Chapter Text
The large house was humming softly with the sounds of the evening. In the sitting room, Crowley was bent over the coffee table, “Come on, kid, concentrate, you know this. If you mess it up again, you will be studying while everyone eats rhubarb crumble.”
Eric grunted an acknowledgement of the threat, but still smiled, knowing that Crowley would never actually carry it out, when there was a knock at the front door.
In the kitchen, Aziraphale looked up, “Darling, could you please get the door? I have made quite the mess in here.”
Of course, Crowley sighed dramatically, straightening, “Don’t move, I’ll be right back.” He patted Eric on the shoulder as he walked away, before whipping back around, pointing, “And don’t cheat with your phone!” he finished, turning around to open the door.
On the doorstep stood two of his year 11 students, Adam Young and Warlock Dowling, eyes like saucers, each with a suitcase and bookbag. Warlock’s knuckles were white with how hard he was gripping the strap of his.
“Oh, ah, M-Mr. Crowley?” Adam stammered, clearly mortified, “I am sorry… we made a mistake, we will just…” Adam rambled, trying to find an excuse for this. When Mr Fell appeared behind Mr Crowley, wiping his hands on an apron and placing a hand on Mr Crowley’s hip.
“Who is it, my love?”
Warlock’s mouth fell open, and he quickly slammed it shut with an audible click. Turning scarlet, Adam stammered, “We… we really must have the wrong address,” stepping backwards. “Sorry for the inconvenience, Mr Fell…”
“Nah, you are in the right place,” Crowley interrupted calmly, “come in.” He said, stepping back, letting the warmth and light from the house welcome them in. Mr Fell’s face softened immediately, as he understood, “Oh, my darlings, come in. Come in, dinner is almost ready, and we have more than enough for everyone.”
Turning to look over his shoulder, Crowley called out, “Joshua!”
A young man with short, thick curly hair seemed to pop out of nowhere. He had a huge, cheerful smile on his face. “Yeah, boss?”
“This is Adam and Warlock, two of my students,” Crowley introduced, “Could you show them around the house, explain how things work here. I need to finish helping Eric, and Aziraphale is finishing up with dinner.”
Turning to the duo, Joshua’s smile seemed to grow, “No problem, you guys, let's put your stuff down first.” He turned, going up the stairs, saying over his shoulder, “I’ve been here about three years, and will be your official tour guide.”
Once out of hearing range, Adam burst with all the questions that had been burning within him. “Wait, Mr Crowley and Mr Fell… they’re married?”
“Yeah. Have been for years,” Joshua laughed, “They are so sickeningly in love, it's cute, when not saccharine sweet.”
“And… Does Mr Crowley always wear his sunglasses? Even at home?”
“At home, it's just Crowley, and yeah, almost always. He has very sensitive eyes. It just helps keep headaches away, nothing mysterious… well, not really.”
Frowning, “They don't seem like they would have much in common,” Adam said.
Joshua stopped in front of a door and smiled, “That’s just because you don’t know them yet, just wait. You’ll see.” He said, opening the door to the bedroom, where they set down everything before heading back downstairs.
In the setting room, they found Eric, having finished his homework, scrolling on his phone, slumped up against Muriel. Who was reading an old novel, her legs folded underneath her.
Crowley had joined Aziraphale in the kitchen. Slipping his arms around his angel’s waist, he rested his chin on his shoulder. Aziraphale leaned back into his hold with a small contented sigh. They started to sway gently to the soft jazz playing in the background.
Adam was frozen in the doorway when he saw Crowley whisper something into Mr Fell's ear; whatever it was made him chuckle softly. Adam couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Crowley was the strictest and most sarcastic teacher at school; he was able to terrify half of the school merely by raising an eyebrow. And here he was, cuddling his husband in the kitchen, like a cat demanding attention. “Fuck…” Warlock whispered beside him.
Joshua came up behind them, draped his arms across both their shoulders, and said happily, “Welcome home, guys.”
At the kitchen counter, Crowley tightened his arms around Aziraphales's waist as he leaned down to give him a soft peck on his cheek.
“Demon… stop tempting me!” he said with a bright laugh, turning and putting a hand on Crowley’s chest. “We have two new kids that need us tonight, you know that they will be having a tough time. They do not need to see their teacher being amorous on top of everything else. They are already surprised to see that we are the ones running the house, that we are married. Now to see the demon terror of the school…”
“I forbid you to finish that sentence, Angel.” Crowley stepped back, glared from behind his glasses, the lenses seeming to suck the light of the room into them.
Laughing softly, eyes shining, he patted Crowley on the cheek and gave him a light, teasing kiss to the nose. “Of course, you cunning snake. Nobody would dare say that you are kind or cute. Now, please go set the table, my love.”
Crowley threw his head back and let out a theatrically exaggerated groan, but turned to the cabinet to grab a stack of plates. With a smile, Crowley blew a kiss, and with an extravagant hip sway, he left the kitchen to set the large table in the dining room.
Adam and Warlock stood there frozen, mouths open, “I…did that just happen?” Warlock whispered.
“Has to have been a dream,” Adam replied, completely bewildered, “He’s never done what anyone wants, that I have seen. Never.”
Joshua, just having stepped out of the hall restroom with clean towels, stifled a laugh at the sight of their befuddled faces. “You’ll get used to it. They are always like that, just wait until you see them argue about whose night it is to cook.”
Aziraphale walked past, carrying the glasses, glanced at the two newcomers, and lowered his voice to whisper, “They look completely lost.”
Setting down the last place, Crowley looked over his shoulder at the two, “They are, but they’re here, and that’s a good start.” As he passed behind Aziraphale, his hand naturally slid down his back for a moment, in a discreet but protective gesture, before returning to the table with the napkins.
Adam caught Crowley’s eye for a moment, and instead of the terror-inducing look he knew from school, it was something…different. It was softer, more tired, as if the mask of the sarcastic teacher was finally slipping.
With a small smile and an almost imperceptible nod, Crowley gestured to the table, “Welcome, Adam, Warlock. You are safe here, everything will be alright.”
Aziraphale returned and set a large, still-steaming lasagna down on the table with a warm, welcoming smile. “Everyone, dinner is ready!”
After the meal, just as on every other evening, a small ritual took place without anyone needing to organise it. All of the young people brought their plates into the kitchen, followed shyly by Adam and Warlock, who were observing everything quietly.
Crowley was already at the sink, his sleeves rolled up as he was washing the dishes. Aziraphale was just to the left, as he carefully dried and put away each dish. They almost moved in perfect sync; it was a silent, familiar dance they had performed thousands of times. There was a light touch to a hop here, a small smile there; neither was speaking, since it wasn’t needed.
Once the kitchen was clean, Aziraphale brought out a bottle of red wine, two glasses, and his current novel, and settled comfortably on the sofa. Crowley joined him after a few moments and stretched out, resting his head in his Angel’s lap, his phone in hand.
Immediately, Aziraphale slid his fingers into his hair, caressing and lightly scratching his scalp, while he opened his book with his other hand.
The sitting room was calm, and Muriel was reading in one of the armchairs, completely absorbed in their book. Joshua was sprawled across a large bag chair, distractedly scrolling on his phone. Adam and Warlock were rooted near the doorway; they felt like intruders who had accidentally walked into a strange tableau. They didn’t know what to do or where to go; the feeling of invading and imposing was overwhelming.
In a low, and surprisingly soft voice, not looking up from his phone, Crowley said, “You can come in and make yourself comfortable, ya know. Armchair or sofa… or, if you prefer, you could go to your room. You don’t need to stand there like a pair of statues.”
Joshua glanced up from his phone at the two newcomers and gave them an encouraging smile before looking at Muriel. “Muriel? Let’s go into the bedroom, yeah?”
Muriel looked up from her book, immediately ready to protest this request. “Oh, but I actually just got comfortable.” Then she met Aziraphale’s gaze; his gentle, fatherly smile was enough, and she understood immediately. With a small sigh, she closed her book and stood up. “Alright, Good night, everyone.” Joshua put his arm around her shoulders and, giving Adam and Warlock one last knowing look, guided her upstairs.
The lounge was somehow even quieter, the only sounds the soft crackling of the fireplace, the distant sound of jazz in the background, and the soft breathing of the couple on the sofa. Finally, Adam sat down timidly on the armchair, while Warlock chose the bag chair, his hands clenching his knees tightly.
Aziraphale continued to stroke Crowley’s hair, while looking at the boys, his voice warm and reassuring, “You don’t need to feel like intruders here. This house is made of this; its whole purpose is so that you no longer need to feel unsafe.” Crowley gave a soft grunt in support as he laid his phone down on his stomach and turned to look at them.
The room was silent for several minutes; it wasn’t a heavy silence, but it was charged. Throat tight, Adam said in a low voice, “We…We didn’t know about the two of you. Does anybody know at school?”
“Very few people know,” Aziraphale said with a soft smile, “Well, the other teachers and adults know, we don’t hide it, but we don’t really show it to the students.”
“Why are you doing all this?” Warlock asked, finally asking the questions that had been burning within him for the last couple of hours. “The home…taking us in. Why do all this, when you could just be…alone together?”
With a dry, slightly bitter laugh, Crolwey replied, “Cuz we know what it feels like, kid. To be rejected for who we are, to be alone in the world.”
Aziraphale set his book down on the side table and looked at the two. “And, because nobody should ever be abandoned because their parents don’t accept who they love…or who they are.” He stroked Crowley’s hair some more before adding, “You are safe here, you can stay as long as you need; weeks, months, or even years if you need to.”
Adam’s throat tightened violently as he lowered his head to hide the tears that were building up in his eyes. Warlock simply murmured a quiet, “Thanks.”
Crowley growled lightly, it almost seemed affectionate, “Yeah. No problem, now go and get settled and get some rest. Tomorrow is a school day, and I don’t tolerate latecomers, even at home.” With a stifled laugh, Aziraphale gently patted his demon’s head, smiling at him adoringly.
Adam stayed on the edge of the armchair, his hands white-knuckling his knees; he looked like he had a thousand questions swirling around in his head, but he also didn’t dare to ask any of them. Beside him, Warlock, was equally silent, his eyes fixed on the couple.
“You can ask questions, you know.” Aziraphale smiled, “Any questions. We don’t bite…well, Crowley barks a bit, but he doesn’t bite.”
Adam began, hesitantly, “How long have you known each other? And how long have you been together?”
With a soft, nostalgic laugh, Aziraphale looked down at Crowley, “Oh, it has been a very long time. We have known each other since childhood; we practically grew up in each other’s pockets. But we were separated when we were 15…but reconnected a couple of years later.”
Crowley groaned at this, “They don’t need to know everything, Angel,” he interjected as he pushed his head against Aziraphale’s thigh.
Aziraphale gave him an adorable pout, his protruding slightly, eyes shining with mischief. “But, my dear, I have hardly told him anything! It’s not like I brought out the photo album and the love letters you sent me…”
Crowley blushed, turning his head and burying his face in Aziraphale’s stomach, trying to hide his horrified expression. “Don’t you fucking dare!!!”
Aziraphale burst out laughing; it was a clear, tinkling laughter as he bent down to place a kiss on his temple. “But, my love… You are so romantic. All those lovely letters written in black ink, and little hearts drawn in the margins, and if I didn’t reply quickly…”
“Aziraphale, I swear to someone, I am going to…” Crowley interrupted, with a scowl, but there was a slight upturn to his lips that showed that he wasn’t as upset as he appeared.
Adam and Warlock were completely fascinated watching the scene. The atmosphere in the room was so warm, and light… so normal. Neither of them were used to seeing anything like this in their homes. There wasn’t any shouting, or aggressively folded clothing, or passive-aggressive comments. It was just two men who loved each other openly, who teased each other and laughed together.
It was so unfamiliar, but also beautiful, so beautiful that it was almost painful, to see what they could have had throughout their lives, if things had been different. “Is it always like this?” Warlock asked under his breath.
Aziraphale somehow seemed to hear him and turned his head to look at him. His gentle smile was patient. “Most of the time, yes. We all have bad days; there will be days when some of you will be angry at the whole world…and at us. But we are here, and we are staying.”
Almost in a grumble, Crowley added: “We have, and will always have your back.”
Again, Adam felt his throat tighten as he lowered his eyes, trying not to show how these words were affecting him. This entire day had been overwhelming, “...Thank you,” he said softly.
“I know that you both have been through a lot today. Why don’t you both go and rest? School days are long enough as it is,” Aziraphale suggested.
When they stood up, both of them were both less anxious than before. At the stair landing, Adam glanced back over his shoulder at the two on the sofa. There on the sofa was the most terrifying teacher in the school, his head on his husband's lap. His hair being stroked like a giant grumpy cat by its favourite person.
Finally alone, Crowley groaned as he pressed his face into Aziraphale’s belly. “Did you really need to talk about the photo album and letters?”
Aziraphale smiled, looking down at his love, and hugged his head closer to himself. “You know… I still like to reread them occasionally.”
“Seriously, Angel! Don’t you have enough books to read?”
“My dear, your letters were so romantic and filled with love. Nobody else had ever talked to me like that.”
Crowley stayed silent for a few moments before grabbing Aziraphale by the nape of his neck and pulling him down into a passionate kiss that was abounding with love. It was urgent, almost as if he was going to explode if he didn’t kiss Aziraphale immediately.”
From the second-floor landing, Adam and Warlock watched the scene below; they didn’t dare move, eyes wide.
When Aziraphale finally pulled back to catch his breath, his eyes were filled with desire, his voice was tight with need. “Should we take this into the bedroom? You are such a vile, tempting demon, and…”
With a devilishly sly smile, “Only if my most insatiable angel wants to.”
As if he weighed nothing, Aziraphale suddenly lifted Crowley into his arms, laughing. They were so in love that they didn’t notice the two slipping away at the top of the stairs as they kissed at the bottom.
Warlock was peeking out of the mostly closed door as Aziraphale passed by, still laughing, “My God, Crowley… will you look at what you do to me?” Aziraphale murmured into Crowley’s ear.
“Yes, not very angelic at all, are you?” Crowley teased, his voice suggestive.
Feeling even more like an interloper, Warlock softly closed the door.
When Warlock awoke the next morning, he was surrounded by the most delicious smells: pancakes, toast, bacon, eggs. His stomach was immediately growling.
Crowley was at the stove, in his usual black trousers, a slightly unbuttoned shirt, sunglasses on, turning pancakes with surprising dexterity. When Aziraphale came up behind him, his eyes still heavy with sleep, and embraced him around the waist, and laid a light kiss on the back of his neck, before going up and placing another one on his jaw. “Good morning, my love.”
Crowley leaned back into his embrace with a small contented sigh.
When Adam and Warlock poked their heads into the kitchen, they again froze; they definitely were not used to this. Eric pushed between them, completely unfazed by the scene in front of him, and in a blasé voice, “Could you keep the show for the bedroom, eh? Some of us just want breakfast.”
Without turning around, Crowley gave him the finger and grabbed Aziraphale by the waist and kissed him passionately, just to annoy Eric. He clearly kept the kiss going a few moments longer than would be comfortable for the others, before he pulled away, saying. “The door is wide open, if you don’t want to see people love each other, kid.”
Gently, Aziraphale stroked down Crowley’s chest, trying to calm him, “Come now… gently, my dear. You don’t want to scare our new family members; they’re not used to you just yet.” Aziraphale interrupted, with a slight smile on his face, aware of the different ways his words could be taken.
At that moment, Joshua appeared in the room, wearing a big, warm smile on his face. Tossing his arms over Adam’s and Warlock’s shoulders, “Don’t worry. They aren’t actually fighting; it is just their way of communicating.”
Once everyone was settled around the large table, Aziraphale served tea with a radiant smile. The table was piled high with pancakes, bacon, fresh orange juice, and tea, and as everyone tucked in, the atmosphere became more relaxed.
“I want to welcome both of you this morning, as you can see, the house is not always calm…, but it is always full of love,” Aziraphale said pleasantly. Next to him, Crowley casually laid a hand on his thigh, under the table.
While neither Warlock nor Adam said anything, they were clearly thinking the same thing when they were able to look at each other. Breakfast was relatively calm, with the clinking of cutlery and several quiet conversations occurring around the table. Joshua was asking Muriel about her book, while Eric completely demolished a mountain of pancakes.
Setting his coffee down, Crowley looked seriously at both Adam and Warlock, “I need your phone numbers.”
“Why?” Adam asked quickly, his fork hovering, a hint of panic in his eyes.
Aziraphale quietly reached under the table and touched Crowley’s forearm as he replied calmly, “As long as you are with us, and as neither of you is of legal age, we are legally and morally responsible for you. We need to be able to contact you in case of an emergency, if you are late, not feeling well… or well, simply to know that everything is fine.” His smile was gentle and perceptive. “It is for your safety, my dears, not to control you.”
Crowley shrugged with a faux nonchalance, “And because I would hate to have to run around looking for you if you ever disappear. Please just give us your numbers; this will also give you ours, just in case you need them.”
Adam hesitated for another second before taking out his phone, motioning for Warlock to do the same. Once everyone had exchanged their contact information, Joshua sent a little group text with a smiley face, “There you go, now you are officially in the loop.”
“Welcome to the house,” Crowley said with a smirk as he put his phone down.
After jackets were put on and bags gathered, Aziraphale accompanied everyone to the door and, with a big smile, said, “Have a good day, everyone, and don’t hesitate to text us if things aren’t going well, okay?”
Crowley, who was at the rear of the group, put a hand lightly on Adam’s shoulder, knowing that Warlock would also stop. “Try not to draw attention to yourselves in my class, yea… I am supposed to stay impartial.”
Adam couldn’t help but smile nervously, “Yeah… we’ll try,” he replied as he turned to walk with the others. As he reached the corner, he cast one last look at the big house over his shoulder. He wasn’t really sure where they had landed, but he knew for the first time in a long time, he felt safe.