Crowley
"I'm Aziraphale."
Slightly ridiculously so, the demon almost breathed a sigh of relief as he answered. "Crowley. It's Crowley."
The angel beside him only nodded in acknowledgement, before pressing his lips together, and continuing almost casually. "You know, for a demon, you're not... Horrible."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well..." He folded his hands neatly infront of him. Seemingly unaffected by the other's scowl, and the demon almost melted for some reason. "You haven't discorporated or burned me with Hellfire just yet."
"Never say never." He grinned.
The angel smiled nervously.
Fuck, alright. He should probably say something back now. "I guess you aren't too bad yourself, angel."
Aziraphale looked up, pausing for a moment. Then his face broke, gentle blue eyes lit up as he smiled. As he beamed. Metaphorically. It would've probably hurt Crowley if he actually was beaming with holy light. They stared at each other. The holy being looking at him with delighted and glad confusion. As if nobody had ever told him that before. Though Crowley knew this was probably wrong, it didn't matter to him. For suddenly, he wanted nothing more in the world than to keep that very smile on that particular face.
"You're nicer than most demons." He continued. "I mean- I'm speculating- I haven't had a chat with many other demons."
"You're definitely nicer than any other angel I've ever met."
He shrugged. "I'm an angel, it's in the job description."
"Hmm. Other ones aren't doing their job so well then." Crowley noted.
The angel didn't respond, and there was another moment of silence for the two. Crowley still kept his wing tucked behind the angel's back, but it was almost frozen, afraid that if he startled the celestial being, he would move away. Yelling and the sound of clanging metal from outside filled the quiet library, their own voices no longer providing a distraction. The demon frowned. All of the humans' creations over the past centuries were being destroyed now. He was actually relieved when the angel spoke again.
"Crowley?"
"Hmm?"
"Did you ever get to be amongst the humans for long?"
"No." Crowley replied, his response the same hushed whisper. "I was on earth once, a long time ago. Haven't been up here for long since then."
"You're Crawly, aren't you? The Serpent of Eden?"
"What gave it away?"
The angel chuckled. "Your eyes."
"Oh, right." He smiled a bit, brining his hands up to his face. "Sunglasses would probably do me some good." He had heard that humans had them, and that they were quite stylish.
Aziraphale shook his head. "To hide your eyes? No, I quite like them."
Crowley threw his head back in an almost mocking laugh. He had never heard that about his eyes. About him in general. Demons weren't ones for compliments. No one had ever said anything good about him. It also made a warm feeling go off in his chest. He quite liked it, truth be told.
"I'm serious!" Aziraphale replied with a large, genuine, smile.
Crowley grinned. "I-"
A crashing sound from outside. The sound snapped Crowley's mouth shut again. But it also shook the building, so much so that a few books fell from the shelves. Their careless joy ceased and Crowley felt a hand grab his, and in response, the demon wrapped his wing tighter around the angel. The shaking stopped, but their embrace most certainly did not. Did the angel also feel his heart racing?
Aziraphale's voice reached him, but his eyes were sad. "So much destruction and pain- for us and for the humans. And for what? For a silly feud to be settled between Heaven and Hell?" He scoffed.
"It's gone too far now." He squinted at a nearby window. "Only one that could fix this now is the Almighty."
Aziraphale looked up immediately, those sad blue eyes now shinning.
"What?"
"That's it, Crowley!" He squeezed their hands, wings opening.
He couldn't even relish the sound of the angel saying his name with so much fondness. "What are you going on about, Aziraphale?"
"Surely, the Almighty Herself can stop this. Bring all the humans back." He explained, intertwining their hands further as he did.
"I- I mean, yeah, I guess." Crowley desperately wanted to run his fingers through his red hair. "But, Aziraphale, I don't- how the Heaven are you going to even get to Her? More importantly, why would She?"
"Crowley, we're all her creations. She loves all of us."
"Well, maybe she'll save your lot, but there's no way she'll save mine."
"You're still Her creations."
"We're Fallen. She dammed us all, do you really think She cares?"
Aziraphale jumped up, away from the demon's grasp. "Only one way to find out- and if you help, maybe she might save you."
"Aziraphale, wait." He scrambled to his feet. "Where are you going?"
"Heaven." He approached the library doors. Through the main entrance.
Without a second thought, Crowley grabbed one of his white wings, and yanked him away from the doors. But perhaps with a bit too much strength, because the angel quite literally fell into his arms. The demon took in the sight of his wings. They were a pure and beautifully white... Despite that particular fact, he still spotted missing feathers here and there. He looked away before he could get too lost in thought. But made the mistake of looking into his eyes, and the two of them stared at each other for a moment. A long, awkward moment.
"Ngk." Was the only sound Crowley could let out before clearing his throat. "Not that way- lot 'a fighting."
Aziraphale's nodded slowly, before straightened himself up, no longer in the demon's arms. "Then what way do you suggest?"
On one note, he seriously didn't want to go to the Almighty Herself. But it was clear he couldn't let this angel go by himself, he would surely be killed the second he stepped outside. Either by some demon or caught between a fight. He seemed more than capable of getting himself into trouble. How the Heaven had he even survived to get this far anyway? Turning his back on a demon like that... On yet another note, why in Satan's name did he care? Wasn't he supposed to have killed him by now? But he found in himself that he didn't want to, heq rather liked this angel. He had done him no wrong- on the contrary- he'd spared him when his objective was to kill him. Yes, it would be traitorous to go with him now. But what good had either Heaven or Hell ever done for him? He had never been entirely loyal to either, anyway. Because Crowley couldn't exactly see himself as the type to devote himself completely to something- or someone.
"I'll take you there." Crowley offered outloud, searching for a different exit.
"Really?" Aziraphale's eyes lit up, and oh, he was bound to discorporate the demon sooner or later. One way or another. "Oh good, I must say I was unsure of heading on my own."
Crowley only nodded. Heart stopping as a blur of silver caught his eye. He nodded at the sword on the ground.
Aziraphale stopped beside him.
"You should probably take that."
The angel followed his gaze. "Oh. Yes, I'm afraid you're absolutely right, I should." He picked it up, staring at the blade for a moment.
But Aziraphale made the mistake of looking back at the demon. His gaze fell a little, surely noting that the black in his yellow eyes were turning into slits in a nervous manner. No, not nervous- scared. Fuck. He thought as he met the angel's eyes, and he made the effort to control himself, his eyes turning back to normal. He was better than this! What was getting into him?
"Actually..." The angel dropped the sword. "I think I'll leave it here."
"Really?" Crowley tilted his head.
"I doubt I'll need it." Aziraphale opened his wings further, and they brushed against Crowley's own.
Accidental or not, Crowley hid a thin smile. Ignoring his heart virtually racing out of his chest, he gave him a nod. Very odd angel, indeed. He noted again. Yet again, he realized that he too was a particularly odd demon.
"To the bloody Almighty, I guess."
...
Music; You have Stolen my Heart, Brian Fallon (it was originally the song Francesca by Hozier but some of the lyrics caught my attention and I liked it better).
"I could swear that I knew you before
And maybe on another night, we were lovers in another life
Or maybe we were only strangers on mystery trains
And you were only a ghost that has stolen my heart away
And I always wondered if I knew you before."