"I've never had a coke before. I'm not allowed to have caffeine." It was one of those rules. A most unfortunate one. He did wonder about coke. He wanted to ask for one, just to find out, but he was a bit frozen in fear - he was too far gone already. Did he dare to push himself further away? It was difficult. "It's all a lot right now."
As they came further into the room, Aziraphale shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to stick close to Crowley, wondering if this one night was enough to damn him for all eternity.
"Er... Good question. Just kinda a dark sort of lemonade, innit?" Hard to tell, honestly. He#d never thought about it that much. "Look, I'll get one and we can share. Can't hurt, right?"
It probably could hurt somehow, but Crowley was trying to play all of this off as no big deal in order to calm Aziraphale down. he wasn't sure how successful he was so far. Making their way over to the bar, he slid over the money and ordered a coke, then just smiled at Aziraphale as they waited. "It's not so bad here, right? Just people having fun."
Loud fun, admittedly. And in some cases drunken fun. But still!
"It's not as bad as I expected." It was still a culture shock though. He usually spend his time alone at home, maybe with some tea, definitely with a good book and generally a lot of quiet. On rare occasions, he'd put some music on low as he read but nothing close to the sort of music that was playing here. He honestly didn't know if he was liking it much - he was just liking being with Crowley.
That made it worth it.
"We can share. I'm curious, I must admit. Besides, at this point, if God is as pedantic as my parents think he is - I'm not sure I'll get into heaven anyway." He read prohibited books, he loved eating in excess and his mind often drifted in church to many other topics.
"You'll be fine, angel. Someone like you's meant for heaven." Crowley took the coke from the barkeeper and offered the straw out to Aziraphale first, in case he didn't want to drink after Crowley and also just to be polite. He stood with an arm around his friend, thinking it was good that it was such a calm and nice night here so far. Of course, it probably didn't seem that way to Aziraphale, but that was how it was with perspective.
"I think they might be up next. They are better than this band, at least, I can tell you that much."
"I'm sure they are. Do we, um, do we cheer?" He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. They were here to support Crowley's friends so maybe they were supposed to but then, no one else seemed to be and he didn't want to make the wrong more. He took the glass and sipped the coke through the straw, surprised at how sweet it was. And such a strange taste too.
He pulled a face, clearly not decided on if he liked it or not. He handed it back to Crowley and faced the stage again. "Are we meant to be like 'hurrah, good show' or anything?"
"Er, I guess you can? I tend to just give some silent support. There's usually a lot of girls shrieking, if that's to your taste?" Probably not, Crowley mused, absently taking a sip of the coke himself. Then he suddenly realised that, in a way, this was a little bit as if they'd kissed.
His face felt hot and he cleared his throat, shaking his head in hopes of getting that thought out. "You can just tell them how you liked it after. Buy them a drink or something, they like that."
"Okay but I should warn you, I only have ten pounds." He wasn't exactly rolling in money and he took the only note he had left from his birthday money. After all, he got himself a lot of books so he never had any savings. He was bad at stuff like that. Leaning in close to Crowley, he spoke so he'd best be heard over the sound of the band finishing up their set. Lots of cheering and audio feedback.
"So how did you meet your friends? What were their names again? Nicki and Spike. Delightful names. Is Nicki short for Nicolas?" He paused and then looked at Crowley. "What on Earth is Spike short for?"
"I don't know. I think he made it up. Spiky hair, maybe?" Honestly, that was just his best guess. "Nicolas, yes. He's French, I think he's here on a scholarship or something? I don't know. I just know he gets angry letters from his father."
He did dramatic readings of them, which was admittedly the funniest things he'd ever gotten out of learning even a word of French, so there was that. "I didn't really meet them, we just started sitting at the same table. You know how that go--"
Well. Aziraphale probably didn't know, as far as he knew, he just sat with his books. "it happens like that. We all like dressing in dark clothes, I guess. Spike didn't used to, but... Honestly, don't tell Spike, but he'd just have done anything to make Nicki think he's cool."
"So he changed himself because he wanted friendship? That is ... something useful, I guess. Makes sure you're accepted always. I'm sure Spike values Nicolas's friendship enough that he doesn't miss what he changed." He watched as the warm up act left the stage and the new band entered - what he assumed was Nicolas' band.
There was a bunch of questionable looking men up there, all in various states of poor dress. He recognised Spike first, it was hard to miss the bright hair.
"I'm afraid I have limited knowledge of all of this. I never really had friends. Not even in junior school. Everyone always thought I was rather strange." Not that he minded, he had his books and all. "I think you're the first person to ever 'hang' with me." Gosh, he hoped he used hang correctly.
"I'm not that good at friendship either. Hanging is easy though, once you get the hang of it. Then it's harder to stay away from people." But it was different tonight. "You are my friend though."
So this was different. Maybe that was the only difference.
Crowley watched the stage, where Spike was with his back to the audience and probably the whole world in his mind, talking to Nicolas with their foreheads almost touching. Friendship. Probably more. He wondered whether they knew.
A lot to wonder about. "They write all their music themselves. I like some of it."
"That is impressive. Perhaps they will make it big. Or I suppose they don't want that, they're too cool for it. Hopefully they won't waste their talent being too cool." He did wonder, when he watched those two, how close they truly were. They were friends, sure, but they looked at each other in such a strange manner. It seemed almost deeper than that.
He watched them take their places and looked away from them, eyes on Crowley instead.
"I don't think I like this place much. Or coke. Or really all the drinking youths either." Aziraphale assessed, looking around critically before looking back at Crowley. "But I am having a marvellous time already. I'm excited to see what your friends bring to the table."
"We can go somewhere else next time." And Crowley had no idea where to take him, his social life wasn't as rich as Aziraphale may imagine, but what seemed important, vital even, was to have that promise of 'next time'. To make sure that he'd get that again, Aziraphale smiling like that at him because of somewhere he took him. He wanted to show him the whole world, even if he barely knew any of it. Seemed as if it would be nicer to discover through Aziraphale's eyes anyway, they weren't shaded like his.
The first song started and Crowley did wonder what Aziraphale would make of it. Not exactly classical, he supposed. But Spike's voice sounded good, Nicolas played guitar in a way he felt was a bit reminiscent of his violin playing and he did enjoy it. Haunting, maybe. Maybe it was all too dark for Aziraphale.
"Oooh, perhaps next time we could go somewhere with better drinks and food." Aziraphale mused as he leaned back against the table and looked up at Spike and Nicolas, taking in their musical skills. No, not classical but rather good. If not a little depressive. Honestly, quite sad. He watched the first song and just took it in and by the last song on the set, he turned to Crowley with one raised eyebrow.
"My. They're quite sad, aren't they?"
Kind of made him want to make sure that Spike and Nicolas had some sort of counsellor. "I mean I'm happy they're in love but does it have to be so ... bleak?"
"Huh." Well, that was a good question. "I think it's just their vibe. I don't know if they're really all that sad. They are just a bit dramatic over it. Makes for better songs that way."
And the audience certainly seemed to like it. "You are happy they are in love?" He asked it tentatively, because he wasn't sure whether Aziraphale meant that they were in love with each other. And if he meant that, then he wasn't sure whether it was all right to ask, even if he did wonder. Was it offensive to assume that Aziraphale was homophobic? Or that his beliefs would be?
He wasn't even sure what he was asking. Or why it seemed to matter so much.
"I assume they're in love with someone, the way they talk. Not sure if it's both of them in love with someone else or one of them is in love with someone else or ... they both love the same person. It's hard to be sure." He wasn't entirely certain how it worked but they wrote this together so surely they had someone in mind. One or both of them. He frowned for a while and then turned back Crowley, shrugging somewhat. "I'm not quite sure who they love but they have strong feelings. Scary and emotional but strong."
It hadn't really occurred to him that they'd love each other but then, it wasn't so much as homophobia and more as the fact that they seemed to like to each and not have such a bleak... vibe.
"Do you know who they love? I'm sure you can shade more light than I can."
"Shedding light isn't really my thing, is it?" And also not really his place either, which he was aware of. His question had not really been answered, but at least he had not gotten a negative answer either, which was something to cling to. He didn't think that Aziraphale could ever be hateful, really. Glancing over at the stage, he did catch a glimpse of Nicolas holding Spike's hand as they headed to the back. "We'll 'hang' with them a bit when they come back out. Maybe you'll have the light shed then."
"Perhaps we can --- oh." He saw them holding hands, saw the way that Spike looked at Nicolas and something just clicked in place. Ah. Okay. He had another theory now. Then again, maybe he was just passing him something? It was hard to say, he barely saw it. They were off the stage just as it started.
He didn't know but he didn't wish to insult anyone so he kept his theory to himself. Seemed highly unlikely anyway. "I can be here for another hour or so but then I really must head back before anyone notices."
"Of course, angel. Don't worry about it. Maybe we'll find something you do like drinking before you have to leave." Wait, that was slightly unclear. "I'm taking you back, of course."
It wasn't a school night, so Crowley hardly planned on sleeping any time soon. Might as well go on a late night walk. "We could go to the movies, next time. If you wanted. Have you ever been?"
"Once when I was very young, on a school trip, I slipped in by accident. Didn't even get the form signed. Not sure how it happened but nevertheless, I got to watch something. It was awful but I do love the cinema. From all I can remember of it. Perhaps we could go some time... just nothing spooky, okay?"
He wasn't really a fan of horror. Even in books, it got too much.
"I would love to see a cinema, watch a proper movie. I would love to see more live music and to go places. I always wanted to try out Japanese food and travel. There's much I want to do." So much more than his parents wanted from life. He didn't think the center of the world was some old town church.
"Sushi and stuff? Yeah, I've had that." Well, he got some cucumber rolly things at a gas station once and tossed them quickly, because they were not fresh, but still. He liked the idea of being seen as sophisticated by Aziraphale, even if that was a long shot. He knew he wasn't anything like that, his family was just a bunch of losers and Adam, who did show promise. "We can do that together, yeah? See more of the world. Like a proper movie. Nothing spooky. And we'll go to a city one day. I'll get a car, you'll see."
"Cars are expensive! I would be very impressed if you could. Perhaps we could go to London. I hear it's a nightmare and the tube is awful but you know, a city is a city and everyone may hate it but they go there an awful lot." So it couldn't be all that bad, could it? "We could eat sushi in London."
Now there was a silly, fun idea that he couldn't help but pine for. Whatever he was going to do, he just knew already that he wanted to do it with Crowley. "What do you want to do? If you could do anything?"
"Doesn't matter, does it?" Crowley looked at Aziraphale and didn't think about his words until he heard them come out of his mouth. "As long as you come with me."
All right. This was embarrassing. This was so embarrassing. He felt the heat rise in his cheek and he really hoped it was too dark for anyone to notice that he was blushing. "I mean, we can just, you know. I'd like to--"
Anything. He literally just had to think of anything whatsoever and his mind was blank. "Dine at the Ritz?"
"Oooh, the Ritz? That does sound fun." Aziraphale didn't know how to process how much Crowley wanted him to come with him. Maybe there was a little part of his head that did process it but it was certain that right now, he couldn't even let it sink in. He just smiled a brilliant bright smile and nodded his head, reaching out and placing his hand on Crowley's forearm.
"I think you and I will go on many fun adventures, my secret friend. Go places where we don't have to be so secret. Like the Ritz."
He never would have thought Crowley would venture there. Such a fun idea!
"Not secret at all there, no." He'd just go there flamingly homo queer, apparently, if the current state of his being was anything to go by. What was happening and why was it happening now and to him? Crowley swallowed and tried to push it back, just covering Aziraphale's hand with his own and smiling vaguely. "Come on, Angel. Let's get you a drink."
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As they came further into the room, Aziraphale shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to stick close to Crowley, wondering if this one night was enough to damn him for all eternity.
"What exactly is a coke?"
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It probably could hurt somehow, but Crowley was trying to play all of this off as no big deal in order to calm Aziraphale down. he wasn't sure how successful he was so far. Making their way over to the bar, he slid over the money and ordered a coke, then just smiled at Aziraphale as they waited. "It's not so bad here, right? Just people having fun."
Loud fun, admittedly. And in some cases drunken fun. But still!
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That made it worth it.
"We can share. I'm curious, I must admit. Besides, at this point, if God is as pedantic as my parents think he is - I'm not sure I'll get into heaven anyway." He read prohibited books, he loved eating in excess and his mind often drifted in church to many other topics.
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"I think they might be up next. They are better than this band, at least, I can tell you that much."
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He pulled a face, clearly not decided on if he liked it or not. He handed it back to Crowley and faced the stage again. "Are we meant to be like 'hurrah, good show' or anything?"
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His face felt hot and he cleared his throat, shaking his head in hopes of getting that thought out. "You can just tell them how you liked it after. Buy them a drink or something, they like that."
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"So how did you meet your friends? What were their names again? Nicki and Spike. Delightful names. Is Nicki short for Nicolas?" He paused and then looked at Crowley. "What on Earth is Spike short for?"
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He did dramatic readings of them, which was admittedly the funniest things he'd ever gotten out of learning even a word of French, so there was that. "I didn't really meet them, we just started sitting at the same table. You know how that go--"
Well. Aziraphale probably didn't know, as far as he knew, he just sat with his books. "it happens like that. We all like dressing in dark clothes, I guess. Spike didn't used to, but... Honestly, don't tell Spike, but he'd just have done anything to make Nicki think he's cool."
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There was a bunch of questionable looking men up there, all in various states of poor dress. He recognised Spike first, it was hard to miss the bright hair.
"I'm afraid I have limited knowledge of all of this. I never really had friends. Not even in junior school. Everyone always thought I was rather strange." Not that he minded, he had his books and all. "I think you're the first person to ever 'hang' with me." Gosh, he hoped he used hang correctly.
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So this was different. Maybe that was the only difference.
Crowley watched the stage, where Spike was with his back to the audience and probably the whole world in his mind, talking to Nicolas with their foreheads almost touching. Friendship. Probably more. He wondered whether they knew.
A lot to wonder about. "They write all their music themselves. I like some of it."
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He watched them take their places and looked away from them, eyes on Crowley instead.
"I don't think I like this place much. Or coke. Or really all the drinking youths either." Aziraphale assessed, looking around critically before looking back at Crowley. "But I am having a marvellous time already. I'm excited to see what your friends bring to the table."
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The first song started and Crowley did wonder what Aziraphale would make of it. Not exactly classical, he supposed. But Spike's voice sounded good, Nicolas played guitar in a way he felt was a bit reminiscent of his violin playing and he did enjoy it. Haunting, maybe. Maybe it was all too dark for Aziraphale.
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"My. They're quite sad, aren't they?"
Kind of made him want to make sure that Spike and Nicolas had some sort of counsellor. "I mean I'm happy they're in love but does it have to be so ... bleak?"
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And the audience certainly seemed to like it. "You are happy they are in love?" He asked it tentatively, because he wasn't sure whether Aziraphale meant that they were in love with each other. And if he meant that, then he wasn't sure whether it was all right to ask, even if he did wonder. Was it offensive to assume that Aziraphale was homophobic? Or that his beliefs would be?
He wasn't even sure what he was asking. Or why it seemed to matter so much.
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It hadn't really occurred to him that they'd love each other but then, it wasn't so much as homophobia and more as the fact that they seemed to like to each and not have such a bleak... vibe.
"Do you know who they love? I'm sure you can shade more light than I can."
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He didn't know but he didn't wish to insult anyone so he kept his theory to himself. Seemed highly unlikely anyway. "I can be here for another hour or so but then I really must head back before anyone notices."
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It wasn't a school night, so Crowley hardly planned on sleeping any time soon. Might as well go on a late night walk. "We could go to the movies, next time. If you wanted. Have you ever been?"
Probably not. Maybe for some Christian movie.
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He wasn't really a fan of horror. Even in books, it got too much.
"I would love to see a cinema, watch a proper movie. I would love to see more live music and to go places. I always wanted to try out Japanese food and travel. There's much I want to do." So much more than his parents wanted from life. He didn't think the center of the world was some old town church.
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Now there was a silly, fun idea that he couldn't help but pine for. Whatever he was going to do, he just knew already that he wanted to do it with Crowley. "What do you want to do? If you could do anything?"
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All right. This was embarrassing. This was so embarrassing. He felt the heat rise in his cheek and he really hoped it was too dark for anyone to notice that he was blushing. "I mean, we can just, you know. I'd like to--"
Anything. He literally just had to think of anything whatsoever and his mind was blank. "Dine at the Ritz?"
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"I think you and I will go on many fun adventures, my secret friend. Go places where we don't have to be so secret. Like the Ritz."
He never would have thought Crowley would venture there. Such a fun idea!
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