#tiresius

Tiresius: 85 to 86 percent. 

“Aziraphale, hello. It’s er, been a long time.” “Yes, dreadfully long. You look different.” He immediately coloured in evident embarrassment. “I mean, of course you look different, as do I of course, I didn’t mean bad different, that is to say…” Something inside of Crowley, something that had been in a deep freeze for several eons, was starting to thaw. It was letting little bits and pieces of familiarity break loose to float back into their rightful places in his soul. One of those pieces, those round, blue eyes, suddenly snapped into place, and he felt a corresponding wave of long-forgotten feeling wash through him. Aziraphale is anxious. Make Aziraphale happy. “Yeah,” he interrupted. “D’you wanna… get a coffee or something?” *** Crowley and Aziraphale meet by chance on the street. They've met before, in their youth, in a different life. Some very difficult things have happened since then. Will they be able to find their way back to each other and to themselves?

Length: 23,411 words

AO3 Rating: Explicit / Spice Level 🔥🔥🔥

Best for: At Home, Angst, Romance, Human AU

Triggers: Grief, Period typical homophobia

Read it here, fic by tiresius

*Minor Spoilers* This is a very beautiful story of grief, longing, and healing. A human AU where Crowley and Aziraphale spent a summer falling in love as teenagers, and have now reconnected 30 years later. The years were not kind to either of them. Crowley's grief hangs off every part of him. I love that the author does not give his full backstory until he feels comfortable enough to tell Aziraphale. It feels almost like we, the readers, had to earn that trust as well. I loved all the flashbacks to their teenage years. That summer was all about new experiences and finding a joy that they weren't allowed to have. Only allowed the briefest moments of freedom before it has to be tamped down, hidden, explained away. Their adult selves are still dealing with that trauma along with a whole new set of pains. But they will learn to be patient and take care of each other. I love the hope that this ends on. I'm sure there will be more bad days in their futures, but now they are no longer alone with those burdens.

Love love, love this story. The author manages to write something melancholy, without being depressing. It knows grief, and how heavy it is. How hard it can be to manage, and treats both characters with such grace and understanding. Mostly safe in public, there are a couple sexual scenes but nothing too explicit. I suggest an at home read though, it's not a triggering story but it's heavier topics.

 Donald Sumpter as Tiresius (Atlantis)