Ineffable Omens (Crowley x Aziraphale)

What Happened That Year (Part 5)

When it was announced everyone got to choose their own badminton one-on-one partners, everyone immediately clung to their best friends, which inevitably ended up with rejection for lots of people, but those rejected by those they assumed they would be first choice for inevitably found another loser to be their partner soon enough. Adam felt a pang in his heart when he saw Lucas turn to his brother, only to be immediately rejected with a haughty laugh as his twin found someone else to play with. Lucas looked around, but he didn't belong with that group to begin with, so no one wanted to be his partner.

Lucas were the only two left without partners, and when they realized this fact, Lucas rolled his eyes, violently grabbing a racket and spinning it around with a satisfying thwap.

"Listen, I didn't mean to use that word like that," Adam said as Lucas served.

"Whatever," Lucas said with a shrug. "You're just another homophobic twat I can't believe I ever—" He stopped before he could say anything he regretted. 

Adam let the birdie fall to the ground, not even bothering to hit it back over the net. "Look, I'm sorry. I've had that word used to push me down my entire life. It's gotten a bit of a negative connotation."

"I don't care," Lucas said, picking up the birdie and serving again. 

"So we're good?"

"We're nothing." Thwap. The birdie hit Adam in the head. "3-nil."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The thing was, Adam couldn't get Lucas off his mind. He hadn't been able to. He kept reliving that moment, when Lucas's lips brushed against his. That closeness. That rush. It awakened something in him. 

He couldn't stop thinking about Lucas, and he found himself staring at him during classes, picking up on all of Lucas's little habits. He always tapped his foot during class, or his pencil on the desk, always moving. He bit his lip when he was concentrating. He liked to doodle on his notes, and he'd always doodle stars on the cuffs of his jeans. Lucas was a band kid, and a math geek. 

Adam kept pushing, fighting each day to make it through, until all of a sudden, he found that all of his hope was pinned on Adam. 

So he went out to the bridge, but he wasn't there to jump. No, he just wanted to stand there and hope that maybe Lucas would see him. He didn't have to wait long.

"I want you to know I don't care, I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to do anything stupid," Lucas said, coming up behind him. "And I brought cookies to make you feel better, but that seems stupid now that I think about it, and it's totally not because I care, because I don't."

"Not at all?"

"Not a bit. I just couldn't let another kid jump off this bridge. You're not the first to come here."

"What if I were to tell you that I care?" Adam said, shaking, nervous. "I mean, about ... about you."

Lucas was silent, trying to decipher what his words meant.

"I'm sorry if that's weird. I did some reading and I think ... I think I have a lot of  ... internalized homophobia?  Because ... because I'm ... yeah. You know."

"Because you're gay?" Lucas asked, straight to the point.

Adam gulped and nodded. "And I think I'm ... gay for you."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Lucas's lips, and Adam couldn't help but glance down at them. 

"I think you're really cute," Lucas said, mustering his confidence and taking a step forward. His hand reached out, and ever so slightly, their hands brushed together. Adam's pinkie hooked around Lucas's as they both stood there, hearts in their throats, frozen in fear and excitement. 

"I—I think you're really cute too."

"Can I ...?" 

Adam nodded, and Lucas leaned in, his lips locking onto Adam's. Lucas took Adam's breath away. Literally. He didn't quite believe this was  actually happening. That Lucas Brinkman was kissing him, and that he was kissing back. 

"Wait a second," Adam said, pulling away. "Uh, will you, be my boyfriend?"

Lucas blushed and nodded furiously.