Aziraphale and Crowley plan a vacation free of miracles, just for the heck of it. Just to do it the way humans do. Maybe it's fun! Maybe they will have a grand old time! Who knows?
It all starts with packing.
Aziraphale is the very first to regret this idea as soon as he opens his bag on top of the bed, ready to pack. They can only take so many bags because they are going on the Bentley, and no miracles means no calling books through space with a single snap of his fingers. So...one bag is not enough, surely.
"Oh, but it is, angel. Max one bag for clothes and one bag for books, nothing more."
"But Crowley, that's absurd! We'll be in Scotland for 2 weeks! Am I supposed to take, what? 5 books? And how am I supposed to choose?"
"This 'no miracles' trip was your idea. Now deal with it."
Aziraphale deals with it, but not without a lot of complaining and making a list of pros and cons of taking every single one of his favorite books. He ends up with a bag full of them and a couple more in the clothes bag.
This is to say that Crowley doesn't have an easier time. No miracles means no miracling his own clothes, so he's got to actually pack something. And he likes most of his clothes. And you never know what type of events will be around. A restaurant? A play? He needs outfits. Good outfits. And a toothbrush. And shampoo and conditioner, cause he refuses to use the ones from the hotel. And hair gel! Cause no miracles also means no miracling his hair into being in shape...doing his hair every morning will be an absolute pain in the arse, but he can endure it. Yet, when he goes to close his bag...it's too full. Taking two bags of clothes would be ridiculous, so he lays his hand on the bag and pushes down, trying to run the zipper. Nothing happens. He sighs and sits on the bag, pulling the zipper once again, and it runs for a couple of millimeters.
"Angel, give me a hand, will you?"
"With what, dear?"
"I'll sit on the bag and also push it down with my hands and you will try to close the zipper." He opens his legs so Aziraphale can access the bag's zipper and he jumps once on his bag, pushing down with his hands.
Aziraphale almost breaks the bloody zipper, but it does indeed close.
With the bags in the Bentley and both seated on their usual positions, Crowley lays his hands on the steering wheel, but doesnt start the car just yet, instead looking ahead.
"Everything alright?"
"...does 'no miracles' mean I can't keep the tank of the Bentley full?"
"I suppose."
"Aziraphale, I haven't gone to a gas station since I got the bloody James Bond stickers!"
"And when was that?"
"Many, many decades ago."
"Oh well, I'm sure getting fuel in a car isn't that difficult. It mustn't have changed since back then."
"Are you sure we can't make an exception?"
"Quite."
"...is this because of the books?"
"Mmh."
Crowley groans and goes to start the car, but he stops short of the ignition.
"Are you...keeping the Bentley whole with miracles? Is that the new problem, my dear?"
"No." He looks up at the angel. "I have to buy a phone charger."
"Whatever for?"
"Because I keep my phone charged with miracles, angel! And I have absolutely zero idea where the original charger is! I never used it! With a bit of luck its still somewhere in Mayfair."
"Oh well, we will stop at a phone shop then. Easy fix."
The demon takes a deep breath, and off they go, on their road trip to Scotland at very not legal speeds - not for lack of complaining on the angel's side, mind you.
When they get to Edinburgh, they quickly find their hotel and go up to their room. Both take showers and, hell, it's still mid afternoon, so they go for a stroll around.
At about dinner time, Crowley quickly googles restaurants nearby and finds one named "Angels with Bagpipes". As soon as he sees it, he stops scrolling. It's somewhat modern and certainly different from the Ritz, but, Satan, look at that name! They just couldn't not go.
"You're joking, certainly." Aziraphale looks over his shoulder. "Look at that other one! Rhubarb. It looks so much more-"
"Posh?"
The angel eyes him side ways.
"I was going to say classy. Romantic."
Crowley snorts.
"Oh this is a romantic vacation, is it?"
"No!" He slaps his arm. "I mean-! Yes! Just-" He runs a hand down his face while Crowley keeps laughing. "Oh, hush. I'm just saying that one looks way more up our alley. That one is too modern."
"I'm down with modern. Big fan of modern, me."
"Oh, believe me, my dear, I'm extremely aware, but-"
"And! For a restaurant as posh as that I bet we need reservations. And you know what we don't have?" Crowley wiggles his fingers. "Reservations. Or miracles to get said reservations."
Aziraphale rolls his eyes, trying to suppress an exasperated sigh. Crowley was ridiculous. How in all the heavens did he put up with him through all these years will forever be a mystery.
"Alright. Let's go to the other one."
Crowley smiles, victorious, and offers him his arm, which Aziraphale promptly takes.
"An angel and a demon walk into a restaurant named 'Angels with Bagpipes'-"
"Crowley!"
And off they go, down the streets of Edinburgh. They have dinner and Aziraphale only complains until the food is served. Afterwards he appears quite content to stuff his face with appetizers and whatnot all while under the watchful eye of Crowley that keeps sipping his wine silently, one elbow on the table, while under said table his leg pushes against Aziraphale's.
"Do behave yourself, will you?"
"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, angel." He uses his foot to slightly slide up Aziraphale's leg.
"We are in public."
"Your point?"
Aziraphale closes his legs, trapping Crowley's foot in between them.
"That's my point."
Crowley pouts, pulling his leg away.
"Boring, you are."
The meal proceeds with little to no incidents. Just the usual: Aziraphale utterly enjoying his food and Crowley watching him as he is enraptured by the flavors and its, honest to Satan, impossible to look away. Not to mention the satisfied wiggles. And the moans. It can pass 6000 more years, but Crowley will never ever get used to those.
"Angel."
"Yes, my dear?"
"Do you have money?" Aziraphale suddenly drops his fork and looks up at Crowley, mouth hanging open. "Thought so."
"Heavens, what are we going to do? We can surely miracle it, right? This is an emergency."
"Nop. You didn't let me miracle the fuel so no miracling the money either."
"You paid for the fuel."
"My last pounds, yes."
The angel's eyes widen quite comically.
"You must be joking."
"No. No joke. Last bills in my wallet." He sloshes the wine inside his glass, leaning closer towards Aziraphale. "And I bet this is all quite the price too. What do we do, Aziraphale? Leave by the back like criminals?"
"There's no back and we are not criminals! We need to miracle the money!"
"That's against the rules." He points at the angel, raising an eyebrow over his sunglasses. "Your rules, might I add."
"No-! Crowley!" He also leans closer to the demon and whispers. "We need to do it. We are not criminals."
"I'm a demon. I guess I can be considered a criminal at some extent."
"You're being ridiculous."
"I'm playing by the rules."
"You're insufferable."
"And yet you still love me."
Aziraphale sighs and closes his eyes, trying to think about a solution, when he hears footsteps approaching.
"Have you finished your dessert, sirs?" The waiter asks, stopping right in front of the table.
"We have." Crowley is quick to answer, and Aziraphale kicks him under the table. He was not done yet, and he needed more time to think about a solution!
"Are you ready to pay?"
Crowley looks at Aziraphale, very serious, and Aziraphale can feel the sweat accumulating on his hands. Oh lord, they had no money. And they just ate a 3 course meal. I mean, Aziraphale ate. Crowley mostly dabbled on the soup and spent the rest of the meal drinking. Drinking quite old and expensive red wine, at that.
Aziraphale looks at Crowley, then at the waiter - who is smiling very politely at them - and then back at the demon. Crowley raises his eyebrow again while Aziraphale starts to shake. He was about to pop when Crowley snorts and reaches for his wallet, pulling a black card and handing it to the waiter, who accepts it and walks away. Aziraphale gasps.
"You had money!"
"Technically no. I had a card."
"A card with money!"
"I never said I didn't have a card. I said I didn't have bills. Physical money. I did use my last bills at the station."
Aziraphale kicks him under the table again, and Crowley can't hold it anymore and starts laughing as controlled as he can.
"Oh, I hate you, you fiend!"
"You've been telling yourself that for 6000 years and you're yet to believe it." The waiter returns with the card and leaves just as fast. "Shall we go back?"
"Yes. But I won't forgive you for this."
"Ah, yes. You. The one that throws 'I forgive yous' through the wind."
"Crowley!"
"Joking. I'm joking." He gets up and Aziraphale follows him. When they get through the door, Crowley offers him his arm once again and leans in closer. A whisper just Aziraphale could hear. "I have my methods to make you forgive me. Just let us get to the hotel, angel."
Alas, the day was not ready to give them a break. On their way to the hotel, it suddenly started raining heavily, soaking both of them to the bone.
"I don't believe this!"
"A little miracle would come in handy right about now, eh?" Aziraphale sighs and snaps his fingers, summoning a tartan umbrella to his hand, which he promptly opens, covering both of them. "Angel!"
"Hush. We can start over tomorrow. Now, let's go." He grabs Crowley by the arm and starts pulling him.
"What's the rush? It's not like we can get sick."
"Someone promised me something when we got to our hotel room." The angel looks over his shoulder to the demon for a second, still walking up the street.
Crowley smiles.
"And you just have to run to find out whatever it is."
"Color me curious."
They did get to the hotel quite fast, and the first thing they did was peel away from their drenched clothes and jump in the shower. Whatever happened in there is between the angel, the demon, and the white tiles on the wall.
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