fandomtownies | Book Haven, Friday (10am-4pm)

Annette came in, right when the bookstore opened. She was dreading this, but it had to be done.

Head lowered, she clasped her hands in front of her, and shuffled forward until she was near to him, "Mr. Phale?" she said quietly.

His own embarassment having died down -- a process that was greatly helped along by Lucifer's actions on Tuesday -- Aziraphale gave Annette a warm smile and welcomed her into the shop.

"Come in and have some tea, my dear," he said gently.

She nodded slowly, surprised at his gentle tone, "Okay." Following him, she took a seat in the very same chair she sat in last week when she visited him.

Pouring a cup of tea and pressing it into Annette's hands, Aziraphale set a plate of gingersnaps by her chair and sat down himself.

"I think I can guess why you're here. So let me begin by saying that I know you weren't yourself, Annette. And that I probably could have handled things better."

The cup of tea was warm and felt good in her hands, and she stared down at it as he spoke to her. She was relieved that he knew, but she also felt incredibly guilty.

"Mr. Phale," she began, looking up and over at him, "You were perfectly fine. It was me. I was rather...forceful. I am so very sorry I put you in such a position. I hope you know that I am not like that, and I wouldn't ever force myself on someone in such a blatant, forward manner. I...have no explanation for the why of it all..."

"My dear..."

Aziraphale put his hand on Annette's arm, and looked her straight in the eyes. "I will admit that I was flustered. I'm not good in surprise situations, especially social ones. But I can promise you, if I had felt the least bit threatened, I'd have taken care of myself. And you'd probably have slept off the rest of the day. Strange things happen here, and I haven't been immune to them myself, as well you know."

She held his gaze without blinking, glad to learn that he hadn't felt threatened by her. That would have been a terrible feeling to have to deal with. "Yes, you are right, strange things do happen here at Fandom, it just feels so very different when it happens to you." she said softly, smiling just a little. "I only wish I could have smacked myself - you weren't the only one I affected that day. Unfortunately."

Annette took a sip of her tea and looked down at the gingersnaps. She loved gingersnaps.

Aziraphale had yet to meet a person who didn't love gingersnaps. And he wasn't above using that fact to his advantage.

Giving the plate a little nudge in Annette's direction, he nodded with understanding at what she was saying. "I won't say that it wasn't a bit shocking, my dear. But I also refuse to believe that there's a single person here who would turn down an honest apology. Especially considering that any one of us could easily be in the same situation tomorrow. Do as you've done in coming here -- tell them you're sorry, and remember that once the embarassment subsides, you'll probably find yourself laughing about it."

She picked up a gingersnap and grinned at him, taking a bite and enjoying it before she answered, "I have. I've apologized to all those I was directly involved with. You were the last. I have to admit, I was just going to leave you a message, but I would have felt worse about not telling you in person. Knowing you, I shouldn't have had reservations. You're one of the kindest gentlemen I have ever met. Plus, you're an angel." She smiled.

"Don't be fooled by that," Aziraphale chuckled. "Religion these days has a lot of things wrong about angels."

He smiled reassuringly, though, and had a gingersnap for himself. "And I'm glad you've spoken with your other friends. Trust me, my dear. You stay in Fandom for very long, this won't be the last time you find yourself doing something unexpected.

"Yes, but I only know one," she grinned wide. "So I might be a little biased."

"One of them was my boyfriend, Dick. I can't believe how I acted," she giggled and scrunched her shoulders up. "He handled it all very well though so I am very thankful for that. If something happens again and you know I am not myself, you have my permission to lock me up somewhere," she nodded firmly, taking another gingersnap off the plate.

"If you're quite serious about that, I will," Aziraphale replied. "But I'm generally a more hands-off sort of angel. I don't get involved unless someone asks me to. Really, I think it works better that way. You have to exercise your Free Will, and even if your judgement isn't exactly what I'd consider quite right, it isn't my place to make that decision."

He gave Annette a little grin. "Anyway, I would say it worked out rather nicely for me in the end."

She considered that with a little knitting of her brows, "Yes, I can see where you might be right. Besides, I'm certain I wouldn't have just let you easily take me anywhere --" Err...yeah, given the way she was feeling that day. "-- well, anyway, I see where you are right and I will trust in that."

Arching a brow, she said, "Oh? How's that?"

"What about this? If I see that you ever look to be putting yourself in danger, and it seems that your judgement in impaired, I'll step in. Would that make you feel safer?"

Aziraphale's cheeks turned a little pink at Annette's question, and he took a sip of his tea. "Well, er... Lucifer decided it wouldn't do to have your name written on my arm, you see. So he changed it."

"Yes, I like the sound of that. Perfect, Mr. Phale." She nodded with a grin and drank her tea.

Oooh, that was surprising. So was his slight blush. "He did? Well I'm glad he changed it, but what did he change it too?" She would not say James, but she was thinking it.

"Oh, well...he changed it to read 'Lucifer'."

Aziraphale even managed to say the words in a very nonchalent sort of way. He really was working on not getting all flustered anytime he talked about relationships. Or, God forbid, sex.

She blinked. Huh. She wasn't expecting that. "Oh."

Annette was sure there was a story in there somewhere.

"Did he keep the heart though?"

Oh, there was a story, but it would be quite a feat on Annette's part to get Aziraphale to tell her about it. Possibly, it need to involve alcohol.

"I...really don't think Lucifer is the 'heart' type, do you?" he chuckled, shaking his head a bit at his own bashfulness.

She wasn't sure, but she didn't take Lucifer for the 'writing my name on some man's arm' either. So now she was completely and unequivocally interested in this story, and that spark of interest clearly showed itself with the expression she was giving him.

"No," she finally answered. "Not a heart, that's for sure. And I guess his name being on your arm is much better than a student's?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Well, I think he just thought it was rather more appropriate to put his own name there. I do admit, it did surprise me."

The smile on Aziraphale's face suggested that he'd found it to be a nice surprise. "Not that I would ever do anything like that, but it does rather give a person a better understanding of why one might get a tattoo."

Okay, he did, for just a minute, picture what it would be like to have a couple of names tattooed on his arm. He immediately dismissed it as silliness, of course, but it made him smile all the same. In an awfully goofy sort of way.

Annette thought about what it would be like to have Dick's name tattooed on her somewhere. Hmm. Maybe not permanently. Maybe just for a surprise or something one night. Hmm. "I don't know where I would put it though," she said out loud, not realizing it.

"So you and Lucifer? I mean, you two..." Annette raised a brow, wondering how to ask if they were together, and then what about Dr. Wilson? Was it a threesome thing? Like Anders, Phoebe, and Bel?

How interesting.

"Well, on the telly, don't they usually put it on their arms?" Yeah, Aziraphale had a very narrowly-focused concept of tattooing. And no idea that there were such things as temporary tattoos.

At Annette's question regarding Lucifer, he blushed again and nodded his head. "Er...quite. Well, we three, actually. It's...new."

"Well, I think there are lots of places. Arms, stomaches, backs, legs, feet, I've seen pictures of tattoos on people on almost all of their body. Head to toe. Amazing pictures, really."

Her jaw went a little slack as a mental image sort of floated around in her head. It wasn't a very clear image though because it was hard to picture what she has never seen. Well, she's seen Mr. Phales naked chest and legs when he was in those tight fitting swimming trunks but that was about as far as her imagination went. She bet Lucifer and Dr. Wilson appreciated it...however two people appreciated another...and...stuff...

"Huh." she said. "I think I would be jealous."

"I know that James loves me," Aziraphale said simply, with a smile. "I've got no reason to be jealous, because I've got no reason not to trust him. Anyway, if James felt that he was going to be happier with someone else...it would hurt terribly, I won't lie. But his happiness is the most important thing to me. This makes him happy. And it makes me happy too."

She nodded, trying to understand, but to be honest it was hard for her. Probably because she's never really been exposed to these sorts of relationships, and for the obvious; she's never been in one.

Annette gave Mr. Phale a warm smile, "I'm glad you are happy and that is what matters. I've only spoken to Lucifer probably twice and from those two times he seems rather...nice. Do you know he danced with me once?"

"Did he really?"

Aziraphale was a bit surprised, but then it was Lucifer, who reveled in doing the surprising. "You've one up on me then, my dear. I've never danced with him myself. And I don't know that I'd necessarily call Lucifer 'nice'. But I will say that he's honorable, and he's good to James and to me."

"Then that is wonderful." she chuckled. "And honorable is a wonderful quality to have."

Turtle suddenly flashed in her mind and she lowered her eyes quickly. She wondered if she would ever get over this guilt feeling that was keeping her stomach all knotted up.

"Well," she said softly, setting her cup aside. "I suppose I better let you get back to work. I just needed to apologize and let you know of my sincerity in doing so."

Aziraphale frowned a bit at the sudden change in Annette's demeanor, but he didn't push her for a reason.

"Of course, my dear. I do appreciate you coming by, and I hope you still feel comfortable visiting with me."

"Of course," she offered him a smile as she stood. "I won't let some Fandom fluke keep our visits from happening. I enjoy them too much. Plus your tea and gingersnaps are too tempting to resist." she grinned.

"Thank you, Mr. Phale, for understanding. I hope the rest of your day is pleasant." And as always, she went to give him a hug.

"Well, I suppose it can't be counted too much against me to 'tempt' someone, seeing as how it's only tea and biscuits," the angel chuckled, standing so that Annette could give him a proper hug.

She hugged him tight, smiling. Hugs were definitely something she has needed lately. If she felt a little clingy? It's cause she was. Everything seemed and felt better when you were hugging someone who cared.

After hugging him longer than she probably she have, she pulled back, grinned up at him, and turned and left the bookshop, feeling better for having come to see him.

Sometime around early afternoon Millie popped into the store and waved to Aziraphale. "Hello there!."

"Good afternoon, Miss Millie!" Aziraphale replied cheerfully. He was quick to pour her a cup of tea, and held it out as she came in. "How are you today?"

"Quite well, thank you," Millie said taking the cup of tea. "And you?"

Book Haven, Friday (10am-4pm)

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