You wanted them to bring friends over, Aziraphale [Closed]

[worthallthis]

characters: Bucky/Soldat, Sora, Aziraphale, Crowley, and Misty
location: Miner's Castle #3
date/time: January 10, after this
content: Dragging a cold kid over for dinner
warnings: Nothing beyond the usual for these guys

On the way back from the armory after Sora's ill-conceived decision to hare off alone in a blizzard, it's not hard to change direction on the way to the library just enough to wind up somewhere else, instead. The Soldier would be surprised if Sora managed to figure it out until they're already almost there, if not already climbing the porch, between the dark, the flurries, and the snow piled up everywhere making the world seem new and different. If they hadn't been keeping up patrols once a day even with this storm, they might not have been able to get them both back in a timely manner, themselves.

"Inside," they say through their scarf, gruff with the cold, the need to take the damn thing off before they start feeling the mask instead, and the desire be inside where it's warm and they can take out the stress of the day by feeding people. "You're getting hot food before I take you back to that damn cot."

Besides, they know perfectly well Aziraphale invited the kid a while ago. They follow the network pretty obsessively, and that conversation wasn't private. So this is okay. After stamping snow off on the porch, brushing it off their hair and coat, they open the door to the cozy living room, repeating, "Inside."

Comments

[arsarcanum]

Sora did not, in fact, notice! He may be a cyborg as well, but he is not immune to the cold; he was opening his hands to cast fire into the snow in front of them, flattening a path forward, but he had his nose stuck firmly into his collar and his eyes to the darkened snow in front of their feet. When he lifts his eyes and spots not the library doors but the smattering of cabins around them, he narrows them, but continues to walk with them to the cabin indicated. He was going to be perfectly fine at the library with his sandwiches, thanks!

He'll bustle in after him, waiting for the soldier to enter themselves before removing his nose from his collar and giving them a particularly spicy glower. "I'm only coming in because it's cold and I like Aziraphale a lot! What if the Librarian starts to worry about me, huh?"

He's only complaining to have something to complain about, to be honest. He appreciates the warmth, he appreciates the offer of food, and he appreciates the idea of being around people? He visits Hana every day, and the Librarian is a bro, but Sora craves human contact, and trying to stay out of the way been getting lonely. He could use company and he knows it.

He stamps his way in, somewhat for effect but also to get the snow off his shoes, but slows his roll to take in the interior of the cabin. This is actually the first of the cabins he's been in! Hana lives in the cabin near the bonfire, but that was a Beaconite creation - these have always been here. He rubs his face with his hands and takes in the room. What's up? Who's home?

[lunchbreaks]

Aziraphale is home at the time, currently curled up on the couch reading a book by lanternlight, swaddled in no less than three blankets, looking quite like a snowball blown up and brought inside.

He looks up from his book and his face lights up. "Ah, Soldat'. You've brought company. Sora, hello!" he exclaims, getting up from underneath his blankets. "Oh, do make yourself at home, let me go put on a pot of tea. Crowley, we have a guest!" he calls off in the direction of wherever Crowley is at the moment.

"You two must be freezing, please. We'll get you warmed up in no time, Sora, you stay as long as you want."

[worthallthis]

"Uh huh," the Soldier tells Sora, looking unimpressed. Or maybe the unimpressed look is for the scarf they can finally rip off their face and toss over the back of the nearest piece of furniture with a relieved shudder. The coat goes on an actual coatrack just inside with less fanfare.

"I was going to make dinner," they add to Aziraphale, ducking their head a little. Sora might notice that a lot of the confidence goes out of their voice and posture when speaking to Aziraphale. Not in fear, not exactly, but in a kind of deference. "He's staying at the damn library, no real kitchen there."

[arsarcanum]

"Hi Aziraphale!" Sora's voice may be a bit muffled as he immediately starts peeling layers off, shaking them out at the door and putting them on a hook at the door. He doesn't want to monopolize all of the coat space, but he is wearing five layers to protect himself from the outdoors, and if he doesn't get at least three of them off, he will overheat, and then the soldier will have a very different problem on their hands.

"Thanks," Sora says, and he really, really means it. At this point in life, he's not sure why pleasantries like "stay as long as you want" mean so much to him, but he'll take it. "I mean, I'll be out of your hair as soon as I can," he says, aiming kind of a glare with no actual bite to it at the soldier's back. He's not some pitiful vagabond! "But, uh, I appreciate it. Thanks for having me." And he'll kick off his snowboots and bounce his way inside, clearly excited to be at a friends' place. It's so warm here!

"These houses are really nice! How long have you guys been living here?"