"Ha! Please." Crowley scoffed. "They wouldn't dare touch you or Cassi. They would have to face me first!"
Aziraphale glanced up and tugged on Crowley's shirt. "Crowley, I don't think," his tone was low, "we should stay on earth anymore."
Crowley was taken aback by the uncharacteristic statement. "You love earth. We enjoy earth. The humans, the rellies, the food, the entertainment, not to mention, we have been living here for centuries. Where would we go?"
"You've suggested it before. We can runaway to the stars." His eyes expressed nothing but worry. "Please, Crowley…for Cassi, we need to…please. Are you not worried they will separate us and take Cassi from us? Think of Job and how they did it to him, a human." He sighed heavily as his eyes glossed. "They're going to take her away."
"No. They won't. They can't." Crowley growled and placed his hand over Aziraphale's own. "They won't separate us. There is nothing to worry about and if I have to endure a few years of torture for us to be together then," he shrugged, "it's fine." he stated nonchalantly.
The angel tried his best not to imagine the love of his life in any kind of hellish pain. "Don't say that." He pleaded. "If anything, I should be the one to be…I tempted you to come back after that night. It would have been fine if we ne-never spoke again. Keeping you safe like that would have been better."
Crowley laughed through his nose. "Angel, you and I both know that would have been impossible." He lifted Aziraphale's hand to his lips and kissed the angel's palm. "I love you, you love me and we have a daughter because of that consequence. So what if it was their plan to have us snog and miracle her, we are still her fathers and our feelings that night were real." He stammered. "Do-don't feel bad for me. Eh, from what I can recall and what I've seen, I don't think I would have enjoyed being an angel anyway."
"Yes, but wha-"
"No. Don't let him, nor heaven consume your thoughts anymore." He kissed his knuckles. "And remember you told them to bugger off the minute you asked me to marry you."
"Technically before then."
"Right. Um," he sniffed, "who cares they had a hand in us being together. You and me are for eternity and that includes our daughter and the million other children you want us to have." He chuckled trying to lighten up the mood. "So…fuck them!"
Aziraphale closed his eyes and nodded as Crowley's words engraved themselves inside his head and heart.
"Come on, say it." He encouraged.
Aziraphale opened his eyes and licked his lips. "Um," he glanced up once more, "fu- ugh."
Crowley laughed, a twinkle in his eye. "Please, I've seen you use that word a million times before."
"It's different." Aziraphale pulled away from Crowley and tried to walk away.
Crowley smirked and pulled the angel back into his arms. "'Fuck me, love…fuck, you're delicious…fuck, yes, you like that'" the demon recalled the angel's bedroom talk, "or my personal favorite, 'I'm going to fuck you until you have no choice but to turn into a snake because you can't walk at all.'"
Aziraphale blushed and buried his face on Crowley's chest. "Oh? Now you're shy?" He placed a kiss on the angel's head. "No one would ever believe me if I were to inform them how you like to dominate me in bed."
"As if you could ever." Aziraphale smirked.
"It's moments like these that I truly believe you forget you have a daughter who lives with you." Cassi interjected as she held a bowl in her hands, all while she stood by the door frame that led to the small makeshift kitchen in the bookshop. The nephalem's hair was everywhere and her ACDC shirt looked slept on.
"Ho-how long have you been standing there?"
Cassi ate from the bowl. "Long enough to know why you struggled to walk properly two weeks ago." She stated with her mouth full. "You two need to tone down your sewing."
Crowley placed his hands on his hips. "Stop talking to Mrs. Sandwich about sex." He commanded.
"And how else will I learn about the birds and the bees because you two seem to treat me like a child." She plopped down on the sofa. "She's way more informative than the man I met in Port Talbot years ago." She ate another spoonful. "And not to worry, dad, Mrs. Sandwich will believe you. She has been curious about your slinky hips." She laughed.
Crowley stammered for a response.
Aziraphale smiled and patted Crowley's chest. "Darling, it's almost three in the morning, we thought you were in bed."
"I was but I suddenly became peckish. Shouldn't you two be asleep as well?"
"We were talking and seemed to have lost track of time."
Cassi placed her empty bowl on the nearby desk. "About the Metatron?" She asked blankly.
Aziraphale sat next to her. "Was he unkind?"
"Em, not…not necessarily."
Crowley stood before them. "Are you sure?"
"Quite sure. He simply complimented my personality, invited me to heaven, discussed the ice age, and asked about Hex."
"You, um, mentioned he asked you to be a guardian angel?" Aziraphale asked.
"Ah," she nodded, "he said I have the potential to be one although," she cocked her head and looked up at her dad, "he kept insisting I visit heaven. He even offered to be my tour guide."
"Insisted?" Crowley growled.
"Mhm. He said I could even bring you along if I felt more comfortable that way."
"M-me?" Crowley pointed at himself.
"Both of you."
Crowley crossed his arms and mentally cursed everyone up in heaven and by Aziraphale's expression, he concluded the angel was doing the same. "Cassi, listen to me. Heav-"
Cassi sighed and stood. "Yes, yes." she waved dismissively. "Heaven is a cult and all angels are brainwashed. Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah. Right. I'm going back to bed."
"Um, Cassi, darling." Aziraphale followed. "Dad is right. Heaven is as dangerous as hell, maybe even more so."
"We don't need you mingling around with that lot."
Cassi rolled her eyes and began walking to the spiral staircase. "You've told me a million times. Ugh, I understand." She was now on the second floor. "Don't trust angels, heaven is bad, and stay away from strange entities."
The ineffable parents heard her bedroom door close. "I swear she gets an attitude out of nowhere these days." Crowley uttered. "One minute she is fine and the next, poof, completely different personality."
Aziraphale entwined his hand with Crowley's and began to lead them up to their bedroom. "I love you but…like father like daughter." He chuckled softly.
"Ngk, by father I do hope you mean you." He grunted.
"Wow," Cassi's eyes widened, "is that what Rhys would look like?" Before she could inspect any further, solely out of curiosity of course, Aziraphale shielded her right eye with his hand, while Crowley shielded her left eye.
"Shoo." Cassi heard Crowley growl.
"Let her look." Mrs. Sandwich chimed near them. "It's good for her health."
"I can assure you," Crowley replied over the loud music, "she's quite healthy."
Cassi shook her head and pulled her parents' hands away from her just in time to witness Mrs. Sandwich stick some bills inside the waiter's tight pants. "Keep the change, love." She smirked and fanned herself as the waiter walked away. "Nice." She bit her lip when she noticed the pants had no back to them letting his firm ass be out in full display.
Crowley drowned down another shot of whiskey, all while wondering how he and Aziraphale were forced to participate in something called a bachelor party. Of course, being a demon and all, he knew what they entailed and because of it, he tried his very best to explain to Aziraphale why it was a bad idea to attend one, especially after Nina had insisted they bring Cassi along. Unfortunately for the angel, the only thing he understood was how it was tradition to have a small get together before getting married and so, Aziraphale had agreed all too happily. Maggie, Nina, and Mrs. Sandwich had taken the small family, and Muriel to an all-male nightclub where the staff left little to the imagination, not to mention the dancers inside cages.
Crowley glanced over at Aziraphale, who decided to sit Cassi between the two when a very enthusiastic dancer, who wore nothing but tight leather pants, began to dance in front of the confused nephalem. Aziraphale did not mind the atmosphere, what he did mind was semi naked men coming up to his innocent daughter. "Are you having fun?" Crowley spoke up as he gently pushed Cassi forward to have a sort of private conversation with the angel.
Aziraphale smiled and nodded at his fiancé. "Are you?" His voice was almost a shout.
Crowley smirked and looked around. "I haven't seen this much skin since the Roman empire." He laughed.
"The communal baths?"
"Exactly." He grinned. "Remember we went after you introduced me to oysters? I thought you were trying to seduce me when you suggested it."
"Nothing of the sort." Aziraphale chuckled. "I only needed to get the fish scent off of me."
"You could have just miracled it away."
Aziraphale blushed and hushed the demon. "How come you never dance for me like that?" He pointed to the dance floor.
Crowley followed his finger and noticed a shirtless man grinding up against another man, with not even a hint of light between the two sweaty bodies. He smirked and covered Cassi's ears from behind. "I'm positive we did that exact position and rhythm just three days ago."
Aziraphale chuckled softly and turned to his other side to see Muriel's hand over their eyes. "Are you alright? We can go if you wish."
"Oh, no, I'm…having fun." They smiled. "I enjoy the music. Never heard songs like these before."
"Oh? Alright then." He turned to Cassi. "Darling, please keep your eyes closed."
Cassi mentally rolled her eyes. "How come Muriel is allowed to look?"
"They aren't really looking and 'cause they are not our daughter." Crowley spoke. "I think we should take you home."
Meanwhile, Nina and Maggie made their way back to the group's table and sat down. "It's so hot." Maggie took a sip from her drink.
"Why are her eyes closed?" Nina questioned upon noticing Cassi.
"There's men here." Cassi shrugged.
"Yea, so?" Nina crossed her arms. "There are men everywhere. Let her enjoy herself. She's grown and you two coddle her too much. She-" she stood and pulled Cassi to her feet, "-is young, beautiful, and in desperate need of time away from you two."
Mrs. Sandwich raised her drink. "Amen to that."
"Alright," Crowley crossed his arms and agreed, "go on then…go have fun."
Nina, Maggie, and Mrs. Sandwich glanced at each other and quickly took Cassi to the dance floor before the demon changed his mind. As they led Cassi away, Aziraphale stood to protest. "Wa-wait!" He tried to follow but Crowley pulled him back, making him sit back down.
"It's alright, angel. No one will bother her and right now, as far as she is concerned, everyone is fully clothed."
Aziraphale nodded as he understood.
"What's the point of being able to perform miracles if you can't use it to alter your daughter's vision." He grinned. "Are you sure you're okay with us being here? We can leave if you want."
"No, no." He scooched closer to Crowley. "It's all part of getting married, even if I do have to listen to bebop."
"Concerned over the music but not the naked men?" He raised a brow.
The angel chuckled warmly and patted Crowley's thigh. "It's nothing I haven't seen before and besides," he pecked Crowley's lips, "I only have eyes for one man in particular. If he happens to be naked, well, then… jolly good for me." He smiled and rested his head on his shoulder.
Crowley looked over Aziraphale's shoulder and noticed Muriel had left the area and was near the bar, scribbling on their notepad. He then took notice of the people and the surrounding atmosphere. No one in there was the wiser on how that night could have been the last day of their lives and there they were, dancing without any worry. If he was being honest with himself, he was a bit jealous of their carefree attitude. They did not have to worry about the end of the world and what it would mean to lose everything. Although not necessarily his problem and he could easily take his family elsewhere, Crowley had grown attached to earth as much as Aziraphale had. Not just because of the indulge it had to offer, nor the people, but he and Aziraphale had carved most of their lives on the planet. It was where they fell in love, where their story began, and it was where their daughter was born.
"Angel?"
"Hmm?"
"Remember yesterday when I said you love earth?" He spoke as softly as he could over the music. "I can't seem to picture ourselves living anywhere else."
Aziraphale lifted his head and turned to the demon. "I know, dearest. We have too many memories here and I dare not think of us somewhere else but…"
"Cassi." Crowley finished Aziraphale's thought as he located his daughter on the dance floor. "The Metatron said God gave her to us and I know I said it doesn't matter because it doesn't," he sighed, "but how easy it was for them to take away Job's children without a care. It was all a game to them. Just like this war…demons and angels…it's the same. Just another game and they don't care what or who's in the middle."
Aziraphale entwined his fingers with Crowley's and understood the demon's unspoken words. "You're worried they will separate us?"
Crowley nodded, his eyes never leaving his daughter.
"You said you weren't."
"I'm a demon." He turned to Aziraphale. "I lied."