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It was a Sunday when Crowley came into the bookshop with this.
Aziraphale was going through some of his books, rearranging them, checking if they were still okay. Of course, they were. Truth was he just liked to handle his books somehow.
He was so concentrated on everything, softly humming a Beethoven sinfonia to himself, that he didn't notice the Serpent until he felt his arms closing around his upper torso. He was so startled that he jumped.
“What in –“ he began, before he realised who his 'attacker' was. “Crowley! What is wrong with my shop-door bells that you insist on not using them for what they are meant for!”
“It's more fun seeing you grumbling,” Crowley chuckled and Aziraphale shoved off his arms with a huff. It wasn't the first time Crowley had touched him, but the intimacy had made the angel's face blush slightly. Crowley wasn't supposed to hold him like that. Not even if it was just meant as a surprising joke.
He turned around to reply with a snappish comment, but before he could do so, Crowley's arms already startled him again by pinning him between them, one on each side of his body. Aziraphale found himself trapped by Crowley's form and the bookshelf behind him, and to his resentment, he felt his cheeks flush an even deeper shade of red from this. Maybe he could hide it with anger. He made sure to grimace particularly clearly.
He opened his mouth to say something, to maybe scold Crowley for his overbearing, but Crowley interrupted him before he even had uttered the first sound.
“How long do you want to keep playing this, Aziraphale?” he questioned. “How long do you still want to keep this up?”
“Keep what up?” Aziraphale asked in genuine confusion and furrowed his brow. Crowley was far too close to him and his warm breath ghosted over Aziraphale's skin. Somehow, it smelled of lemon.
“Pretending you don't want to do it,” Crowley replied.
“Do what?” Like he didn't know. He knew. And Crowley knew that he knew. Still, he tried to play the dumb one. Maybe it would work.
It didn't.
“We both know you want to give in to it,” Crowley said. He wasn't teasing or mocking, he was completely serious. About this, he always had been serious. Serious, but never as upfront as this.
Aziraphale wavered.
“I don't,” he claimed, but there was a glistening in his eyes that gave away his lie too easily.
Crowley shook his head and shifted. “You do,” he answered.
“I don't,” lied Aziraphale.
“You do.”
Crowley came closer. He leaned in on him and Aziraphale tried to draw back, but the shelf was right behind him and so he tried to turn his head to the side instead. But that didn't make Crowley retreat. He simply pressed his lips against Aziraphale's cheek. Then, while the angel was still shivering from the soft touch, they trailed over to his ear and wandered over the shell.
Aziraphale hitched a breath.
“Don't tempt me, Serpent,” he whispered as his entire body tensed and his fingers coiled to a fist.
“I can't tempt people to do what they refuse,” Crowley murmured. His breath was so hot on Aziraphale's ear that he shuddered. “Come on now, you know that you want it. Don't take me for a fool, my angel.”
“But I can't do it,” Aziraphale stated. Crowley was so near to him now that he could feel his heat against his body, even though their fronts weren't quite yet touching. There was nothing that he wanted more than to melt against the other man. “It wouldn't be right... It –... it's a sin.”
It wasn't a sin. Both of them knew that. But it was the only excuse Aziraphale could think of, especially in this very moment, and a sin felt like a really good reason not to do something for him. He was an angel after all, right? He shouldn't succumb to a sin.
“Oh, don't pull that one on me, Aziraphale,” Crowley mumbled. His lips pressed against his ear and it sent sparks down Aziraphale's spine. “Even He rested on a Sunday, you can discard your good work for today, I am sure.”
“It's a sin,” Aziraphale insisted weakly. And maybe it was, but only to him. Because Crowley should have been the enemy, the demon, but instead, he was a friend and a person Aziraphale had feelings for, and that wasn't what he was supposed to go for. But he wanted to. Had been wanting to forever. And his defences were weakening and he couldn't allow that.
“Is it?” Crowley rumbled. His voice went right down to Aziraphale's heart. “I thought you people were all about love. And isn't that what we are making? Love? How can love be a sin to you?”
“I'm not sure this is how it works,” Aziraphale muttered.
“Do you love me?” Crowley enquired. Aziraphale swallowed. He kept quiet long enough for Crowley to repeat the question. “Do you?”
“Yes...” he finally breathed out. “Yes, I do love you, Crowley.”
“Good,” the demon stated with a soft kiss on Aziraphale's ear. “Then I want you to come upstairs with me. … In both meanings of the sentence.”
Aziraphale turned as red as crimson. It wasn't like he had never thought about this. Actually, how often had he thought about this? Oh, so very, very often. But it was different to fantasise about something when you were alone, until your cheeks burned and you had to cross your legs too tightly, than to actually have it happen to you for real. He wanted to opt out. But Crowley was nibbling at his earlobe and God knew there was nothing that turned him on more than having Crowley nibbling at his earlobe. Or maybe his neck? He probably could nibble at anything and Aziraphale would melt away.
Crowley placed his hands on Aziraphale's sides and softly pulled him away from the bookshelf. Aziraphale let him. He kept his head tilted to the side so Crowley could keep nibbling at his ear and let the demon guide him along to the stairs that led to the upper storey. He knew the way by heart. Once or twice, he grabbed Crowley's shoulders to correct his course a little so they wouldn't collide with the bookshelves.
When they reached the stairs, Crowley finally pulled back and looked Aziraphale in the face. The angel looked back, his gaze quickly skipping from one of Crowley's eyes to the other. They were still hidden behind the sunglasses. With a soft smile and a snapping of his fingers, Crowley let them disappear into his pocket.
Normally, Crowley didn't like anyone to see those yellow eyes of his. But Aziraphale had seen them earlier, he had seen them all the time, before Crowley had started to hide them behind his glasses. He really liked the yellow. He liked looking Crowley in the eyes.
The demon went first, climbing the stairs backwards while holding Aziraphale's hands, softly pulling him along. Aziraphale followed, never once letting his eyes wander away from Crowley's. He still saw the smile on the other man's lips. Saw it in his peripheral vision.
They arrived in Aziraphale's bedroom and Crowley led him in front of the bed. Actually, he had never been up here before, in all those years the angel had owned this bookshop. No one had ever been up here but Aziraphale himself. No one had ever been close enough to Aziraphale to share his bedroom with him.
They were still looking at each other. Crowley let go of Aziraphale's hands and grabbed his mustard-coloured sweater-vest. Instinctively, Aziraphale raised his arms into the air. A soft thud was to be heard when the garment hit the floor. Then they were back to looking at each other.
Everything was quiet in the sun-lit room. Aziraphale could hear their breathing, his louder through his slightly parted lips, and could almost listen to their hearts beating. There was still a smile on Crowley's thin lips.
When he closed in on him this time, Aziraphale didn't back away. He merely closed his eyes and felt the excitement rising inside him, making his heart beat faster in his chest. Then, when their lips met, it was like a firework exploding inside of his stomach.
He shivered and his entire body grew warm. His blood was pulsing hotly in his ears, his belly contracted, he unconsciously stopped breathing. The second of their first contact turned into infinity and Aziraphale felt like his heart was stretching its long bound wings. When he finally came back to his senses, he found he had already pressed tighter against Crowley's lips.
The demon raised his hands again and slowly started to unbutton Aziraphale's shirt. Aziraphale's own hands had come up to rest against his shoulders, feeling the movement of his arms through the fabric of his jacket. When Crowley pulled the open shirt out of his trousers and let his smooth hands wander over Aziraphale's sides, the angel shuddered again and drew in a loud breath.
Nobody had ever touched him like this before. Crowley's hands were warm and soft, but also firm and tender. They slid over his slim figure with just enough pressure to leave a slight tingling behind. Aziraphale wanted to lean against them and beg Crowley to never stop touching him again.
That was until Crowley slipped his tongue into Aziraphale's mouth. That made the angel forget about his hands temporarily.
He moaned softly as a wave of pure bliss shot through his nervous system and set his entire body ablaze. Crowley's hands moved to his back to hold him and Aziraphale was more than thankful for that because he couldn't feel his knees any longer. Had he known how beautiful just a kiss could be, he had given in to Crowley much earlier.
His hand moved from the Serpent's shoulder to the row of buttons at the front of his shirt and slid down along on it. The buttons popped open on their own, revealing Crowley's chest and stomach. Without thinking about it twice, Aziraphale shoved his hands underneath the fabric and made jacket and shirt slide off of Crowley's arms. His own shirt followed right afterwards. Aziraphale only half registered, still distracted by the skillful work of his partner's forked tongue.
Crowley's hands wandered over his sides and Aziraphale shivered. His own front pressed against the one of Crowley, his hands moved over his back. He was warm and solid and wonderful, and Aziraphale wanted to never stop touching him ever again.
Suddenly, Crowley bit his lower lip. That was when Aziraphale discovered that yes, nibbling and biting were his definite undoing and that yes, maybe he did want to stop touching Crowley for the sake of doing some different things with him.
He panted and placed his hands on Crowley's thin neck, his fingers touching at the back of his head. Crowley took the hint to kiss him more dearly, intensely, biting down on his lips a couple of more times, and harder. If Aziraphale had been alone up here, this would have been the time to cross his legs.
His own kissing turned more frantic as well, disregardful of the something in his mind that was calling this an act of lust. Who said lust couldn't be caused by love? Who said Crowley embracing his body couldn't be arousing and wholesome at the same time?
After a moment, the grip of Crowley's arms grew stronger and he turned Aziraphale around until his bed was right behind him and Crowley could lower him down on it. Aziraphale didn't let go of his neck. The demon moved with him until he was leaning over him on the mattress, his body tall and heavy above Aziraphale's own. He looked down at him and Aziraphale upwards. His cheeks were flushed and his lips red and swollen. From the looks on Crowley's features, the Serpent enjoyed the view of what he had done to him.
He smiled again, but a little more wicked this time, and sat up to open Aziraphale's trousers. The angel looked down at where his hands were fumbling with the button and felt shame and uncertainty rising in him. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. He didn't want it to stop, even though it embarrassed him. Also, the sound of his voice might have broken the spell.
With the kissing gone, Aziraphale was able to concentrate again, and seeing Crowley opening his trousers was somehow making him panic. This was it, wasn't it? This was where it was getting real. Kisses might still be innocent; even lost shirts could still be blamed on just wanting to touch. But getting rid of the trousers? There was only one thing one wanted to do when one got rid of the trousers. It meant something was going to happen, and suddenly, this step felt a bit too much for Aziraphale.
“You don't have to look at me like that,” Crowley said lowly, who was probably feeling the uncertainty in Aziraphale's mind. In the silence, even his soft words sounded like a thunderclap. “Nothing horrible is going to happen, I promise.”
“How do you know?” Aziraphale asked him. And, as it painfully dawned on him, he added: “How many times have you done this before?”
Crowley looked hurt for a moment, even though he was smiling. He gently pulled the shoes from Aziraphale's feet and let them fall onto the ground, before he began to work down his black socks.
“Never,” he answered, his eyes not meeting Aziraphale's. “This is my first time, just as it is for you.”
Aziraphale blinked in amazement. He propped up onto his elbows and watched Crowley pull his socks from his feet, which were just as well pedicured as his hands were taken care of. For a reason he couldn't quite name, his heart was contracting and pulsing in his chest.
“Never?” he mumbled. “Never, not once?”
“Never, not once,” Crowley assured him.
“But isn't it kind of... a thing for demons? To seduce people to succumb to their lust?”
“There is only one person I want to seduce, my angel,” Crowley made clear. “And by the way, this is awfully cliché, and I might be insulted you were thinking this of me.”
Aziraphale blinked again. “I'm sorry,” he muttered. “I just thought that – … Never mind...”
“We will discuss this later, dear friend,” Crowley stated. He didn't sound grumpy, but he was serious. Apparently, this matter really was important to him. But not important enough to stop what they were currently doing.
Aziraphale watched as the demon was taking off his own shoes too before he placed his hands on Aziraphale's sides. His complexion was slightly darker than the angel's, a beautiful contrast of skin against skin. As his hands moved down to his waistband, Aziraphale shuddered.
“How do you know how this works, then?” Aziraphale asked him, still compromised by his panic. “If you've never done it before.”
Crowley stopped in his tracks of pulling Aziraphale's pants down and looked at him as if the angel had asked him why the sky actually appeared to be blue. Then he sighed and leaned back over him until his face hovered above Aziraphale's.
“Does it matter how it works?” he questioned, his lemon-breath ghosting over Aziraphale's skin. “Because to me, it doesn't. I'm doing it with you, and that is all I care for.”
Aziraphale looked down, his cheeks flushing. This was embarrassing. Embarrassing! Here he was, the angel, the good one, and it took a demon to tell him that it was more important who you shared this special activity with than to be an expert in it. It was essential who you shared this activity with. It wouldn't be love if he didn't share it with Crowley, after all.
Crowley seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, as he chuckled softly and leaned in even closer, forcing Aziraphale's head back with his own until their lips were able to touch. Aziraphale was thankful for this by now familiar terrain, but, more than that, he gave in to the rising tingling in his stomach that the pressing of Crowley's warm mouth provoked. Where there had been doubts before, there now was longing and Aziraphale kissed the demon back all eagerly.
Slowly, Crowley pushed him further down until he fully rested on his back again, not once breaking the contact of their lips. Aziraphale felt his hands on his torso and opened his mouth to draw in a sharp breath, which led to Crowley immediately invading its cavern with his slick tongue. Pleasure washed over Aziraphale like a hot wave and he brought his hand up to place it against Crowley's head. When his trousers started to move again without anyone pulling them downwards, this time, he didn't feel panic.
He couldn't tell when exactly Crowley had gotten rid of his own pants, but suddenly, he didn't feel any fabric left between them, only bare skin on bare skin. It was the most sinful feeling Aziraphale could ever imagine, but at the same time (or because of it...?) it caused another wave of pleasure to shoot through his veins. His stomach contracted and he shuddered heavily. As Crowley lowered himself on top of him, Aziraphale opened his eyes.
The Serpent smiled at him. “Relax,” he whispered. “It is only me.”
“Yes, I know,” Aziraphale murmured. “But you're definitely not just 'only' to me...”
Crowley grinned a happy grin. A heartfelt, pure and happy grin with a touch of wicked on the edges. This time, it was Aziraphale who made their lips meet again.
They kissed for a long time now, embracing each other's naked bodies, letting their hands glide over their skin. Warmth filled Aziraphale from head to toe, beautiful, blissful warmth, paired with a stinging inside of his belly that was definitely not just plain enjoyment. It wanted more. And it caused Aziraphale to wrap his slender legs around Crowley's firm figure.
The demon hummed and let Aziraphale's lip slide out from between his front teeth. “This is your last ever chance to back out,” he offered, but since he immediately went back to nibbling at the other man's lips, it didn't sound all too convincing.
Aziraphale hummed back at him. “No,” he susurrated. “I won't back out of this. You have me now, Serpent. I completely commit to your tempting.”
Crowley chuckled lowly and softly bumped his head against the other's. Then he leaned down to kiss him on the earlobe and whisper a gentle: “I've got you, angel,” to him, which in no way was meant possessive.
It made Aziraphale smile and run his foot over Crowley's right shank.
Angels and demons can materialise anything, and that comes in handy when you need things to glide. Crowley moved into Aziraphale effortlessly, and in that very moment, Aziraphale felt like he was whole.
His head fell back with a silent sigh and he closed his hand around Crowley's nape to tightly hold on to his lover. The demon softly rocked against him, tenderly nibbling at his ear again, and Aziraphale's world was on fire. Nothing had ever felt as wholesome as becoming one with the demon. It was like the last missing puzzle piece to make Aziraphale's heart be complete. Wrapping his limbs tighter around Crowley's figure, he pressed him closer into himself.
“Tell me now,” Crowley whispered to him, his breath biting hot in Aziraphale's ear as he moved against him. “Is this a sin to you, my angel?”
“No...” Aziraphale mumbled, nestling his cheek against Crowley's head while he was pushed into the covers. “No, it is not... No, it is not...”
The way their bodies moved together was breathtaking. Each drag and thrust and slide was perfection, like a dance they had always known the steps to but never heard the music for. With this simple joining, so much fell into place for them.
When Cowley increased his movements, Aziraphale adapted to it. He had planted a seed in Aziraphale's heart that the angel was now eager to harvest, and when Crowley bit down on his earlobe, Aziraphale scratched him over the back. Crowley bit him again for that action and Aziraphale gasped at him in return. Then he moaned when Crowley hit the right spot inside him and his whole world became tinted in white.
He threw his head back and arched his spine up, clawing at Crowley's dark hair and his back. He felt the demon's hands on his body, heard him groan into his ear, and felt the heat rising up in him. Their bodies ground together, Aziraphale rocked against the mattress, their moaning and gasping turned into a symphony. The heat that had spread through Aziraphale's body collected deep in his lower regions, leaving the rest of him numb, yet burning.
He shuddered heavily and moaned, high-pitched, pressing his body against the one of Crowley. Then the demon bit down on his neck and the heat in Aziraphale's loins exploded.
Even though he lay on the bed, he felt like he was falling. Hot waves of pleasure washed through his being, he felt too small for the sensations inside him; like any moment, he would burst. He seemed to pulse in a heavy rhythm, every fibre of him burning in a hot and cold flame. It was otherworldly.
Above him, Crowley jerked and trembled, gasping and moaning into his ear. He pulsed in the same rhythm as Aziraphale and with each contraction, he left a bit of himself in him.
Slowly, Aziraphale's body relaxed again and the heat inside of him vanished. He was left in a warm and beautiful afterglow, soft and comfortable and tender. As he felt Crowley stirring, he lazily opened his eyes to look at him.
The demon had propped up on his arms and was glancing back down at him, too. His hair was a little more tousled than usual, but Aziraphale was sure that his own locks didn't look any better themselves. A glint flit over the yellow inside Crowley's eyes, a mixture of satisfaction and something far greater. Something that also showed in the smile that came up on his lips when Aziraphale placed his hand on his cheek and softly stroked it with the side of his thumb. It made Aziraphale smile at him, too.
“That was beautiful,” he murmured, still feeling Crowley's warmth everywhere in and around his body.
“Yes, it was,” Crowley confirmed and let himself sink down next to Aziraphale on the rumpled bed covers. After a moment, he added a self-congratulatory: “Told you so.” Aziraphale only smiled and let him have his bit of triumph.
They lay like this for a moment, enjoying the shared silence together. At some point, when they started to become sticky rather than warm and pleasant, Aziraphale magicked away the remains. Then he grabbed Crowley's hand and started to play with his slender, brown fingers.
“So,” he said after a while of simply staring at the ceiling. “It seems like you have tempted an angel while I have successfully made a demon perform an act of true love. We can both report that as a success, I believe.”
Crowley had to laugh beside him. “Seems like it,” he chuckled. “A great way of making achievements, don't you think?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Aziraphale nodded. “We should definitely keep this in mind for the future.”
“How about this Tuesday night? I can show up with dinner, to make the tempting even more insidious.”
This time, it was Aziraphale who had to chuckle. “I believe I can arrange that,” he stated, entwining their fingers. “I think Italian food might tempt me in particular, that day.”
“Duly noted,” Crowley replied. “I will be here at 7:30. You'll take care of the wine, of course.”
“Oh, isn't that part of the tempting?” Aziraphale asked him.
“We have always shared responsibility,” the demon noted, placing his arm around Aziraphale's back as the angel snuggled against him, grinning. “I think it is only fair if we keep up our Arrangement in this matter as well.”