Late Nights

AlwaysPadfoot

AN: For dark-side-of-hell on tumblr.

Castiel would spend all night in the library if he had to. He never left essays until the last minute, so dauntingly facing the whole night alone with no sleep, working on a two-thousand word History essay, was as about as appealing as spending the whole night listening to the obnoxious music of whoever's room was below his. He set himself in a corner, where the History and Literature section met the Science and Engineering section, before hunting down a few books he would need.

Cas had only done a hundred words or so before another student arrived, heaving a load of engineering books with his bag slung over his right shoulder. For a moment, Castiel didn't recognise the brown haired boy, but then it clicked…

That was Dean Winchester, a second year student and one of the Freshers Reps from Freshers Week for the corridor that Castiel lived on with a handful of other students.

Cas ducked a little behind his Mac screen, blushing red with embarrassment. Freshers week for him had been a complete nightmare. Having come to University naive and completely void of life experience, the first night of drinking and partying had hit him hard. He barely remembered any of it, well part from the embarrassing bits. After drinking too much, beer and shots of whatever was pushed his way mainly, Castiel had taken to Dean. After all Dean Winchester had been nothing but nice to him since he arrived at Uni and for some reason Cas found it highly appropriate to kiss him on the lips in the middle of the dancefloor.

The rest of the night was hazy, but what Castiel did remember was throwing up outside and being practically carried back to his room by Dean and another guy, Liam. Apart from that, he'd woke up in the morning with a killer headache, Dean's number in his phone and an unhealthy desire to never leave his room again until he graduated.

This would be the first time since that night that Castiel would come face to face with Dean Winchester and if by some miracle the group did swallow him down into the darkest pit of hell, he would consider it a win.

"Cas?" Dean's voice broke the silence of the library, "Castiel?"

Cas slowly peered over his Mac, a hint of pink probably still on his face as his blue eyes connected with Dean's beautiful green ones.

"Oh, hey, Dean," he replied quietly.

"You were in my Fresher block, weren't you?" He asked, setting his stuff down opposite me, "How's it going? Let me guess, last minute essay panic?"

Castiel nodded, "Um yeah, I forgot all about it."

He wanted to apologise for the horrific show he'd made of himself two months ago, but Cas found himself too nervous to even bring it up.

"Same here amigo," Dean flashed his perfect smile at Cas, "This is what I do every night before a deadline. A couple of cans of Red Bull, some food and my laptop. Looks like for once I'll have some company as well. Want one?"

Dean held out a can of Red Bull to him and Cas could barely contain his blush, "If you don't need it..."

"They were on offer three for two," Dean insisted, "So I have a spare."

Castiel felt little tingles shoot down his spine as he took the drink and pulled the tab back to open it, "Thanks."

"So, what subject are you doing again, Cas?" Dean asked after pulling everything he needed out of his bag.

"Well, I do History and Linguistics, but this is History," Cas answered, trying not to focus on remembering what it felt like to kiss his lips. Dean must have freaked out, it shocked Cas that Dean even wanted to sit with him after what he did. Most people would have just walked straight past and found somewhere else to sit.

"You know what, that actually sounds more interesting than what I have to do," Dean replied, pulling a book labelled Advanced Complex Engineering towards him and opening it to the contents page.

Cas really wanted to say something more. He kind of wanted to apologise and he kind of wanted to leave it. He detested having unfinished business, so to speak, with anyone. Right now, Castiel felt like he had to convince Dean that he wasn't weird and didn't just come on to random strangers in clubs. He didn't even go to clubs before University and he was ten times more careful now when his flatmates dragged him out. They sat in silence for a long while, working separately, but soon enough he couldn't contain it anymore.

"I'm sorry," Cas blurted out.

Dean looked up from his book confused, "Huh?"

"About Freshers week?" Cas added, looking down to avoid his curious gaze.

The second year appeared startled for a split second before coughing and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "Hey, no. That's okay, I figured you weren't interested."

Castiel's downcast gaze snapped to the freckled boy opposite, "Actually I was apologising for two things. For making a show of myself and I kind of assumed you were straight so I was really embarrassed about, you know..."

"Kissing me?" Dean prompted with a sly grin before continuing, "No, I swing both ways. That's why I put my number in your phone. I thought you were cute and was hoping you might text or something. When you didn't I guessed you weren't interested."

Cas couldn't think of anything to say so he settled for a small, quiet, "Oh?"

Dean watched Castiel closely and if it were possible the younger boy wanted nothing more than the ground to swallow him whole then for making such a stupid mistake. Dean had wanted him to text him. Dean thought Cas was cute. Dean had assumed that he wasn't interesting.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that if you hadn't thought I was straight you might have actually text me?" he smiled.

Castiel looked away, "I don't know, I really embarrassed myself."

Dean laughed, "Cas, students throw up all the time. I was practically intoxicated the whole of my Freshers week. You were one of many, many people who threw up that night. Besides it wasn't even that bad, but perhaps I'm bias because you kissed me."

That time, Cas did nothing to hide his blush. His heart was kind of fluttering inside his ribcage at the idea that Dean Winchester liked him back.

"Look," Dean continued, "How about this time I take your number and tomorrow when we've both handed in our work and are trying not to fall asleep in lecture. I'll text you and we'll go get some food and watch TV or something."

Cas nodded, smiling broadly before reciting his number for Dean to take down in his phone. After the customary add to Facebook, despite both of them admitting they didn't really use it that much, Dean and Cas got down to actually working whilst chatting occasionally. Castiel couldn't stop beaming the remainder of the night and even Dean Winchester couldn't help but work with a half smile on his face.

The two worked more or less solidly through till quarter to five, although Cas suspected Dean waited until he had finished so that they could walk back across campus together. They split with a short hug to their separate blocks and Cas climbed tiredly up to the third floor. After changing, he practically fell straight into bed with a tingly sense of euphoria lingering on his skin, hugging his phone to his chest. Just as Cas was drifting off, his phone pinged on the side and he lifted it up to read the message on screen.

It was of course, from Dean Winchester.

Goodnight :)

He smiled, sliding the message across and tapping out a reply.

Goodnight Dean :)

Castiel was happy that just this time, he'd forgot about his History essay and had to stay up most of the night in the library and for the first time in a long while he slept soundly in the little time he'd had in bed.