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Castiel had been at it two weeks. Two weeks of getting out of class and holed up in the back corner of the library, a tower of books around him, while he tried to complete his doctoral thesis. It was taking a painfully long time to get his mind to connect with the words he actually needed to be writing, but after two weeks he finally had a breakthrough.
"At it again?" Tessa, the librarian, says walking up to his table.
Castiel blinks up at her, his eyes slowly adjusting to the woman in front of him. "Finally figured out on how to express what I need to say." He looks around to the darkness out the windows. "What time is it?"
"Almost time to kick you out," she chuckles. "Why not take all this stuff home with you? These chairs can't be that great."
"As much as my couch is appealing, my roommate isn't exactly the best at being quiet," he shrugs starting to close the few books in front of him. "I like it here, anyway. Kind of comforting."
"Partier, huh? I get that. My old roommate when I was in college was like that," she strums her fingers on the table looking out the dark window.
"I'll be out of your hair in a little bit. Would it be alright if I just leave the books here? I'll be back first thing in the morning and it would be great if I didn't have to go searching for everything again."
Tessa smiles down at him. "I open up tomorrow. Shouldn't be a problem."
Castiel nods, stretching his arms over his head listening to his back pop. "Now I just have to hope I can pick back up where I left off."
"How much longer do you think you'd need?" He tilts his head at her, confused. Isn't it closing time?
"I, um, not really sure? Why?"
"Well, I was thinking, what if I did my checks, making sure everyone was out, but you were in the bathroom and I just happened to miss you? Maybe I accidentally left the keys on the desk..."
Castiel's eyes go wide and he stands up out of his chair. "Tessa, you can get into serious trouble doing that."
"Maybe, if someone found out," she winks at him, dropping the keys on the desk by the stack of books. "You've been coming here for years, Castiel. You've been working nonstop on this thesis and it sounds like you've finally hit the ground running with it. I'd hate for you to lose that inspiration just because you don't have a quiet place to work."
"If you can promise me to lock the doors behind me, and then when you leave, I'll meet you back here at seven am sharp for opening. If you don't meet me here, there are going to be some severely pissed off older people who need their daily book fix."
Castiel glances down at the keys, then back up at Tessa who is patiently waiting with a soft smile on her lips. "I...I don't know what to say," he says reaching for the keys, gripping them tightly in his hand.
"Thank me in your paper," she says winking. "Now you going to walk me out so I can get home? And the lights are on a timer so they'll be shutting off in about fifteen minutes. Only the minimum few lights by the desk and emergency lights will be on. Don't get all creeped out and book it out of here without locking up, alright?"
Castiel chuckles, walking her down the marble staircase. She pushes open the door and turns her head back to him. "See you in the morning,"
"See you in the morning." Tessa walks away, as
Castiel pulls the door closed behind her, locking it from the inside. He starts up the staircase reentering the main room just as the lights click off, plunging him in an eerie, dim light. The table all his things are set up at has one light illuminated above him, which is better than nothing. Dropping the keys beside his books, he sits down, reopening the book he closed, and dives back into his work.
Castiel doesn't know how long he's been writing, but from the stiffness in his back and numb his ass is, he'd say it's been a good few hours when he hears the noise. It sounds like someone opening a window.
Putting down his pencil, his eyes scan the empty rows of bookshelves straining his ears for any type of sound. After a few minutes, he reaches to pick up his pencil when he hears something heavy drop to the ground and a deep male voice saying, "oomph".
Castiel is out of his seat and moving into the shadows that the bookcases give him, heart beating wildly in his chest. Is this a robbery? Can library's even get robbed? It's not like book fines get in that much money, maybe whoever is in here is stealing rare books? Is there even that kind of section here?
Crouching down, Castiel tries to even his breathing, eyes searching the darkness for any movement. The third time his eyes scan the corner book shelves is when he sees it. A tall figure that seems to be taking off their jacket and he seems to be...humming? What kind of robber hums?
Castiel holds his breath watching as the figure steps put of the shadows and walks slowly close to him, two rows away. In the dim light, he can see it's a man, probably early twenties, if he had to guess, with light brown hair. The man ducks down a row and the humming stops.
"Well, what should it be today? Almost done with B, let's see...Holly Black has a new book out! Score!"
Castiel watches the man's legs through the rows of books, and notices his bowlegged stance, trying to collect any details he can to give to the police. Wait, should he call the police? He isn't even suppose to be here. Tessa would lose her job if the police came and question why he is here.
Stuck with this realization he doesn't notice that the pair of legs has disappeared from his sight until a tingling on the back of his neck like he's being watched has him turning around, very slowly.
"Well look what we have here," the man says. "Hiding out in the nonfiction section spying on me?"
The man is beautiful this close. The light is shining just perfectly enough that he sees a smattering of freckles across his face, a dark bruise on his right jaw, and bright green eyes staring down at him. He looks cocky enough that Castiel wonders if maybe he should reconsider calling the police.
The man tucks the books underneath his arm and holds out a hand to him. Castiel hesitantly takes it, trying to enough the warmth filling him as the man's rough fingers wrap around his.
"Might seem kind of, uh, stupid asking this all things considered, but what are you doing here?" He asks slowly unwrapping his fingers from his.
Castiel clears his throat and rubs the back of his neck wondering why he isn't the least bit afraid of this guy. "The librarian is a friend. She gave me the keys so I could work a little longer." He nods his head to the man who is bow fidgeting with the corner of the book he's holding. "And how did you even get in here?"
The green eyes go wide and he takes a few steps backwards. "Listen man, I'm not here to make any trouble or anything. You can't tell anyone that I was here. Please."
Castiel squints at him. "That doesn't answer the question to why you're here."
The man chews on his bottom lip nervously looking anywhere but at him. Hesitantly, Castiel takes a step forward, holding up his hands. The man's green eyes snap back at him, body tensing like he's about ready to run. "Hey, I'm not going to do anything. Technically, we are both trespassing," he lowers his hands and gives him a small smile. "I'm Castiel."
Green eyes narrow at him, his body not relaxing. "Cas-tee-el? What kind of name is that? Sounds kind of made up."
He huffs out a laugh reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet. He flips it open to his ID, holding it up for Dean to see. "Huh, well I guess it's a real name after all," he says looking back him. "And I guess you want to know my name, then?"
"Only if you want to give it. Though it would be nice to talk to someone without having to say 'you' or 'man'."
The man hums and fiddles with the book some more before gripping it tightly and looking back up at him with a determined look. "Names Dean."
"Nice to meet you Dean," Castiel says giving him a smile. Dean nods and shifts his feet looking a bit more relaxed. They both stand there, looking everywhere else but at each other.
"So what are you - "
"Why are you - "
They blink at each other for a moment before cracking up laughing.
As Castiel catches his breath again, he nods over to his table where his books and papers are spread out. "I'm writing a thesis. Tessa gave me the keys to lock up." Dean looks over at the table and chews on his bottom lip again. "And you? You just sneak in here to read books all night?"
Dean shrugs and shifts his feet again. "Something like that, yeah."
"You do it often?" Castiel asks motioning for both of them to move back to the table.
"I guess so, yeah," Dean says following him back to the table.
Sighing, Castiel sits down looks back up at Dean who just stands there awkwardly. "I'm not going to get you in trouble, Dean. I would be in just as much, if not more, than you."
Dean snorts and shakes his head. "I doubt that. I mean, you seem nice enough and everything, but no offense, I don't know you enough to trust you."
"So get to know me,"
Dean narrows his eyes down at him, body going rigid again. "What do you even want from me? You want me to pay you for silence, cause I ain't got no money. Want me to blow you? Is that it?"
Holding up his hands and standing up slowly, Castiel shakes his head. Dean is glaring at him, his knuckles white from gripping the book. "Dean, I'm not asking you for anything. I don't want your money or-or sexual favors. I was just curious to why you're here. Wouldn't you be?"
"And when I tell you you'll just go ratting me out your library friend. I don't have to tell you shit," he tosses the book down on top of Castiel's papers, and is running back towards the corner.
Castiel hurries around the table, following Dean back where he saw him disappear. Dean is pushing a bookbag out the window, when their eyes meet. Dean looks back at his jacket on the ground then back up at Castiel before lifting himself up and disappearing out into the night.
Castiel bends down and picks up the jacket; the hint of smoke, some spicy cologne and the smell of earth comes off it. Castiel looks out the window, peering down the two story drop. He notices the thick vines climbing up the stone building, but sees no traces of Dean. He closes the window, and after debating about locking or it keeping it unlocked, he choses to keep it unlocked. Judging by what he saw, he has a feeling Dean may have only been coming here for a place to sleep.
Deciding he probably wont get any more work done for the night, he leaves his things out and grabs the keys from the table. Walking down the marble staircase to the front doors, he tightens his grip on the worn leather jacket. Castiel has a feeling it is probably the only one he has, and with winter coming soon, Dean will probably come back looking for it.
If Dean doesn't trust him, then he'll earn that trust. Even if it means countless late nights, something is pulling him to help the beautiful green eyed man.