Aziraphale starts boiling some water for the both of them, right as Crowley asks, making him wince, “What’s with the impressive sword collection?”
The angel sighs, but walks over to where Crowley is standing and admiring them, and says, “That…is a story I’m not sure I’m ready to tell.”
Crowley picks one up, like he’s inspecting it, shakes his head, “Nope, don’t see any stories written on this one.”, then turns to look at Aziraphale, “But seriously. Tell me.”
Who knows how long Aziraphale just stands there, whether frozen, in shock, Crowley doesn’t even know, but just as he’s about to tell the angel to forget it, he starts,
“My sword. The flaming sword. I’ve been trying to track it down.”
Okay, not exactly an exciting story, but it’s understandable.
Until Aziraphale keeps talking, “The thing about it is it’s actually not mine at all. It belonged to my beloved friend. The one whose anniversary I was celebrating?” Aziraphale pointedly doesn’t look at Crowley as he pours the hot water for the tea. “He’d gotten it assigned to him right as angels started falling from Heaven. Big gaudy thing that was on fire. What was he thinking?”
Then as Aziraphale sits down on a chair, he suddenly turns sad in the eyes, “But that turned out to be the least of my problems, because he left that sword behind the day I lost him.”
At that, Crowley looks up, a part of his brain itching somewhere he can’t reach, “What do you mean?”
“Um not long after, more angels started Falling from heaven, and even after Heaven thought it had stopped, it became this flaming inferno where everyone was Falling left and right, and just when I thought we both survived, he Fell right in front of me. The fire burnt some of his hair onto my corporation’s face.”
Crowley’s mouth drops open. “Oh Satan. Even by Hell’s standards, that’s horrible. I had no idea.”
Aziraphale now stands up, moving closer, “Have you ever caught a glimpse of it?”
Crowley shakes his head, “Only in Eden.”
“I go sword hunting every so often, see if I can’t find it among them. Every time I find a sword with a new story. How it was made, who it was made for, the history engraved in the blade.”
He hands Crowley a cup of newly made tea, “So, when I came to Eden, and I’d just gotten word Adam and Eve were banished, a part of me knew he’d understand why I had to give it away. In fact, I like to think he’d say it was never meant to belong to one person or being.”
Aziraphale blushes as he looks into his own cup, “I know it’ll most likely never turn up. But even so I can’t help it.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.” Crowley says as he sits next to Aziraphale, then points to the swords again. “But why did you keep these?”
Aziraphale’s eyes light up again, “Those are the ones that have inscriptions engraved onto them.”, and stands up, picking up a very old looking one. “In Nomine Domini.”
“In the name of the Lord.” Crowley translates almost immediately, to which Aziraphale claps.
“Well done.”
As Aziraphale puts the sword away, Crowley has to ask, “Where is that coming from?”
“What? Oh, you mean that?” Aziraphale gestures outside. “Yes, unfortunately that’s Nero’s doing. Now you know why I wasn’t so keen on this assignment.”
Crowley nods, smiling slightly, “Indeed I do.”
Sometime later, after more tea and wine, they’re laughing it up.
YOU ARE READING
Absolutely Tickety-Boo
RomanceCrowley, a demonic Londonite, is in the middle of a very bad breakup when his young babysitting charges ask him about his life before helping to save the world, including how he met and fell in love with his current boyfriend. Crowley flashes back t...
