Work Text:
There was a tranquility to this part of the woods that he appreciated. Though he had thought there's be more bugs and birds. Not even the lantern was helping now as the day crept on. The omega sighed before shuttering it so he didn't waste fuel. He quickened his pace at a pinprick of light.
In the centre of a clearing a large, pale oak stood tall and stately. Deep orange light from the setting sun filtered through the treetops and there was a cluster of dark gray puffballs around the base. Were they a fungus? He crouched down to inspect one of them when the crunch of leaves made him tense, the scent of moss and petrichor getting stronger. Underneath, he could pick up alpha and it made his hackles raise. How long had he been observed?
"Wouldn't touch those just yet."
Aziraphale turned in surprise. As smoky as the voice had been, he hadn't expected a lanky redhead.
"And why's that?" he asked, aiming for a haughty sniff and not missed the exasperated eye roll.
"Occularia are poisonous when they're closed," the alpha answered dryly, lips pursed in a frown. "If you can wait…fifteen minutes you'll see them open."
Crowley's arms crossed over his chest as he waited for the omega to listen. This wasn't the first time someone had some looking for the flowers. The blond regarded him with suspicion but rose after a moment. He hadn't been sure what to make of the soft looking omega traipsing through the forest but he was glad the other seemed focused rather than destructive.
Aziraphale stared at the alpha, attempting to suss out where he'd come from. Did he live out here? He kept an eye on the sunset, before a glow in his peripheral got his attention. At the base of the oak the puffballs were opening - bright orange blooms vibrant against the white leaf interior. They weren't the only ones, other trees also reflecting the same low light as more flowers opened. It was eerily beautiful.
"Let me guess, someone wants one to grow their own," the alpha commented.
The blond nodded, "Correct. My well…the match my family wants, requested one."
He caught the eye roll before the redhead crouched beside an open flower. "Well unless they have a mature spectral oak it won't matter. They need the oaks to grow properly," he explained with a shrug.
So it was fool's errand. It figured that he'd been sent to find a flower that couldn't be moved. Ingenuity was all well and good but it was no secret that botany wasn't his strong suit.
"How long will it last if I do take one?" he asked carefully. "While I don't want to kill it needlessly, not returning with one will be…"
"At most a week," the alpha interjected with a frown. "And anyone who sent you for this is either a jerk or unaware. Personally leaning towards the former."
"And why is that."
"Because the poisonous part is fairly well known. If you have the information to find them, you know they can't be handled when they're closed. Otherwise, your intended went 'oh that's pretty'."
The omega couldn't fault the line of thought but he was sure it was a mix of the two. A hard enough quest to keep him out of their hair for a bit while providing something feasible to attempt. Which honestly sounded like them and wasn't that a depressing realisation about someone he was meant to be mated to.
"I see. So moving one is out of the question then."
"More inadvisable. Dunno how the poison'll react outside its biome either," he confessed. "Can stay if you want. With me I mean, so you're not leaving in the dark. Completely up to you. 'm Crowley by the way."
"Aziraphale. I should be alright. I can't be that bad. I wouldn't want to impose."
Crowley shrugged again, though he didn't quite like that answer. Letting the omega go running off in the dark, didn't sit right with him.
"'s not…spare room is available, should you want it," he conceded, knowing he couldn't force the blond to come along.
He frowned as he mulled it over. The offer was a kind one, even if the redhead was a stranger. But the lantern had barely worked beforehand and even though the occularia glowed, he wasn't confident in them lighting the way. Surely he would be able to leave at first light.