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karmaisntab · 9 months

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The Real Ending:

Ao3 Link

“…Michael?”

“Oh, don’t be silly.” The Metatron laughed at the suggestion. “There’s only one candidate that makes even the slightest bit of sense.”

Aziraphale raised his eyebrows in what he hoped looked like curiosity, though his mind was troubled. He was distracted, and he felt like his brain was currently running over the speed limit.

Whoever would it be? Ureal? They’d do a rather splendid job at-

“And that’s you.”

“Me?” Surely he must have misheard.

“Well, yes. You’re a leader,” Aziraphale looked at him- “you’re honest,” -in confusion. Obviously he was honest! What else would he- “you don’t just tell people what they want to hear.” -do, lie?

“It’s why Gabriel came to you in the first place, I imagine.”

They were quite a difficult statements to comprehend while linked to the matter at hand. His eyes widened, and he glanced around as he tried to gather his thoughts together in an easily comprehensible format.

His eyes snapped back up at the Metatron; he had continued as though Aziraphale wasn’t… well, as though he wasn’t going through what seemed to be an existential crisis.

“There are huge plans afoot, enormous projects, and I need you to run them. You are just the angel for the job.”

Yet another wave of shock almost consumed Aziraphale.

“Wel- I-I don’t want to go back to heaven.” He was still trying to absorb all the information. And get out of- whatever this was. “Where would I get my coffee?”

He huffed out a small, disbelieving laugh.

“You know, as Supreme Archangel, you would be able to decide who to work with.”

That did sound rather tempting.

“Yes, I’ve been looking back at some of your… previous exploits, and I see that in quite a few of them, you formed a…de facto partnership, with the demon Crowley.” The ‘p’ in the beginning of ‘partnership’ was pronounced very sharply. “Now, if you want to work with him again, that…” Aziraphale was half listening with intense intrigue with the mention of his lo- frie- companion, while the other half of him was thinking, and processing, just about everything else. “…might be considered irregular, but it would certainly be within your jurisdiction to restore your friend, Crowley, to full angelic status.”

He was wondering what Crowley would think of all this. About what his reaction would be. What he would say.

Probably something rude. Best not to go down that route.

Aziraphale ended up deciding to just stare at the Metatron in shock. He felt delighted that his companion would be able to join him in heaven if he so wished, he was over the moon about it, in fact, but…

But what would Crowley want?

“I’d like to think about it.” Aziraphale smiled at the Metatron. He felt quite nervous, and although he was delighted at the opportunity- don’t get him wrong- he would still like to speak to Crowley about it all first.

And that was precisely what he had told the Metatron.

Lucky for Aziraphale, he didn’t seem surprised. He just finished his brew with the calm grace of an angel and said, “That is, obviously, to be expected. Well, you don’t need to answer immediately, take all the time you need.”

“And why is it that you need a supreme archangel so soon?” He was trying to ask questions he was sure Crowley would like the answers to, if he were in his stead.

“Well, for many reasons. Heaven has always had a Supreme Archangel, there always has to be someone in charge of the others without the Almighty having to get involved directly, but we also need someone to sort things out for the Second Coming.”

“Wait,” he was immediately pulled in by the last bit. Was it all for nothing? “so, you’re telling me… that…”

It couldn’t have all been for nothing. Not after everything he and Crowley had done. Not after what poor Addam and his friends went through- or that Witchhunter and his friend, or that young couple from the cottage. It wouldn’t be fair.

It wouldn’t be right.

A cold sensation washed over him.

“It wouldn’t be too hard to handle, I’m sure of it.” Metatron continued to speak as though he was surprised that Aziraphale was wondering such things, though he was rather kind about it. “You will have all of Heaven on your side, after all.”

“I… I don’t know what to say.” Aziraphale smiled at him to show that he was still listening, but he was definitely thinking about it all. The sudden overload of information meant that he was definitely, at least a little bit distracted.

“Well, then! Go speak to your friend about it.”

And with that, they parted ways.

Aziraphale crossed the road and shook his head a little. He muttered “Well…” to himself. It was certainly an unexpected turn of events.

Unexpected, and sudden. Definitely a little strange.

He opened the bookshop door and was almost immediately met with Nina and Maggie, who were just walking themselves out.

“We’re just going.” Maggie said.

“I’m sure you two have a lot to say,” Nina continued as they walked past him.

Aziraphale stopped where he was in order to process all that had just happened. It was all quite a conundrum, to say the least.

He began smiling, and felt more sure of himself by the second. He felt like he was positively beaming with angelic likeliness, and, with a spring in his step, walked towards where he knew Crowley was to be.

The demon began standing as soon as they spotted each other. Aziraphale stopped where he was, and Crowley took off his glasses before pretty much immediately going into a rant.

“Look, I suppose, um… I’ve got something to say.” But couldn’t it wait? Aziraphale held up his hands in excitement and gestured for his friend to stop talking. “I know we ought to be talking about it… It’s probably best if I start off doing all the talking-” Aziraphale felt impatient. He felt like if what he needed to say wasn’t said fast enough, then they wouldn’t have any time to speak about what needed to be said! “-you do all the listening, ‘cause I-I know that if I don’t start talking, then I won’t ever start talking, alright? Yes, so-”

Aziraphale was too impatient! “What’s that lovely human expression? Oh, yes! Hold that thought!” Chuckling at what he was about to be sharing with Crowley- he was sure (not really, but he was excited (and hopeful) that it would be the case) that he was going to agree with him- he continued his speech. “You see, I have some incredible news to give you.”

“Really?”

“I… um,” he took a small pause to gather his thoughts, “So, um, the Metatron, you know, I don’t think he’s as bad a fellow-” Crowley had his ‘what are you on about?’ look going on as he said that, “-Well, I-I think I might’ve misjudged him. You see- well, he said, um, that Gabriel! Yes, um, Gabriel, had obviously not worked out, as supreme archangel, and commander of heavenly hosts, and he asked who I thought should take over his previous position,” oh dear, he was getting nervous. He felt nervous, “now that Gabriel was gone. And I said…”

Aziraphale went off into the events of what had just happened prior to his arrival at the bookshop after- after everything that’d happened.

He had just gotten to that part about Crowley being able to be given back his angelic status when his compa- his… friend, interrupted him.

“He said what?”

Aziraphale’s tone of voice went as soft as Crowley’s disbelieving one did. “He said I could appoint you to be an Angel.” He felt wondrously happy about that.

His friend raised his eyebrows at him.

“You could come back- to heaven, and… and everything. Like the old times.”

His smile was definitely not going away anytime soon.

“Right.” Aziraphale waited for his response. “And you told him just where he could stick it, then?”

A wave of dread flooded his veins, but he powered through. His smile still faltered, however.

And it did not mean his voice didn’t sound any weaker when he said, “Not at all.”

“Oh, we’re better than that.” He felt confused. Stuck. “You’re better than that, Angel! You don’t need them, I certainly don’t need them!”

He felt like he needed to tell Crowley the rest of the story, before it could- before it would get out of hand.

“Look, they asked me back to hell, I said no, I’m not rejoining their team. Neither should you.”

“But… Well, obviously you said no to hell.” Perhaps it was time to tell him the rest of the story. “They’re the bad guys. But- and this is a big but, Crowley-” the demon tried to interrupt him, “I haven’t finished telling you what happened.”

“Well, go on, then.” The demon sounded impatient. Good Lord.

Collecting himself and remembering the interaction with the Metatron, he finished telling his companion what had happened.

“So, you see, I was thinking that- even if you didn’t want to become an Angel again, which is totally understandable- that we could, well… that we could still be friends?” He glanced up at him, trying to garner his reaction. “And that, well, you could be my eyes and ears… here on Earth? I mean, we have to stop the second coming! Right?”

“Angel?”

“Yes, Crowley?”

“It’s my turn.”

“Oh.”

Crowley sighed and grunted. He cleared his throat, and looked as though he was dreading what he was about to say. “We’ve known each other a long time.” Ever since he had said ‘Let there be Light’ in the beginnings of the Universe. In the beginning of the Universe. “We’ve been on this planet for a long time. I mean, you and me.” He stopped, as though he was trying to find the words. “I could always rely on you. You could always rely on me. We’re a team, a group. Group of the two of us.”

Aziraphale was feeling very confused.

“And we’ve spent our entire existence pretending that we aren’t.”

Oh.

“I mean, the last few years, not really. And I would like to spend…” He grunted a bit, as though he was trying to force the words out. Crowley looked out of the window, seemed to gather his thoughts, and turned back to Aziraphale. “I mean, if Gabriel and Beelzebub can do it, go off together, then we can.”

Oh no.

“Just the two of us. We don’t need heaven, we don’t need hell, they’re toxic! We need to get away from them.”

“Oh… Oh, Crowley…”

“But I understand where you’re coming from. And,” he looked at Aziraphale and then glanced away again, “why you need to do this.”

A smile broke out on Aziraphale’s face, clearing away the worried look from before. “Oh. Oh, Crowley.”

“Oh, gODDAMMIT!”

Aziraphale was grabbed by his collar spontaneously and- oh.

They were kissing.

He kissed back as soon as he realised- tried to savour this moment, their first kiss, but when it ended- well, he found that he was quite upset by it. Like it should have lasted longer. He had wanted it to last longer.

Well, then, Aziraphale thought as they parted, That was unexpected.

“Well?” Crowley snapped him back out of his thoughts. He noticed that throughout, he was- almost cautiously, certainly consciously- holding his friend- his lover’s?- back and shoulders.

“Well what?” Aziraphale had begun smiling.

“Oh, come here, you bastard.”

The second time they kissed, it wasn’t done properly because Aziraphale was smiling throughout. He managed to gather his wits soon enough, though, and he turned it into a proper kiss soon enough.

Crowley growled at him, but before it progressed into anything further, Aziraphale gestured for them to stop.

The demon looked as though he was searching for something. His face looked soft. Like he was waiting for something.

“So?”

Aziraphale blinked up at him.

“So, what? What’re we going to do now?”

Ah! He was asking for a plan!

And when he walked out of the shop with Crowley, hand in hand, and they met with the Metatron and Muriel outside, they already had one half-formulated.

“Aziraphale. I’m sure you’ve met Muriel?” The Metatron asked.

“Oh, yes, Aziraphale has been very kind to me.” They smiled brightly, excitement making them practically glow. Aziraphale’s heart melted.

“I see. Nowathen, I have a proposition.”

Aziraphale’s heart stuttered. “A-a proposition?”

“Well, yes. Muriel can look after the bookshop while you’re in Heaven and looking after everything, so you would have no need to worry about the running of things down here, and Muriel can learn more about Earth and learn how to socialise. It’s a flawless plan, I assure you.”

“But- well, what about Crowley? He doesn’t want to be an Angel.” What about his fri- beloved? How would he play into this?

“I’m sure we can sort something out when the time comes.”

“Well- why don’t I-” All attention shifted to the demon as soon as he spoke. He grunted before continuing. “Why can’t I run the bookshop? With Muriel.”

A beat of silence surrounded the quartet, before- “What an excellent idea!”

“And I can still be their landlord. And visit them! As landlords do.” Aziraphale cut him off before he could continue- not in a rude way. He just needed to say something before the Metatron could foil the plan he was making in his head.

“Are you quite sure? It would be a lot on top of your Supreme Archangel duties.”

“What duties?” Crowley muttered. Aziraphale looked at him sternly before turning back to the Metatron. “I am quite sure,” he said with confidence, “that I will be able to manage.”

“Very well.” The Metatron nodded to Crowley, and looked at Muriel. “I will see you shortly.”

“Really? Yes! Well, I-I hope so! I’m glad! Very glad!”

They all said their goodbyes- Muriel, bless them, promised to do their best with the bookshop- and he went onto the lift after reluctantly letting go of Crowley’s hand. He joined the Metatron, and his- oh, his beloved’s face was the last thing he saw before the doors closed. And he felt happy.

Happy about his new position, happy about Crowley and their new relationship. Happy about- well, everything. It was all going so swimmingly.

They could take on this ‘Second Coming’. They could prevent it, or something similar.

And they would be together throughout all of it. He had no doubts about it.

As he rode the elevator with the Metatron, he kept on thinking about Crowley- and, to an extent, the bookshop. He knew that Crowley would know what to do, but that didn’t mean that he was going to worry any less.

Well, he thought to himself as they passed several floors in ineffable silence, we’ll take it as it comes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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