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For the first time in all those years, they walked side by side in St. James's Park for something other than discussing how to prevent an apocalypse or something.
They were strolling along the path when suddenly Aziraphale walked down to the edge of the lake and Crowley was forced to follow.
At the water's edge, where a few ducks were swimming, Aziraphale stopped. Crowley looked at him questioningly, "Angel? What are we doing here?"
Aziraphale gave that smug little smile that so annoyed Crowley, then shuffled a little and raised his hand flat in the direction of the demon, making something appear on its palm.
Crowley leaned forward to get a better look, then frowned at the angel, "Frozen peas?"
Aziraphale smiled kindly at him and replied, "Crowley, my dear, don't you think that after all this time, after hearing you perster countless times, that I do know something about feeding ducks?" He moved his hand a little closer to Crowley and added, "Don't you want to give it to them?"
Crowley muttered, "Why don't you give it to them?"
Aziraphale gave him a little nudge on the shoulder, "Come on, don't be so stubborn, I know you're dying to do it."
Crowley, showing that he was doing so reluctantly, picked up a pea and scornfully threw it at one of the ducks, which gobbled it up voraciously. Crowley then took two peas from Aziraphale's hand and tossed them to the other two ducks as they approached.
He picked up several and moved closer to the edge, crouching at the water's edge and feeding them with kind words, his dismissive attitude of the beginning completely gone. Aziraphale looked fondly at his silly demon and crouched down beside him to give him the rest of the peas.
When they had nothing left, Crowley waved them away, "Shoo shoo, you've had enough!"
He stood and pointed to a nearby bench for Aziraphale, "Would you like to sit down for a while, Angel?"
Aziraphale nodded, and they moved to a nearby bench.
A few moments later, they were sitting side by side. The difference from the past was that they were no longer at opposite ends of the bench, but close enough that there was little doubt as to the nature of their relationship, even if it was the only visible sign of it.
Until now.
Because Aziraphale wanted more.
Crowley had told him.
"I want to see you reach out and take what you want."
The demon's words, combined with the exhilaration of this new life opening before him, made Aziraphale bolder.
Of course, their relationship was still in its early stages; there was so much they both didn't know, so much to discover. It was dizzying, exhilarating, and a little frightening all at once.
But Aziraphale had promised himself that he would no longer be controlled by fear or any of the other guilt feelings that had been ingrained in him since the beginning of time.
Aziraphale wanted to reach out and take Crowley's hand. Not metaphorically, but really.
Because the day was beautiful.
Because they were so close that he could feel the warmth of Crowley's hand.
Because he wanted to be closer to his demon.
Because he wanted to.
The only unknown was Crowley's reaction. If Crowley was the first to not hesitate to show his affection when it was just the two of them, Aziraphale had no idea how he saw things in the eyes of the outside world.
"I want to see you reach out and take what you want."
He glanced at Crowley several times, admiring his profile against the blue sky as he taunted a pair of not-so-subtle spies on another bench not far away.
Crowley, probably feeling Aziraphale's gaze, turned his head to him and inquired curiously, "Is something wrong, Angel?"
Aziraphale didn't answer and just stared at him in silence for a few more seconds.
"I want to see you reach out and take what you want."
So Aziraphale, a determined look on his face, grabbed Crowley's hand and intertwined their fingers as he looked ahead, not bold enough to meet the demon's gaze immediately.
But Crowley tugged at his hand, causing him to turn his head and look at him.
Crowley's gaze moved from their still intertwined hands - which Aziraphale took as a good sign - to Aziraphale's face and asked, one eyebrow raised: "A little explanation?
"Look..." Aziraphale began, tightening his grip on Crowley's hand before continuing, "Before you say anything, we never really agreed not to do this sort of thing. We just never did it. But we don't have to hide, do we? Unless you tell me it's something you don't want to do, I don't want to hide."
The look of surprise on Crowley's face turned to one of tenderness, and then he squeezed Aziraphale's hand in confirmation, as if to say that everything was all right.
More than all right.
The demon gently stroked the back of the angel's hand with his thumb and added quietly, "Thanks for reaching out."
Aziraphale let out a discreet sigh of relief as Crowley's gaze shifted again, softening even more, if that was possible.
He leaned towards Aziraphale, their hands still entwined, kissed him softly on the temple then whispered in his ear, "We'll leave it at that because I don't know if you felt it, but we've got a witness."
Aziraphale nodded and they exchanged one last look that perfectly expressed how they felt about each other before turning their heads together to look behind them and see Muriel, their little notebook in hand, ready to turn on their heels.
No doubt they'd lost nothing in their exchange.
But since the angel and the demon weren't hiding, it didn't matter.
******
Muriel had followed Aziraphale and Crowley from a distance as they left the store for a walk.
She'd seen them arguing, as they often did, the grumpy demon wanting to take the car while Aziraphale insisted they walk.
Muriel couldn't help but giggle when they finally decided to walk, which was perfect for them to continue their observation of the demon and the angel.
After all, they were the only examples of such beings living on earth.
Muriel enjoyed watching the angel and the demon, Crowley was funny, and Aziraphale was nice. They made a very strange couple or pair, Muriel didn't quite understand it all yet, but even as an angel she could sense that there was something special between them. A bit like Maggie and Nina.
As she followed them, then moved a little closer to them, Muriel had seen.
That look Crowley only had for Aziraphale.
The smile Aziraphale only had for Crowley.
They didn't know what had happened, but Muriel had felt a great change in their relationship the day Metatron had disappeared from the shop, leaving her, the dim one as he said, behind.
As the angel and the demon sat down on the bench, Muriel hid behind a tree and continued to watch them.
Close but not touching at first, until they saw Aziraphale take Crowley's hand, and Crowley looked at him in surprise.
They seemed to exchange a few words, then Muriel saw Crowley lean over Aziraphale and tenderly kiss him on the side of the head.
Feeling their own loneliness at that moment, Muriel was about to leave when they saw the two beings turn their gaze in their direction.
What an idiot, they must have sensed their presence.
They danced from one foot to the other, looking down, wondering if Aziraphale and Crowley were angry with them for following them.
What if they had the power to send them back to heaven?
Throat tight, Muriel shook their heads.
They didn't want to go back up there.
Where everything was cold, white and tasteless.
With the demon and the angel, everything was colorful, warm and alive.
"Muriel?"
At the angel's soft voice, Muriel lifted their head and all they encountered was the angel's kind smile and the demon's mischievous wink. They put their notebook in their pockets and moved toward them.
And as Muriel walked forward, they felt they were beginning to understand what the word "family" meant.