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It’s funny how quickly a week can pass when you're trying to solve a mystery. Especially when you have to put up with a person you spent the last six millennia despising and who always had a knack for making time seem to move as slowly as possible with his presence alone. But regardless of how that time had progressed, it had been a little over a week since that rainy day the Supreme Archangel had shown up on Gabriel’s doorstep.
Today was also a rainy day, but the more standard light sprinkle of London than the downpour of a week ago. Gabriel had the library open for business as he always did on Mondays, 7am-7pm, he liked the solid 12 hour chunk; many humans had also commented that the hours were very convenient for their schedules. This wasn’t a determining factor, but it was nice since it meant more people would stop by to pick up books which Gabe enjoyed. The routine of running the library had helped Gabe to deal with the whole amnesiac ex-boss situation because, other than his new assistant Angelo, it was something he had done for the last 200 years. Mondays always started with checking in the books that were returned over the weekend. Gabriel had added a computer to his library to help with keeping track of his books, but the check in process still took quite a bit of time as Gabriel diligently checked over every book for damage. He didn’t often find any, but when he did, the books would be set into a separate stack to be taken to the backroom of the library to be repaired. The angel didn’t see the need to waste miracles on such simple tasks, so he did them by hand.
Rather upsettingly, Gabriel found two books in need of such care, so after checking everything in and setting his ‘assistant’ to shelve the other books he carried the damaged novels to the back. He sat down to make the small repairs. One had a page torn, this book was a bit old, a 1950 original copy of The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich, so any overly eager reader could accidentally turn a page too quickly and cause such damage. All that this book needed was some repair tape and it was ready to return to the shelves. The other book, American Prometheus from 2005 and signed by both authors, did not have an excuse for the damage done to it. Clearly the renter had children and had foolishly left the book unsupervised. Several of the pages were scrawled on with crayon. Gabriel let out an exasperated sigh. The fix was a long careful process that he was not looking forward to. Before his mind could dwell on the steps that he’d have to take, soft arms were wrapped around his shoulders, and a head came to rest in the crook of his neck.
“Good morning, darling.”
Gabe couldn’t help but smile as a soft kiss was pressed into his neck. He used a hand to brush aside black bangs and returned a kiss to their forehead.
“Morning, bed bug, did your nap help?”
Gabriel was not one for sleeping, and neither was Beelzebub usually, but if they were feeling a bit overwhelmed they often escaped into sleep. This mystery must have been giving them quite a bit of trouble as they had been asleep since they got back from their investigation yesterday.
“Not really, “ Bee sunk down, putting more of their weight on Gabe’s shoulders, “none of the pieces I’ve come across seem to fit together.”
“Well, why don’t you take a break today?” he offered, “You could stay with me at the library and we can go over everything together.”
Gabe felt the demon’s smile against his neck as they responded, “That sounds lovely.”
“Great, because I did not want to work on cleaning up this book right now.”
The angel rose out of his chair and grabbed the repaired book before taking Bee’s hand and leading them to the front desk. The Story of Art was placed on the cart to be shelved and Gabe and Bee sat down for their discussion.
They were interrupted before Beelzebub could even get a sentence out however by the distressed tingle of the bell above the door of the library and said door slamming into the wall. A very angry man was storming through the doorway, he was removing his sunglasses as he asked in a voice that sounded like the rumble of thunder, “Where. Isss. AZIRAPHALE!?!”
“Lord Crowley!” Beelzebub cried, jumping from their chair in a knee jerk reaction to seeing their ex-boss.
For his part Gabriel was more confused than scared at the moment. His library was an embassy of Heaven, creatures of Hell shouldn’t be allowed within its borders without an invitation. He was hoping this was doubly true for the High Duke of Hell. And yet, here this demon had just burst in here with no issue.
“How did you get in here?” was all Gabe could think to ask.
He turned to share a look with Bee. They wordlessly agreed on how to handle this red haired demon currently fixing them with wholly yellow serpent eyes. Gabriel quickly regained his composure and put an unamused look on his face before replying to the High Duke’s question.
“Wait, do you think he’s here? Like I told you before-”
“Do you think I’m ssstupid?!?” Crowley interjected.
Gabriel almost answered the question out of habit. He knew poking at the snake demon wasn’t the best idea, and fortunately Crowley continued before he could open his mouth.
“Not only are you two the worssst liarsss, but there isss literally nowhere elssse he could be!” he hissed at the angel and demon behind the counter and added almost inaudibly under his breath, “I’ve checked…”
The snake demon had started to approach Gabriel and Beelzebub as he was speaking. He had reached the desk and was leaning over it, a pointed finger coming very close to Gabe’s chest as he resumed his interrogation.
“Ssso you better-”
“Excuse me sir,” Crowley had been cut off by an annoyingly soft voice behind him and a tap on the shoulder, “but if you wish to do business here, I must ask you to lower your voice.”
Crowley turned to regard the man that had not only interrupted him, but actually had the gall to tap him on the shoulder. Gabriel’s stomach fell as he did so because the being that had walked up to him was the very being he was looking for, Aziraphale. Gabe turned to share a panicked look with Bee. All of their careful decisions were crumbling around them and they were both now waiting for the moment the red haired demon to round on them with fresh rage at their deception. The moment came when Crowley opened his mouth to speak and...
“Who the Heaven’re you?” was all he said and he started to replace his sunglasses to his face.
Gabe couldn’t believe what he had just heard. One look at Bee confirmed that they had the same feeling. They both quickly regained their composure, but Gabriel’s mind kept searching for an answer. Suddenly he remembered the half miracle that he and Beelzebub had performed when the Supreme Archangel had first come into the library. Keep Aziraphale hidden from Heaven and Hell, the miracle seemed to be actually doing something. Unless, Gabe thought, the High Duke of Hell didn’t actually know what the Supreme Archangel of Heaven looked like. They had only met at the airfield in Tadfield as far as the angel knew, and it was possible he didn’t know who he was talking with or didn’t bother to remember much of that incident. Gariel felt his stomach drop again as he realized if the Archangel said the wrong thing the gig could still be up.
“I’m Angelo, I’m an assistant librarian.” Aziraphale responded with a smile.
Gabe let out a sigh of relief in unison with Bee as they realized they seemed to be in the clear. The relaxed feeling didn’t last as Crowley returned his attention to Gabriel with his next question.
“How long have you had an assistant?”
“Oh,” Gabriel scrambled to come up with an answer, “you know, ever since-”
“N’ver mind. Don’t care.” The demon finished pushing his glasses back into place as he cut the angel off. Gabriel was partly relieved he didn’t have to come up with a backstory for his assistant, but he was more so pissed that Crowley would ask a question and then not want an answer. Gabe almost didn’t hear the demon add, “Killed my momentum.”
Crowley lowered the arm from his face and crossed them in front of himself. Since he had tinted glasses covering his eyes, the demon rolled his whole head as he let out an exasperated sigh before picking up his allegations.
“Point being, I know he’s here. Let me see ‘im.”
Gabe thought it was funny that the request had already been fulfilled. He managed to hold back a chuckle though and chose to keep up the same dialog he and Bee had prepped for answering anyone inquiring about the Supreme Archangel.
“Even if we knew where he was. And that’s a big if. Why would we let you see him?”
Amusingly, the High Duke took a physical step back at that question. He lifted one of his hands and started gesturing vaguely in the air and he fumbled for a response.
“Because we…umm…” he started before trailing off and trying again, “Cause I…I ca-”
Crowley cut himself off with an annoyed sigh that was almost a grunt and finally settled on a response that he snapped out, “We’re friends!”
Gabe had to hold back another laugh at that response, it was a ridiculous idea. Not that a demon would be friends with an angel, he and Beelzebub had been friends for millennia before their relationship evolved to be more than that. But that basically the heads opposite sides held anything less than contempt for each other was unbelievable. Gabe was glad Bee took the lead on responding because he didn’t think he could without at least snickering at the idea.
“So, you’re saying you, the High Duke of Hell, are friends with the ex-Supreme Archangel?”
“As I told you ssseveral timesss already, YESss!” the Duke hissed his answer.
“And we’re supposed to believe that?” Bee’s question was laced with doubt which told Gabe that they had picked up on the sense their ex-boss was lying.
“I don’t expect you to believe me,” Crowley’s reply was still sharp, but the words seemed a little resigned, “but when you see Aziraphale ask him. He should even have some proof for you.”
Gabriel’s mind was pulled to the letter that the Archangel had shown up with, it had been addressed to this very demon. But, all of it seemed a little too convenient. There had to be some trick at play, and Gabe was not going to be anyone's fool.
“Maybe we will.” he snapped back at the snake demon.
“If we knew where he was, that is.” Bee quickly added to his statement.
Gabe was glad for the save, although he wasn’t sure how well their story was holding up. The High Duke regarded them both with a look up and down before turning to leave the library.
“Sssure…” he said before adding with a half wave as he started towards the door, “Well, I can see I’m get’n nowhere here. I’ll be go-”
The red haired demon suddenly stopped his exit when a, rather quiet, hiss filled the library.
“Wait!” Crowley turned back around and ripped the sunglasses off of his face again. “Is that? One of my snakesss?!?”
Indeed, on the floor of the library there was a red and black snake that Bee had confirmed as belonging to their ex-boss a week ago. Gabe had forgotten about the creature as it had been doing a better job lately of staying in Aziraphale’s pocket like it was supposed to. Now though, it had chosen to come out and be another kink in the couple's story.
“I told you we should’ve gotten rid of the snake.” Bee whispered unhelpfully.
Gabe fixed them with a look that said, Oh yeah, just forgot to do that. Not that we literally couldn’t touch the thing. He looked back towards the snake demon and his newly discovered snake. To his surprise the red haired demon did not evaporate upon contact with the holy protection, he mentally noted that for future reference.
“Abel?!” Crowley had called the snake by the same name Aziraphale had, though it would make sense, he could just ask the snake for the information it had gathered. Gabriel tried to think up ways to counter what the snake would tell him and listened as the Duke continued to talk with his serpent. “What are you doing here? Where is Aziraphale?”
Expected questions and Gabe continued to form his defense until he heard the next rushed question the demon asked.
“Why?... Why can’t I hear you?”
That gave him pause, apparently the snake was not giving him any information. Though it looked like the snake was trying his best to as he turned and fixed Gabriel with a mean look when his master also turned his attention on Gabe.
“YOU!!” he demanded, “What’d you lot do to my sssnake?!?”
“N-nothing.” Bee responded defensively.
“You don’t think our miracle-” Gabe started to whisper to his partner before being cut off by the Duke of Hell.
“Y-you had no right!” the demon’s voice was shaky and he took a breath while replacing his sunglasses over his eyes before continuing, “I gave Aziraphale Abel asss a gift! You had no right to sssever my connection to him!”
He paused as he took a few steps back towards the counter. Bee flinched slightly at the angry Duke’s approach and Gabe put a protective arm up and took a half step in front of his demon. Crowley stayed a distance from the desk this time and continued his accusation.
“And then to take him away from Aziraphale. How cruel can you be?”
Gabriel was about to respond with something along the lines of I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, but before he could, Aziraphale stepped back towards the snake demon. Gabe hadn’t noticed while the Duke had been yelling, but the snake had left his possession and seemed to make its way to the Archangel’s shoulders.
“Oh,” Aziraphale started with his soft voice, “I think there has been a misunderstanding here. Abel is my pet.”
The Supreme Archangel adopted that annoying posture where he started to fuss with his hands. The snake wrapped around his neck stuck its head up to rub it against the angel’s check. He gave the snake a small stroke before continuing his explanation.
“He’s supposed to stay in my pocket, you see, but he has a nasty habit of wandering.”
The Duke of Hell seemed not to know how to take that information.
“You’ve gotta snake who’s name is also Abel?” he finally asked.
“Yes, a funny coincidence,” the Archangel let out a slight chuckle as he responded, “isn’t it dear?”
“W-What did you call me?” The snake demon’s voice shook with his question.
The Supreme Archangel had always had this annoying habit of calling everyone ‘dear’. It was one of the few things that he had actually remembered about his life before he lost his memories, and it drove Gabriel crazy. He always felt like his boss was speaking down to him when he referred to him by ‘dear’. Gabe thought that, finally, someone else found it just as belittling as him. He expected that the Duke of Hell would snap back at the Archangel for using such terms.
“Ah, I say, are you alright dear?” Aziraphale had used that word again, and Gabe was sure that the demon would have something to say about it now.
What Crowley did next was not on the short list in Gabriel’s head of responses, nor would it have been on a long list if he had made one of those. The great, terrifying High Duke of Hell suddenly stiffened and tears fell down his checks. Before Gabe had time to even process what he was seeing Aziraphale spoke again.
“Oh… Oh, dear boy, come here.” As the Archangel spoke he grabbed the snake demon by his sleeve and started to lead him toward the sitting area in the back of the library.
Gabriel and Beelzebub moved to follow them, but before Gabe could enter the circle of furniture Bee put up and arm to stop him. When he fixed them with a confused look they returned a pleading one that Gabe always had a hard time saying no to. So, he stayed at the edge of the bookshelves and watched the scene in front of him.
“There, have a sit.” Aziraphale said as he finished leading the crying demon to the couch.
He gave the snake demon a reassuring pat on the shoulder before sitting down beside him. Crowley appeared to have removed his glasses to wipe the tears on his face and was sniffling as the Archangel pressed on with his conversation.
“Now then, what has you so upset, dear?” Of course he asked it with that Satan awful word.
“It-It’s just…” the Duke’s words were shaky again as he, for whatever reason, answered Aziraphale’s question, “You. Y-you remind me of ‘im. My friend. The way ya talk…ya’re kindness-” he broke off with a sob before continuing, “Even the way your snake hangs on ya… I-I’ve been look’n for ‘im everywhere. B-but,” a shaky breath seemed to catch in his throat and he had to try for another one before pressing on, “everywhere just feels so… so, empty without ‘im.” He finished with a few loud sobs that shook his body.
The Archangel placed a hand on the demon’s back and seemed to be rubbing small circles as he gave some little words of comfort. It felt like forever to Gabriel before Aziraphale spoke again.
“Oh, that is terrible dear.” Of course he had that fake sympathetic voice on, Gabe had heard it only a few times in his life, and even those were too much for him. The voice always made him feel like he was being treated like a child. But, when he let out an annoyed sigh Bee elbowed him, so he turned back to watching the Supreme Archangel and the High Duke.
“I know how you feel though,” Aziraphale continued, “I have this feeling that I am missing something. Some things help me feel a little better, like Abel here, but nothing I’ve come across really fills this…hole.”
The Archangel looked down at his hands and assumedly started fiddling with them. There was a long moment of silence between the two on the couch. Then, Aziraphale placed a hand on Crowley’s shoulder and turned to look at him.
“You are a good friend, dear.”
“Huh?” came the confused response of the demon.
“I would be glad to have a friend who cares as much as you do.” Aziraphale clarified.
“How about we get you a cup of tea?” the angel then offered.
That was a step too far for Gabriel and he was glad Bee actually let him past this time. It was already mercy enough that he had let this demon stay in his library as long as he had, but he was not going to let him have any of his tea. As he approached the pair in the sitting area the High Duke turned and fixed him with a glare before he shoved his sunglasses back into their place over his eyes.
“Actually,” Gabriel said as he crossed his arms and basically stood between the Duke and Archangel while still remaining behind the couch, “Mr. Crowley was just leaving.”
“Really?” Aziraphale asked. It took everything Gabe had not to snap at the admittedly, if annoying, innocent question. He had decided to turn that anger on the demon he was trying to remove from his library, but to his surprise Crowley agreed with his sentiments.
“Yeah, I should get goin’.” the High Duke stood to leave.
He started towards the door and Gabriel moved entirely out of his way.
“Thanks for the kind words Mr…”
“Angelo.” Aziraphale supplied.
“Right.” Crowley gave another half wave as he left, not turning around.
“Goodbye, Mr. Crowley.” the Archangel was giving a more enthusiastic wave to his new friend, “I hope you find your friend.”
At that Gabe thought the interaction was over, but right before he opened the door the snake demon turned his head back into the library.
“I hope ya find what ya’re lookin’ for too…” he added.
With those words he left, leaving behind him the small tingle of the bell and the click of the closing door. Gabriel was glad the whole ordeal was over, and that their miracle was apparently worth the trouble if it had fooled even the High Duke of Hell. He was pulled from his thoughts by Bee.
“Darling?” they asked.
“Yeah?” he replied.
“You’re kind of an asshole.”
“WHAT?!”