Sunset

So, I started this fic a SUPER long time ago and stopped half way through, and only just now found it again, so I apologize if there's a huge disconnect between the beginning and the end. Also, it's been a while since I've watched the show, so I'm sorry if Crowley and Aziraphale are a little OOC.

***

Eden remains for quite some time after the humans leave. Crawly's a bit surprised, actually. Given the magnitude of what he'd just tempted Eve to do, he expected God to destroy it in a big fiery ball of Divine Fury or something. She always could be a bit flashy, with the invention of Heaven and Hell and ambiguous orders and drastic punishments and whatnot. This time however, is different. Instead things happen slowly, meticulously, and far more personally than he'd predicted.

It's lovely, at first. More than lovely, wandering Eden's beauty for unknowable amounts of time, reveling in breathtaking greenery and vibrant colors. Since his first mission came to an end, Hell's left him alone, free to do as he wishes- perfectly fine with him, of course. If it were up to him, he'd spend the rest of eternity like this. Napping peacefully amongst the flourishing trees, partaking of perfect fruit, forbidden or otherwise. Something about the Garden fills him with a sense of warmth, a contentedness he hasn't felt since...well, since Before. A fraction of it, at least. He knows better than to become attached to something so temporary, but he can't help but savor every moment.

This place is safe. Painless, beautiful -the exact opposite of Hell, with all it's cold agony and unforgiving edges. There won't be anything like Eden again, that's for sure. He might as well make the most of it.

The Garden's not the only reason he stays, however. Just as Eden remains, so do its guardians. Crawly harbors a special kind of disdain for angels in general- the arrogant, self righteous bastards -but for the first time, he's met somewhat of an outlier.

The guardian of the East Gate is different. Softer. He's still not sure what drew him to Aziraphale in the first place, but since that first encounter he's been positively puzzled. Perplexed. The angel's mysterious, confusing, always annoyingly present in the back of his mind like a song he can't quite remember. It's infuriating. Why does he keep going back? Why should he care about an angel? He doesn't. Can't. He's a demon, after all, demons don't care for anything but themselves. But for all his reasoning and bitterness, he still can't seem to stay away.

Questions swirl in his mind, only growing in number with every visit. Things he's oddly determined to chase after, burning to know against his better judgement, if only to satisfy himself. Why does Aziraphale talk to him? Why not simply smite him, like any other angel would? Surely a promotion would be in order, but the angel doesn't seem to care much for his position. Why else would he have given his sword away? And yet, any mention of his superiors pulls him back, into his reserved, quiet shell like the reminder itself is enough to set him straight. It takes quite a while to coax him back out again, and even then he always seems a bit more anxious, more wary than before.

Aziraphale's a paradox in angel form. And, well, Crawly's never been good at ignoring his curiosity. He'll just have to keep visiting until he gets some answers.

***

After a while, both of them grow accustomed to a sort of rhythm. Aziraphale stands, steadfast and alert atop the East gate, until Crawly appears beside him and starts up conversation. If the angel notices him being nosy, he doesn't comment on it, and in turn, the demon keeps teasing to a minimum. They end up spending quite a bit of time together, and together, they experience the beginnings of Earth.

The first death comes and goes- the lion by Aziraphale's sword, much to the angel's unspoken horror. Then the first rain. It's only when the first sunset begins that Crawly starts to panic.