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Forgotten Memories

Summary:

Aziraphale and Crowley reminisce about Eden and what they remember of it.

Notes:

23.07.19
Written for this week's 666 fics fics fics challenge: Eden :)

Can be read as a standalone, still works within the 'verse of the series but I wouldn't have posted it rn if it hadn't been for the challenge.

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

Work Text:

"Crowley?"

"Yess?" the demon half hisses, half murmurs, more focused on tending to his plants than listening to the angel, spray bottle in hand and glaring menacingly at a little yellow spot on an aloe leaf. Thus absorbed into his work, it takes him a few moments to realise that Aziraphale hasn't spoken again. When he turns to see what's going on, he is met by a pensive look by the angel standing in the doorway.

"What iss it, angel?"

Aziraphale sees how Crowley nervously moving the spray bottle from hand to hand and is quick to smile at him to reassure the demon everything is alright.

"I was just thinking..."

"Sure that that's a good idea?" 

Knowing well that it's just Crowley's way to deal with anxiety, Aziraphale lets the jibe slide.

"Do you ever think about Eden, dearest?"

Crowley blinks, surprised. "What's brought that on, angel?"

"I just noticed how similar some of your plants are to the jungle there... And you tend to visit the room in your serpent form as well. I was wondering- did you create this room with the garden in mind, or...?"

Crowley makes a face, and Aziraphale immediately holds up his hand in a calming gesture. "You don't need to tell me if you don't want to, darling, or talk about it at all. I just noticed that it never really came up in conversation."

Crowley shakes his head, makes another face, looks at the plants and back to Aziraphale. "No. I dunno? I mean, not consciously. I guess. It's more about hell than Eden or anything else, if you must psychoanalyse me. Ugh. Not that it reminds me of hell. Opposite. It's just, what I don't want to think about is how in hell there's no living thing 'xcept for other demons, and I dunno whether those even count."

"Crowley-"

"Hey, I wasn't bullying me, just the others! I'm fucking civilised, I don't have bugs or slime all over me like a fucking corpse. But no, anyway, I wanted something that was mine, that was- not that. Ugh. Anyway. If it happened to look like Eden, maybe so, but I've definitely not been trying to imitate Her!"

Crowley looks outright affronted at the last sentence, bringing the spray bottle harshly down on a table, making the plant on it shiver more than it had ever since Aziraphale started to be seen in the flat more often.

Aziraphale smiles gently, walking over to Crowley and taking his hands. "Oh, dearest..." he doesn't tell him how good or kind he thinks Crowley is, or how much better than hell he believes the demon deserves. Crowley knows this already, has been told many times, can see it, is reminded of it, by the way the angel's eyes shine when he looks at him. Right now, Aziraphale knows, all Crowley needs is for him to stay close until the memory of hell passes.

"Don't remember much about Eden, anyway" Crowley says after a moment of silence, smoothly bringing the topic back to the garden and away from hell. "Stupid snake form that I got cursed into. Lots of trees, but I saw those in other places afterwards. And only two people there, of the gazillion of 'em that I met over the years, and I only spoke to them like once. Naw, I can think of more interesting moments in history to go on and on about. Last few centuries specifically, everything moving so fast, technology and stuff..."

"Well, during the time in Eden there were very formative moments still" Aziraphale argues. "And very nice people- I gave them my sword! And I know you don't forget things any more than I do, so you could very well remember if you chose to do so."

Crowley rolls his eyes, smirks at him, and when he speaks again the smirk turns into a smile. "Sometimes I choose to remember a few moments on the wall, meeting the angel of the eastern gate..."

 

Notes:

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