#purringangelsshouldbeathing

Humans are, despite their disagreeing, social creatures. After all, Adam needed Eve for companionship, even though there were plenty of animals in Eden for him to befriend. One should be grateful that Adam did not attempt to know the animals in the Biblical sense as he came to know Eve.

This story is not about Adam and Eve though, it is not even about humans at all. There was really no need to mention them, except for the fact that a single Angel and a single Demon have spent the last six thousand years amongst humans, enjoying the silly little things that humans do. Silly little things that they also would get up to.

Perhaps it is because they have corporations like humans that they feel drawn to be more human like. Or perhaps it is because anyone would get lonely after six thousand years of watching human love, loss, happiness, and pain shared. Universal feelings that Crowley and Aziraphale could also understand despite not being, strictly speaking, human.

What the two Celestial beings had come to learn, but never attempt before, was that sometimes the cure for what ails you is a hug. For the bigger ails in life, a cuddle was the necessary prescription.

After the Apocalypse-That-Wasn’t and two failed executions, Aziraphale and Crowley were feeling good about how the events turned out. The world would continue on, Heaven and Hell would back off, at least for the time, and they came to a new Agreement; the only side that mattered was the side they stood on together.

Yet the euphoria of the moment couldn’t last forever. A day, maybe two at most. It at least lasted long enough to enjoy a wonderful meal at the Ritz and plenty of celebratory drinks back at Aziraphale’s book store. Worries crept back in as minds over-thought the things that minds overthink. Such things as whether or not Heaven and Hell will try again. Whether there is a Plan B or C or a whole alphabet of plans to end the world. Would they be enough to stand against the forces of Heaven and Hell truly working together to destroy Earth, and them?

All these thoughts where tying Crowley into knots. For a Demon, he worried a great deal about the consequences of his actions. A unique feature, perhaps it is an extension of his imagination; one must imagine consequences to worry that there will be some.

Aziraphale was just as worried as his Demonic counterpart. He was a guardian, a protector, and he did not know how he could do it alone, save for Crowley and some humans. Humans are wonderful, resourceful, creative, and deviant creatures! They could do so much and be great at doing it, but could they do enough to defeat Heaven and Hell? And what if that was the ineffable plan but they cocked it up?

Aziraphale couldn’t be sure anymore if he had Faith in the All Mighty, he certainly did not in Heaven. What was God doing? Creating all this life and telling them to love them then just deciding it’s okay to end it all? He would worry holes in his rugs from pacing if he kept trying to follow these logical rabbit holes.

If Crowley hadn’t caught his hand before he could make another round of pacing. The Demon has been lounging on couch in the bookstore; all long limbs and unable to sit up straight for longer then a few minutes.

The touch was a surprise and not unwelcome. Being on their Own Side seemed to involve more soft touches. And it had only been a few days! Six thousand years of keeping distance to avoid punishment was finally crashing at their feet as they were free to “fraternize”.

Oh, who was anyone kidding -which is no one, except maybe Heaven and Hell- they were free to be whoever they wanted to be.

Crowley tugged Aziraphale’s hand to encourage him to sit down on the couch. There was another reason for nerves and worries; what were they now?

Crowley raised one of his ginger brows high, “you going to keep sitting like a statue, Angel?”

“Well... I just don’t know! There is so much.... oh what are we going to do?!”

“I think... we shouldn’t do anything that has to do with Heaven and Hell.”

“Crowley, we have to figure out a plan. We were lucky that we made it through the first time. We can hardly hope our incompetence saves us a second time.”

“We can hardly plan anything because we don’t know where to begin to plan,” the lanky body of the Demon went from lax against the arm of the couch to being straighter. If not angled more towards Aziraphale’s sitting form.

“We could...” Aziraphale motioned with his hands as he couldn’t find the words. “Oh I don’t know!”

Crowley took the flailing hands into his own, “Angel, whatever comes up, we will figure it out. This is our home, and Our Side will protect our home.”

“But what about the plan?”

Crowley shot to his feet, his movement so fluid it was if he had no bones, “the Ineffable Plan? Well... I don’t care what God has planned. I don’t have to care! I only care about one thing!” Realizing where his words were headed, Crowley stumbled over them, “well, I mean two things. Earth. I care about Earth being here.” Somethings were too hard to say aloud yet.

“You were willing to go off to the stars. Leave it all behind.”

“Ngk... yes... but that’s because...” He dropped back to the couch besides Aziraphale. “I didn’t go so it doesn’t matter.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Crowley sighed, “we need alcohol.”

“Crowley. Why didn’t you leave?”

“You know damn well why I didn’t go. You’re the smart one.”

It was Aziraphale’s turn to reach out, he gently touched Crowley’s hand, “Maybe... I want to hear it. I may know, but without you telling me... well... then I can’t be sure.”

Crowley looked at Aziraphale, his signature glasses had been removed sometime ago when they entered the bookshop. He didn’t feel the need to wear them in the privacy of Aziraphale’s company. The Angel was looking at him in that way. That oh so soft way that says everything without a word uttered.

“It wasn’t worth going without you,” Crowley’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Earth isn’t worth saving without you...”

Aziraphale pulled him close, a simple hug. But simple hugs can be magical things, they can make the world and heal some of the wounds on a heart. Crowley and Aziraphale both needed hugs after everything they survived but telling two six-thousand-and-something-year-old Celestials they are touch-starved won’t get anyone far. It’s just something they have to figure out for themselves.

The hug lasted so long that it turned into a cuddle. Aziraphale leaning back in the corner of the couch, while Crowley draped over his chest and stomach. That need to be loved put their worries on the back burner. It was time to find a reprieve from their past and the worries of the future.

Sometimes the only cure for what ails a person is the act of full body cuddles. The type of cuddles where one person practically lays on another like a human weighted blanket. Now neither Aziraphale or Crowley are human, but they are human shaped. And there is nothing to say that Demons and Angels weren’t made in similar ways to humans; as social creatures. Of course Angels and Demons would be far too proud to admit they need contact from another being. They are too high and mighty or low and dangerous for that.

Aziraphale and Crowley are neither high and might or low and dangerous, they are in the middle, with humanity. Right there on Earth, in a crowded bookstore, in the arms of each other was where they belonged. It’s where they both finally eased their muscles and relaxed.

Crowley let his eyes close, he could nap right here for a century if he had a choice.

Quiet.

Yellow eyes flew open and he hardly dared to breath or move... there was a deep vibrating rumble coming from below him. He didn’t sense anything as he had with Satan. There was no great evil or anger anywhere nearby. And earthquakes certainly do not happen in England.

He stayed still listening. Waiting for something to happen, to figure out what was going on.

The rumbles stopped, “is anything the matter my dear? You have become stiff.” The Angel’s voice was soft, sleepy sounding.

“Is nothin’...” He forced himself to relax, but still on high alert. No one was getting his Angel this time.

The rumbling began shortly after Crowley relaxed again.

Wait.

The Demon adjusted his position a bit, his ear to Aziraphale’s chest. “Since when can Angels purr?”

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Note From Me: I dunno, my mind was like “purring is so soothing”, “OMG ANGELS SHOULD PURR BECAUSE ITS CALMING”.