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Aziraphale hated homecoming. He was six years into school, on his way to getting his master’s. Homecoming was one of the major nights in which all the students got drunk and started acting crazy and loud. Every year, Aziraphale had some big assignment or test that fell right around homecoming. Aziraphale detested it. It didn’t help that he lived in the Annex. It was an apartment complex associated with the school. It was like a dorm, only instead of group living, each room was a single apartment, fully equipped minus laundry. People didn’t have to deal with roommates, dorm rules, or RAs. It was more expensive than typical student housing. But if you had a problem, you didn’t have to deal with a terrible landlord. Aziraphale loved the place so much that he’d been staying there almost all his school life. The only trouble was that being filled with students, the complex could get very loud, especially on days like today, like homecoming.
Aziraphale was up late, working on his project, and a lot of ruckus was sounding outside. He only grumbled about it and tried to focus. Most of it sounded floors away, thankfully. Not that that helped much.
There was then the sound of someone falling on the stairs right by Aziraphale’s apartment. A loud laughter erupted. Concern perked through Aziraphale. He had to before call people to pick up poor drunk girls who were puking their guts out in the apartment complex.
Aziraphale took off his glasses and made his way outside his apartment to assess the situation. There was a group of guys on the floor, a few stragglers still making their way up the stairs. Two guys were holding up another between them. The figure between them seemed the most drunk out of them. Their head was lolled down, long hair falling in their face.
“Shh.” The one guy hissed to the others on the stairs.
“Hey, baby.” The other guy grabbed the drunk guy’s face, tipping it up. “Stay awake for us.” His hand was trailing under the guy’s shirt, a gross smile on their face. The drunk guy grumbled, head lolling. “Can’t wait to see what you got underneath. Can’t wait for us to have fun with you.”
“Who cares if he stays awake.” The other hissed. “Let’s just get him to the room.”
Fire lit within Aziraphale over the men’s disgusting, hushed words. “What do you think you’re doing!?” He stomped over, voice raised.
The drunk figure’s head lolled up, a loopy smile on their face. “Hello, handsome.” They slurred, then hiccupped.
“It’s all good man.” One man approached Aziraphale. “We’re all friends.”
“They are clearly intoxicated.” Aziraphale pointed to the drunk one, who hiccupped again.
“Yeah, we’re taking him home.”
It was a lie if Aziraphale had ever seen one.
“I don’t know who you men are, and I don’t trust you. I’m calling security.” Aziraphale was already heading to the stairs.
“Shit.” A guy on the stairs stepped back to let Aziraphale pass.
“Oh, come on, man! You’re not serious.” Another man called after him.
“Let’s just get to the room fast.” One of the other men hissed.
“It’s not worth it. Let’s leave them here.”
The next thing Aziraphale knew, the men were running down the stairs, pushing past him.
“Hey!” Aziraphale called loudly and tried to run after them. Only, he had never been very fast.
“Hey!” The drunk guy’s voice slurred from the stairs.
Aziraphale turned his attention back to find the guy passed out on the floor.
“Oh, dear me.” Aziraphale ran back up. “Are you alright?” He hovered over the body.
“Are you an angel?” The drunk guy slurred.
Aziraphale cracked a smile at that. “Do you have a phone? Is there anyone I could call for you?”
The guy muttered to himself and dug around in their jacket. He soon produced a phone.
“Thank you.” Aziraphale took the phone only to find it was dead. “What are you doing going out without a fully charged phone? That’s dangerous.” Aziraphale shook his head. “Come on. I’ll take you back to my apartment till I figure out what to do with you.”
Aziraphale reached down to pick the guy off the floor, looping their arm over his shoulder. The guy was surprisingly very light. But lifting him up was a bit awkward as he was so much taller than Aziraphale.
“Come on.” Aziraphale encouraged the guy to walk, struggling to carry them to his room.
“Crowley.” The guy muttered.
“What’s that?”
“It’s my name.” He slurred.
“Oh. Aziraphale.”
“Zira…” Crowley was blinking the most beautifully stunning amber eyes, staring wide at Aziraphale. “Pretty name.”
Aziraphale chuckled lightly and got Crowley through his door. He carried Crowley to his room and gently deposited Crowley onto his bed. Crowley’s hair fell in his face, and he was spitting and brushing it away furiously.
“You stay here. I’ll get security.” Aziraphale told Crowley firmly, then left, locking the door behind him.
Security was overrun with drunks and people arguing. Aziraphale was suddenly struck with the fact that he had no idea how to help Crowley. He didn’t know who to contact or where Crowley lived. He decided to go back upstairs then and try to interrogate Crowley. Only, when Aziraphale returned he found Crowley completely passed out on his bed, snoring.
“Oh, you poor thing.” Aziraphale smiled softly. He sighed, surrendering defeat to having his bed stolen.
“I guess you can stay here for the night. At least you’ll be safe. But I don’t know how I’ll get any sleep with that snoring. And you stole my bed.”
Crowley only grunted in his sleep. He rolled onto his front, moving to sprawl out, taking up even more space.
“Guess I’ll have to sleep on the floor.” Aziraphale sighed.
Aziraphale slowly pulled his pillows from the bed, arranging them into a makeshift bed on the floor. However, Aziraphale wasn’t quite ready for bed as he wanted to finish his school project. Aziraphale returned to his desk and put back on his glasses to complete his paper. All the while, Crowley snored softly, grumbling every once in a while.
Every once in a while, Aziraphale would look over to check in on them. Aziraphale may have let his eyes wander over the form on his bed. He found them quite stunning, but he wouldn’t think such lustful thoughts about someone drunk and passed out on his bed. He was a proper gentleman, unlike those other men. Aziraphale shuttered to think of what the men might have done to Crowley if he hadn’t stepped in. Aziraphale wondered where Crowley’s other friends had gone, to have left him alone. Aziraphale felt he’d give Crowley a stern talking to about safety in the morning.
When Aziraphale finished his paper, he went to the washroom to prepare for bed. He sighed when he returned to his room and tried to get as comfortable as possible on the pillows he’d laid on the ground. It wasn’t comfortable at all, but he’d have to make do.
-
The next morning, Aziraphale’s back hurt like anything. He groaned and stretched, cracking his back. He swore quietly to himself as he rose from the ground.
“I’m never doing that again,” Aziraphale muttered to himself.
Aziraphale found Crowley still on his bed, sleeping on their stomach, face pressed into the mattress. Aziraphale smiled at the sight, his eyes stalking down Crowley’s form, noting how the skin-tight jeans accentuated their ass. Aziraphale quickly shook his head to stop himself; no.
Aziraphale decided to get ready for the morning and head to the bathroom. After that, he decided to make some breakfast for himself and his new guest.
Aziraphale made a hearty breakfast fit for someone who just woke up with a hangover and some coffee. When he was done, he decided to check in on his new companion. Crowley was stirring, grumbling more.
“Crowley.” Aziraphale prodded gently, not wanting to startle him awake or anything.
Crowley’s head turned, and eyes blinked open. The groggy eyes puzzled over Aziraphale before widening, and a smile began to form.
“Well, hello there.” Crowley raised their head slightly. He then instantly groaned and rubbed his head in pain. Crowley’s eyes then flickered back open. “Well, you are a good sight for this sorry hangover,” Crowley muttered.
“I made breakfast and coffee for you. I could find some pain medicine for your head.”
Crowley was smiling and staring at him like Aziraphale was the most stunning thing.
“I’ll bring it to you.” Aziraphale jumped to action.
Aziraphale soon returned with a tray of breakfast and some pain medicine. Crowley drew himself to sit up, and Aziraphale put the tray on the bed beside Crowley.
“Fuck.” Crowley looked to it, then Aziraphale. “My past one-night stands never made me breakfast in bed before.” They flashed a toothy smile at Aziraphale.
Aziraphale’s heart skipped a beat. “Oh, we didn’t.” He flustered, looking away.
“We didn’t?” Crowley looked down at himself. “Oh yeah. My clothes are still on. Why are my clothes still on?”
“I may have rescued you from some ruffians,” Aziraphale explained.
“Ruffians?” Crowley cocked an eyebrow.
“Please eat.” Aziraphale encouraged. He didn’t like the idea of explaining what almost happened last night to Crowley when they’d just woken up.
Crowley sighed and began opening the pain medicine. He took two and washed them down with the hot black coffee.
“Oh, this is good!” Crowley muttered. “What did you say your name was?” He was looking over.
“Aziraphale.”
Crowley blinked at that. “How ‘bout I call you angel.” He flashed a smile. “You said you saved me from ruffians?”
“I don’t know if it’s something you want to get into before breakfast.” Aziraphale started gently.
“No, go on.” Crowley raised the coffee to his lips again.
Aziraphale turned his desk chair towards the bed, sitting down. “Last night, I found you drunk, with some men. They were going to take you to their room. You were far too drunk to consent to anything. It wasn’t proper.”
“Ah, I see.” Crowley nodded, looking down nervously into his cup.
“Did you not go out with friends last night to watch over you?” Aziraphale asked gently.
“I went out with some guys, yeah. But I wouldn’t exactly call them friends. I was looking to have some fun and get laid. But…” Crowley trailed off, wringing their hands around the mug.
“It’s okay. Nothing happened.” Aziraphale reassured gently. “But you should take better precautions next time. To be on the safe side. Like charging your phone fully for one.”
“My phone?”
“I thought about calling someone for you, but your phone was dead.”
Crowley moved to pull their phone out of their pants, finding it was indeed dead. “Oh.” He put the phone on the nightstand. “I guess I really do have you to thank then. You really are an angel.” He smiled up, and Aziraphale’s heart fluttered.
“It was just the right thing to do.” Aziraphale got up then. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”
Aziraphale needed to get away from the handsome stranger in his bed. In the kitchen Aziraphale sipped the extra coffee he’d made, wishing it was tea. But it was fine nether the less. After some time, Crowley exited the room, pushing their hair back.
“Washroom?” Crowley asked.
Aziraphale pointed, and Crowley was off.
Crowley soon came out of the washroom and returned to the bedroom to grab the tray and bring it to the table.
“Thank you for breakfast and everything. It was very gentlemanly of you.” Crowley smiled.
“Well, I only ever strive to be.” Aziraphale replied, leaning against the counter.
“Do you go to school here?” Crowley asked, eyes looking interested.
“I’m studying for my master’s in language and literature.”
“Wow.” Crowley breathed out. He looked around the apartment then. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for this.”
“Oh, there’s no need.” Aziraphale waved his hand casually.
“But I am kind of bummed to find out that we didn’t sleep together.” Crowley was smirking, and Aziraphale’s heart skipped a beat. Aziraphale flashed red at the statement and tried to hide it with his cup.
“Cause you are gorgeous.” Crowley finished, moving closer. They were wearing a wicked smile, which had Aziraphale’s heart racing.
“I…uh…” Aziraphale stuttered nervously, placing his cup down.
“But we’ve got time now.” Crowley was stepping towards Aziraphale’s face, and Aziraphale’s hand shot out to stop them.
“I don’t sleep with someone till after at least three dates,” Aziraphale stated firmly.
“Ah.” Crowley’s smile widened. “Well then, a date is in high order.” Crowley groaned then and massaged his head. “But maybe after I’ve gone home to rest.”
“Yes. You most certainly could use some.” Aziraphale felt pity for them. “And you should do better to take care of yourself.”
“I’ll try.” Crowley flashed that smile at Aziraphale. “But I’m not leaving till you give me your number.”
“Your phone’s dead, or have you forgotten?”
Crowley groaned and cursed under their breath. Aziraphale chuckled at that.
“I can save yours on my phone.” Aziraphale offered, heart fluttering at the idea. Crowley’s wicked smile was back.
Aziraphale retrieved his phone so Crowley could put his number in it.
“You better call me, angel,” Crowley smirked at Aziraphale after returning the cell.
“I wouldn’t dream of otherwise,” Aziraphale assured.
“I guess I’ll head out then. Thanks for saving me.” Crowley smiled softly.
“It was the right thing to do.” Aziraphale led Crowley out his door. “Stay safe,” Aziraphale said, almost like a prayer or a blessing over Crowley.
“I’ll try.” Crowley flashed that smile one last time, then was gone.