Title: Turn and Face the Strange
Fandom: Good Omens (TV Series)
Characters: Crowley, Aziraphale, Hastur, Michael
Pairings: Aziraphale/Crowley, Hastur/Ligur/Michael, Hastur/Michael
Word Count: 1,054
Rating: PG-13
A/N: After Episode 1x6
Summary: What some see as weakness is often a strength.
"Angel, he has someone in his room. I swear I felt the presence of an Archangel for just an instant before I heard the door close." Crowley leaned back against the counter in the kitchen. "Michael is in there with him. I'd bet my scales on it."
"Michael. Michael, Warrior of the Lord, with a wonderful taste in clothing, is in Hastur's room." Aziraphale's eyebrows shot up. "That does explain why she was the one who brought the Holy water to your trial, my dear boy. She did seem angrier than usual. Does that mean?"
"Hastur never did anything without Ligur and Ligur was Michael's 'backchannel' in Hell, so one would assume, the three of them, well, I'd tell you to use your imagination, but you might need to bleach your brain afterwards." He sipped his coffee while Aziraphale made sputtering sounds. "How many demons have stayed with us now, angel?"
"There were the twins, Marlax and Gregor. The unusual fellow with the sound for a name because of the way his mouth was shaped. I still don't understand how the one with mouths for eyes could see, but they certainly picked up on cooking faster than I expected. Oh! And the very small one, Spira. She was interesting." He smiled fondly. "It was very nice of you to show them how to manipulate reality just enough so when humans look, all they see are people."
"Not all demons are going to be able to pass for human on their own. Their corporations are too damaged, too twisted. I'm convinced how we look on the outside is how we feel on the inside. If you think this is what you deserve, then that's how it is. You've seen all the changes in Hastur. It could happen to all of them eventually." He shrugged. "Just a theory."
"It might work the same way for angels." Snagging a chocolate biscuit from a nearby plate, Aziraphale ate it in three bites. He wiggled with pleasure. "I will never be the lean, mean, fighting machine they wanted and I am perfectly happy with that."
"Me too." Crowley leaned in and kissed Aziraphale softly. "Those fruit trees I ordered for the orchard are in. Why don't we go pick them up? I think they'd like it better if we weren't here for a bit."
"I think the new Italian restaurant is open. Care to treat me to lunch?"
"Always, angel."
---
Hastur held onto Michael as she cried onto his neck. He stroked her back between where her wings would be. "Get it out, love. If you keep it inside, it eats away at you until there's a gaping sore. I miss him too." His wings manifested and he wrapped them around her.
After a while the sobs turned to sniffles. "Hastur?" The wings opened up just enough to let some light in. "Your wings look magnificent. I've never seen them like this." She reached out, running her hand gently down the nearest feathers. "When did this happen?"
He shivered as her hand continued to move. "Honestly, I hadn't even noticed until a few days ago. I took a bath in the pond, the water is perfect for spreading your wings out, and I almost sank when I saw the gaps finally had feathers again. I never expected them to recover."
Hastur spread his wings out, making sure not to knock over any of the furniture. "They've been damaged since I Fell. We were all such a mess when we crawled out of the sulfur, bodies twisted and ruined, flesh destroyed. We were screaming through broken throats. It hurt. You will never have any idea how much it hurt. We lashed out in our pain and grief, tore one another to pieces instead of helping. Because it was what we deserved, you know. And we let that stew and fester inside until hate was all we knew, until pain was just something you had to constantly endure. And we hated you lot most of all, up there with your nice wings and your clean place to live."
Hastur was quiet for a moment. "That was then and this is now, love." He gave his wings a small flap, making Michael's hair flutter. "You said I felt different, like my essence had changed at the very core. You told me I don't look exactly like I used to. And you could feel the calm and peace within me. Something you don't even see in the angels. Well, I think that's from being here, with Crowley and Aziraphale. Little by little, I can feel things change on the inside. I think the outside is finally catching up."
He gave her a smile as his wings vanished back into the ether. "This is a good place. If you wanted to stay here for a while, I think they'll be okay with it." He held up a hand when she started to say something. "I know how you feel about Crowley. He killed Ligur. Part of me will always hate him for it. I always thought he was weak, that he wasn't a proper demon. Proper demon would have killed me when I couldn't fight back or make my injuries worse. But, he helped me when I was badly injured and he didn't have to. Just think about it."
"I think about it." She sighed. "I'm so very tired. I don't think I've been able to sleep since Ligur died. Could you just hold me while I rest?"
"Of course."
---
"Are you two okay with Michael staying for a bit?" Hastur stood in the doorway of the kitchen. "We don't have any demons here right now, so it won't interfere with that."
"Fine by me, so long as she doesn't try to kill either of us." Crowley exchanged a look with Aziraphale. "Is she... is she okay?"
"Not really." Hastur bit his lip. "There's a hole inside of her, just like I had. Mine is starting to mend. Hopefully, hers will too."
Aziraphale grabbed a tray and picked out a few things from the refrigerator. He added two glasses of the fresh lemonade he'd just made. "She can stay as long as she'd like to, my dear." He passed the tray to Hastur. "We are here for both of you."
"Thanks, Aziraphale."