Okay, but they still have to do their blessing/temptations and itâs the most ridiculous nonsense possible because Aziraphale turns up to thwart the demon that Head Office insists is on earth somewhere and runs into Crowley a.k.a Aziraphaleâs Delightful Human Friend and Aziraphale immediately starts coming up with increasingly implausible reasons about why Crowley needs to leave this area Right Now (because heaven forbid that Aziraphale let a terrible malicious demon anywhere near Dear Crowley).Â
He finally gets Crowley out of there by just inviting him to lunch. Crowley sort of half-laughs and says âyou know Angel, if you want to go on a date with me, you can just ask.âÂ
And Aziraphale freezes dear-in-the-headlights because Angel? Oh no, heâs been caught! He babbles incoherently for a few seconds like âahahah angel? why would you call me that? Thatâs so weird! Clearly I am a normal human just like you!!â
Crowley, who just had a slip of the tongue and has just accidentally out-loud referred to his beloved human friend by the pet-name heâs been using in the privacy of his own brain is panicking now because oh no, Aziraphale doesnât like it, is Crowley making him uncomfortable? Does Aziraphale not like him the way Crowley thought he might like him? What if heâs Ruined Everything and Aziraphale Doesnât Want To See Him Anymore *internal distressed Snek noises*
So he babbles âoh Iâm sorry, I didnât mean to make you uncomfortable I wonât do it again. Itâs just youâre so sweet and kind and genuinely thoughtful and you care about doing the right thing even if itâs against the rules, even though you hate breaking rules and youâre so sincere and and and I just think youâre like an angel really ought to be. Iâm sorry, Iâm sorry. I wonât do it again, really!â
And then Aziraphale says shyly âwell, I was just surprised. I donât mind if you call me that again. Itâs okay if itâs you saying it.â And he smiles hopefully.
âNgkâ says Crowley, master of demonic temptation, Hellâs operative on Earth.Â
Aziraphale takes him by the arm and pulls Crowley towards the doors, He does a last quick scan of the room, but thereâs no sign of demonic goings on anywhere. Maybe the adversary has been scared off?
âSoâ he says to Crowley, who has just got his breathing back under control, âhow about crepes?â.
âCrepes, yeah, yeah, sounds good,â says Crowley, figuring what the Heaven he can postpone a few temptations until later. Maybe he can tell Down Stairs that his heavenly adversary finally showed up. (If there even is one. Six thousand years and frankly the closest Crowleyâs ever seen to an angel on earth is his sweet human.)
Thereâs another pause as they exit the building and then Aziraphale says hesitantly âmy dear, did you mean it?â
âMean what, angel?â replies Crowley, basking in the permission so recently given.
âAbout asking you on a date. I . . I would quite like to take you out, my dear, if youâre amenable?â
âNGKâ says the architect of original sin, trying not to swallow his own tongue.