Everyday it's a-gettin' closer - English Version

The Return - Unwanted Knowledge

Seconds passed...

minutes...

moments...

Eternities...

Time seemed endless until Nathanael startled, as Crowley gasped for breath and his skin slowly grew warmer again. When he tried to shoot up, the latter contorted his face, squinted his still closed eyes and fell back into Nathanael's arm with a groan.

The latter wrapped that arm around the demon, as well as the other, and hugged him to her.

"Oh, thank God!" she sighed in relief.

"'Nathanael, everything hurts! Everything hurts!" groaned Crowley and Nathanael loosened her grip. "Of course! I'm sorry," she murmured and waited patiently for Crowley to collect himself. As she did so, she eyed him closely once more and was relieved to see that, in addition to the warmth, the colour of his skin was now gradually returning.

"Boah...I take back everything about my laudanum intoxication a few hundred years ago...," Crowley gritted, and with Nathanael's help was able to sit up slowly.

"You'll definitely have to tell me about that one...but later...how are you feeling?"

"Like a flannel. Like I've been soaked in water and then tossed back and forth to be wrung out again," Crowley answered honestly, grabbing his temple with his hand.

"My glasses!" he noted, startled, and for the first time, his eyes opened, "Damn! Where....?" Panicked, he looked around. As he found the accessory, took it and tried to put it on, he was stopped by Nathanael grabbing him by the wrist.

"Wait!" she added to her gesture and the demon looked at her in irritation. "'Nathanael! You're the one I've come to trust about my eyes, but we're outside and we've caused enough of a stir already! We don't need people panicking as well because they see a weirdo with snake eyes!"

"Take a good look at me!" replied Nathanael, unimpressed, and Crowley did as he was told. However, a certain unease spread through him.

"Tell me, is yellow your favourite colour, or where is this sudden fascination coming from?"

Without saying anything, Nathanael took out her phone and opened the camera function. "If anything, it's dark brown!" she said afterwards. "What?" muttered Crowley, stunned, and then stared at the display after Nathanael held the device out to him. Suddenly her casual remark made sense.

Crowley saw a sight that had been denied him for many millennia. His yellow, snake-like eyes had given way to clear, dark brown pupils. Wide-eyed, he stared back at himself, noticing that the serpentine marks on his sideburns had also disappeared.

"What the..." he whispered, now ignoring any pain in his body. He stood up and walked to the window of the small, closed shop he and Nathaniel had walked past. The glass too, presented the same picture.

"Holy..."

"...Shit...", Nathanael completed the sentence and joined Crowley.

"My enzymes have changed...that's why everything hurt me, or rather it still does, but it's bearable by now..." he understood and Nathanael took a deep breath. "I don't sense any angelic aura on you though..." she discarded her first guess and Crowley looked up at the sky.

"You still see the glimmer of the miracle, don't you?" he asked mysteriously, but instead of being puzzled, Nathanael's face darkened and she nodded slowly.

"Not you in that case, since you ask me so..." she concluded and Crowley ran a hand through his red hair, afterwards laughing falsely.

"Now that's a new one...inventive, I must admit!" he chuckled and shook his head, "oh damn...damn...damn..." His expression turned serious, even fearful. As if he were cold, he rubbed his upper arms. Like a hunted animal, he began to pace back and forth. Nervousness crawled up inside him like a spider.

"Crowley..."

"...I feel it, little one!" interrupted Crowley, Nathanael immediately, "I feel the decay. How this body is breaking around me, slowly dying..." he whispered, wincing as Nathanael held him by the upper arms. "We'll get it done, however we get it done!" she said firmly and Crowley took a deep breath before nodding.

"Anyway, now Engel can't say I'm one of the..." At that moment, Crowley and Nathanael both gasped at the same time. Wordlessly, they both began to run and hurriedly hurried back to the bookstore, where they almost ran into Muriel, who had just yanked open the front door.

"There you are! Where have you been? ... Crowley! Your eyes...!" she gasped, protesting briefly as Crowley, as well as Nathanael, passed her wordlessly.

They caught sight of Aziraphale, beads of sweat on his forehead and clearly struggling with pain. "Angel!" Concerned, Crowley immediately walked up to his beloved and he looked at him with wide-open eyes.

"Your eyes..." whispered Aziraphale too, taking a deep breath as Crowley stared deeply into his with them.

"Him too..." he then addressed Nathanael. "How can you be sure?" asked Nathaniel, confused.

"His pupils...they are no longer star-shaped!" Irritated, Aziraphale had to watch as Nathanael too now stared into his eyes and then snorted. She broke away from the pair and slapped the flat of her hand against one of the pillars.

"How, how did he manage that! He couldn't have used it!" screeched Nathaniel even, tangling her brown hair.

"What's going on here, anyway? Aziraphale was suddenly in severe pain and doubled over! And now you Crowley...your eyes! Moreover...your auras.", Muriel hurried down.

"It almost seems as if you are..."

"...human!"

Was Crowley the first to dare say the thought aloud. "Oh my God..." whispered Aziraphale in shock, sitting down on the cushioned armchair, "...was this Metatron's doing? Is he responsible for this?"

"I wouldn't put it past him, anyway!" hissed Crowley, watching Nathanael as she leaned against one of the pillars and sank onto her buttocks. "What have I done?" she spoke softly, staring into the air, "If I hadn't threatened Elion...what if he went straight to Metatron and then..."

"Oh no!", Crowley interrupted her immediately and after a searching glance at Aziraphale, walked towards her, "Surely that's what he's trying to achieve on the side! We won't let him!" He grabbed Nathanael's hands and squeezed. "Something like this can't be pulled off in a knee-jerk reaction. You know that very well! Don't let that old curmudgeon get into your head!"

With dim eyes, Nathanael looked at Crowley and raised his head as Aziraphale now also leaned in front of them.

"Besides, we need you all the more now!" he hinted and Crowley nodded in agreement as Nathanael tilted his head questioningly. "This is not something that can be easily fixed with a miracle. Speak, it will take time and we will remain like this for an unknown time," Crowley explained, "...and believe us. If there's one thing we don't know about, it's...being human!"

"But of course, Nathanael, again, knows perfectly well..." now Muriel, who had secretly joined the group, understood, "...you were human. You know the body. You know how a human works."

Nathaniel took a deep breath, slapped his cheeks a few times and let Crowley help him up. She braced her hands on her hips and collected herself again before then glancing around the group.

"I can't believe I'm saying this...but..." she took a breath, "...I think this is the first time in my life where I wish I didn't have this knowledge. Or rather, that I would ever have to use it. Especially not with a demon and an angel..."