Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Pa!"

Crowley looked up from rinsing the breakfast dishes and smothered a chuckle. Warlock had managed to put one arm into his coat—the wrong arm—and was wearing his shoes on the wrong feet. “You want to go to the park?” he asked the two-year old.

“Pa!” was the enthusiastic response, along with a vigorous head nod.

Crowley put the last dish into the dishwasher and wiped his fingers on the drying cloth. “That sounds like a great plan, kiddo. Let’s get you dressed properly first.” He led his charge back to the front hall. “Great job getting your outdoor things! Remember, when you put your shoes on, the bigger end is for your bigger toe.”

Warlock nodded solemnly, a slight frown creasing his forehead as he pulled his shoes off and put them back on again.

“And your coat zips up in the front, so you can do it yourself!” Crowley continued cheerfully, helping the small child take off his coat and put it on the right way around. “Do you want me to start the zip for you?” At Warlock’s nod, he notched the zipper and pulled it up an inch. “Do you want to finish? Watch your chin. Excellent job.”

Warlock hopped down from the bench. “Pa!” he demanded.

“Which park do you want to go to? The little park with the pirate ship or the big park with all the slides?” Crowley asked as he put on his own coat.

Warlock opened and closed his mouth a couple times, but no sound came out. He started to pout and a furrow creased his brow.

“Hey, none of that. We’re going to a park! I’ll ask you again, slower this time, and you can nod at the one you want, okay?” Crowley knelt down to look Warlock in the eyes. “The small park?” Warlock shook his head. “The big park?”

“Buh pa!”

“Oh, very good using your words,” praised Crowley. “I’m going to text your mum and let her know and then we’ll be off, alright?” He pulled out his mobile. “Can you walk all the way from the bench to the door without stepping on a single line?”

The toddler thus occupied with the tiles in the hallway, Crowley tapped quickly on his phone to Harriet; taking W to the big park. phone on. back for lunch. “Ready to go?”

One small hand encased in his much larger one, Crowley locked the front door and led them out of the high-end apartment building to the park around the corner.

It was a long walk for little legs, even if it was only a block away, and halfway there, Warlock predictably started dragging behind him.

“Want to be carried the rest of the way?” Crowley asked. “Up?”

Warlock nodded and lifted his arms. “Up!”

“Very good.” Crowley swung the little boy around before placing him on his hip, making the child laugh and cling to his jacket. “This okay?” At the boy’s nod, he continued the walk to the park. “You know, you’ll have to walk the whole way eventually. You’re getting too heavy for me.” He pretended to drop Warlock a couple times, causing the resultant cascade of giggles to morph into hiccups. “Oh no! Hiccups! What do we do to stop hiccups?”

hic “Up dn!” hic

“Upside down!” gasped Crowley in mock horror. “You want to be upside down?” He flipped the child over his arm, grasping firmly to one ankle and his hips. Peals of laughter, interspersed by hiccups, met this declaration, and Crowley frowned playfully. “It doesn’t seem to be working. Perhaps you need to stop laughing first. Stop it!” More giggles. “No more laughing! We can’t have you laughing at the park! What would the other children think?” He walked through the open gate into the park, flipping Warlock back upright as he did so. “Maybe playing will take your mind off the hiccups. Do you want to go on the swing or the slide first?”

Warlock gestured wildly at the slide, which another little boy was already playing on.

“Excellent choice.” Crowley maneuvered them to the sandbox containing the slide. “Want to say hello?”

Warlock watched the other boy slide down to the bottom of the slide, gave a tiny wave, and then buried his face in Crowley’s neck.

The blond man who was hovering around the other boy smiled at Crowley, making his heart flutter unreasonably, and said to the child, “Say hello, Adam.”

Adam smiled and waved at Warlock.

“Can you introduce yourself, Warlock?” Crowley asked the hidden child.

“Hi, Wa-ock,” said Warlock, peeking out at them.

“Hello Warlock,” said the blond man. “My name is Aziraphale, which is also a mouthful to say!”

“Aaah,” said Warlock, a frown of concentration on his face. “Aaah-wa?”

Crowley chuckled. “R’s and L’s are a work in progress, so that’s probably the best we’ll get for now. Name’s Anthony Crowley, but I go by Crowley, or Cow, as Warlock calls me.”

“Cow!” Warlock said happily, patting Crowley’s cheek.

“That’s right, ‘Cow’,” Crowley said dryly. “Now, why don’t you go and play with your new friend Adam while I talk with Aziraphale?” He put the child down when he gave a little wiggle, and the two boys scampered up the steps to the slide.

“Your son seems very chatty,” remarked Aziraphale. “Friendly, once he gets over his shyness.”

“Oh, I’m his nanny, not his father,” Crowley corrected him quickly. “And yes, he’s always been rather talkative, even as a small baby.”

“You are remarkable with him. You must have been with the family for a while.” Aziraphale looked sadly over at the boys, who were taking turns on the slide. “I only recently became the guardian of my nephew a couple weeks ago, and I’m in way over my head.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “I haven’t been able to figure out anything he’s said since I collected him.”

Crowley’s eyebrows rose and he looked Aziraphale over, noticing the bags under his eyes and stress lines on his face. “I’ve been with the Dowling’s since Warlock’s birth. I live in, so I’ve been around him even more than his parents, who work.” He hesitated, then asked delicately, “Would you like to talk about it?”

Aziraphale shook his head. “It’ll take a little more time to talk about it. Maybe over coffee sometime?” he added with a light flush on his cheeks.

Crowley grinned. “Why, Angel, are you asking me on a date?”

“Depends...are you going to say yes?”

“I would love to get coffee with you. My next afternoon off is this Saturday. The Dowlings have a family gathering to attend and don’t need me, with all the cousins to fawn over the Antichrist.”

“Antichrist?” Aziraphale asked, startled.

Crowley flushed. “It’s just a little joke that Warlock’s parents and I have. He’s actually a sweetheart, but every once in a while… Well, you know how kids are.” He shrugged. “You’re not offended, I hope? Super religious?”

Aziraphale gave a wobbly smile. “No, that’s not it. It’s just… My sister Deirdre and her husband Arthur… They gave the same nickname to Adam when he was a baby.”

“You’re pulling my leg.” Crowley gaped.

“I’m really not. What are the odds?” he mused thoughtfully.

Their conversation was interrupted by Adam, who started pulling on Aziraphale’s hand silently.

“What would you like, Adam?” asked Aziraphale.

“Wa. Wa.” Adam said, smacking his lips together.

Aziraphale frowned, puzzled. “Did you want to go home?”

Adam screwed up his face and a tear slipped silently down his cheek.

“Would you like me to try?” asked Crowley gently, as he watched the other man get more and more agitated as Adam started to cry.

“Please!” Aziraphale breathed a sigh of relief. “Adam, tell Crowley what you’re trying to say.”

Adam sniffed and looked up at his uncle for reassurance. At Aziraphale’s nod, Adam turned to Crowley. “Wa?” He smacked his lips together again.

“Water? Are you thirsty?” Crowley asked the small boy.

The boy nodded vigorously and grinned from ear to ear.

“How did you know that?” marvelled Aziraphale, practically crying with relief.

“Familiarity with small children, honestly.” Crowley shrugged. “Once you spend enough time around a child, you start to notice the repetitive words that they use, and what they mean. Warlock says the same thing. And smacking the lips was a good clue. Babies do that when they’re thirsty. You’ll get there.”

“Thank you so much!” Aziraphale turned back to Adam. “We have to go home to get you water. I’ll bring you a water bottle the next time we come to the park, alright?” At the boy’s nod, he took his hand. “I’ll see you on Saturday? Oh goodness, I haven’t given you my mobile!”

Numbers were quickly exchanged, and Crowley and Warlock watched their new friends walk away hand-in-hand.

“I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of them in the future. I hope you liked playing with Adam?”

Warlock nodded so hard Crowley teased, “Your head is going to fall off!” making the child giggle.

“Shall we head home for lunch?” Crowley asked. “Lunch?”

“Uh!”

“We’ll get there.”

Chapter Text

"What an excellent meal," said Crowley, picking up his wine glass and draining the last mouthful.

"Oh, it was nothing." Aziraphale blushed at the praise. "Besides, I know you know how to cook, too. The dinner you made for us two weeks ago was divine."

"Ah," Crowley said, tapping the side of his nose. "But I didn't have to make this one, therefore, it is even better."

Aziraphale laughed, and Adam, sensing the mood of the room, chuckled happily, grinning at the two men. Aziraphale grinned back at him. "You just want to join in, don't you? I could tell the blandest story in the world, but if I made my tone change as if I was telling a joke, you'd laugh, wouldn't you?" He pitched his voice in a silly way that made Crowley chuckle, and Adam, after a quick look at him, laughed too.

"You've come a long way from the scared man I met in the park months ago," observed Crowley, getting up from his chair and collecting the plates. He waved off Aziraphale's protests and carried them into the kitchen. "You're bonding well."

“Oh! Oh, you really think so?” Aziraphale clasped his hands together under his chin. “I feel like I’m understanding him better now. Thank you so much for all your help with him, especially in those first few weeks.”

“You put in all the hard work. I just gave a few pointers.”

“Those pointers meant a lot to me.” Aziraphale flushed. “You mean a lot to me.”

Crowley grinned shyly and ducked away with a second load of dishes. “You mean a lot to me too, Angel.”

Aziraphale cleared his throat, choking up on his emotions. “I think I’ll… I’ll go put Adam to bed. Perhaps we can watch a movie after?”

“I’ll wash the dishes while you do that, and start some popcorn?”

“That sounds delicious!” Aziraphale gave a little wiggle of delight. “Come along, Adam. Time for bed.”

Adam screwed up his face, about to start crying.

“I’ll read you the next chapter of Winnie the Pooh if you get into your jammies quickly,” bribed Aziraphale as he unbuckled the booster seat straps.

All smiles, Adam let Aziraphale put him on the floor. He walked into the kitchen, gave Crowley a hug around the knees, and then headed for his room down the small hallway.

“I’ll see you in half an hour,” murmured Aziraphale, kissing Crowley’s cheek quickly before heading down the hall, blushing furiously.

Crowley stood with his hands in the soapy water for a minute, blissfully unaware of his surroundings thanks to the domesticity of the moment, until a plate bumped against his fingers and snapped him out of it. Humming cheerfully, he made quick work of the dishes before putting a bag of popcorn into the microwave. While waiting, he slipped into the living room to turn on the TV and set it to Netflix. He had scrolled through a dozen movies when the microwave beeped, and he hurried back to the kitchen to grab a large bowl for the sizzling hot popcorn. He settled on the couch and read through the summaries of two more movies before Aziraphale dropped down beside him with a sigh.

“Happy sigh?” Crowley asked.

“Just tired.” Aziraphale gave himself a shake. “Will it always be this exhausting, putting him to bed? I finally got him down, he just didn't want to settle. Lots of tears tonight. I have no idea why."

“No.” Crowley paused for effect. “Sometimes it’ll be worse.”

"You are the worst,” Aziraphale groaned, letting his head fall onto the back of the couch. “Tonight, Adam asked me for ‘Mum?’ in the most plaintive tone I’ve ever heard in my life, and I swear,” tears started forming in his eyes, “it took everything I had in me not to cry as I reminded him that she died.” His bottom lip started to wobble. “It’s going to be a year in January, and I still can’t believe that my baby sister is just… gone.”

Crowley pulled Aziraphale into an awkward hug, letting him cry on his shoulder as he mourned his sister and her husband, and the life their son didn’t get to have with them. “I’m so sorry that it happened this way. But at least he didn’t join them, right?” He stroked a hand through Aziraphale’s curls. “You two have each other.”

“It was a close one, you know. He was in the car with them when they were run off the road. He was in a coma for months, and they weren’t sure he was going to make it.” Aziraphale sniffled. “I couldn’t even stay with him. It was too hard to get to Tadfield from London without a car. I begged rides from friends once a month. They probably would have taken me more often, but I didn’t want to impose. And,” he continued in a small voice. “I’m not sure my being there did any good. I wasn’t his mum or dad. He barely knew me from holidays. And I had the funerals to arrange, at the beginning… It was all just… so hard.” Aziraphale sighed again, heavier with the weight of his words.

“You did everything you could. And he’s adapting well to living with you. You are an excellent father and an even better uncle. He’s very lucky to have you.”

Wiping his eyes, Aziraphale gave a wobbly smile. "I feel so lucky to have him. He's made me a better person, and he brought me to you!"

"Even better!" Crowley ran a thumb over a cheekbone, catching a stray tear. "I know it's only been a few short months, but these have been the happiest months of my life. Every text, call, play date, and meal has only further deepened my feelings for you."

"Dearest, I feel very much the same for you," Aziraphale interrupted quickly.

"Can I put it into words?" Crowley asked gently, searching for its echo in the other's eyes. "Is it too soon?"

"If it's too soon, at least we're on the same page," Aziraphale said with a chuckle. "Please, say it."

Crowley took a deep breath. "Aziraphale, I'm in love with you."

"Oh!" Aziraphale pressed a hand to his heart. "Oh, that sounds even more beautiful than it did in my imagination." He pressed a kiss to Crowley's smiling lips. "I am in love with you too, darling."

They sat grinning at each other on the couch for a few minutes before the Netflix screen flickered and faded to black, plunging them into darkness.

"Shall we pick a movie?" Crowley asked, picking up the remote and waking the TV.

"Why don’t we 'Netflix and Chill'!" Aziraphale suggested with a subtle wiggle of his shoulders.

Crowley chuckled. "That's not what that means, you know."

"Oh, I know."

Crowley froze. "Wait…"

"Are you alright? Is that… Is that something you'd be interested in?" Aziraphale worried at his bottom lip.

"Fuck, Angel, I am so alright with that. One thing, though…"

"Yes? Anything, name it."

"I refuse to have sex without a locked door between me and a kid."

Aziraphale plucked the remote out of Crowley's limp hand, turned off the TV, and stood. "Well, come on then. Bedroom's this way."

“No beating about the bush, yeah?” Crowley chuckled as he got to his feet. He took Aziraphale’s hand in his and pulled him close, wrapping their arms around each other. “Build up the anticipation?” he whispered, inches from his lover’s lips.

Aziraphale shivered. “I thought you wanted to wait until the bedroom?”

“Kissing isn’t sex,” murmured Crowley, tipping Aziraphale’s head upwards with one hand at his jaw. “It’s the appetizer. And I know how much you love to savour your food.” He gently pressed his mouth to Aziraphale’s bottom lip, tasting lightly as he swiped his tongue over the plush fullness he found there.

Aziraphale groaned, head already swimming with desire as Crowley pulled him closer. He could feel him from knee to shoulder, the long, lithe figure seeming to hold him everywhere at once.

Together, they staggered backwards into the wall beside the couch, until Crowley was pushing him against it. His mouth travelled along Aziraphale’s jawline, up to his ear, where he bit down lightly. His hips jolted forward of their own accord, rubbing his length against Aziraphale. “Feel like a teenager again, you get me so hot,” he breathed in Aziraphale’s ear.

“Dearest,” gasped Aziraphale. He pushed off the wall, scooped Crowley up under his arse, and carried him the rest of the way to the bedroom.

“Didn’t know you could do that,” moaned Crowley. “Fuck, that’s hot. You’re so strong, could pin me down, and rail into me.”

“Hmm, yes I could,” Aziraphale said thoughtfully, his eyes twinkling. “I was thinking something a little more gentle, our first time, though.” He stood Crowley beside the bed. “Strip for me?”

“Gladly,” said Crowley, as he urgently started pulling his clothes off, getting the zipper stuck on the hem of his shirt and getting stuck inside the sleeves.

Aziraphale chuckled, eyeing his tangled lover. “Do you mind if I help you?” At Crowley’s muffled whimper, he quickly set him to rights and divested him of the rest of his clothing. “There’s no rush, darling.”

Crowley hopped onto the bed and reclined on his side, gaze sliding over Aziraphale’s still clothed body while his hand glided over his hard length. “I’m waiting, Angel. You gonna get over here and help me out?”

Pupils dilating, Aziraphale methodically removed his clothes, folding them neatly before placing them on the chair in the corner. He crawled on top of Crowley, their bodies a hairsbreadth apart. His cock dribbled a little pre-cum onto the belly beneath him, and Crowley writhed at the feeling of wet heat.

Crowley tried to lean up to kiss him, but Aziraphale pulled back slightly, a glint in his eyes. “You gonna tease me all night, or get down here and do something about this?” He gestured at his twitching cock.

“I guess that all depends,” mused Aziraphale.

“On what?”

“On what you’d like to do tonight.”

“Can we just start with grinding naked against each other and see where it goes from there?” Crowley whined, a desperate edge to his voice.

Aziraphale chuckled. “We could do that. Or I could go down on you while I open you up for me. Or we could make out while I prepare myself to take you.”

“Oh my Go—! Aziraphale!” Crowley gasped, his hand finding his cock again and stroking along it, the back of his hand grazing the cock bobbing above him. “At this rate, you won’t even have to touch me and I’ll cum.”

“I guess I’d better decide quickly then,” chuckled Aziraphale. “I rather fancy taking you. Is that alright with you?”

“Mmhmm, yes, sounds good.”

“Excellent.” Aziraphale allowed their hips to touch as he pressed an electric open mouth kiss to Crowley’s slack lips before trailing kisses down his body. He stopped briefly to tongue at one nipple, making Crowley nearly jump off the bed at the sensation. “Good?”

Crowley nodded so eagerly he thought his head might fall off.

More kisses traced a meandering path down to his hip bone, where Aziraphale spent some time biting and sucking a harsh mark on one protrusion while Crowley groaned and writhed underneath him. “You make the most delicious sounds, darling. I can’t get enough of them. What sounds are you going to make for me as I prepare you to take my cock?” He leaned over to the side table, sliding open the top drawer to grab lube and a condom.

“You sure are prepared for this,” remarked Crowley, eyes wide.

“Well, I had high hopes for tonight.” Aziraphale smiled down at his lover as he coated one finger in lube. “I hope you’re not upset?”

“No. Nope. Not complaining in the slightest.” Crowley shamelessly spread his knees for him. “Very much appreciating your foresight.” He sighed as Aziraphale circled around his rim and pushed in. “Anything else you want to predict for tonight?”

“Hmm.” Aziraphale bent and licked Crowley’s cock from root to tip, making the other man gasp. “I predict that I’ll take you apart with my mouth on your cock and fingers in your arse, and when you’re begging me to fuck you, I’ll put you back together again with my cock.”

“The mouth on you!” gaped Crowley. “So filthy!”

“You love it,” Aziraphale chuckled, swirling his tongue around the head of the cock in his face.

“I love you,” Crowley gasped out, overcome by sensation. “Your tongue, your fingers, feels so good!”

Aziraphale ducked his head down, hiding his smile, and sucked the head into his mouth. He traced his tongue along the ridges, mapping it out as he moved further and further down, until his nose was nestled in red curls. He inhaled deeply, enjoying the musky scent of his partner. His tongue rippled along the underside of his cock, playing with the thick vein that he found there. He swallowed around the head, feeling his throat muscles squeezing, and thanking every god that he had no gag reflex as Crowley practically shot off the bed as he did so. He chuckled, the sound muffled, and placed his free arm across Crowley’s hips, pinning him to the bed.

“Oh fuuuuuuuuuck,” groaned Crowley, his hands clenched in his own hair, messing it up. “Fuck, Azirapha-AAHH-le!”

Aziraphale’s finger, forgotten for a moment, had found Crowley’s prostate and was stroking it. The spongy tissue twitched under the attention, and Aziraphale could feel the balls drawing up under his chin. Crowley’s hips moved as his heels pressed harder into the mattress underneath them, the pressure of his orgasm thrumming through his body. Aziraphale pulled away, the cock falling from his mouth with a wet pop and smacking into the hard belly underneath and his finger leaving the warm heat of his arse.

“Wha—? Aziraphale!” whimpered Crowley, his now-free hips bucking into the air as he mindlessly searched for friction.

“Patience, my love,” crooned Aziraphale, slicking two more fingers as he watched the urgency of orgasm leave the body underneath him. “I said I would take you apart. I didn’t say I’d let you cum.”

Crowley’s eyes widened as the truth of the words set in. “You ba-AH-stard!” he groaned, as two of Aziraphale’s fingers unerringly found his prostate again. They stroked gently over it, giving him just enough sensation to build his orgasm slowly, slowly, ever so slowly.

“You feel so good, my darling. You’re opening up so beautifully for me. Just relax, and I’ll take care of you. That’s it, my dear,” Aziraphale murmured, watching Crowley’s back arch and toes curl. “You’re so close.” He removed his fingers, a tiny smirk on his face at Crowley’s whine of despair. Three fingers pressed at the furled opening, breaching it easily. Aziraphale stayed away from the prostate, giving Crowley a chance to breathe and his muscles to unclench. Instead, he focussed on scissoring his fingers apart, stretching him open. “I can’t wait to have you, to impale you on my cock. You’re going to look so good with me inside you. Do you want that? Are you ready for me?”

“Please!” Crowley cried out. “I want you inside me.”

“Oh, how very polite. Alright.” Aziraphale pulled away and grabbed the condom, groaning at the sight of Crowley’s arse, his hole stretched and puffy. “I want that too.” Quickly he tore open the package and slid the latex over his own neglected cock, slicking it with more lube and taking a moment to gather his stamina together so that he didn’t come at the moment of penetration. He braced himself with one hand splayed out over Crowley’s belly, smearing the pre-cum dribbled there, and rubbed the head of his cock over the stretched out opening.

“Ohhhhh,” groaned Crowley. “In. Now.” His ankles wrapped around Aziraphale’s hips, pulling him in closer.

The initial breach had them both pausing, gasping for air.

“Fuck, you’re so tight,” Aziraphale panted. “I should have stretched you more.”

Crowley shook his head vigorously. “No, just out of practice. Give me a minute to relax. Rock into me a bi—” His last word choked off as Aziraphale shifted inside of him and he saw stars. “Yeah, right there. Short strokes on that spot, fuck, you’re so good at this.” Crowley tossed his head from side to side, words dissolving into moans at the intense pressure building inside him.

Aziraphale watched in awe as his lover took his pleasure on his cock. He felt the muscles around him slowly relax and lengthened his strokes, changing up the strength of each thrust into the pliant body underneath him. He averted his eyes from the enticing view of his cock disappearing into Crowley’s arse over and over again, sure it would make him come too soon. “My love, you are stunning like this. The sounds you make, the way you move your body, the way we fit together…” He trailed off, choked up on emotion and unable to continue. “May I kiss you?”

“Yes, yes please!” Crowley whimpered. He reached up for Aziraphale’s shoulders, pulling him down flush with his body. “I need you like I need air.”

Aziraphale braced himself on one elbow at Crowley’s head, using his free hand to tilt Crowley’s head for a sloppy kiss. Restless, that hand travelled down the lithe body to grasp at one bony thigh, hiking up that leg until it was over his shoulder. He pressed down at the back of the knee, stretching Crowley further. “Oh god, you’re so hot!”

“Fuck, ‘Ziraphale,” Crowley panted. “You’re going to make me cum!” He gasped as Aziraphale’s lips traced down the column of his neck until they reached the meaty part of his shoulder. Once there, he bit down, surprising Crowley with the speed and ferocity of his orgasm. Crowley arched underneath his lover, body tense with ecstasy and eyes rolling back.

Aziraphale thrust once more before he, too, was overcome. His hips faltered and his arms shook as he tried to keep his weight off the man below him.

“Oh. My. God.” Crowley threw one arm across his forehead. His chest heaved as he gasped for air.

“Quite,” murmured Aziraphale. “I’m sorry my dear, but I need to pull out.”

“Yeah, ‘K.”

There was some shuffling, and then Aziraphale managed to get the strength to kneel, his cock slipping from Crowley’s body, making them both yearn for more. “I’ll just get you a cloth and dispose of the condom, and then we can cuddle?”

“Please.” Crowley hadn’t yet moved, other than to drop his leg down, splayed out across the bed like a starfish.

Climbing off the bed was a feat, but Aziraphale managed it. The condom went into the garbage by the bed. He brushed an errant lock of hair off Crowley’s forehead with one hand. “You’re beautiful.”

Crowley caught the hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the palm. “So are you.”

They smiled at each other until Aziraphale gave himself a little shake and pulled away. “Cloth. I’ll be right back.” He grabbed the robe from the back of the door, opened it and slipped out into the hallway.

The bathroom was across from Adam’s room, and he moved quietly towards the door, lit from within by a nightlight so he wouldn’t bother the boy in the middle of the night. He quickly wet a cloth with warm water and scooped up a hand towel for afterwards. Before creeping back down the hallway, he opened Adam’s door to check on the sleeping boy. He was sprawled on his belly, one arm hanging off the bed, comforter half on the floor.

Biting his lip against a laugh, Aziraphale placed his towels on the bedside table before gently moving Adam further onto the bed. Adam tucked both hands under his chest and curled his legs under his body, his bum sticking up in the air. Aziraphale covered him back up, picked up his towels again, and tiptoed back out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“Adam’s sound asleep,” he said, returning to his own room. Crowley looked as though he hadn’t moved an inch since he left. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

“Too tired to move. I was promised cuddles.”

Aziraphale chuckled. “Cuddles you shall have, once you’re clean.” He wiped down the thin chest and belly before going lower and clearing up excess lube.

“What service,” teased Crowley.

“Just for that, you can dry yourself.”

“Nah, I don’t mind you doing it.”

“You’re spoiled!”

“You spoil me.” Crowley grabbed Aziraphale’s wrist when he was about to pull away. “I’m teasing, I don’t mind drying.”

Aziraphale grinned at him. “And I don’t actually mind touching your body. Shocker, I know.”

“Well, carry on then.” Crowley stretched his arms above his head as Aziraphale rubbed his body with a fluffy towel. “Feels nice.”

Aziraphale dropped both on the floor next to the bed. “I’ll deal with those after cuddles.”

“Great, come here.” Crowley shifted his body to make room for Aziraphale on the bed.

Together, they figured out a comfortable cuddling position, and Aziraphale covered them with his comforter. “This is nice.”

“Mmm, yeah.” Crowley burrowed deeper into the arms around him, squeezing tightly with his own. “I could get used to this.”

“I think I already am.”

They drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.

Much later, a noise brought Aziraphale back to wakefulness. He blinked, surprised by the warmth at his side and the light on his bedside table. A glance at Crowley brought the wonderful evening back, and he squirmed with happiness. His full bladder made itself known and he wiggled his way out of Crowley’s grip and out of bed. Scooping up the wet towels off the floor, he slipped out of his room and down the hallway to the bathroom.

Adam’s door was open.

Both cloth and towel dropped with a splat, forgotten, to the floor.

The bed was empty.

Chapter Text

Aziraphale dashed into the room, checked around the bed and under it - no Adam. Bathroom next, no Adam. Robe flapping open behind him, he dashed into the living room, flicking on the light switch as he entered. No Adam... and the front door was ajar.

Panic set in.

“Adam!” Aziraphale shouted, running to the open door. He looked in both directions down the long hallway, but couldn’t see the boy anywhere.

“Oh my god, oh my god,” he half-sobbed, eyes blurring with tears, as he fell to his knees, hanging onto the doorknob.

Crowley’s hand wrapped around his elbow, lifting him to his feet. “Hey, let’s get you out of the doorway.”

“We forgot to lock the door before bed!” Aziraphale wailed. “I don’t know where to even begin looking! I don’t know if he’s been taken! Who would take a child? What do I do?” He could feel himself start to hyperventilate and couldn’t bring himself to care. Where was Adam?

“The first thing you’re going to do is sit down at your desk and call the police.” Crowley’s calm voice broke through the panic. “You’re going to tell them everything, from your address to the colour of his pyjamas. Then you’re going to make a list of all the places that he knows how to get to. I’m going to get dressed and I’ll start at the park. Text me when you think of more places.” He fixed the robe, led Aziraphale over to his solid oak desk, sat him in the chair, and placed his phone in his hand. “Dial. I’ll be right back.” He dashed off.

Aziraphale stared at the phone in his hand, unsure for a moment how it worked before his brain restarted and he unlocked it, calling the police a second later. “Hello? Yes, I need the police. My son has disappeared. He’s two.” He rattled off his address. “He’s wearing dark blue with orange stars footed pyjamas with a rocketship on the front. I…” He swallowed a sob. “I forgot to lock the door last night, and the door is open now, and Adam’s not in his bed,” he could feel his hysteria rising again, “and you have to find my boy! He’s all I have left! Please!” He could barely hear the reassurances of the operative on the other end of the line. His head fell into his hands, elbows resting on his knees. “Please,” he whispered, blinking tears from his eyes.

“I’m off to the park,” Crowley called, pulling on his coat as he dashed towards the door. “I’ve got my phone. Text me. Love you.”

Aziraphale waved in the direction of the door and heard it close. He buried his face again, not caring if the operator heard his sobs. “Oh god, Adam. Where are you?”

“Za?”

Aziraphale jumped, not believing his ears. He wiped his eyes and looked around the living room. No Adam. “Adam?”

“Za!” came the little voice again.

Aziraphale peeked between his legs, under his desk. A small face, ringed with sleep-mussed curls, peered back up at him. “Adam?” he gasped incredulously. He scooped the boy up in his arms, dropping the phone on the desk as he cuddled the boy close. “The police!” he murmured, suddenly remembering why he had his phone in the first place. He picked up the phone again. “It’s alright! He’s been found.” He agreed with the operator’s relief and thanked them for their assistance before hanging up. Then he texted Crowley. Lastly, he looked down at the small figure in his arms, clutching tight to his robe.

“You gave me quite the scare, little one,” he said quietly. He sniffled and rubbed his cheek over messy curls. “I think you had a bit of a scare as well. Why don’t we cuddle on the couch until Crowley comes back?”

Adam nodded, and Aziraphale got to his feet, not letting go of the child.

“The couch is much more comfortable, don’t you think?” he asked the boy, receiving a nod in response. “Now, why don’t we piece together what happened tonight. You woke up, and then what happened? Did you come to find me?”

Adam shook his head and stuck his thumb in his mouth. He pointed at the front door.

“You opened the door? Did you leave and come back?”

Adam shook his head again, and buried his face in Aziraphale’s chest.

“You were too scared to leave? The hallway is pretty big for such a little one.” Aziraphale thought for a moment, cuddling the boy close. “Why did you open the door? Did you have a dream?”

Adam nodded. He took his thumb out of his mouth and said, “Mum,” and burst into tears.

“Oh my darling.” Aziraphale cuddled him closer. “I miss your mum too. She was my sister, my best friend, and I love her dearly. But she’s not going to be coming back, love. She died, almost a year ago now. You were in the hospital for a long time after the car accident. You don’t remember most of that. But once you were awake, do you remember that I would come and stay with you at night sometimes?”

Adam nodded a tiny nod.

“You almost died in that accident, too. It was a miracle. My little miracle.” Aziraphale placed a kiss on Adam’s forehead. “I love you, darling. I don’t want anything to happen to you. Please don’t scare me like that again.”

The front door opened and Crowley dashed in, breathing hard. “Adam’s been found?” he gasped, one hand on his chest, one still holding the door handle. “I made it all the way to the park before I got your text.”

“He was under my desk.” Aziraphale nuzzled into curls again, squeezing the boy tightly. “I feel embarrassed that I didn’t look around the flat more thoroughly.”

“No, Angel, no.” Crowley closed the door behind him blindly and crossed to kneel in front of the pair. “You saw the front door open and thought the worst. Don’t be embarrassed. I would have reacted the same way. I didn’t look around either, yeah?”

“You’re right.” Aziraphale wiped his eyes again. “I was caught in a tunnel. I could barely see my phone to call the police.”

“Do you have a therapist? One for Adam, too? Might be a good idea to give them both a call in the morning. This was a rough night for both of you.”

“He missed his mum.” Aziraphale’s lip wobbled. “He thought he could go see her, or that she was coming here, or something like that.” He kissed Adam again.

Crowley hummed thoughtfully. “D’you have a picture of her in his room for him? A nice, bright, happy one?” Aziraphale shook his head. “D’you have access to one? Yeah? Good. We can get a copy made. And I’ve heard of places that print pictures onto material. We can get a pillow made with her picture on it, and then he can cuddle her whenever he likes.”

“They can do that?” Aziraphale asked, surprised. “That’s a great idea. Adam, would you like a pillow with your mum’s picture on it?”

Adam, who had been crying quietly, nodded. He gripped Aziraphale’s robe harder. “Za?”

“Yes, dear?”

“Papa?”

“Do you want one with your Papa on it too?” Aziraphale asked. “I’m sure we can find a picture of him in your mother’s photo albums.”

Adam shook his head. He put one little hand on Aziraphale’s chest. “Za Papa?”

“Oh!” Tears welled up in Aziraphale’s eyes again. “You’re calling me Papa?”

Adam nodded shyly, and stuck his thumb in his mouth again.

“Oh darling, I would be so honoured if you called me Papa.” At the boy’s blank look, he tried again. “Yes, sweetheart. Yes, Papa.”

Adam smiled and curled up against Aziraphale again.

“Thank you,” Aziraphale said to Crowley. He looked up at the ceiling. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“Let’s get you both to bed,” murmured Crowley. “You should keep him in your bed tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch.” At Aziraphale’s protestations, Crowley silenced him with a finger to his lips. He nodded at the sleeping boy curled in Aziraphale’s protective embrace. “It’s best for Adam. There will be plenty of other nights for us, yeah?”

“Thank you, love. I’m so glad I found you.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Crowley helped Aziraphale to his feet. “We’ve got all the time in the world to wake up together. He needs you right now.”

A lingering kiss with a deep sigh of satisfaction followed.

“To being found.”

“To being found.” Aziraphale echoed dreamily.