Ineffable Interludes: Good Omens

HE PROTECC pt 1

TW: homophobia, domestic abuse, violence, religious discussion.

Friend Protecc

PLAYLIST:

Born This Way by Lady Gaga

Fight Song by Rachel Platten

You Need To Calm Down by Taylor Swift 

Aziraphale was trying to teach Crowley chess when the bookshop door flew open. A young man stumbled inside, tripped, and sprawled on the floor. They saw by the blue hair that it was Paul, the young man who invited them to the mixer at Fruity's. Since that night, they'd become close friends with him and most of the patrons there.

"Paul?" Aziraphale asked in shock. "What's wrong?"

Paul looked up at them, wide-eyed. His nose and lip were bleeding, and and he had a black eye. Both angel and demon sprang into action; in moments, they had him ensconced in the back room, drinking tea while they tended to his injuries. Even Crowley was being unusually gentle.

"Paul, how did this happen?" Aziraphale asked, dabbing at the young man's split lip.

"My dad," Paul mumbled.

"What?" the other two demanded.

"My dad. I came out to him, and he...didn't take it well. " Paul sniffled. "I couldn't call the police. I don't want to get him in trouble. I... didn't know where to go."

"You came to the right place, dear boy," Aziraphale assured him."You're safe here."

"You're an angel, Mr Fell."

Crowley, however, had a different reaction. "Your...father... did this?" he asked slowly.

"Crowley," Aziraphale began, trying to head off the inevitable explosion.

"Yeah," Paul confirmed miserably. "Said I'm going to hell for loving another man."

"Bullshit," Crowley snapped, throwing down a handful of gauze. "I'm going to fix this right now."

"Crowley!" Aziraphale barked. "You can't just go over there and--"

"Don't worry, angel." Crowley flashed him a demonic grin as he stood up. "I won't lay a finger on him."

Then he was gone. A moment later, they heard the Bentley start up and burn rubber down the narrow street.

"What's he going do?" Paul asked.

"I have no idea," Aziraphale replied, though he had some idea. "Let's get you patched up and worry about it later, shall we?"

Crowley was so pissed that his eyes were glowing yellow behind his sunglasses. He didn't care about taboos or opinions; it was a side effect, and sometimes bonus, of being a demon. Outside his own moral code, that he didn't give half a shit what any being thought of him. But if there was one thing he couldn't abide, it was bullies. He'd been the victim of them before and after his Fall, and he swore to do everything he could to protect others from it. Especially a sweet person like Paul...and especially from someone he loved.

The townhouse was fifteen minutes away; the Bentley made it in five. Crowley jumped out and pounded on the door.  "Cable company!" he lied.

Paul's father opened it. He was taller even than Crowley, and far bulkier, not that it mattered. "That is Mr. James to you. And we don't have cable."

"No, but you do have a son you beat bloody," Crowley said, shouldering past him into the house.

"Excuse me, you can't just barge in here!"

  Crowley slammed the door. "Your son it's at my husband's--" he emphasized the words just to annoy Mr. James "--bookshop, bleeding and crying because of what you did to him. Do you have anything to say about that?"

Author's notes to follow final part.