When he stood in church, it hurt. It shouldn’t have. There was a time when it had given him so much solace. So much beauty within these walls, so much faith and comfort to be given by it.

Yet Aziraphale felt alone.

Crowley would have come in with him, but Aziraphale refused to let him. It’s just for a little something, dear boy, I’ll be right out. There was no point in Crowley burning himself when Aziraphale didn’t really have to be here. He only felt like he had to.

Aziraphale wanted to belong here. Not because of the other angels, not because of Heaven. Because of the belief. Because of that comfort. Because at the end of everything, he wanted to think the Almighty was there, despite the silence.

Crowley had fallen for questioning. Aziraphale had not, even though he had questioned all along. What was the Plan?

“I think we’ve learnt a lesson, after that entire mess.”

Aziraphale wheeled about on his heels, nearly falling over with the speed of it. “Crowley! I told you to wait outside!”

As if the demon didn’t already walk strangely, he was trying a technique where he only used the edges of his soles against the ground at any time, rolling around on them as if keeping a single piece from consecrated ground for more than a second would be enough. “Angel, you saw what happened. How humanity won in that last bout.”

Aziraphale didn’t reply, going over as if to push Crowley back out of the church. Instead, he walked out past him, knowing that Crowley would follow.

“The rest of the mindless hoards above, bless, even below, had faith in something.” Crowley followed after. “Single minded. Look where it’s gotten all of them?”

“I have faith in you,” was all Aziraphale said.

Crowley was silent, no longer fidgeting on his feet as they stood outside the grounds.

It wasn’t that Aziraphale didn’t still want to be inside. Or maybe he didn’t. He wanted an inside that didn’t make him feel alone. He wanted one that would allow Crowley.

It shouldn’t be impossible to have both. He wanted nothing more than to believe that.

Have faith in the Lord. He had gotten this far because of whatever Plan there was.

“How are your feet?” Aziraphale asked, knowing that Crowley wasn’t about to say anything without prompting.

“Fine,” Crowley bit out. He cleared his throat, looking anywhere but at Aziraphale.

Aziraphale had to assume he hadn’t been looking for a while, but he hadn’t been looking back until just now.

“Shall we get going, angel?”

“Yes. Let’s.”

Crowley opened the door for him, which he hadn’t in some time. Aziraphale appreciated it. He didn’t know whether this was more for him or for Crowley himself.

“Crowley?”

The demon paused before going over to the driver’s door. “Hm?”

Aziraphale waited until Crowley looked at him. Then he smiled.

The tension drained from Crowley’s shoulders. They got in the Bentley.

“Home?”

“Home.”