Aziraphale feared for what the next day would bring him. He woke up with a headache that reminded him of the previous night, the wine, the rejection and his sad wank. He knew he had no one he could talk to about this, so he just got dressed, took some paracetamol for his headache and went out to have breakfast with his family.

While walking back from breakfast, Michael caught up with him.

“Adam is very insistent to build more sandcastles at the beach today,” she sighed. “Arthur and I were planning to go into town, I was wondering if you could look after Adam. Just for a few hours, until we’re back.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Aziraphale beamed to his older sister. “Adam is an absolute delight to be around.”

Michael smiled and looked behind them, her smile fading. “Just… please don’t let him spend too much time with Anthony.”

“What?” Aziraphale asked slightly offended. “Crowley is a perfectly normal adult. Why would you mind?”

Michael sighed again. “I know. It’s just that… Gabriel saw you guys on the beach the other day and he just can’t let it go. He already told mum and dad and they’re on his side. I really don’t want to ruin our holiday over this.”

Aziraphale groaned internally, he knew how his parents and brother could be when they didn’t approve of something, he had been the subject of that disapproval many times and still hadn’t found it in him to rebel completely against it. Living on his own while reaching the age of thirty was already pushing it far enough.

“What’s wrong with him?” He just wanted to see if she would dare to answer this but sounded like a petulant child instead.

“You know that, Aziraphale,” Michael grimaced. “You also know how I feel about it.”

“Alright,” he gave in. “I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything. We don’t own this resort and I can’t help where other people go.”

That being said, he had a faint idea that he wouldn’t have to avoid Crowley, he would do it himself after his butchered attempt to kiss him last night and Aziraphale didn’t feel like bringing it up anyway.

“Thanks, that’s all I’m asking. You’re a great brother!” She pecked him on his cheek and called Adam over.

Adam was a typical eight-year-old, unable to control his excitement. He ran ahead of Aziraphale towards the beach and Aziraphale did try to keep up but he also wasn’t about to run needlessly, so the boy was a little ahead of him. He just tried to enjoy the sun and the sound of waves crashing on the beach but felt restless and nervous instead.

“Adam! Find a lounger first and put your stuff on it,” Aziraphale called ahead. “Did your mum applied sunscreen already?”

“Mr Crowley!” Adams's voice sounded over the beach.

Aziraphale paled and his legs didn’t feel the need to keep walking forward. He pushed through his own embarrassment and hurried a little quicker towards Adam and Crowley.

“Adam! You can just go and disturb people like that. I’m sure Mr Crowley likes his peace and quiet,” he warned the young boy, looking at him instead of Crowley. “I’m so sorry, Michael asked me to look after him, and he-”

Crowley interrupted his apology. “Doesn’t matter, I don’t really mind.”

Adam looked up to the two adults. “So, can we make sandcastles now?” he asked impatiently.

Aziraphale looked at Crowley, who smirked awkwardly at him. It certainly didn’t make him feel any less nervous and he sighed. “Sure, why not,” Crowley answered.

“Sunscreen first, Adam,” Aziraphale told the young boy, who complied reluctantly.

He wondered if he should apologise. He hadn’t last night, but Crowley did and said it wasn’t his fault. It seemed like they were getting really good at not discussing things like that. He was overthinking again and Crowley was already off with Adam to build some castles. Aziraphale got up a tad bit reluctantly and joined the two in the sand.

“Jimmy from school has two dads,” Adam suddenly said, without looking up from where his hands were shoving sand into a small bucket. “Mrs Johnson said it’s the same as having a mum an’ a dad an’ it’s alright.”

Aziraphale was wondering where Adam was going with this and what had prompted him to tell them about that. He sneaked a glance at Crowley, who had only quirked one eyebrow up above his sunglasses but didn’t say anything. “That’s nice for Jimmy, dear.”

“Uncle Gabe said it’s not right. He said it’s a sin like when Thomas hit Macy with a rock during break time an’ he said that Mr Crowley is tempting uncle Zira to sin.”

The young boy still wasn’t looking up while telling all of this, Crowley looked like he was choking on air and Aziraphale felt his face heating up. A ferocious blush crept up from his neck. He was mostly furious for Gabriel teaching that to an eight-year-old

“Ngk, we’re not… I’m not- he said what?” Crowley was the first to say something.

Aziraphale avoided eye contact with Crowley. “What do you think?” he asked Adam softly.

This made him look up. “I think it’s jus’ fine as long as you don’t go around kissing like mum an’ dad. That’s gross.” With those words, he grimaced.

“Didn’t exactly need that visual,” Crowley grumbled. “I’m with you kid, I don’t want to see your mum and dad kissing either.”

Aziraphale let out a nervous little laugh. He was glad that Adam formed his own opinions about things and that Gabriel didn’t seem to have influenced him too badly, but the subject didn’t make him any less anxious about what his family thought about him or what Crowley would think about him now.

“Crowley and I are just friends, Adam. Don’t listen to uncle Gabe.”

He didn’t notice Crowley getting up and sneaking off while he was absentmindedly patted some sand into something vaguely dome-shaped. He also didn’t see how the redhead took Adam’s bucket with him, walked into the water, scooped up said water, and walked back to the two sandcastle builders. He did notice when a splash of cold water hit both him and Adam and heard the loud cackling behind him.

Aziraphale jumped up with an undignified yelp and turned around. “You… absolute menace!”

Crowley just grinned at them. Adam knew exactly what to do and that was launching a water attack on Crowley. He just ran straight into the sea and started to splash water in his general direction. Aziraphale, however, was also in this general direction. His yelp sounded a lot more ready for revenge this time around. 

Against his better judgment, he ran into the cold water after Adam to splash him back. Crowley had exactly the same idea and joined them for an all-out water fight. At one point, Adam tackled Aziraphale, who tried to grab something to hold on to. This happened to be Crowley’s shoulder, which caused him to pull them both off their feet and submerge into the waves.

When he emerged, Crowley and Adam were laughing. He didn’t like the look the two gave each other. “Don’t you dare gang up on me!” he warned them with no real malice in his voice.