Happy Holidays, WillowTea!
Dec. 21st, 2023 05:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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go_exchangeTitle: Bouquets and Ink
Rating: T
Recipient: WillowTea
Pairings: Aziraphale/Crowley
Summary: When Crowley opens a small flower shop on Whickber Street, the last thing he expects is to catch feelings for the tattoo artist who owns the tattoo parlour right across the street.
Tags: Human AU, Fluff, Tattoo Artist X Florist, Misunderstandings, Miscommunication, Mild Emotional Hurt, Apologies, Happy Ending
Happy holidays to WillowTea, and thanks to HolRose for beta reading!
Bouquets and Ink
After long years of working a job that had literally sucked the soul out of him, Crowley was finally on his way to accomplish his dream. The place was small, but it was still better than he could’ve imagined. He had spent nearly all his savings to open this little flower shop, but he was hoping that it was going to be worth it.
It was officially his first day at work. Luckily, the place had been kept in good shape by the previous owner, and Crowley had just been able to move right in, not having to bother with a paint job and repairs. He only had to move in and set up his stuff. Which shouldn’t really take a lot. Except, considering that he didn’t have any friends here, he would have to do everything on his own. But it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Hopefully.
So, he just rolled-up his sleeves, and got to work, opening his boxes and starting to take out pots and vases of all shapes and sizes, placing them on the counters and shelves. When he heard the sound of the bell on the door, though, he turned around, only to be met with a man around his age, with rather old fashioned clothes and hair so light that it was almost white.
“Hi, can I help you?” Crowley asked. “I’m just setting up the shop, so if you came for flowers, I’m sorry but we’re not open yet.”
“Oh, no.” The man shook his head. “I’m sure your flowers are just lovely, but I’m not here to buy anything. I own the shop right across from yours, and I couldn’t really help but notice someone new had moved in. I just wanted to say hi and wish you luck with your business.”
Well… that was actually really kind. So much kinder than Crowley had grown used to for all his life, that he didn’t really know what to say for a moment. “Thanks,” he just said in the end, giving the man a small smile. “Yeah, I’m new here. I’m just unboxing stuff, and… well, I guess I’ll see how things go from there.”
“Did you need any help with that?” the man asked. “I don’t really have any customers right now, and I wouldn’t mind lending a hand.”
“Really?” Crowley was surprised that this man was offering help so easily to someone he didn’t even know. But, admittedly, he could use a bit of help. The sooner he was done with the unpacking the better. “Well, if it’s not gonna be a bother to you…”
“Of course not.” The man smiled, and his smile felt so genuine, that Crowley was stunned for a moment. He tried to ignore the way the warmth in that smile was melting something in his cold, long-dead heart. This was not the time.
“I’m Crowley, by the way,” he said, just so that his stupid heart would stop getting stupid ideas.
“It’s a real delight to meet you, Crowley. I’m Aziraphale.” The man extended his hand out for a shake, his smile not wavering for even a single moment. He was making it seem so easy, being nice to people.
“Aziraphale,” he repeated, taking his hand and trying not to take notice of how soft it felt against his own calloused palm. “That’s–”
“I know. It’s a weird name. Everyone says so.”
“No! I wasn’t gonna say that!” Crowley protested quickly, not wanting to be misunderstood. “I don’t think it’s weird. It’s definitely unique, but I… actually kinda like it.”
The smile was back, brighter than ever. And, stupidly, Crowley felt a feeling of loss when Aziraphale let go of his hand. Stop being inappropriate, he told himself.
He looked out of the window just for some distraction, trying to see which was Aziraphale’s shop. But the only shop across from his own was a tattoo parlour. He glanced back at Aziraphale, taking him in, before looking at the shop again. Well, it was definitely a tattoo parlour, but Aziraphale did not look like a typical tattoo artist. Crowley wouldn’t have even guessed the man approved of tattoos.
“Did you- did you say you own the shop across from mine?” he asked, hoping he wouldn’t come off as rude.
“Yes. I know I don’t look like a tattoo artist,” Aziraphale said, as if he had read Crowley’s mind. “But I always liked art, and I like seeing all the different ways people express themselves. The look on their faces when I make their dream designs come to life is certainly more than enough compensation for the strange looks I get when they first see me at my shop.”
“Right. Yeah. I didn’t mean to sound like I was stereotyping or anything,” Crowley tried explaining himself. “I hope I didn’t offend you.”
“Oh, I’m not offended at all. People always get surprised when I tell them about my profession. I’m quite used to it at this point.” Aziraphale truly didn’t seem offended, which made the tension in Crowley’s shoulders ease up a little.
“Well, then. Let’s get to work now, shall we?” Aziraphale asked, which made Crowley smile.
“Yeah. Let’s.”
…
It had been little over a week since Aziraphale had helped him settle into his shop, and Crowley couldn’t stop thinking about him. He knew it was stupid, he barely even knew the man. But something about him, his smile, his eyes, his hands, his genuine kindness, were just drawing Crowley in, making Crowley want to get to know him better.
He wanted to visit him in his shop as well, but what reason did he have for that? Just a friendly visit? They weren’t even friends at this point. He was worried that it might seem a bit too weird if he were to just show up randomly.
But, well, there was one reason why he could visit. He had always wanted to have a tattoo. But the office he used to work at had been quite strict regarding any visible ink, and he had ended up never getting one. But he was free to do whatever the hell he wanted now. So, why not get a tattoo?
He pondered on his decision for a few days, making sure he wasn’t just being reckless in order to have a conversation with Aziraphale. Once he made sure that he actually did want to get a tattoo, though, he walked into Aziraphale’s parlour.
“Crowley! What brings you here today?” Aziraphale asked, and Crowley melted a little at the fact that Aziraphale remembered his name.
“Well, why does one come to a tattoo parlour? I want to get a tattoo,” he said, flashing him a smile that he hoped was confident and not nervous.
Aziraphale beamed at that. “Splendid! Did you have any design in mind?” he asked, as he guided Crowley over to a chair, so that they could sit and talk.
“Yeah, I want a snake.” He had already made up his mind about that one. Ever since he was younger, he had always thought that if he ever got a tattoo, it would be a snake. He had such a fascination with snakes. They were just so misunderstood. Everyone thought of them as the symbol of evil, but it hadn’t always been that way. In a way, he did relate to the poor creatures.
“An excellent choice,” Aziraphale said approvingly. “I’m sure it would suit you well. Where on your body did you want it?”
“On my face.” He pointed at his left cheek, just in line with his ear.
“That’s a rather bold placement,” Aziraphale pointed out, though there was no judgement in his tone. It more so sounded like he wanted to make sure Crowley was certain about this.
“Well, I like bold,” Crowley said, and he couldn’t help the way his voice became lower with a slight hint of flirtation. Damn it.
“Alright, then. Why don’t you tell me about the specific design you want?” Was it the light playing tricks on his eyes, or was there a faint blush on Aziraphale’s cheeks? Nah, it was probably nothing. His eyes must be playing tricks on him.
He was so fucked.
…
It took a little while to come up with the exact design Crowley wanted, but they finally ended up with one he was quite happy with. It was definitely on the smaller side, but the fact that it would be on his face would make it eye-catching enough.
He sat back in the chair, trying to relax as the whirring sound of the tattoo gun filled the room. He could feel his heart beating like it was trying to escape the confines of his ribcage, but he was trying to play it cool, like this was just a Tuesday for him.
Unfortunately, Aziraphale saw right through him.
“Is this your first time getting a tattoo, dear?”
Crowley’s cheeks warmed up in embarrassment, as he tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat at being called ‘dear’ by Aziraphale. “Is it really that obvious?” he muttered under his breath, averting his eyes.
“Well. A little,” Aziraphale admitted. “When you spend this long giving people tattoos, you tend to notice the nervous way the first timers usually behave.”
“I’m not nervous.” Crowley crossed his arms defensively.
“Of course not,” Aziraphale said, and Crowley could see that he hadn’t even bought it for one second. “No shame in it even if you were, though. It’s a scary experience for a lot of people. I promise it’s not going to hurt too much. You’ll just feel little prickles on your skin. The design is quite a small one, so it should be done in no time.”
“Whatever,” Crowley grumbled, his embarrassment only increasing. He was a tough guy, he could handle a little bit of pain from the needles. He had no reason to be scared. But there he was, every muscle in his body coiled and ready to bolt. As much as he hated to admit it, Aziraphale’s words did help reassure him a little. “Thanks…” he added quietly, thinking he might’ve sounded a little rude.
“Of course. You’ll do great.” Aziraphale leaned forward, cupping his face gently to keep him still. And Crowley couldn’t have moved even if he wanted to. He was completely frozen for a moment. It felt as if having his face gently held by the guy he had the tiniest bit of a crush on had just made his brain short-circuit.
“I’m going to start now.” Aziraphale’s gentle tone snapped him out of his thoughts, and his heart skipped again, this time in fear, when he saw the tattoo gun so close to his face.
He took a deep breath to calm himself down. His heart was still beating fast, but the longer he delayed it, the worse it would get. “I’m ready.”
“Deep breaths, dear. And keep still.” Aziraphale warned him gently, before the needle made contact with his skin.
Crowley was expecting it, was expecting the pain. But it still didn’t make it hurt any less. He had to fight the instinct to flinch away, his eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clenched tight.
“You’re doing so well,” Aziraphale praised, and Crowley had to be thankful for the amount of pain he was in that was making it hard to focus on Aziraphale’s words. Otherwise, he knew he would’ve been way too flustered than he was right now.
“It won’t take long, just a little longer,” Aziraphale told him, and Crowley believed him, thinking that his face being gently cradled like this was worth the pain.
…
When he left the tattoo parlour not too long after, he felt a little dizzy. And it had nothing to do with the pain. Yes, it had hurt like a bitch, but how kind and patient Aziraphale had been with him had made it vastly better. And he knew it was extremely inappropriate that Crowley was feeling this way about the poor guy who was just doing his job, but it wasn’t as if Crowley would actually do anything about it. He would just wallow in his feelings for a while, and wait for them to pass. It was just a crush, after all. He’d had plenty of those, and they all had passed rather quickly. This would pass too.
Right?
Regardless of what he was feeling about Aziraphale, Crowley had left the shop that day, having sworn to never get another tattoo ever again.
That only lasted for about a month, however. A month was enough for him to forget about the pain of getting his first tattoo, and he had so many designs he wanted to get inked on his body. His snake tattoo was almost healed, and it looked great. He’d had the taste of it once, and now he was addicted.
Aziraphale didn’t seem surprised when Crowley walked into his shop and declared he wanted to get another tattoo. “Most of the people who get one usually come back for a second,” he explained. “What did you have in mind this time?”
It was a bigger one. He wanted to have half a sleeve of black orchids, his favourite flowers, starting from his right shoulder. The area tattooed was a less sensitive one, but the size of the tattoo and the shading added to it would make it so much more painful. And yet, Crowley knew he would do it again.
…
Next time, he came with the request for stars and constellations on his back. He had always been fascinated with space and astronomy, so it seemed only fitting he would get his favourite constellations tattooed on his skin permanently.
He tried to keep his cheeks from flushing as he took off his shirt in front of Aziraphale, having to keep reminding himself that despite the caring and gentle tone Aziraphale was using with him, there was nothing intimate about this. It was a relief, at least, that his back would be turned.
Somehow, not being able to look at Aziraphale in the eyes was making it easier to have a conversation. “So, do you have any tattoos yourself?” he asked casually, as Aziraphale traced over the drawn patterns on his back with his needle. Crowley was actually getting so used to the sensation now, that it wasn't even that painful.
“Several,” Aziraphale said.
“That waistcoat and bowtie hide many secrets, don’t they?” Crowley was suddenly feeling bold. Maybe it was because he couldn’t see Aziraphale’s face, or maybe it was because his focus was on the needle pricking his back and not on his words.
“I suppose you could say so,” he heard Aziraphale say after a pause. “Now, be a good boy, and keep still for me, please.”
It took Crowley all he had not to shiver at the words. But damn it, if they didn’t go straight below the belt. His face was probably as red as his hair at this point. It made him keep his mouth shut for the rest of the session, not trusting himself with the words that come out of it.
…
“So, care to tell me where those several hidden tattoos of yours are?” Crowley asked during his next appointment. He and Aziraphale had been chatting on occasions other than Crowley getting tattoos, so he felt more relaxed around Aziraphale now.
“Oh. I guess I could show one of them,” Aziraphale said, starting to roll up the sleeves of his button-down shirt, and Crowley would’ve never thought in his entire life that he would be drooling over some guy’s naked forearms, especially having seen actually scantily-clad people, but here he was.
When Aziraphale revealed the tattoo of a flaming sword covering the entire inner side of his forearm, Crowley’s mouth almost hung open. The reds and oranges of the coloured ink contrasted with the black sword on pale skin really nicely, and Aziraphale had just become even more attractive. Crowley hoped his stare would be interpreted as admiring the tattoo itself. Which was a beautiful tattoo, admittedly. But it really wasn’t the target of Crowley’s admiration at the moment.
“It suits you,” he finally managed to say, before lifting his eyes back to Aziraphale’s gaze.
“Thank you, dear,” Aziraphale said with a smile, and even if he did find anything off about Crowley’s stare, he didn’t say anything about it. “I’m really glad you think so.” There was a faint flush to his cheeks, which Crowley once again couldn’t be sure he wasn’t imagining.
Without any further comments, he just led Crowley over to the chair for the fourth time in just a few months. “So, a snake on your thigh, is that so?” he asked, once again professional.
“Yep,” Crowley said. He had come here feeling so confident, but now he was questioning whether he could handle taking off his trousers in front of Aziraphale or not.
He knew that it would seem strange for him to suddenly seem nervous, considering he had been pretty relaxed during his last tattoo. So, he just took a deep breath, and pulled his jeans down enough to reveal his thighs. At least the pain of getting a tattoo would likely prevent him from having any accidents and humiliating himself in front of Aziraphale.
Sitting back down and relaxing, Crowley just watched as Aziraphale got right to work. It was strange. They would usually chat during the inking process, Aziraphale would ask him all sorts of questions to distract him from the pain, and Crowley would ask about stuff in return too. But right now, Aziraphale was oddly silent, completely focused on inking the snake wrapped around Crowley’s right thigh. Which was probably for the best. Crowley did not trust his voice enough to speak, and didn’t trust his brain enough to keep up a conversation. All he could think of was that he was practically sitting in his underwear in front of Aziraphale.
The rest of the session passed just as silently as it had started. It was honestly a bit awkward, and Crowley could feel the crackling of something akin to tension in the air between them even when the tattoo was done.
“Thanks. It looks gorgeous. Just like I imagined,” he said as he stood up, deciding to break the silence.
“I think that’s just you, my dear. I doubt anything wouldn’t look gorgeous on you.”
Crowley didn’t know what to say for a moment, feeling his face warming up even more than it already was. Was Aziraphale flirting with him?
Maybe that was what made Crowley feel a little bold, seeing the faint colour of pink on Aziraphale’s cheeks, and this time being sure it wasn’t his eyes tricking him. “Listen,” he began, “I’ve wanted to ask a while ago, but wanna grab a cup of coffee from across the street, if you’re done with the shop for the day?”
Aziraphale smiled at him. “Would love to, dear.”
…
Their conversation continued throughout their little coffee date that Crowley knew wasn’t actually a date, but it still made him blush like a stupid schoolboy to think that it could be. And then they moved over to the backroom of Aziraphale’s tattoo parlour, where Crowley jokingly asked if Aziraphale had any wine they could share. But Aziraphale was rather adamant that he shouldn’t be drinking so soon after getting a tattoo. Personally, Crowley didn’t see any issue with it, but Aziraphale was the expert, and so he resigned himself to not having wine that night.
They were sitting pretty close on the small sofa, Crowley suddenly realised. Aziraphale was laughing about something he had just said, and there was that hint of pinkness on his cheeks again, and Crowley hadn’t even had one sip of alcohol but he was feeling drunk, and suddenly, his lips were on Aziraphale’s.
It was a soft kiss, just their lips moving against each other gently. And for a few glorious moments, Crowley could feel Aziraphale kissing him back.
But then everything came crashing down.
Aziraphale had pulled away, a panicked expression on his face. And Crowley had never wanted to disappear into thin air more than he wanted at that moment.
“Crowley, I– That’s… I mean–“ It was obvious that he was struggling to find the words. “You’re my client. It would be inappropriate–“
Of course. Of course he was. How had Crowley read the signs so wrongly? How had he mistaken Aziraphale’s friendliness with flirting? He had fucked up. He really had put Aziraphale in a difficult situation.
“Sorry,” he said, quickly standing up to leave. “You’re right. My bad. Shouldn’t– shouldn’t’ve done that. It was inappropriate. I… I think I should get going. Once again, I’m so sorry.
“Crowley, wait–“
But Crowley didn’t wait. Instead, he just left through the door, hurrying across the street to his own shop, hating himself for being so stupid and impulsive.
…
Crowley avoided Aziraphale like the plague for the next two weeks. Which was difficult when their shops were right across from each other. He just tried his best to not look in the general direction of the tattoo parlour.
Instead, he put all his attention to his plants. But his attention also came with the outpouring of his frustrations. He was in the middle of yelling at his plants in the backroom, watching in satisfaction as their leaves trembled, when he heard the sound of the front door opening.
“We’re closed–“ He came out to say, but stopped in his tracks when he saw Aziraphale standing in front of him.
“I’m so sorry to bother you,” Aziraphale said, and even if he had heard Crowley yelling at his plants like a maniac, he was doing a good job of keeping that to himself. “I was actually here to make a purchase.”
The petty side of Crowley wanted to repeat that they were closed. But he knew he shouldn’t take the frustration he felt for himself out on Aziraphale. He knew Aziraphale hadn’t done anything wrong. So, he took a deep breath, put on his politest customer-greeting-smile. “How can I help you?”
It turned out, Aziraphale wanted to buy some flowers. Quite a lot of them. And Crowley, being the idiot that he was, asked if they were for any specific occasion.
“Well, they are for someone who is very special to me. I think I messed up, and hurt them a little,” was the answer he had received.
And it made so much sense. He hadn’t even asked Aziraphale if he had anyone in his life, before deciding it was a good idea to kiss him. How stupid. Of course there was someone else. Crowley should’ve thought that.
“They’re lucky to have you,” Crowley had said, hoping his voice didn’t come out as heartbroken as he was feeling.
And that was that. Yes, he was sad, but it was better to know than to get his heart broken later down the line. If Aziraphale liked someone else, the only thing Crowley could do was to move on.
…
Over the next few days, Crowley was able to not think too much about Aziraphale buying flowers for the mysterious loved one incident. Well, sort of. He was just trying to get rid of all his thoughts regarding the subject. That was until he walked over to his shop, and found a bouquet placed right in front of the door.
At first, he was confused. He leaned down and gently held the flowers in his hands. He could see the black orchids, the red roses, and the white tulips. The very same flowers Aziraphale had bought from his shop just some days ago.
He took a closer look at the arrangement, inspecting, wanting to make sure he wasn’t misinterpreting something again. It really was not professionally made at all. It clearly was the work of someone who had never made a flower arrangement in their entire life. The stems were cut all wrong, and some of the petals were a little crumpled. But he could tell how much work had gone into it. Despite the imperfect work, the small silver ribbon around the long black vase was meticulously tied. It felt more genuine than anything that could be bought from a store, and he found himself smiling.
That was when he noticed a small card attached to the vase. With neat, cursive handwriting, it said:
My dearest Crowley,
I wanted to apologise for the way I reacted all those weeks back. I don’t want you to think I didn’t want to kiss you. I was just a little scared, I suppose. I never thought you would be interested in me, and realising that the feeling I’d been harbouring almost ever since we’ve first met made me feel a little overwhelmed.
So, please, forgive me. I did want to explain myself, but you ran off before I could say anything. Everything just happened a little too suddenly. But if you’re still interested, I would very much like to take you out on a proper date. This time with wine.
Yours truly,
Aziraphale
Crowley turned around and looked across the street, finding Aziraphale standing nervously behind the window of his shop. With his heart pounding in his chest, he gave Aziraphale a genuine smile. Aziraphale smiled back, his expression brightening up immediately.
Yes, Crowley thought. This would be the start of something beautiful.
Delightful
Date: 2023-12-21 12:17 pm (UTC)Re: Delightful
Date: 2024-01-22 09:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-12-22 02:04 am (UTC)I’ve NEVER seen Aziraphale as the tattoo artist before, I had to do a double-take! I love how it does make sense, somehow :)
I never thought about the fact that Crowley—to a normal human observer—just looks like a person who DECIDED to get a snake TATTOOED on his FACE. I cannot fathom how I’d feel meeting him without knowing everything about him first XD Aziraphale looooves it though :D
Orchids! Stars!
““That waistcoat and bowtie hide many secrets, don’t they?” Hoooo their flirting, and Aziraphale gets him right back!
Ohh, the miscommunication—but I love that it’s not just that, it’s that Aziraphale has to figure things out a bit, and then when he DOES, he communicates in the sweetest way :) This was really cute and fun, thank you!
(no subject)
Date: 2024-01-22 09:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-12-22 04:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-01-22 09:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-12-22 02:51 pm (UTC)And Aziraphale's words "I doubt anything wouldn’t look gorgeous on you.”!!! This just feels so real! because it's like the flirtiest thing one could say and yet he doesn't really expect it to work, because he doesn't think of it as flirting because he really thinks Crowley is beautiful! Oh my God! <3
I loved all of it! Thank you!
(no subject)
Date: 2024-01-22 09:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-12-22 04:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-01-22 09:55 pm (UTC)