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English
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Published:
2019-09-06
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1,442
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1/1
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Canary

Summary:

Heaven does do more than send rude notes. Aziraphale wasn't quite sure about this before. Now? Well, he has no choice but to find out.

Unfortunately, in the hardest way possible.

Notes:

Okay, so this is kind of a spur of the moment thing. I wrote this in the Bottom Aziraphale Discord and wasn't intending on making it into a Muti-Chaptered fic, but here we are I guess XD. I hope you guys enjoy chapter 1 and trust me, there is more angst and fluff on the way soon. <3

Disclaimer: I do not own Good Omens.

**TRIGGER WARNING: VIOLENCE, BLOOD AND TORTURE**

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

 "There’s a shadow hanging heavy
There’s a cold chill in my bones
It’s a steep road, and I am weary
It’s a long, long way from home. . ."

-- Joy Williams, "Canary."

 

The goodbye kiss Crowley had pressed against his lips was still tingling when the angels had taken him.

 

The walk to the market wasn’t even supposed to take that long. Only a few blocks down the road, take a left at the barber shop and then cross the street.

 

Easy. 

 

Right?

 

Evidently, not easy enough and Aziraphale had barely any time to give a cry before he was dragged up to Heaven, his husband’s name getting ripped from his lips as him and the Archangel’s zipped through the blue sky.

 

They land on hard marble, Aziraphale’s head smacking against the floor with an audible crack. He blinks away stars, just managing to catch his breath before he is being forced up, his legs shaking.

 

“N-Now let’s just take it easy--” He tries to say, holding up his hands and attempting to smile.

 

The punch Sandalphon throws against Aziraphale’s stomach is different than last time. 

 

Last time, the blonde recalls even as he slips to the floor with a groan, last time it was restrained, held back. 

 

Not this time.

 

Now on his knees, Azirapahle glances up through hazy eyes at the other angels standing above him. They are in the left section of the large room that makes up Heaven’s Meeting Center, off to the side in a wing Aziraphale has never been in before.

 

The harsh light from the ceiling stings Aziraphale’s mortal corneas and he has to glance back down after a second.

 

“Do you know—“ Gabriel’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard in the sterile silence of the room and Azirapahle winces. “—why you are here, Aziraphale?”

 

The blonde swallows, watching as the other angel’s shadow stretches across the marble floor around him. 

 

“I would assume, Archangel Gabriel, that it would have something to do with my-my recent marriage.” Aziraphale answers, still slightly winded from the blow to his stomach. 

 

Sudden hands reach down to grip Zira’s chin and his head is forced up, a whine slipping unbidden past his lips as his knees jerk against the cold ground.

 

Gabriel’s jade eyes are alight in twisted pleasure and Aziraphale has to swallow down bile at the sight.

 

“Good boy.” Gabriel mock coos, the hand that was gripping Azirapahle’s chin tightening. “Do you know why we’re so upset, dear Guardian Of The Eastern Gate?”

 

Aziraphale attempts to jerk back, but Gabriel just holds him even tighter, his blunt nails digging into the soft skin under Aziraphale’s chin. 

 

“Say it!” The archangel suddenly barks, shaking Aziraphale and causing the blonde’s teeth to chatter from the force. “Say why, you useless fucking angel. Say it.”

 

“B-because I married a demon.” Aziraphale gasps out, nearly sobbing in relief when Gabriel immediately released his face as though burned.

 

The taller being takes a half-step backwards, nodding to Sandalphon as he does. Sandalphon flashes Aziraphale a nearly sadistic grin, his metal crusted teeth flashing in the while lights, and jams his foot as hard as he can down on Aziraphale’s ribs. 

 

The blonde cries out as a few break with an audible crack.

 

“That’s right!” Gabriel says, pointing a finger in Aziraphale’s direction and smirking when all the blonde can do is gasp in pain. “You married a demon. Our enemy. The ones who, without even blinking an eye, will cause destruction and death and carnage to anyone and anything they touch.”

 

“N-No!” Aziraphale manages to say, arms shaking as he slowly pulls himself into a semi-sitting position, gasping. “That’s not t-true, not-not Crowley—“

 

“ Don’t speak his name. ” Gabriel suddenly hisses, reaching forward and grabbing Zira’s face again, squeezing until Aziraphale let’s out a high pitched whine. “You married a demon, the enemy, like I said.”

 

Aziraphale just nods, blinking back tears. 

 

“And do you know what that makes you, dear Brother?” Gabe’s sudden grin is twisted, curling across his face. “Huh?”

 

Aziraphale just stares desperately, his chest and face and heart aching. Gabriel doesn’t seem to expect a real answer, however, and he releases Aziraphale once again with a small scoff of disgust. 

 

“ Our enemy. ”

 

“No.” Aziraphale shakes his head frantically, ignoring how the action makes his head spin, trying in vain to claw his way across the slick floor when Sandalphon presses his foot against his chest once more. “No, no, no.”

 

Gabriel laughs, a short chuckle that sends shivers down Aziraphale’s spine. “Oh yes, yes, yes, dear Aziraphale. You marry a demon, you suffer the consequences.”

 

“I-I love him.” Aziraphale wheezes, crying out when Sandalphon presses down with more force. “I love him.”

 

Another rib cracks, sending a blinding hot spike of pain traveling down the blonde’s whole body. He sobs.

 

Michael, her brown eyes cold, steps forward, looking down at him with a lip curled in disgust. “Look at him, saying he loves that demon trash. Pathetic.”

 

Leaning down so that her face is inches from Aziraphale’s tear streaked cheeks, she smirks. “Tell me, Aziraphale, does the love you feel for him justify the betrayal you have committed against your own kind ?”

 

Aziraphale fights against the sobs that continue to bubble up, his throat aching. Raising his pounding head, he glares straight into Michael’s dark eyes, his own warped, battered reflection staring back at him. 

 

“He is—“ The angel cuts himself off to cough, chest heaving. “—He is w-worth everything .”

 

Suddenly, Michael snarls, lips curling and that’s all Zira has as a warning before her fist collides with his jaw, his head snapping to the side from the force. A burst of static fills Aziraphale’s vision and it takes him a few seconds to oriate himself again, his skin aflame.

 

“See, Aziraphale.” Gabriel is leaning back above him now, his form a dark, fussy blob against the backdrop of never ending light. “Now you’ve done it. Good job, really. We needed an excuse to really hurt you and, well, what a better one than this.”

 

Aziraphale just glares up at him, feeling blood start to pool from his broken nose. The golden liquid stains his skin, the droplets slowly sliding down his chin and pooling in the cracks in the floor below him.

 

When Gabe sees that Aziraphale isn’t going to respond, the archangel’s jaw clenches, his eyes flashing. Leaning down, Gabriel suddenly grabs Aziraphale by the labels of his now ragged coat, lifting him up effortlessly even as the blonde squirms with a groan of agony. 

 

“Take him away.” 

 

Gabriel practically throws Aziraphale toward where Michael and Urial stand. The two female angels half-heartedly catch him, his legs thudding against the floor and the sole of his leather shoes squeaking in the pool of his own blood. 

 

The gold stains his sole in a light bronze smear. 

 

Gabriel, his hands uncomfortably soft now, leans over and gently lifts Aziraphale’s chin, wiping away a smudge of blood from under his lower lip. 

 

Aziraphale jerks back from the unwanted touch, a whine catching in the back of his throat at the pain that sends black spots dancing in his vision.

 

Gabriel leans forward, his face inches from Aziraphale and the blonde nearly groans again as his eyesight doubles. The two grins the archangel flashes him is enough to make Aziraphale’s body shiver, his blood freezing. 

 

“Since you seem to love the darkness caught in the heart of your demon so much, dear Brother Aziraphale,” The jade eyes crinkle as Gabriel smiles even wider. “We think you might enjoy your chosen punishment.”

 

“Wha—“ Aziraphale starts to ask, weakly attempting to wiggle away one last time. “N-No--”

 

Suddenly, Urial punches him again, her knuckles scraping across his cheek. Vaguely, Zira is aware of the sickening snap as his jaw unhinges from the force, blood pooling in his mouth and dripping down his chin as he gags.

 

“ Please—” Aziraphale whispers, the words gurgled. 

 

Gabe just laughs again, patting Zira’s red and puffy cheek with a gentle touch. Aziraphale doesn’t even have the energy to try and get away, just accepts the touch with a choked off sob. 

 

“Take him away.” Gabriel says again, punctuating his words with a nod at Michael. “Come see me afterwards.”

 

Michael seems to agree but her words are lost to Aziraphale, his ears ringing as the darkness that was swarming at the edge of his vision suddenly leaps forward. 

 

He collapses before they take a single step forward, his body falling limp against the cold floor as his captors allow him to slip between their slack grip. 

 

Then his head smacks against the marble and Aziraphale knows no more. 

Notes:

Thank you for reading! Kudos make my day and comments fuel my writing :D