Hey guys, Hope you're enjoying 'Aziraphale's Forest Flavours' btw, I really enjoyed imagining how one would go about preparing meals and cooking in the wilderness, plus what foods would be available to him also.

As you can see the plot is starting to unfold, so prepare yourselves for this week's chapters...and tell me your thoughts in the comments, enjoy the next chapter, much love xox

XOXOXOXOXOX

Three days of chugging down painkillers, plus he'd almost called in sick to work on the first day, and finally the last of Crowley's aches was gone. His back was still itchy, but that had lessened to the point of only needing to absentmindedly scratch it occasionally, so even that wasn't bothering him so much anymore. Despite his lack of ails now though, Crowley still couldn't help feeling that his teeth were somehow different.

Every day he caught himself subconsciously running his tongue over them multiple times throughout day, and spending long minutes staring at them in the mirror both morning and night. He was certain that the canines were bigger and sharper than they used to be, however the more days that passed, and the longer that he stared at them, the less certain he became. Maybe they'd always been like that, and he was just being paranoid because of all of his other aches, maybe he'd dreamt it, or it could be that his teeth were moving, that was another age related thing, wasn't it?

As the week wore on, and time got closer to when he could see his troll again, Crowley started considering what to do about his body's affliction to sleeping in the forest. Unfortunately, the internet didn't have much in the way if helpful ideas to offer him besides allergy tips and solutions, and camping equipment. There was also that one website that he clicked on that told him why he should become a tree after death. It was an interesting option to consider, but not helpful to his current predicament.

After an evening of fruitless searching, Crowley resigned himself to simply taking more pillows so that he wasn't sitting directly on the hard ground, and a sleeping bag to cushion the nest further. He really hoped that would help, otherwise he was going to have to start smuggling Aziraphale into his flat to sleep.

That was an idea, wasn't it? Yes!

A thousand thoughts, ideas, and plans had run through his mind all at once. Then he'd frowned deeply.

No.

Actually it was a terrible idea. No, never mind.

Aziraphale belonged in the forest, and not because he wasn't human, but because that was his home, his sanctuary, even Crowley preferred to be there over his flat, or anywhere else for that matter. He was connected to nature in a way that Crowley couldn't even comprehend, it would be wrong of him to pull Aziraphale away from that. Thinking about it further, he realised that it would be almost cruel of him to subject Aziraphale to a world that would never accept him, where they would have to live in fear of him being discovered. Crowley had watched enough movies to know how that would all play out, he was safe in the forest, and Crowley would not be the one to jeopardise that. Being together in the forest was far better for both of them he firmly concluded, and besides Aziraphale had never shown any interest in leaving his home. Crowley would figure out how to sleep outdoors comfortably, and everything would be fine, he was sure of it, he had to be.

A couple of days later Crowley was back at Eden Forest, laden with his usual back pack, including a new selection of books, plus two pillows tied to his bag, and a sleeping bag in a sack that strapped across his chest. Aziraphale had offered to carry the sack for him, which he was grateful for, his backpack seemed to get heavier each time he visited, and was likely true since he brought more and more things with him every time.

After the long walk, he was glad to have the bag off of his back upon arrival at the cabin, and idly considered getting a gym membership while stretching his back. Luckily he wasn't covered in sweat that time, as the day was on the cooler side for summer, though he had needed to take his jumper off half way there.

A drink of water was needed to wash down the berries they'd eaten along the way, and then Crowley untied the pillows from his bag and headed to the other room with both the pillows and the sleeping bag. The intention was to set it all up now so that it didn't matter what they did later, it would be ready for when they went to bed. It was a lot of fun to be spontaneous with Aziraphale, he never knew what they were going to do, where they would go, or what they would eat, but he always had a good time.

"Is that one of those blanket cocoons that humans sleep inside of?" Aziraphale asked, as he followed Crowley into the bedroom, apparently only just realising what he'd been carrying, "I've seen campers use them."

"Yeah, it's called a sleeping bag," Crowley nodded, "but it can-"

"Why did you bring it? Y-you don't want to sleep together?" Aziraphale interrupted, bottom lip wobbling, tail held close to his body.

"'Course I do, Angel, it's for your nest," Crowley explained, gently taking his hand to hold.

"Our nest," Aziraphale corrected him quietly.

Oh, that was a new development.

"I was just going to lay it underneath me for extra padding," he continued, "unfortunately sleeping here isn't doing my body any favours, and I want to keep staying here with you, so I need to figure out how to make it more comfortable."

"Oh," Aziraphale looked down at their joined hands, "I didn't realise that, I don't want you to be uncomfortable, Crowley."

"It's just some aches and pains, I didn't want to worry you, just need to find a solution that's all," Crowley told him, downplaying it a bit, and giving his hand a squeeze, "I'll be alright."

"You, um, you don't have to stay, if-"

"Aziraphale, listen to me, I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be, okay?" Crowley interjected, not even letting him finish that train of thought.

The troll nodded slowly, "I just don't like the idea of you hurting because of me."

"I'd go through more than a little pain and discomfort for you, Angel," Crowley assured him, and somehow wasn't surprised to find that he meant it. "Do you mind if I set this up?" he indicted to the sleeping bag, trying to end that line of conversation.

"Go ahead," Aziraphale allowed, turning his attention to the pillows instead, "Do you always sleep with this many pillows?"

"No, I usually just sleep with one, I brought an extra one for sitting on the ground," Crowley explained, "but you're welcome to it if you want one."

Aziraphale hesitated, eyeing the pillows for a few moments before he picked one up, examining it, hand pushing into the middle, and then flipping it over and doing the same thing, "Hmm, the material feels kind of odd but it's so soft inside," he commented, "are you sure I can have it?"

Crowley smiled as he laid out the sleeping bag on the side of the nest against the wall where he usually slept, "Yep, all yours, Angel."

The next moment, Crowley heard a loud riiiiiiiip, he whirled around to find that Aziraphale had torn the pillow in half, and was already pulling the stuffing out. He almost cried out for the troll to stop, as that wasn't what the pillow was meant for, but caught himself before it came out of his mouth. Instead Crowley watched silently as Aziraphale knelt down and started to tuck the stuffing into the nest, filling up any gaps, and replacing anything he deemed no good anymore.

"Thank you, I haven't had many new materials to work with in a while," he said folding up the empty pillow casing and sitting it on top of a pile of books.

"You're welcome," Crowley shrugged to himself, realising that he'd left his pillow there from last time anyway, so he still had two pillows, "I brought you some other things too…"

"Oh?" Aziraphale's ears perked in interest.

"Yeah, 's'in my bag," he told the troll.

While Crowley placed his pillow in the nest, their nest, as Aziraphale had made a point of calling it, the troll hurried off to grab his backpack, returning with it momentarily. The bag was sat at Crowley's feet, and Aziraphale took a step back, waiting with same undercurrent of excitement as a dog waiting for a treat, complete with fidgety tail.

Crowley huffed a laugh at the display, "You're adorable," he murmured, ducking his head to give his troll a quick kiss.

It was always nice to see Aziraphale blush from compliments, he enjoyed making Aziraphale feel good in every way possible. Kneeling down, Crowley unzipped his bag, pulling out a couple of things before he got to what he was after.

Of course, he had five new books for the troll, like usual, which he handed to Aziraphale, "Hang on though, I've got something else for you too," Crowley told him, noting that he was about to get lost in book land for a few minutes, "here, I brought you a towel so you can get dry quicker after bathing in the colder seasons."

"You're so thoughtful, Crowley," Aziraphale smiled softly, taking the offered towel, "oh," his eyes lit up, then he rubbed the towel against his cheek," it's so soft. Thank you," he leaned down showing his appreciation with a kiss. Putting the towel aside Aziraphale bent to pick up his books when his tail and ears perked up and he released the books again, "Oh, I almost forgot!"

Without another word, Aziraphale ran out of the room a second time. Crowley raised his eyebrows in response, but figured that he'd be back in a moment and stayed where he was, putting his things back in his bag. It seemed that he was correct, Aziraphale came back a minute later holding his hand behind his back, and stood directly in front of Crowley, looking a little timid.

"Erm, so I made you something..." he brought his hand out from behind his back, which delicately held a dainty circle of brightly coloured flowers, threaded together through their stems, "I never have anything to give you in return for all of the wonderful things you bring me...and, um, I thought the colours would look pretty in your hair."

"Aziraphale, I told you I don't need anything in return," Crowley reminded him lightly as he laid his hand over the one holding the flowers, which he realised was three separate strands plaited together, "but this is very sweet," he bowed his head, "go on then, let's see how it looks."

He could see Aziraphale's tail flicking about anxiously in his peripheral as he gently placed the ring of flowers on Crowley's auburn hair, settling it just above his ears. After a few slight adjustments, Aziraphale stepped back, and Crowley looked up at him earnestly.

"Well...how do I look?"

The way Aziraphale gazed at him with hearts in his eyes said it all.

"You look lovely, my dear."

"Yeah?" he grinned.

Crowley pulled out his phone to have a look with the camera, snapping a quick photo to immortalise the gift after having a good look.

"I love it," he announced brightly, shoving his phone back in his pocket, "but where's yours?"

"Oh, I only made one for you," Aziraphale admitted.

"Well we're gonna have to remedy that so I can get a photo of us together with our flower crowns," he all but demanded. "Maybe you can show me how to make one for you."

"If you would like to..." he swayed, ears quivering as he tried to hide an eager smile, "You sure like to take plenty of photos."

"Why not," Crowley shrugged cheerfully, "You have my shirt for when I'm not here, I have photos of you to keep me company, plus I can look back at all of the things we've done together, definitely helps me feel better after a long day at work," he explained, shuffling forward on his knees to circle his arms around Aziraphale, holding him close, cheek to belly fur as he recalled many nights of flicking through said photos.

"I understand, I, too, feel less alone when I have your shirt with me," Aziraphale confessed tenderly.

"Well, how about it then? Did you have any other plans for us today?"

"No, not really, my dear, just the usual foraging for dinner, which we can do later."

"And what's on the menu tonight, chef?" Crowley inquired, feeling quite soothed by the subtle movement of Aziraphale's tummy as he breathed in and out.

"How does soup sound?" Aziraphale asked, looking down at him and running his claws carefully through Crowley's hair so as not to disturb the crown.

"Mm, it's a good day for it," he slightly nodded, making his cheek rub in the troll's fur.

"Would you like to go now then? We can spend some time at the big clearing, and then gather what we need for the soup on the way back," Aziraphale proposed.

"That sounds like a perfect plan, Angel, I'm game."

Crowley refilled his water bottle from Aziraphale's water supply, and tied his jumper around his waist while the troll picked out a big container to put the food they gathered in, and then they were off again. They'd walked the same paths enough times now that Crowley was starting to recognise certain landmarks, like an oddly bent tree, or an ant hill between two boulders, or a giant rotting log covered in moss and fungi. It wasn't enough for him to easily or confidently find his way around without Aziraphale, but he thought that maybe one day he could remember how to at least get from the clearing to the cabin.

The clearing wasn't bathed in sunlight like the previous times he'd been there, it was an overcast day, and the colours all seemed duller, but it was still beautiful nonetheless. A drove of hares were snuffing about around the tree stump across the other side, meanwhile three deer lifted their heads from where they were grazing on the tree line to the right, ears flipping back and forth as they watched the pair approach. Aziraphale greeted them kindly like he always did, and they went back to grazing, unbothered.

A spot was chosen for them to sit so that they would have plenty of choice of flowers, and they settled down, Crowley folding up his jumper under him as a cushion. The butterflies and bees didn't seem to mind them being there, neither did the abundance of other animals that Crowley had noticed about the place. They seemed to accept him as they did Aziraphale, they weren't scared, nor did they flee, he was just there, like they were, at peace with the other life forms around them. Something about that made Crowley strangely emotional.

There wasn't time to dwell on the feeling though, as Crowley received his first instruction about picking the flowers he wanted to use, and how long the stem needed to be.

"And then you pierce a little hole with your nail into the end of the stem, and thread the next one through," Aziraphale taught him, demonstrating one himself before looking over to watch Crowley try his own.

Doing as he was told, Crowley pushed his nail through the middle of the thin stem, noticing how long his nails were, hadn't he just cut them a week ago?

The next one he accidently sliced right to the end of the stem, "Awh, shit," he muttered, tossing the flower aside and plucking a new one.

"It's alright, it just takes a little patience and finesse," Aziraphale soothed, "we have time, and plenty of flowers."

Crowley managed the next three flowers without problem, and then stuffed up the fourth one again. He sighed, ready to toss it away like the first, but an idea came to him instead.

"Can I have your tail?" he requested.

"Why?" Aziraphale questioned, confusion clear in his voice, though he immediately brought his tail to Crowley, holding it in front of him.

"Thank you," he followed the length of it, until he came to the double curl, and thick tuft on the end, "so I can do this…"

Crowley took the useless flower, and carefully pushed the damaged stem through the strands of hair until only the bloom could be seen. Hoping that it would stay, Crowley let go. Success!

"Oh! Crowley, I love it," the troll exclaimed, leaning in to kiss Crowley, and then brought his tail closer to inspect it further.

"Thought you might," Crowley smiled fondly, "you've never done that yourself?"

"No," was the answer, though it sounded as if Aziraphale was dumbfounded that that was his answer.

"How about I put some more in it once I finish this chain?" Crowley suggested, adding another flower to said chain.

Aziraphale nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, please, that'd be lovely, my dear."

"Alright, now, how many flowers do I need to link together for this?" the chain dangled from his fingers at eight long.

"A few more," Aziraphale answered unhelpfully, "then you can test the length on my head."

At twelve Crowley did as the troll had said, and tried it out on Aziraphale's head, but it came up a little short. Adding another three did the trick, and while it didn't look quite as lovely as Aziraphale's, it still looked beautiful in his troll's hair, and he happily donned it. The next moment there was a tail waving in front of Crowley's face, accompanied by big, blue pleading eyes.

Crowley laughed as he stroked the troll's tail, and took the end in hand, "Don't worry, sweetheart, I'm gonna beautify your tail too."

There must've been at least twenty five little flowers of purple, yellow, and white, plus a random pink one, in Aziraphale's tail tuft once Crowley was finished. It looked more like a bouquet than a tail, but Aziraphale was overjoyed, and that was all that mattered to Crowley.

"Make sure to get my tail in the picture," Aziraphale directed as Crowley held up his phone in front of them, camera open in selfie mode.

"I will, I will."

Crowley snapped a few photos, changing angles, and facial expressions for each one, for the last one he kissed Aziraphale on the cheek. That one was his favourite, Aziraphale looked adorable caught mid giggle, his eyes squeezed shut, nose scrunched, and a huge grin spreading his lips, pronouncing his teeth further.

I love you, Crowley wanted to say, almost did, it was right there on the tip of his tongue as he stared at Aziraphale who was looking at the photos that they'd just taken on Crowley's phone. One day he would say it, and Aziraphale would - probably - say it back, and they'd kiss and it'd all be perfect, but it wasn't that day, yet.

Instead he just did the kissing part, putting his finger under Aziraphale's chin to turn his head and lock their mouths together, saying how he felt with actions rather than words. Those unspoken words were reflected in Aziraphale's sparkling blue eyes when he opened them, and Crowley felt it in his heart, but they still wouldn't leave his mouth, no matter how long they gazed lovingly at each other. Something changed suddenly though, and Aziraphale's face did a complicated thing where his smile melted into a frown but tried to hide it at the same time. Not long after, the troll cast his eyes downward with a barely audible sigh as he pulled his tail close, inspecting the flowers again, stroking the petals gingerly with a nail.

A deep frown instantly appeared on Crowley's face, "Hey, what's wrong, sweetheart?"

Avoiding looking at the human, Aziraphale smiled tight and wistfully at his tail instead, "Nothing, my dear, all is well."

That sounded false, "Are you sure? You can tell me if something's bothering you, you know…"

"Of course, darling. Yes, I know, thank you," Aziraphale insisted, seeming to shut him out despite his words.

Had Aziraphale been thinking the same things as Crowley? Was he waiting for Crowley to say those three words first? Was he having his own issues with saying it? Crowley opened his mouth to speak again, but Aziraphale beat him to it.

"It's going to storm later," he announced, completely changing the topic as he sniffed the air, gaze going skyward, "we should go, I'm not fond of thunder."

Crowley's eyebrows furrowed, but he let the more serious conversation go, there wasn't much he could do if Aziraphale didn't want to talk about it, "Oh, is it?" he also glanced up at the sky, noting that the clouds had darkened since he'd first arrived at Eden Forest that day, but they just looked like regular rain clouds to him.

"Yes, I can sense it in the air," Aziraphale confirmed, getting to his feet and holding out a hand to help Crowley up.

As they left, Crowley noticed that most of the animals had already disappeared, including the insects, only a few stray butterflies remained. They could probably all feel the oncoming bad weather too, and had sensibly gone off to hunker down somewhere, animals always seemed to be far more in the know with those things than humans.

Just as discussed, the pair didn't head directly back to the cabin, instead a few detours were made to collect ingredients for their dinner. It didn't take long for Aziraphale to become absorbed the task either, a smile coming back to his face, and a bounce in his tail as he talked about the root vegetable he had just dug up. Food always made the troll happy, and Crowley was glad to see him in that state again, the human wasn't very good at dealing with his own emotions, let alone someone else's. It was another reason that he didn't usually form relationships with anyone.

They picked up a bunch of root vegetables, a few of those peppery leaves that they'd eaten last time, plus bulbs that appeared to be onions, and some kind of thick grass that smelt strongly of garlic, and then lastly stopped by a large cluster of mushrooms as they neared the cabin. They were spread all over the ground surrounding at least ten trees, but were most abundant around and on top of a tree stump that had clearly lost it's trunk a long time ago, having been taken over by the fungi since.

They weren't all the same type of mushroom either, some were tall, skinny and dark brown, while others were short with a broad flat top and speckled orange over yellowy brown. Aziraphale advised him not to pick those ones, they only wanted the tiny, white button looking ones with a sprinkling of light brown spots. Most of which were growing on the top of the tree stump, meaning that they had to tip toe through the thick clusters of fungi to get to them. Aziraphale did so with stunning elegance, whereas Crowley was sure that he accidently crushed a few mushrooms with the heel of his boots.

Crowley held out the container while Aziraphale picked out the correct mushrooms that wouldn't poison them, or make them hallucinate. Letting his gaze wander over the surrounding fungi, Crowley noticed a large one standing alone on the other side of the tree stump.

"Check this one out, it's huge!" he indicated with his free hand to the over grown white, and brown flecked mushroom.

"Oh, what a lovely specimen," Aziraphale smiled, taking a moment to inspect it before going back to his task.

"It'd be good for the soup, right?" Crowley inquired, already moving to pluck it from the ground.

"Stop!" Aziraphale's hand flung out, grabbing Crowley's wrist before he even got anywhere near the giant mushroom, "Don't touch it, that one will make your fingers itchy, and it's certainly not edible."

Crowley alternated glancing between Aziraphale, the mushrooms on the stump, and the huge one beside it, "But…it looks like these ones, only bigger?"

"Fungi can look almost identical and have entirely different effects, my dear," the troll educated him, letting go of his wrist slowly, "and despite looking like it's smaller kin, this one is indeed very dangerous."

"Hm, tricky little buggers," Crowley commented, putting both hands back on the container so that he didn't touch any other fungi either.

"Alright, that should be enough," Aziraphale declared after another couple of safe mushrooms were deposited into the container.

Tiptoeing back out of the thick clusters of fungi, they made their way back to the cabin, container full, and bellies starting to grumble, despite the amount of berries, nuts, and grapes they'd snacked on along the way.

Crowley was tasked with lighting the fire, which was easy enough due to having a lighter, while Aziraphale prepared the ingredients, and put most of it into an old metal pot with one useable handle. Using water from the bottles, the pot was filled so that the vegetables were generously covered, and then it was brought over to the fire. Intrigued as to how it was all going to work, Crowley watched intently as Aziraphale dragged over a nearby decent sized rock with a relatively flat top, and pushed it just into the edge of the fire, so that the rock was more than halfway surrounded. The troll then carefully slid the pot onto the top of the rock, the flames licking a third of the way up the sides, the handle sticking out of the fireless opening toward them.

"I'll be back in two shakes of a deer's tail," Aziraphale announced suddenly, and dashed off into the trees on all fours.

"Okay…" Crowley replied, mostly to himself since the troll was already gone.

In the meantime, Crowley decided to grab a pillow to sit on from inside, and when he came back, Aziraphale was standing close to the pot. There was a thin branch covered in tiny, pointed green leaves in his hand, that might've been thyme, or maybe rosemary – two of the few herbs that Crowley was familiar with – which the troll was using to stir the contents of the pot.

Crowley sat on his pillow on the log and watched as Aziraphale stirred occasionally, humming to himself, and adding the rest of the ingredients at different intervals. Never would Crowley have watched a cooking show on the telly, but there was something comfortable and homely about watching his troll cook for them, plus he just enjoyed getting to appreciate Aziraphale's form for a long and uninterrupted period of time.

"Crowley, my dear…"

"Hm?" Crowley blinked as he wet his lips then swallowed, having been focused on the way Aziraphale's bicep bulged as he stirred.

Either he'd been caught staring, or the combination of adoration and lust showed on his face, or maybe both, because Aziraphale was smirking as he continued speaking, "Could you please go inside and fetch a couple of bowls for us, the soup is almost ready."

"Uh, yep, can do," he nodded, jumping up and heading to the cabin.

"And a piece of cloth too, please, dear!" Aziraphale called out after him.

Crowley held a thumb up in acknowledgement before entering the cabin, and proceeded to pick up the required items. Quickly going back to the troll, Crowley offered him both the cloth and bowls, uncertain which he wanted first.

"Put the bowls on the ground, please," Aziraphale instructed, taking the cloth.

The cloth was wrapped around the handle of the pot, and then Aziraphale carefully lowered it from the rock, pouring the contents between the two bowls, the pot sat aside to be washed later. A bit of extra cold water was poured into each bowl before one was handed to Crowley.

"Be careful, it's very hot," Aziraphale warned him.

"Thanks, Angel," Crowley smiled.

Aziraphale sat next to Crowley on the log, blowing on his soup, so Crowley did the same, waiting to see how they were going to eat it without spoons. Just as he was silently speculating that they would be downing it directly from the bowl, Aziraphale did just that, bringing the edge to his lips and sipped at the hot liquid, a pleased expression spreading across his face.

Crowley followed suit, taking his own sip, and groaned quietly in delight, "How does everything you make taste so good?"

Aziraphale chuckled, and took another gulp from his bowl, humming in satisfaction, "I am glad you like it, darling."

While they ate the clouds had darkened steadily until the only light left came from the fire in front of them. The promised storm hadn't hit yet, but it was surely on it's way, there was a tension in the air that even Crowley could feel.

Feeling warm, and full of soup, Crowley slithered from the log to the ground, dragging the pillow with him, and rested his head against the wood. Eyes closed, he heard Aziraphale move rather than saw it, and felt two strong legs drape over his shoulders. Turning his head, Crowley pressed a light kiss to the side of Aziraphale's knee, and then nuzzled into it.

"There's nothing better than being here with you," he let slip as the thought crossed his mind.

"I wish you could stay with me every night, and every day, too," the troll confessed, stroking his claws lightly through Crowley's hair, jostling the flower crown he was still wearing, "I miss you terribly when you're not here, Crowley."

"I miss you too, Angel," Crowley replied sincerely, "if I could be here all the time, I would be."

"Why can't…?"

Crowley waited for the rest of the question, but it didn't come, though he thought he probably knew what Aziraphale wanted to ask, "When I can figure out how to sleep here more comfortably, I'll find a way to be here more, I promise."

There was a long pause, and Crowley could practically hear Aziraphale thinking. In a small voice he stuttered, "W-What if…I mean, um, if you wanted…you could…live…here…with me."

Oh. Crowley would be lying if he said that he hadn't thought about it, fantasised about it even, once or twice, but there was a big difference between playing out a fantasy in your head, and uprooting your entire life, essentially going off the grid for good, to move into the forest with your troll boyfriend. It was true that the idea appealed to him, he really did love it in the forest, and he loved Aziraphale, but he still couldn't say that to him, and he considered the fact that if he wasn't ready to say those three words, then he certainly wasn't ready to take a massive step like move to the forest.

"Sorry," Aziraphale mumbled, pulling away from Crowley, "I shouldn't have said that."

"Come down here," Crowley softly requested, "please."

Aziraphale did as he was asked, and Crowley guided him to straddle his lap, circling his arms around his waist, holding his troll close. Amber eyes sought out blue ones, but Aziraphale wouldn't meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

Gathering his thoughts, Crowley explained, "I'm not saying that I don't want to, nor that it won't ever happen, but I'm not ready for a step like that right now. I care about you immensely, Aziraphale, and I love being here with you. I'm sorry that I can't be here more, but we're making it work for now, right?"

Aziraphale nodded silently.

"And, hey, how else would you get new books? You'd have to go back to jumping unassuming hikers, and raiding their bags," he gently teased, trying to lighten the mood a little.

He wasn't sure that it worked until he saw the edge of Aziraphale's lip twitch, and then tip up into a half smile.

"And I can't have that, see, 'cause what if some other hiker realises that they've just been jumped by the most gorgeous being they've ever seen, and tries to seduce you, like I did?" Crowley continued, hoping to reassure them both, and take them away from the serious conversation.

Finally Aziraphale tilted his head up to look at Crowley, his eyebrows raised, "My dear, I believe it was me that was seducing you, you merely spent the day ogling me until I had to blatantly spell it out for you."

Crowley gasped in faux shock, "I absolutely was seducing you."

"Were you? I couldn't tell," he said coolly, smile broadening, "you clearly weren't doing a good job."

"Oh really?" Crowley huffed, "And what about since then?"

He slipped his hand down Aziraphale's back to grip his buttocks and tug him closer so that their groins were pressed together.

"Uhhh," he breathed, eyelashes fluttering, and arms coming up to hook around Crowley's neck, "I'd say that your techniques have improved, at least I know when you want me now."

"Sweetheart, I always want you, in every way there is to want someone," Crowley told him in a somewhat husky tone, though he genuinely meant it.

"That so?"

Aziraphale's commanding tone made Crowley weak with desire, and he barely resisted the urge to buck his hips up as he swallowed a needy little noise. His eyes gave him away though, staring at Aziraphale's pink lips, while his tongue swiped across his own.

"Uh, yep," he managed.

Aziraphale brought their faces close, "So, you want me right now?" he whispered, somehow making his voice sultry while his eyes sparkled with innocence.

Crowley had to swallow twice before he could speak, "Badly."

He had expected Aziraphale to crush their lips together in a fiery kiss, but the way their mouths connected was sweet, passionate, and intense instead. Both of his hands slipped up into Crowley's auburn hair, holding him in place, while his tongue easily broke through the seam of Crowley's lips.

Moaning as their tongues met, Crowley let his own hands wander up Aziraphale's back, carding through his spine of fur. With their bodies flush against each other, it was easy to feel every movement between them, especially when Aziraphale begun to minutely rock in his lap. Crowley's fingertips dug into the troll's waist and shoulder blade to bring them impossibly closer, as if there were any gaps between them that he could fill. Meanwhile, encouraging Aziraphale, trying to convey the sincerity of his words, that he wanted Aziraphale both lustfully and lovingly, exuberantly, always.

The way Aziraphale kissed him, steadily, languidly, but deep, and continuous, left Crowley hungry, hard, on the edge of desperation, and needy for more. When he tried to heat things up a bit, Aziraphale pulled away, a little smirk playing on his wet lips, glistening in the dwindling firelight. Fuck. Crowley bit his own lip, pleading with his eyes, he knew who was in charge, and it sure as hell wasn't him.

Aziraphale shifted back in Crowley's lap, ignoring his hardness between them, his hands went to Crowley's belt, unbuckling it with deliberate motions.

Instead of watching his hands, Crowley watched the troll's face, "Mmm, this feels familiar," he noted playfully.

Aziraphale glanced up at his face, and grinned, "Pleasantly familiar, I'd say."

"Um…" Crowley started with a small amount of anxiety, and Aziraphale's fingers paused, "so I brought one of my toys if you're still interested in…uh, having a look."

"Toys?"

"Sex toy."

"Oh! Oh," Aziraphale sat back, drawing his hands away from Crowley's crotch, making him wonder for a moment if he'd killed the mood. Finally Aziraphale said, "Well, I mean, if you're still willing to show me then, yes, I'm interested."

"Yeah?"

The troll nodded, "Positively. I am quite keen to see this device in action."

"Ngk," Crowley's skin felt too tight, his clothes too hot, "we-we should move this inside then."

"A wonderful idea, my dear," Aziraphale agreed, already pulling himself from Crowley's lap, "why don't you go light some candles, and I'll put the fire out."

Clearly Crowley didn't move fast enough, because he was told to get a wiggle on by Aziraphale, who seemed to be waiting for him to get inside before dousing the fire. At least Crowley knew that he was eager.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

One of the only chapters without a smut scene! I employed what my dear friend calls a 'smutcliff' XD She was very proud of me XD Don't worry I'm sure that the smut in the next chapter will have been worth the wait ^_^

You can see the inspirational art for this chapter

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