Thanks for reading my aromantic Ineffable meta and popping in with a very thoughtful and interesting question on Crowley's statement here:

For context, in my original interpretation (with the mis-subtitled “We don’t dance”), I took Crowley’s statement to imply that he believed both of them understood their relationship to be of a certain kind and was questioning Aziraphale’s attempt to change it (by making it more public and physical by dancing).

I do think the core of this idea still holds even knowing that Crowley actually said “You don’t dance.” Crowley’s delivery of that line is deeply serious, and is weighed by much more than just a cheeky nod to the books.

Which (if we look at the book) is interesting, because the “angels don't dance” segment is directly connected to the discreet gentlemen’s club (aka Azi’s gay dance club era doing the “kissing dance”), contrasting Aziraphale’s willingness to “dance” in comparison to other angels. So, I actually would like to speculate that there’s a double entendre to the book’s passage as well (because if it’s one thing that feels particularly Terry Pratchett, it’s making innuendo out of some hollow theological question):

Of course, Aziraphale is only willing to “dance” (or, if we take that as its euphemism, “have sex”) under very specific circumstances, with a very particular partner, and that it didn’t come naturally but was learned (and eventually very much enjoyed). Which I think tracks with Neil saying they can be read as asexual.

I think Crowley, knowing the implications of dancing, is commenting on what he believes about Aziraphale, that angels “don’t do that.” It’s probably been battered into him by Hell that demons do in fact dance (“Not what you would call good dancing though” (x) But angels do not. His apparent shock is him shifting his viewpoint on what Aziraphale is capable of and what Aziraphale wants from him.

I think if it’s one thing this season showed us is that Aziraphale definitely feels more experienced than Crowley, and more willing to take their relationship in a physical direction. But both of them are absolutely clueless about romance, relationship labels, and how to fit their transcendent love into tiny human boxes.

So, I guess to sum up, I don’t think the correction in what Crowley said changes my overall interpretation of my analysis (their essentially aromantic selves). Instead of a comment on what Crowley believes about them together, it now becomes more personal––more about what Crowley himself realizes about Aziraphale’s desires. That Aziraphale wants to be more public, more physical, more romantically-coded than he previously imagined Aziraphale was willing (or wanting) to be.