It must be spring

[serpentinthegarden]

 The rose blossom popped open, producing a gorgeous bloom and Crowley glared at it disapprovingly. 

"Not yet! June I said! You're all meant to be blooming your brightest in June... It doesn't mean a thing if you do it early."

The rose dutifully folded back up to conserve it's strength for June as Crowley looked back towards the mound of cupcakes he had sitting on a table in his temporary workspace out in the castle training gardens. This sort of work couldn't be done inside... not when you were going as big and as flashy as he was. With a snap of his fingers the cupcakes turned into a much larger golden clad pillar of a cake. 

"Hm, might be too much 'golden throne'.'

He tried again and this time the cake was even larger with so many spires and decorations it almost looked more like a model than a cake.

"That's very 'cathedral'." Crowley frowned and tilted his head at some of the decorations, "Not sure about the little cherubs. I mean once you've met one they lose their charm... More modern maybe."

Crowley snapped his fingers again and this cake looked like it had flying flowers cascading their way around the center cake.

"Should it be all white? Nothing says a wedding cake had to be all white. I could add a touch of spice!"

And once again the cake transformed. This time into something black and red with a touch of angel. As he stood back admiring his work Crowley caught sight of a flash of light. His mirror was sitting out on the table and had apparently been capturing the whole display. His frown deepened instantly as he rolled his head in dramatic fashion but collected the mirror to do a touch of damage control.

"So I'm looking for a cake design, it's no big deal. I had thought it would be secret but... since it's not. Lydia, up for a job in June?"

Comments

[serpentinthegarden]

He shrugged as his own Professional demonic face slid into place. Aloof. Cool. And secretly screaming from joy.

"It wasn't a very professional request. I should have called, made an appointing with the big business woman."

He smirked just a little bit, as all that hidden happiness had to go some where so it might as well be directed at teasing.

"Have you ever done a wedding before?"

[strangeandunusual]

"Big business woman, right," she laughed, rolling her eyes - though she did blush just a bit at it, as well, since it dawned on her that it was what she was now. Gosh. When had she let that happen? Sixteen and running her own business. Weird.

"No, the biggest things I've done have been the parties here: the fairs, Halloween, Christmas, the Valentine ball ..." She looked around the garden thoughtfully. "But that's no reason I can't do it. I've seen Mom and Dad's old wedding pictures, so I know the photographer always takes a bunch of different ones of the wedding party, and formal ones of the ceremony, and then a lot of candid stuff at the reception. Is there anything specific you and Aziraphale had in mind? Are you going to need a picture for invitations?"

[serpentinthegarden]

Crowley had only asked as that seemed to be the thing to do. Lydia had the job, if she wanted it, there was no question about it. She did good work and had the advantage of not having any competition in town at all.

"Nah, I have no idea. Other than hiring you to do the photos, which I assume we will want. But I wanted to invite you to the wedding anyway, you would just be doing the snaps also."

[strangeandunusual]

"Oh!" She gave an obviously relieved laugh. "For a minute I thought you were asking because there was someone - like, a native or something - who knew how to do weddings, and you had to decide --- but, but I wouldn't miss this for the world. We've all been here since the start of this, and ... and I'm so glad to see you both so happy."

She knew it hadn't been easy for them - the occasional spat that the mirror network had caught, the times they'd each been moping at their respective places at work. But all of that hardship seemed to have brought them even closer together. It was all extremely romantic, and even her jaded little goth heart fluttered a tad thinking about it.

"I hope someday I find someone to love as much as you love Aziraphale."

[serpentinthegarden]

"A native, nah... There's only one native I might actually invite to anything. He's never threatened me with a water pistol."

This was a long story which he didn't dwell on. It was more fun to bask in that strange realization that he was actually happy. Ridiculously happy! So happy he would be tempted to set Lydia up with someone to be as happy as he was... if only he knew anyone who would suit. Probably for the best that he didn't. Former demons and blind dates, it would probably go wrong.

"If that's what you want then I'm sure you will get it. And if you don't, they guy turns out to be a jerk... I'll give him Hell for you."

[strangeandunusual]

Lydia giggled, unable to help it. The mental image of Crowley actually being threatened with - and legitimately by - a water pistol was so absurd, even though she understood why it made sense.

"I don't have any doubt that you would. Though I would never ask you to come out of retirement just for me. It's not like there's actually anyone here who'd think of me that way, anyway."

Not even a twinge of angst in that last remark, simply a plain statement. If anyone ever did happen to bring up a certain M.I.A Kingdom Spirit, well ... that was something different entirely, okay.

[serpentinthegarden]

Really, that was funny? Your best demon pal being threatened with non-existence in water pistol form? It certainly hadn't seemed funny to him, but then she was human... and it probably had only been water not the more potent stuff... but still!

"I could moonlight from time to time, find little temptations to keep from growing too bored."

In fact he quite liked the idea of freelancing. There would be a great deal of freedom in freelancing!

"You would be surprised. Apparently the condition of love is insidious. It creeps up on you when you least expect it... I wouldn't be surprised if you had a few people around town who had noticed you."

Crowley's eyes darted around as if he was looking for these hidden love assassins.

[strangeandunusual]

Well, she hadn't thought it that far through. And besides, she could have been giggling about him going after whoever he'd indefinitely threatened, as well.

"Doing a lot of different things could even build you a ... 'temptation reputation'," she said, Crowley's good mood catching on. "But if love is so sneaky, how will I know when it's there? Any pointers?"

[serpentinthegarden]

Crowley snorted as Lydia briefly channeled Dr. Seuss. It didn't last though, how could it when her question sent his feathers bristling.

"You're asking me about love?"

He grumbled and rolled his head.

"How am I supposed to know? I'm a demon, I only know that when you can't stop staring at some one, you feel high when they walk into the room, or you think about them all the time there... might be something there."

[strangeandunusual]

"I don't know, I just figured you'd have a few thoughts because you love someone enough to marry them." She flashed him her most innocent smile.

His answer made her realize something, though, and it gave her the chills.

"But ... what if there's more than one person that makes me feel like that? That ... that's bad." Or so a child of an extremely messy divorce would be led to think, anyway.

[serpentinthegarden]

"There's one than one!?"

Excuse a demon for being surprised! And here she had acted like the whole love thing had never occurred to her!

"Humans tend to frown on that... wellll, sometimes. In some cultures its fine to have more than one. Who? You can't say something like that and not say who!"

[strangeandunusual]

"Well ... uh! ... I didn't really think there was until you described it that way!"

Cue blushing. So very, very, VERY much blushing, to the point that she ducks her head to hide behind her hair.

".... and one of them's a girl, too...."

[serpentinthegarden]

Eh, the distinctions between genders were always a foggy area from him really. Crowley knew they were different but had only recently been granted any kind of window into just how different they could be.

"Names. I want names... also details, when, where and how?"

[strangeandunusual]

"Crowley!" She squeaked a little, glancing around the garden. Okay. It was just them, it was okay.

"Rose," she said to her shoes. "Not Tyler, the other one. And ... Dreamfinder. No details, nothing's happened, I just ... she's so strong and smart, and pretty ... and he understood me from the moment I met him. Please don't tell them, I'd be so embarrassed."

[serpentinthegarden]

"Oooo..." Crowley winced at the mention of a certain name. "She doesn't like me. Probably because of that whole... accidentally setting her on fire thing."

But really, if you will roll through a flaming wall these things will happen.

"Dreams alright, absentminded but well-meaning."

He shrugged and held his hands out like he was the most innocent of all demons ever.

"I'm not a cupid, who would I tell? You... thinking about doing anything about it?"

The clearly a demon and not a cupid innocently asked, not in any way meant to inspire her to confess to one or both of them. Her choice.

[strangeandunusual]

"You set her on fire? ... Well, I mean ... it was an accident. I'm sure if you give her enough time she'll be okay, right?"

She really didn't want to talk about her side of things at the moment: she was still pretty shocked to realize that she loved them both by his description of things. Rose, especially, was a great deal older, and with Dreamfinder missing, well, maybe she was putting things out of proportion because she was worried. Yes, that had to be it.

[serpentinthegarden]

"I dunno. Some people hold grudges over silly little things like that."

People could be so petty Lydia!

"And no! I didn't set her on fire. I brought up a ring of fire around her and Atem when they were battling in front of Winifred. I didn't want him getting his knife back when he was all murderous zombie whack job."

[strangeandunusual]

"Maybe she's from one of those worlds where backwards village mobs set things they don't understand on fire. Who knows. ... You had good intentions. I'm glad Sylvando, Fenton and I weren't the only ones worried about keeping Atem safe."

She sighed, troubled, even though she was glad they weren't focusing on her crushes anymore. "I hope something like that doesn't happen again. Seeing him and Eleanor like that was more than enough."

[serpentinthegarden]

"I doubt it will... how many times can witches come to town and cause trouble?"

There weren't that many of them for a start.

"I hope those three don't escape any time soon. They are bound to hold a grudge."

[strangeandunusual]

"Do I look like Macbeth to you?" She smirked. "But yeah, you're right. Merlin took care of it, though, he said. I'll tell you one thing, though, if anything even tries to go wrong during your wedding it's going to have a whole lot of angry Apprentices to contend with."

[serpentinthegarden]

"Actually you do have a certain, 'something wicked this way comes' look about you."

He said with an answering smirk that faded into a grin at the solidarity. He never expected that a group of people might actively form an army to protect Aziraphale and his special day. It was almost enough to conjure up one of those gushy friendly sorts of feelings demons weren't meant to have.

"Guess I should say thanks for that."

[strangeandunusual]

"Hey, thanks." She grinned, taking it as the compliment it was obviously meant to be, though a teasing edge snuck into it as she continued. "And you don't have to - I can get the picture without you having to draw it and possibly hurt yourself."