A/n; chapter kicks off with lemons, so probably best not reading on a public computer xxx

Aziraphale was lost in the pleasure of it all. He couldn't help the little whimpers that broke free as Crowley's tongue and lips wreaked havoc on that mark. He'd never known anything like it so when Crowley's hand found its way into his pyjama bottoms it was almost too much and he cried out, hips bucking into his fist.

"Crowley!"

"'S alright Angel. I've got you," he purred, his hand stroking and twisting a little.

"Not going to last," Aziraphale gasped out.

"Don't try to," he grazed his teeth over the new found pleasure spot and increased the pace of his hand, following the angel's lead.

The sounds Aziraphale was making were like music to his ears, each one filling him with pleasure, hoping that the angel was feeling even half of what he'd felt those few nights ago. He felt him begin to tremble, his body going tense before he snapped, crying out into the room as he released himself into Crowley's hand.

Panting, Aziraphale collapsed back, feeling boneless against the demon's chest as Crowley miracled him clean.

The angel couldn't manage any words and just laid there, content in the other man's arms until his breathing returned to normal.

Crowley didn't say a word, he was content to sit holding his angel, playing with his hair. He pressed a light kiss to his temple and watched the pigeons squabble on the window ledge.

He thought about everything that had happened over the last couple of weeks, trying to straighten them in his head.

Hell had mostly been content to leave him on Earth. They rarely summoned him and seemed bored when they did, unless they were punishing him; Dagon took great joy in inflicting misery on Crowley.

They must've realised Earth was perfectly capable of damaging itself whilst he messed with phone towers and road markings, so why? Why leave him? Why entrust the delivery of the antichrist to him? 'They love me down there' was just something he'd say to cover for his own insecurity. Hell didn't love anyone.

He rested his head back and sighed, scrunching his eyes shut against the ever brightening light of the morning.

Aziraphale felt Crowley sigh and turned to look at him. "Sorry. That was…. well I mean…"

The demon's lips twitched. "Did you enjoy it, Angel?"

"Well I think that much was obvious."

"Then that's all that matters."

"What about you?"

"Oh I enjoyed it immensely. It's a heady feeling, hearing and seeing you come undone," he teased.

"I didn't mean that."

"I know." Crowley lifted his head to look at him. Aziraphale was almost taken aback by the softness on his face. "Did you want me to…" he waved a hand over the demon's lap, causing him to chuckle.

"Nope. I'm quite happy thanks," he told him, his head flopping back to the arm of the sofa.

Twisting himself round. Aziraphale rested against the back of the sofa and reached out to play with the flame red hair, causing the demon to sigh and lean his head towards his touch.

"What are you thinking about?" the angel asked.

"Ironically, where I come from…in this form anyway."

"Ironically?"

"Well you know, thinking of Hell while feeling content for the first time in millennia. There's a touch of irony there."

Aziraphale felt his heart soar and a smile spread across his face. "First time in millennia?"

"First time ever really. It's odd. But I like it," he sighed, enjoying the angel's fingers in his hair.

"So why were you thinking about down there?"

Crowley hesitated, looking for the right words. He didn't want this to turn into some kind of project. "I was just thinking about my connection with them. I've never really liked being a demon. I mean it has its upsides but it's not my favourite thing in the universe. Can be quite amusing as long as you don't have to go to the office. But they must've caught on at some point that things weren't quite right up here. That happenings weren't quite as demonic as they perhaps should have been. So…. Why leave me here? Why give me the antichrist?"

Silence fell between them, Aziraphale knew not to push or offer an opinion unless he was asked.

"Say it. I know you're dying to," Crowley grumbled.

"I was just thinking that perhaps trying to make you go back might have… awakened something in you. Maybe they were scared of you. They must know who you were before you came to Earth. How powerful. Imagine if you'd gone back down there and been… triggered into becoming that version of yourself again? Beelzebub would be out of a job. And judging by recent…. occurrences I'd imagine many others would perish." He paused. "Looking at it that way, perhaps Heaven should be grateful you're not down there too. I think they'd be out gunned."

Crowley snorted. "Just because I stroked you doesn't mean you have to stroke my ego."

Aziraphale gasped in mock indignation.

"Ah bollocks to it. Anywhere open for breakfast yet?"

The angel rolled his eyes and looked at the clock. "I dare say we can find somewhere."

XxXxX

"That night at the bus stop," Aziraphale began. "When you said I could stay at yours. You didn't know how long it would be for."

Crowley frowned. "No, I suppose not. I mean. Your shop had burned down. I didn't know…" he paused as the waitress placed the angel's plate of pancakes and a coffee down.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything else to go with your coffee?" she asked the demon, smiling.

"Nope." He popped the 'p' and took a sip, effectively dismissing her.

When she sighed and walked away, Aziraphale said "well that was rude."

"She was flirting," he grumbled. "Anyway. I didn't know

the boy was going to put it back together," he shrugged.

"And that didn't bother you? Having me indefinitely?"

"Eh," he shrugged. "If you got on my nerves I'd just hibernate. Besides we had bigger problems."

"True. I must admit when I got your call to say the shop was back I couldn't quite believe it. Then to walk outside and see your car parked. Well. It was almost hard to stay in character. They must've thought it awfully odd for me….. well you to take a taxi."

"I think they were probably more concerned with trying to find us together. "

Aziraphale took a bite of his pancakes and gave a happy wiggle in his seat.

Crowley couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. His angel should always give happy wiggles.

"Would you like to try some?" He held out the fork to the demon's lips.

"Why not," he leant forward and almost wrapped his tongue around the fork as he took the offering.

Aziraphale shifted in his seat as he felt a blush heat his cheeks.

"Mmm they are pretty good," Crowley sighed. "What's that look for?"

"You really have no idea do you?" the blonde asked, tilting his head to the side. "That's very sweet."

"I'm not sweet. And no idea about what?"

"No. I'm not going to tell you, I'm just going to enjoy it."

"Angel…." Crowley growled. "No idea about what?"

"It's nothing dear boy. I'll tell you later maybe, when it's more appropriate." He placed his hand over Crowley's and squeezed, giving him a smile and went back to eating his pancakes.

XxXxX

They strolled down the street. Crowley; a cane in one hand, the other jammed into his pocket, offered Aziraphale his arm.

When the angel hesitated and looked around Crowley chuckled.

"It's two thousand and…. something, it's not illegal and this is SoHo; no one cares."

Giving a small smile, the angel looped his arm through the demon's and squeezed. "Well this is new for us." His smile grew as they continued their stroll.

"This is what you pass comment on? This is what's new for us?"

"Well being public with it," Aziraphale reasoned.

Crowley blinked behind his glasses. "Well… I mean…. what?!" He stopped walking to look at him.

"Walking together, in public, not worrying we're being watched. I like it," he grinned.

The demon snorted and pressed a kiss to the angel's forehead. "I take your point. Not sure it's the first thing I would have applied that comment to though."

"Oh, well. Of course, but I didn't think it was polite to pass comment on…. well that."

Crowley enjoyed the blush that was painting Aziraphale's face. "What happened in the cafe that made you turn this colour?" He pointed to the blonde's face.

"Nothing," he said dismissively, trying to continue on their walk.

"Angel?"

"I'd rather not discuss it here if you don't mind."

Relenting, Crowley continued to walk with him, stopping when he did to look in windows pondering their breakfast.

"It's a lovely day, shall we go to the park? We could have an ice cream!"

Aziraphale's enthusiasm entertained Crowley immensely. "Whatever you want, Angel," he smiled indulgently before his mouth turned into a grimace.

"Oh, my dear. How thoughtless of me!"

"I'll be alright, as long as we can sit down soon," he grunted.

Aziraphale rounded on him and placed his hands on Crowley's sides. "I know my healing doesn't last long but at least we'll be able to get you settled before it becomes unbearable."

Crowley's eyes fluttered shut behind his glasses at his comforting touch. "Thank you," he breathed. "Come on, the park is closer than home anyway.

XxXxX

They found a bench by the lake and Aziraphale seated himself and patted his lap. "Come on."

Crowley looked at him quizzically.

"You need to lay down, stretch yourself without pressure. So come on, head on my lap."

"You didn't even want to link arms with me earlier," the demon pointed out.

"Yes well. I've had time to think about it and looking around there are many seemingly same sex couples engaging in displays of affection. As you said; It's the 21st century and no one seems to care right now."

Crowley smiled and groaned as he sat on the bench, twisted and laid himself down, head resting in the angel's lap.

Aziraphale rested one arm along the back of the bench, letting his hand dangle. Crowley instinctively raised his hand and linked their fingers, sighing happily as the angel's other hand carded through his hair.

"Alright?"

"Yessss," the demon sighed as the sun warmed him, feeling very much like a snake basking, unthreatened and content.

The blonde smiled down at him, watching his face relax. He took in his features; sharp nose and jaw, the freckles that dusted across his face. He was angular but there was something so soft about him at times. He could barely contain his happiness. Crowley might not be able to say it but that didn't matter. Aziraphale was sure of how they felt about each other.

Turning his attention to the rest of the park. He sat and watched the world go by, content to observe the human beings enjoying their lives, unaware of how close they came to losing it all.

"What are you thinking about?" Crowley's sleepy voice asked.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing much, just woolgathering."

"You never just woolgather. There's always something going on in that mind." He pulled their hands to rest on his chest, pressing a kiss to the angel's knuckles on the way.

"I was just thinking how they'll never know how close they came to the end of the world."

"Lucky them. Did you want that ice cream?"

"I do, but that involves getting up and I'm quite happy where I am," Aziraphale told him.

"Easily fixed." Crowley clicked his fingers and the ice cream vendor wheeled his cart past them allowing them to purchase from him without moving.

"Really dearest," the angel smiled.

"What?! He got paid and we didn't have to move. Plus I may have given him a tip in his jar for his trouble."

Aziraphale opened his mouth.

"Don't! Do not say it! I'm not nice, I'm not kind and I'm not good, so don't even think it."

"Of course dearest." Aziraphale squeezed Crowley's fingers instead of making any further comment. "I could get used to this," he said instead. "Although maybe not with the ice creams all the time." He shifted a little under Crowley's head.

"Hmm? What's wrong with the ice creams?"

"Nothings wrong with the ice cream exactly. Just more… watching you eat it."

"What?" Crowley arched his neck a little to look at the angel, raising his glasses a little trying to see him more clearly. "Angel, you're blushing again."

"Yes, I am aware of that." He looked down at the demon and saw confusion on his face. "You really don't know."

"Now what?"

"Your tongue," he hissed desperately.

The demon frowned and touched his fingers to the tip of the seemingly offensive appendage. It wasn't forked.

"No. It's… it's… suggestive," he said finally, primly avoiding Crowley's gaze.

There was a beat before the demon laughed. "Sorry angel. It's not intentional."

"I'll get used to it."

"I hope not," he smirked. "Besides. Now you know how I feel everytime you eat a blessed cake, with your maddening moans and groans, the way you wiggle."

"Oh stop it." The angel hid his own smile as he looked away.

For a while neither said anything while they ate their ice creams, until Crowley sighed.

"What does he want?" he groaned as he sat himself up, trying not to show any weakness.

"Who?" Aziraphale looked round and felt the air go out of his lungs.

Sensing the angel's discomfort the demon stood, shielding him from Gabriel's view. "You just can't take a hint can you?"

"I've just come to talk."

"We have nothing to ssssay to you."

"Easy now. We don't have to get all demonic now do we?"

"It'ssss in my job desssscription."

"Ah now that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Can I sit down?"

"No."

"Well that's rude."

Crowley just stared at him.

"Look. We think we may be able to help you to our mutual benefit."

"Help? Why would we need help?" Aziraphale found his voice and stood beside the demon, taking hold of his hand and intertwining their fingers.

"Well I mean this for starters," Gabriel waves a hand at them. "I mean an angel and a demon? It's obscene. It's unnatural."

Aziraphale felt Crowley bristle and squeezed his hand.

"But I can fix that. All we need is for him to come home," he said pointing at Crowley.

"What?" the blonde asked.

"We need the demon to come home, back to the fold, upstairs."

Crowley was deadly still, waiting for his angel's reaction.

"That's absurd. Once an angel has fallen they aren't welcomed back. It would take something like… like…"

"Saving the world," Gabriel grinned.

"But I thought you said that was against the great plan."

The archangel sighed. "Shut your stupid face and let the powerful men talk, alright."

Aziraphale stepped back a little at Gabriel's scorn.

"I mean seriously. What do you see in him?" His laughter faded as Crowley took a tiny step forward and hissed.

"Listen. Think about it. Wouldn't you like to be an angel again? Beautiful white wings rather than those dull black ones."

"Black was my choice," Crowley snarled.

"Oh, well. I'm sure we could come to some sort of arrangement about that. Come on, you can't tell me you haven't thought about it."

"I have thought about it. I've thought; why would I want to go somewhere so anal that they can't bear questions? Somewhere that believes everything else is so beneath them that they don't deserve to live without being tested to breaking point."

Gabriel's face hardened. "You need time to think, to get your head right. You've been down here too long and are starting to go soft like him," he pointed at Aziraphale.

"Piss off. Before I burn you." The fingers on Crowley's free hand were suddenly aflame and Gabriel jumped back out of reach.

"Just think about it," he called out as he jogged away.

Letting out a breath, Crowley doused the flames before sitting back heavily on the bench, a concerned angel at his side.

"Crowley…"

"Let's get out of here."

"Ok, if that's what you want but…"

"I'm tired." His tone told Aziraphale he didn't want to talk. Not yet anyway.

Reaching for his cane Crowley stood stiffly, too much tension in his body making it uncomfortable. He allowed Aziraphale to help him back to the bookshop.

XxXxX