The stunned duo were not so frozen in place anymore once they noticed a perked up Muriel coming out of the bookshop and immediately launching forward to grasp Cassi's hand in theirs. One minute the partners were by the window, the next they were tripping over the curve trying to get to the young girl before she was frightened away.
"Has anyone mentioned how loved you are?" The duo heard Muriel state as they approached them. "You radiate it." She squeezed Cassi's hands.
Cassi cleared her throat, semi wondering if she stepped into some sort weird part in Soho. "Ngk, thanks?"
"Now, now, that's quite alright, Muriel." Aziraphale began, making the innocent angel release the girl. "Why don't you go help Maggie organize her records, I'm sure she would appreciate the help."
Muriel grinned. "Ah, yes! Jolly good. Nice meeting you." They said to Cassi before skipping to the record shop.
Aziraphale sighed in relief and set his eyes upon the girl before him. "Oh." He softly uttered while his eyes began to gloss. Cassiopeia was indeed the spitting image of her fathers. She was miracled around eighty years prior and yet, she looked like a typical twenty-year-old human. She had Aziraphale's complexion and soft features, mixed with Crowley's nose and eye shape. Her long curly hair was Crowley's own hell red with one lone strand matching Aziraphale's blonde locks. She seemed to be around 5'3-5'4 in height, and lithe like Crowley. As she turned to said demon, the sunlight revealed her eyes; they were gorgeous. They were grey with what looked like the universe, stars, and nebulas around the pupil's rims. The angel could have sworn movement on the constellations within her eyes. "Yo - you're here." His voice broke.
"Hello." Crowley interjected, giving Aziraphale seconds to compose himself. "Crowley," he introduced. He was fine and normal until Cassi smiled back at him, revealing how much she looked like Aziraphale when doing so. He gasped in surprise, not at all wanting to emanate the embarrassing noise out loud.
Having two complete strangers go from polite to, well, odd was exactly how people would get snatched. "Erm, I should probably…" Cassi began to step away.
"No!" The ineffable parents exclaimed in unison.
The confused girl raised an eyebrow all the whole contemplating on how to take down two grown men if need be. Surely, they wouldn't take her hostage with so many witnesses. She looked past them, looking for a clean exit until, "Oh!" She exclaimed. "What a beauty."
Both Aziraphale and Crowley followed Cassi's eyes to the illegally parked Bentley. "You like my car?" Crowley grinned, clearly proud of himself.
"Our car, dearest."
Cassi looked between them and untensed her shoulders. "Oh." She said to no one, realizing she was perfectly safe. "You're the owner of this bookshop?"
It was Aziraphale's turn to look pleased. "Yes, yes I am." He smiled approvingly, "I'm Aziraphale."
"Nice meeting you." Cassi nodded as she took out her slick black phone from her pocket and opened Instagram. "I was in Mayfair and thought I could pop by. I saw your posts and noticed your delicious book collection." Definitely their daughter thought Crowley as he mentally rolled his eyes. "I have been looking for a first edition Jane Eyre. I don't suppo - "
"Yes, I do!" Aziraphale shrieked. "Please, dear, do make yourself at home." He led the way in. "I have all the Brontë sisters if you so like to partake in all their works."
"Jane Eyre would do, thank you." Cassi replied as she looked about the bookshop. "Lovely shop. You seldom see a bookshop such as this one these days." Once again, Aziraphale looked quite proud of himself. "Not much reading going on by people lately, I'm afraid."
"Do much reading, do ya?" Crowley asked as he closed the door behind them, turning the closed sign to very closed. Cassi's curls bounced as she nodded. "This one too. Practically ignores me when reading something. Ignores me for years when something good catches his eye." The demon led her towards the back and invited her to sit on the sofa while Aziraphale looked for the requested Jane Eyre. "So," Crowley began to feel rather anxious as he sat one the armchair, opposite of his daughter, "you…" It was one thing to know of her existence on paper but to have her in front of him, in the flesh. To have the love he and Aziraphale had/have for each other manifest into something, someone, and for her to be staring back at him with those eyes. It was breathtaking and beautiful. Crowley only assumed it was the same feeling new parents felt once they laid eyes on their child for the first time.
"Here we are." Aziraphale softly declared as he handed books to Cassi. "Jane Eyre by Currer Bell, published 1847, volumes one, two, and three." Crowley moved from his seat and onto the armchair's arm, making way for Aziraphale to sit on the chair itself. Their faces showed much adoration as Cassi's face lit up.
"Holy shit!" Cassi's eyes widened in amazement, "Wow, I can't believe you have these. My God, I've been searching for these for years." Aziraphale's face fell somewhat from the blasphemy Cassi had spoken; meanwhile, Crowley grinned ear to ear. "How much?" She beamed up at the couple.
"Word with you, angel." Crowley demanded, trying his hardest not to let his feelings discorporate him. Hell was certainly not providing him with another body. "Er, feel free to explore, while we um…think of a price and all that good stuff."
Aziraphale quickly followed his partner to the back office. "Crowley." He launched at the tall demon once inside and made sure the door was closed. "She's perfect." His face dazzled as he took off Crowley's glasses. "She…oh," Aziraphale gave Crowley a quick peck on the lips, "she looks like you; she's beautiful."
"Me? Did you not notice how she is your spitting image?" Crowley looked beyond Aziraphale, towards the door. "I can't feel it as much as you but," he placed a kiss on Aziraphale's forehead, "I did feel something around her. Different from when I'm with you. Made my chest heavy."
Aziraphale's eyes soften, "Oh, my dearest, that's the love emanating from her. It's very strong if I do say so."
Crowley scrunched his nose. "It's nice but it makes me feel funny to the point where I want to punch her in the face."
"Awe…what?" Aziraphale pulled back slightly.
"You know how you see parents telling their kids how adorable they are and say 'oh, I can just eat you up', well it's something like that."
"No. I don't think…don't punch her, please."
"I didn't say I was going to. I said it felt like that. Makes me feel weird."
"Love? Love makes you feel weird?"
"Er…mmm…nononono…not," Crowley pinched his nose trying to figure out the right words, "I mean I love you, obviously…" he paused as Aziraphale kissed him. "What was that for?"
"It's the first time you've told me you love me."
"No, no, I've said it before. You just weren't paying attention."
"When?"
"That time I asked you to run away with me, erm, I did it twice."
Aziraphale rolled his eyes. "How would I have guessed that was the sa - forget it. Regardless," he pulled him closer and captured his demon's lips with his, "I love you too." He whispered and sighed happily. "I apologize for not telling you sooner."
Crowley tightened his arms around Aziraphale's waist. "It's an odd feeling." He murmured as he pressed his forehead on Aziraphale's own. "The love, I mean. I know I love you and unfortunately, I can't feel it from you, but Cassi exhumes this feeling. I forgot what love felt like but it's as if she projects how you feel about me."
"Oh, Crowley." Aziraphale warped his arms around Crowley's neck, lowering him more down towards him and, once again, kissing those devilish lips of his. The kiss deepened as Crowley leaned forward and bit Aziraphale's bottom lip, earning a little gasp from the angel. Crowley's tongue snaked inside the warm mouth of his partner, savoring, and memorizing what he tasted like. Aziraphale produced a small moan, making Crowley a little too hungry as he pushed the angel back towards the door. Crowley pressed his lithe body against the angel's supply one, his hands taking a mind of their own when they began to untuck his partner's shirt, trying their best to reach skin. "Gosh," Aziraphale breathlessly said when Crowley began to trail kisses along his jaw, "it's 1941 all over again."
"Now, why would you say that?" Crowley asked playfully. "Are you leading me on again and will eventually tell me to bugger off?"
"I wouldn't dare." The angel smirked. Crowley continued to devour Aziraphale's jaw however, "Wait. Stop." He pushed the demon away. Crowley looked annoyed and before he could retort, Aziraphale reminded him the last time they did this, they produced a miracle and said miracle was waiting for them in the other room.
"It's as if your body hates me." Crowley groaned. "Is it my breath? I taste like espresso, is that it?"
Aziraphale adjusted his shirt and bowtie. "No. You taste divine. It's just," he lowered his voice, "not right now. We are forgetting ourselves." He opened the door, gesturing Crowley to follow.
"I am not forgetting myself." The demon grumbled as he put his glasses back into place. "I know where I bloody am and want to be."
The couple halted their steps when they noticed Muriel was back. "...but I'm afraid it's the policy."
Aziraphale stepped closer. "Muriel?"
Muriel sprang up from the sofa. "Oh, Mr. Supreme Archangel, sir, I was just telling her how we are not permitted to sell books at the moment because, well, you know." They winked.
Cassi stood and, to Aziraphale surprise, conjured up a grin all too familiar to him. It was the same one Crowley used when he was up to no good. "My lovely," her voice was calm and with a hint of allure, "I think it's in your best interest to sell me this. It would be marvelous, do you think?"
"Well, I…"
"Think about it, three less books to shelf, to keep in stock, and to…hmm…you shall now have three little spaces left for new books. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
"Oh, I suppose it does." Muriel smiled. "Alright, you may have the books."
"How delightful you are." Cassi scrunched her nose and gave Muriel a thumbs up.
Aziraphale had to admit to himself, he was a bit taken aback by the scene he had just witnessed. The girl he had met not minutes before was sweet, innocent and full of curiosity from what he had gathered. Aziraphale looked between Crowley and Cassi. Cassi may have been the spitting image of Aziraphale, like the demon had said; however, it seemed as though when she tempted/persuaded someone, the angel could see nothing but a female version of Crowley.
The novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte was originally published under the pen name, Currer Bell. During that period, novels were typically published in volumes.
