As new nestmates, there's a few things that need to be navigated for Crowley and Aziraphale, even though so many things are the same. One of them is the ritual of grooming that is done between nestmates.
Nothing had changed. Well, obviously, things had changed, quite significantly, even; they were now nestmates, honest-to-goodness nestmates, and there was no changing that. Theyâd promised themselves and each other that. No matter what happened, they would not give up on each other.
That being said, neither of them could help feeling apprehensive, to put it incredibly mildly. This wasnât a case of a pair of teenagers disobeying their parents by being together. Well, perhaps there was an element of that, what with the role of Heaven and Hell and everything, but the penalty was rather more severe. It was like comparing a lighter to a star. Technically, they were both burning, but beyond that, there wasnât much to compare with.
But as the days became weeks, and there still wasnât so much as an increase in assignments or the amount of paperwork they had to deal with, Crowley couldnât help feeling a sense of relief â while simultaneously feeling even more tense.
This couldnât be right. They had to know. Somehow, they would have to know, so why wasnât anything happening?
Another part of his brain argued that well, theyâd kept their Arrangement a secret for almost a thousand years by this point, without either side suspecting a single thing. If they had, neither of them wouldâve been able to carry on as they had, they knew that.
Why then, knowing that, did he suddenly bestow the powers above, or below, the accolade of observatory skills they had never yet exhibited? When they could be fobbed off with a well-placed memo why did he then think that they would instantly suss out that Aziraphale and he had become nestmates?
Unfortunately, he could answer his own question, at least to some extent. To the extent that explained why he was afraid, anyway.
What they had managed toâŚwell, yes, fool them with was about what they did. The jobs theyâd been sent to do, which none of the other angels or demons really had much track with. Not in the way that Aziraphale and Crowley had, in any case, nor to the extent. It was always easier to lie to someone who only had the vaguest idea at best of what the truth actually were.
When it came to something like this, howeverâŚthis was about what they were, not what they did, and he couldnât help the tendril of fear that on something like that, at the very least Heaven would be much more on the ball. It did, after all, split the focus of the angels that were involved in the nesting, on who and what they should love. In theory, anyway, as angels tended to fail to live up to their own brief, as it was.
Which in turn brought him back to the thought, the question of why the Almighty had created Her servants with such a handicap as that, in the sense of their intended, purported purpose.
He brought it up to Aziraphale, more than once and increasingly animated each time he mentioned it. It wasnât helped by the fact that the angel didnât seem as worried about the whole thing, despite the fact ofâŚwell, everything, really. He listened but didnât make any comments or even any plans as to how they could deal.
At long last, after heâd asked flat out why he wasnât worried, Aziraphale sighed heavily, put down the books that heâd been cataloguing â why he bothered when everything was neatly organised, even if it was to a system that only he knew and understood, was beyond the ginger â and pulled Crowley close.
âI am worried,â he said, quietly. âVery much so.â
âThen why the bleeding blazes have you been acting as though it doesnât matter, or you arenât bothered by it?â Crowley demanded, his arm waving animatedly in its gesticulation.
Aziraphale, surprisingly in the demonâs opinion, didnât pause or falter. âBecause I would be helping neither of us, but especially not you, if I were also to panic.â
âPanicking? Who says Iâm panicking?â Crowleyâs gesticulation was almost flailing at this point, mainly hampered by their closeness. âIâm not panicking, thatâs absurd!â
âOf course not.â
âWhy would I be panicking?â
âBecause youâre understandably terrified of what they will do if they ever find out what we have done.â
âThey will not merely send rude notes, thatâs for bloody sure.â
âDestruction by rude note, that will certainly be novel.â
Aziraphale!â
The angel gave a small smile, which was warm but showing hints of both genuine worry and fear but also that inner core of steel. âI know how youâre feeling, dear. Honestly, I do. Donât mistake me. But tell meâŚwhat other precautions can we take than what we are taking right now?â
He brought a hand up to caress a defined cheek gently, then cup the side of the jaw, thumb continuing to brush across the cheek. Crowley instinctively leaned into the contact, savouring it as he continued to look at his angel. He didnât answer, though, because he had no answer to give. That was one of the problems, wasnât it?
Silence reigned for a few long moments.
Then, very quietly âWould you want us toâŚdivorce, for instance? Cease being nestmates?â
The words, the very suggestion that they would possibly stop being nestmates made Crowley snap for breath hard, his heart feeling as though it had just suffered an actual, physical punch. He wouldâve shouted ânoâ instantly and at the top of his lungs, if only heâd had the breath for it.
Aziraphale seemed to have been ready for the reaction, in a sense at least, as he made sure to steady his demon when his knees buckled a little.
Long-fingered hands came up to grasp hold of softened shoulders, hard and almost digging, as if that would somehow prevent him from leaving.
âNo, I didnât think so, either. Nor do I. As weâve discussed before, I would never want to lose you as a nestmate. Apart from the option of returning to how we were, however â and even that is not a guarantee they wonât detect either of us areâŚdivorced, as it were â I quite honestly cannot see what we can do about it.â
Crowley, still trying to get his breath back and stop the panic that had exploded inside, didnât answer. He just moved somehow even closer and bent his neck so that he could rest his forehead against the angelâs shoulder, between his hand and where shoulder became neck.
Aziraphale wrapped his arms around the shape of his nestmate, as if to further ensure he wouldnât go anywhere, no matter what happened.
âPlease donât leave,â Crowley said, his voice a little muffled from where his mouth was situated but nevertheless, it was insistent and Aziraphale heard him quite clearly.
âI wonât, dearest, I wonât. Never. I promise.â He turned his head and pressed his lips to the flaming red hair. âI hope you wonât, either.â
Crowley shook his head as though he was trying to dislodge a particularly stubborn wasp in his ear.
âIn that light, I think all we can do is carry on as we always have and if things do turn southâŚthen weâll have to take it from there.â
Strictly speaking, theyâd discussed that before as well but even so, it was a relief to the demon to have it confirmed.
Perhaps it was remnants of the unreality of it all, the sheer beauty and utter joy that went with their change in status and all that that had entailed for them, and the subsequent pure fear and dread that this was somehow indeed too good to be true. God could still be pulling the most massive prank on him.
What was it heâd read somewhere? âAll this good fortune, all this fierce joy ⌠it was wrong. Surely the universe could not allow this amount of happiness in one man, not without presenting a bill. Somewhere a big wave was cresting, and when it broke over his head it would wash everything awayâ?
Something along those lines, and didnât it feel incredibly apt in the circumstances, even if he was a demon rather than a man?
Wait, hang on. Why could he remember something heâd read? When the heaven had he actually read, anyway? Maybe Aziraphale had read it aloud to him, as he sometimes did with books he truly loved and wanted to share. Crowley would never have his love of books, not even close to it, but he did enjoy the audiobook experience when it was tailored specifically to him by a very specific narrator.
So maybe it had come from there, a quiet evening where they just got to enjoy the otherâs company.
Wherever it had come from, though, it had stuck and he couldnât help but feel its aptness, perfectly summing up how he was feeling, even in the midst of his Paradise-on-Earth â which was infinitely better than the original, in his opinion, whose only benefit had been a fortunate meeting.
He tried not to let it take over his thoughts and, more importantly, not to let it show. Seeing as it tied into not only his fears and worries about the potential punishment from their headquarters but to all the negative and self-deprecating thoughts which heâd had prior to the two of them becoming nestmates about the impossibility of just that thing, it became a significantly more difficult prospect, even as he felt the relief from Aziraphaleâs words.
The fact that he had his face hidden from view wasnât much of a comfort.
But Aziraphale only held him tighter, turning his head to plant kisses on every part of Crowleyâs head that he could reach, gently, lovingly. Being the anchor that he needed without saying a word.
Eventually, though he wouldnât have thought he would, Crowley began to feel calmer. Not entirely so, the thoughts were still present, but in that silent interlude, he managed toâŚnot so much push it into the background as pen it in and quieten it to a low murmur. Corral it into something manageable rather than outright banish it, helped by the words that Aziraphale had spoken and the reassuring calm that exuded from his body.
âSorry,â he muttered as he straightened up. He didnât try to otherwise put distance between them, though, and Aziraphale didnât make him.
âNo need to apologise. Itâs a very legitimate fear to harbour.â
Crowley paused then came to a quick conclusion as he looked at the otherâs face. âAnd youâre putting on a brave face for my sake.â
âI am not.â
âYou are. Thatâs why youâre that calm about it.â
âI told you, I am not, neither that calm or putting on a brave face for you. I would not lie to you like that, dear.â
âYou would.â It was an accusation, but it lacked any bite, the void of that filled with concern. âYou would if you thought you were protecting me by doing it.â
Aziraphale opened his mouth, presumably to protest, then closed it.
âYes, I suppose that is a very valid point,â he said after a few but long moments of silence, voice quiet. âBut I promise you that that was not my intention. I wonât hide from you, Crowley. Not anymore, not on purpose. I cannot control everything, but I will try and wonât put protection over honesty. Okay?â
âYeah. Yeah, okay.â That he could believe, that he could lean against to face things, to rely on as his rock. Well, as part of the rock that was his angel, really, when it came down to it. Softness, love and chub concealing a steel core. âSorry about â â
He was silenced by a kiss. âShush now. No need for that. Not now nor ever. I understand.â
Crowley regarded Aziraphale for a moment. Then, his heart full of warmth now, the murmur of his fears very low indeed, he said, earnest and heartfelt, looking into the warm green eyes, âI love you, angel. I love you.â
The beam he got from saying that out loud was one that beat every other iteration of Aziraphaleâs arsenal of smiles, all of which were wonderful on their own, and still did a number on his heart in the best possible way. He hoped that would never ever change.
âI love you, too, my dearest,â Aziraphale returned. âNothing will ever change that.â
Crowley touched their foreheads together after stealing another kiss, saying âthank youâ without speaking the words. It seemed to get through to the other just fine.
They stayed like that for quite some time and then Crowley decided that it was time for bed.
Aziraphale protested that it was far too early to go to bed, quite apart from the fact that neither of them needed to sleep. Crowley ignored him.
Sleeping was one of his favourite things in the world and now that he had the option to do so with his angel â and his fears about what Heaven and Hell was going to do to them had been soothed enough that he wasnât a nervous ball too tense to fall asleep anymore â he wasnât going to pass it up.
Well, he had up until now, in a sense, he would have to admit. But thereâd been other things for him, for them, to do and to explore with their changed circumstances, apart from the worry about whole being found out business.
Six millennia is a long time to wait and, for Crowleyâs part pine, and even if Aziraphale had only become aware of his feelings very recently, comparatively speaking, heâd assured the demon more than once that it was more a case of realising what had been there for a very long time, it crystallising inside his mind in that moment rather than being born.
Given that, this change was new and fragile and oh so precious to them both and they were handling it delicately in terms of what theyâd done since, as though it would shatter if they charged ahead.
Perhaps that was what heâd meant when heâd thought that nothing had changed. Theyâd thrust themselves into this whole other plane, as it were, of being nestmates rather than âonlyâ friends all at once. That was enough of a change to settle into, especially for being who could well regard a century ago as recent. There was no need for a radical change in behaviour or routines on top of that, not straight away, and so it felt safer, perhaps, to take it slowly.
There might be someone whoâd point out that a lot of what theyâd done, how theyâd interacted for the last millennia or so, at least, could qualify on their own as dating and so it would only make sense that things might not feel that different, if different at all.
Nesting and consequently becoming nestmates were on quite another level compared to human dating, however, even if it wasnât immediately visible by the standards that humans set for themselves. But Aziraphale and Crowley knew that it was there, and it resonated between them like the echoes ofâŚwell, the harp that the angels didnât play.
Not to mention, of course, the little things, such as the touches, including kisses, and the general closeness and openness they now enjoyed. Being more explicit about the little gestures and tokens of love that they had hid from each other before.
And there were the feathers. In the bookshop, yes, on display but hidden so that they wouldnât be inadvertently snatched by some customer Aziraphale somehow hadnât managed to keep out of the shop, which would just beâŚno, that didnât bear thinking about, either.
But there were also the ones that they carried with them. Which ought to be beyond stupid to do if they wanted to remain hidden if not for the fact that other angels, fallen or otherwise, would be able to detect the bond, for lack of a better term, they now had regardless.
And it was wonderful, Crowley had to admit, to be able to be parted from Aziraphale â and they were not joined at the hip, thank someone for that, and they never would be, however much they cherished the otherâs company â and still carry a physical reminder of him that was part of him. It certainly beat what humans came up with, such as jewellery out of teeth and hair. JustâŚwhy?
Now, thoughâŚnow he couldnât help the want, the need for a bit of sleep and to have Aziraphale be there with him. Not for anything intimate or the like, justâŚbeing there.
The angel kept protesting all the way up the stairs to the smallâŚwell, to call it a flat was a tad overly generous, really, seeing as it was actually just a small set of rooms that had come with the building back when Aziraphale had bought it. What they had been intended for wasnât clear, but it had been used for extra storage by the blond. That was, until Crowley had seen it one day after, well, and had miracled a bed up there.
Aziraphale had protested then, too, that there was no need for it, and it would only be in the way and where on earth did all his books go, really, Crowley, you canât just â
And heâd shut up when the demon had pointed upwards to see the books neatly stacked all the way around the wall and underneath the ceiling. That heâd have to employ a bit of, well, trickery, to make more room than there actually was, it was certainly worth it.
Heâd used it once or twice on his own since then, the smell of old books practically part of his nasal make-up at that point, but now he got to experience it with Aziraphale there.
The angel protested one more time when they made it up the stairs, though Crowley noted that he hadnât made any proper attempts to pull out of his grasp or just stop.
âCrowley, this is ridiculous,â he tried, sounding only slightly exasperated. âWe cannot go to bed at this hour, there are things I need to do. Iâm not going to waste time â â
The demon looked at him, then, and his expression shut the angel up.
âIâm not asking you to stay for a long time or anything,â Crowley said, voice quiet. âI just want you to be there while I fall asleep, thatâs all. Iâd like to know what it feels like.â He couldnât deny that âwaste timeâ had hurt, just a little, even though he knew Aziraphale hadnât meant it like that.
The guilty expression had already started to form as he closed his mouth and realised what heâd said, but now it took over the soft face. âOh. When you put it like that, thenâŚâ
He hesitated, then bit his lip. âOh, good lord, I am an arse, arenât I? I didnât even think of that and I shouldâve known â of course Iâll stay with you, dear.â
Crowley frowned. âYouâre not an arse.â It was hardly his fault Crowley hadnât made himself clear or that it hurt to hear him phrase it like he had, done entirely unintentionally.
âIâm afraid I am. I shouldâve known better, in both regards, and I do apologise.â He squeezed the hand gripping his. âWill you let me make it up to you?â
Part of Crowley wanted to say, âthereâs nothing to make up forâ, while another wanted to ask how he would, and a third, albeit small part, wanted to make a smart-arse comment.
Instead, for once, his brain and body were clever enough to make him purely give a nod.
The apologetic but grateful smile from Aziraphale started to melt what little hurt was left.
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