Let the snow fall and the wind howl

[gaveitaway]

Who: Aziraphale and Crowley
What: Spending the night in the library.
When: January, when the campus is rather snowed under.
Where: Library
Warnings: None anticipated?


They had been expecting the weather to get bad, but maybe not quite this bad. With roads closed, Aziraphale is stuck on campus, and while it's true he could possibly find a place in the dorms to crash, the thought doesn't really appeal to him.

He stays in the library. After all, he already has a tendency to be here at all hours. It's already home away from home. It is, admittedly, without any power at the moment, and quite chilly. Aziraphale finds blankets from his own stash and also emergency kits, and snags a few pillows from the sofas, and settles in amongst a few of the stacks so that he'll have easy access to things to read. He has a hurricane lantern with a small flickering flame.

Lingering in his mind is the fact that he was supposed to see Crowley tonight. He could very well be stuck on campus as well, but the landlines are out and Aziraphale doesn't have a mobile phone. He has no way to reach him, unless he feels like trudging out into the freezing cold to battle falling snow and high snowdrifts to make his way to Crowley's office.

... He's considering it. He'll likely have to go out at some point to find food as well.

Comments

[sparkofgoodness]

Crowley is cold, and Crowley hates being cold.

It's nonsensically cold and snowy, and the snow came down so fast his car is stuck. It's stuck here, and now he knows he should never have come in. Should have never risked in! Being snowed in at home? Fine. Being snowed in here? Awful.

He trudges through the greying snow on the campus paths to the library building, fumbling open the outer door then the inner door, stamping off snow then crossing the hall to the door to the library proper. There's a faint light in here, and it could be Aziraphale or it could a student.

"Azra?" he calls out, and pauses to try and make sure his coat isn't shedding snow anywhere before stepping in. "You here? Car's pretty stuck, car park as a whole is a mess."

[gaveitaway]

The relief that Aziraphale feels hearing Crowley call his chosen name is intense, and he stands up hurriedly and takes his lamp with him as he leaves his little nest to meet him.

The smile he gives him when they come together speaks to that relief.

"Crowley! Oh, thank goodness. I was just thinking of going to look for you. I had no way to contact you."

[sparkofgoodness]

"Yeah, we should fix that."

Crowley is heavily considering buying Aziraphale a mobile phone. He slips his slightly damp gloves off and shoves them in the pocket of his coat, rubs his hands together quickly to try and warm them up and reaches out -- draws Aziraphale in enough that he can press a warm kiss to his cheek.

"Sorry you're stuck here too," he murmurs, "but not bad if we're stuck together, eh?"

Better than alone.

[gaveitaway]

"Perhaps."

Aziraphale has never had a mobile phone, and is not the most fond of more recent technology, but he can learn. He's used computers when it's been necessary, after all. And simply calling and texting on a mobile would probably be straightforward enough for him to pick up quickly.

...to be real honest, he rather likes Crowley buying him things, even if it does come with a bit of guilt. The fact that Crowley seems so willing to buy him things goes a long way toward helping with that, though.

He sets his lantern down on a nearby table and gives Crowley a full-on hug with both arms, finishing with a kiss to his cheek as well.

"The situation does seem to be looking up, knowing I'll be here with you. Would you like to curl up in my little nest of blankets with me?"

[sparkofgoodness]

"Absolutely. Drag me away to your wicked lair."

He grins under the attention, pleased, then draws back and drops to begin unlacing his shoes.

"Should take these off first, though, or I'll be treading snow into this blanket nest of yours. Where is it, then?"

How far into the library has Azra placed this nest? How far, then, is Crowley going to be carrying his shoes?

[gaveitaway]

"I believe you mean my heavenly lair," he teases, pulling back and picking up the lantern again as he waits for Crowley to remove his shoes.

"I've nestled in amongst the stacks," he explains, giving a nod in that direction. "I had thought it might be nice to have quick access to the books, though we could always move to another spot if you'd like."

[sparkofgoodness]

"I'm happy wherever you are, angel."

He slips off his shoes and picks them up in one hand, tilts his head invitingly.

"Lead on, then, to your heavenly lair."

There's a joke, somewhere, about how it might be wicked once he gets to it. He'll save that later, maybe.

[gaveitaway]

Oh. That's such a sweet thing to say, it immediately earns him an exceedingly fond look from Aziraphale, before he takes up his lantern in hand again and holds Crowley's spare hand with his other.

He then leads him to his cosy little pile of pillows and blankets in the stacks. His own shoes have been placed nearby and could indicate a good place for Crowley to put his as well.

"I do hope it's soft enough. But we could always gather more cushions from the sofas, I suppose."

[sparkofgoodness]

Crowley dumps his shoes down beside Aziraphale's and begins shedding his damp coat, sets that aside too before reaching out for Aziraphale.

"Well," he points out, "it's got you in it, angel. Be about as soft as warm as it can be, even without pillows."

People do that when cold, right? Share body heat. Crowley thinks they should definitely be doing that, for scientific reasons. Clearly.

[gaveitaway]

Goodness. More sweet talk. Aziraphale's face is flushed. Crowley can warm him up just by speaking.

"I... I can't say I'd mind being your pillow."

He can't stop smiling at him either, as he takes his hand again and sits down in the comfy nest of blankets. He's ready and willing to cuddle up close to Crowley.

"Or your heating blanket, I suppose."

Or whatever else he might want, really. He's fallen rather hard for Crowley, and he knows it. How could he not, though, in the face of all this charm?

[sparkofgoodness]

"Why not both?"

Crowley goes with him easily, settles himself in the nest and then begins pulling at the blankets to wrap the two of them up together into them.

"Only problem is, angel, probably have CCTV in here. So gotta make sure they can't see my hands."

Is he joking? Who can even tell.

[gaveitaway]

Oh.

He's facing Crowley now, wrapped in the blankets and shyly scooting close enough to feel their legs bump together again, even entwined a bit, if Crowley allows it.

"You'll need to clarify the details there for me, dear. What... forbidden thing do you plan on doing with your hands, then?"

He does have an idea, and he understands it may just be a joke, but he feels it's necessary to tease a little bit like that anyway.

[sparkofgoodness]

"Getting there somewhere warm," he says, and begins gently inching them up under Aziraphale's sweater. "Got very cold hands, you see, want to warm them up."

On Aziraphale's skin. Obviously.

[gaveitaway]

"Suppose I truly am your heating blanket," Aziraphale murmurs, not unhappily, and gently slides his hands over Crowley's so he can slowly lead them further up under his sweater, before lightly pressing them to the soft, warm curve of his stomach.

The initial contact causes a quiet gasp, since Crowley's palms are cold against his skin, and he releases Crowley's hands so he has free movement.

Aziraphale's face is slightly flushed. He already feels warmer, and that's taking the cold palms into account.

[sparkofgoodness]

Much better.

Crowley grins and leans in to press a soft kiss to Aziraphale's cheek, slipping his hands around to rest on the warm planes of his back instead so he can draw him in closer.

"Helps that you're hot in more ways than one."

He winks, settling himself into the blanket nest more comfortably, and lets out a little sigh of contentment.

"Well, here we are."

[gaveitaway]

Aziraphale can't help but scoff gently, with affection and a smile, at what is essentially a very cheesy pick-up line. Crowley's lucky Aziraphale already adores him. And that his wink is beyond charming. And that his hands feel rather lovely on his back. And that he finds a certain comfort and satisfaction in their closeness. Possibly, the closer the better.

"Yes... Here we are," he echoes, as he slides his own arms around Crowley beneath the blanket, keeping layers between his own hands and Crowley's skin, for the moment.

"...do you truly think the cameras still work when the power's out?" He asks, curious. He's certainly not knowledgeable about such things himself. He wouldn't know.

[sparkofgoodness]

"Dunno," Crowley admits, swaying the two of them absently. "Sometimes they have back up power for that sort of thing. Not sure if we do here. Could poke about and see if there's a little light on it anywhere. Why, thinking of doing something scandalous?"

He pulls back an inch, lofts an eyebrow at Aziraphale. Surely not, an innocent lamb like him? Never had a wicked thought in his life? Wouldn't dare? His lips twitch, barely suppressing amusement.

[gaveitaway]

Predictably, Aziraphale blushes. He's thankful for the lack of good lighting now.

"Of course not, although..." He purses his lips a second, slightly reluctant to admit it. "I did think perhaps you were."

Or, maybe, hoped he was. But don't call him on that.

[sparkofgoodness]

"Would I ever do something like that?" Crowley protests. "Me, encouraging you into a public acts of wickedness?"

Surely not! To help with this display of non-wicked behaviour, Crowley squirms himself to begin pressing soft kisses into Aziraphale's neck instead. Obviously a well thought of, upstanding, pure librarian like him would never concede to sullying the stacks with filthy behaviour.

[gaveitaway]

"Yes," Aziraphale answers easily, then gasps at the sudden attention paid to his neck.

"Crowley," he whispers harshly, yet it can hardly be considered a real protest when he's shifting and tilting his head to give him better access to his neck, and tightening his embrace around him, pulling him closer.

He begins scanning the area with his eyes for any little lights that may indicate a camera. He's been in this library a few months, of course, but he's never really looked for them. No one told him about any. Now that he's looking, he's not seeing anything.

[sparkofgoodness]

"Mmmm?"

Crowley draws back, offers Aziraphale an amused grin.

"Can't even give you a little kiss, then? Worried someone might see?"

If, in this instance, 'a little kiss' can be used to describe the way Crowley had been focusing his attention on Aziraphale's neck. He hadn't left any marks! Surely that counts for something, in this situation? He's using some restraint!

[gaveitaway]

The disappointed look on Aziraphale's face as Crowley draws back is clear, though in truth it's only because he's stopped kissing his neck. Though it is always nice to see his face... His endearingly beaky nose...

"Well. I wouldn't forbid you from it," he admits. "And to be fair, you're the one who brought up having to hide anything from cameras."

Possibly he brought that up as a joke, though. He's unsure on that part.

[sparkofgoodness]

"You're right," he admits, "I did bring that up."

That was him. That's very true. Crowley grins, playfully unconcerned, and leans in to capture Aziraphale's lips in a soft kiss briefly.

"Danger makes it more fun, though," he murmurs, and his lips kick up into another smirk.