Everything Has Its Place

"Really, dear?"

A yellow eye cracked open at the sound of Aziraphale's voice. Crowley saw the angel standing over him, hands on hips and wearing an adorable pout (though Crowley would rather dip his toes in holy water then admit the "adorable" opinion to anyone but Aziraphale himself).

"Hi, Angel," the demon replied, mouth widening into a languid smile as he stretched his arms high above his head.

"I was organizing those books, you know." Aziraphale pointed to the pile of old books haphazardly scattered on the floor near the couch Crowley currently lay upon. The demon glanced at the pile, then back up at Aziraphale.

"They were on my napping sofa," he replied with a shrug.

"They were on my reading sofa!" Aziraphale gave an annoyed huff, making a corner of Crowley's mouth twitch into an amused smirk. "If you wanted to rest, there's a perfectly comfortable bed upstairs."

"Yeah, but it's warmer down here; there's that new electric fireplace you finally installed."

And there's you, Crowley's eyes said softly, gazing into Aziraphale's. The angel let out a gentle sigh, knowing he could never fight against the love that Crowley was giving off- purposefully tender, Aziraphale thought, in an effort to quell the angel's frustration with him.

An effort that, as usual, was working perfectly.

"Oh, you old serpent," Aziraphale said with a roll of his eyes, bending over to place a light kiss on Crowley's forehead. "The next time you move any books, can you please keep them in their respective piles, dear?"

"Certainly," the demon responded, extending the "s" sound as he shifted into a standing position. His smiled widened into a bigger grin. "I can do something even better."

With a snap of fingers, the books on the floor miracled themselves back onto the couch, stacked just as they had been before Crowley disarrayed them a few hours before. Aziraphale blinked, face lighting up in surprise as he examined the columns of text.

"You remembered where they all were?" the angel asked, sounding amazed. Crowley chuckled and gave another shrug.

"Of course, Angel. I'll never forget the last time I moved something out of place around here- you locked me out for two days while you made sure everything was as it should be."

"Oh… Right." Aziraphale shifted his gaze to the floor guiltily. "I said I was-"

"Don't apologize again; you know I'm over it."

Aziraphale glanced up at the demon and raised an eyebrow. "Are you?"

"Yes." Crowley gestured to the books on the couch. "My point is, I'll put everything back where it belongs from now on. Alright?"

"Oh, that's… good. Thank you, love."

The changes in Crowely's being were too minute for a human to notice- his toothy grin slipping into a docile smile, shoulders relaxing ever-so-slightly, posture slouching more than usual. However, being much more than human, Aziraphale was perfectly aware of how his demon melted at the pet name.

With a snap of perfectly-manicured fingers, the stacks of books moved to Aziraphale's desk, ready to be sorted and put on the bookshelves for customers to unwisely attempt to purchase. Crowley tilted his head questioningly as the angel sat at one end of the sofa and patted his lap.

"You said you would put everything where it belongs," Aziraphale said, face turning a light shade of pink as he spoke. "Well, as we've established, we belong with each other so… please, feel free to continue your rest with me by your side."

Crowley merely stared at the angel, his face incapable of settling on one expression. Uncomfortable with the demon's scrutiny, Aziraphale absentmindedly plucked at the hem of his waistcoat, gazed fixed on the sofa's armrest, the redness on his face darkening as the seconds ticked by. Eventually, Crowley threw his head back and let out a barking laugh.

"Angel, I love you, but you are not destined to be a smooth-talker," the demon said. Aziraphale glared up at him, embarrassed and mildly offended.

"You're certainly one to talk! You get flustered when I call you lo-"

"Excuse you, I'm much more adept at that sort of thing- it's in my demonic make-up. Gotta have the skills to induce temptations, you know."

"Oh, yes, of course." Aziraphale rolled his eyes, automatically lifting his hands away from his lap as Crowley fell onto the couch next to him. The angel began carding his hands through Crowley's hair as the demon settled himself into a comfortable position, using Aziraphale's thigh as a pillow. Within minutes, all the tension in Crowley's body disappeared and he drifted right back into the nap he'd been rudely woken up from.

"Silly old serpent," Aziraphale murmured softly, amused at how easily Crowley could fall asleep. Grabbing the nearest book- in Aziraphale's shop, there always seemed to be a text just within reach- the angel settled down to read.

They stayed like that while the sun and moon made a full rotation through the sky- Aziraphale reading silently, casually switching out a completed book for a few one, gently running his fingers through Crowley's hair as the demon slept peacefully. Neither of them thought to move, for they were both where they belonged- by each other's side until the end of time.