Chapter Text
If you asked Crowley when it started, he would not be able to answer you properly. He might think back to when he was an angel pining after another. Maybe he'd think to another time when he met said angel in the Garden of Eden after he was essentially cast out of both places he may have considered home once. (Between you and me, he never really considered Heaven “home.” It was too clean. Too bright. Too unloving for him.) Whatever he thought of, he knew he was royally fucked now. Pure white leaves flowing out of his wrists and flowing freely out of his mouth. It was only a matter of time before... Before he was just another memory. His corporation couldn't take another death. He knew this.
He knew this.
He also knew that having a say in the stars he got a say in their making, but having a say in the flowers he got to name a lot of flowers. At some point, there was a pure white flower that reminded him of an angel who always hung around the making of stars. His angel. Senecio Angel Wings. He named it after the angel who couldn’t help himself in watching the star systems be made.
Once Crowley asked the angel why he was there and he couldn’t even begin to make up what he heard next:
“I just enjoy seeing your work. It’s- Well, it’s encouraging.” Him. Encouraging. He almost laughed before the angel continued with what he was saying. “You just- the way you hang the stars so perfectly makes me imagine what it would be like having a job in the creation-.” Oh. He must’ve been jealous. It wasn’t because it was him working, it was because he was working.
“Do you... Do you want to help?” Almost immediately the angel’s eyes glimmered and shined. He looked eager to get to work and he almost bolted straight to Crowley had it not been for a few bits of stardust in the way.
“I’d love to!” The angel’s wings (all four of them, actually. Crowley hadn’t noticed the extra two that seemed to have materialized) began to flutter around excitedly. “My name is Aziraphale! I’m a Cherubim!”
That explained the wings. “... Raphael. I’m an Archangel.” Aziraphale’s eyes got wide.
“Oh! An Archangel! I’ve never met any of you! There’s only 13 of you, right?” Crowley nodded his head.
“There’s supposed to a couple more of us when the creatures she has planned come into the world. Lucifer told me that. He’s a Seraphim. He’s just one rank higher than you. I heard he’s planning stuff. I don’t get it, though... Oh! Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that stuff-” Shit he might as well have just spilled his whole existence to this angel. Fuck.
“Oh no, it’s alright! So, Lucifer? He’s planning something? Like what?” Aziraphale’s head tilted a little and his eyelashes fluttered just a little.
“I think Lucifer is planning an uprising.” He said he thought. There was no thought. He asked questions. He helped make plans. He gave his two-cents about what he thought should happen. He asked how he could help. That’s what angels are supposed to do, right? Help others?
“... Oh.” It looked as if the light had disappeared from Aziraphale’s eyes. “I didn’t think that you’d be able to go against her.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to.” Crowley had said. Think. All he did was just think. It wasn’t his fault he thought so much. It wasn’t his fault he asked so many questions. This kind of stuff is learned.
He learned it from Lucifer.
“Well then! I bet it’s nothing too serious then! The Almighty will fix everything and all else will be fine!” Aziraphale looked so sure of himself then.
“Yea. I suppose so.”
He was wrong.
He didn’t know how wrong he could have been until the time came.
Angels were fighting left and right, Crowley's brothers and sisters all fighting each other for stupid reasons. Their brothers and sisters falling and for what? Because Lucifer felt lesser? Was that why?
With all the fighting Crowley's eyes widened and realized he couldn't see the angel he cared for most.
“AZIRAPHALE!!” Crowley let his wings unfurl and he went soaring through the sky. He had to find him. He had to make sure Aziraphale was safe. If he wasn't he didn't know what he would do- Aziraphale had to be here- He had to be around here somewhere- he had to be- “There!” Aziraphale was sitting in the garden- of course, he was sitting in the garden.
Crowley touched down and looked at Aziraphale's crouched form. “Aziraphale! Angel- listen to me. They’re falling- everyone is falling because of Lucifer- Look I don’t have much time- they're coming for me- Come with me, Angel.”
Aziraphale looked up at Crowley’s face. “... Raphael? Is... That you?”
“Yes! Angel! It’s me- we have to go- We don’t have time-” Aziraphale’s eyes widened and he stood up.
“Raphael! Oh, good lord- Raphael! You have to leave- They're coming! They’re-” Aziraphale’s eyes suddenly got narrow and he backed away from Crowley seemingly out of... out of disgust. “You... They came for me because of you Raphael. They stripped me of my wings, my rank Raphael- They realized when they couldn’t make me fall that they had to punish me for being with you- Raphael they hurt me because of you.”
"Aziraphale? No- It's not my fault it's-" No- it wasn’t his fault- was it? Maybe it... Maybe it was. He introduced Aziraphale to questions. He introduced Aziraphale to all of Lucifer’s plans. He encouraged the questions and he let Aziraphale help in the creation even though he wasn’t supposed to. It was his fault- Aziraphale had been right...
“Raphael-” Aziraphale chuckled and moved his hands up and the ground began to shake. “Raphael, I think it’s time you fell.” Wait- Fell? Crowley had started to feel a pressure being forced onto him. “I believe it is everyone’s best interest if you fell anyways. I mean, who wants a snake like you in heaven?” Being a Cherub, Aziraphale’s powers had already overwhelmed Raphael and he fell. “Look at you- crawling on your hands and knees. Maybe that’s what they’ll call you in hell. Crawly.” It took Crowley a moment to look up, but when he did the hate in Aziraphale’s eyes seemed real. It looked real and not like his bright beautiful eyes. They looked dark, corrupted and his eyes weren't blue no they were purple. Crowley’s eyes widened as he fell, the last things he remembers seeing was Aziraphale’s fatigued face and purple light flying around the face of his beloved.