"Yes, well, you know. They are trying this minimalist thing. And usually we all sit at the table, with some candles, to talk and all but I wasn't allowed to leave my room so it's been quite... chilly." So cold that his fingers seized up and he had to spend most of his evenings in the dark, under the covers, curled up into a very sad little ball. "You, erm, you adapt. It's surprising, actually."
"It's a lot nicer at the flat. We got like 21.5 degrees pretty consistently and no mould, no dripping walls neither." Bill boasted playfully as he leaned back in his seat. Well, he had never been in such a good situation, he wanted to show off.
"Yes, well, that is very nice." Aziraphale looked at Crowley and then smiled sheepishly. "It's not all as bad as it sounds, I promise. They just wanted me to reflect and repent. It's, uh, it's very normal. I was never in danger, to be clear."
"Er, I need you to understand that that's not normal. You could have gotten pneumonia or something!" Crowley felt like wrapping himself around Aziraphale, but obviously that wasn't an option right now, they were in the back of his brother's car. "It's not normal. And you've got no reason to repent! It's not wrong, you know? What we're doing. We are just being ourselves. In love. Just us."
Barty clanged at them in the mirror for a moment, glad to see that Aziraphale did seem to have picked a good boy. "He's gonna stay on our couch tonight, Bill. Then we can figure out what to do going forward."
"I guess he could sleep in the storage room. We could fit a bed in there and some shelves, right?" Bill was just trying to work it out because a one bedroom flat was probably not ideal if they had to have his brother there longterm.
Holding his boyfriend's coat, Aziraphale used it as a sort of blanket and nodded his head a little. "It's normal to me, I guess. It's just the way it is." He didn't mean to upset Crowley with it but it was the truth of the matter. He had been in this situation for a while... though usually they paid for bills. "It only got cold when father stopped dropping by. That was unfortunate. Then Bartemius left and -- it just kept spiralling."
"Yeah, because they stopped taking my money. Idiots." Barty rolled his eyes, unable to keep himself from commenting on that. He nodded to Bill's thoughts though. They couldn't afford a bigger place right now, but refurbishing the storage room should be doable. "Better than his current room, I'll tell you that. We can go to the store tomorrow when I finish up."
Crowley tried to follow Barty's and Bill's conversation somewhat, but he was distracted by what a heap of misery Aziraphale looked like. He shicted closer, so he could at least wrap one arm around him. Then he leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Hey. You've left too. We're together now. Don't have to hide."
That was a good thing, wasn't it? Something to focus on. "We can have a real date soon."
"Yes, I suppose we could. We could do anything..." He was a bad person. A bad person who would never go to heaven and had walked away from God and now he could do whatever he wanted. Until he reached hell. And then he would burn for eternity so that was nice. Were his hands shaking? He felt oddly hot too. His stomach was churning aggressively and he leaned forward suddenly to try and just breathe a bit. "Sorry! Just a little spot of car sickness. Happens all the time."
It was a very short ride and he was not prone to car sickness but he rather hoped that no one would point it out.
"If you're gonna barf, let us know. We got an ASDA bag somewhere." Bill started to look, just in case.
"No, no, it's fine. It's all fine. Everything is-- fine." Oh God, he was going to hell.
"Hey. Angel. Look at me." Crowley was trying to get his focus, so he could lean their foreheads together, holding him as close as he could. "I love you. Just focus on breathing, yeah? Just breathing."
This was a lot. Of course this was a lot. But hopefully, together they could focus on the positive changes that would come with this.
The car stopped and Barty turned around, frowning at them. "You sleeping over, lover boy?"
"I could. No one cares if I come home." For better or worse.
"I work tomorrow morning, but then we can hit up the shops. You'll be needing some stuff, Az." Barty was glad he had some money put aside for situations like this.
Yes, good. Leave his home and just dive deep into sin. That seemed right. Just embrace the sin and go to hell with it all. May as well get naked and throw their penises around... well. Whatever. Something like that. Whatever boys did at sleepovers. Boys who were going to hell together.
Leaving the car was hard. He was stuck. Trapped in the car. It was terrifying. If he left the car, it was official and then he would have to sleep on the couch with his boyfriend and that was a lot and if he didn't do that, he would lose Crowley. To Felix or Barty. Oh God, he was going to be in the same house as his 'bit of a looker' brother.
So either he got it together and earned his bae with some under the sheet covers or he stayed here and ... well, he didn't know. He left the house. He left God. What else could do?
"I think your brother broke." Bill commented idly as he peered into the car, where Crowley was still with him. What a good sport. "That Crowley bloke has quite the patience."
"Yeeeah, he's gonna be a while." Barty didn't bother looking at them, he simply drew Bill into his arms, sliding both of his hands into his back pockets and pulling him closer still. He kissed him and then looked into his eyes. So romantic. "You realise I'm going to have to work on my assignment all night tomorrow to catch up, yeah?"
Well. Best to prepare him.
In the car, Crowley was still just holding Aziraphale, wondering whether they'd ever get out of this car. He honestly wasn't sure. "I don't have to sleep over, y'know? I can just go back home. Just wasn't sure whether I should leave you, is all. I could meet you tomorrow instead?"
Was that better? "Are you-- I'm sorry, they don't make manuals for this shit. What can I do?"
"... Aww, fuck." Bill cursed as he leaned into Barty and kept checking in, wondering how long it would take to coax him out. "This is going to be a long week, eh?" Aziraphale would not be an easy one to handle.
"I like when you stay. I'm sorry. Please just -- I don't want you to leave." He just had to process all of it and find a way to move his legs and get out of the car. And it was a little difficult for several reasons. The sin, the fear, the difficult and -- "I don't have shoes..."
He looked down at his feet and frowned. "I just forgot about them. In the rush. How silly." He laughed and then looked at Crowley. Perfect, handsome Crowley. "They said I couldn't see you again. I didn't think any of their rules would make me hate them but I suppose, they surprised me. I hated them."
And now here he was, sinning. Going to hell. And was that so bad?
"I hate them for making you sad." That seemed like such a simple statement, almost childish, but it was true. He felt it deeply. No one should make Aziraphale look like this. "Your brother's building is right over there. I'm sure you can wash your feet once you're there. Borrow shoes. And he'll buy you new ones. He bought some for Bill, they're pretty cool."
Barty seemed to have his shit together. More than he'd have thought, given everything. "Did you know that he's studying law? At uni. All proper like." Who'd have thought? "Think you're upgrading. Sibling-wise."
"... He's getting a degree?! A law degree? He's getting a-a-a-" Well, wasn't that just annoying because he had been told that Barty was a drop out loser and now he was learning that he paid for bills, got shoes and STUDIED LAW. With wide eyes, shock overtaking, the door to the car finally opened and Aziraphale stumbled out with zero grace to look at his big brother.
"YOU'RE STUDYING LAW."
"Shh. Jesus, don't draw attention." In that outfit. In the middle of the street. Asking to get his arse kicked. Bill gestured his hand. "Let's head inside, yeah?"
"An actual degree? Like one from a university? The local one? The one that's 50 minutes by bus?"
"I tried applying to clown college instead, but I'm allergic to all the wigs." Barty took a hold of Bill's hand and pulled him along, deciding to make use of Aziraphale's momentum and confusion to trick him to simply follow them inside. "Yes. An actual degree. From a university. The local one. I've only gotten firsts so far."
Bragging about his achievements to family, there was a new development.
Unsure why Aziraphale was freaking out quite that much, Crowley followed behind the brothers and Bill, trying to figure out just what was happening. "That's cool. My sibling Beelzebub is getting an accounting degree. I hate them." That was what he had to say on the matter. "They suck."
"They didn't tell you a lot, I assume." Bill remarked as he walked ahead on the stairs, finding it amusing. "Barty is top of his class. Only one to get a 99%. In law. He got it in law, mate. That's fucking bonkers."
"Oh." Aziraphale kept following, totally stunned. His loser brother was highly successful and this was the evil fate he was condemned too. Apparently God couldn't hate him that much. "I didn't know about the... they told me you were just, you know. Parties. Dancing. Drinking... drugs."
"Barty ain't into drugs." Bill pulled his keys out and unlocked the door. "... Why is dancing in the same category as all of those things?"
"Because dancing is a sin," Barty told Bill, "And all sins are equal, apart from the deadly ones. If you commit a sin, letting the devil guide you, small or big, you're on the way to hell." It was easy enough to recall all of those lines, even if he hadn't had such a good memory. It had all been drilled into them.
"Dancing's not half bad," Crowley disagreed, "We can dance some time. I'll find music you'll like." Something not so... bebop. Whatever that entailed.
"Anyway." Barty unlocked the door, holding it open for the others and looking at Aziraphale. "I work at Dunelm to earn a living, I study at uni and I keep trying to get our idiot siblings to let me pay their damn bills. So come on in. It's not as much of a den of sin as you've been told."
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thearrangement2023-04-09 08:18 pm
no subject
"It's a lot nicer at the flat. We got like 21.5 degrees pretty consistently and no mould, no dripping walls neither." Bill boasted playfully as he leaned back in his seat. Well, he had never been in such a good situation, he wanted to show off.
"Yes, well, that is very nice." Aziraphale looked at Crowley and then smiled sheepishly. "It's not all as bad as it sounds, I promise. They just wanted me to reflect and repent. It's, uh, it's very normal. I was never in danger, to be clear."
no subject
Barty clanged at them in the mirror for a moment, glad to see that Aziraphale did seem to have picked a good boy. "He's gonna stay on our couch tonight, Bill. Then we can figure out what to do going forward."
no subject
Holding his boyfriend's coat, Aziraphale used it as a sort of blanket and nodded his head a little. "It's normal to me, I guess. It's just the way it is." He didn't mean to upset Crowley with it but it was the truth of the matter. He had been in this situation for a while... though usually they paid for bills. "It only got cold when father stopped dropping by. That was unfortunate. Then Bartemius left and -- it just kept spiralling."
no subject
Crowley tried to follow Barty's and Bill's conversation somewhat, but he was distracted by what a heap of misery Aziraphale looked like. He shicted closer, so he could at least wrap one arm around him. Then he leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Hey. You've left too. We're together now. Don't have to hide."
That was a good thing, wasn't it? Something to focus on. "We can have a real date soon."
no subject
It was a very short ride and he was not prone to car sickness but he rather hoped that no one would point it out.
"If you're gonna barf, let us know. We got an ASDA bag somewhere." Bill started to look, just in case.
"No, no, it's fine. It's all fine. Everything is-- fine." Oh God, he was going to hell.
no subject
This was a lot. Of course this was a lot. But hopefully, together they could focus on the positive changes that would come with this.
The car stopped and Barty turned around, frowning at them. "You sleeping over, lover boy?"
"I could. No one cares if I come home." For better or worse.
"I work tomorrow morning, but then we can hit up the shops. You'll be needing some stuff, Az." Barty was glad he had some money put aside for situations like this.
no subject
Leaving the car was hard. He was stuck. Trapped in the car. It was terrifying. If he left the car, it was official and then he would have to sleep on the couch with his boyfriend and that was a lot and if he didn't do that, he would lose Crowley. To Felix or Barty. Oh God, he was going to be in the same house as his 'bit of a looker' brother.
So either he got it together and earned his bae with some under the sheet covers or he stayed here and ... well, he didn't know. He left the house. He left God. What else could do?
"I think your brother broke." Bill commented idly as he peered into the car, where Crowley was still with him. What a good sport. "That Crowley bloke has quite the patience."
no subject
Well. Best to prepare him.
In the car, Crowley was still just holding Aziraphale, wondering whether they'd ever get out of this car. He honestly wasn't sure. "I don't have to sleep over, y'know? I can just go back home. Just wasn't sure whether I should leave you, is all. I could meet you tomorrow instead?"
Was that better? "Are you-- I'm sorry, they don't make manuals for this shit. What can I do?"
no subject
"I like when you stay. I'm sorry. Please just -- I don't want you to leave." He just had to process all of it and find a way to move his legs and get out of the car. And it was a little difficult for several reasons. The sin, the fear, the difficult and -- "I don't have shoes..."
He looked down at his feet and frowned. "I just forgot about them. In the rush. How silly." He laughed and then looked at Crowley. Perfect, handsome Crowley. "They said I couldn't see you again. I didn't think any of their rules would make me hate them but I suppose, they surprised me. I hated them."
And now here he was, sinning. Going to hell. And was that so bad?
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Barty seemed to have his shit together. More than he'd have thought, given everything. "Did you know that he's studying law? At uni. All proper like." Who'd have thought? "Think you're upgrading. Sibling-wise."
no subject
"YOU'RE STUDYING LAW."
"Shh. Jesus, don't draw attention." In that outfit. In the middle of the street. Asking to get his arse kicked. Bill gestured his hand. "Let's head inside, yeah?"
"An actual degree? Like one from a university? The local one? The one that's 50 minutes by bus?"
no subject
Bragging about his achievements to family, there was a new development.
Unsure why Aziraphale was freaking out quite that much, Crowley followed behind the brothers and Bill, trying to figure out just what was happening. "That's cool. My sibling Beelzebub is getting an accounting degree. I hate them." That was what he had to say on the matter. "They suck."
Not because of the degree. Just in general.
no subject
"They didn't tell you a lot, I assume." Bill remarked as he walked ahead on the stairs, finding it amusing. "Barty is top of his class. Only one to get a 99%. In law. He got it in law, mate. That's fucking bonkers."
"Oh." Aziraphale kept following, totally stunned. His loser brother was highly successful and this was the evil fate he was condemned too. Apparently God couldn't hate him that much. "I didn't know about the... they told me you were just, you know. Parties. Dancing. Drinking... drugs."
"Barty ain't into drugs." Bill pulled his keys out and unlocked the door. "... Why is dancing in the same category as all of those things?"
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"Dancing's not half bad," Crowley disagreed, "We can dance some time. I'll find music you'll like." Something not so... bebop. Whatever that entailed.
"Anyway." Barty unlocked the door, holding it open for the others and looking at Aziraphale. "I work at Dunelm to earn a living, I study at uni and I keep trying to get our idiot siblings to let me pay their damn bills. So come on in. It's not as much of a den of sin as you've been told."