It's Always the Quiet Ones
Aziraphale and Crowley were sitting in the book shop drinking wine, as was their routine lately. Even though they'd known each other for over six thousand years, they'd spent enough time apart that they had stories to tell for ages. They could talk about literally anything for hours and time just seemed to fly by. While Crowley would still go off every now and again, he could mostly be found in Aziraphale's shop. He'd even taken to reading the occasional book, mostly from the nonfiction section.
It had been a year since their switch and Heaven and Hell had been leaving them alone for the most part. Crowley would get the occasional message about temptings but he'd gotten to where he ignored the ones that he considered boring. He was allowed to do that now. Even Beelzebub was afraid of him. Heaven seemed to just leave Aziraphale alone all together. Things were actually going pretty well. That was, until that particular moment.
In a bright flash of light, Gabriel appeared in the book shop. His back was to Crowley so he didn't notice the demon was there. Gabriel walked over and grabbed Aziraphale by his waistcoat and hauled him to his feet.
"Did you honestly think we weren't going to figure it out eventually?" He growled at Aziraphale. Yes, it had taken them a year, but they finally sussed out exactly how it was that Aziraphale survived the hell fire.
"Get your grimey, smug bastard hands off of him." Crowley said as he started to move toward Gabriel. It had played out in his head that this was going to be some grand rescue scenario. What ended up actually happening was a rather large hand wrapping very tightly around his throat and lifting him off the ground. Crowley clawed at the hand around his neck and tried to get free. Had Gabriel always been that strong?
"You need to mind your own business, demon." Gabriel said with a smirk. It was fun watching the serpent panic like that.
"Let him go." Aziraphale said in a low, even tone. Crowley had never seen that look in those beautiful blue eyes before.
"Or what?" Gabriel just shook his head. It didn't matter, his quarrel wasn't with Crowley. Gabriel bent his elbow slightly and sent Crowley flying across the room to crash into one of the sets of bookshelves along one wall. He crumpled to the floor as books fell down on top of him.
"You really shouldn't have done that." Aziraphale said, his eyes flashing a bit. Before Gabriel could respond, Aziraphale had him off the ground by his lapels and threw him through the front doors and into the street. Crowley had just managed to lift his head when that happened and he gasped. Gabriel lay in the street looking completely and utterly shocked.
"How?" He was about to get up when Aziraphale stood over him, his body language sending a very clear message that Gabriel was not to move.
"Has everyone forgotten that I was the angel of the Eastern gate? I was charged with guarding the Garden of Eden! Do you honestly believe in all of her infinite wisdom that God would have given that job to someone who was weak and soft?" Aziraphale actually pushed up his sleeves a bit before clenching his fists.
"I...well...probably not...." Gabriel swallowed hard.
"Probably not." Aziraphale rolled his eyes. "Now. You will leave here and you will leave both of us alone. If I ever catch you even contemplating the possibility of laying a single finger on Crowley again I will end your very existence, do you understand me?" He was taking slow breaths, trying to stay calm but the anger was very obviously bubbling up inside him. He wanted to hit something and he wanted it very much to be Gabriel's face. Gabriel just nodded and swallowed again.
"Now, get out of here before I change my mind about letting you leave in one piece." Aziraphale turned to walk back into the shop. He had a demon to look after. Gabriel just vanished from the center of the street, not caring who saw.
By the time Aziraphale got back into the bookshop, Crowley had extricated himself from the pile of books and managed to at least clean up the mess, even if the books were a bit out of order. That could be sorted later.
"Are you....alright?" He asked tentatively. In all the time he'd known the angel he'd never actually seen him get genuinely angry. He was both worried about his friend's current mental state and extremely turned on by it. Aziraphale closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. After a moment, he nodded.
"Yes. I'm quite alright. What about you? Did you manage to come out of it unscathed?" And just like that, the fire was put out and he was calm again.
"I...yeah. Not even a scratch." Crowley nodded. He was quiet for a moment. "Zira.....I'm sorry." Aziraphale's expression softened immediately.
"What on earth are you apologizing for, Crowley? You tried to save me." He smiled and walked over to pat the demon on the shoulder.
"For...underestimating you. I've spent so much time with you letting me take care of you and rescue you that I completely forgot how strong you really are." He sighed a little and put a hand over Aziraphale's on his shoulder.
"That is actually quite the point, dear." Aziraphale grinned. "It's always the quiet ones, yes?" He chuckled and Crowley laughed along with him. "Now, shall we go back to our wine?"
"I've actually got a better idea." Crowley said before taking Aziraphale's hand and heading toward the stairs that led to his bedroom.
"Oh, well.....if you insist." Aziraphale smirked as he followed.
It had been a year since their switch and Heaven and Hell had been leaving them alone for the most part. Crowley would get the occasional message about temptings but he'd gotten to where he ignored the ones that he considered boring. He was allowed to do that now. Even Beelzebub was afraid of him. Heaven seemed to just leave Aziraphale alone all together. Things were actually going pretty well. That was, until that particular moment.
In a bright flash of light, Gabriel appeared in the book shop. His back was to Crowley so he didn't notice the demon was there. Gabriel walked over and grabbed Aziraphale by his waistcoat and hauled him to his feet.
"Did you honestly think we weren't going to figure it out eventually?" He growled at Aziraphale. Yes, it had taken them a year, but they finally sussed out exactly how it was that Aziraphale survived the hell fire.
"Get your grimey, smug bastard hands off of him." Crowley said as he started to move toward Gabriel. It had played out in his head that this was going to be some grand rescue scenario. What ended up actually happening was a rather large hand wrapping very tightly around his throat and lifting him off the ground. Crowley clawed at the hand around his neck and tried to get free. Had Gabriel always been that strong?
"You need to mind your own business, demon." Gabriel said with a smirk. It was fun watching the serpent panic like that.
"Let him go." Aziraphale said in a low, even tone. Crowley had never seen that look in those beautiful blue eyes before.
"Or what?" Gabriel just shook his head. It didn't matter, his quarrel wasn't with Crowley. Gabriel bent his elbow slightly and sent Crowley flying across the room to crash into one of the sets of bookshelves along one wall. He crumpled to the floor as books fell down on top of him.
"You really shouldn't have done that." Aziraphale said, his eyes flashing a bit. Before Gabriel could respond, Aziraphale had him off the ground by his lapels and threw him through the front doors and into the street. Crowley had just managed to lift his head when that happened and he gasped. Gabriel lay in the street looking completely and utterly shocked.
"How?" He was about to get up when Aziraphale stood over him, his body language sending a very clear message that Gabriel was not to move.
"Has everyone forgotten that I was the angel of the Eastern gate? I was charged with guarding the Garden of Eden! Do you honestly believe in all of her infinite wisdom that God would have given that job to someone who was weak and soft?" Aziraphale actually pushed up his sleeves a bit before clenching his fists.
"I...well...probably not...." Gabriel swallowed hard.
"Probably not." Aziraphale rolled his eyes. "Now. You will leave here and you will leave both of us alone. If I ever catch you even contemplating the possibility of laying a single finger on Crowley again I will end your very existence, do you understand me?" He was taking slow breaths, trying to stay calm but the anger was very obviously bubbling up inside him. He wanted to hit something and he wanted it very much to be Gabriel's face. Gabriel just nodded and swallowed again.
"Now, get out of here before I change my mind about letting you leave in one piece." Aziraphale turned to walk back into the shop. He had a demon to look after. Gabriel just vanished from the center of the street, not caring who saw.
By the time Aziraphale got back into the bookshop, Crowley had extricated himself from the pile of books and managed to at least clean up the mess, even if the books were a bit out of order. That could be sorted later.
"Are you....alright?" He asked tentatively. In all the time he'd known the angel he'd never actually seen him get genuinely angry. He was both worried about his friend's current mental state and extremely turned on by it. Aziraphale closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. After a moment, he nodded.
"Yes. I'm quite alright. What about you? Did you manage to come out of it unscathed?" And just like that, the fire was put out and he was calm again.
"I...yeah. Not even a scratch." Crowley nodded. He was quiet for a moment. "Zira.....I'm sorry." Aziraphale's expression softened immediately.
"What on earth are you apologizing for, Crowley? You tried to save me." He smiled and walked over to pat the demon on the shoulder.
"For...underestimating you. I've spent so much time with you letting me take care of you and rescue you that I completely forgot how strong you really are." He sighed a little and put a hand over Aziraphale's on his shoulder.
"That is actually quite the point, dear." Aziraphale grinned. "It's always the quiet ones, yes?" He chuckled and Crowley laughed along with him. "Now, shall we go back to our wine?"
"I've actually got a better idea." Crowley said before taking Aziraphale's hand and heading toward the stairs that led to his bedroom.
"Oh, well.....if you insist." Aziraphale smirked as he followed.
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