Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gabriel woke up from torpor a few days later.

He had woken up many more times during that time. He didn’t know what was the oddest, the vague memories, the demon in his arms or having actually slept.

You see, angels don’t need too sleep. He had never felt the least bit tired at all times when he had been through a similar situation. Nor had he ever felt the need to cuddle his partners. Especially, in that case, one with fangs and claws that could try to kill him at any time. The thought startled him.

He looked to his side with wide eyes. He had, in fact, slept with a fucking demon. He thought for a second about casting his spear and getting rid of the evidence. But he looked down at the thing, all curled up around itself, fiery curls like the sun, tiny freckles like stars, breathing softly. He couldn’t ever left the bed. He had to stay and protect it with his life.

At this point, he knew he had to get the Hell out of here for his own sake.
…
“Morning, Gabriel.” A voice called when he reached downstairs.

Aziraphale was as calm as ever. He handed the archangel a cup of coffee. Gabriel stared the black liquid confused and put it aside in one of the bookshelves. He didn't know what to say. He was confused and scared and guilty and did not fully understand the reason for the latter. He went with the easier one.

“You plotted against me. Why? See me fall?”

“What makes you think so?”

“Don't play dumb, Aziraphale. Put a demon in heat inside your house? You kn...”

“He doesn’t choose to be in heat, you know.” Aziraphale interrupted. “You didn't say you were coming and the door was locked. You should know better.”

“I should know better? Don't turn the blame on me, sunshine. You know it’s forbidden…”

“What is forbidden? To sleep with a demon? Because that was not what I was doing”

He was right. Whatever his intentions were, he couldn’t prove anything against Aziraphale. If someone were to take the blame, it would be him. And alone. Even if it was his instincts to blame. He was the one who broke the rules, who were weak. Aziraphale was playing this to protect the demon or to fuck with him? And why?

“Why didn't you stop me?”

“Would you have heard me?”

No. He was far too gone, from the moment the smell hit him. He doesn’t remember if Aziraphale said something. It all sounds like a wonderful dream in the back of your mind. And something else hit him.

“Oh, Lord. What if… What if it takes?”

“Well, dear. We don’t even know if angels and demons can do that. And even if we can, I doubt an unmarked omega’s body would recognize an essence so different from his.”

A faint wave of disappointment went through his chest. He didn’t know what that meant and was relieved that Aziraphale did not notice.

“And if it does happen...” He continued, oblivious to the internal conflict that broke out in the archangel's mind. “I’m sure Crowley and I can handle it just fine. You don’t need to worry about.”

Gabriel didn't know what to do. He knew there was a slight threatening tone in the angel's voice, buying his silence. All that conversation tied them together, complicit in a secret that slept unsuspecting upstairs. A secret that now had a name, burning in the back of his mind. However, Aziraphale was willing to exempt him from the unknown consequences of that agreement if they came.

He had nothing more to add. Or were afraid to say something more. A movement was heard upstairs, the bed creaking, someone shuffling on the wooden floor. He fled.
…
Of course, the Head Office was interested to know what he were being up to the last days. He followed up with the hypothesis that Sandalphon had already raised. There was a demon in the bookstore. He took advantage of an exit from the angel to hide there and ambush him. They hunt him down for the next couple days.

“It must have been a feral one then” Uriel chuckled, pointing to the scratches on his arm. Luckily, she couldn't see his back.

Michael wrinkled their nose. “Get rid of it”.

He didn’t.
…
In the following weeks, everything went according to normal. No one seemed to have the slightest suspicion of what he had done.
His feathers were perfectly aligned and as white as ever. No sign that he was falling, no dark spot. Except in his mind.

His thoughts had a face, a place, a smell and a name. His brain keeps offering excuses for urgent reasons to go to earth and, by chance, check Aziraphale. For good or for bad, none of them seemed urgent to the other archangels.

And then an opportunity appeared.

It was one of Michael's employees. She was entering into heat and Michael had no time for this shit. They knew he was unbounded and asked for a favor.

Gabriel accepted eagerly.

It was going to solve all his anxious thoughts.

It was obvious that, as Crowley, er, the demon, was the last omega he had in some time, he was just a bit overwhelmed. He just needed to spend sometime with someone else and his mind would be convinced that it had been nothing different or especial. In fact, it would be totally better. He wouldn’t even remember it happened at all.

The girl was waiting for him in a clean, white room. There were no piles of blankets scattered on the bed, because angels do not have the same animal instinct to make nests. No, just a sterile room that looked exactly like the rest of Heaven was enough. Perhaps, he admitted that a nest was more comfortable. But, he had no intention of being comfortable, just doing a good job without distractions.

Her wings were suitably white. She didn’t snog him furiously against a wall. That would be rude. Actually, she didn’t kiss him. Or faced him. Her hair was not like the sun.

When he entered her, it was welcoming, but almost cold in comparison. She hummed politely, not making enough sound to disturb the angels working nearby. She didn’t hug him, her hands rested on either side of the mattress. Her nails were short and clean. Not enough to tear blood out of his back, to cling to him with her life, to gasp and to moan and to growl and to cry.

When he sniffed her hair, it didn’t feel like fire in his chest and made him want to mark, to claim, to torn. When she showed her bare neck, he stared at it blankly. They remained silent for the time it took for his knot to deflate. No snuggles.

In the end, she miracled her clothes on, smiled and shook his hand.
…

“The thing is, giraffes are not real. It’s just a propaganda to sell safari tours and...”

“Is that a costumer, dear boy? Tell them we are closed!”

Crowley didn’t answers, staring at the men at the door. Purple eyes stared back.

Chapter Text

Aziraphale was not sure if he had done a good or bad thing. Luckily for him, Crowley was always up to discuss the moral implications of his actions, especially to mess up with him.
 
On the one hand, Crowley was not mad with him. In fact, for the first time in a long time, he was not the usual past-heat cranky, stressful mess. He was relaxed and happy and smiling! And It is enough for the angel to know he made a nice decision.

 However, on the other hand, the redhead became a little paranoid. He knew how Aziraphale felt around other angels, in particular his boss. And, although he was very grateful that his husband took such good care of him and made sure he was safe, the demon was a bit worried. He had no idea how Gabriel reacted when his rut ended and had been vaguely informed that he was not a problem. In other words, probably Aziraphale had just passive-aggressively threatened an archangel. 

Crowley was concerned that the archangel might take it as a personal offense and return in retaliation. Now, another -small- part of him hoped that he came back but in nice terms. Gabriel had grown on him (like a tumor). A being that cuddled him for days couldn’t possibly be all bad, right?

No.

The thing is, omega instincts are shitty, self-destructive, and can’t be trusted. Of course, his brain wants him to believe that Gabriel wanted to spend this nice time with him, take him as a mate and protect him, so, in retribution, he should submit and give him a lot of little babies as a proper omega should. See? Shitty survival instincts. The biggest problem is that it makes him much easier to manipulate and he was afraid that the archangel would use this against Aziraphale. 

That’s the reason why, when the man showed up at their doorstep, he had to shove all of that new fondness up his ass and pretend it never existed in the first place.
…
Of all the theories Gabriel had imagined, the truth was certainly not one of them.

 Certainly, there should be some good reason why Aziraphale was not only hiding a demon in his house but also trying to protect said demon. The angel was a beta, so, Gabriel did not believe that he would have enough reason to keep a demon for sexual purposes, especially risking his position in Heaven. However, Crowley seemed to be able to hear him, even under the confusion of the heat, and obey him. That is, either the demon trusts him a lot or is particularly well trained. Both alternatives presume that the two have known each other for a long time and very closely.

 Gabriel could not think of a good explanation for the angel to take the trouble to do so. Maybe that's exactly why: avoid work. Aziraphale was widely known in the office as a lazy angel. So, have an omega to clean up and, especially -as, for another unknown reason, Aziraphale seems to put gross matter inside his body like a human- cook for him, even if said omega is a demon, is plausible. It also made him think that, as the demons' animal instinct was more intense, omega's submission impulse would be too, making them docile enough for a beta to be able to control. 

He was wrong.

 The moment he stepped into the bookstore, several things happened within seconds. First, their eyes met. The omega displayed his neck slightly in an unconscious show of submission. The rational part of him was satisfied with himself, seeing proof for his theory. However, the Alpha in him, the stronger and instinctive part of him, don’t give a fuck about that. Instead, it wants to shove the omega back inside, slam the door and press him against the first flat surface available. The thought made him growl, and the growl made the omega step back, narrow his eyes in suspicion and hiss at him!

And the hiss, of course, made the angel appear behind him.

 Aziraphale did not seem impressed to see him. Instead, he looked over his shoulder, checking to see if he was accompanied and observing, satisfied, that this was not the case, returned to the couch he was sitting on, and allowed him to enter. 

“To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Gabriel?”

 Gabriel took a while to process the question. His brain had suddenly decided to stop working. Instead, he was more interested in watching the omega. Since he entered, the demon insisted on staying between him and Aziraphale at all costs, as if he expected a sudden attack. He sat protectively on the angel's lap, fangs bared. 

“I want answers.”

“It’s fair”. The angel said, sipping his wine glass. “What do you want to know?”

“What is that?”

“That what?”

 Gabriel didn't know how to put it into words, and just vaguely indicated with his hands the couch on which angel and demon sat, frowning. Aziraphale chuckled. 

“That is my Crowley, you already know him.” His Crowley grunted. “But I guess that is not what you mean. He is my husband”

“Husband?” Gabriel tasted the word in his mouth. “Like the human marriage thing? But you said you don’t sleep with him”.

“And I don’t. I am not attracted to the pleasures of the flesh in general. Although sometimes a little gluttony is tempting... But, again, yes, I don’t mean marriage in a carnal way. Crowley is just very dear to me”

Said that he scratched Crowley’s chin and the demon purred like a giant cat. Aziraphale’s blue eyes went back to him, predicting his next question. 

“And yes, his nature, like yours, is guided by a sexual side. However, humans are very sexually inventive these days. You should see the toys they invent! So, we can handle the heats most of the time” The demon blushed slightly, averting his eyes “On the other hand, as I cannot mark him, the heat scent is always stronger, so we have to hide here to avoid dragging the attention of nearby alphas. So, we were not expecting your visit, of course”

“Sorry” The demon mumbled. The archangel's eyes turned to him again, inquisitive. “ Know you are just trying to do your job. Didn’t mean to cause trouble. It’s not Azie’s fault, though. Leave him alone.”

Gabriel blinked. “What? No! It’s not my intention to...”

“What are you here for, then? Someone found out or are you afraid someone will? Or were you delighted to sleep with a demon?” He added the last one with an acid tone.

Gabriel felt himself blush. Stupid human corporations.

“Wait, were you?” The snarl had been replaced by a confused expression.

“Look, I… I don’t know what I’m doing here.” The archangel got up from his seat. The demon followed him. Too tight pants and curious golden eyes making Gabriel turn his away. “I… I had no idea of the nature of your relationship. Didn’t mean to offend anyone or get in the middle of it”.

“I don't know if I'm judging it wrong but, If that is the issue...” Said the angel from his place among the cushions, pouring himself another glass of wine “I have no problems with Crowley sleeping with someone else. We just don’t trust other demons.”

He was not “other demons”.

Technically, Aziraphale probably didn't just include angels in his statement because they shouldn't be able to be part of it. However, this also did not show a direct suspicion against him and that is a good thing, right? It meant Aziraphale was not bothered with what happened the other day and, most importantly, wouldn’t be if it happened again, yes? He hoped so.

The angel seemed to take his silence by agreement. Crowley was not convinced, though.

“So this is why you are back, pup? Did you miss me?”

He couldn’t trust him. There was a high chance that the archangel had been discovered and, as a way of easing his own punishment, he was trying to gather evidence against his angel. But, this time, neither was under the effect of heat. Both could think cleaner and wouldn’t be dragged to each other by animal instincts. He was sure Gabriel, a terrible liar like all the angels, wouldn’t be able to pretend to be attracted to him or even disguise that he was disgusted by the idea.

He was not expecting the archangel to kiss him, though.

Chapter Text

Both were surprised. Crowley because the archangel kissed him. Gabriel because the demon kissed him back. He couldn’t stop himself from holding the omega’s face between his hands, move away the strands of red hair with his fingertips and nuzzle his cheeks… Suddenly, the archangel grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him away so quickly that Crowley almost fell.

“Hum… Excuse me?” Gabriel was still holding him at a safe distance.

Gabriel blushed and his hands fell awkwardly by his side. “Er… Sorry. Your scent is too strong… Not in a bad way! I… I just doesn’t knew demon omegas smell like that”.

And he meant it, very seriously. Angel omegas wouldn’t smell very different than a beta most of the time. But if that was how Crowley scent was even out of the heat, he never stood a chance from the moment he walked thorough the bookshop’s front door.

Crowley chuckled, but there was a bitter background to it. “It’s because you most likely never saw one.”

“Unless you know a lot of succubi.” Aziraphale added.

“Nah. Their deal it’s different. I have no idea how to discern them. They don’t smell particularly alpha or omega, it’s just a general lust thing”. Crowley said, wrinkling his nose. And then turned back to Gabriel. “But, really. I do not believe that I have seen another one on earth for a long time.”

“Care to tell me why?”

“Well, you must have noticed everything about the experience for a demon is intenser. In this case, for an omega, the heats and the instinct to subdue is harder to control, the scent is stronger, and so, it leads a more, hm, possessive response…”

Gabriel had a feeling that with “possessive” Crowley meant violent. If on the one hand, it made him feel angry, on the other hand, it made him feel relieved. Angry because something inside made his blood boil only from the thought that someone besides him could ever put their hands on the thing in front of him. And relieved because it meant must of it, most importantly, the part that wanted to drag the demon to the ground and lock it away, to belong to him and only to him, was merely a natural response and he wasn’t going crazy after all. However, he might have just understood what the redhead was talking about.

“So, you can’t help but follow the marking instinct”

“ ‘Can’t’ is an extreme choice of wording.” Pointed Aziraphale.

Crowley shook his head agreeing. “You can, but resist is hard and it’s also hard to find a demon who cares enough to try. So basically every demon omega is bounded and once you are bounded in Hell...”

“You don’t get out.”

Crowley nodded.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the wine was running out and snapped his fingers, causing another bottle to appear from the kitchen in his hand.

“Sure, the heats are worst. But it’s always better than being a breeding bitch chained in the pits, isn’t it? Cheers to that!” He shuddered, snapping his finger and pouring the wine in two glasses. He looked at the one that appeared in his hand confused for a moment. “Want some?”

Gabriel made a disgusted face. Crowley chuckled, handing the new glass to Aziraphale, who, now, had two.

"I guess I understand. It's not very common to bound in Heaven. It's not very efficient"

"Everything is about bureaucracy for your lot, isn't it? Bet you can't fuck without fill out forms."

Gabriel chuckled, watching Crowley walk away, sitting by the angel side, not on top of him this time. He sat back in his armchair, more relaxed now. He hadn’t ruined everything. No one looked angry with him or seemed to want to kick him out. Instead, they were coming back to that playful conversation tone from before the archangel appeared and accept him in it.

“It’s not that bad, okay? But it’s indeed boring enough to talk about too, anyway”

“Oh, no. Tell me! Aziraphale never talks to me about Heaven’s internal business. I want to know.”

“Hm...” He tough about it, crossing his arms. “Bounding is not frowned upon, but it is rare. Most of the time, angels are just paired for the heat with someone who is free and doesn’t mind to help and then each one goes on with their life.

“Don’t you stick around through the pregnancy? The omega have to raise them alone?”

“Usually no, and no. There are entire divisions responsible for raising the fledglings… I mean, most of the angels who work there are omegas, so you probably end up seeing your on, but it’s a collective thing.”

“But... But, if you want to keep your pups?” The demon looked sad. Something about it made Gabriel’s chest grow hot.

“Crowley is good with kids” Aziraphale explained.

“Azie loves kids too.” Crowley smiled, poking him.

“There is a big difference in liking them and being good with kids, dear boy” He rolled his eyes and looked back to Gabriel “I just don’t know what to do when they start crying.”

The demon looked excited again. He also looked back to the archangel, with a new question. “And what about the in-between?”

“What do you mean?”

“When no one is in the heat?”

“We don’t… We don’t do it. There is no point…?”

“The point is to feel gooooood!”

“I’m aware. I’m not dumb, you know? It's just how things work. Even when you pair, the point is not the pleasure, it’s to help to ease the heat and have more fledglings…”

Crowley hummed, playing with Aziraphale’s ring.

“Bet everyone is in for some archangel babies… Tell me, Gabriel, do you ‘help’ a lot of angels with their heats?”

Crowley was smiling at him. Is he mocking him? Is it an internal joke? Is it flirting?

“Wouldn’t mind to ‘help’ a demon with his either, you know?”

Oh, no. He just said that. He made it weird. Aziraphale is laughing of him. He should just leave before he makes a fool of himself. But Crowley is smiling… Is it bad? Is it good? Fuck. Aziraphale is standing up. He squeezes the demon’s hand and than leaves the room. What is going on?

The demon stands up too. Walking towards him and starts to circle him like a giant cat. Long nails pierce his shoulders.

“You mean it?”

Gabriel stands up last, turning to face him. He hopes it’s enough of an answer because he can’t force any sound to come out of his throat.

“So, I was right then? You came back for round two? I’m not in heat though...” The demon takes a step in his direction, tracing his jaw with his fingertips. “Isn’t it breaking the rules?”

“Haven't I already broken the rules anyway?”

“I suppose...”

The demon kissed him, pressing his hands on Gabriel’s chest. He could feel the sharp points of the nails even trough his suit. Crowley shoved him back into the chair, climbing on top of him. The redhead purred happily when the archangel wrapped his arms around him, rolling their hips together.

“Crowley, don’t you dare stain my sofa!” Came the angel’s voice from the front of the store. “And don’t even think about miracle it off later! I will know it was there in the first place!”

The demon rolled his eyes, getting up and taking his partner with him.

“Come on.” He said, dragging Gabriel in the direction of the bedroom they used the first time.

“Won’t he…?”

“Nah. He will take the opportunity to sober up and read a book without anyone disturbing because he doesn’t think you want to hurt me. Do you want to hurt me, pup?”

“Maybe, but in ways that you would like...”

Crowley laughed, pulling him for another kiss. They were pressed against the same wall again, this time, the demon holding him. How funny. The archangel snapped his fingers, vanishing with their clothes again. This time, however, he wouldn’t let the demon walk away from his arms so easily.

He grabbed the redhead by his thighs and carried him to the bedroom. This time, the bed wasn’t hidden away by a pile of blankets and pillows, but it still was more comfortable then what they had in Heaven, considering that the redhead made a nice little noise when he was thrown on the mattress.

In an instant, they were rolling around in wet kisses.

Gabriel his hand between them to open up the demon. Crowley let out a soft moan between their lips and gets away, kneeling in the mattress by the angel’s side. He presses a hand in the archangel’s chest to prevent him from getting up.

“Keep it up, will you?”

He lowers his head. His mouth circles the archangel’s tip. Gabriel’s eyes widen. A long forked tongue licks the length of his shaft, and then it disappears inside the demon’s mouth. Gabriel lets out a strangled sound. Crowley chuckles, it makes a vibration sensation run across his cock.

“Not many blowjobs in Heaven either, I presume. Do you like it?” He says, stroking it.

“I would have you under my desk at work any day”. He says. It would make Michael very distressed, but he would.

Crowley smiles, wiggling himself away from the archangel fingers to lay more comfortably between his legs and focus on his work.

Gabriel could only try to help, pushing the fiery curls away from his face and wrapping them tightly around his hand. The demon’s claws made reddish designs absently around his thighs and belly, not daring to break the skin, tough.

The words rolled out of his mouth without him being able to do anything to stop them. “It would be better for you and Aziraphale if…If you were marked, wouldn't it?”

The demon let go of his cock, which fell hard against his stomach, and climbed over him so they were facing each other.

“It would be easier with the heat part, yes. Why?”

Gabriel pressed their hips together and the redhead purred softly.

“I wouldn't mind to, you know.”

Crowley shook his head. “You don’t have to responsibly by this, you know? You barely know me and I understand it’s not an angel thing. I won’t be offended, or Azie, with you just want to stick around sometimes”

The demon smiled reassuringly, adjusting his cock to be able to lower himself in it. Gabriel closed his eyes, feeling the slight burning sensation of it.

This time he was mostly aware, he was able to think clearly. He knew he wouldn’t be able to come up with more excuses. This was unlike anything he knew. This was better. And now that he had had this, how would he ever want anything different?

“What if I want it?”

Crowley sank again, enjoying to see him wiggle.

“Then I wouldn’t mind it either”.

Gabriel felt whatever the weight was on his shoulders when he decided to come here disappear. He pushed the demon against him, into a kiss. They spun on the bed. The archangel pressed him face-first in the mattress.

“If I’m going to be your alpha, present properly then”

The demon meowed, getting on his knees the best way he could with the angel still securing him down by the neck. Gabriel hammered back inside hard, making the whole bed shake. He was more confident now, sniffing the demon’s scruff and letting his instincts wash over him more freely, establishing a punitive rhythm.

His hands grabbed Crowley’s hips, leaving dark finger marks in their way. He noticed the demon go lax under him, allowing the archangel to maneuver him as he wanted. His claws clung tightly to the covers, tearing the fabric. Gabriel doubts that Aziraphale could get so much as a tranquil reading with the moaning echoing across the bookshop.

The moans turned in desperate cries. It made a loud growl escape Gabriel’s throat. He could already feel his knot start to swell and he was very close to not being able to control himself anymore. He pulled Crowley up by the hair, pressing him against his chest. His fingers traced his jaw roughly while he pressed his face in fiery locks, scenting it. The demon let his head fall against his hand, exposing his neck.

The archangel back down the exact moment he pressed his knot inside. The demon moaned loud. An odd sensation watched through his body, like fire. He almost didn’t notice the air around then cracking with the purple electricity of his power merging with the darker nebula-like energy that probably came from Crowley.

Aziraphale entered the room, startled by the sudden magic wave. He looked at his demon, all wrapped around the archangel like a snake, his golden eyes looking tired.

“Is everything okay, my dear?” He said.

“Cuddles.” The demon said.

He looked to the archangel, looking for the natural alpha violent nature to permit him to enter his “territory”.

“Cuddles” Gabriel agreed.