Chapter Text
*They started the calendar late.
Crawly strolled up to the little barn in the dark. It hadn't been hard to find, what with the dozens of shepherds hanging about outside – and, strangely, one little boy with a drum.
He slinked inside and found his place among the throng of onlookers in their hushed awe. Along with the shepherds, there seemed to be quite a bit more nobility here than he'd ever seen in a barn. But more notably, back in the corner, he spotted a white-haired angel dressed in magi's clothing, holding a basket of trinkets.
Crawly grinned, then sauntered up to his companion.
"Tidings, Angel," he greeted in mock-holiness.
"Hm? Oh, it's you," Aziraphale smiled in polite greeting, turned his gaze back to the baby, then whipped back around. "Wait, what are you doing here?"
Crawly could have taken offense, but he understood the angel’s surprise. The literal birth of Christ was not exactly a common gathering place for demons.
"Oh, you know," Crawly replied quietly, now watching the baby. "Just checking up. My side wanted someone to get a look, naturally."
"Oh. Yes," Aziraphale conceded. "Naturally."
Aziraphale readjusted his grip on the basket.
The child shuffled a bit in his sleep. The onlookers sighed a collective sigh, smiled a collective smile.
"Y'know, management just seems to get younger and younger these days," Crawly remarked. He examined the baby's surroundings, raising an eyebrow. "He can't be comfortable in that thing," he continued, of course referring to the literal feeding trough he was currently placed in.
"It's not about comfort," Aziraphale answered, though Crawly could see the angel's nose turned up at the sight of it. "It's about the miracle of his birth. Though I admit the accommodations could be a bit less..."
He paused to search for the right word.
A donkey shuffled in the hay.
"...smelly."
Crawly hummed in agreement, but then repeated – " 'Miracle of his birth' , you know, it's not quite fair to Mary, is it?" he pondered, sparing a glance at the new mother. "What if she didn't want kids?"
Her attention kept shifting up to the crowd, then down at the child, then back to the crowd again. She seemed grateful, happy – but more than a bit overwhelmed by all the attention just after the trauma of childbirth.
"Well," Aziraphale started, and Crawly felt a bit vindicated when the angel seemed to be genuinely concerned for Mary's consent in the matter.
But before he could finish the thought, the baby opened his mouth.
The crowd fell completely silent, unsure of what was going to happen, but ready to hang on his every word or gesture. Aziraphale's hand shot up to Crawly's shoulder.
Baby Jesus sneezed.
Soft coos and chuckles murmured through the room, and Mary smiled warmly at her child, stroking a finger across his cheek.
“Oh,” Aziraphale sighed fondly, smiling at the little baby’s coos. “Well, she certainly has one now, doesn't she?”
Crawly shrugged in agreement, watching Mary readjust the child’s swaddle.
“Did you bring anything?” Aziraphale asked offhandedly.
“'Bring anything'?” Crawly repeated, unsure of what he was supposed to have brought.
“For him,” Aziraphale clarified, gesturing toward the baby.
“Aah, I...” Crawly trailed off. “No. Didn’t know I was supposed to.”
“Didn’t know – ! That’s what everyone is here for,” Aziraphale chastised. “To offer him gifts!”
“Well, I don’t know!” Crawly defended. “I don’t know how babies work.”
Someone beside them threw them a look for the disruption. Aziraphale apologized and fell quiet, but then shuffled closer to Crawly.
“Funny,” Aziraphale remarked in a murmur, raising a mocking eyebrow at Crawly. “I thought you were an expert on... what was it you called it? Obstetrics, ” he recalled with a pointed, wide-eyed look.
“Hey, hey, no,” Crawly wagged a finger in the angel’s face, “that’s different. Delivery is completely different than… than post -delivery.”
“It’s his birthday!” Aziraphale argued, that look on his face that reminded Crawly of a beaten puppy.
Crawly growled under his breath.
“I thought birthday celebrations were supposed to be after the fact!” Crawly sneered through his teeth.
Aziraphale rolled his eyes, though his face might have had the hint of a fond smile.
“I’ll just,” Crawly started, thinking on his feet, “tempt something up. There’s bound to be –”
“No!” Aziraphale interrupted, placing a hand on top of Crawly’s to stop him. “No, you shouldn't. They – ” he glanced up “ – will certainly be paying close attention to any temptations or miracles performed around here tonight. You don’t want to be caught giving gifts to the Christchild , do you?”
Crawly paused, pursed his lips and pondered this for a moment.
Then he pondered the angel’s apparent genuine concern in his involvement, and felt a little bit of happy warmth glowing in his chest.
“Here, just,” the angel continued, reaching into his basket, “take some of mine. Though I’ll be one gift short now,” he added pointedly.
He placed a small gold vessel in Crawly's hand. Crawly opened the lid to peek inside, and it was filled with what looked like amber-colored little rocks that one would scrape off the bottom of one's shoe.
"What the heaven kind of a gift is this for a baby?" He asked.
Another stranger turned to look at the pair in confusion or judgement or both, and Aziraphale offered him an awkward smile, reaching over to close the lid of the vessel in a weak attempt at saving face. Then he shot Crawly a look.
"It's Frankincense," Aziraphale whispered. "Smells nice."
Crawly waited a moment for the stranger to look away, and then opened it again anyway to take a discreet whiff of the stuff. He hummed in surprise; it didn't smell half-bad.
"I can show you where I got it if you like," the angel offered under his breath. "The resin comes from this great, strange tree."
"Hmm," Crawly hummed again in agreement. "Though, I was going to leave early. Y'know, beat mule traffic."
"Oh, good idea," the angel replied congenially. "I'll do the same, then. We can go together."
Then they were next, and each of them offered their gifts which Mary took gracefully in her child's stead. Aziraphale also offered the baby a smile, which the baby returned. Crawly just kind of stared at him, unsure of what exactly to do, and finally decided on pulling a silly face with his tongue out.
The baby let out a peal of laughter more delighted than any that had ever been heard.
Mary looked at Crawly like he had three heads, but thanked him politely in order to rush the two along. Crawly caught a glimpse of Joseph busy at work behind her, taking stock of the growing pile of near-identical gifts at his feet and noting who they were from so they could send thank-you notes.
After they left, Crawly took up Aziraphale's offer to show him the orchard of Frankincense trees. The angel trimmed a branch and handed it to Crawly with a dazzling smile, and for some reason, Crawly kept the branch in his little stash of Earthly belongings for decades.
Much later, he'd realize it was one of the first Christmas gifts ever given.