ranguvar33 | Silence is Not Golden Chapter Two

Silence is Not Golden

Chapter Two: Meetings of the Fractured Minds

THE GARDEN OF EDEN AZIRAPHALE POV

Aziraphale watches as Adam and Eve become small specks on the horizon. He can see the Sword, a tiny pinprick of light almost swallowed by the harsh brightness of the desert. He hopes he did the right thing. He would hate to get in trouble. 'But then again', he thinks miserably, 'I'm usually always in trouble.' He can't afford to muck this Eden bit up. Gabriel has told him...told him...told him what? Aziraphale blinks, trying to remember. He gets like this sometimes, where his mind seems to be full of holes, and the more he tries to remember, the bigger the holes become. He's so lost in his own mind that he doesn't see the snake in his path until he trips over it and falls flat on his face.

He scrambles to a sitting position, blushing hotly in embarrassment. ‘Typical, stupid Aziraphale!’ he thinks to himself. ‘Always has his head in the clouds, can’t even pay attention to where he’s walking!’

The snake is staring at him, and Aziraphale gulps. It’s a monster, nearly fifty feet long, and it does not look friendly. The angel gulps. “Umm...I do apologize for tripping over you. I...please don’t eat me.” Not that he’s entirely certain that a snake, even one as humongous as this creature is, could actually eat an angel. But Aziraphale is taking no chances.

The snake tilts its head, and between one blink and the next has transformed into what Aziraphale is certain is a demon. “Oh, bugger.” The demon’s yellow eyes are fixed on his, and Aziraphale feels like his very soul is being bared. He wars between being polite(he did trip over this demon, after all) and following Heaven’s rule about smiting any and all demons on sight. But this demon isn’t doing anything demon-like. It’s just...staring at him. That surely doesn’t warrant a smiting. “Err...hello? My name’s Aziraphale. Do you have a name?”

No response, and Aziraphale begins to feel a bit wrong footed. “Look, are we going to have a staring contest or are you going to at least do the polite thing and tell me your name?” He huffs, and the demon’s gaze sharpens into what Aziraphale is shocked to realize is agony. “I am sorry if I upset you. I just would like you to tell me who you are!”

The demon shakes his head and gestures, and for the first time Aziraphale’s gaze drops to his throat. “Oh.” His voice comes out as a squeak. “Oh, my dear, I am so sorry. Hell can be so cruel.” He is repulsed and sickened by what the other demons have done. “Well...can you write down your name?”

A nod, and the demon scratches a name into the dirt. C R A W L E Y

Aziraphale beams. “I’m very happy to meet you, Crawley.”

Thunder booms overhead, and Crawley looks up as the rain starts to fall. Aziraphale isn’t entirely sure that this water falling from the sky will harm him, so he scoots closer, raising a wing to shelter the silent demon from the storm. He’s sure to get in trouble for this, but it feels...right.

“So...I take it you were the reason Adam and Eve had to depart the Garden?” He’s almost certain Crawley is rolling his eyes. “I’ll take that as a yes. Caused a lot of trouble, that. Still, you are a demon. Trouble is what you do.” Aziraphale leans over, eyes wide. “Can I tell you a secret?” Crawley nods. “I gave Adam my Sword. You know, the flaming one.” Crawley turns to him so fast Aziraphale is certain he has whiplash. “Well, it’s not like I need it. There’s dangers out there, and poor Eve is expecting. Now, you have to promise to not tell anyone...oh, dear, I mean...” Crawley smiles and nods. “Good. I know I did the right thing.”

GARDEN OF EDEN CRAWLEY POV

He has done as asked. It hadn’t been easy, tempting Eve without a Voice. If he still had it, he could have sung a song into her ear that would make the apple the most beautiful piece of food she’s ever seen, made her desire it beyond all foods ever created. But instead he is forced to use his eyes and hands. It takes a lot out of him, and he stretches out in his snake form to try and get some sleep. He’s rudely awakened by someone tripping over him, and he rises up to hiss at the intruder. Then he gets a good look at the angel, and his blackened heart wrenches in his chest.

Surely God could not be this cruel to him. He cannot be here, staring into the cerulean eyes of this angel. This angel that was his best friend, his soul mate, his other half.

This angel that...doesn’t recognize him. There’s no spark in those brilliant blue eyes, no indication that Aziraphale(and oh, Crawley had spent hours in Hell playing their last encounter over and over in his head to keep himself sane) knows who he is. Crawley wants to scream his rage and agony to Heaven.

He becomes aware that Aziraphale is saying something, and changes forms.

“Oh, bugger.”

Aziraphale sounds scared, and Crawley has never felt more agony and pain than he does now. He wants nothing more than to reach across the gulf that divides them and take his sweet angel into his arms, to hold him close and sing to him like he used to. He knows if he tried that now, he could expect shock at best and a smiting at worst. And thanks to Gabriel, his Songs are long since vanished.

‘Oh, my sweet dove, what have those bastards done to you?!’

“My name’s Aziraphale.”

‘I know, oh my sweet angel, I know. You were the one thing that was good about Heaven. You were built to protect, to love, to guide, and they treated you so cruelly for it.’

“Do you have a name?”

Crawley swallows a silent sob.

“Are we going to have a staring contest, or will you tell me your name?” Crawley almost smiles at the flare of anger. But then the realization that his angel doesn’t remember who he is hits once more, and Crawley’s anguish and rage overwhelms him. He gestures to his throat, and Aziraphale gasps in horror.

“Oh, my dear, I am so sorry. Hell can be so cruel.”

‘Hell didn’t do this to me, my dove.’

“Well...can you write down your name?”

Crawley nods, and scratches his name..his demon name, not his Name, into the dirt. Aziraphale smiles(and Crawley feels, as he always had when Aziraphale smiles, like he is looking into the sun). “I’m very pleased to meet you, Crawley.”

Thunder booms overhead, and Crawley looks up as the first fat drops of the first rain land on his face. Aziraphale scoots closer, wing raised to shelter him, and Crawley’s heart twists. Even without his angel knowing him, he still wants to protect him.

“So...I take it you were the reason Adam and Eve had to depart the Garden?” Crawley rolls his eyes in amused exasperation and fondness. “I’ll take that as a yes. Caused a lot of trouble, that. Still, you are a demon. Trouble is what you do.” Aziraphale leans over, eyes wide. “Can I tell you a secret?” Crawley nods. “I gave Adam my Sword. You know, the flaming one.” Crawley turns to him so fast he gets whiplash. “Well, it’s not like I need it. There’s dangers out there, and poor Eve is expecting. Now, you have to promise to not tell anyone...oh, dear, I mean...” Crawley smiles and nods. “Good. I know I did the right thing.”

‘You always do, my angel.’