#go om

“Gesundheit, darling. Well a nasal spray will probably help the most with the tickle in your poor nose. And then a decongestant for post nasal drip,” He grabbed a tissue from the open box on the floor passing it to Crowley and then politely looking away, knowing that despite how much he just wanted to dote on his ill lover, Crowley would be too tense to appreciate it in the moment.

Crowley took the tissue with a grateful look towards his partner before turning to the side and blowing his nose productively. “Thanks, angel,” He said with a quiet sigh of relief at the feeling of having his nose cleared out, for a moment at least.

Aziraphale leaned in and pressed a kiss to Crowley’s forehead and then began looking through the scattered cold medicines before finding what he was looking for. “Are you coughing much, dear?”

“No, throat’s a little sore but mostly it’s just my...hih...snf my nose,” He said with a little sigh of relief as he was able to hold off the sneeze.

“Alright well take this tablet it will help with congestion and then here’s a pain killer which will help with your throat and the fever - which don’t think I haven’t noticed that,” He chastised, but he passed over the meds with a bottle of water to soften his scolding.

He found a nasal spray to use and turned back to Crowley who was slightly slumped in his chair. “Blow your nose dear and then you’ll want to use the spray,” He said pushing the tissue box towards Crowley in offering.

Crowley obediently blew his nose and then took the nasal spray, two spritz up each nostril to do the trick. But almost immediately his nose tickled from the feeling. He rubbed at his pink irritated nose as his breath started to waver and his nostrils fluttered. He sniffled and rubbed, and managed to hold it off for a moment but he still felt terribly sneezy.

“Oh sweetheart, you really have such a cold in your poor nose. Try not to sneeze, alright, we want the medication to have time to take effect before you sneeze it all out,” He said with a little worried frown.

“Not sure I can c-ah-hah….” Aziraphale kneeled down and pressed his own finger up under Crowley’s nose firmly, helping his lover to hold back. Crowley’s eyelashes fluttered as they grew damp with tears as he desperately tried to hold back the sneeze brewing in his nose with Aziraphale’s help. But luckily it backed down again.

“Thagks, angel,” He said stuffily, trying not to sniffle so as not to set himself off again.

“You’re welcome darling. Let’s give all that a little time to take effect and then I can help you with your makeup if you like,” Aziraphale offered rubbing at Crowley’s shoulder, his eyes wandered over to a small couch against the wall. “How about you rest for a minute with me while we wait,” He suggested gently.

Crowley frowned but had to admit the idea of curling up with his love for a minute sounded like heaven. “Yeah, alrighd, angel,” He agreed tiredly. Aziraphale guided him over the couch with a firm hand to Crowley’s lower back and then settled pulling Crowley against his side as he wrapped an arm around his lover so he could relax.

“How’s that sweetheart?” He asked running his hand gently through Crowley’s hair.

“S’good,” Crowley mumbled, leaning heavily against his partner as he tried not to think about how tired and sore he felt from this wretched cold. He managed to rest and focus on his lover’s warm comforting presence for a little bit. Then he sniffled without thinking and immediately his nose gave a twitch, he groaned even as his breath started hitching. Aziraphale looked down at Crowley to see his face falling with the need to sneeze.

Aziraphale pressed his finger under Crowley’s nose but it seemed to be less effective this time, his nostrils fluttering damply against his knuckle. He tried to rub from side to side like he’d seen Crowley do before.

“Hih…..Huh….Hh-Hih?....I ca-hah-n’t heh...help it..have to...hah-have to…” His head drifted back as his nostrils flared out wide, showing how damp and irritated they were.

Aziraphale switched tack - pulling out his handkerchief and cupping Crowley’s nose in the folds. “It’s alright dear, just let it come. It’s been long enough you should be fine,” He reassured.

Crowley was too overcome to respond and just let go, sneezing wetly into the kerchief. “Hh-Heh...Heh’DJZCHUH….HEH’MPSHCH...AEH’SHOO…Hih….”

“Such a cold in your poor nose. Just sneeze out some of that tickle, dear. It’s alright,” He said, continuing to reassure Crowley who’s cheeks and ears were as pink as his nose with embarrassment. He gently rubbed at Crowley’s back with his freehand.

“Hh..AESSHUH….Hh-Huh-HUH’TSHOO!...ugh…” He groaned, sniffling for a moment. Aziraphale wiped at his nose and then folded the kerchief over to a relatively dry side so his cold-ridden companion could blow his nose again.

“Gesundheit, darling. Blow your nose for me, dear,” Aziraphale said firm but kind.

Crowley did as he was bid and blew his nose, pulling back when he was done to flop back against his lover’s side. “Thanks. Sorry I’m such a mess,” Crowley said meekly.

“No need to apologize sweetheart. You know that there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I just wish you wouldn’t push yourself so hard, darling,” He said and then followed up quickly when Crowley shot him a glare, “I’m not saying you shouldn’t go on tonight. I know you’ve made your decision, dear.”

Crowley subsided as Aziraphale explained, it was an argument they’d had several times over the past couple days but Crowley was not going to miss out on this venue, even if this cold seemed determined to try to make him.

“Let’s start on your makeup, dear,” Aziraphale said regretfully, but if they started now then they’d have plenty of time to fix things if Crowley needed to clean up his running nose or his eyes watered from sneezing.

“Yeah, sounds good. Thanks again, angel. I know you didn’t want me to do this but it...it means a lot that you’re here to help,” He said looking down towards his black snakeskin shoes.

“I didn’t want you to make yourself more ill but I know you will be as excellent as you always are darling. And I’ll be glad to see it,” Aziraphale said with a little smile. He tilted Crowley’s chin up so he could meet his eyes. “I love you, my dear. And you know how much I enjoy doting on you,” He said teasingly as he tried to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, yeah. You fuss too much. Love you too, angel,” Crowley said with a crooked smile that made his eyes brighten.

Crowley settled back in the chair as Aziraphale pulled out various makeup products. Crowley was perfectly capable of doing his own makeup but Aziraphale was a deft hand at it as well and often did Crowley’s makeup before a show. A comforting ritual that let Aziraphale dote on Crowley in an understated way that was easier for the guitarist to allow.

As soon as Aziraphale started to use his usual powder foundation though he realized this was going to be an all new challenge. “Hh...angel...I..Hh’GSH-uh...Hih-Hh’mmpssh...ssorry,” He said after managing to pull away from the brush before the first sneeze burst from him half stifled against the back of his hand. He dabbed at his nose with a tissue as he sniffled.

“Oh dear. Your nose is quite sensitive isn’t it, this might be a touch trickier than usual,” Aziraphale said with a concerned look, “Do you think you can hold still long enough for me to finish with the powder, dear?”

“Erhm, yeah I think so,” He said with an uncertain sniffle. If he could just get control of his damned nose.

Aziraphale tried to leave his nose alone as much as possible but the even without the bristles of the brush tickling his nose the excess powder in the air was making his nose feel dreadfully tickley. “Hh….Heh...Hiiih?....” Finally Aziraphale powdered Crowley’s nose and the area around it as quickly as possible.

Crowley’s breath hitched desperately, nostrils flaring and fluttering and as soon as Aziraphale was done he turned to the side to sneeze harshly towards the floor. “hh-Hh-Hhh-AESHOO….Heh’SHUH...EPTSHoo..Essh..Etshuh-TSHT... Heh-hih-HEH-RRRUSSHOOO….” He panted heavily leaning back in his chair with a groan.

Aziraphale bit his tongue to not ask if he was sure he was alright to go on. “Gesundheit! Well that should be the worst of it, darling,” He reassured as he brought a tissue up to dab at Crowley’s nose carefully. “Are you alright, my dear?” He asked before he could suppress the need to fuss over his sick love.

Crowley gave a light cough, the sneezes having roughed up his sore throat a bit. “Yeah. ‘m alright, Zira,” He said.

“Oh! I have some tea and lozenges for your throat,” He said bustling over to his bag and pulling out a small thermos and a baggie of lozenges. He poured some tea into the thermos top and offered it to his sick lover. Crowley shot him a grateful look as he sipped at it.

“Best get on with it, angel,” Crowley said tiredly, trying to mentally psych himself up even though he felt dreadful.

“Of course darling. Turn your head towards me again. There we are,” He said gently as he got to work. Luckily the rest of the makeup application went by without incident and then they were nearing the start of the show.

“I should go out to get to my seat soon, my sweet. Do you need anything else?” Aziraphale said pressing a kiss to the side of Crowley’s hair so as not to mess up his makeup or the artfully mussed hair on the top of his head.

“Nah. I’m good. You’re a lifesaver, Aziraphale,” He said with a soft warm look in his eyes and continued sappily, “My angel.” He reached out and tangled their hands together giving Aziraphale’s a squeeze.

“Oh hush,” Aziraphale said as his cheeks went pink, “I love you, my darling. Now um break a leg I think is how it goes.”

Crowley gave a low chuckle. “Yeah that’s the one. See you after, yeah?”

“Of course, darling.” With one last gentle squeeze of their hands Aziraphale left to join the audience in the large auditorium. Crowley was the opening act and then would be helping to close the performance with a couple pieces in a duet with one of the other artists performing this evening as well.

With his last few moments he fiddled with his hair foregoing hairspray as a bad idea and just gelling it in place. He grabbed his guitar, mentally donned his flash bastard persona and made his way out to the stage.

On stage Crowley had to rub his nose and drink water between each song but managed to make it through to the last song before his nose really started to fuss. He turned from the mic to sniffle trying to hold back his cold symptoms until he was off stage and just barely managed to take a bow and rush into the wings before he was stifling a fit of sneezes into his elbow. Some of the staff came up looking worried but he waved them off and rushed off to his dressing room for some much needed privacy.

Link to [ Part 2 ] 

The ride back to the bookshop was comfortably quiet. Crowley had his eyes on the road, for once, navigating the empty streets with practiced ease. Aziraphale was trying to keep his mind from wandering back to the disaster he had narrowly avoided, and the implications thereof. Crowley had risked his safety to save him; he had tread holy grounds of the church just to tell him off. How had he even known where the angel was? And why had he saved the books? He must have... cared about him. Cared about his well-being, his happiness, the books that were so precious to him. And what did he give him in return? Zilch. Squat. Jack shit.

Clearly, he wasn’t having much luck not-thinking about it.

Crowley swiped a finger under his nose absently, and drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. This pulled Aziraphale out of his daze. Determined to shove all of those messy implications to the side, he tried to make some light conversation, “Oh, look, they’re playing Debussy.”

“Hm? Oh, is that who it is?” Crowley asked.

“Yes, it’s the third movement of Suite bergamasque. ‘Clair de lune,’ I believe it’s called.”

“Well, whatever it is, it sounds nice enough,” Crowley said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aziraphale watched a strange expression come over the demon’s face. His jaw slackened, and- did his nose just twitch?

“Ugh, sorry, hold on a moment,” Crowley warned. He took both hands off the wheel and cupped them over the lower half of his face, containing three forceful sneezes.

“Goodness!” Aziraphale exclaimed, gripping the hold on the door without thinking. The Bentley obediently stayed on the road, and in its proper lane to boot, “Bless you!”

Crowley sneezes again, louder this time.

“Don’t ssssay that,” Crowley hissed, moving his hands to rub his nose in earnest, “It only ma-ahhh- makess it worssse.”

“Sorry, my dear, I forgot that-” Aziraphale felt the back of his neck grow hot with embarrassment, before clearing his throat. “Right, well, at any rate, are you okay? You nearly drove us into the ditch.”

Had he not been distracted, Crowley would have answered with a cutting remark about his complete mastery of the car. However, he seemed to be at war with his body. He held up a finger to Aziraphale, then sneezed into his elbow, away from his passenger.

“I’ll be fine, it’s just...” he trailed off, hitching for a few moments, before doubling over with another powerful release, “Blast it all. I’m fine, angel, it’s just that the dust... the explosion... the whole bloody church up...”

“Oh,” Aziraphale said eloquently. Of course, the rubble from the demolished church would be consecrated too. And they had stood in the midst of it while he had fretted about the lost books. Seemed like small potatoes compared to his companion’s... no, his friend’s suffering. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to Crowley, “Here you go, old boy. Er, should I be worried about... you know...”

“It won’t kill me, Aziraphale,” Crowley rolled his eyes, taking the offered handkerchief and vigorously rubbing his nose with it, “It’s an inconvenience, is all. I’ll be over it by tomorrow morning.

“Well, I’m sorry all the same. This would have never happened if you hadn’t come to sav-”

“Save the guilt for another time, I don’t want to hear it,” Crowley said, before ducking into the cloth with two more sneezes. He slammed his hand against the steering wheel and growled.

“When we get to my shop, I can see if I have anything to help ease your symptoms,” Aziraphale offered.

“Maybe chopping off my head?” Crowley suggested playfully, rubbing at one of his eyes with the heel of his hand, sending his sunglasses askew.

“Oh, don’t do that,” Aziraphale said, “You’ll only make it worse.”

“But it itchesssss,” Crowley whined.

“I know.”

“Everything itchesssss.”

“You can take a bath at my place. Put a hot towel over your head. Just- please pay attention to the road.”

“The Bentley drives herself,” To prove his point, he took both hands off the wheel to scrub at his eyes in earnest.

Without thinking, Aziraphale reached over and grabbed the hand closest to him. “Stop.”

Crowley turned the opposite way and sneezed, and the car lurched to one side. He pulled his hand free to steer it straight again, “Oh, all right, you temperamental box of metal on wheels.”