Context: Pre-canon AU, in which Crowley and Aziraphale met in Heaven before The First Rebellion. Also: a look into the future where some dots will be connected.
Word Count: 6,000
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While many assumed free will was never an option for the angels of Heaven, this was actually not the case. They used to. Yes, they were created to serve Her first and foremost, but they were allowed to think for themselves, to have interactions, to be unique. However, not all of them were aware of this because their mind never went any further than Her. She was curious, and wanted to see what they would do. This was before She became omniscient, and actively entered everyone's thoughts at all times. She started doing that after the incident with Lucifer.
Everyone knows the story of the angel Lucifer, who wanted to be greater than God Herself. It was thanks to him that angels would never have freedom like that again, and humans almost suffered that same fate. But there were two angels, who restored The Almighty's faith in the species She hadn't even created yet. It is thanks to them that humans have free will. While Lucifer would do as he pleased to further his own agenda, the aforementioned ethereal pair made their choices in a selfless manner. This is the story of those two angels.
~~~~~
"Where is that blasted little principality?" Muttered Michael as she walked into the main courtyard. Everyone who saw her coming knew better than to stand in her way when she was upset, so they quickly made room for her. Some would wager they could feel the anger radiating off her as heat. Whether that was an accurate statement or not, was another matter entirely.
Michael was the archangel in charge of training soldiers ever since The Almighty decided Her Heavenly flock needed to learn how to fight. While all her students were very impressive, none were more-so than Aziraphale, the most light-spoken of all the principalities. He was also, much to her dismay, the most stubborn of the bunch. No, he was not willing to directly disobey, but silently skipping out on practice was a common occurrence. The thing about Aziraphale was that he would give his all whenever he was tasked with something, even if he didn't like what he was meant to be doing.
Aziraphale didn't feel right in a military uniform. He knew it must've been right, since that's what The Almighty wanted from him, but for some reason it just never clicked. In spite of that, he became one of the best soldiers they had. This was one of the main reasons Michael would grow so upset with him. So much talent and potential, wasted on a department he didn't even belong to! According to Michael, anyway. The Almighty didn't see the harm in it. Nine times out of ten, the young principality could be found spying or trying to help the angels who worked in Creations. He loved it there.
The Creations Department was God's experimentation zone. Here, angels would try various methods to create and build things She wanted for Earth. Her main reason for this was for them to figure out the most efficient way to make something specific, so She could use the same method when She finally chose to create Earth. What made this department fascinating to some, and infuriating to others, was the free will aspect of it. No, not for them, for the humans. In order for this new species to have free will, meaning: the choice to believe in what they wanted, there needed to be 'earthly' or 'natural' reasons for everything's existence. This was where the less creative angels grew annoyed, because they saw it as overcomplicated.
Aziraphale didn't really mind, he loved having to think outside the box. Here, he felt like he clicked, especially with a particular redhead named Raphael. The two were inseparable whenever Aziraphale would sneak away from practice. For an archangel, he was very laid-back, and had considerably less responsibilities than his siblings. Uriel was not in the mood to answer all of Raphael's questions today, so they sent him off to the outer regions of Heaven to keep working on the stars. Neither of them minded, since this tended to give them more time to have fun.
~~~~~
"So, what did you have in mind for your 'task' today?" Asked Aziraphale as he trailed behind Raphael, looking over his shoulder. Even when he had no distraction, he was always slower than the archangel.
The redhead noticed how far he was and decided to wait. "I don't know yet, but I want it to be big."
"How big?"
"Huge! So big that you feel like you could get lost in it!" He explained, visibly excited.
Aziraphale visibly stiffened before trying to play it off. "Won't that take long? Won't they come find you by the time the day's ended?"
Raphael gave a shrug, grabbed both of Aziraphale's hands and started pulling him along. A very easy feat when you have six wings to carry both of you along. "Probably not. Uriel knows how slow I am when I'm up here... They've never found you up here with me, right?"
"Never."
The archangel smiled. "Good. If they don't think this is an area you'd frequent, you won't get dragged away so quickly. I get to have company and you don't have to pick up a sword today. Everyone wins!"
"Technically, I've had it on me the whole time. But I see your point." The principality said softly.
Once they were high enough, he let go of Aziraphale. They started floating around the area until their bodies grew accustomed to the weightlessness. "As long as you get it... Actually, that might come in handy..."
"My dear, you have no need for a blade up here."
"Not in the traditional sense, love." Said Raphael, stretching his wings and observing their surroundings.
Aziraphale smiled. "I can practically see the gears moving in your head. I take it you're forming an idea as we speak."
"That's right." Sang the archangel.
He definitely was forming an idea. Before long, he was dragging Aziraphale along to a specific spot and posing him in various ways with his sword. Using the principality as a reference, he started painting the skies with stardust, molding it so it'd look like the angel in front of him. Or close enough, anyway. It was a very good thing that Aziraphale was used to staying still for long periods of time thanks to his training.
Hours passed, they chatted a bit for most of that time. When there weren't talking, Aziraphale could hear Raphael mumbling apologies and scolding himself for not getting something right. Other times, one would say something amusing or ridiculous, and they'd start uncontrollably laughing, which would delay the whole process. There were also moments of complete silence between them, but it was comfortable. Eventually, the stardust stopped coming from his fingertips and he floated away to see how far he had come along. He gave a curt nod, mostly to himself, before returning to the blond angel.
"Well, I'll stop torturing you for today, love. I don't think it's getting any better." He told him, gently pushing down the arm which held the blade.
Aziraphale sheathed his sword and stretched with a loud groan. "May I see it? Or is this one of your 'grand pieces' that I should only look at once it's done?" The blond had heard that excuse before. The archangel would insist on Aziraphale waiting for a constellation to be finished most of the time.
"Nah, it's fine. Might just scrap it and try something else next time." He said in a somewhat frustrated tone.
It was huge. Easily twenty feet tall or more, as bright as anything, in a soft blue hue. Bigger stars that let you map out the shape of it from afar once the stardust which held most of the details faded. Said details were incredible. He had managed to get his robe, his hair, even the lines of his face. When the principality got a good look at the sculpture-like cluster of stardust, his jaw dropped and he turned back to him so fast that he would've gotten whiplash if he hadn't been an ethereal creature. "Don't you dare!"
"Why not?" Asked the archangel with a light growl.
Aziraphale gave him a look of disbelief. "Raphael, this is amazing! And you worked so hard on it, I can't let you throw it into the bin! What do you see wrong with it?"
He softened a bit. "The eyes."
The principality glanced up to the work, then back to the other angel. "They look fine to me, what about them?"
"The lighting is all off. You have a very specific twinkle in your eyes and I just can't replicate it." Explained the redhead. His own eyes looked like they were coated in golden stardust.
Aziraphale was taken aback by the last sentence, but only momentarily. He shook his head as if that would shake away the thought which made him blush, then cleared his throat. "Dear boy, I'm sure you can figure out how to fix the eye situation without ruining the rest of it. I mean, just look at it!"
The principality took the archangel by the hands and they fluttered up to the formation's face. Raphael had a hard time tearing his eyes away from the blond angel but forced himself to when he started talking.
"Can you honestly tell me you'd part with all of this? Just for one mistake?" Asked the principality in a knowing manner.
Raphael sighed as he looked at all the fresh stardust which still shimmered like mad. "Fine, yeah, you're right."
Aziraphale had a smug look on his face as he let go of him to cross his arms.
The archangel pouted. "Don't rub it in!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, dear." He replied in the same tone as before.
"You do, and- wait!" He yelled a bit too loudly, and basically scurried away.
The blond was confused by this action from his counterpart. "What?"
"Stay, just like that- I think I figured it out!" Replied the freckled angel as he floated up to the constellation's face.
"What, the eyes?"
"Yes, stop moving!" He exclaimed excitedly.
Within minutes, the redheaded angel had created the brightest stars Aziraphale had ever seen. Those became the constellation's new eyes. The principality had never seen Raphael this proud about his creations and it made his little heart want to burst with joy. And it almost did when the six-winged angel pointed out just how well he had replicated the emotion behind Aziraphale's bright blue orbs.
~~~~~
They continued spending time together, whether Raphael was actively creating things or not. By now, this had been going on for months and they had grown closer thanks to this. Aziraphale had cut down on skipping practice to ensure he wouldn't get into too much trouble and could go missing for a few hours. Today, Raphael had convinced him into going down to Earth. Apparently, the garden was almost done, The Almighty was just testing out some stuff with the weather before She moved onto the humans.
Raphael was strolling through the greenery, admiring the creatures which were already there, meanwhile, Aziraphale couldn't keep his eyes off the redheaded angel. The way he seemed to radiate happiness as he coddled the pair of bunnies in his lap was absolutely precious. That sight only reminded him of how he felt for the archangel. Then a lightbulb seemed to go off in the blond's head.
"Raphael, I've got a question... I've been wondering for quite some time, but I always forget to ask."
The taller being hummed, sensing the other's change in tone. "Go on..." Once his hand stopped moving, the bunnies hopped off into the tall grass.
The principality was wringing his hands now. "Well, whenever you say something positive about me, or to me, I get this feeling... I'm not sure how to explain it." Started the blond.
Raphael seemed very intrigued. "Try."
Aziraphale sighed, trying to get all his thoughts in order. "...It's like my chest lights up. I feel warm. Safe. Happy. Is that weird?" He asked while sitting next to him.
Next thing the blond knew, the archangel was almost as red as his hair. "Um. Well. I don't know. Do you also feel that way when we touch? Because I kinda go through something similar to that."
Aziraphale's eyes grew wide at this. "Really?"
The six-winged angel nodded. "Yeah. And, what makes it weirder, is that I've never had that happen with anyone else."
"Yes, exactly! It's only with you!"
The redhead scratched the back of his neck, locking eyes with him."Well, have you asked The Almighty about it?"
"I tried to once, but She was busy that time. Still seems busy, actually." He said, pointing in Her general direction as She shaped clouds above Eden.
Raphael pouted. "What do you think it means then?"
"No idea." Admitted the principality.
Suddenly, Raphael straightened himself out and he moved closer to the blond. "Do you trust me? I'd like to try something."
Aziraphale only nodded. Seconds later, Raphael's hands had a hold of Aziraphale's left one. The archangel brought up the blond's hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss. The blond gasped lightly but he didn't pull his hand away. Raphael's eyes found his, searching for an answer but not getting one.
"Did you feel that too?" Asked the redhead in relation to a flash of warmth he felt inside.
"Yes."
So he did it again. "And now?" Aziraphale nodded as the tiniest of smiles started forming. So he did it again, this time on his wrist. Then did the same motion going up the length of his arm. Soon enough, Raphael was pressing dozens of little pecks all over the principality's face. Each one seemed to make Aziraphale feel happier than the last. The fact that the blue-eyed angel was ticklish only seemed to make the whole thing more enjoyable.
Raphael stopped himself, both his hands on either side of Aziraphale's face. He sighed, a confused smile on his lips. "What is this? Why is it just with each other that we feel this way?"
The soldier shrugged as he shook his head. "We really should ask..."
They were conflicted. They didn't want to interrupt The Almighty while She worked, but they were curious! Not to mention, Aziraphale wanted to make sure what he was feeling wasn't wrong. Raphael hadn't even thought of that as a possibility. He thought it felt too good to be wrong.
Eventually, they helped each other up and flew over to the top of the garden wall. The Almighty was still in the clouds, far away from them. Suddenly, the skies grew dark while She was manipulating the once-white puffs. A low rumbling could be heard from within them and the two angels stiffened. In mere moments, they saw something new coming from the horizon. It was water, falling from the skies and not from the mountains like they had seen within the garden.
Too intrigued to do anything, they stood atop the wall and waited for the storm to come. When it finally did, they quickly realized that water from the skies wasn't as warm as the one from the waterfalls. In comparison, this one was frigid and very unpleasant. They flew down from the wall to find some shelter. They decided to wait out the storm under a fairly big apple tree in the middle of the garden.
They hid their wings upon landing. Raphael was shivering, though, he tried to keep it to a minimum in hopes Aziraphale wouldn't notice. That didn't work.
"I should've brought my sword. It'd be a quick way to warm up for sure."
"Why? You cold?"
"My dear, you're shaking as much as those leaves above us!" Exclaimed the shorter angel, trying not to laugh.
The archangel rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around himself. "No need to rub it in." The canopy above them wasn't thick enough to keep them dry but it was better than nothing. Although, the strong winds weren't helping at all.
Aziraphale stared for a moment at the shivering angel. "My dear, would you let me try something?"
"Sure."
With that, the principality got closer to the redhead. He gently placed his hands on the other's face and tried to do something similar to what Raphael had done earlier. He pressed his lips onto the archangel's. The taller angel practically melted into him, sighing contently. Raphael's hands made their way around Aziraphale's waist and he pulled him closer. It felt like heat and Grace was radiating from the blond and into the skinnier being. They may have been soaking wet, but they certainly weren't cold anymore. Or standing, for that matter. They had also wound up on the ground, after sliding down the trunk of the apple tree. The redhead was now in between the soldier and the fruitful plant and he didn't seem to mind at all.
They parted, breathless. An impressive feat when neither of you have to breathe. They stared at each other silently, still basking in their warmth, noses nuzzling. A clap of thunder startled both angels and Raphael's grip became tighter for a second. An apologetic chuckle left the redhead.
The archangel cleared his throat. "W-Where did you learn that?"
"I believe I followed your lead, dear boy." He replied, a tiny cascade of rainwater dripped off from his blond curls and pestered his eyelashes for a bit, causing him to blink rapidly.
The freckled angel released one hand from the other's hips and used it to move the pesky hair away from his forehead, to which Aziraphale smiled in thanks for.
"No, not the lip thing. You warmed me up all over, how'd you do that?" He asked, looking up at the principality. They were still holding each other, which didn't look very comfortable, but neither of them really wanted to move.
Aziraphale shrugged, truly unsure as to how he did it. "An absentminded miracle, I suppose."
The taller being grinned. "Oh, that's adorable! You didn't even mean to do it?"
"Well, yes and no. I didn't think a miracle was needed since we established feeling all warm and fuzzy with each other. I figured, more physical contact would amplify said fuzziness... I still feel it. Do you?"
Raphael nodded. "I do. Still not bloody sure what this is though."
"We'll ask." More thunder and even some lightning struck as soon as the principality said that. "Eventually." He finished.
A scoff left the starmaker's lips. "Yeah, no one's flying anytime soon with this weather... Can we try something else?" He asked, almost shyly. Aziraphale gave him a quick nod and Raphael wiggled a bit in excitement.
He moved the other angel away for a moment and released his wings once more, before backing himself up against the tree. He parted his legs and arms, inviting the principality. Aziraphale crawled forward but Raphael manipulated him, now the blond was essentially in the archangel's lap and was using him like the taller one was using the tree's trunk. Raphael wrapped his arms around Aziraphale's midsection and lowered his chin onto his left shoulder. Then, he shook his wings in hope it'd get rid of some excess water before all six of them surrounded them both in a big, feathery, white cocoon.
Inside, they were dryer than before, which really surprised Aziraphale. He never thought feather's could be so thick. Then again, Raphael also had six of them, so he would've been at a disadvantage there. The warmth, both physically and internally was off the charts, and the blond couldn't help but smile.
"Is this alright?" Raphael finally asked into his ear, a hushed whisper which gave him goosebumps.
He nodded again. "Yes, dear. It's absolutely lovely." It truly was.
They stayed like this until the storm passed. Unfortunately, once the skies cleared, they realized The Almighty had disappeared along with the dark clouds. They were irritated for a while, but decided to try again some other time once they went back Upstairs. For now, they decided to enjoy the garden a bit more. And each other.
~~~~~
Unbeknownst to the two angels who had been experimenting this undefined feeling in the garden, The Almighty had been watching. She grew very intrigued by them. You see by now, She was already aware of what Lucifer has been up to and the future betrayal practically broke Her heart. So the fact that this pair of angels had used this free will differently than the lightbringer was a pleasant, and very welcome, surprise. So She kept watching, and the next time they encountered Her, She answered the question they kept wondering about.
It was more than just a nickname the archangel had given to Aziraphale. It was love. Real, unselfish, genuine, love. They felt it so strongly because they were beings of love. Other angels had the capacity to feel it as well, but they had never made that connection with anyone else. The Almighty kept some things vague but the pair flew away, satisfied with Her answers.
She allowed them to continue their little partnership for quite some time, just because She wanted to see what would happen. It tended to be an interesting watch most of the time. And very cute too. She also expected both of them to be protective, of course, but how much? She got Her answer when The First Rebellion finally happened.
Raphael had heard a commotion from the Creations Department one day and came out to find thousands of angels fighting each other to death. He quickly flew around to search for his angel. He found the principality dueling with a pair of rebels in the plaza. The archangel thanked God he was a good fighter because he was barely breaking a sweat between the two of them. Raphael stepped in, throwing stardust into the rebels' eyes and pulling Aziraphale out of there.
This was where it came to an end for the soldier and the starmaker. Raphael insisted on running away to the outer regions until everything blew over but Aziraphale knew his duty was to fight, even if he didn't want to. This lead to an argument, they parted ways, and Raphael questioned and cursed The Almighty for letting this happen. That was his mistake and biggest regret, because not long after, he Fell with the rest of the traitors. Aziraphale never saw his beloved angel again.
-Present Day-
He did, however, fall in love with a demon who resembled the archangel very much. Yes, Crowley was Raphael before he lost his halo, but neither of them truly remembered that fact. Crowley only recalled bits and pieces from his angelic life and Aziraphale had forgotten many things after The First Rebellion due to a nasty blow to the head. Of course, that did nothing to their internal bond, as evidenced by the principality's level of comfort with this so-called stranger. He didn't attack the fallen angel, never even considered it.
It was in Eden, when the two of them reunited/'met' on top of the garden wall, that The Almighty decided She would give these two more freedom than She would most of her angelic flock. Just like before the war, She wanted to see what would happened. What followed was six millennia of friendship and pining, with some fear sprinkled in for good measure. When it came to these two, She didn't like intervening a lot but, when She heard the angels and demons plotting against the pair, that simply wouldn't do. Hence why the last prophecy made its way into Azirpahale's possession. Although, this was mainly so they could have some logic to it. They weren't aware of it, perhaps they never would be, but they would've survived without the body-swap.
You see, that bond was more than just a feeling. Aziraphale's accidental miracle that day under the apple tree had mixed a tiny bit of his essence with Raphael's. It happened a few times after that as well. The Fall didn't sever that connection, if anything, it just made them even more unique. Because it happened before The Fall, it didn't harm either of them, and it ended up saving them in the end.
"I'd like to think none of this would've happened if you weren't, deep down, just a little bit, a good person."
"And if you weren't, deep down, just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing."
That 'deep down' had been each other all along. Even if they couldn't remember their love from before the war, it had been keeping them safe for centuries. It was how Crowley found and saved Aziraphale just in time from whatever trouble he was in and why he didn't discorporate on the spot when entering that church during The Blitz. It was how Aziraphale found Crowley that night to give him the holy water. It was why Crowley was so devastated when he couldn't find Aziraphale in the burning bookshop. It was how Aziraphale found a heartbroken Crowley drowning in booze in a Soho pub, even without his body.
Their bond was something they'd always had. And now, knowing they had all the freedom and time in the world, said bond would grow to be even stronger. After The Apocalypse That Wasn't, an angel and a demon retired and moved to the South Downs. They found a lovely little cottage in Devil's Dyke and decided to make it their new home. They quickly agreed that this was the best choice they had ever made.
~~~~~
Today had been an unusually stormy day, so the pair had decided to stay in and postpone their picnic. Aziraphale puttered around the kitchen while his husband scrolled through social media, practically melted onto the countertop. Since the weather outside made everything cold, the principality decided to make some hot cocoa. It didn't really go with the snacks he had prepared for their little date, but he didn't really care. And Crowley wouldn't complain either, so long as he was allowed to put a little booze in his mug. Aziraphale rolled his eyes at that and planted a gentle kiss on the demon's mouth before walking away. Then he stopped, having just realized something.
"Darling, I've been wondering..." Asked the angel as he looked out the window at the rain which pelted their garden.
Crowley looked up from his phone, eyebrow arched. "Wondering what, angel?"
"Can someone be attracted or aroused by rain?" He asked nonchalantly.
The demon almost dropped his phone and proceeded to glare at his better half. "Rain, Aziraphale? Is this even a serious question?" He couldn't help but laugh.
"It is!"
With that, the redhead let go of the device and spun on the stool next to the island-counter. He rested his chin on both his palms. "Now I'm interested. Why the sudden curiosity?"
"Believe me, it's not sudden... I noticed that I tend to have this urge to kiss you when it's raining." He said while pouring the chocolate into his cup.
Crowley shrugged. "You kiss me plenty when it's not raining."
"Not the point, dear." He said before taking a sip.
"Then what's the point?"
"Is it a thing that happens to others, or is this something unique only to myself?" He asked, sitting on the stool opposite the redhead.
The demon straightened himself out and got to typing into the search engine of his phone. After scrolling along for a few minutes, he let go of the device again. "A 'pluviophile' is someone who loves rain, according to this. Can't find anything sexually related, though. What is it angel, do you want to shag in the rain? You could just ask."
Aziraphale frowned into his cup. "Perhaps 'aroused' wasn't the best word for it... I just- it's weird. Whenever it rains, I feel like my lips are missing something. I gathered, that something was you."
"Is that right?" Asked the demon with a grin.
The angel nodded. "Yes. Moments ago, I kissed you and I felt..."
"Yeah?"
The blond looked at him, unable to contain his happiness. "Whole."
"Could you be any cheesier?" The serpent pretended to sound annoyed, though, his body language was anything but. His insides were melting and he loved it.
"I'm not trying to be, it's the best way to explain it."
When Crowley managed to compose himself again, he cleared his throat. "Y'know what I think?"
"What?" Asked the angel as he placed the cup on the countertop.
Crowley stood and walked behind Aziraphale, placing his hands around his neck and nuzzling into his hair. "I think, you've had a thing for me ever since Eden, and you just had to repress your urge to snog a demon. The most you could do was shield me with your wing, but really, you wanted the Original Tempter to tempt you into a little bit of debauchery under the tree canopy before we had to leave the garden." He teased.
Aziraphale rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Is that so?"
The demon nodded into him. "Mhmm. Know how I know?" He asked, muffled into that those wonderful blond curls.
"Do tell." He was tracing tiny circles onto the redhead's arm.
"It was a wet dream I've had for centuries." He whispered into the shell of the angel's ear.
"Crowley!" He exclaimed, feigning shock as if he had just heard the most scandalous thing in his life.
With that, the demon broke and he slumped down to the floor in a fit of giggles. Aziraphale was in the same state but he had managed to stay on the chair with no problem. Eventually, the two of them managed to stop laughing and Aziraphale helped the demon up from the floor.
"So, do you want to try it out or not?" Asked the serpent, eyes wide, lips pouted.
"Hmm?"
The freckled demon titled his head towards the garden. "Snogging in the rain, yes or no?"
Aziraphale let out a chuckle. "You'd actually indulge me in that? I distinctly recall you being upset whenever your hair gets wet."
"Usually yes, you know how I am with aesthetic and all that. But, when your hands are most likely going to mess it up, I really don't mind..." He hinted, with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop.
If there was one thing Crowley had learned in the past 6,000 years, it was that it didn't take much for him to convince Aziraphale into doing something slightly naughty. With that, the two supernatural beings ran out into the ice-cold rain and did their best impression of a romantic drama. Crowley jumped into Aziraphale's arms as if he hadn't seen him in ages and he had just confessed his undying love for the hellion. It caught the angel by surprise at first, since there had been no warning. Luckily, that didn't hinder their plans, because the blond caught and held him in place as though he didn't weigh a thing.
Crowley made sure to wrap his legs around the principality's waist. He wasn't afraid that Aziraphale would let go, of course, but he wanted to ensure his clumsiness, mixed in with all the dampness from the rain didn't ruin the moment. The rain poured and soaked them to their core before they had managed to properly lock lips. While nothing happened on the outside, the inside was another matter entirely. That wholeness which Aziraphale had mentioned earlier was definitely making an appearance.
It felt like liquid fire was coursing through their veins. The warmth made them forget about the awful weather surrounding them. Instead, they only focused on each other. How right this felt. How it didn't make sense, but somehow, it did.
It must be said, it wasn't actually the rain causing this effect. The memories which were still imbedded into their essences were to blame for the feeling. Neither of them was aware of this, but they didn't really care at the moment. Or for the next few minutes. Aziraphale eventually dropped to his knees and ended up on top of the demon. It had been pleasant until Crowley realized where he had landed.
"Angel- wait. Stop!" Mumbled the redhead against the angel's lips.
Aziraphale pulled away. "What's wrong?" He asked, breathless, as he sat on his heels.
Crowley squirmed until he was able to sit up. He then looked down to see the unfortunate casualties while trying to wipe off the dirt and petals from his back. The heavy rain helped, for once.
"Fucking Hell. There go the daffodils." He grumbled.
Aziraphale's hand was now caressing his lower back. "Sorry, darling. I didn't realize where I placed you."
"Ha, 'placed'? Not 'pinned'?" The look he was trying to go for was annoyed, but he was failing miserably. Mainly because the rain made sure his hair was in his eyes, no matter how much he tried to flip it away.
The angel smiled fondly at him. "Well my dear, had you not been on top of the daffodils, I don't think you would be complaining with either of those options." He commented knowingly.
"Thank Someone you didn't lay me down on the rose-bed." Crowley said with a laugh.
Aziraphale gave his demon a side hug. "Indeed." He pressed a small kiss on his temple and the serpent could feel him smiling against his head.
Crowley nuzzled closer to him. "So, are you done with this little experiment, or are we doing some more 'research' for it?"
"I see I've excited your inner scientist." Said the angel, amused.
"You do that very easily, y'know. You shouldn't be surprised."
Aziraphale nodded. "True. After all, that curious mind of yours can't help itself."
"True, so let's find some answers." Said the demon before diving onto him once more.
~~~~~
The storm hadn't shown signs of easing up, which meant the garden was only going to get muddier, so they had to move. That's how they wound up, just as before, snuggling under an apple tree. This time Aziraphale was the one pinned against the trunk, having his wings shield them both while Crowley used his chest like a pillow. The warmth was still engulfing them, but it had calmed down a bit, just like they had. As expected, it was still a lovely feeling.
"Had you really fantasied about us snogging under the forbidden fruit tree back in Eden?" Asked the angel, breaking the silence.
Crowley snorted in response before nodding into his chest. "Not my proudest moment, I'll admit. What kind of demon falls in love with the first angel he sees after getting kicked out of Heaven?"
The blond held him closer with one hand, while the other one played with his still-wet hair. "A pretty lousy one." Said Aziraphale with a grin.
"Exactly!"
"It's alright, darling. You just happened to fall in love with an equally lousy angel." Replied the principality in a very matter-of-fact tone.
Crowley looked up at him. "Fair enough. A true match made in- well, Earth."
The blond nodded sweetly before stealing another quick peck.
There's a short poem which applied to these two very well. Whether it was all original by the author or if The Almighty had anything to do with it is still up for debate. It goes: 'Stand in the rain and close your eyes. The first person you imagine standing with you, is the only person you want to be with at your most vulnerable. That's how you know you love someone.'
For Crowley and Aziraphale, that someone had always been each other, and it would continue to be for eternity.