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Aziraphale was bustling around in the kitchen, humming happily to himself. It was truly exciting: his and Crowley’s first night entertaining as a couple. The thought made him wiggle happily. Crowley hadn’t been expressing much enthusiasm, though, but Aziraphale had enough enthusiasm for both. The demon had mainly grumbled about why the angel insisted on inviting a bunch of humans and the Antichrist into their home. He wanted no disturbance in their peaceful, private existence that they finally had carved for themselves.
“It is good to have some social intercourse, even if only every once in a while", Aziraphale had argued. "Just a few guests, a cozy little gathering. Please?”
The demon had snorted and made a comment on what kind of “intercourse” he preferred, which received a glare from the angel. But after Aziraphale had explained how happy and proud he would be to entertain with Crowley by his side, now that they were finally free to openly be a couple, Crowley had slowly warmed up to the idea. After all, he found it kind of cute how domestic Aziraphale was getting these days.
Now the angel was in the middle of cooking some traditional British dishes, enjoying the roominess and counter space of his new kitchen. He had gotten quite into the whole cooking thing after they had moved into their cottage. He guessed that was why he had gained a little more weight recently: when he cooked a lot, he also ate a lot. His belly had certainly felt more swollen lately and his clothes fit a little more snugly around his middle. It didn’t help that Crowley’s tendency to spoil him had gotten quite out of hand after they had gotten together. The demon kept buying him all kinds of sugary treats and greasy baked goods on a regular basis. But he guessed it was alright. At least Crowley had repeatedly expressed his love for his “plumpness”, so he supposed a couple of extra pounds weren’t a bad thing.
He added the final ingredients to a beef stew, put the pan into the oven, and glanced around with a contented smile. Everything was well underway. He only needed to make a salad, and dinner would be practically ready for their guests.
He started gathering the salad ingredients, but when he grabbed the bell pepper, he noticed something icky.
“Oh no”, he gasped.
It was moldy. Half of it was covered in white fuzz.
He stared at it for a moment, feeling utterly dejected. He felt stinging behind his eyelids and his vision blurred. A sudden, loud sound took him by surprise. He realized that a sob had escaped his lips.
Morosely, he tossed the pepper into the sink and started crying in earnest.
It had been going so well...!
“Blast it!” he sniffled. His chest heaved with sobs and his cheeks were wet with tears that didn’t seem to stop. It was all quite strange, really. He was vaguely aware that this was a stronger reaction than the situation warranted, but he couldn’t help it. It wasn’t unusual for him to get misty-eyed from time to time, but full-on sobbing? That was new.
“Angel?”
Crowley’s voice came from the corridor and footsteps approached the kitchen. “How’s it going? Need any…“
The demon stopped in his tracks at the kitchen doorway, and stared at him with wide eyes, taking in the sight of the sobbing angel.
“…help?”
Aziraphale let out a soft whine and buried his face into his hands. Now he felt even worse. He didn’t want Crowley to see him like this.
He felt a tentative arm wrap around him, then another. Crowley pulled him against himself and started to rub his back soothingly. Aziraphale removed his hands from his face and wrapped them around Crowley’s back, burying his face into his shoulder.
This was a good place to be. He didn’t want to think about the pepper, or the dinner - just be here, in the arms of his beloved. He wondered if he could still call the whole thing off and just enjoy a quiet night alone with Crowley.
“What’s wrong?” Crowley murmured.
“Oh, Crowley”, Aziraphale sniffled. “The dinner is… ruined.”
Crowley nuzzled his cheek.
“How so?” he said softly. “Everything looks and smells great in here. Including you.”
That kind of sweetness didn’t exactly ease Aziraphale’s crying. Crowley was so sweet and wonderful, and he loved him so much it hurt. So why was he crying over a pepper? He should have been the happiest being in the Universe. He forced himself to take a few deep, shuddering breaths and get some kind of hold of himself. It was silly. So, so silly.
“The bell pepper I had for the salad…” he said with a sniffle, but breath evened out now. “It’s moldy.”
The gentle motion of Crowley’s hand on his back stopped, and the demon pulled away to look at his face.
“Really, angel?” he said dryly, raising an eyebrow at him. “That’s what caused all this… blubbering? You didn’t even cry when I told you all your books had burned! A bloody pepper, honestly...”
Aziraphale wiped his eyes and glared at him. Yes, Crowley could be sweet, but he could also be a bastard.
“Well, I didn’t exactly have a body to cry with at that moment, did I?” he said testily. “And the next time you reminded me of it, you immediately proceeded to invite me to live with you. It made me… distracted.”
Crowley gave him a crooked smile.
“You were distracting that night”, he said. “You in my flat. You in my bathtub. You on my bed…”
“On your bed, precisely”, the angel huffed. “I sat on your bed as we talked. Though I assume you had other things on your mind.”
Crowley shrugged.
“Well, obviously. But you kept insisting we make a plan right then and there.”
Aziraphale rolled his eyes.
“We needed to make a plan right then and there, and you know it, you fiend.”
“Could have had a snog first”, Crowley grumbled. “But no, it was all business with you back then…”
Aziraphale eyed him disapprovingly.
“Well, you have gotten plenty of “snogs” since, among… among other things. That night was no time for… furthering our relationship. I am glad you behaved like a gentleman.”
“You have no idea how hard it was”, Crowley sighed. “No pun intended”, he added with a smirk.
Aziraphale rolled his eyes again and sighed.
“As lovely as this trip down memory lane has been”, he said, and directed a mournful glance towards the sink, “I really need a pepper for the salad.”
Crowley held up his hand.
“Just a second, angel.”
A confused but increasingly hopeful Aziraphale stared after him as he left the kitchen. He soon returned with something in his hand.
“Will this do? I mean, it’s a bit small but better than nothing, eh?”
Aziraphale beamed. He eagerly accepted the bell pepper Crowley was handing him.
“Yes!” he squealed. “Oh Crowley, it will do just perfectly! I didn’t know they were ready to pick!”
Crowley shrugged. “This one’s the first. Should be just about ripe.”
“Thank you, dearest! Thank you so much.”
After Aziraphale assured him that he didn’t need any further help, Crowley left the kitchen, leaving a now-very-happy-again Aziraphale to whip up the salad. It didn’t take him more than a couple of minutes, and after he placed the salad in the fridge, he removed his apron and went looking for Crowley. He found him in the lounge where he was sprawling on the sofa, phone in his hand.
Aziraphale sat down next to him, clasping his hands in his lap.
“You know… I really am very grateful”, he said, glancing coyly at Crowley. “That was very nice of you.”
“Forget it, will you?” Crowley said, not looking up from his phone. “It was a sorry excuse for a bell pepper. Glad to get rid of it, really. Wasn’t even the right shade of red. Got to tell the others to do better.”
“Oh”, the angel said pointedly, raising his eyebrows and looking away. “Well, that’s a shame. I was thinking of, um… showing you my appreciation, but if you insist it wasn’t a nice deed, then I suppose it’s nothing to appreciate you for.”
Crowley snapped his head up. He stared at the angel and swallowed needlessly.
“Appreciation?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Crowley had an inner battle that lasted approximately 0.003 seconds.
“Actually… Now that I think of it, it was kind of nice, yeah”, he said.
Aziraphale smiled smugly.
“Well then. Wasn’t so difficult, was it?” he said, as he eagerly scooted closer and started opening Crowley’s belt.
Crowley stared down at his hands.
“Here?” he managed to utter.
“Is that a problem?” Aziraphale huffed impatiently, as he took Crowley’s cock into his hand. It was rapidly getting hard, and oh, how hungry for it he was.
Crowley only shook his head feebly in response and dropped his phone when Aziraphale started stroking him.
“You’re very… ah… forward today”, he said, his breath getting heavier and his cock now throbbing in the angel’s hand.
“Hmm”, Aziraphale said, not fully comprehending his words in his haze of lust. His entire corporation felt as if on fire and his vulva was already soaking wet. He leaned down and took the demon’s cock into his mouth, eliciting a deep moan from Crowley. He started sucking greedily, locking eyes with Crowley, feeling positively licentious. The sounds escaping the demon’s lips were music to his ears, as were the wet sounds of his sucking. Crowley’s hand sank into his hair and gripped his curls, and oh, how good that felt. It wasn’t painful but not exactly gentle either. That firm grip on his hair made the delicious pressure in his lower belly almost unbearable and he felt his vulva grow impossibly slick. He moaned around the demon’s cock, making the demon gasp and tug his hair harder.
Aziraphale couldn’t take it anymore. Abruptly, he released Crowley and urgently started taking his own clothes off.
“Take me”, he panted. “Now.”
Crowley wasted no time to fulfill that request. He undressed the angel much faster than Aziraphale’s trembling hands were capable of, maneuvered him onto the sofa and pinned him down with his body. Aziraphale eagerly lifted his legs and wrapped them around Crowley. He let out an ecstatic cry as Crowley urgently pushed inside him. In one steady thrust, Crowley was fully sheathed, pressing heated kisses onto the angel’s neck, nipping at the delicate skin there, as the angel sighed and moaned. Crowley started moving, setting a fast and demanding rhythm that elicited loud, high-pitched moans from the writhing angel underneath.
To be taken like this – what utter bliss it was! It was precisely the kind of frenzied pounding he needed. He could only cling to Crowley as his pleasure grew and grew, until very soon it came to be too much. He moaned Crowley’s name as he felt his inner muscles contract wildly and came with a cry. Crowley followed soon after, grunting into his ear as his cock throbbed deep inside him, and then collapsed into his arms.
“Well”, Crowley said after several moments, lifting up his head to smirk at Aziraphale. “That’s one way of showing appreciation.”
Aziraphale giggled, still out of breath.
“Indeed. Rather nice way, isn't it?”
“I'll say. You do know a simple thank you is enough, though?” Crowley kept smirking. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“Of course”, Aziraphale said. “I guess I just needed…” He trailed idle patterns onto Crowley’s back with his finger. “I needed that.”
“Hm.” Crowley planted a lingering kiss onto his collarbone. “You were particularly eager. Never agreed to do it anywhere but the bedroom.”
Aziraphale chuckled in disbelief.
“I guess you’re right. I just felt like… I just couldn't wait.”
Crowley kissed his neck, once, twice.
“Any chance for a round two?” he murmured against his skin.
While the thought was very tempting, Aziraphale knew he had to return to his dinner duties shortly.
“No chance, I’m afraid”, he said, moving his hands to Crowley’s shoulders and pushing gently. “The guests will be here in-“, he glanced at the clock on the wall. “Goodness! Almost an hour. I need to go freshen up and finish the cooking. Will you be so kind and get off me now?”
Crowley did as he was told, but didn’t exactly hide his disappointment. Aziraphale rolled his eyes as he got up and started to gather up his clothes. He felt how seed started to ooze out of his vulva and hurriedly miracled it all away.
“No need to look so glum”, he said. “You got what you wanted.”
Crowley raised his eyebrows at him as he buckled his belt.
“You came to me”, he said. “Did you already forget who started it?”
Aziraphale couldn’t find his bowtie, and it started to really annoy him.
“Never mind about all that now. Where did you put my bowtie?” he said, lifting a cushion to peer under it. “Did you hide it? It’s not funny. I’m in a hurry.”
Crowley put his hands up.
“Don’t look at me. You’re the one who took it off”, he said.
“I did not”, Aziraphale insisted. “You’re the one who tore off my clothes and scattered them all over the place.”
“Well, I don’t know where it is, I swear”, Crowley assured.
Aziraphale felt burning under his eyelids again. He blinked rapidly, his distress increasing by the second, while Crowley looked at him with growing concern.
“You’re sure you don’t know where it is? This is no time for practical jokes, Crowley.”
“Wasn’t me, swear”, Crowley said again, eyeing him warily. “No need for the waterworks, angel. We’ll find it.”
He stood up to help Aziraphale in his search. As he did so, he heard a loud gasp. He turned and saw the angel pointing at the sofa, with a hurt look on his face.
“You swore”, the angel said with a tone of someone utterly betrayed, as he snatched his bowtie from the sofa. “I do not appreciate being lied to”, he added, giving the demon a glare that could have turned a lesser being into a pillar of ice.
“I didn’t know it was there!” Crowley said, exasperated. The angel just turned on his heel and marched out of the room.
“What’s with you today?” the demon called after him, but he knew better than to follow.
He stared after him and shook his head in disbelief. The angel had gone from happy to crying to horny to angry in an hour or so. Sure, he had his moods, but they didn’t usually fluctuate this quickly. And never was he angry after an orgasm. What the Heaven was going on? Was arranging the blessed dinner party really so stressful for him? Crowley could only tell his angel was out of sorts, and it was really starting to puzzle him.
After half an hour he gathered up his courage to go to Aziraphale. It took another half an hour to convince him that he really hadn’t hidden the bowtie on purpose. Luckily, by the time the first guests rang the doorbell, all was well again, and the angel planted an apologetic kiss onto the demon’s cheek right before opening the door.
*
The party consisted of Nina and Maggie, Anathema and Newt, and Adam Young and his friends, who were now young adults. Aziraphale was shining in his role of a host, and even Crowley seemed to enjoy himself. He was joining in the conversation more and more actively as the evening progressed, making clever remarks and funny quips that resulted in bouts of laughter from their guests.
Aziraphale gazed lovingly at his demon. He was so proud of him. Crowley had been so reluctant to socialize, but here he was, doing so well and being so witty and funny. Aziraphale didn’t even mind that most of his quips were directed at him. Crowley did give him compliments as well, after all, which earned him some “aww”s from the group. That was hard to bear for a demon, but he knew Crowley could take it, for his sake.
All in all, the evening was a great success. Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves, and the food received praise. By the time Aziraphale was saying goodbyes in the hall, he was even considering making this a regular occasion.
That’s when it happened.
Only Adam and Anathema were left in the hall, Newt and the others already out the door and heading to start their cars. That’s when Adam got up from tying his shoe (it was muddy outside and Aziraphale was rather protective of his carpets, so he had requested the guests left their shoes by the door), and his gaze fixed on the angel. He frowned and made a little “huh” sound.
Aziraphale frowned back at him.
“What?”
”I thought there was something different about you. Now I see. You’re two people again”, Adam simply stated. “But this time… it is right.”
Aziraphale blinked at him.
“I… I beg your pardon?”
“There’s another being inside you. Haven’t you noticed?”
Helplessly, Aziraphale looked over at Crowley, who was leaning against the wall with his legs crossed, a glass of wine in his hand. He could see his own dumbfounded expression mirrored on the demon’s face.
There was a short, tense silence, which was broken by Anathema clearing her throat.
“I wasn’t going to say anything, but yeah. I can kind of see it, too”, she said, her gaze fixed on the angel’s middle.
“See what, exactly?” Aziraphale said in a mixture of confusion and annoyance. He glanced down at his belly but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“A presence”, Anathema said. “Still a bit faint, but it’s there.”
Aziraphale felt dizzy. He couldn’t comprehend what was going on at all and was starting to suspect that maybe this was some kind of a weird joke. Maybe Crowley was a part of it… Even though he looked very genuinely flabbergasted at the moment.
“What on Earth are you talking about?” Aziraphale demanded. “A- a presence? What presence?”
Another awkward silence followed during which Anathema looked from Aziraphale to Crowley and back at Aziraphale again.
“Well…” Anathema said finally, with a small smile playing at her lips. “A fetus.”
There was a loud clink! as Crowley dropped his wine glass.
“A wot?!”
Aziraphale looked at him with wide eyes.
“A…” His face drained of all colour. “Excuse me!” he squeaked and ran out of the room.
Anathema and Adam turned to look at Crowley.
“Sorry you found out this way”, Adam muttered. “Probably shouldn't have said anything.”
Crowley wasn’t even listening. He was already running after the angel.
“Anyway… Thanks for dinner!” Anathema called after them apologetically.
*
Crowley found Aziraphale in their bedroom, curled up deep under the covers. The demon stood helplessly beside the bed while the angel sniffled.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive!” the angel’s muffled voice came from under the covers. He sounded absolutely pitiful. “I checked! It’s there!”
“How… how did you not notice it?” the demon asked. His mouth was dry and his head was swimming. He sat down on the edge of the bed but that didn’t help much.
“I would have if I had paid attention”, the angel sniffled. “Oh, I have been such a fool!”
His sniffling turned into a full-on sobbing.
Crowley hesitantly put his hand on the pile of blankets, where he assumed Aziraphale’s back was.
“It’s alright, angel”, he said tentatively, but was stunned to silence as the covers were abruptly shoved aside and Aziraphale’s head peaked out. Crowley quickly pulled his hand back.
“No! It’s very much not alright!” the angel shouted. His cheeks were wet and red and there was a wild look in his eyes. “What about this could possibly be alright? I can’t have a… a… a baby! I can’t!”
Crowley wanted more than anything to just give in and join in the panicking but forced himself to remain as calm as he could.
He cleared his throat.
“Well… I guess if you don’t want it, then…” he started, shifting awkwardly. The angel just stared at him expectantly, breathing heavily. “There are ways of…” He cleared his throat again. “You know. Not having it.”
He felt cold sweat forming on his forehead as the angel’s eyes narrowed.
“How can you even suggest something like that?”
His voice was like ice.
Crowley threw his hands up in the air in defense.
“You said you can’t have it! Just trying to be helpful here!”
“Well, you’re not!” Aziraphale snapped, voice breaking, and buried himself back under the covers. “You’re not helpful at all!”
Crowley sighed, slow and deep.
“Anything I can do?” he asked.
“Oh, you’ve done enough!” came the curt reply.
Crowley’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. He was starting to feel the initial shock morphing into anger.
“Oh, so now it’s all my fault, it is?” he spat. “'S not like you didn’t have any part in it!”
“Well, you should have been more careful!” the angel retorted. “You must know more about these – these things, and ways of… preventing them! Why didn’t you even suggest using them?”
If possible, Crowley’s eyebrows rose even higher.
“What makes you think I know any more than you do? I've never shagged anyone but you!”
“Must you be so crude?” the angel cried in exasperation, seemingly trying to cover his ears with the blankets. “Oh, I’ve had it with you and your vulgarities! In fact, could you leave now, please? I’d like to be alone.”
“Oh, gladly!”
Crowley shot to his feet and stormed out of the room, making sure to slam the door with all his strength. (Well. Not all of it. Just enough to make it clear how angry he was, but not enough to break it.)
He stomped across the corridor and into his plant room, quite literally fuming. There he slumped onto his throne, one of the few remnants of his old flat in Mayfair, and sulked.
The gall the angel had! He had very enthusiastically participated in their sexual activities, and it was his own idea to have lady parts. It’s not like Crowley had asked him to get himself a cunt and everything that came with it. No, that was all on Aziraphale. And the angel had never objected to unprotected sex – of course Crowley had assumed that everything that needed to be taken care of had been taken care of!
And “vulgarities”? Really? The angel had no problem with Crowley’s vulgarities when he was writhing and moaning underneath him.
He sighed.
Still…
The fact was – he did feel a little bit guilty. He had been the one to suggest they took their relationship to a more physical level. He should have been responsible. He should have considered and brought up the possible consequences of Aziraphale manifesting himself female parts. But no – he had, gladly, let him do just that, and the angel had. And he had been so happy and proud of those parts, too, and his delight had only multiplied when he saw how much Crowley liked them. And once the angel had finally shown him the green light and welcomed him into his bed, it wasn’t like there was a single rational thought in Crowley’s head from there on. His ability to think altogether had vanished when he had first slid into that exquisite, silken heat.
And apparently the rational parts of his brain had been severely impaired since then, because the possibility of… consequences hadn’t even crossed his mind, until they had been so abruptly shoved to his face. He groaned to himself and buried his face into his hands. He would never have thought that the phrase “thinking with only one’s penis” could describe him, but lately… it kind of had. He felt like absolute scum. He had never stopped to think what he might be doing to Aziraphale when he finished inside of him. Even afterwards, when they lay tangled together, and his mind was getting clearer, all he could think about was how good it had felt and how lucky he was, and how he wanted to do it again, and again, and again.
Selfish bastard, that’s what he was. Should have given himself a… What was that human procedure called? Vasectomy. At least worn a condom. Or better yet, just kept his dick in his pants.
He wanted to slap himself. Of course there was a risk of… consequences.
Having children – the absurdity of the mere thought! - was never in the cards for them. It was just so… human. Too human, even for them. Neither of them had even entertained the idea for a millisecond, Crowley was sure of that. It was just to be the two of them, for the rest of eternity. Their little group of two. And now he felt like he had betrayed Aziraphale by being a reckless, horny idiot.
He sat in the dark room for a long while, wallowing in self-loathing. As he did so, the gloomy room around him was starting to remind him a bit too much of how things used to be: him, alone and miserable, on his cold throne, only fearful plants to keep him company. But that was before. Before a certain angel took his hand, gave him his most radiant of smiles and, with a blush and sparkling eyes, told him that he loved him. After that, the lonely, gloomy days had been just a fading memory. Now his world was so full of light and warmth that no self-respecting demon should even tolerate it. But he had never been much of a demon. And he had adored his angel for as long as he could remember, and every day he couldn’t believe his luck that the one he adored was finally his.
So, why was he still here?
Was he really going to keep moping when had everything he had ever wanted and more?
He stood up from his seat, determined. There was only one thing to do. And sure, it was a very human thing to do, but they were certainly in a very human situation.
He rushed out of the room, down the stairs and out of the house, jumped into the Bentley and headed to London.
*
It was very early, and most shops in London hadn’t opened yet. Definitely not jewellery stores. But by some miracle, the owner of one particularly fancy one had woken up early and felt strangely energetic. She had decided to head to her shop early and make an exception to the opening hours. A peculiar whim, but a little change in routine brightened up life, didn’t it? She doubted any customers would show up so early, though.
Thus, she was astonished when she was opening the lock of the front door and saw a black vintage car screeching to a halt right in front of the shop, and a tall, slim man in black jumping out and striding straight towards her. Dumbfounded, she stepped aside to let the man in. The man seemed to be in a slightly frantic state.
“Where are your rings?” he demanded.
She was a little frightened. Was he going to rob her? Maybe that’s why he wore sunglasses – maybe those worked as a robber mask of sorts.
A little shakily, she walked to the ring selection. She tried to calm herself. If the man was going to rob her, he probably would have pointed a gun at her already, right?
“Here they are, sir”, she said, forcing her voice as steady and cheerful as she could. “What kind of ring are you looking for?”
The man bent over to study the rings intently.
“Uh. Saw it here a couple of months back. It was… gorgeous”, he said. “Stunning. Fit for an angel.”
“Oh”, the owner said. She was starting to feel much calmer and even pleased by this strange customer. She didn’t remember seeing him here before, so she assumed one of her employees was minding the shop then. “Are you planning to propose, by any chance?” she said knowingly.
“Yup”, the customer said, his gaze fixing on one ring and then moving on to the next. “Planning on getting a yes, too.”
Then his eyes fixed on one of the rings in the bottom row, he seemed to freeze and then pointed at it frantically.
“That’s the one”, he said. “That’s perfect for Aziraphale.”
Azira-what? she wondered. What a weird name his girlfriend had. Or was that a male name? She had never heard such a name. She didn’t comment on it, though, just congratulated him on an excellent choice – and herself on an excellent sale, since the ring was one of the most expensive items in the shop. It was incredibly beautiful, too: white gold with milgrain accented band, with large round diamond in the centre and two smaller diamonds on each side. It looked very elegant.
After the man had, somewhat impatiently, assured her that the ring was certainly the right size and didn’t need any modifications, she handed it to him in a satin ring box. He quickly tucked it into his pocket, and dug out his wallet. She didn’t think he was even listening when she told him the price – he just paid absent-mindedly, muttered a ‘cheers’, and hurried out of the shop.
She smiled after him and thanked whatever divine influence had prompted her to open her shop early. The day was off to a great start.
*
Crowley was speeding back towards their cottage. His hands felt sweaty on the wheel and his heart was racing.
Only after he had purchased the ring had it really sunk in.
He was actually going to do this.
Again.
Sure, those other times weren’t technically proposals. But still, they had held the same meaning: he had asked the angel to spend the rest of his existence with him. And sure, he should have worded it better and been less pushy. Not make it seem like running away together was the only option. But still.
And every time he had gotten a no. For good reasons, but it still hurt.
He very vividly remembered the sting of rejection, and that memory was what made him so nervous now. He was quite sure that this time it would go better, but still, doubt was nagging at the back of his brain. They lived together, yes, and had recently started a more physical relationship, but getting married? That made it all so… official, in Earth’s terms. And yes, Crowley wanted that very much, but did the angel? They hadn’t exactly talked about it. Maybe the… current situation would influence Aziraphale’s answer, but Crowley sure as hell wouldn’t want him to say yes just because of that. Or maybe he was too angry with Crowley to accept his proposal?
Fuck. He had to get home very quickly before he’d overthink himself to chicken out and hide the ring for the next decade or two.
*
Aziraphale woke up when it was still dark outside. After some seconds of groggy oblivion, the reality of his situation hit him, and he felt the sting of tears again.
He felt bad mostly because of his own actions. He had been careless, stupidly so. He had been so enthralled by the new-found intimacy with Crowley, that he had completely forgotten to be sensible. And that was not like him.
But oh! The hungry gaze in those golden eyes! How loved, how wanted he felt! That was enough to make him lose all reason. And the feeling of Crowley inside him! He had never known such pleasure – to become one with the being he loved beyond measure. An how cherished he felt when the demon made love to him! Even in his current miserable state, it made him shudder with pleasure just to think about it. He felt the now-very-familiar feeling of wetness in his underpants and groaned in frustration.
This was precisely the reason for his… current state. He had no self-control whatsoever. All it took was a lustful look and some words of adoration whispered into his ear, and he was ready to spread his legs. When had he become so… lascivious? There had been a time when he had very successfully said ‘no’ to Crowley, over and over again. That ability was long gone.
Not that he wanted to say no, not anymore. But he should have still thought some things through before falling into bed with him. Taken care of certain details and only then agreed to have intercourse.
All he had done was to miracle himself clean as quickly as possible after their activities. But it wasn’t to prevent pregnancy, it was just his reluctance to make a mess of whatever surface he was on at the time. And obviously, that hadn’t been enough to prevent one of those sperms to complete its mission. Of course that had always been a possibility! He should have thought of that. Unlike many angels, he knew how babies are made. He had no excuse for being so thoughtless. And he most certainly couldn’t blame Crowley for his own stupidity.
Aziraphale sat up on the bed and let out a mournful sigh.
Oh, Crowley. Aziraphale felt so bad for him. He was dragging him into a situation he obviously did not want to be in, and Aziraphale had blamed him for it.
He needed to find Crowley and apologize as soon as possible.
He got up from the bed, put on his slippers and wrapped himself in his dressing gown. While doing so, he happened to glance out of the window and saw that the Bentley was gone.
Oh, of course. He had told Crowley to go away. He hadn’t meant away from the cottage, but he couldn’t blame him. He felt the prickle of tears under his eyelids again, and took a deep, shaky breath. He couldn’t keep crying. It was not like him, and it didn’t help. He had to do something of actual use while he waited for Crowley to come back.
So, he headed to his library on the first floor. Surely he had books that dealt with his situation. The least he could do was to acquire better knowledge on the subject. After a long search he ended up finding a dusty handbook of medicine. Yes, it was very old, but surely it was a place to start?
Maybe reading on the subject at least could make it feel more real. Last night he had looked for the new life inside of him, and he had seen it. Still very small and fragile, but unmistakable. Still, seeing it hadn’t made it feel much more real. On the contrary, more like. His mind just couldn’t fully grasp it, not yet. He suspected it would take quite a bit of processing before it would really sink in.
He did know, however, that he was going to have it. Of course he would. It was his and Crowley’s child. And they would figure it all out. With time.
For now, he sought comfort from literature. Reading always made things feel a little bit easier to handle.
He went to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea, returned to the library and settled into his armchair with his teacup. Right. Time for some rational thinking for a change.
He had barely opened the book when he heard the familiar rumble of the Bentley on the driveway. His heart leapt at the sound, but he forced himself to sit still. He suddenly felt very nervous about facing Crowley, and he was waiting to see if the demon would even come looking for him. Maybe he didn’t even want to see Aziraphale after his awful behaviour last night.
“Angel!”
Crowley was calling him before he had even closed the front door. He sounded somewhat agitated. “Angel, where are you?”
“I-I’m here!” Even as he raised his voice it sounded small to him. “In the library!”
Frantic steps approached.
“Angel!” Crowley burst in, strode across the floor and stopped in front of Aziraphale. He was out of breath and, quite clearly, extremely nervous.
“OK, I’ve got something to say.” But then he fell silent, seemingly struggling for words. He opened and closed his mouth helplessly. Aziraphale watched him, feeling increasingly confused.
“Can’t seem to remember a word I was gonna say!” Crowley said, huffing a nervous, high-pitched laugh. “I swear, angel, I had a whole speech prepared. Oh, fuck it.”
Aziraphale’s eyes widened as he watched the demon dig something from the pocket of his jacket and lower himself to one knee.
Oh.
OH.
Aziraphale felt his face flush. Whatever he had been expecting, he most certainly had not been expecting this.
A wave of warmth washed over his entire being as Crowley presented him the ring and looked deep into his eyes with such fierce adoration that he felt like he could barely stand to face that gaze.
“Guess I just wanted to say… Will you marry me?”
Crowley’s voice trembled. Aziraphale’s noticed that his hand, holding the ring box, shook a little too. The poor dear was afraid he’d say no! The silly, silly demon!
“Yes!” he exclaimed, the volume of his voice surprising himself. “Of course I will marry you, my beloved! My darling!”
He sank to the floor and pulled the astonished Crowley into an embrace. The demon felt like a statue as he wrapped his arms around him and pressed tightly against him. He buried his face into his neck and let the tears of happiness fall. Slowly, the demon seemed to come out of his frozen state and returned his embrace.
“Oh, my dearest”, Aziraphale sniffled. “I thought you hated me. For what… I let happen to me. For the things I said. I didn’t mean any of it. I don’t blame you for anything.”
“’S alright, angel”, Crowley said, his voice incredibly soft and thick with tears. “I don’t blame you, either. Just sorry I… that I did that to you, if you didn’t want it.”
“Oh, don’t be”, Aziraphale said, pulling away to dab his eyes with a handkerchief. He gave Crowley a soft, tearful smile. “I may not have exactly wanted it, but I know it will be alright. Wonderful, in fact. I just need time.”
Crowley gave him a tearful smile of his own and swallowed thickly.
“You… you gonna keep it then?” His voice threatened to break.
Aziraphale nodded, and smiled brightly.
“Yes. Very much so.”
“Angel”, Crowley breathed out and pulled him back into his arms. That’s all he could say at the moment. They stayed like that for a long while, clinging to each other.
Then Crowley pulled away and took a deep breath. As he cleared his throat and wiped the corner of his eye with his sleeve, Aziraphale watched him with ever-growing fondness.
“So… Wanna put on your ring?”
Aziraphale nodded eagerly, letting out a soft giggle.
Crowley was still clutching the ring box. Now he took the ring and placed the box on the small table next to the armchair. He gently took Aziraphale’s left hand and slipped the ring on. It fitted perfectly.
Aziraphale had barely registered the ring earlier. He was too focused on Crowley on one knee and his own overflowing emotions. Now that he looked at it properly, his vision blurred with tears again.
“Oh, Crowley”, he sighed. “It’s beautiful.”
“Suits you”, the demon said, a fond smile playing on his lips. “Knew it would.”
Then his smile fell as he seemed to take a proper look at the angel, and promptly grabbed him by the forearms, maneuvering him up into the armchair.
“Crowley – wha-?”
“What are you doing, kneeling on the floor?!” the demon almost shrieked. “You shouldn’t be crouching like that in your condition!”
Aziraphale sighed and gave him an indignant glare.
“Really? Are you going to be like that the whole time?”
Crowley now stood before him.
“You bet I will!” he replied defiantly. “I’m here to ensure you’re safe and comfortable through this whole… process”, he gestured vaguely at Aziraphale’s belly. “Both of you.”
“If you think I will just lounge in an armchair for the next several months, you’ve got another thing coming”, Aziraphale said just as defiantly, but felt the tugging of a smile that was threatening to render his tone completely unconvincing. The demon’s protectiveness was quite adorable.
“Well, why can’t you?” Crowley said, crossing his arms to his chest. “You should take it easy while you… gestate, and I will take care of you. Sound like a deal?”
“No!” Aziraphale huffed. “There is plenty I intend to do, gestating or not!”
“Like what? Read books?” Crowley scoffed.
Aziraphale felt himself blush and willed himself to ignore the open book on the table.
“Well… Yes, but not just that. I still have the bookshop, and intend to keep it open two days a month like I planned. And of course, I need to make many new purchases, and babyproof this house. Oh, and redecorate one of the bedrooms, of course. There is much to do.”
Crowley’s face softened, and he let out a sigh of defeat.
“Alright. I get it. We’ll do all of that, together. But if there’s any climbing or crouching or carrying heavy stuff, you leave that to me, yeah?”
Aziraphale nodded. “Alright.”
There was silence, during which Aziraphale admired his ring and Crowley stared at the carpet.
“You didn’t say yes, you know”, the demon said abruptly, “just because of…” He gestured at Aziraphale’s belly.
The angel gave him a fond look and shook his head.
“Of course not. It’s not the 19th century anymore. It’s not like we have to get married to avoid social disgrace.”
Crowley blinked at him, which he rarely did.
“You are telling me it’s not the 19th century?”
Aziraphale pursed his lips and gave him another glare.
“You know what I meant.”
Then the look on his face turned somewhat amused. He quirked an eyebrow at the demon.
“Still… Proposing right after finding out I’m with child? How terribly… old-fashioned of you.”
The demon looked away and blushed.
“Shut up.”
Aziraphale giggled. He got up from his chair and took Crowley’s hands into his own.
“My dearest. There is no other reason for me saying yes than that I want to marry you”, he said sternly but gently, gazing deep into Crowley’s eyes.
“Good”, Crowley nodded and smiled. “Just making sure.”
He then lifted Aziraphale’s left hand to his lips and pressed an adoring kiss onto his knuckles.
“I’ve been wanting to pop the question for quite some time now”, he admitted quietly, averting his gaze. “Seemed like an appropriate time.”
“Oh, you old-fashioned, chivalrous demon”, Aziraphale said softly. He pressed an appreciative kiss to his cheek. “I’m so happy you did.”
He kissed his cheek again, and again, and his lips trailed to the demon’s, and they shared a tender kiss.
“You know”, the angel said when they parted, glancing coyly into Crowley’s eyes. “That was our first kiss as an encaged couple. And parents-to-be. I mean… parents-to-be who know they are… that.”
Crowley chuckled and shook his head.
“Oh, we have gone so native.”
Aziraphale sighed.
“Well, we’ve been on Earth for a long time. I guess… long enough for even things like this.”
“Long enough for us to be fruitful and multiply?” Crowley raised an eyebrow. “Never would have seen that coming. But then again, not long ago the thought of getting you to bed seemed delusional, so I guess I should know anything’s possible,” he smirked.
Aziraphale rolled his eyes but couldn’t fight back a smile.
“Oh, you got me into bed, alright. And within a few months, there will be very visible proof of that”, he said, glancing down at his belly, trying to imagine what it would look like as the baby grew.
Judging by the way Crowley stared at his belly, he was imagining the very same thing.
“You will look gorgeous, angel”, he said. The adoration in his voice and his eyes made the angel’s face heat up.
“You really think so?” Aziraphale beamed. “I must get some new clothes, obviously. Maybe a dress? What do you think? It would probably be the most comfortable choice during the later stages. Oh, and some new nightgowns!”
“Oh, so that’s what you meant by new purchases”, Crowley said, amused. “I thought you were getting stuff for the baby.”
“Of course I am”, the angel said, then pouted a little. “But I think that earlier you were implying that my comfort is also important...?”
Crowley laughed and leaned in to kiss his angel’s lips.
“More than important. It’s paramount. I’ll buy you a dress. Hell, I’ll buy you ten!”
Aziraphale shook his head rather vigorously.
“No, no, no, no. I know what kind of dresses you would choose for me. I’d much rather buy them myself, if it’s all the same with you.”
Crowley shrugged.
“You choose, I buy. Deal?”
Aziraphale almost objected, but then sighed in resignation. Crowley did enjoy spoiling him. He might as well let him.
“Fine. If you insist.”
Crowley grinned.
“I do. Can’t wait to see you in something lacy and flowy. Wanna go shopping right now? We could go to some nice restaurant after and celebrate a bit.”
Aziraphale’s gaze traveled downwards from Crowley’s eyes as he swayed a little on his feet.
“Well… I do agree that we should celebrate. But I’d much rather celebrate… here.”
The look in Crowley’s eyes turned a little darker, a little hungrier.
“Shall we retire to the bedroom, then?”
The angel shook his head, slowly, and gave him a meaningful look.
Crowley’s eyes went wide.
“Wait. You… you mean… Here? Here here?”
Aziraphale nodded and took a step to close the distance between them, sliding his dressing gown off his shoulders.
“Here here”, he whispered and ran his hands up and down Crowley’s back, kissing his jaw, his neck.
“But… but…” Crowley stuttered. “In front of your books? In front of your… Bibles?”
Aziraphale’s hands wandered downwards and started to open Crowley’s belt.
“Not keen on that idea?”
Crowley let out a shrill, slightly hysterical laugh.
“Not keen? For fuck’s sake, angel. Only one of my most frequent fantasies, that idea.”
“Oh.” Even in his extremely aroused state, Aziraphale felt his cheeks heat up to learn that. “Really? What have you fantasized about, exactly?”
Crowley swallowed needlessly and let out a shuddering breath as the angel’s hand wrapped around his erection.
“Uh… well… Kinda thought it’d be great if… if one day I’d get to… take you on your desk.”
“Oh.” Aziraphale felt those words go straight to his crotch. He glanced at the desk which had heaps of books and papers and other items on it. He quickly miracled it all to a safer location, leaving the desk clear. He might have been eager to fulfill Crowley’s fantasy, but that didn’t mean he wanted his precious things thrown around.
“Well, it looks like your fantasy is about to come true.“ He released Crowley’s already rock-hard cock from his pants, and started tracing his fingertip around the head, spreading precum across it and eliciting incoherent noises from the demon. “Because I don’t have much patience, dear. I need you to take me. Right here, right now”, he panted against the demon’s neck.
“Nrghk”, Crowley said. He swooped the angel up in his arms and carried him to the desk, placing him on top of it. He was immediately pulled on top of him and into a heated kiss. Crowley snaked his hands between them to unbutton Aziraphale’s pajama shirt, hungrily kissing and nipping his skin as it was exposed. The angel mewled at the sensations, rolling his hips upwards against Crowley’s erection. Crowley groaned and proceeded to remove Aziraphale’s pajama bottoms and underpants, lifted his legs up and kissed his ankle, before placing his legs over his shoulders, earning a delighted giggle. Then he aligned his cock against Aziraphale’s slick, swollen cunt, and the angel’s giggle turned into a series of gasps and moans as he pushed in.
“Oh yes…” Aziraphale moaned as his head lolled back against the desk. He revelled in the way Crowley’s strong hands held his hips, the way he grunted as his thrusts became more and more frantic. “Oh darling, it feels so good…”
“You’re telling me”, Crowley muttered, getting quite out of breath. “Fuck Heaven. Your cunt is the only real Heaven there is.”
“That’s… ah… quite… oh… crass… m-my dear”, the angel panted. “But also… ah… quite… sweet.”
In his ecstasy, Crowley didn’t even try to come up with arguments to refute that statement.
“You’re so perfect”, he said instead, his voice a sort of frantic half-whisper, as he thrusted all the way in and rolled his hips, before returning to his fast, rhythmic pace. “So fucking beautiful. And I’m the luckiest sod in the Universe. Cause I get to fuck you like this… Fuck your beautiful cunt... even made you pregnant... Can’t wait to see you... all big and round... with my child...”
“Crowley”, Aziraphale whined, his chest heaving. He grasped at Crowley’s arms, trying to anchor his trembling body, as he felt an orgasm nearing. The demon’s words were probably the most arousing thing he had ever heard, and their effect on him almost shocked him.
Crowley kept babbling words of adoration, when the angel gripped his forearms with white knuckles and came with a howl. The demon let out a series of incoherent words and hisses, stilling deep inside him and coming with a loud groan.
As they were both recovering from their climaxes, Crowley gently removed the angel’s legs from his shoulders. The angel hooked them around Crowley’s middle and pulled him into a languid kiss.
“Well”, Aziraphale started after the kiss was over, suddenly feeling almost coy. “Was it… as good as your fantasy?”
Crowley huffed a laugh. “Better. So, so much better.”
Aziraphale giggled and blushed. “I can’t believe we did it here.” He glanced at his shelf of Bibles. “I feel so… naughty.”
Crowley pressed an appreciative kiss onto his chest.
“I think it’s you being up the duff that’s making you so naughty. You’ve never been so impatient to get railed before. Great symptom if you ask me”, he grinned.
Aziraphale gave him a half-hearted glare.
“Really, dear. Can’t you call it something nicer.”
“Not so naughty anymore, are we”, Crowley chuckled.
He backed away a little and helped the angel off the desk. Aziraphale went to pluck his robe from the floor.
“I think I have been naughty enough for one day”, he said as he tied his robe. “Next I would like to celebrate our new chapter by something more… proper.” He looked at Crowley with hopeful eyes. “Does your offer of a shopping trip and meal still stand?”
Crowley finished buckling his belt and grinned at him.
“Absolutely.”
The angel smiled at him radiantly.
“Alright. Just let me go get changed first.”
Crowley leaned against the desk, staring after him with a dreamy smile on his face, and sighed.
The other demons had mocked him for “going native”. For this. He almost felt bad for those sorry wankers. They really didn’t know what they were missing out on.