Ineffable Husbands One Shots

Patience is a Virtue

It had been an uneventful two months. And Aziraphale had missed Crowley dearly, he was not too high and mighty to admit that. He did have too much pride, however, to call Crowley back and invite him to the bookshop after he had quickly rejected his suggestion. Pride was a sin, but patience was a virtue. Or so he told himself multiple times a day in order to quell his itching impulses to pick up the blasted phone and call the napping demon.

But he didn't have to wait much longer! July was now mere hours away.

At the exact turning of the day, Aziraphale sat near the phone patiently.

A minute passed. Crowley didn't call.

Perhaps it just took some time to get up and walk to the phone. Not to worry, not to worry.

Fifteen more minutes passed. Where was Crowley? Had he forgotten?

Maybe he was waiting for Aziraphale to call. Yes, that must be it.

Aziraphale picked up the phone and dialed the number he knew by heart. He was ok with being the first to make a move, as long as it meant he got to talk to Crowley.

The phone rang. And rang. And rang! Aziraphale began to lose hope.

Crowley didn't answer. The phone went to voicemail.

"Dearest," Aziraphale started hesitantly. Maybe Crowley just didn't want to talk to him? No, no that couldn't be it! "It's July now... You said you'd set the alarm for July and I know the world hasn't changed much but I'd love to see you... have you over... you can watch me eat cake! It would be ever so lovely..." He paused multiple times, expecting Crowley to pick up the phone. He didn't. What on earth was going on??

Aziraphale hung up after asking him to get back to him soon.

Shortly after he was off the phone, an unwanted thought popped into his head that made him feel sick to his stomach. What if something had happened to him? What if he was hurt? What if he had been hurt for a while and Aziraphale didn't even notice because he was trusting that the demon was asleep and distracting himself with his baking?

"Oh dear, oh dear!" Aziraphale mumbled to himself, hands wringing nervously.

He had to go over there. July had been going on for half an hour now, there was no reason for Crowley to be ignoring him in this way if there wasn't something seriously wrong.

Aziraphale hated to just burst in with a miracle, it was quite rude.

Before he did that, he checked once more if Crowley was even in his flat. He was. Of course he was, Aziraphale had been checking throughout the entirety of the two months. And he didn't seem to be in distress but... well, Aziraphale couldn't just assume! He had to go over there. He just had to! Crowley had left him with no choice, what with his ignoring him for nearly forty-five minutes!

Aziraphale paced around his shop making fussy noises, considering and reconsidering and trying to talk himself down. But he couldn't. He needed to go over there.

With one final groan, he closed his eyes and snapped.

When he opened them he was in Crowley's flat. He had been here before, of course, he had been invited last time.

Everything was still and dark. There was a layer of dust over the few pieces of furniture that resided in the flat, a telltale sign that Crowley had not inhabited this area for a long while.

Aziraphale stood stiffly in the dark, waiting for his eyes to adjust. His shoulders were very hunched and his hands were moving furiously; he looked like he might just pop out of existence from sheer anxiety.