Danke :)As it turned out, getting into Heaven Law School was surprisingly easy. Ezra - or Aziraphale, rather, since that's who he was now - might not be "serious" or have much of a work ethic, but he was definitely book smart… to some degree.

Okay, so maybe he spent a little too much time sketching horrible drawings of Gabriel's face, or trying to find the perfect combination of blue and red to make the violet color of his eyes, but still… It only took him a few tries to get a score that was just right - a 176 - one that was high enough to get in easily, but low enough that it wouldn't threaten Gabriel's standing or make the counselors expect too much.

Then came the essay, which wasn't too difficult, though it took him far too long to write the perfect entrance essay, a short - okay, it may have been ten pages, but that's decently short… right? - piece on love and the inspiration (and hope) it could provide. He officially mailed it in with a week to spare, taking several of those remaining days to crash on his bed and sleep (or read) his way out of his work-induced exhaustion.

Word came back on his application - he'd gotten in! - in the spring, and he was already packed and ready to go days before the date of his plane ride. Unlike other recent events, the trip, at least, went without a hitch, and it wasn't long before Aziraphale was walking through the front doors of Heaven Law.

The building was… intimidating, to say the least. The walls were a stark mix of steel and glass that sent rays of light bouncing around the rooms with an uncomfortably sharp brightness, one that seared his eyes and left spots on his vision, but Aziraphale brushed off the unwelcoming sensations and headed to his dormitory.

The rooms were small and tidy - they contained little beyond a wardrobe, a bed, and a desk - but at least they were private; there were no roommates with whom to fight over space, no noise issues at three o'clock in the morning, no need for quiet in the mornings or lights out at night other than that Aziraphale himself needed sleep. Unpacking was also a quick affair; he had brought his suit from that cursed evening with Gabriel - still intact, even if Aziraphale's heart was not - and he had a number of other suits in various shades of white and cream, but there wasn't much to complicate matters.

Instead, Aziraphale found himself with a little bit of free time before his next class, so he started wandering around the campus, taking a look at the different buildings and architecture styles, scoping out the library - a beautiful, old mix of limestone and brick that he longed to explore - and looking at his fellow students. It was for this reason that he found himself under a tree - an apple tree, he recognized, judging from the leaves and blossoms - watching one of the other students lead a discussion.

The student was… peculiar, to say the least. Unlike the other students Aziraphale had seen, all of whom had been dressed in fancy, professional clothing (a mixed assortment of expensive suits, dresses, and pencil skirts), his outfit was a little more ragged. Aziraphale could see slight wrinkles on his grey T-shirt and frayed edges on black skinny jeans, could see the rudimentary hem job on his still-slightly-ill-fitting vest and coat. He managed to pull it off alright - the slight oddity of the apparel seemed almost natural, almost intentional - but he still stood out.

Nor was that the sole thing setting him apart. A tattoo of a twisting snake was visible at his right temple - definitely not the sort of thing one normally sees on a law student - and he was wearing sunglasses despite sitting - frankly, it might be better termed sprawling - under a tree with very little sun piercing the canopy. More obvious still, however, was the shock of bright red hair on his head, fringe slightly wild despite its short cut.

As Aziraphale approached, he got just into earshot to hear the student's sentence. "Hey, guys… I'm Crowley. Welcome to Heaven Law." His voice was strangely bitter as he spoke, though he hid it well; Aziraphale could only tell because of years of using the same tone. "I know you've worked hard to get here, so… tell us a bit about yourselves."

The first student to speak was short and thin, small despite being at a college. His brown hair was styled into a swoop that managed to look a little clumsy, and a large pair of glasses stood prominently on his nose. "Actually, I'm Wensleydale. Well, the name's Jeremy, but nobody calls me that." He stopped talking and squinted as though trying to recollect something. "Oh, and I'm probably going into chartered accountancy, but my parents want me to have a law degree first."

Crowley nodded. "Nice." The other other students mimicked him, but attention swiftly turned to the next student in line.

He was a little larger than Wensleydale, and was not put together nearly so well. A smudge of dirt marred the pure white cuff of his button-down, and a grass stain had somehow found its way onto his collar. His hair was messier, too, darker and thicker as it lay in a messy sprawl across his forehead. "Brian…" He trailed off, looking around somewhat cluelessly. "Uh… I guess I'm here to learn? Seemed like an awfully good use of time. And I can make new friends."

Crowley had raised an eyebrow at that, and Aziraphale knew there was a similar expression on his own face. He was here for serious reasons - Gabriel - not for anything flighty like making friends. Still, Crowley nodded and said, "Nice one."

He looked like he might have said more, but the final student there - a young-ish looking girl with dark, curly hair pulled into a bun - interrupted. "I get to go next, right? Or is this another sign of Heaven's blatant sexism?"

Crowley was clearly taken aback by the comment, a series of meaningless noises issuing forth before he settled on, "Oh yes, obviously, ladies, too."

"My name's Pippin Galadriel Moonchild, but that's a ridiculous name. I'm Pepper." Her voice was extremely matter-of-fact, chin jutting out as though daring anyone to speak out against her. "I'm here to try and reform our justice system, since only women have the guts to try and fix it." She paused, then added, "And I do not endorse everyday sexism."

Crowley nodded, still looking slightly confused, but he nodded, and his tone was sincere. "Uh… right, well… good job. Hope it works out."

Aziraphale noticed the book clutched in Pepper's hand: a rather nice, gilded copy of Peter Pan. He stepped in, then, a polite smile on his face as he pointed at it and said, "Barry, eh? That's a lovely choice; it's one of my favorites."

She snorted. "Why am I not surprised you'd like it?" She looked over at him, frowning. "As though it isn't completely sexist; I mean, not a single boy among Pan's band? And poor Wendy - another deluded victim of the patriarchy - is forced into the role of the mother practically as soon as she shows up. I'm reading this for class, nothing else."

Crowley interjected before the conversation could continue. "Okayyyy…" He dragged out the word, voice decreasing in pitch as he broke in. He looked over at Aziraphale, one eyebrow cocked. "We're going around the circle. Why don't you tell us something about yourself?"

Taken aback, Aziraphale finds himself oddly at a loss for words. He's always loved the things, loved the meaning that mere letters could convey, and now that they matter, they've deserted him. "Um… Well… I suppose…" He paused, clearing his throat - and, hopefully, his mind - before continuing. "My name is E- Aziraphale Fell and I'm here to…" He paused again, searching for good words, looking for something (anything) that could be true and yet not admit Hi, I'm an idiot whose boyfriend is too good for him and I'm here to be serious and win him back. "I'm here to get a law degree and, hopefully, forge a few good interpersonal relationships while I'm here."

Crowley looked somewhat skeptical, in Aziraphale's opinion, but evidently not too much, as he didn't bother pressing it. "Right, well… Good to meet you."

Some change seemed to suddenly occur, as the students clustered around the tree stood and began dispersing, heading off in different directions. Aziraphale looked at the pocket watch attached to his coat, noting the time. "Oh, dear, I'm running quite late… Is there any chance you can direct me to…" He paused to consult his schedule. "Criminal Law 101 with… Professor Morningstar and Gabriel Arch?"

Crowley nodded. "Sure… It's in Eden Building, right over…" He stopped, loping over to the sidewalk and gesturing. "There. That building, just there."

Aziraphale saw the building - a large stone building surrounded by trees and flowers - and smiled. "Thank you, my dear boy." He was in a hurry to get there, happy to have finally found his way, but he couldn't very well be rude, now could he?

It took a few moments - not long at all - to reach the building and get inside, taking a seat just at the front of the classroom. The curving arrangement of the seats meant that he now had a very good view of both the teacher and the door. As such, he had the perfect view of a tall figure in impeccable clothing striding in through the door.

Aziraphale smiled, making shy eye contact with a very surprised, very confused Gabriel Arch.