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2020-05-23
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Learning The Words

Summary:

In which Crawly and Aziraphale are curious about some of the things Adam and Eve do.

Notes:

I challenged myself this week to write some things under 1000 words, because I've been struggling with short things recently. I was originally going to collect them all together. But they're all turning out to be very different, with different themes and ratings. So I decided to post them separately.

I wanted some post Garden of Eden shenanigans. Though it was a fight to get this one to the word count, they kept talking!

(See the end of the work for other works inspired by this one.)

Work Text:

"Do you have any idea why they do it?" Aziraphale asks.

Crawly's surprised by the tentative question, since the angel had seemed rather reluctant to draw him into conversation again.

"M'sorry, what?"

"Do you have any idea why they do it?" Aziraphale nods his head towards where Adam and Eve are curled together in the sandy grass, enthusiastically pressing their mouths together. Which they seem to do frequently, and for no reason at all, as far as Crawly can tell. "It doesn't seem to have any connection to the -" Aziraphale makes a gesture, though it's not a very clear one, so there's some confusion about what exactly he's attempting to convey.

Crawly hazards a guess anyway. "To making more versions of themselves by putting their genitals together?" Because they have been known to do that very vigorously.

"Yes." There's a sigh of relief, then a slightly frustrated frown. "I do wish there was a name for it."

The making more people via repetitive motion may not have an official name, but Adam and Eve don't seem to care. They've been going at it like anything. They've made two more people already.

"Clever though," Crawly offers. "S'very efficient."

Aziraphale's whole face brightens.

"It is, isn't it?" There's a pause, during which the only sounds are Adam and Eve's quiet moans, gentle slaps of skin, and various sounds of enthusiasm, before Aziraphale turns back towards him. "I feel like it's probably rude to watch, but it's just so fascinating."

Crawly nods agreement.

"I mean, I know we can't really see it," Aziraphale adds. "But the fact that creation happens all by itself in there, without any supernatural influence or anything."

They both watch for a while.

"But the mouth thing," Aziraphale says eventually. "I'm not sure I understand it."

Crawly thinks about it for a minute.

"Maybe they're transferring food?" he suggests. "I've seen some of the animals do that. Makes sense, you probably need a lot of energy for all that vigorous motion."

"Oh, I'd think that would be terrible distracting," Aziraphale looks dubious. "And besides they seem to do it all the way through, and after as well. All the time really."

"Yes, but they're trying to make people all the time, aren't they?" Crawly says reasonably. "Probably need to keep their strength up."

"Oh." Aziraphale seems to spend a moment considering the idea. "But I didn't see them eat anything before they started."

Crawly decides that's a good point, they've got nowhere to keep the food, not like those little rodents with the big cheeks.

"Perhaps it's something to do with raising their body temperature?" Aziraphale looks thoughtful. "Their mouths are quite warm, and I know some of the animals can only make more of themselves when they're just the right temperature."

Crawly frowns sharply. "So, what, if they do it too much they'll overheat and die?" That's a horrible thought. He'd gotten quite attached to Eve, he doesn't want her to die. "That doesn't seem right."

Aziraphale's pained expression seems to agree.

"No, you know what I think," Crawly says slowly. "I think it's a trust exercise."

Aziraphale actually looks curious.

"Oh, how so?"

"Well, they're proving that they're not going to bite each other, aren't they? Getting their teeth as close as that, but not biting, it's a trust thing, s'got to be."

Aziraphale's doesn't look convinced.

"Oh, I feel like they trusted each other perfectly well before the - before all the pressing, and the licking." There's a pause, Aziraphale seems to be considering a new idea. "Maybe they just -" He stops, gives a nervous twist of hands.

"Just?" Crawly encourages.

"Maybe they just like it?" Aziraphale offers quietly. "It does seem to make them smile an awful lot."

Crawly frowns. "But it's so wet," he protests.

Aziraphale's mouth scrunches in, as if that was something he'd also noticed.

"Perhaps it feels nicer than it looks?" he says tentatively.

Crawly thinks about it for a minute, there's really only one sensible course of action here.

"We should try it," he decides.

Aziraphale blinks at him.

"I'm sorry?"

"We should try it, the mouth thing, see if it has any sort of merit."

Aziraphale looks shocked. "Do you think that's entirely proper, I mean - you're a demon, and I'm an angel."

"So what? We can't do research on our new corporations together?" Crawly tries not to sound hurt but it's hard, he hasn't had the body long, and the voice gives it away. "Am I not good enough?" He stuffs his hands into the folds of material in his robe, around his waist. He's thinking about calling them 'pockets.' "Forget it, s'fine."

"I didn't mean - Crawly, I just meant we probably shouldn't be seen collaborating. We'll get in terrible trouble."

Crawly gives the desert around them a pointed look. Aziraphale squirms awkwardly for a moment.

"Alright, fine." The angel drops his fidgeting hands and tips his face up, the way they've both watched Eve do a hundred times. He waits for Crawly to press his mouth down over his.

Oh.

That's unexpectedly...interesting.

Crawly leans in, before nerves get the better of him, lets his mouth sink against Aziraphale's. He feels the softness of it compress, feels the warm flare of his breath, the way he smells like rain and sunlight, like the crackle of a storm. Crawly opens his mouth to taste him, because Adam and Eve like to taste each other -

Aziraphale opens easily for him, and Crawly slips inside. He finds the sweetness of pears, and apple juice, the warmth of the angel's tongue, the gentle, holy sting that sparks along his nerves. It moves against his own, leaves him sinking deeper, opening, pushing, making soft sounds in his throat.

Eventually they ease away from each other. Aziraphale's lips are wet, and his cheeks flushed pink.

"They do it because they like it," Crawly realises.

Aziraphale makes a soft, shaken noise of agreement, and hurriedly untangles his fingers from Crawly's robe.