If Crowley had been anyone else, he might not have noticed that Aziraphale was walking strangely, with a little extra waddle in his step. But he was Crowley, and he knew every facet of Aziraphale’s gait, his short almost impatient steps and his straight back. That was it, the back. It was too stiff, too straight. Aziraphale was walking as if his beloved coat was filled with bricks.
“Are you alright?” Crowley asked as Aziraphale as the angel reached up awkwardly to put a book away. Crowley lounged on the couch as Aziraphale puttered around the shop. They had talk about lunch plans earlier in the week, but Aziraphale seemed unable to sit still.
“Fine,” he said, and the shortness in his voice kept Crowley from pressing the matter.
Until two minute later when Aziraphale bent down to a crate of books on the floor and had to grit his teeth in effort. Crowley was beside him in an instant, handing him the book.
“Thank you,” said Aziraphale, though he didn’t seem particularly happy about it.
“Take off your shirt,” said Crowley.
“This is a place of business,” said Aziraphale. Crowley decided this was not the time to remind him that he strived very hard to never do business. Instead he snapped his fingers and blinds fell over the windows. Whether there had been blinds over the windows previously Crowley wasn’t sure. But he believed there were and so there were, and they were down. Aziraphale put his hand to his chest in shock, but Crowley’s face held no lust, only concern.
“No, you’re not. There’s something wrong with your back, and if you don’t fix it, I will.”
“I’m…acclimating myself to human discomfort,” Aziraphale lied.
“Bollocks you are,” said Crowley. “You want me to fix it for you, so I’ll fix it, just hold still.” He moved to put a hand on Aziraphale’s back, but Aziraphale squirmed away.
“Crowley, I told you, I’m fine.”
Something in the way Aziraphale had moved caught his attention. He was not only taking care not to move his back much, he was careful to leave a distance between it and the bookcase as well. Crowley’s face fell.
“Take out your wings,” he said softly.
