Literally finished this up lying on the beach on vacation. What can I say. You gotta set your priorities strai- uh, I meant gay.
Had to proofread this on my phone so sorry if it sucks xD
Enjoy some dumb idiots in love:)
~oOo~oOo~oOo~
"Come on."
Aziraphale reached out hesitantly and took Crowley's offered hand, his stomach doing giddy flips of nervous anticipation as the demon pulled him along down the dim corridor of his flat.
The angel wasn't quite certain what to expect from the night's development, all he knew was that he wouldn't want to be anywhere else but on his way to Crowley's bedroom to spend the night beside him, and that he absolutely couldn't afford to mess this up, whatever it was that would come of this.
They passed a room with gorgeous houseplants, all lush and green and even bigger than Aziraphale remembered from his last visit here, and Crowley seemed to startle violently at their sight, stopping dead in his tracks.
"Are you alright, dear boy?"
Aziraphale looked at the demon in concern, but Crowley lightly shook his head, blinking a few times before he relaxed.
"Fine, angel." He squeezed Aziraphale's hand reassuringly. "Was just taken aback for a second. Had this dream, y'know, doesn't matter now. Plants were gone, there. Just forgot that wasn't actually real, is all. "
"Your plants were...gone?"
"Died", Crowley said, shrugging his shoulders, but something in his voice caught the angel's attention and made his brow furrow in worry.
That dream Crowley had...the demon loved those plants, would never allow them to carry even a single leaf spot, let alone have them wither away completely - whatever that dream had been about, it couldn't have been anything good.
"Crowley..."
"Aziraphale." Crowley turned to him, lightly shaking his head. "I know that tone. Know what you're thinking, but please, not right now. I can't-" He broke off, swallowed hard. "Maybe I'll tell you, one day. But just...not right now, alright?"
"Alright." Aziraphale nodded in understanding. He probably wouldn't let this go, but he could see how this might not be the time to put salt in whatever wound this might reopen. "Whenever you're ready", he said instead. "If you'd want to share, I'll be here."
Crowley gave him a grateful smile, tugging on his hand to lead him on.
"There we are." Crowley pushed a door open, letting go of Aziraphale's hand to gesture for him to enter instead. "I hope it's alright, I can change it, if you like-"
"Oh no, please don't go through any troubles for me." Aziraphale smiled shyly as he stepped cautiously through the doorframe. "I'm sure I shall like it perfectly fine just the way you usually keep it."
The last thing Aziraphale wanted was for Crowley to feel like he needed to change anything about himself to appeal to him. He knew Crowley had gone out of his way for thousands of years to please him, had bent himself backwards to make him happy. It was just like Crowley to be thoughtful and selfless like that - the least he could do was try to show him that Aziraphale loved him just the way he was, even if bedroom decor was quite a poor way to go about it.
But it may be a start, and Aziraphale could use all the opportunities he could get. He wanted to learn who Crowley was when he was alone, how he looked when he slept and if he used a miracle to make his bed in the morning, if he was even grumpier before his first coffee and how he dressed when he wanted to be comfortable instead of devilishly (demonishly?) fancy. He wanted to learn everything there was to know that he hadn't had the pleasure of witnessing before, and the way he chose to keep his home was only one of many things he looked forward to exploring.
The light flickered on as Crowley stepped in behind him, revealing a wide bedframe - easily big enough for two, Aziraphale noticed without any particular reason at all, thank you very much - covered in luxurious-looking black silk sheets. They were rumpled and in disarray, like the blanket had been kicked off in a haste, a body rolling around restlessly on the mattress.
Crowley hurried past him to smooth out the folds in the fabric with his hands, clumsily tugging the blanket back into place.
"S-Sssorry." Aziraphale could see how he bit his tongue to stifle the hiss. "Don't usually-", he stammered awkwardly, "just not a great day, y'know. Lemme just-"
"Crowley."
Aziraphale put a hand on the demon's arm, noticing how his hands were shaking slightly where they'd paused in the middle of their task, his skin pale against the dark fabric of the bedding.
"Are you sure you're alright with this?", Aziraphale asked, his voice calm but concerned.
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"It's just that you seem terribly tense." The angel let his hand glide down Crowley's arm, catching one of his trembling hands and pulling it up to cover it with both of his own. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable", he said, "if this is too-"
"It's not", Crowley broke him off, words pressed out hastily. "You're not."
He released a slow breath, his shoulders relaxing and slumping slightly as he turned his hand to link his fingers with Aziraphale's.
"'M just a bit nervous", Crowley said then, eyes lowering to the ground. "I dunno how to do...any of this. But I want you here, okay?", he added, his gaze finding the angel's again. "I do."
"Alright." Aziraphale smiled what he hoped was an encouraging smile. "I trust you. And I don't know what I'm doing either, dearest." He let his thumb skip out to stroke soothingly over Crowley's knuckles, noticing in delight how it made the demon's breath hitch ever so slightly. "We'll just have to figure it out together, hm?"
"Y-Yeah..." Crowley stared down at their hands for a long moment, seemingly lost in the movement of Aziraphale's fingers caressing his skin - then he blinked rapidly, taking a step back and pulling his hand away from the angel so suddenly Aziraphale needed a second to register what had happened.
Crowley cleared his throat, pointedly not looking at Aziraphale's hand where the angel was flexing his fingers at the loss of Crowley's slotted between them.
"Alrighty. You can..." Crowley rubbed his hands together before he gestured vaguely towards the mattress. "Just..."
"Right." Aziraphale clasped his hands together instead, unsure what else to do with them now that they weren't occupied holding onto Crowley's anymore. Silly him, they had been holding hands a whole of what? Three times? And he already felt it like he was missing a limb.
"Do you have a preferred side, dear boy?", he asked the demon, not wanting to interrupt Crowley's usual sleeping habits.
"S-Sssside?"
Crowley stared at him with wide, slightly panicked eyes, and maybe Aziraphale shouldn't find that endearing, but there he was.
"Of the bed", he said matter of factly, smiling calmly as he gestured towards said bed. "A side you favour while sleeping?"
"I dunno, guess I usually just..." Crowley waved non-comittally across the matress. "All over, y'know. Never had any reason to...have a side...before."
"Well." Aziraphale smiled to himself at the mental picture of a sleeping Crowley, long limbs strewn across the silky sheets in all directions like a star fish, bent in ways human appendages were probably not supposed to as he snored peacefully. It was impossibly adorable for some reason.
"I suppose not", he went on, giving the demon a bright smile. "Would you like to pick one now, then? I'm sure we'll have to establish one in the near future-" He broke off, his eyes widening in shock as he realized the implication of that statement. "T-that is-", the angel stuttered, "oh, I'm terribly sorry, that was incredibly forward of me, I didn't mean to assume-"
"Yeah", Crowley broke him off, and good thing that he did, or Aziraphale might have been on the way of talking himself into a stupor there.
The demon swallowed thickly.
"Nah, you're right. Guess we'll need a side now."
"Ah." A relieved, giddy smile spread on the angel's face. "Go ahead, then."
He watched as Crowley walked around the bed, gesturing to the side Aziraphale wasn't standing next to.
"This one's fine."
"Very well."
~oOo~
Crowley watched as Aziraphale gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed, his nerves returning with a vengeance and making his stomach cramp up uncomfortably. He ignored it, mesmerized by the sight of the angel as he let a hand glide over the soft silk sheets.
The sheets Crowley had slept in.
On Crowley's bed.
There was an angel. His angel. Sitting on his bed.
Fuck-
"I'm sure you must be quite exhausted after today's...uh, hustle and bustle", Aziraphale said, his attention snapping back up to the angel in question. Still sitting there on his bed like it was the most natural thing in the world, like he belonged there and oh Lor- Satan- Anyone-
"Nah", Crowley pressed out. Sleep was the last fucking thing on his mind right now. "Still pretty hyped up, actually."
"Are you certain?"
Aziraphale shifted, the mattress dipping under his weight and oh shit, now he imagined his bed getting used to the angel's body the same way it had to Crowley's, how it would be for Aziraphale to be here enough for the mattress to remember him, to know his form and adapt just so his angel would lie precisely right and be perfectly comfortable- the ridiculous idea of an Aziraphale-shaped indentation permanently etched into his bed the same way it was permanently etched into his heart-
"Because I wouldn't mind it if you wanted to-", Aziraphale's voice broke through to him, and yes, right, he had things to say, answers to give. Focus, Crowley, for fuck's sake-
"Do you wanna get me to sleep or something?" He sat down on the other side of the bed like it was a perfectly normal thing to do to sit on the same bed as Aziraphale, his movement smooth and fluid enough to hopefully appear unbothered. "Tired of my company already, angel?"
"Oh, quite the opposite." Aziraphale gave him a shy smile that did decidedly undemonic things to Crowley's insides. "I do not think I could ever tire of you, dearest. I simply meant to offer, in case you were holding out on it for my sake. And I do know how much you enjoy a good nap."
I do not think I could ever tire of you, it rang in Crowley's ears.
He swallowed.
"I've been known to nap, yeah", he said, just so he'd have anything to say. "Not right now, tough. If that's okay. I'd rather just...y'know." He shrugged, his eyes flitting over his sheets before meeting the angel's again. "Be here", he croaked out. In my bed. "W-With you."
And Aziraphale gave him one of those brilliant smiles that could light up a whole room. Fucking Hell that angel would be the death of him.
"That sounds simply wonderful, my dear."
"Ngk."
"These are..." Aziraphale let a hand glide over the silk sheets, rubbing the soft fabric between his fingers. "...an interesting choice", the angel said then, looking at Crowley with raised eyebrows.
"Do you not like it?"
"I didn't mean that." The angel scooted further up the bed as if to underline his words, settling with his back leaned against the headboard (shoes miraculously and perfectly neatly placed next to the door, of course). "Just seems a bit...slippery."
There was a sparkle of amusement in the angel's eyes, and Crowley could feel the corner of his own mouth twitching as he went to mirror Aziraphale's position on the bed.
"Slippery's kinda a snake's thing, angel", he smirked before he could think better of it, watching to his great delight how the angel's cheeks blushed an adorable pink colour.
"Oh." Aziraphale lowered his eyes to his hands folded in his lap. "Yes. Quite."
"Actually does feel nice, silk. Against the scales, y'know."
Shit, he hadn't meant to say that. Don't bring up the snake, you complete idiot!
"Ah." Aziraphale turned further towards him with a kind smile. "Do you sleep in your snake form often, then?"
Crowley's shoulders tensed slightly. It wasn't like Aziraphale didn't know he was a snake, or wasn't aware he could change bodies as he pleased...but the angel hadn't actually seen him in his snake form since, well, that first time on the wall of Eden. And Crowley liked to keep it as such, he doubted Aziraphale would like to be reminded of Crowley's more demonic traits.
"Not that much", he said slightly evasively. "Sometimes though. Does that...bother you?"
"Not at all." Aziraphale shook his head without hesitation, and he sounded sincere, but...
"Why would it?", the angel asked, as if the question hadn't even occurred to him, and yeah, Crowley wouldn't get into any of that right now if he didn't have to, thank you very much.
"No reason", he brushed it off, as if it hadn't been weighing on his mind since forever. Instead, he let an amused smirk curl the corner of his mouth as he looked over at Aziraphale.
"Bet yours are cotton tartan bedsheets, eh?", he asked, smiling brighter as the angel shook his head to himself with a mirroring smile.
"Wouldn't you like to know?", Aziraphale said teasingly, biting his lip when Crowley raised his brows.
"Well, maybe I would."
"Well, maybe you shall."
Crowley opened his mouth for a sly remark, just then realizing how terribly fucking flirty this was, any further words suddenly stuck in his throat. Aziraphale's smile fell as he looked at him, his eyes going wide as he seemed to come to the same conclusion.
"Oh, dear." The angel averted his gaze, looking through the room instead as he chuckled nervously. "I really am ever so sorry. I couldn't seem to help myself."
"'S fine, angel." Crowley swallowed against his dry throat. "I was playing along same as you."
"And..." Aziraphale turned back to him, his voice cautious but hopeful. "You're alright with that? This...shift between us?"
"Yeah." Crowley took a breath, gathering all his courage as he dared to carefully reach between them, taking the angel's hand and linking their fingers together. He was already getting fucking addicted to the feeling of Aziraphale's hand in his.
"If you are", Crowley said then, and the look of utter happiness on Aziraphale's face would have been answer enough.
"Oh, my dear." The angel squeezed his fingers, and Crowley's stupid heart did a silly little flip. "More than."
~oOo~
Aziraphale felt his heart beating wildly in the confines of his chest.
He couldn't stop smiling, positively elated as he sat here, on Crowley's bed, with the demon's hand in his. If there had ever been any doubt if he had chosen right when he returned to Crowley, it would have been erased a million times over by this one simple moment.
Crowley smiled at him, pressing his lips together almost coyly as he looked down at their hands - Crowley did that a lot when they held hands, he had noticed - and it was so impossibly endearing, so unbelievably sweet Aziraphale didn't know what to do with himself.
He had put that look on Crowley's face. He had done that.
The demon, his demon - and good Lord what a thought - was smiling and staring dreamily at their clasped hands, and then he looked up at Aziraphale, golden eyes on full display for him to see, so beautifully open, vulnerable and unguarded as Aziraphale was sure Crowley had never been with anyone else-
He was absolutely beautiful, there really was no other word for it. Flaming red hair slightly tousled, a single strand threatening to fall into his forehead, his lithe body stretched out on the mattress, black jeans on the black silk, and those eyes, those gorgeous eyes...
Aziraphale stared, aware of the dopey smile on his face, but he couldn't help it.
Crowley stared right back, so it was fine.
"What?" Crowley looked at him with a questioningly raised eyebrow.
"Nothing, it's just..." Aziraphale sighed, a sound that surely revealed how terribly smitten he was. But that was fine, too.
Let him know. Let him see what he does to me.
"It's just.." Aziraphale smiled dreamily at the demon. "You're so beautiful, my darling."
Crowley's reaction was instantaneous, his facial features seemingly slipping from his control as his mouth opened in silent shock. A blush crept up from his neck all the way to his ears.
"Demons aren't beautiful", he grumbled, pointedly not looking at Aziraphale. The angel just smiled to himself.
"And yet here you are."
Crowley blushed even more, ears darkening to the point it almost rivalled his hair.
"Shuddup."
"Never."
Crowley looked at him for a long moment, eyes wide and unreadable. Then he broke away, averting his gaze and looking at the ceiling instead with his lips pressed to a tight line.
"Crowley?" Aziraphale leaned over, lightly touching the demon's arm in concern. "Was that too much? I'm so sorry, dear, you need to tell me when I...step over a line, or-"
"Nah, 's not that." Crowley turned back to him, shrugging his shoulders with a tiny smile that eased the angel's worry. "Just...not used to it."
Of course you're not, thought Aziraphale. I never told you. I never dared voice any of the thoughts running through my head whenever you're near.
"Well. You better get used to it now", he said, smiling through the wave of regret darkening his thoughts. It made him bold, made him want to make sure Crowley knew he wouldn't be holding back any longer. "Because I intend to shower you with any praise I please and see fit to bestow on you", the angel proclaimed, "and there are so many things worth praising here..."
"Ngk." Crowley made an unintelligible sound in his throat, but didn't protest, and Aziaphale took that as a win. He just smiled at the overwhelmed demon for a moment before leaning in, brushing the hair from Crowley's forehead.
"You're so beautiful", he said again.
This time, Crowley didn't pull away.