Tracyâs home looked like any other countryside cottage from the outside. There were the usual flowering shrubs along the footpath to the front door and a few verdant plants resting in the front window boxes. It perfectly matched any other home that you would find resting in the English countryside.
The inside⊠not so much.
It was as if the home was split in two.
One section of it looked like it was used to hold seances meant to speak to the dead. There were mystical doodads lying about the shelves and tables and more candles than should be allowed in a home with so many flammable tablecloths and shawls about. Crowley was even sure he saw a crystal ball lying around among the paranormal paraphernalia.
The other side of the home looked more or less like a library. It was nothing but shelves upon shelves of books all laid out in some order that didnât look like it used any sort of known sorting system. There was perhaps the odd stool or side table that housed a teacup or coffee mug atop them, but otherwise it was near identical to an antique bookshop.
âIâll go and put the kettle on for the tea then, dears,â Tracy announced once the front door was closed. âAziraphale dear, why donât you show Crowley to your reading nook while Anathema and I catch up as the kettle boils?â
âAre you sure you donât need any help, madame?â Aziraphale looked like he was split between wanting to prepare the tea and also not wanting to leave Crowley by himself if his tail swaying lowly side-to-side towards Crowley was any indication. His ears, Crowley noted as well, were laid flat in a way he knew some cat-folk used to look demure, but one ear, the one closest to Crowley, was twitching towards him, as if checking that the other cat was still there.
âOh, nonsense, dear. Iâm sure youâre excited to talk to your new guest, so let me prepare it this time. Lord knows Anathema and I have a bit of catching up to do, donât you think so, dear?â
âSure, Tracyâ said Anathema, not hesitating to follow Tracy into the kitchen. Soon it was just Aziraphale and Crowley left at the entrance.
âWell then,â Aziraphale turned towards Crowley with a shy, but excited smile. His tail slowly lifted from its low swaying position to a higher, interested one. âShall we?â He inclined his head over to the more library-looking part of the house.
âLead the way.â Crowley put on his best flirty smirk, but hoped it wasnât skewed by the strange fluttering feeling he got in his belly from the thought of Aziraphale showing him his territory. It wasnât the same for all cat people, but it was common knowledge that a catâs personal space was their sanctuary, and someone poking their nose in a catâs home could likely lead to a few claws to the face.
Though here Aziraphale was, happily guiding Crowley into the depths of his personal den. Crowley was suddenly overcome with that same cozy scent of hot cocoa and old books (well now he knew where the book smell came from), but this time it was coming from everywhere. He was led into the maze of shelves only to find that it ended in a little enclosed area towards the back. It was covered on all sides with either a wall or a wall-length bookshelf closing it off from the rest of the world. Against the back wall rested an old, overstuffed sofa that had a few throw blankets lying over the back. It looked large and wide enough to hold two people napping side-by-side together.
Why was that the image that came to Crowleyâs head?
Also, inside the âreading nookâ (that was definitely Aziraphaleâs cat den) was another side table, a standing coat rack, and a wall lamp that was shining a cozy yellow light across the nook, making it look like the most comfortable place for a cat nap.
âI do apologize for the mess, dear. Iâm afraid I hadnât had the chance to spruce the place up.â Aziraphale carefully slipped off his oxford shoes and divested himself of his coat before hanging it up on the coatrack. He then turned to Crowley and reached his hand out, smiling kindly to him in a way Crowley wasnât sure heâd ever seen someone do with him besides Eve. Crowley blushed as he stared down at Aziraphaleâs soft hand. He wasnât sure what Aziraphale wanted from him, but he was having an awfully hard time not stretching his neck out to rub his cheek all over the backs of those knuckles.
âI know it can get a bit stuffy in this area, so I usually donât have my coat on when I read back here,â said Aziraphale, mercifully snapping Crowleyâs mind away from wherever it was trying to go with that train of thought.
âOh. Oh! Yeah, uhâŠâ He pulled his coat off his shoulders quickly and placed it gently in Aziraphaleâs outstretched hand. The shining smile he got in return made him want to rip the shirt off his back and give that to him, too.
Wait, no, stop thinking weird thoughts in front of this angel of a cat, idiot!
And an angel he was. Even here, the soft glow of the wall lamp silhouetted his fluffy curls and ears enough to form a halo of soft, fuzzy light around him. Crowley felt like he was melting, but it had nothing to do with the supposed stuffiness of the room.
Crowley watched as Aziraphale gingerly sat down on the sofa and wiggled happily into his seat to get comfortable.
âWell, do make yourself at home, dear.â Aziraphale patted the open space beside him to beckon him.
Crowley, already despising that there was any amount of space between them, kicked his shoes off and more-or-less leaped onto the couch next to the angel-cat. He landed squarely on the cushion, just barely remembering not to use his claws to try to stick to the fabric. He squatted down put his hands down on the cushion in front of him and faced Aziraphale.
Aziraphale looked slightly startled by Crowleyâs leap, but before Crowley even had a chance to worry, Aziraphaleâs face lit up in amazement.
âGoodness! That was quite a leap! A rather agile fellow, arenât you?â
Crowley swore he could see stars dazzling in those beautiful green eyes.
âYeh, a bit.â He shrugged, playing it off as cool as he could. âNever know when youâre gonna need to skedaddle in a hurry. Gotta say though, Anathema isnât a fan of me sitting on top of the fridge. Says she gets nervous that sheâs gonna shut my tail in one day.â
Aziraphaleâs face crinkled up a bit when he chuckled, and Crowley was scarcely prouder of himself in that moment than heâd ever been in his whole life. Â Â
They were briefly interrupted when Tracy showed up with a tray of tea, but Aziraphale simply thanked her and set the tray aside on the side table. Neither one of them were particularly interested in tea at the moment. Aziraphale was rather eager to continue his conversation with the other cat before him.
âI would have liked to see that. Not that Iâd want your poor tail getting caught, though.â Aziraphale blinked at Crowley, then seemed shocked at something. The next thing Crowley knew, there were two emerald-green eyes right up in his face, looking at him like he was a marvel. âOh, my dear! You have slit pupils! Iâve never actually seen a cat that still has that particular gene!â
That wasnât surprising considering that traditional slit pupils were almost completely bred out of cats in the last few centuries. Seeing a cat with slit pupils was a rare sight, and they were often associated with being more animalistic. Unfortunately, that meant they were also associated with being feral and dangerous. Hence the sunglasses.
But those had seemed to have fallen off at some point, likely during his great leap onto the couch. And now Aziraphale was staring him down in wonder, which was strange to Crowley since all he ever got when exposing his eyes were worried faces or grimaces of disgust.
âEr, yeah. Theyâre pretty uncommon but theyâve upset a lot of people in the past, so I usually keep them covered. Sorry about thatâŠâ He tried not to think of all the potential adoptions he missed out on in his kittenhood based on the looks he got whenever his eyes were exposed. He turned to look anywhere but Aziraphale, hoping to find his glasses in the process.
âWhyever would you do that?â asked Aziraphale, sounding distressed. Crowley looked back at him to find him pouting a little. âTheyâre so beautiful! They look like pools of golden sunlight.â
Crowley paused, only managing to blink once in response before going: ââŠReally?â
âOh, yes! Aziraphale sat up straight again, looking satisfied with himself for stupefying Crowley. âMost definitely so. I find them quite charming, actually.â The base of his super fluffy tail twitched once, proving his statement to be true. âIs that the reason young Anathema chose you as her companion? I perhaps thought it was because a witch was not complete without a black cat, and she does so have a penchant for witchcraft.â He giggled at his own assumption, probably believing the black cat thing to be a joke.
Though part of it was true: black cats were still thought of in that kind of light, even in the modern day. Witchcraft, curses, and bad luck. Thatâs all some people thought of black cats. If it wasnât the eyes that kept him from being adopted, then it was likely the color of his fur that kept people away. It wasnât uncommon that black cats were usually the ones who were stuck in shelters the longest, and Crowley was just another example of that. Just a demon wrapped in fur.
Though that wasnât what threw him off.
âIâm⊠not actually Anaâs companion.â He was hoping to keep this conversation out of their lovely afternoon chat, but it seemed inevitable at this point. âSheâs just fostering me as a favor to a friend.â
Aziraphaleâs mirthful expression soon turned to one of confusion and concern.
âYeahâŠâ Crowley looked away and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. âIâm⊠Iâm still a shelter cat, actually. They just thought itâd be a good idea for me to get out of the shelter for a bit. You know, to get some fresh air and all.â By the time he eventually looked back at Aziraphale, the angel looked devastated.
âYou mean, youâre not staying in Tadfield?â He quickly backpedaled and amended his question. âI mean, how is it possible youâve never been adopted? Youâre a very handsome cat; Iâm sure any family would be honored to have you. That just doesnât make any sense!â Â Â Â
Crowley just shrugged, not wanting Aziraphale to pity him like this.
âNah, Iâm not⊠Well, Iâve been adopted a few times, but it never stuck, you know? None of them were good fits, and well... Well, no one really wants used goods either, really, so itâs not that big of a surprise.â
He had hoped that would quell Aziraphaleâs protests, and they could leave that at that, but now Aziraphale was looking at him more intently, as if he was missing an integral part of the picture and Crowley just hadnât given it to him yet.
âWhat do you mean by âused goods?â Surely no one would know one way or the other if youâd tried other families beforeâŠ?â
Oh. He hadnât noticed heâd mentioned that.
Yet somehow, he couldnât leave Aziraphaleâs inquiries unanswered. He looked so desperate to understand, that keeping him in the dark seemed cruel. Especially with that concerned look that was directed full force at Crowley. He wasnât sure he could get used to that.
âItâs nothing serious,â he began trying to play it off. He just wanted to make his point without thinking about it too much. It wouldnât do them any good if he began to panic in the middle of their conversation. âI thought I had made it once. I thought I had found my forever home with one person, but⊠It didnât go well, and I found my way back at the shelter again. I was a full-grown cat at that point, and I figured if I couldnât have a home by thenâŠâ He let his sentence trial off. It hadnât been the whole truth about what happened, but he didnât want to share the rest of it yet. Aziraphale didnât deserve that kind of burden, and Crowley didnât want that kind of pity.
âOh, Crowley, you mustnât give up on yourself like that! Truly, Iâve only known your acquaintanceship for a short time, and I already really like you! I know youâll be adopted soon!â He smiled so hopefully that Crowley almost believed him for a moment. âBuck up, dear. Youâre a wonderful, handsome cat with many good years ahead of you.â Aziraphale leaned closer and patted Crowleyâs leg. âYou just need to give it a bit more time. I know for a fact that if I could, I would have adopted you in a heartbeat.â It must have taken a second for Aziraphale to think about what he said, because just a moment later, his face began to grow pinker around his cheeks and just above his belled bowtie.
ââŠReally?â Crowley asked again, still stunned by the angel-catâs words.
âWell⊠yes,â Aziraphale admitted. His face was still flushed like a beat and getting redder, so Crowley decided not to press any more than that.
âWell, thanks⊠Um, enough about me, though, what about you, then?
âPardon?â Aziraphaleâs face started returning to normal, though Crowley thought he flushed up nicely when flustered.
âYou and your person. Tracy, right? You two seem like an odd pair. Howâd that happen, eh?
Aziraphaleâs face suddenly went from an adorable pink to a frightening white. He paled rather quickly and looked to the ground at his feet. His tail wrapped up close around his lap and stomach, and his ears flattened out again.
âOh, itâs not the most exciting story, you know. The usual, I suppose. I was fortunate enough to be assigned as a young kit. I knew Tracy since she was a child, and weâve stuck together since then. You know. All quite standard, I assure you.â
Well now Crowley was curious. On one hand, he didnât want to press Aziraphale too much and make him uncomfortable. On the other, that damned curiosity that had always gotten him in trouble was back at it again, and this time in full force. Truthfully, he wanted to know everything about Aziraphale. When was he adopted? What kind of institution did he come from? Was he the only cat in his home? Why did he call his adoption an âassignmentâ?
He wanted to know everything.
âSounds like itâs more than that. What was your shelter like? I bet you came from one of the fancy ones down south, eh? I bet you had your own room with an en suite bathroom and fancy fixtured lighting, right?â he teased. He knew there were some nicer shelters out there. His wasnât bad, but it also wasnât like one of those âpurebred housesâ that heâd heard about in the past. Those were supposed to be fancy.
âUmâŠâ Aziraphale dithered in his response. He simply wrung his hands together strangely so that the tips of his fingers were tucked under his hands. âWellââ
âCrowley!â called out Anathema from the other side of the little library. âWe should be getting back to the cottage. Itâs starting to get dark out.â
âOh dear.â Aziraphale, looking half relieved and half disappointed, fished out his watch from his waistcoat and looked at the time. âOh, it is getting late. Here, let me walk you to the door, my dear.â
They collected their coats (and Crowley found his glasses), and both of them walked, rather slowly, back to the front door where Tracy and Anathema were wrapping up whatever conversation they were having. Â
âOh, donât worry dears,â Tracy said, seeming to notice how downtrodden both of the cats looked at the thought of separating. âIf you two like, we could arrange another meeting of sorts while Crowleyâs in Tadfield. After all, itâs not like weâre going anywhere.â
âOh, yes!â Aziraphaleâs ears instantly perked up, and his tail instinctively wrapped itself around Crowleyâs waist.
Crowley believed he deserved every medal in the world for the effort it took not to scream, melt, and swoon at the same time. Though he was sure he couldnât keep the blush away as he felt the heat rushing to his face. Well played, Aziraphale. (Aziraphale for his part didnât seem at all to notice that his tail took on a mind of its own when he wasnât paying attention.)
âSsssure,â Crowley nodded while trying to keep himself from burying his face in Aziraphaleâs fur and never leaving. âWhatever Aziraphale wants Iâm fine withâŠâ
âOh, thatâs just splendid! Anathema dear, just give us a ring whenever itâs convenient for you, and weâll set up a time.â
âSounds good to me.â Anathema nodded and checked her phone for the time. âIâll call tomorrow when Iâm free. But for now, we should probably head back before it gets dark.â
âOf course, dears, mind how you go, yes?â
âI do so look forward to seeing you again, dear.â Aziraphale gave Crowley another smile that Crowley was sure could light up the black chasm in his chest for the rest of forever.
âYeah, same here, angel.â Crowley gathered up all his will power to be able to step away from the comforting warmth of Aziraphaleâs tail. âSee ya.â
And although there was probably supposed to be some sort of somber silence that filled the air after the other two left, the evening was not quiet.
Still, Aziraphale would not be as aware (as Tracy was) about just how very loud he was purring.
âHe called me angel.â