Doubt the Stars are Fire

Chapter Five

Crowley awoke with a start as the ringing of the church bells pierced the air. For a brief, terrifying moment, Crowley didn't remember where he was. He would never stay somewhere so close to a church where the bells rang so loudly he could feel it reverberating in his throat unless he absolutely had to- and then it all slid back into place. The palace. Dandolo. Aziraphale. Crowley closed his eyes, taking a second to breathe and will his heart back to a semi-normal rhythm.

It was Sunday.

Fuck.

One of the disadvantages of this bloody place was that every singe person in the sodding republic belonged to one church or another, and Dandolo was as Catholic as they came.

Bless it all! Things had been going so well too. Crowley had been slowly gaining Dandolo's trust, and of course Crowley was going to be expected to attend church to prove that he was actually serious about repenting for his crime. Brilliant. This was all bloody fantastic. Crowley couldn't wait to step foot into the chapel and be immediately smote by the first angel that they asked to bless the service, or by the Almighty Herself for daring to step foot in Her place of worship. Granted, Crowley had never actually been to a church because of the whole fear-of-instant-discorporation thing along with a healthy sense of self-preservation, and quite frankly he wasn't eager to find out what would happen once he crossed that line.

The bells rang again, and then there was a knock on the door. Shit. Crowley snapped his fingers, using a quick miracle to change out of his simple sleeping tunic and into a dark red tunic with black hose, a leather belt that Crowley thought did a marvelous job at showing off his waist, and black high-heeled shoes. If he was going to be forced to attend a church he might as well tempt a few people into sinful thoughts. Crowley opened the door and found himself face to face with a flushed angel.

"Fancy seeing you this early," Crowley said, leaning against the doorframe and jutting one hip out. "Careful now. Who knows what people will think if they see you loitering by my door at this early hour."

"They will think that I am simply making sure that you are ready for mass," Aziraphale said primly. Crowley rolled his eyes and Aziraphale swatted him on the arm. "This is no joking matter, Crowley!" Aziraphale insisted, leaning in so he could whisper without being overheard. "Do you know if you can even step on consecrated ground without being sent back to Hell?"

"Oh, angel, are you concerned about me?"

"Well I certainly can't have you bursting into flames in front of the entire court."

"Is that what would happen?" Crowley asked, a sense of unease growing in his chest.

"How am I supposed to know? It's not as if this is something that has happened before." A group of servants walked past them, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Crowley," Aziraphale started, then paused.

"Go on angel. If you have something to say, I'm all ears." The bell rang for a third time, signaling that mass would begin soon. The angel stayed silent, wringing his hands as he seemed to try to piece his thoughts together.

"I don't think that I've got much of a choice here Aziraphale. I have to at least make an appearance." The angel remained silent as he stepped out of Crowley's way so he could join Aziraphale in the corridor. Crowley gave Aziraphale a smirk, hoping to hide his growing feeling of uncertainty with his usual bravado.

Aziraphale led Crowley to the courtyard, neither of them attempting a conversation. He had been confused at first when Aziraphale directed him to what Crowley had previously assumed was simply a part of the palace that he had yet to explore. Aziraphale had seen the confusion on his face an whispered that there was a church attached to the palace, which made Crowley determined to be far more careful in his explorations. As they made their way to the church, Crowley could have sworn that he saw the angel growing more radiant with every step closer to holy ground. Then he stepped on a very specific cobblestone and did swear, although for a very different reason. He jerked back, surprised at the sudden heat underneath him. Aziraphale automatically reached out, placing his hand on Crowley's lower back to steady him.