Chapter Text
The day was good.
Truthfully, every day had been good until then.
The sky was blue, the grass was green, and the lake at the center of the garden was fresh and clear.
As it was supposed to be.
Some would say, maybe a bit boring? A bit too perfect?
Crawly would know. He had crawled from the least perfect place in the universe just to join the common mortals. And the four angels with flaming swords that apparently were guarding the garden as if anyone was going to invade…He supposes he did, didn’t he? Invaded from the inside, that is. That must be allowed, must it not? They weren’t even looking in his direction!
Staying in his serpent form appeared to be the smartest idea at the beginning. Mingle with the other animals, stay hidden amongst the vegetation, and observe from the tall trees.
The angels on the walls didn’t do much. They just stood there, completely still, looking towards whatever was beyond the garden walls, flaming sword in hand. That is, all the three of them. One would disappear from his post from time to time, and Crawly was yet to discover what and where he would go whenever he stepped out.
The humans, on the other hand, were fascinating creatures. They ran around, laughed, ate. Looked at each other like they didn’t have a care in the world. And, after a long day of doing whatever they wished but never staying quiet, they lay on the green grass under the night sky that the angel he had been before had helped build, such a long time ago. As he had thought before, they could barely see the best part from there. But they seemed to appreciate it all the same, and that warmed his cold little heart somewhat. At least someone other than himself appreciated it.
It was near the lake that Crawly finally saw him. The woman - Eve - was holding a weird animal; green, with a hard shell - they had called it a turtle - and was turning it around, watching its small paws wiggle around, and the angel was behind her, saying something Crawly couldn’t quite hear from where he was standing. It was a funny picture.
Closer now, he recognized him.
The blond curls, the blue eyes, the honest smile.
But that didn’t matter anymore, did it?
It wasn’t until three days later that he gained the courage to approach the humans.
Better yet, they were the ones approaching him.
He was lying on a warm rock near the lake, all coiled up, with his head hidden in the middle of himself, when he felt something warm caress his coils. Alarmed, he raised his snoot just to meet Eve face to face. She was kneeling on the grass, right beside him and, while staring at him, she dared to pet him again.
Right.
Crawly hissed in response, showing his fangs, but, look at that, she found that fun? She mimicked him and showed him her own teeth. He leaned his head slightly sideways, looking at her. What a curious little creature.
“You ssshould asssk for permissssion before touching sssomeone, you know?”
Instead of getting frightened by the first talking animal she encountered - and the only one in the garden, he hoped - she smiled, petting him again.
“Should I?”
Cheeky.
It was on the third pet that Crawly decided he liked her.
Crawly had never been one for companionship, but there was something about Eve's boldness and curiosity that intrigued him. As she continued to pet him, he found himself relaxing, his initial suspicion melting away.
He uncoiled himself and stretched out, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his scales. Eve watched him with fascination, her dark eyes sparkling with wonder.
And that’s when he noticed him. Amongst the trees, very badly hidden.
Crawly shifted his gaze from Eve to the angel. Despite his current form, he couldn't shake off the memories of his past life as an angel himself. The angel met his gaze, and for a moment, there was a silent exchange between them, a recognition of sorts.
Then, with a flick of his wings, the angel turned and walked away, disappearing behind the garden trees once more.
Eve's gentle touch brought him back to the present. She was still there, her hand resting on his scales, her smile infectious.
As the days passed, Crawly found himself spending more and more time with Eve and her companion, Adam. He observed them closely, learning about this new world they were building and their desires. And in return, he shared snippets of his own knowledge, carefully choosing what to reveal and what to keep hidden.
And yet, he had crawled from Hell for a reason, hadn’t he? He had observed the humans for a reason. And, to be fair, he couldn’t see the evil in his reason.
Is it really so bad to know the difference between good and evil? You’re doing them a favour!
In the middle of the garden, there was a tree: Tall, big, with round red fruits on its branches. They called it the Tree of Knowledge, and he was supposed to make the humans eat one of the fruits.
Nothing will have to change, they will just gain knowledge. Knowledge is good. Should be good. But I am bad. Is this good? At least, it’s not too bad. I’m a shite demon, I am.
“You’re thinking.” Crawly was in his human form, his black wings relaxed on his back. Eve was half sitting on his lap while he played with her hair, careful not to tangle it too much. He answered with a grunt. A clear indication that he didn’t want to talk about it, but Eve was smarter than that. “No.” She moved away from his hands and half turned around, looking him in the eye, a cheeky smile on her lips. “What is it?”
Just do it. Tell them. Explain yourself. I mean, it’s not like they are the only beings in existence that don’t have some type of evil or useless idea of you, are they?
Crawly shifted uncomfortably under Eve's gaze, feeling the weight of his dilemma pressing down on him. How could he explain to her the burden of his task without betraying the trust she had placed in him?
Right then. We are doing this.
Finally, he sighed and looked away, his fingers idly tracing patterns on the grass beneath him. "It's...complicated," he admitted, his voice low and hesitant. "There are things I haven't told you, things I'm not sure that you're ready to hear."
Crawly has had conversations with himself about this topic numerous times. He doesn’t particularly enjoy these conversations, but there isn’t anyone else around to talk to about this.
Eve tilted her head, her expression softening with concern. "You can tell me anything, Crawly. I trust you."
Crawly flinched at those three words, which just makes her laugh. Bloody unfair. Crowley was supposed to be intimidating. The Big Bad Serpent. Now he just feels like a worm that looks particularly funny.
He swallowed hard, grappling with the conflicting desires to protect Eve and to fulfil his own purpose. "You see that tree over there?" he said, nodding toward the Tree of Knowledge in the centre of the garden. "The one with the red fruits?"
Eve followed his gaze, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Yes, what about it?"
"That tree...it holds power," Crawly began, choosing his words carefully. "A power that can grant you knowledge of good and evil. But it comes with a price."
Eve's eyes widened with curiosity, and she leaned in closer, hanging onto his every word. "What price?"
Crawly hesitated, his heart heavy with guilt. "Once you eat from that tree, there's no going back. You'll be forever changed, forever aware of the consequences of your actions. You'll lose the innocence that makes you...you."
Eve's expression shifted from curiosity to contemplation as she processed his words. "But why would anyone want that?" she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.
"Because knowledge is power," Crawly replied solemnly.
A heavy silence settled between them as Eve mulled over his revelation. Crawly braced himself for her reaction, unsure of how she would respond to the truth.
This was the end of it.
But then, to his surprise, Eve reached out and took his hand in hers, her grip firm and reassuring. She darts that sly glance at him, the one he has grown used to through the days. Weeks? Who would know?
“Should we try it out then? Adam and I have tried every fruit in the garden but that one. How bad could it be to know the difference between good and evil? That way, we would make less mistakes, right?”
The demon pulled his hand away from her abruptly and leaned away from her, looking at the tree over her shoulder. Exactly. He had questioned himself that multiple times. But if Satan had tasked him to do this, it could only be evil…right? But, didn’t matter how much he turned it in his head, he didn’t know how or why. It made no sense whatsoever. Eve was absolutely right.
“Right.” He got up, offering her his hand to help her up as well. Crawly contemplated to say a snarky remark but didn’t have the energy for it.
Crawly's mind raced with conflicting thoughts as he stood before Eve, his hand still extended but now frozen in uncertainty. He had never expected Eve to suggest such a thing, to willingly walk into the very trap he had been tasked to set.
As he looked into her eyes, so full of trust and innocence, he felt a pang of guilt gnawing at his insides. How could he lead her down a path that would strip her of everything that made her pure and untainted? Her eyes are so achingly gentle that it hurts a little.
But then, a voice whispered in the back of his mind, reminding him of his allegiance to Hell, to the infernal hierarchy that demanded obedience above all else. And yet, as he glanced once more at Eve, his resolve wavered.
With a heavy heart, Crawly withdrew his hand, a coldness creeping into his voice. "No."
Eve blinked in surprise, her expression shifting from curiosity to confusion. "But why not?" she asked, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"Because...because it's not meant for you," Crawly replied, his tone firm but tinged with sorrow. "There are things beyond your understanding, things that you are better off not knowing."
Crawly has never been underwater, but this felt like it. Like slowly dying with your lungs filled with ice-cold water.
Eve opened her mouth to protest, but Crawly held up a hand to silence her. "Trust me. There are forces at play here that you cannot comprehend. It's best to leave well enough alone."
Reluctantly, Eve nodded, though the disappointment still lingered in her eyes. Crawly watched her retreat, his heart heavy with the weight of his deception.
As she disappeared into the foliage, Crawly turned his gaze toward the Tree of Knowledge, its branches heavy with forbidden fruit. For a moment, he entertained the idea of reaching out and plucking one for himself, of tasting the sweet poison that had tempted mankind since the beginning of time.
But then, with a sigh, he turned and walked away, leaving the tree and its secrets behind. For now, at least, he would remain in the shadows, torn between his duty to Hell and his growing affection for the humans he had sworn to deceive.
He had been avoiding both humans for days now, slithering away when they got too close and hiding in a hole when Eve called for him. He just couldn’t face them. Furthermore, he wasn’t sure of what to do. But that was when he heard a strong noise coming from the sky. Like a super stellar explosion.
Quickly, he slithered from where he was hidden and flicked his tongue out, trying to catch Eve’s scent and following it blindly. And that’s when he saw both of them. Near the Tree of Knowledge. Adam had his hands on his head, shaking it vigorously, all the while Eve looked up at the sky as if she was listening to something, red fruit half-eaten in hand. Her arms were slightly covering her breasts, but she seemed calm. Way calmer than Adam, in any way.
“But why?” It was asked in a loud, bold voice and the answer must have come because her expression went hard.
They had done it. All by themselves. They had eaten the fruit.
Why? Was it because Crawly had played with Eve’s natural curiosity? Was it his fault? Of course, it was. Stupid question. And now what? God was talking to them? Scolding them? What would happen? Would She throw them away as well? Re-start the project?
Crawly wanted to go back to his human form and reach out to Eve, but the thundering was too scary. The fact he knew God was here was terrifying. Don’t get him wrong, he had a whole lot to tell Her if he ever had the chance. But certainly not now. He hadn’t felt Her this mad since the Fall, and the last thing he wanted was to be smitten by God herself into smithereens. So, like a coward, he let himself be hidden, only watching the quick silent exchange between God and the humans.
Eve's defiance in the face of God's reprimand surprised Crawly, yet he couldn't help but admire her courage. Despite the overwhelming power of the divine being before her, Eve stood her ground, her resolve unyielding. Tears spill down her cheek.
As the exchange between God and the humans came to an end, Crawly felt a surge of relief wash over him. They were still alive, still standing, albeit shaken by the encounter. But what would come next? What would be the consequences of their disobedience?
Two of the angels on the walls appeared, flaming swords in hand. Crawly recoiled into himself, hiding as much as possible and still being capable of observing whatever was going to go down next. Each angel help one of the humans’ arms and started roughly guiding them towards one of the walls of the garden. Crawly followed the best he could, trying not to get detected by the angelic entities. Satan knew what they would do to him if they even felt him around.
A hole was opened in the wall and both humans were pushed into the desert before the hole was closed again and the angels took flight, not back to their positions, but up towards the sky. The angel he had been observing for the past eternity was also watching from his corner of the wall. He looked around, suspiciously, before opening his wings and disappearing behind the walls, into the desert himself. Crawly moved closer towards the wall, trying to hear or feel anything that was happening on the other side. Was expelling them from the garden not enough? Was that angel the executioner?
Quickly morphing into his human form, Crawly leaned towards the wall and kept himself silent.
“Here you go. Flaming sword. Don’t thank me!”
The demon moved slightly away, looking at the wall in front of him, dumbfounded. The angel…was giving them his flaming sword?
With a couple of wing flaps, Crawly watched as the angel went back to his post, now swordless.
Oh, he wanted to reach out. He wanted to reach out so badly. He had so many questions.
Why were you the only one ever leaving your post and mingling with the humans like me?
Did you like them?
Why do you always smile like that?
Why did you give them a sacred weapon?
Crawly's smile spreads slowly, like fire creeping through wet leaves.
And he did open his wings, ready to go up, but something inside him stopped him. Not coming from him, no. It was something bigger, stronger. Like a chain around his neck, hot and suffocating.
Crawly's thoughts raced as he grappled with the conflicting impulses raging within him. On one hand, there was the undeniable urge to confront the angel, to demand answers to the questions that had plagued him for so long. Yet on the other hand, there was the looming presence of his allegiance to Hell, the weight of his demonic nature pulling him back from the brink of disobedience.
As he stood there, torn between his curiosity and his duty, a sense of frustration washed over him. How could he reconcile his desire for knowledge with the constraints imposed upon him by Hell? How could he continue to serve Hell when his heart yearned for something more, something greater than the endless cycle of deceit and manipulation?
With a heavy sigh, Crawly reluctantly withdrew his outstretched hand and allowed his wings to fold back against his back. He knew that he couldn't defy the will of Hell, not without facing dire consequences. And yet, the desire for answers burned within him like a fire, consuming his thoughts.