"You've lost me."
"Crowley. Have you never wondered why you're so different from the others? No reptiles or insects as friends."
"Think you've forgotten I am the reptile."
"Barely. You haven't been since Eden."
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Crowley lowered his glasses and glared at the angel, his snake eyes sharpening at the sudden intrusion of light.
"Fine. You have elements of the reptile but nothing like the others."
"Well I've been up here too long, can't exactly walk around smelling like shit and carrying a demonic entity on my head can I?"
Aziraphale sighed. "You don't like forcing people into things they won't like. You only ever set up inconveniences that might make people angry for a while but nothing life changing."
"Thought the M25 pretty soul destroying," the demon sniffed. "Especially if you get stuck at the tolls."
"Be serious for a moment dear. Did you not see how they reacted when they saw your wings? Did you not notice that Beelzebub and Hastur called you 'Lord Crowley'?"
Crowley shrugged. "Didn't give it much thought."
"Well think about it now!" Aziraphale snapped and Crowley stilled. "I'm sorry. But this is important. Dear boy, has no one ever told you you're a Prince of Hell? Did you not hear them earlier?"
"Was kind of busy," Crowley frowned behind his glasses trying to recall anything that had been said.
'I'm sorry. I just wanted to know what you were up to my Lord.'
'You could have been the greatest ruler of Hell; Lord Crowley, Hell's Angel. Lord Satan had such high hopes for you.'
All the breath left Crowley's body in a very audible whoosh as he gripped the sofa hard enough that his knuckles turned white.
"Are you alright?" Aziraphale leant forward and placed a hand over one of his. "You've never really spoken about the Fall or who you were before. But after we summoned you, you were so different we had to know who we were dealing with."
"We think we managed to work it out," Anathema said as she and Newt joined the conversation. "Some were an easy elimination just based on their nature, you know; if they liked sacrifices and things, or the fact that we know of them like Beelzebub, Lucifer."
"Maybe now isn't the best time," Newt whispered in her ear.
The demon was unnaturally still, like a snake waiting to strike.
The angel squeezed his hand. "Crowley. This is who you are. All these centuries of not remembering, of being different. Crowley you're.."
"Sssstop!" Crowley hissed snatching his hands back. "Jussst ssstop." Groaning and wincing he got to his feet.
"But Crowley."
"I don't want to know. I don't want to remember who they tried to turn me into. Why would I? It changes nothing," he growled, stumbling towards the front door.
"Cro.."
"No! It doesn't matter who I was or who I might have been. Not to me. It only matters to you," he growled, his eyes glowing behind his glasses.
"But this is who you are!"
"No!" Struggling to hold his own weight Crowley leant heavily on the door frame as he tried to open it.
"Where are you going?!" Aziraphale got up to help him only to stop in his tracks as the demon hissed at him.
"I'm leaving."
"You're in no fit state to go anywhere, be sensible. Come and sit back down and we can talk about it."
"I don't want to talk about it! I'm a demon. That's it. That's all there is. I've been one for over 6000 years. I don't want to know anything else alright. I'm going home."
"You can't drive in this condition," Aziraphale began to plead.
"I got us here didn't I? I'll make it home just fine," he growled miracling himself out to the Bentley.
Dizziness hit him like a wave at the effort of moving himself but he clicked his fingers and set the Bentley off at breakneck speed away from the cottage and his angel.
XxXxX
Aziraphale stood in the middle of the living room staring at the front door.
"Well. I… I don't really know what to say." He turned to the witch and her boyfriend. "I can only apologise. He's always been a little rude but I suspect he's not feeling quite the thing," his voice wavered. "Thank you for all your help and hospitality, but I really should follow him. His front door is still blessed and the state he's in he might not have remembered."
Newt nodded mutely as Anathema held out her hand.
"Be safe, he's stronger than he knows. He bypassed my wards to get out; twice," she told him sternly.
The angel managed a small smile as he miracled himself home.
XxXxX
Collapsing on his chair, Aziraphale sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Travelling that distance wasn't fun, it wore him out if he was honest. He supposed that's why Crowley always used his car.
Looking at the clock he surmised Crowley would arrive home shortly. He really should go and make sure he had remembered about the blessing, Crowley wasn't answering his phone again but he decided to try one last time.
"What?" Came a short answer after a while.
The angel sighed with relief. "I...it's me."
"I know."
"Still grumpy I see." His statement was met with silence. "Well, not that you deserve it but I was checking that you'd remembered that your door is a trap," he continued.
There was a pained grunt and a sharp intake of breath. "Yup," was all Crowley could manage.
"Right, well then. Do you have any way of getting rid of it?" There was a long pause where all he could hear was jagged breathing and the car engine, and Aziraphale felt his annoyance subside. "Crowley, where are you?"
"Car," the demon gasped out.
"Well I gathered that but where? Are you home yet?"
"Can't. Get. Out," he panted.
"Let me help you, where are you?"
"Outside."
"Outside your flat?"
"Bookshop."
Aziraphale dropped the phone, jumped up and ran for the door. He whipped it open finding the Bentley idling outside. "Oh you silly demon," he sighed, pulling open the drivers side door.
Crowley was a sorry sight. Pain was clearly etched on his face even with his eyes hidden by his glasses.
There were too many people around to miracle them inside. The angel crouched down beside him
"I'm afraid we're going to have to do this the old fashioned way my dear."
Aziraphale put a hand on his shoulder, healing him as much as he could, knowing it wouldn't last long. "Right quick as you can swing your legs round and slide forward to the street."
Crowley steeled himself. Taking a deep breath he hauled himself up, out of the car and held onto his friend for dear life as they stumbled their way into the shop. He couldn't help the hiss as they stepped through the door.
"I know. You don't like it down here. Give me a moment and I'll get us upstairs."
"S'fine," the demon sighed as they reached the sofa. Lowering himself down gently he rested his head back and closed his eyes.
"Here. You look like you could use this."
Crowley rolled his head towards Aziraphale cracking an eye open. Accepting the whiskey glass he threw it back, appreciating the warmth it created inside. "Not enough alcohol in the world," he complained.
"There's always more dearest," the angel told him, refilling the glass. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been run over multiple times and set on fire," he croaked. "This is helping though. I think I'll just get blind drunk and sleep for a few…. months. It'll be tickety boo," he chuckled mirthlessly and winced, hissing in a breath.
Aziraphale sat beside him and gently ran his fingers through his red hair. "Would you be more comfortable laying down? I don't know what to do for the best," he gave a weak smile.
He was enjoying the contact far too much when reality slipped through. "I shouldn't be here."
The angel frowned. "Why ever not? You're always welcome here, you know that."
Crowley just stared at him and Aziraphale reached out to remove his glasses.
"Don't," the demon whispered.
The angel leaned in slowly as if to kiss him
"I can't."
"I'm sorry. I should have thought. Of course, you're in pain. It wouldn't be appropriate."
"That's… no. I didn't just mean now. I have to go." "What?! You can't look after yourself!"
"I've been doing it for eons."
"But you're in no fit state to drive!"
"Night, Angel." Mustering as much strength as he could, Crowley clicked his fingers and disappeared.
"Crowley!" Aziraphale shouted into the empty shop. Getting up he raced to the door to find the Bentley still parked but with no driver. Surely he wasn't going to miracle himself all the way home?! He wouldn't make it! And the blessing was still on his door!
"Bloody demon!" Aziraphale grumbled as for the second time that day he went chasing after Crowley.
XxXxX