Chapter Text
Aziraphale was nervous. Though it wasn’t the kind that made one look over their shoulder constantly in a sketchy situation, it was more of a low-key thrum, a stroke of fear that ran through him whenever he thought about the fact that he was coming of age.
Well, ‘coming of age’ wasn’t exactly the right phrase, since he was already four decades old. Perhaps, ‘reaching sexual maturity’ was more accurate, though also more clinical. However it was said, thought, or side eyed through the thicket, or whispered down by the river, it didn’t change the fact that Aziraphale would very soon be available to mate with.
The horns that had started to grow through his unruly, pale curls, ivory in colour, matching his fur, were very nice, despite the itch and headaches they gave him as they grew larger. Being almost entirely cream coloured all over was unnatural for fauns, most were coloured like the forest in the autumn, in shades of browns, blacks, greys, and tans, very few sported any white at all. This fact already made Aziraphale easily recognisable, and somewhat infamous throughout the forest, something that he hated.
It was why he spent most of his days now away from others of his kind, which was lonely, but then, he’d always been that way with no real friends to speak of, the only fauns interested in talking to him were the ones that were trying to get in early, wanting first dibs on…well, on him. Word had spread that the odd, pale faun would be ripe for the taking soon – no, that was an even worse phrase – and suddenly his little patch of trees had become busy with fauns coming to view or woo him. It was understandable why he was hiding out in a sink hole, right? Didn’t matter if it was or wasn’t really, the short of it was that he was, and it was no one else’s business.
“Well, look at you…” came a smooth voice from above him.
Aziraphale instantly froze, the daisy chain in his hands all but forgotten about as he prepared himself for whatever kind of interaction he was about to endure. The sound of hooves on rock echoed lightly in the sink hole, but the thud they created as they hit the ground behind him echoed louder in his ears.
“Hullllooooo, gorgeous…what’re you doin’ down here all alone? Not stuck, are you?” the voice asked, accompanied by hooves trotting around Aziraphale to stand in front of him.
“Oh, um, hello,” he replied, pressing his knees together, subconsciously trying to hide the scent that inevitably emanated from him, pheromones suggesting that he was almost ready, “no, no, not stuck, thank you, no need to linger on my account,” he hurried to say, not even glancing up past the hooves and thick, rust coloured fur to see the stranger’s face.
Instead, the stranger knelt in front of him, and though Aziraphale tried to focus on his daisy chain, hands beginning to tremble, his gaze wandered up from his hands to the brightest yellow eyes that he had ever seen.
“Oh,” the stranger was rather gorgeous himself.
“Are you alright?” the stranger, with his flowing fiery locks, and strong, curved, black horns, asked in a more normal tone.
“Fffine, thank you, you can be on your way.”
A frown appeared on the stranger’s face, yet he didn’t look any less beautiful.
“Hm, listen, sorry I came on a bit strong just now, I promise I’m not normally like that…just, uh…you kinda looked like an angel sitting down here, sunshine radiating on you…y’know those beautiful, glowing, ethereal creatures that humans believe in…and I got a bit stupid.”
“Oh,” no one had ever described him like that before, he could already feel heat pinking his cheeks…and lower in his body, goodness.
“Let me try this again…” the stranger ran five fingers through his hair, tucking it behind a pointed ear, and cleared his throat, “Hullo, I’m Crowley, was just passing by and thought I’d offer assistance if you needed it.”
Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Aziraphale studied Crowley, his yellow eyes held no malice or deceit, and despite the first impression, there was something about Crowley that gave him neither fear, nor the ick, quite the opposite in fact.
“I am Aziraphale, and I’m here by choice, but thank you,” his words warmer that time.
A beat later, “I know this is forward, but I can smell you, and…listen, I went through the same thing only a few summers ago. I promise not to try anything, but, er…would you like some company? I’m-I’m a good listener…”
The sincerity made Aziraphale smile, “Do you know how to make a daisy chain?”
“No, but I learn fast.”
“I’d love some company, please sit with me.”