Ineffable Omens (Crowley x Aziraphale)

A Fall, A Rise, but Never a Choice

Crowley cradled his angel in his arms, terrified of what the future held. He had never wanted to hurt his angel. He had always been scared of his angel falling. He feared that after 6,000 years, he finally would cause his angel to fall. He was a bad influence, and he should have known better than to corrupt his angel so. The cynic in him wanted to get up right now and leave their bed, sneak out the window and never look back so his angel could be safe, but he stopped himself. How was he to know he was the reason Aziraphale fell?

Crowley stared at his angel, running his fingers lazily through his short blonde hair. The two lay in bed together, enjoying their first peaceful night in a very long time. Aziraphale had drifted off to sleep some time ago, his arms wrapped around the demon's midsection and his head resting on the demon's chest. Although Crowley enjoyed sleep far more than his angel did, he couldn't fall asleep. He was too worried and preoccupied with the future.

He set his worries aside for a moment, though, as he gazed longingly at Aziraphale, taking in every curve and every angle, admiring how the moonlight illuminated the side of his face so perfectly, how the corner of his lips were turned up ever so slightly in a smile, as if he were in the midst of a lovely dream he never wanted to end.

How could an angel so beautiful fall?

"Hey, God," Crowley whispered, his voice breaking. "It's me, Crowley." He didn't want to speak too loudly and wake Aziraphale up, but he felt a conversation was in order. "I know we haven't talked in, well, six years, but I need to know ... I need to know if we're safe. If this is the end or just the calm before the storm because it seems like no matter what we do, you find a new way to screw us over ..." Crowley sighed. "I need to know how you could let this happen? How you could let him fall? There has never been a more dedicated and pure angel ... no one less worthy of the fate you gave him. I need to know how he could possibly deserve that?"

Only silence answered him, as he expected, until he heard a knock downstairs. Crowley stared lovingly at his partner once more, but something told him he should answer the door. He untangled himself from Aziraphale, remembering painfully that the last time he had done that, terrible things happened. He made his way downstairs, the floorboards creaking under his weight, and he opened the door.

Outside stood a very familiar deliveryman. It had been six years since they had last seen him, but Crowley recognized the face.

"No package today sir," the man said. "Just a message. Are you Anthony J. Crowley? They said this wasn't your residence but that'd I'd find you here. They were very specific. 1:23 AM on the dot and I was not to be any sooner or later. Rather peculiar, I'd say. I've been waiting a decade or so to deliver this message. Really funny business, I'd say, but I never ask questions."

"What's the message?" Crowley asked impatiently.

"Well, it reads, 'sometimes one needs only to trust that it is all planned out and that everyone gets the ending they deserve, as rough as the middle parts may be. Some angels fall just so they can make the choice to rise again. Some demons rise so they can choose a side.' End message."

Some demons what?

"Well, I best be off. Some strange things happening all around."

The deliveryman turned and disappeared into his truck, leaving Crowley alone in the doorway of the bookshop. He felt to his knees as a searing pain shot through his heart, spreading through every muscle in his body, tearing through his head in a splitting headache, before fading away. He stumbled to his knees, and terrified of what he'd find, unfolded his wings. Pearly white wings split through the darkness, a color he hadn't seen on his wings since ... well, a very long time ago.

"Oh my heavens," Aziraphale said and Crowley whipped around to see his angel standing at the bottom of the stairs. "You woke me up when you left ... but oh Crowley! You're an angel!" Aziraphale raced to him and hugged him. "You must be so happy!"

Crowley hesitantly hugged him back. This wasn't what he wanted.