Snake day
Aziraphale watches Crowley fondly as the demon continues to sleep on the sofa. Since the Apocalypse that didn't happened, the demon spend most of his time in his book shop and Aziraphale could say without a doubt that it was the best thing he could have wished for. Some of his customers are irritated by the (mostly) sleeping demon but that´s ok. The angel checks his beloved shop for the last time before he walks over to the door and locks it for the day. The antic OPEN/CLOSED sign is turned and Aziraphale watches the street outside for a minute. People, hurrying form one appointment to the next are passing by. With a soft smile he turns back to the shop and his smile fells. Crowley is silently tossing and turning on the sofa and only now a soft whimper escapes the destressed demon.
Crowley is having a nightmare, sadly something that happens often. Aziraphale hurry over and knees down next to the sofa, softly laying his hands on Crowley´s shoulders to wake him up. He knows from experience that standing next to him isn't a good idea, du to his higher position he had frighten the demon before as he had still been confused from the nightmare. With a calm and soft voice he calls out for Crowley.
The demon seems shoots up and looks around the book shop. Slowly getting his breathing back into control, his eyes fix the angel who is watching him. "Are you back with me?" Aziraphale ask concerned. Crowley takes another look around the shop before he nods. "Do you want to talk about it?" New fear is born in Crowley´s eyes and he suddenly turns into a snake. The giant reptile makes room on the sofa, an obvious invitation to sit down.
Aziraphale understands the need of time. They are both very old beings and sometimes you need time to find the right words to communicate first after being sure about your own feelings. The angel smiles, sits down and takes a book from the small table beside the sofa. They sit on this sofa very often and more times than not it ends in him reading to Crowley. The demon says he loves his voice. How it makes the stories feel alive.
As the angel found a comfortable position the snake crawls over his body to make itself home. Aziraphale smiles foundry and starts reading. They had started Homer the evening before and he continues at the page they had stopped in the morning. One of his hands hold the book the other is slowly petting the black shining skin of the snake.
The next morning arrives and Crowley still doesn't feel like changing back, his angel doesn't seem to mind as they move from the sofa to the kitchen to get some hot chocolate. Aziraphale unlocks the shop door and starts to sort through his books while Crowley watches him. His heavy, limbless body crawly silently over the wooden floor of the book shop. He stays close to his angel and the few customers that had find their way into the shop that day had been frightened away by a giant black snake who wraps himself around the shop owner.
Aziraphale doesn't mention it and enjoys the company. As the evening arrives and Crowley is still a snake they settle back on the sofa. "You know that I love you right, which form you choose, male, female, this beautiful snake. I love them all." The angel begins to pet along the long body of the snake again as after a sudden shift he has his arms full of long thin limps and a man in need of a good cuddle. "Welcome back."
Feeling the warmth of the other body Crowley relaxes into the angels arms. "I dreamed about losing you." And the demon starts to tell his angel about the nightmare and the fears he has when awake. His angel will make it better, he always does and that it only one reason why he loves him back.