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“Please, Crowley?”
”I dunno, Angel, I could get in a lot of trouble if I’m caught doing good deeds…”
“But the food bank is low on both supplies and the funds to purchase more, and there are so many hungry families in Soho.”
“So why can’t you miracle it fixed?”
“Gabriel, is monitoring my miracles again. He’s noticed I do so many more in December.” He took a deep breath, “It’s for families, Crowley, some with children. You like children! I’ll owe you one, anything you like!”
“ Anything, Angel? You need to be more careful about what you promise a demon. I’ll hold you to that. I s’pose I’m thwarting Heaven if I help you disobey your boss.”
“Little “b” boss, dear. I would never disobey Her, and you know you want to help these families.”
”Ngk. Well, in that case I’ll just have to get creative on this payback you’ll owe me.”
.｡❅*⋆⍋⋆*❅｡.
Weeks later, with the food bank having received both a huge anonymous donation (the money “liberated” from a crooked politician’s re-election fund) and a very unexpected delivery of children’s toys, Crowley demands a movie night. He shows up with a Christmas movie he’s pirated (demon!) for Azi to watch on his enormous old console TV. The bookshop’s lights are dimmed, to emphasize the Christmas tree’s twinkling lights.
Aziraphale has endured Crowley’s taste in films before and is just a bit dubious., “A Christmas movie? It’s not one of the vulgar ones, is it?”
Crowley rolls his eyes, “No, Angel. It’s about kids in exotic Indiana.”
“Alright, I’ve made us popcorn and I’ll just finish the cocoa while you get things set up?”
“Well, there is a catch.”
“A catch?”
“Yup!”, Crowley answers, popping the “p.”. “You’re going to get into the spirit of things by putting on a costume.” Crowley snaps his fingers upward., “I’ve just miracled it into your room upstairs.”
Azi fusses, “Crowley, this isn’t like the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ is it?”
“Nope. It’s just for fun. You’ll see it in the movie, I promise! You go change and I’ll take care of the cocoa.”
Azi heads upstairs and Crowley listens carefully as he pours the cocoa into angel and demon mugs, until he hears a surprised yelp. “What the… Crowley!?!”
He yells back, “Just put it on and come downstairs. Everything else is ready!”
Aziraphale appears at the top of the stairs in an absurdly fluffy, pink bunny pajama onesie. An adorable pink nightmare from the tips of his floppy ears to his little bunny slippers. The tree lights glint off his reading glasses as he gives the demon a bemused look. “Dear, am I supposed to be some kind of playboy bunny?”
“Ngk!” Crowley, cannot keep his fond demonic giggles in. Azi smiles, but mock huffs,” I really don’t think I should be the only one in costume, do you?”
Crowley hesitates only a moment, and it’s Aziraphale’s turn to giggle as the demon miracles himself into a 1940s rhinestone cowboy costume. Furry black and white calfskin chaps held up by his snakehead belt and a fringed western shirt, encrusted in rhinestones, topped by his usual metallic scarf. He tips an equally rhinestoned cowboy hat playfully at Aziraphale before plunking down on the couch with a satisfied smirk.
Before joining him, Azi dims the lights completely, so the entire bookshop is lit only by the twinkling Christmas tree. Crowley hands him the popcorn bowl and starts the movie, before stretching his long arms across the back of the couch.
“Well thank you for also putting on a costume, I must say you look charming. I suppose I’ve gotten off pretty easy on that favor I owed you.”
“Eh, maybe?” The demon grins mischievously. He knows his angel needs to be really annoyed to feel he’s actually repaid his debt.
They sit side by side on the couch, a demon dressed as “Ralphie the Kid” and an angel as a “pink nightmare”, sharing popcorn and laughter in the combined glow of TV and Christmas tree.
As Aziraphale becomes more and more absorbed in the movie, which the angel does absolutely love, Crowley surreptitiously miracles a lamp into being on a table far behind them. A lamp with a glowing base shaped like a fishnet stockinged leg, and topped with a black tasseled shade. Crowley grins at Azi’s obliviousness and sits back anticipating his reaction to what is prominently displayed in his shop’s front window… the world’s tackiest “Christmas” light.