box of desserts inside for now. And Crawly, of course. We'll come back for the rest later."

Aziraphale looked behind him at the backseat. There was a plastic box containing his soufflé, his Christmas pudding, a tin of chocolates, and the gingerbread house kit. According to Crowley, his mother was excited to help build it - she'd even set aside some sweets which they could melt and use in the windows to give a stained-glass effect.

Next to the dessert box was Crawly's travel tank, and she'd just popped her head up to say hello.

"Right," said Aziraphale. "I'm ready."

They smiled at each other and then they both opened their car doors in unison.

Author's Note

Originally I wanted Crowley to give Aziraphale a first edition of A Christmas Carol for Christmas, so I did some research…. 'A true first edition (from the first printing) is generally worth from $18,000 to $45,000….' and I decided that, even if Crowley is wealthy enough - which I guess he could be, considering he lives in Mayfair - that's still way too much to spend on someone you've only known for a few weeks, especially when they'll know exactly how much you must have spent. But I love the idea that Aziraphale already owns a first edition – perhaps he inherited it from his father along with the bookshop – but is too scared to even look at it!

While researching I discovered that there's a collectors edition that looks just like the original so I thought that would be a good present for Aziraphale.

I checked to see if Aziraphale would be able to get a taxi to Gabriel's house on Christmas day. Because I foolishly assumed taxi ranks would be closed. Nope. Just double fare. I still believe he'd rather walk than make someone work Christmas day though!

I like to think that Crowley and Aziraphale will get married, have the Bentley as their wedding car, and then live happily ever after!

Thank you so much for reading this story through to the end!

Merry Christmas! Enjoy the holidays!