Chapter Text
Crowley has always had a fondness for sleep. It wasn’t necessary to his being as a demon, but it had grown into a habit in the last couple of millennia that he was struggling to break. It wasn’t the sleep that was becoming an issue for him, but instead the dreams that were haunting his psyche. At first, when he discovered how enjoyable sleep was, dreams were an optional portion of his slumber. Most of the dreams he experienced were historical events he had lived through, and they almost always centered around Aziraphale. Lately though, his dreams had become a mandatory part of his weekly sleep, and they had morphed into something terrifying.
Aziraphale’s eyes widened in terror before he screamed, “RUN!”
Upon waking from these new dreams he was bereft to call nightmares, because what demon has nightmares, he always struggled to recall any details of the dreams except for a blinding whiteness that reminded him suspiciously of Heaven and a gut wrenching terror that coated his body is sweat. He always woke gasping for a breath that he didn’t need with Aziraphale’s name ringing on his lips.
After the first nightmare he simply stopped sleeping. But then he got tired, which was something he hadn’t felt often. As a demon he didn’t need sleep to function unless he had used a lot of his demonic energy for mischief, but lately he hadn’t, which made the tiredness he felt all the more concerning. He ignored it at first, but then he almost dozed off while driving to Aziraphale’s bookshop and that wasn’t an accidental death he really wanted to explain to Hell. So he reluctantly started sleeping regularly again, and the nightmares continued.
Aziraphale’s eyes widened in terror before he screamed, “RUN!” Aziraphale’s eyes widened in terror before he screamed, “RUN!” Aziraphale’s eyes widened in terror before he screamed, “RUN!” Aziraphale’s eyes widened in terror before he screamed, “RUN!” Aziraphale’s eyes widened in terror before he screamed, “RUN!” Aziraphale’s eyes widened in terror before he screamed, “RUN!” Aziraphale’s eyes wid-
Crowley knew that the nightmares were affecting him. He had started to hover around Aziraphale, and Aziraphale had noticed with irritation. Every action he took became tinged with paranoia and the terror from his dreams had seeped into his gut, never fully leaving. But then the apocalypse happened, or tried to happen. Crowley did not really have time to sleep once they realized that Warlock was not the antichrist and that they had in fact lost the son of Satan. From there everything spun into desperation, terror, and grief. Aziraphale refused to run away with him, he learned what rejection felt like, twice. The bookshop burned down, and for a few hours he assumed Aziraphale with it. Crowley had once considered what life would be like without Aziraphale and found that he hated it so much that he did not let himself even believe in that possibility. Running into the flaming bookshop screaming Aziraphale’s name made him realize two things: that somethings life really likes to fuck you, and that he was hopelessly in love with Aziraphale. Shortly after this revelation he discovered Aziraphale was in fact not erased from existence and that the apocalypse was still happening. His poor bentley exploded once he reached Tadfield, but Crowley realized he didn’t care as soon as he saw Aziraphale alive and in the flesh again. The apocalypse was averted, and Crowley used the chaos and confusion to tightly grip Aziraphale’s hand and refused to let go.
What Crowley did not know was that by gripping Aziraphale’s hand so tight, both of them missed Agnes’s last prophecy as it fluttered in their direction, directly passed them, and out of sight.
Sitting closely together, Aziraphale accepted Crowley’s offer of a place to stay, and they quietly rode the bus back to his flat. Crowley refused to loosen his grip on Aziraphale’s hand. They did not speak a word the whole ride there, as well as the elevator ride up to Crowley’s flat. As the door snicked shut behind them they continued to stand in silence in his flat’s entranceway.
“Crowley?” Aziraphale whispered after a minute while his hand’s grip tightened minutely.
“Hmph?” Crowley made an indiscernible noise in response and tightened his grip on Aziraphale’s hand in response. He hoped that Aziraphale could read all the love he was currently pouring through his grip because words were failing him at the moment.
Aziraphale shifted towards Crowley and slowly brought his free arm around his waist to pull him into a loose hug. Crowley froze, overwhelmed by the feeling of Aziraphale so close, but his brain caught up with Aziraphale’s actions as he let go of the hand he was holding to pull his angel even closer. While Crowley had the height advantage over Aziraphale he found himself burying his face into the crook of Aziraphale’s neck as he fought over the emotions that were threatening to swarm him. They had never touched like this, ever. A fleeting brush of fingers as they passed wine back and forth, but never with such intimacy or comfort. He breathed in Aziraphale’s scent and felt the terror still plaguing his stomach flee slightly.
“I thought we were done for, my dear.” Aziraphale huffed against Crowley’s neck. “I realized that I was not quite ready to die yet, there are so many things I’d like to do first.”
Crowley could feel the heat of Aziraphale’s blush spreading down neck and he tightened their hug until there was no space left between them. Aziraphale’s breath left a hot trail down the back of his neck and his love for his angel nearly overwhelmed him. The absolute devastation Crowley had felt when he thought Aziraphale was gone crept back up through his body, and he inhaled the scent of old books, dust, something that was purely angelic.
Aziraphale seemed to sense the emotions rocking through Crowley’s mind because he pressed a kiss down into his red locks and hummed in contentment. Hands stroked up and down Crowley’s back and the words “dear boy” were whispered into his ear. Crowley was incredibly embarrassed to find tears prickling the corners of his eyes as he fought against the sheer relief and love he felt to have Aziraphale so close. Nosing his way up Aziraphale’s neck, Crowley pressed a hesitant kiss on his pulse point and felt the pulse jump beneath his lips. Aziraphale’s skin was softer than he could have ever imagined and he felt his mouth salivating with the need to taste the flesh pressing against his lips.
Aziraphale shakily pulled back enough to banish Crowley's sunglasses and look him in the eyes. Fingers traced over hollowed cheeks, across brows to settle against Crowley’s bottom lip with a slow caress. Crowley could feel the tears that had been building in his eyes betray him and slip silently down his cheeks to drip on his shirt. Trembling slightly, Aziraphale swiped the tears from Crowley’s cheeks and pressed another hesitant kiss against the wet trials left behind.
“Aziraphale,” he whispered revenantly, letting all the love he had been keeping locked away for centuries thrum free. He could feel it bleed through his essence and surround Aziraphale’s. “I thought you were dead. Burned away. Gone.” The fear of that thought made Crowley’s voice crack with despair. The thumb on his lip halted and he watched as Aziraphale’s eyes grew wider as understanding settled in their blue depths.
“There is so much love pouring off of you. How… how did I not sense this?” Aziraphale questioned in wonder. “How long? Crowley, how long have you loved me?”
Crowley could feel the fear trying to take hold again but he tamped it down. Pressing a soft kiss to Azirapahale’s thumb he said, “A very, very long time, Angel. You didn’t know because you weren’t ready. But we don’t have the promise of eternity anymore, who knows when our sides will decide we are too much of a bother to have around.” He shuddered at the thought. “I just couldn’t die without you knowing how much I cherish you. How much you mean to me. How much I love you, Aziraphale.”
Aziraphale huffed out a laugh in response. “You daft demon, I love you too.” Crowley felt his eyes widen in shock at Aziraphale’s proclamation. Before he could respond Aziraphale was kissing him, warm and hot. “I can’t believe” another kiss “that you kept this from me.” Lips slid against each other and Crowley’s control broke. “We could have been doing this for centuries, my dear.” With a growl he pushed Aziraphale flush against the wall, pinning his hands above his head as he kissed his way down his neck. Using his teeth he ripped through the tartan bow tie to leave a purple bruise in the hollow of Aziraphale’s throat. His blood was pounding through his human form, each beat screaming for him to take Aziraphale right here against the wall. To mark him, to own him. He tasted divine, the flavor sparking across Crowley’s tongue was the most decadent wine.
With difficulty Crowley slowly let go of Aziraphale and stepped away, leaving his angel against the wall. Panting he turned until he could get his baser instincts under control.
“Crowley? What’s wrong, love?” Azirphale stepped towards him and laid a hand on his shoulder, gently rubbing and caressing. It felt like the sweetest torture for Crowley.
Reaching up, Crowley covered Aziraphale’s hand with his own, stopping his ministrations. “Angel, I have waited so long for this. For you. Everything in me is screaming to fuck you right here but you deserve better than that. This isn't something I want to rush.” Gently cupping Azirapahale’s face, he stroked thumbs across rounded cheekbones. “I want to savor you, and that is going to take me longer than one night, one lifetime even. It has been a trying week, I want to sleep so that when I do fuck you I don’t miss a moment of it.” Leaning forward he pressed a gentle kiss to Aziraphale’s lips, a soft caress to punctuate his point.
Aziraphale moaned against him, pressing closer. “Crowley, dearest, this is hardly my first time when it comes to the act of fornication. You do not have to be gentle with me, I’m not, what’s the word?” Lips chased after Crowley’s, teasing. “Ah yes. I’m not a virgin, dear boy.”
Gasping Crowley stepped back. “What!? Angel! I’m scandalized. Who defiled you?”
Smacking Crowley playfully Aziraphale answered, “Stop being dramatic. This is the twenty first century, and I was a part of a discreet gentlemen’s club while you decided to take a century long nap. They may have taught me how to dance the gavotte but that is not all we did.”
A soft smile took over Crowley’s face as he pulled Aziraphale back to him. “I won’t leave you alone again Angel. I’m yours as long as you’ll have me.”
“Crowley, my love, I plan to have you a very, very long time.” Aziraphale kissed him deeply once again but with less heat. “Let’s go to bed, we deserve a bit of a lie in after all the havoc we prevented.”
Taking Aziraphale’s hand Crowley led him to the bedroom where they curled up again each other, at peace.
Aziraphale’s eyes widened in terror before he screamed, “RUN!” Aziraphale’s eyes widened in terror before he screamed, “RUN!” Aziraphale’s eyes widened in terror before he screamed, “RUN!”
Crowley woke up screaming, tangled in limbs and sheets. He scrambled away from the heat he could feel pressing in around him and stumbled to the floor where he dry heaved until tears streaked his face. Trembling he saw Aziraphale watching him with concern from the bed. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
“How long have you been having nightmares?” Aziraphale asked quietly as he slid to the floor next to Crowley. He laid comforting hands along Crowley’s back, stroking away the terror still trembling along his form.
Running shaking hands through his sweat soaked hair Crowley cringed and admitted, “Almost a century.” He fought against the need to hide his vulnerability from Aziraphale.
“What? Crowley, you know that is not normal, right?” Gathering the demon into his arms, Crowley’s shaking subsided slightly. “You were screaming my name. What were your dreams about?”
Puffing out a sigh, Crowley admitted, “I don’t remember. They fade as soon as I wake up.” He could feel himself blushing and thanked Satan that they were sitting in the dark where Aziraphale could not track the mortification playing across his face. “Angel, let's go back to sleep. We can worry about it tomorrow. I just want to lay with you.”
Aziraphale looked like he wanted to argue but as if he could sense how upset Crowley was about the whole thing, he let it drop. Pulling Crowley back to the bed, they curled up together. Crowley drifted again listening to Aziraphale’s heartbeat.
——————————————————-
The next day found them in St. James Park as if it were a typical day for them. They walked around with lollies, amiably bickering. The only thing that marked the shift in their relationship was the tight grasp Crowley had on Aziraphale’s hand. The tension from his nightmares was present in his frantic energy as he dragged Aziraphale through the park.
He savored the angelic warmth Aziraphale sent up his arm. It was comforting and did a lot of settle his strung nerves. From the corner of his vision, Crowley saw a flash of black that sent a different type of horror crawling down his spine. Startled, he turned towards the flash and lost his grip on Aziraphale’s hand.
“CROWL-“
Spinning again, Crowley caught sight of Aziraphale bound and gagged, being dragged away by a flock of angels. Throwing his lollie he sprinted towards the angelic force, ready to fight tooth and nail to get Aziraphale back. Everything was happening too fast for him to process fully, his only thought was of Aziraphale in danger.
Before he got too far, Aziraphale’s eyes widened in warning, and Crowley thought he was in another nightmare until a sharp pain reverberated in the back of his head. The ground rushed up to meet him and as his vision swayed Crowley was able to roll over to see a demon standing over him holding a crowbar. Glee shown in their eyes as Crowley's vision slowly faded away to black.
Aziraphale’s eyes widened in terror before he screamed, “RUN!”
Unfortunately for Crowley and Aziraphale they had missed out on the warning Agnes’s last prophecy held for them and they had not had the opportunity to switch bodies to fool the perspective leaders of heaven and hell. They were both about to have a really bad day.