Christmas trees w/Crowley

[theangelfell]

On December 1, Aziraphale pulled down the folding stairs that led up to the small attic crawl space above his bookshop and climbed up, getting his suit quite dusty as he brought down a number of boxes. This was the sort of thing that could be made much easier by magic, of course, but Aziraphale liked doing some things the hard thing. It gave it its own special sort of magic.

There was one thing that he used magic for, however. After checking the "closed" sign again, looking around the store to make certain that he was alone, he flicked his fingers towards the bare spot in the middle of the store he'd made, and a moment later there was a large fir tree there, reaching up to the ceiling.

He stood back and admired it for a moment, before pulling a string of lights out of one of the boxes and starting to wind them around, humming 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman' with enthusiasm.

Comments

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale turned his head to hide a smile, as he started on some tinsel.

"Why don't you tell me about someone you tempted or thwarted," he said, appeasing him.

[sauntereddownward]

That brightened his spirit even more than the tree.

"This was brilliant. I crashed Twitter for fifteen minutes. Millions of souls...people get so angry so quickly," he chuckled, rather pleased with himself. "Quite like when I crashed LiveJournal some years back."

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale rolled his eyes. "Those poor fangirls. Hand me that candy cane, will you?"

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley passed the candy cane and took six for himself to decorate the tree on his side.

"Poor fangirls, indeed. You know, after the fact I wondered if I hadn't done something good, thwarting them from writing more pornography? I think it was evil but in this day and age there isn't any black and white," he admitted.

[theangelfell]

Not looking at Crowley, deliberately, as he hung a crocheted snowflake, Aziraphale said, "I'm not entirely convinced that pornography is such a bad thing. Is it really hurting anyone?"

[sauntereddownward]

"Of course it hurts people. It exploits vulnerable women, it corrupts hearts and minds, it misleads the young into bad sex...Angel, don't tell me you've joined the sex positivity crowd," the demon said, stepping back and lighting a cigarette in the shop. "You dirty old sod."

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale ducked his head and turned positively crimson. Though as soon as he smelled the smoke, his head jerked up and he said, "Crowley you know better than that!"

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley looked positively innocent and utterly confused. It was a bit sweet, really. THen he looked at the cigarette and it vanished, as did the smoke.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied.

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale made a show of a brief cough, and then said, "Also, I am not sex positive. I mean, I'm not... I'm sex ambivalent."

[sauntereddownward]

"Oh, of course you are. unless there's wine involved," he muttered under his breath.

[theangelfell]

Azirpahale was holding a gold ball ornament, and after Crowley spoke he dropped it, and it shattered.

"I have no idea what you're on about," he muttered, and waggled a finger so that the ball put itself back together and flew up to hang on the tree.

[sauntereddownward]

"What? Me? I didn't say anything," he lied. He found a fat little bird and moved to hang it on the tree.

[theangelfell]

Still flustered Aziraphale said, "Let's not talk about pornography. It's not very Christmas-y." He certainly didn't want to defend it more. If Crowley thought he was sex positive that might imply it was something he did which it was not.

[sauntereddownward]

"What should we talk about, then? Perhaps how there's no room at the inn for the Syrians? That's Christmas-y," Crowley replied dryly.

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale looked sad. "No, let's not talk about that. There, why don't you put the angel on top of the tree." He pointed to the box.

[sauntereddownward]

"What a ghastly little thing," he said of the woman is white with fake silvery wings. He held it and with a bit of Will he changed it to a much more familiar form- a fussy man in tartan, no wings to be seen.

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale looked over at him, and his cheeks went a little pink. "Well I can't put that on top of the tree, what would people think?"

[sauntereddownward]

"That you're a narcissist," the demon hissed. "Put it up there. Why not?"

[theangelfell]

"But I'm not a narcissist," Aziraphale argued. Even though he knew well enough that he had his vanities, and Crowley probably knew just what they were. "I don't want to look at myself up there." It wasn't as if he was that pretty to look at, not like Crowley.

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley huffed a sigh and decided it was no use. He willed the angel figurine back to the tacky storebought ornament it had been.

"Fine," he said. "Ruin Christmas."

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale looked at him for a moment, and then sighed. "Well, perhaps a compromise then, my dear," he said, and the angel was suddenly a man in a tartan suit again. But he had wings this time, and maybe he looked a little less like Aziraphale. Or a little more handsome, at least.

[sauntereddownward]

"You see? Now that's better," the demon smiled. "Down with tradition."

[theangelfell]

Aziraphale couldn't help a little smile. "Well, then. It's done now. Time for a cuppa, I suppose."

[sauntereddownward]

"Best idea you've had all night," Crowley smiled. "Or...wine. A nice mulled wine?"

[theangelfell]

"That's a lovely idea," said Aziraphale. "Let's go upstairs then." He had a small apartment, with a comfortable couch and a kitchen.

He looked at the tree with a sense of satisfaction.

[sauntereddownward]

Crowley practically glided as he made his way upstairs and settled into the most comfortable chair.

"The old fashioned way?" he asked. "Or are you going to actually cook?"