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"I'll give you two a bit of privacy," God said, waving her hand as light overtook the room and the angel and former demon in front of her disappeared.
When the light cleared, Aziraphale and Crowley were left standing in front of each other, an overgrown bookshop surrounding them, but they only had eyes for each other.
"What is it you want, Crowley?" Aziraphale asked tentatively, not letting his gaze leave his love's golden eyes, no matter how many tears tried to flood his own.
"This is our decision, Angel. What is it that you want?"
"I already know what I want," Aziraphale responded, taking Crowley's hand into his own. "This is your decision, my love."
"I… I think you know what I want," Crowley answered after a moment of hesitation, his hand coming up to cup Aziraphale's cheek. "Humanity needs freedom. No Heaven, no Hell, just… just them."
"I know."
"I'm sorry, Angel. I wish we could have it all," Crowley admitted. "I wish we could… I wish we could be an us."
"I do too," Aziraphale agreed, rubbing his thumb over his partner, his best friend, his demon's hand. "But we must do what is necessary."
"We must."
No other words were said as the two came together, pulling each other into a tight embrace - one that they both knew would be their final.
Hands gripped each other tight, pulling on clothes, desperate to keep the other as close as possible. This was the end, they both knew it. They would take every moment they could spare together, regretting all of the moments that they didn't cherish more, didn't fight for more of.
But now was not a time for regrets, not a time for wishing for things to be different. No, this was a time for them to cherish the present and the feeling of the other's embrace, a relationship that no longer needed to be hidden.
"Well, then," Aziraphale breathed out, forcing himself to let Crowley go and placing a small smile onto his face, not letting himself do anything other than enjoy this moment of peace. "Let's go inform Her of our decision then."
"Together," Crowley offered.
"Together," Aziraphale agreed.
They knew what had to be done, no matter how much it hurt them. No matter how much they wished for it to be different. Crowley wouldn't run this time, wouldn't try to drag Aziraphale away. He'd face this by his Angel's side - just like he always did.
It would pain him to let his Angel go, but at the very least he could make sure that his Angel didn't go alone. He'd follow him anywhere, even to his own death. It was a better option than dealing with the pain of losing him.
"Aziraphale, Crowley," God spoke, surprised that the two had come back so quickly. "I assume that you've made a decision?"
Gripping the other's hand tight, the former angel and demon nodded, refusing to part in what would be their last moments.
"Restart it all," Crowley demanded. "No Heaven, no Hell, no God, no Satan, no angels, and no devils. Give humans complete free will without any force pushing them one way or another."
"Very well," She agreed, standing up to face the two now - her children who had grown up so wonderfully. "But how about a force or two to live among them? Not as angel or demons, but as fellow man? See if what they wanted really works out?" She offered them, a knowing smirk on her face.
"What do you mean?" Aziraphale asked, confused.
"No matter now. It's nearly the end," She breathed out. "Say what you need to."
Both Aziraphale and Crowley felt their very beings beginning to fall apart, becoming a void that never existed, just like everything in the Book of Life had done.
"I love you," Aziraphale spoke out quickly, his blue eyes meeting the yellow ones he loved so much.
There was no time to tell Crowley how much he meant to him. There was no time to tell Crowley how much he enjoyed their late nights together, their Ritz dates, their walks. How much he loved watching the former demon when he wasn't looking. How much he loved the kindness and compassion that existed despite what life had thrown at Crowley.
"I love you," Crowley whispered out immediately after, watching his love fade into oblivion. His only comfort that he would soon fade too.
There was no time to tell Aziraphale, his wonderful Angel, how much he meant to him. There was no time to tell his Angel how much he enjoyed their time together, their temptations and blessings they'd done together, their stolen moments when neither side was looking. How much he loved treating Aziraphale to things Heaven would have never approved of - human things thought to be beneath him. How much he loved the bastard under the angelic exterior and how truly good he was.
There was not time enough, even in an infinite forever existing universe, for them to tell the other how much they meant to the other. How much they loved each other. How much they would always love each other. There was not world and time enough for it.
The simple three words would have to do for now and forever. No other option was available and so, they made peace with it as they disappeared into oblivion, God and Satan and the bookshop following them soon after.
~~~
Light blinded Aziraphale and Crowley's eyes, a stark contrast to what they had expected from their deaths, fading into oblivion, never to exist again.
Eyes blinked in tandem, taking in the view that surrounded them, a lush garden of greenery with the sun high above them. No walls in sight and no sense of any other life yet, just them.
"Oh Crowley!" Aziraphale gasped out, seeing his red haired companion in front of him, racing to hold him. "Oh my dear boy!"
"Angel!" Crowley yelled out, pulling Aziraphale into his arms, confused but letting himself enjoy the moment. "How are we here?"
"I don't know, my love," Aziraphale admitted, burrowing his head into Crowley's shoulder as tears fell from his eyes. "I don't care right now. I'm just glad to have you with me again."
"Me too, Angel," Crowley agreed, pressing his face against Aziraphale's head, tears escaping his eyes as he kept his Angel close.
No words were spoken for minutes or hours, neither had a clue, just enjoying the feeling of the other's embrace. It was like rain after a drought, a feeling that neither had ever expected to feel again. They would cherish it, not let it pass.
Backing away from the other eventually, Crowley found his hand coming up to Aziraphale's face, holding his precious Angel as he looked at him.
"Oh lord, Crowley," Aziraphale gasped out, pushing stray hairs out of Crowley's face. "Your eyes!"
"What? What's wrong with them?"
"They… They're brown, my dear."
Neither were sure what to make of it: the eyes nor the situation. How were they still alive? They shouldn't be. They couldn't be, and yet they were.
"How are we still here?" Aziraphale asked, pushing the topic from the sidelines to the direct center of the room. "We shouldn't be."
"I know," Crowley agreed, his mind replaying the final moments over and over again. "Something God said keeps nagging at me."
"What?"
"She said something about a force or two being left to watch over Earth. To see if what they really wanted would work out."
"My dear boy, I think she means us," Aziraphale explained. "We wanted this. We asked for this, so She left us here to see what happens. To watch over humanity."
"There's no way," Crowley disagreed. "She'll off herself, but leave us? That doesn't make any sense."
"How else are we here then?"
"I don't know, but that can't be it."
No matter how much Crowley wracked his brain, no other explanation made sense. God had to have saved them, but why? Why had She done it?
"I know it doesn't make sense, I don't get it either," Aziraphale admitted, placing a hand on Crowley's shoulder. "But I am just happy to be here with you, to have you by my side."
"I am too, Angel," Crowley agreed, looking at his love with the full force of his affection. "Can I kiss you?" He asked softly, not wanting to force anything on him.
"Of course," Aziraphale spoke quietly, his eyes softening as he placing a hand on Crowley's neck, one of his partner's finding placement on his cheek as the two came together slowly, savoring the moment.
When they met, it felt like the force of a meteor shower, the power of the big bang, emotions without name finding presence between them. This had been long over due and they would enjoy every minute they had been given with one another - the best of blessings and gifts that could ever have been given to them.
~~~
And so, the years passed, eons and eons moving past at a constant rate, and Crowley and Aziraphale made sure to enjoy each and every moment of them.
Civilizations rose and fell, just like they had the first time around, and they were there for each of them, side by side, doing their best to make sure that humanity did not make the same mistakes again - that free will was in full force.
Yes, humanity partook in both evil and good, trying and failing before trying again, but what was more human that that? What was more human than striving for perfection, for goodness, over and over again, no matter how long it took?
"Are you ready, Angel?" Crowley asked, adjusting his shirt as he spoke, pushing his silver feather ring further back onto his finger - he didn't want to lose it.
"Almost done, dear," Aziraphale responded, running a hand through his hair and adjusting his bow tie before looking at the golden snake ring on his finger. "Where are you taking me tonight?"
"I told you, it's a surprise. Why don't you find a Clue about it?" He joked, coming up behind his husband, wrapping his arms around him and pressing a kiss onto his cheek.
"Over 10,000 years and you still bring that up?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"
"Wiley serpent," Aziraphale muttered under his breath, turning his head to kiss his spouse deeply, feeling fireworks go off in his stomach. No matter how many times they kissed, it always felt like the first.
"You love it."
"I do," Aziraphale admitted.
Hand in hand, the two left their cottage behind, walking in the woods behind their house in the South Downs, a small and quiet area - perfect for an immortals retirement.
The two hadn't taken long to tie the knot, getting married at the first possible chance. They had spent over 6,000 years dancing around each other and their feelings. They refused to dance any longer.
Sitting down at a small bench, Crowley wrapped an arm around Aziraphale, letting his Angel rest against him, head on his shoulder as they watched the ducks swimming in front of them. Trees surrounded the pond, apple trees in particular - how ironic, but they were what Crowley wanted to plant, ever the tempter - their fruit hanging low as a cool breeze passed through, making Aziraphale burrow in closer to his husband.
"I never thought we would get this," Aziraphale spoke softly, watching the ducks dive and resurface over and over while nightingales chirped softly in the distance - singing for lovers alone. "I never thought we'd get the chance to be us."
"We did, Angel. I'm happy we did. We have a life here now, together, no need to hide. It's our own paradise," Crowley admitted, enjoying the peace that had been given to them.
"Paradise," Aziraphale repeated. "Our own personal Eden. I like the sound of that."
"As long as you're with me, anything sounds good. Our Eden it is."