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Aziraphale opened his eyes. Somewhere nearby water was splashing against the seashore. Endless stars were blinking against the dark sky, and the moon was rising in the horizon. There was a deep empty space in his chest, as if he’d forgotten something important. He looked down at his naked body and miracled himself a natural white robe to cover his skin.
There’d been a garden. Someone else had been there. His head hurt trying to remember.
But where was he now?
The sound of the waves was soothing. It calmed his mind from the anxiety of not knowing where he was, what had happened, and how he had ended up here.
Wherever here was.
“Ngk.”
Aziraphale turned to look towards the sound. There was a shape of something moving on the shore, not far from him. It looked like another person, but Aziraphale couldn’t tell for sure.
“Hello?” he called out.
“Yeah, I’m awake,” a voice mumbled back an answer. “Hell of a dream.”
“Are you alright?” Aziraphale stepped closer to the shape.
“Fine,” the person answered. “Fuck. I need some clothes.”
In the next moment the person was wrapped in black cloth, not unlike Aziraphale’s.
“What happened?” the person said while getting on his feet. “There was light and stars, but I can’t remember…”
Something moved in Aziraphale’s consciousness. A strong pull to be closer to the stranger. There was something familiar to them if he’d only catch the memory of how they knew each other. The person turned around and looked at Aziraphale, beautiful golden eyes glowing in the low light of the moon.
A rush of memories bubbled through his mind. Nebulae being born, flashes of a battle, a garden wall, flood, a prison cell, a bookshop, a car, and…
The decision. The most difficult decision they’d ever made. To be erased from existence to assure the world, the humans, had a chance.
“It’s you,” Aziraphale gasped. “I thought— Weren’t we supposed to—”
“Angel,” Crowley said and reached out to take his hand. “What— We’re still—”
Aziraphale was so taken by Crowley that he failed to see the bright light shining above them before it was blinding in its luminosity.
“Aziraphale,” a feminine voice said. Aziraphale recognised the voice. He’d last heard it in the garden, in his old bookshop. “Crowley.”
Aziraphale looked up but the light was too radiant for him to watch for long. He stepped closer to Crowley, the feeling of his body comforting against his own.
“Your decision has been put into action,” the voice said. “But unfortunately, I couldn’t fulfil it completely.”
“Wot?” Crowley asked. “Are you saying after all that there’s still Hell and Heaven?”
“I’m afraid so. Look up,” the voice said and Aziraphale did as She said. There was an image of something that looked like a snow globe. “They exist in this little bubble universe. They won’t interact with your world, not anymore.”
“What do you mean by our world?” Aziraphale asked.
“The garden is yours. Look after it, protect it, let humans make their own choices. You’re free to live among them. There’s no need to report to anyone, no block on miracles, no more apocalypses. You’re part of the world now and can interact with it as much or little as you choose,” the voice sounded smug. “That’s my gift for you. Free will. Use it well.”
The light dimmed until it looked like one of the stars blinking in the dark night sky.
Aziraphale touched his cheek and his fingers got wet. When he had begun to cry, he didn’t know, but Crowley’s eyes were glistening too.
“Hey, Aziraphale,” he smiled. “Didn’t expect this.”
“Me neither,” Aziraphale said. Crowley was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and he knew now the warmth he felt in his chest for him was love. It had been love for a long time although he’d acknowledged it later than he cared to admit.
“What do we do now?” Crowley asked, his eyes moving on Aziraphale’s face like he was drinking in the sight.
“Can we start with something I should have done before?” Aziraphale asked.
“What’s that?”
Aziraphale cupped Crowley’s cheek and pulled him into a long kiss. It was more gentle, less desperate than their first one, and after being ready to sacrifice everything for their shared love of the world, it felt like a miracle to have Crowley in his arms.
“I love you,” Aziraphale said. “You complete me.”
“Don’t get mushy on me now, angel,” Crowley said but at the next moment he pulled Aziraphale into another sweet kiss.
“Not an angel anymore,” Aziraphale said. “Technically you’re not a demon either.”
“Good. It’s a pet name,” Crowley said. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all.”
Crowley held him like he was something incredibly precious and Aziraphale felt a rush of happiness and sense of freedom.
“Where do you think She put us?” Crowley asked, now looking around them. “I can see some lights over there.”
Aziraphale squinted. There was indeed a fire burning in the distance. Maybe a settlement of humans?
They stared for a while and saw the shapes of a few early humans walk towards the camp for the night. They were more robust than Adam and Eve had been and had different features, but they were undoubtedly human.
“This could take a while,” Crowley said. “Are you sure you want to share it all with me? This new version of human history taking its first steps.”
“Crowley, there’s no one I’d rather share it with,” Aziraphale said. “I want to experience it all with you. The good, the bad, the ugly.”
“Even though there won’t be crepes or bookshops or cars for quite some time?”
“I have all I need right here,” Aziraphale said, squeezing Crowley’s hands in his and pressing a short kiss on his lips. Crowley mumbled something against his mouth that sounded like love you.
“Well then,” Crowley said. “A brave new world, angel. Where do you want to start?”