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Until now, Aziraphale had never slept much. Didn’t see the point. Oh, he’d tried it a time or two, curious.
First in Uruk, lying on the roof of his mudbrick house under the glorious star field, the arc of the galaxy spilling across the sky. The stars had, in fact, completely distracted him from his planned nap. Especially once a certain demon climbed up onto the roof to excitedly tell Aziraphale about which celestial objects he’d worked on.
Over the millennia, Aziraphale had made further attempts at sleep. Humans described it as a great pleasure, after all, and he’d always been curious about pleasures. But he’d never quite gotten the knack for it. Even when he did manage to fall asleep, he awoke feeling oddly irritated that he’d wasted so much time on something so empty.
It wasn’t like that now. Now, he found himself actually growing sleepy from time to time, drifting into that comfortable, warm space where everything faded away for a bit. He found himself even enjoying sleep, as well as the sensation of waking up cozy and happy.
And it was all because of the demon currently on the sofa beside him.
Crowley had always slept often, simply because he enjoyed it, and that hadn’t changed once they moved in together. He didn’t sleep every night, preferring a pattern of every few days. But it was still enough to make Aziraphale curious. And so, he’d tried it again, and found that sleeping beside a loved one made all the difference.
He was growing drowsy again now, drifting into a deep relaxation as Crowley’s nimble fingers rustled through his feathers. Crowley pressed the coverts into order, humming softly as he did so. Kisses pressed to the top of Aziraphale’s wing, following Crowley’s careful grooming.
Aziraphale yawned, leaning back into the contact. “You spoil me so, my dear.”
“S’ my job.” Another kiss, and then Crowley slid closer to his back. Fingers trailed lightly through Aziraphale’s scapulars, affectionate strokes before he began the more intentional work of clearing away dead feathers, pressing the others into shape, smoothing away irregularities. “Spoiling, tempting…same thing, yeah?”
“Mmm, if you say so.” Aziraphale let his eyes close, a smile spreading. Oh, this was so very calming. He’d been a tiny bit anxious earlier, but no longer. Now, he felt as though he’d melted into a puddle of utter contentment. “Afraid I might not be, um…”
Crowley let out a soft amused snort and scritched the spot between Aziraphale’s wings. “Might not be awake enough to do mine? You look like you’re falling asleep, angel.”
“M’ not asleep! Drowsy.” He leaned his head back, and Crowley massaged his scalp too. “But are you almost done, dearest? I really am…quite…”
Aziraphale yawned, barely able to keep himself upright now. Oh my, this had relaxed him so much more quickly than he’d anticipated. Perhaps they’d be napping on the sofa rather than heading off to the bedroom.
“My sleepy angel,” Crowley said, voice brimming with fondness. He ruffled Aziraphale’s hair, then returned to his scapulars. “Almost finished, just gimme another minute.”
He’d already finished the other wing and done the front of this one. At first they’d talked, chattered about their day, the plans for the cottage, Crowley’s ideas of what to plant in the orchard. And then, increasingly relaxed, Aziraphale had simply basked in his affection.
He really was in danger of falling asleep before Crowley even finished with the final feathers. Crowley was simply masterful at this, making even the most meticulous, long grooming session soothing and relaxing. And thanks to those sweet kisses and gentle scritches…
Aziraphale’s eyes drifted closed, and sleep wooed him. But then Crowley kissed his neck, and Aziraphale shook himself awake for at least a moment more. Long enough to turn around, wings still out, and hug his lovely demon. “Thank you, my dear. Sleep on the sofa?”
“Ooh, okay.” Crowley hugged him back, nestling his chin into Aziraphale’s shoulder. “I should get a blanket, though.”
“No, no need for that.” Aziraphale shook out his now-gloriously radiant wings and gently folded them around . He eased them both down to recline against the pillows, Crowley mantled securely against his chest. “I think this works rather well, hmm? Cozy enough?”
“Mmm, yeah. Got my warm angel, got soft feathers, can’t get better than that.” Crowley sounded just as relaxed and pleasure-drunk as Aziraphale felt. He pulled back just enough to give a lazy smile, to brush his lips against Aziraphale’s. Golden eyes, half-lidded with contentment, shone in the low lighting. “Good night, angel.”
Aziraphale drew him closer and pressed his face into the red hair, then relaxed into the peace and joy that came from sleeping beside his beloved. “Good night, Crowley.”