shipping | psl

"Your teeth'd fall out if you ate only one thing and nothing else anyway," he says a bit relieved.

But he looks rather puzzled by the question.

"How do you mean? ...Like how we clean them?" he asks, baring his teeth in case Aziraphale wants to have a look. They aren't terribly dissimilar to normal human teeth. The molars are exactly the same, though his incisors are slightly more pointed, and his canines just a bit longer than average.

Aziraphale does want to take a look, and he goes over to inspect. Oh. For some reason, they're sharper than he imagined, and that works for Crowley. In fact, he thinks they look rather nice with his features. Very cutting and sharp.

"Do you? Clean them, I mean. We do but... it used to be we just used them until they fell out in old age. And then of course... you know. We had to eat soft foods."

He is still staring, however, at Crowley's teeth, of all things. Eventually, he pecks a kiss to his cheek and returns to his cutting.

Pleased that his teeth seem to meet with Aziraphale's approval, Crowley closes his mouth and wraps his arms around Aziraphale's

"'Course we do. Got all sorts of stuff for cleaning them. Fish bones for picking, and things to polish off the gunk. Also you gotta file them down if they start getting too long."

It seems for merfolk, their teeth just kept on growing.

"What about humans? Do they fall out because they don't keep them clean?"

"Oh, yes. Well, we take care of them now. But we didn't always." Then of course, there were other diseases that were associated with the rich being able to eat a lot and not do any sort of labor.

Then Aziraphale comes over and smiles wide to show Crowley he has a straight pair of pearly whites and very much does take good care of his teeth.

"See?"

Crowley tilts Aziraphale's chin up, peering curiously into his mouth. He feigns the sort of intense concentration as though he were inspecting his mouth like a dentist -

"Hmm, yes. I do see."

- and then he leans in to steal a kiss.

When he pulls back, he's grinning ear to ear.

"You have a very nice mouth, excellent for kissing."

Aziraphale somehow definitely knew that Crowley was going to kiss him, but is also somehow still surprised when the kiss comes.

He feels like it's ended too soon and he leans in to steal another one. He's much slower about it this time, sweetly tasting the sugar of Crowley's lips, past the salt still on them from the ocean.

Growing bolder, he pulls Crowley in close, and holds him fast.

Crowley leans into the kiss, arms circling his love's waist as he's pulled flush against Aziraphale. The feeling of Aziraphale's lips sliding against his, the sweet touch of their tongues as Crowley licks into his mouth.

Crowley doesn't think he can muster the need to move away, instead melting into Aziraphale's arms, gliding his fingers up and down his back. He can, quite frankly, stay like this forever.

Crowley could stay forever, if he wanted. Aziraphale would teach him how to walk, and they could visit town. He groans into the kiss and finds his knees go weak.

He looks up at Crowley with pleading eyes, once they break the kiss. But eventually he blinks and the look is gone, and he clears his throat and tries to extricate himself to continue with the cooking. Well. General meal prep.

Crowley gazes back, dazed and flushed and ever so fond. The moment, unfortunately, seems to end, or Aziraphale needs to pull himself away before it can escalate. A terrible shame, Crowley thinks, because he could take an entire eternity just exploring Aziraphale's mouth with his tongue.

"You cut well. Do you hunt as well? ...Do humans hunt for their food? Or are you gatherers?"

"Oh," he starts. "Neither, I suppose. Well. We were, once. Both. But now we are growers." He nods. "We keep plants and livestock on farms. I don't own one, but I do have a garden. And most farmers have so much extra, that I can trade them money for meat instead."

He wonders if that was too simple an explanation. "You are an excellent hunter." He comes back with essentially a plate of sashimi, offering some to Crowley. It is his kill, after all.

Crowley beams, flushed with pride as he tries to make himself look very impressive. It's hard, without his fringe, but he hopes his scales catch the light just so and make him very shiny and irresistible.

"I can show you how. Which fish are best to eat, and how to catch them with nets and spears."

Crowley does eat a bit, but he's constantly pushing the meat towards Aziraphale. It may have been his kill, but he caught it for his love, and he was already full of cake and cream.

Aziraphale already thinks he's very fetching indeed, but he hasn't realized that he needs to express this to Crowley so he stops trying to flirt by doing so.

"Are you uncomfortable, dear?" he asks, watching Crowley move his hips around to catch the light.

He has precisely half a brain cell, and it's currently being used up by Crowley.

"Just trying to display for you. Kind of tricky, like this. But you say nice things so I want to... you know, look nice for you. Show off for you."

He's starting to wonder if humans have an equivalent. He's sure they must have - how do they show reciprocation when certain interests are expressed?

"Darling, you don't need to display for me." He presses a kiss to Crowley's nose.

"You're already the most beautiful thing I've ever seen with my own two eyes." And also he's a little bit, you know, fetishistic about it. Because he's a merman, and that just makes him all the more beautiful to Aziraphale. But his intentions are pure. Too pure.

"And we're already betrothed."

Crowley looks mildly bewildered by this.

"I know, but isn't it good to continue to display for you? ...Do humans just stop showing off for their mates once they're courting...?"

He's not sure if there's an equivalent.

"Do... do humans maybe have something like - I don't know - fancy cloth that they put on? For occasions when they're happy or just want to look nice for someone special...?"

"Well, yes, of course, but it's only for special occasions. I can't just... go over and put on my suit every time I want to look nice for you."

He does think he could, however, do up his hair. Perhaps pinch his cheeks so they get a bit of rouge.

"I won't want to stop you if you wish to continue your display, but. I find you beautiful, either way." He reaches out to touch his leg, run his fingers over where the fringe should be.

He's about to ask what a suit is, but the fingers on his thigh have him more than a bit distracted. That feels - well, good seems to be an understatement - maybe phenomenal comes close, but still misses the mark.

A shiver runs through him, and his eyes flutter shut, as he fails to stifle a soft gasp. Gently, he takes Aziraphale's hand, guiding it along the grain of his scales, lean muscle twitching and flexing under is touch.

"If it gets you to do this, then I think I may, ah, keep doing it."

"Mm, cheeky," he responds, though he's happy to keep running his fingers gently down the scales, careful not to flip any. He imagines that might be painful, getting descaled.

"You really are incredibly beautiful," he says. He'd like to be able to touch Crowley like this, whenever he wanted. He wanted to be able to kiss him whenever, to love him however.

"What is the ceremony like?" he asks, finally. "For pairing?"

Crowley sighs happily as Aziraphale keeps petting the sleek, smooth scales. Scooting close to him, he runs his fingers through Aziraphale's soft curls.

"It depends - some are quite extravagant events, but most are usually a hunt and a meal with one's pod. The pair is then left in seclusion with several days worth of food, they exchange small gifts, and then remain in their primary den for days until their supplies run low."

He's sure Aziraphale can extrapolate just what they'd be getting up to.

"After that, they rejoin their pod and carry on. Just. As a pair now."

"Oh," he replies. "Well, I suppose I'll have to learn how to hunt, then." He thinks about this and comes to the conclusion that their wedding might be a little... hmm, simple, because he's not much a hunter.

Or, he doesn't think he is.

"Will you teach me?" he asks. "I'll have to be able to contribute my share of the food, after all." And the more he can contribute, the longer they can be left in seclusion...

Crowley is fairly certain these days they could do whatever they liked and simply declare themselves a pair, but people did seem rather attached to ritual and ceremony - even on land.

If it's something that's important to Aziraphale, then Crowley sees no reason not to see it through.

"I will," he says gently, nuzzling against his shoulder. "We'll hunt together, eat together, live together. You'll show me how to live on land, and I'll show you how to live in the sea."

He nods excitedly and then offers Crowley some fish, and eats some as well. "Living together with you would make me so happy," he says. "Happier than I've ever been. I've never loved anyone before," he adds, looking down a moment and then up into Crowley's eyes. "Suppose I've just been made to wait for you."

He busses Crowley on the tip of his nose, and then returns to his eating.

Crowley has a few more nibbles of fish, but his heart is drumming so hard, it's difficult to focus on anything but Aziraphale. He wonders if his life has been leading up to meeting Aziraphale? It certainly feels like it. He knows there's a great deal of mysticism surrounding love for his people, and that when it hit, it hit hard and fast.

He nuzzles up against Aziraphale's cheek, holding him while he eats, and keeps an eye out for any sign of trouble. He doesn't know what dangers lurk on land, and anything could come flying through the door or window.

"I'm glad we found each other then - shouldn't keep you waiting forever, right?" he teases, pressing a kiss to Aziraphale's shoulder. "Will you tell me more about weddings? What are those like? What'll we do when we're married?"

"Well," he says, growing a bit sad. "We'll have to do a secret one, I'm afraid. Won't actually be much like a wedding. But we'll... put on nice clothes, and make vows to each other. And exchange rings." He nods. "And then we'll also feast."

He does like the feasting part, wouldn't trade that or the vows bit for the world.

"Then we'll return here, and ah... hm." He looks down and mutters something inaudible, looking away, fiddling his fingers.

Should be fairly obvious what he's getting at.

He makes a mental note about rings. He has many, many rings, all quite glittery and shiny. He'll have to pick out one that suits Aziraphale, and also a proper gift.

When Aziraphale starts fiddling, Crowley grins.

"So it's just like a pairing then? Settle in for a few days of intimacy?"

It does seem very similar, except one part.

"Why keep it a secret though? Are we doing something wrong?"

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