GOAD Writer's Guild: THE LONG ROAD TO YOU (Ch. 5)
(Yay another chapter finally! Been plucking away at this in between all the things I've been handling IRL so It's fun to finally upload a new one. Thank you everyone for joining me on this little romantic adventure. Onto the chapter! Kudos to @goodomensafterdark for putting up with my nonsense. Extra kudos to @daneecastle for the AMAZING cover art! And huge thank you to @ireallyneedmoretea for the wonderful beta work! Thank you both so much for helping me out!)
CW for story (additional warnings will be placed in notes as we progress): Alternate Universe - Human/Road Trip, Road Trip Across America, Crowley is from Chicago, Aziraphale is a British Anthropology Professor, Fear of Flying, Grief/Mourning, Trauma Recovery, Second Chances, Found Family, Disabled Crowley/Crowley has POTS, Crowley Whump, Aziraphale Has An Anxiety Disorder, Bentley the Service Dog, Meet-Ugly, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Smut Tags (please heed them), Slow Burn Romance, Fluff and Humor, Humor as a Coping Mechanism, Emotional Hurt/Comfort
Aziraphale Ffaelen wanted one thing in life: to survive a miserable transatlantic flight, drag his cheating fiancé back to London, and salvage the “happily-ever-after” he thought he was meant to endure.
What he got was Tony Crowley — a smart-mouthed Chicago redhead with a stolen diamond, a loyal service dog, and a talent for turning disaster into something strangely charming.
With no cash, half a tank of gas, and two thousand miles of wrong turns and revelations ahead, Aziraphale will need to choose between clinging to a past he’s always known or embracing the uncertain road toward change — and perhaps, the unexpected love of a man who teaches him that letting go might be the only way to truly live.
Realising that the man was in need of a little trust to open up, Crowley decided to just let his seat partner come to terms with that reality on his own and make the first step. That might be the only way to rectify their tense positions at all.
So with a shrug, Crowley looked away once again, carefully looking down at his phone as he pretended to read, just to give the illusion of distance and open that door a little wider.
Sure enough, just as Crowley counted down from ten in his head, he heard it when the man suddenly sighed heavily and finally turned to face him as he spoke.
“Alright, I suppose I did have a question for you, after all,” the blond finally said as the words tumbled out of him—lest he chicken out at the last possible second. Taking the opening for what it was, Crowley casually looked up from his phone as he offered him a small smile.
To his delight, the stranger relaxed at that smile, his own lips turning up in a sheepish curve as he scrubbed his fingers nervously over his bearded chin. “About earlier, that is. I hope it isn’t too much to pry a little further.”
“I had a feeling that’s where you were going with all that wind-up,” Crowley said easily, adjusting in his seat slightly to face him head-on. “I’ll answer whatever questions you want, but first, I have one of my own. Are you ever going to tell me what your name is, or am I just going to keep calling you every British stereotype I can think of for the rest of the flight? If we’re stuck together for four more hours, it might feel a little less awkward. Or if you’re not too keen on that, I can use other nicknames like… pookie, or cupcake, or… angel?”
Tickled pink by the idea of teasing the man next to him with those sappy monikers, Crowley couldn’t help but feel entirely amused when the stranger suddenly flushed deep red at the last nickname.
‘Oh that’s interesting… I wasn’t expecting him to actually like that,’ Crowley thought to himself, as he patiently waited for the man to splutter through the nerves.
Get yer hot, fresh chapter here!:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/77772771/chapters/211048421
Start from the beginning? Click here, traveler!:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/77772771/chapters/203734576
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