Chapter Text
The first door in the hallway was thankfully unlocked and he managed to get it opened. He could hear the pounding of feet on the stairs behind him. Shouting voices filled the air behind him as he slammed the door shut, locking it quickly. He could only hope that the police did not start searching rooms.
The duffel bag he was carrying dropped to the floor and he could hear the rattling of spray cans inside of it. His chest was heaving and he was grinning, glad he had managed to escape being arrested once again. Bee would have his head if he got caught. He was waiting to hear if the police were going to stop, but was distracted when he heard someone clear their throat behind them.
He whirled around, his glasses falling down his nose as he looked at him. “Um...hi?” he waved awkwardly, staring at the figure in a desk chair near him. He was definitely another, although he dressed more like a professor than he was a student. He wore a plain button up, a sweater vest, and a bowtie. He couldn’t believe that someone would dress like that just to spend time in their room.
The other looked up at him, clearly over the shock that came from having a stranger unceremoniously enter their room, and it had been replaced by confusion and questions. “Uh, yes. Hello. Who are you?”
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m in your room,” Crowley started, only half listening to the question as he assumed the first thing he would get would be a question about why he was there. That wasn’t what he got and his sly smile fell from his face as he realised he had just been asked who he was. “Oh, right. Crowley. That’s my name. Anthony Crowley, but everyone calls me Crowley.”
“Right, well, why are you in my room?”
There was the question that he had been expecting to be asked the moment he noticed the other. “Well, I was running from the police.”
Shock settled over the blond’s features and he straightened up his seat. “Really? Whatever did you do, my dear boy?” That was hardly the reaction he had expected. He kind of thought that he’d be kicked out or at least asked to leave. In fact, the other got up from his seat, looking concerned. “Are you quite alright?”
“What?” Crowley stared at him. Again, he was not reacting in anyway that Crowley would have expected. “I’m fine. Just gotta lay low for a while.” He didn’t answer the question as to what he had done to be chased by the police as he expected that there would be news about it on campus before the evening was out.
“Well, why don’t you come sit down? I’m sure you could use a moment to unwind as running from the police is hardly the most peaceful of hobbies.” This man was nothing like he could have expected. He didn’t think that anyone else would be so kind to offer a seat to some criminal who had broken into their room.
“Uh, yeah, sure,” he nodded, taking the offered seat and shrugging off his jacket. It was black leather and covered in various patches and pins, each one proudly advertising some belief of his. He set it on the back of the chair, catching a glimpse of paint stained fingertips. “So...you got a name?” he asked, looking over at the blond and adjusting his sunglasses, covering his eyes fully as he considered the other in front of him.
“Oh, yes, of course!” the other said, smiling as he sat down on the bed, only a few inches from him. “I’m Aziraphale,” he smiled even wider.
Crowley snorted a bit at the name, looking at him. “Really? Religious parents then?”
“Very. They weren’t very good when it came to naming children,” Aziraphale smiled as he looked at him. “Now, tell me why you were running from the police? I’m assuming that it’s an amusing story and I’m sure you could use it to kill time before it is safe for you to run off wherever you need to go.”
He could hardly argue with that logic, and with his phone battery as low as it was, it wasn’t as if he could just wait around on his phone. He cleared his throat, looking over at Aziraphale. “Eh, it wasn’t anything very interesting.”
“More interesting than what I had been doing before you barged in,” the blond smiled at him before settling in, his hips wiggling slightly as he looked at him.
He swallowed, shrugging a bit as he leaned back in the chair he’d been given. “Well, I was just out with some friends, tagging stuff, y’know?”
“Tagging?”
“Uh, spray painting, that’s all. You know, anarchy symbols, fuck the police, shit like that,” he shrugged, hoping that the man in front of him wouldn’t have an issue with it. He seemed kind of like the type to have an issue with his extracurriculars.
“Huh, you do that often?” That was an odd reaction. Crowley didn’t mind it though. It was better than the other demanding that he leave.
“Often enough.”
“Well, if you need a place to hide next time you almost get caught, my room is always open.” Crowley swallowed, surprised by that invitation. He ran a hand through his hair, nodding. Aziraphale spoke again, “So you’re some kind of anarchist?”
“Babe, I’m the anarchist,” Crowley smiled before pausing, biting his tongue as he realised that was probably not the thing to say then. “I mean, ngk, just that like, yeah, I’m an anarchist.”
Aziraphale smiled at that, nodding. “Well, then it’s a pleasure, Mr. Anarchist,” he told him.
Crowley was about to say something else to him when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. “Well, fuck. I gotta answer this,” he told the other, frowning. He stood up from the chair, looking back at Aziraphale. “Hey, Bee,” he greeted, glad that at least they hadn’t been caught.
“Crowley, good. We thought you’d been caught,” Bee said over the phone, sounding pleased and disapproving at the same time. That was just how Bee was.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Found a place to hide out for a bit. Anyone get caught?” he asked, turning back to look at Aziraphale. He smiled at him before going back to the conversation.
“Ligur did, probably will just end up with another AZZBO,” Bee told him, clearly annoyed. “He got caught because he couldn’t keep up with Dagon and I.”
“Make sense. I’ll catch up with everyone later. I’ve still got the bag of paints,” he told them, shrugging as he looked back at the duffel bag. It was still sitting on the floor where he had dropped it. Bee would at least be happy about that, since they wouldn’t have to go and get more cans.
“Good. I expect you tomorrow. Usual spot,” Bee said, hanging up the phone before Crowley could get another word in.
The red head grumbled a bit, rolling his eyes as he put his phone away. He looked up when he heard Aziraphale talking. “Your friends manage to get away?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, except one, but he kind of had it coming,” Crowley shrugged, not really caring about the fact Ligur had got caught. He’d not hear the end of it when he got home and had to deal with Hastur complaining about it.
“Really?”
“Yeah, one of my flatmates. Well, I guess technically they’re all my flatmates, but whatever. Apparently no one’s expecting me until morning.” He rolled his eyes, even though there was no way that Aziraphale could see it, as his sunglasses were far too dark for it to be seen. “Don’t you have roommates?”
“Nope, it’s just me. Well, I had a roommate, but they left on the first day of classes,” Aziraphale smiled, shrugging. “Which was fine with me. I enjoy my peace and quiet.”
“Well, sorry for disturbing your peace.” he said, only mostly sincere.
“It wasn’t an entirely unwelcome disturbance,” Aziraphale admitted, looking Crowley over. “Mind if I walk you home? I’m sure the police wouldn’t be looking for two people.”
“You don’t have to,” Crowley tried to protest, although, he didn’t think he’d mind that much. “I’m alright walking myself.” Aziraphale had a point though, the police wouldn’t be looking for two people walking around. “If you want to though,” he paused, looking at him.
“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want to,” he hummed, getting up. “Come on, you can tell me about your exploits as ‘The Anarchist’ as we walk.”
Crowley smiled a bit as he looked at him, chuckling. “Alright. Tempt you to a spot of dinner?” he offered.
Aziraphale smiled and nodding. “Temptation accomplished,” he agreed, putting on his shoes in preparation for going out. “Anything in particular?”
“Well, I was hoping you’d have an idea. The gang and I all kind of just live off of pizza, beer, and chinese takeaway.”
“That’s not exactly a healthy lifestyle, my dear,” Aziraphale scolded him, shaking his head. “I know a lovely cafe near the campus. We can walk.”
“Lead the way then,” Crowley smiled, pulling on his jacket and heading over to pick up the bag of paint cans. He slung the bag over his shoulder, used to the weight against his back. He always ended up carrying it, so it wasn’t anything new. Aziraphale smiled at him, practically glowing as he found his keys, phone, and wallet, leading them out and carefully locking the door.
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“How long have you been an anarchist?” Aziraphale asked as they walked. They’d gone to the cafe that the other had suggested. While Crowley hadn’t eaten much, Aziraphale had taken all too much pleasure in their meal and Crowley had mostly enjoyed watching him enjoy his food.
He’d paid for Aziraphale’s food and for his coffee. The other had tried to tell him not to, but he didn’t particularly care, tossing some cash on the table and dragging him from the restaurant. “Well, I have been for a while. Bee kind of turned me on to the whole thing.”
“Ah yes, the infamous Bee,” Aziraphale smiled. Crowley had mentioned his friends several times during the evening, bringing them up with every story he told about their exploits. “They live with you, yes?”
“Yep, all five of us split a flat. Hastur and Ligur share a room, Bee’s got their own, so do Dagon and I,” Crowley nodded, shrugging. “Off campus since Ligur got kind of expelled last year and we couldn’t leave him alone.”
Aziraphale nodded, shrugging as he looked around the building. “You all must be close then.”
“Same foster home. All of ‘em have saved my ass a dozen times easily,” Crowley slowed as they approached his flat. It wasn’t far off campus and it was really rather close to the cafe Aziraphale had taken them too.
“They sound like good friends.” Crowley was glad that Aziraphale didn’t ask for anything other details. He wasn’t really wanting to tell him much more.
“Well, um, here’s my flat,” Crowley shrugged, gesturing to the building that they were near. “Do you wanna come up?”
“Probably not the best idea, honestly, dear boy,” Aziraphale smiled at him. Crowley paused. He hadn’t expected to be turned down. It was probably for the best, he was right.
“Well, can I get your number instead then?” he asked, hopeful. He pulled his phone from his pocket. The battery was at less than ten percent. He pulled up the new contact page, smiling. “You know, in case I need to hide from the police in your dorm again.”
Aziraphale smiled and nodded, taking the phone and inputting his own mobile number into it carefully. “Well, if you ever need shelter from the police, I’ll keep my door unlocked just for you.”
“Thanks. Night Angel,” Crowley smiled before turning red. “I mean, night.”
“Night, my dear.”