Chapter Text
Aziraphale Eastgate tried to be the best at everything he put his mind to. Even at a young age in school– something that only increased as he got into the last few years of school before college. He strived to be the top of his class. Liked by his peers. He tried to be the smartest in the room. And he even tried to excel in sports.
It wasn’t so much of what he had originally wanted to do when he entered school but his father had left him no choice. Perform well or watch all his dreams get flushed down the drain. And his father expected perfection. Perhaps it was because that was what his grandfather always expected of his father but either way, it was exhausting.
Aziraphale got by though.
He wasn’t very good at sports but at such an academically rigorous academy, no one really was. He liked to be active on occasion and so that gave him a leg up on the few activities that they did have to participate in. And with a little practice, he usually won those too. First in races. First in classes. First in school.
His father would expect nothing less.
And then the small village got a new family from a new pack, seeking out a kinder future. Aziraphale’s world at school came crumbling down at the arrival of their son, Crowley Anthony.
Crowley was clever, although he refused to apply himself properly. Charming, although none of them had presented yet, he had quickly captured the attention of the entire class. And in the sporting ring, he was the easy champion. One race and Aziraphale was lost with the rest of the class. Crowley was fast. And as they found out in the wrestling ring the next week, he was also strong.
Aziraphale glared up at him, sweating and panting, and Crowley grinned down at him, offering his hand. Aziraphale took the offered hand and let him pull him up. Smug bastard winked down at him and then sauntered off.
Aziraphale wanted to punch him in the corner of his smug mouth.
But then Aziraphale felt the sting of failure at a level that he had never known before. His father even asked about the redhead who had shown him up so resoundingly. Aziraphale had no answer for him and his father didn’t ask again. Just told him to try harder next time. Or maybe he told him to just do his best. Aziraphale wasn’t sure if he knew the difference anymore.
Aziraphale stopped trying to excel at sports soon after that. He threw himself into his academics even more to try to stave off the feeling of failure but it still lingered after him. He felt the sting every time Crowley’s shadow passed over him. Every time he heard that redhead crow from the sporting ring. Every time he saw someone on Crowley’s arm, leaning into him like they held some secret part of him that no one else could see.
This carried on for a few weeks until one day, his study time in the school library was interrupted by his new rival.
“Hey.” Crowley leaned against the table and Aziraphale yelped, accidentally knocking over his pile of books.
“You idiot!” He cursed, looking up only to fall into the trap that was those damn honey-colored eyes of Crowley Anthony.
“Here.” Crowley gathered the books back up and returned them to his side. “I’m Crowley.”
“I know who you are.” Aziraphale said dryly. “You trounced my ass in the wrestling match three weeks ago.”
“I didn’t know you were keeping track.” Crowley’s golden eyes gleamed. “Is that why you hate me?”
“I don’t think about you enough to hate you.” Aziraphale sniffed, looking him up and down. He was looking at Crowley with disgust and perhaps a little resentment.
“You don’t like me.” Captain Obvious here. Perhaps he wasn’t as clever as Aziraphale had thought he was.
“And you have enough adoring fans already. You don’t need me to be one.”
“On the contrary, I think I do.” Crowley leaned in, brushing his hand against Aziraphale’s elbow. “Has anyone told you how beautiful your eyes are? The color of the sky on a clear spring day.”
“Is that supposed to impress me?” Aziraphale scoffed. “That you somehow know your colors?” Crowley snorted.
“Is it working?” He asked, charm oozing out of every pore. Aziraphale might actually hate him. His fucking confidence. His bravado. The way that everything Aziraphale worked for seemed to come so easily to Crowley.
“Not in the slightest. Now I have homework.” Aziraphale tried to dismiss him.
“There’s something I’d like you to study.” Oh, goddess, was the redhead trying to flirt with him?! But with the lean and the wink— he had to be.
“Presented as an alpha already?” Aziraphale snarked. His father had always assumed Aziraphale would be an omega but time had yet to tell. If Aziraphale did present as an omega, he sure wasn’t going to entertain any alpha who acted like Crowley.
“No but I have more than enough to have fun with now.” Crowley smirked. “Are you sure I can’t tempt you to sneak off to the lake with me? Clothing optional.” Aziraphale blinked, staring up at the redhead. He could feel the heat rising from his chest at that thought, a flush creeping above his collar. No! Absolutely not. He was going to finish studying and then maybe head home a little early. A nice cold shower sounded good about now…
He swallowed hard and then glared, his tone as cold as ice.
“I am sure. Goodbye.”
“You’re no fun, Aziraphale.” Crowley teased. Those blue eyes widened and then narrowed.
“Who told you my name?” He demanded.
“I like to know who I’m about to beat.” Crowley smirked. “Before I race and before I wrestle. Just like I like to know who I’m going to fuck…”
“Fuck you.”
“Ah, a bit of fire in you yet.” Crowley shrugged. “Any other secrets that you’re hiding? Perhaps you’re the alpha here.” He winked again.
“I’m not hiding anything. Now go away before I throw a book at you.”
“I’m sure you can throw a book as well as you can throw me in the wrestling ring. Oh, wait, you can’t.” Crowley mocked. “See you later, Blue Eyes.” He waved, waggling his fingers, before sauntering away.
Aziraphale fumed quietly, staring at the book in front of him, but unable to read any of the words. Fuck that redhead! Fuck him back to his old pack. They didn’t need people like him in their pack and Aziraphale didn’t need people like him in his school! He was ruining everything!
Oh, but Aziraphale didn’t know that it was about to get worse. So much worse. He’d given Crowley Anthony the one thing he loved more than anything else in the world: a reaction. And now he was going to do whatever he could to get another one.
Even if that meant coming for all of Aziraphale’s precious plans to prove himself to his father.