Aziraphale's fingers tightened around his tiny coffee cup just a little, but it had a great force behind it. "He thought I would believe that?" Then he remembered that Crowley had been all too ready to believe something nearly as absurd of him - just for long enough to do lasting damage. Aziraphale shook his head. "Crowley...would be no more capable of an act like that than I am. Not to mention that...well, if Raphael told me the grass was green, I would have to look to check, and it would probably happen to be red that day. Don't get me started on him. Oh, just don't. Please. I won't be able to stop." Thinking of all the pain Raphael had caused was making Aziraphale feel emotions quite unbecoming an angel.

"Crowley, well," Aziraphale said more softly. "Has a way of making his fears come true sometimes. Sometimes I feel he's the one who's gone away from me. The situation, I mean, the way we are...it can't stay this way, it just can't. I can't imagine not wanting to talk to him. I want that more than anything else on earth."