Chapter Text
One year later…
The castle grounds were alive with flowers for the first time in decades. The gardens that surrounded the castle had always been there, but had grown barren and thorny with the passage of time. Luckily, Crowley, the guard dragon of the castle, also happened to have a wonderful green thumb. When he moved there with Sir Fell, he made it his new mission to revive the gardens.
So, the dragon breathed in new life there. Rose bushes lined the sides of the castle, and the path leading up to the castle were of elaborately cut shrubbery. The gardens in the back were always lush green with pops of red poppies, blue hydrangeas, and pink Sweet Williams. Aziraphale had insisted on the Sweet Williams; said it was their flower, the one that symbolized their love and new life.
Today, the redhead was trimming the rosebushes, plucking up any spotted leaves he could find and discarding them. He even occasionally gave the bushes a few glares and idle threats to cut them down if they got any more leafspots. It was a hot one that day, and he swiped the sweat from his brow with his work shirt, and glanced back towards the entrance to the gardens.
Aziraphale was sitting on the terrace, in his light neutrals, legs resting on the ottoman, a book in his hands, looking so calm and content in the sunlight even as the hot sun beamed down on them. Their eyes met, and Aziraphale waved at him as Crowley made his way back to the castle.
“Sleep well, angel?” he asked, taking off his sunhat and gloves, sitting next to Aziraphale on the other ottoman.
“Wonderfully, my dear,” Aziraphale smiled. Between them on a small table was a plate of crepes, made from a recipe he’d found when they went on holiday in Paris a few months ago. Aziraphale had heard that the French made the best crepes, and he had to agree with that sentiment. Soft and silky, filled with oats and berries to create that complexity and sweetness the French dish was known for.
“Good,” Crowley laughed as Aziraphale reached over with a forkful of crepe and fed it to him. “Will made me promise you got plenty of sleep last night so that you would be all well and good for opening night.”
Aziraphale chuckled, leaning over and kissing Crowley’s lips. “Will has nothing to worry about,” he assured him. “And I daresay, this may be his best play yet.”
Crowley raised an eyebrow. “Even better than ‘Hamlet’?” he asked. “Hamlet” wound up being a huge success the year prior. So much so, Will was not only finally financially secure, but he seemed to have more motivation than ever to tell stories, whether they be tragic, romantic, or comedic.
Aziraphale considered for a second. “Well, maybe not. I might only say that because he’s my friend,” he told him as the two of them walked into the castle. “But I can appreciate a romantic comedy. Even more so after this year. Speaking of,” he looked around, rubbing his hands along his doublet. “We better get a wiggle on soon. Don’t want to be late for rehearsal before opening night.”
“I can fly us there,” Crowley said, giving Aziraphale another peck on the lips. “We’ll be there in no time at all.”
“Thank you, my dear,” Aziraphale wiggled, and they went up to the bedroom to get their things together for the evening.
So much had changed within the past year. Hastur was found guilty of murder and fraud, and was awaiting his death sentence in the most rundown, isolated tower in London. Michael and Sandy had faded into obscurity, and rumor had it was that they were in a convent, perhaps sentenced there as some type of penance.
Anathema and Newt got married the previous fall, a beautiful wedding full of laughter and love, and plenty of cake. She was truly a blushing bride in his mother’s wedding dress. Even after she wed, Newt allowed her to stay in her apothecary, and even eventually moved in as well. Turned out, Newt may not be skilled at welding, but he was passable at behind the counter work at the apothecary. Tracy was doing well, too, was even engaged to a well-known witchfinder named Shadwell. Aziraphale still visited her often, and she had been by the castle a number of times as well, brioche and wine in hand.
As far as Aziraphale, he had never been happier or freer. He finally settled into the castle, but took no time at all to settle in with his new life with Crowley. His days were filled with cuddles in bed, lovely lunches, long walks and talks around the gardens or around town, and sometimes even adventures to other lands. They had been all over to Paris, Madrid, Berlin, even in lands not yet known. Aziraphale was building himself as a patron for the arts, while Crowley enjoyed volunteering his time at an orphanage in town a reader to the children.
Then of course there was the sex. Crowley had been patient all throughout the development of their sex life, letting Aziraphale set the pace, acting gentle and kind even when things weren’t always chaste. Crowley might even think he created a monster, though he was the real, loving monster in this relationship.
“You know I love you, yes?” Aziraphale asked him as he gathered up some of his belongings and costumes into his bag.
Crowley, meanwhile, laid back in bed, watching Aziraphale with a sweet smile on his face. "I love you, too," Crowley told him softly.
Aziraphale walked up to him, bent down and kissed his lips. “Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move; doubt the truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love.”
“Are you really quoting Will, angel?” Crowley huffed.
“Of course I am,” Aziraphale said. “I know his works, studied them to pass the time, look up to him.” He cupped the redhead’s chiseled cheek and smiled. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous, my dear.”
“I’m not,” Crowley assured him. “It’s more getting used to someone reciting poetry to me.”
“Well, you certainly deserve to have poetry recited to you,” Aziraphale giggled. “Now, you ready? I’ll admit, I’m a tad antsy about this.”
“Don’t be. You know you’ll be wonderful, angel.”
Crowley transformed into his dragon form in the gardens, and Aziraphale climbed onto his back and they were off to town. It was a beautiful summer day, the type where the sun was out, the sky a clear blue, and the birds and crickets were chirping, creating their own summer song. He sighed contently as he gazed down at the town beneath them, green and full of people walking around and children playing. It was a sight Aziraphale didn’t have a chance to see at all in the past several years, and enjoyed it every chance he got.
“You know you’ll be wonderful, Aziraphale,” the dragon told him as they drew closer to the Globe. “I am so proud of you for finally fulfilling your dreams.”
“Thank you, dear,” Aziraphale said, wrapping his arms around dragon’s large neck.
The tiring house of the Globe was abuzz, actors being pulled here and there for some last minute rehearsal, practice, wardrobe changes, and such. Will was perhaps the most nervous of the lot and he wasn’t even an actor, though this was perhaps his most daring play yet.
“Are you ready, Sebastian?” Will asked him jokingly before he went onstage to present his play and welcome the audience.
“Of course, Will,” Aziraphale assured him. Truth be told, he was nervous at first, but once he took a moment to observe himself in his costume, put on a bit of makeup, took a few deep breaths and got himself into character, he felt readier than he ever did. His big debut, and it was one of the main protagonists of the story.
“That’s my good man,” Will smiled as he climbed up the steps to the stage, and Aziraphale looked on with pride. He was grateful to have Will as a friend and mentor, someone so brilliant and artistically driven, and had welcomed him into his Company with open arms.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present to you the debut of my latest play, ‘Twelfth Night’, which although the name may suggest something for the Christmas season, we decided to bring it a little early this year...”
From backstage, he could see Crowley in the stands of the Globe, looking ever so dashing in his dark clothes and long, red locks that fell just past his shoulders. The dragon seemed to sense eyes on him, as they met with Aziraphale’s and winked from above his sunglasses. Aziraphale couldn’t help but smile, knowing this was his life now, in love and fulfilling his dream. When he stepped onto the stage in front of the live audience for the first time, he knew it was all simply meant to be.
And they all lived happily ever after.