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'We've come to a decision' Aziraphale said knowing what their choice would mean. Although, he was not sad -instead a gush of solemn joy filled his soul in that moment.
This was the demon he fell in love with. The same demon who he met on the wall, in 1941, Land of Uz, 1800s, in 1666, and most importantly the angel he met before the beginning, the best of them. This being who is smiling at him through lamenting tears is who he will recognize by his breath, the color of his soul and the music of him. By touch and the echoing voice of his longing, his sadness and his hope. The way his soul would always make room for Crowley no matter who, where or what they are. The being who he will recognize to the ends of the earth, in death and whatever comes after. They had made a decision.
'You know what this will mean don't you?' asked God.
'You would never get to see it'
Aziraphale and Crowley in that moment held each others hand. Squeezing them together. 'We know what we're asking for' they said.
God stands up from where she sat. 'Then say goodbye'
Crowley and Aziraphale turn to look at each other one last time. The angel pressed his fingers against his lips, in remembrance of the kiss Crowley once had given him in this very bookshop - and gave it back to him. They memorize each other again as they disappear and for an instant God could hear what they both were thinking: 'I can't wait to see you again.'
And for a moment nothing happened. Until something did.
A garden burst to life around them, filling their senses with the gush of wind, the pretty smell of the flowers in bloom, and the sprout of an apple tree right next to where they stood. They opened their eyes to see the garden of Eden. Except not the one they remember, everything in this garden made sense somehow. Nothing was out of place, not even the apple tree was where it shouldn't.
A pregnant pause filled the air. Until Aziraphale spoke.
'Crowley? Do you remember?' he asked desperately because he had. He had remembered it all. The past universe they once shared, the one they fell in love with over 6000 years. 'Yes' Crowley breathed out.
'But this isn't the same one' Crowley knows it's not. Because everything here had purpose, everything thing here had a point. 'Then we must be in another one somewhere else' the realization hit them both. God said they would never see the universe they asked for yes, at least in that universe they never existed.
But in this one they did. They could and they will. Their history supposedly doesn't exist, but because they still remembered - it did. At least to them in this universe somewhere unknown.
Hand in hand they continued to walk across the garden. Slowly their shoulders grew less tense, and their breath ragged less. The messy steps they took together was imperfect, but it felt right. In the distance they see a table covered with a tartan cloth and two wooden chairs. As they approached it, Aziraphale and Crowley both reached out to glide their hands along the furniture. And then they sat down.
Still examining the structure, Aziraphale felt a cork beside his feet. As his hands ran down the bottle of wine he picked it up and set it gently on the table. Crowley's brows knit together as he too swiped his hands under the table to find two champagne glasses and set those on the table too. Aziraphale smirked as Crowley poured both of them a glass.
It had been a nice day. Asa and Anthony had met under the awning of Derek's bookshop that day to proceed their date. Though it was raining and none of them brought an umbrella, Anthony took off his jacket and covered them both, they ran across the street to the pub they had decided on.
'I have never heard anyone actually say that in real life' Anthony smirked at this cute and seemingly old fashioned book keeper. Who says "scrumptious" anymore? he thought. Asa giggled then while slightly embarrassed by his choice of words
Suddenly the red head stood up and asked 'Dessert?'. Asa wiggled in his chair a little 'Oh yes please, maybe let's get ...' he pondered for a while.
'Eccles Cakes?' Anthony suggested immediately. 'You would like that,' he nodded. 'I feel like you would like that'
The book keeper looked up. 'I do actually,' his eyes smiled. 'How do you know that?' as his lips tugged into a grin.
'I don't know, I just feel like you would'
In the universe somewhere unknown, Aziraphale and Crowley are resting on a picnic blanket under the apple tree. It was a very nice picnic indeed.
They leaned against one another and Aziraphale rests his head on Crowley's shoulders. He closed his eyes and smiled. In between the intake of his breath. He saw them, the two of them. He and Crowley everywhere.
They were humans. They were ducks. They were swans. They were soldiers, and graveyard diggers. They were swimming in the ocean in their floaties, they were in Edinburgh having lunch, they were building a family. All of everywhere and everything in between. They are everything. Together.
'Can you feel it my dear?' Aziraphale nudged his head further into Crowley's shoulders. 'Our love?'
'For eternity, angel' Crowley smiled. 'You know .. 6000 years plus eternity, that's a really long time' he chuckled.
Aziraphale tightened his grip and lifted his head to look at Crowley. 'It's not enough' he whispered.
And they memorized each other once more. In every single way, for eternity.