Awkward Gospel

Love and Work to Do

Chapter Six

Salandra had some interesting ideas about addressing the potential apocalypse. As she was still on Heaven and Hell's respective payrolls to annoy and inconvenience her new friends, she suggested she was in the perfect position to act as a spy to both sides and keep Crowley and Aziraphale informed as to what they were up to. She also thought she could arrange to get them both new bodies if they were discorporated again, which was a nice weight off their shoulders.

Her work to interfere with their lives went on, but now took the form of regular movie nights. Salandra continued to have simple tastes and came to truly love humanity after several Disney and Studio Ghibli films.

At the end of one such night Salandra was weeping into the lapel of Aziraphale's waistcoat at the end of Ponyo. Aziraphale was looking over at Crowley in desperation and Crowley was trying hard not to laugh at his angel's predicament.

Finally the credits ended and Aziraphale stood up as quickly as he could, dislodging Salandra and sending her sprawling onto the couch. That wasn't enough to stop her crying. "They're just...so in love!"

Salandra also had a weakness for love stories, which they'd discovered was an excellent way to get her to leave when they'd gotten tired of her company. Crowley decided it was time to use that strategy.

"You're right, Salandra. Ponyo and Sosuke are profoundly happy now despite the unlikely nature of their love. It just makes me want to, ah, cuddle and hold hands with my own unlikely love." Crowley stood up and softly took Aziraphale's hand in his, making a point of tilting his head and giving him a particularly doe-eyed look from behind his sunglasses. Aziraphale blushed and looked over-the-moon in return. That was enough to make Crowley's heart flip, despite the charade of the situation.

There was pause before Aziraphale realized what they were doing. "Crowley, I...Ah, oh yes. Salandra dear, it seems that Crowley and I are being overcome by a fresh wave of romantic emotions. Do you think you could leave us to them?"

"Oh! Of course!" Salandra lept up from the couch and began to gather her things. "I'll just leave you two to stare into each other's eyes and make bold declarations of love and..." She looked up at both of them, seeming on the brink of tears again. "You two, you're just so beautiful!" And she squished them both into a tight hug.

Moments later she was out the door and Crowley and Aziraphale breathed sighs of relief. It wasn't easy being guardians and companions to a demon who still very much depended on them for meaning in her life. Still, it was nice to have a new friend among them.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" Aziraphale asked. "Ultimately, I mean?"

Crowley shrugged. "It's hard to know. She seems alright when we're making gooey eyes at each other, but I know she still has dark times. She was talking to me just the other day about the true nature of evil and man's inhumanity to man. No one does that in a cheerful state."

"Yes, well. Suicidal tendencies aren't sort of thing cured overnight. We will have to be kind and patient with her as she continues her journey." Aziraphale looked so solemn that Crowley couldn't stand it. He leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss.

They'd been kissing with increasing frequency for some time now. It still sent a thrill through Crowley and left Aziraphale a blushing mess. "Don't get too serious on me now," Crowley said with a smirk. "We both know you love being a guardian angel."

"Perhaps," Aziraphale tentatively admitted. He looked Crowley in the eyes and his gaze was filled with warmth and affection. "That doesn't mean I don't have time for multiple interests though." Then Aziraphale moved in for a kiss of his own, slower and still a bit nervous but growing less so everyday. Crowley had learned that he had to wait and hold still for Aziraphale's kisses. They were always worth it.

"You know," Crowley said once they had parted again, "we did just say we were overcome with romantic affection. I'd hate for us to become liars..." Aziraphale gave him an amused look. "Well, for you to become a liar anyway."

"My dear, my darling, you need hardly twist words so much to convince me to kiss you again and again until the sun comes up." Aziraphale wrapped his arms around Crowley and gently ran his fingers through the hair at the back of Crowley's head. "I love you."

Crowley swallowed. Those words were so simple, yet they still practically made him sway with the headiness of them. There was nothing he could do but respond in kind. "I love you too."

Things weren't perfect now. Salandra's presence was a regular reminder that their current uninterrupted lifestyle was a reprieve and not a new status quo. New challenges would arise. The other sides would come and face them again. The thought weighed on Crowley and Aziraphale more than they would have liked. But at the same time they took comfort. They weren't alone. They had each other. They had everything their bond had given them, including a new ally. They didn't have much, but they had faith in themselves.

They kissed, like Aziraphale had promised, again and again until the warmth between them transformed into a heavy heat. Crowley was burning to touch Aziraphale, to run his hands over every part of him. But he waited. He always waited now.

"Do you, ah, want to take this a bit further?" Crowley asked, gentle and careful.

Aziraphale blushed and kissed him again, full of love and passion. "I think I would like that very much, my dear."

"By further I mean sex. Just to be clear."

"...Yes, I had worked that out. Thank you, Crowley."

And they both laughed. Happy. Relieved. Things weren't perfect, but in this moment they might as well have been. They held hands as they moved to the bedroom and continued with the rest of their lives.