Title: Pound of Flesh
Fandom: Good Omens (TV Series)
Characters: Aziraphale, Beelzebub, Hastur
Pairings: Crowley/Aziraphale, Beelzebub/Gabriel
Word Count: 870
Rating: PG-13
A/N: After Episode 1x6
Summary: Sometimes, sacrifices must be made.
"Are you sure you want me to be dealing with..." Aziraphale pauses, biting his lip while he stares down at the bloody ruin of Beelzebub's body. He's not squeamish, far from it, but he's never quite seen injuries like the ones he's currently looking at. "All of this? I'm sure Crowley would be able to handle it better?"
"Abzzzolutely not! And if you mention Hastur, I'll tear your tongue out of your mouth." She takes a deep breath. "Zzzorry. Haven't hurt like this zzzince right after the Fall."
He starts to reach a hand out and yanks it back just before touching her skin. "I can't repair what has happened to your wings. There's some sort of a curse on it. I can feel it coming off of them. It's far more powerful than anything I've come across. You might need help from Gabriel."
"Not yet. I need to heal more firzzzt. He'll get that look on his face. I hate that look. It makes my gutzzz turn inside out." She digs her hands into the sheets on the bed, feeling the material tear under her claws. "I asked for thizzz." A tiny smile crosses her lips at the sound of Aziraphale's gasp. "Had to make a big enough sacrifice in front of the Dark Council so the lower demons would be able to leave on their own free will. They won't need permission from anyone to come here now. I gave my pound of flezzzh and then some."
The air around Beelzebub begins to warm. It sinks into her sore and bloody flesh, soothing away all of the aches and pains she's been feeling. She closes her eyes and allows the darkness she's been fighting for the last half hour to finally take her away.
---
"There you are, my dear." Aziraphale's smile is almost blinding as Beelzebub opens her eyes. "You've been asleep for the last three days. I healed you in dribs and drabs because the damage was so severe. And before you ask, I didn't allow anyone else in the room. Here, I made you a cup of cocoa the way Crowley likes it." He holds out a mug, which she takes with shaking hands. "How are you feeling?"
Beelzebub sniffs the contents of the mug before taking a sip. It's the best cocoa she's ever had, with just enough alcohol and marshmallows. "Honezzztly? Pretty good." She can't feel any pain from what used to be her wings, something she's certain Aziraphale must have done. She tilts her head as a familiar demonic essence lurks outside of the door. "Would you mind letting Hastur in? I think the two of uzzz need to talk."
"Certainly."
---
Black blood runs down Hastur's chin onto the floor as his teeth sink deeper into his hand. He's staring in horror at Beelzebub's bandaged body and knows exactly what she did. What he doesn't know, is why she would do something like that, why she would allow herself to go through so much agony.
She stares at him with defiance, daring him to ask the question she can clearly see on his face. Some of the ache in her wings has come back, what Aziraphale did was only a temporary measure, severing the nerve endings inside of her corporation. Beelzebub leans over with a hiss, pulling a battered lavender cell phone from under the covers. She taps the screen a few times, finds what she's looking for, and slides the phone towards Hastur.
He blinks as he looks down at the picture on the screen. It's a shot of Sandalphon and Mezzik smiling by Stonehenge. Hastur takes his hand from his mouth. The wound is healed by Beelzebub's demonic miracle before he has the chance to do it himself.
"Do you underzzztand why?"
"Oh." It's a bit too much for his brain to handle and he stumbles backward until he hits the wall. Hastur sinks down on the floor. "Yeah, I do." There's a stunned look on his face. "Nothing's going to be the same any more, is it?"
"If an Archangel can go have fun with a minor demon without any punizzzhment from either side, then there isn't a need for sides any longer. Three dozen demonzzz have come here already and only one came back. The angelzzz will follow." With a wince, she sits up. "You've helped change things. If Hastur, former Duke of Hell can be happy on the zzzurface, why can't everyone else?"
Hastur says nothing for a few minutes. Then he grins. "Once you've recovered, would you like to go shopping? We could find some things for your new room. Aziraphale and Crowley showed me all the great places. I mean... if you decide to stay here. Suppose you'll want to move in with Archangel Fucking Wank-Wings Gabriel at some point." He snaps his mouth shut, nearly taking off his tongue in the process.
"I'm planning on zzztaying here for a little while first." Hastur's smile is contagious and she finds herself grinning back. "Once my wings are healed, we'll go shopping. Gabriel izzz coming this evening. I'm going to rest until then. Will you wake me up when he arrivezzz?"
"Sure. Welcome home, Beelzebub."