Work Text:
Castiel was tired. Really tired. He had been up for two days straight to finish his English paper. He had not left the Student Center of the University of Kansas in the past five hours and the moderators were starting to get very annoyed by his presence. Eight empty paper cups of coffee littered the desk he was working at and another full one sat by the monitor.
Castiel knew he looked like a trainwreck. He had seen himself in the bathroom mirror when he went for his hourly break only a few minutes ago. The bags under his eyes had edged past purple and bordered on black and the dirt in his hair could probably be seen from space. So yes, at present he was an absolute trainwreck.
But none of that mattered because he had just finished the paper! Castiel:1, Bitchy-English-Teacher:0.
Castiel sighed heavily as he saved the document onto his flashdrive to print out later. He had to pay to print at the Student Center an Castiel had run out of money with Coffee Cup Number 9. He slumped back in his chair and relaxed as soon as the notification that it had saved sucessfully popped up on his screen.
Castiel got up and gatered his used cups together. He brought them over to the recycling bin, stretching his cramped legs as he went. When Castiel returned to his computer, there was another boy idling by it. Castiel didn't recognize him as he made his way back, trying to remember if he knew the spikey blond hair and green eyes form anywhere before. When the student turned his face to the side and Castiel caught his profile, Castiel knew that no, he had not seen him before, becuase that, was not a face you forget.
Holy.
Shit.
The student noticed Castiel coming back as he neared the computer and smiled politely. "Hey, sorry to bother you, but are you done with your computer? The one I was on just crashed and I noticed you saving your work."
Castiel nodded dumbly, before internally shaking himself. "Yes, I'm finished. Just let me grab my books and I'll be out of your hair." Nice hair, pretty hair.
Castiel really needed to sleep.
For the next couple lifetimes, at least.
"Sure thing," the guy with the nice hair replied, stepping to the side so Castiel could reach his things. Castiel piled his books into his arms and slung his bag over one shoulder. He could organize it all on his walk back to the dorm.
The guy sent Castiel a friendly wave as he sat down and Castiel left. He tried to calm the bluch that was creeping its way up his cheeks. At least he could contibute it to the could wind that belw through him as he opened the doors to outside. The campus was quiet, most people choosing to saty inside and warm. A few students milled around, talking in groups or hurrying someplace alone.
Castiel shifted his things around in his arms, trying to rearrage his books inside his bag so that they weren't falling around. Once everything was away Castiel went to zip his flashdrive securely into the pocket of his bag, when his hand came up devoid of any USB drive. Castiel blinked at his palm a few times, as if the thing containing his English paper, the one he worked for two days on, would magically appear.
It did not.
Fuck.
Castiel turned on his heel and ran- full on sprinted- back to the student center. As he was about to pull open the double doors, they swung out without his interference. Castiel stumbled back, but managed to keep his footing- god knows how.
"Oh, crap, sorry. I didn't see you- Wait! It's you!"
Castiel looked up from where he had previously focused his attention on his fumbling feet. Standing before him was the student who Castiel had given his computer to.
The boy continued quickly, "You left your USB in the computer. I was just coming to look for you."
"Oh, thank you," Castiel mumbled.
"No problem man. Who even uses a flash-drive now anyway?"
Castiel blushed at the jape, but the boy was quick to correct himself. "Oh, crap, that was really rude. Sorry, I wasn't trying to make fun of you."
"It's fine," Castiel replied quietly. "Thank you for returning my USB."
"Again, it's no problem." The student shrugged and Castiel took that as his cue to turn and leave, which he did. Almost.
"I'm Dean, by the way," the student said to interrupt Castiel's departure.
"Castiel."
>>>>><<<<<
"Look, I don't know why you need my printer, Cassie. Just print and go, I have to get to class and I don't trust you to be alone in my apartment. I had no idea where anything was in my kitchen for weeks after you went all OCD on me last time," Gabriel grumbled.
Castiel decided to be a good brother and not point out that the last time Gabe was at his dorm, Castiel was finding candy wrappers in odd places for weeks. No, he just sat down at the small desktop and plugged in his USB.
Gabriel grumbled some more about having his things reorganized and left the room, moving to get ready in the bathroom. Castiel opened his drive and went to click on his paper... which was no where to be found.
Castiel looked through his files for five minutes straight, before fully comprehending that his English paper was gone.
Just his luck.
>>>>><<<<<
Castiel ran up to the desk at the student center, completely frenzied.
"I need to know the dorm of someone who was here last night. He got on the computer I was using. His name is Dean, I just need his dorm."
The student working at the desk sighed and rolled her eyes. "Look, pal, its your business if you had sex with a stranger in the utility closet, things happen, but I can't give out names for a booty-call."
"What? No! I think my paper might have accidentally gotten transferred onto his account somehow and I need it back. Just please, all I need is a dorm."
She eyed him warily. "If that guy turns up dead, I'm telling the police you threatened me with bodily harm."
"Fine, just please get me the dorm."
She moved over to the computer and pattered around to find the name. "What's your name?"
"Castiel Novak. He should have logged on right after me."
She tapped the keyboard a few more times before turning back to Castiel. "The person who logged on after you was Dean Winchester. He's in Colt Hall, room 666. Please do not mention my name if you get convicted for murder."
>>>>><<<<<
Castiel knocked hesitantly on the door of Dean Winchesters room. As his fist rapped against the wood, he realized how crazy this would seem to the other. No time for that now.
The door swung open and Dean stood before him. He was dressed in sweatpants, and absolutely nothing else. Castiel gulped in what he hoped was a discrete manner, but it wouldn't have mattered. Dean looked half-asleep, even though it was close to noon.
Castiel figured he was imagining the way Dean's face brightened. "Cas? What're you doing here?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I think my paper might have been accidentally transferred onto your school account when I left my USB in the computer."
Dean shook his head as if to vanquish the remaining sleep from his brain. "Uh, I have a computer, I could log into my school account and check for you."
Castiel nodded, quick and shy all at once. "I would appreciate that."
Dean moved aside in the door frame to let Castiel pass, and then turned to lead Cas into the dorm.
Castiel noted on his way in that it was slightly messy, but suppressed the urge to start reorganizing the chaos. If Dean didn't already think he was crazy, he certainly would then. Dean swiped a faded t-shirt off the back of his desk chair and pulled it over his head as he sat down. Cas tried to ignore how his back muscles stretched, but he was only human.
Dean opened his laptop and signed in using a school account. Castiel watched from over his shoulder as Dean scrolled through his files to find any he didn't recognize.
"Is this it?" Dean moved over in his seat to let Castiel inspect the document he had opened, but his face was still mere inches from Castiel's.
Castiel tried to ignore the small distance, and focus on the matter at hand. His squinted eyes scanned the document and he felt a wave of relief when he recognized the opening paragraph as his own. "Yes, that's it. Thank you."
Dean shrugged, "No problem. Hey, while you're here, do you want me to just print it for you?"
Castiel assented gratefully and Dean pulled up the print screen. He glanced almost worriedly at Castiel.
"Hey, this is a major paper right?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well, I'm not exactly a school expert, but don't most major English papers end up being more than five pages?"
Castiel looked again at the screen and felt any relief from before run away screaming. His previously 20 page paper was now down to a fourth of what it was supposed to be.
Castiel groaned in frustration and tugged at his hair. "It must not have saved properly onto the drive! Oh god, what am I going to do?"
Dean was quick to calm him down. "Hey, hey, don't worry. It'll be fine. When is the paper due?"
"This week."
"Oh shit, you're screwed," Dean blurted. Castiel stared at him in exasperation. "I mean, it's fine."
"No Dean, it is very, very not fine. I have to retype 15 pages!"
"Calm down, okay. We'll figure it out."
Castiel momentarily paused his internal rant. "We?"
"Yeah, we. I'll help you remember what you can of the paper, and we can figure out the rest."
"You really want to do that?"
"Sure, it'll give me a chance to get to know you. Now come on, we've got a paper to write."
>>>>><<<<<
Two years later when Cas and Dean rented an apartment together for their senior year of college, after they had been going out for a year and a half, Castiel found his paper in an old box. He reflected on how long it had taken him and Dean to rewrite it. Cas looked over at Dean, who was unpacking another box next to him.
"What're you thinking about, angel?"
Castiel held up the paper in response.
Dean recognized it immediately. "Oh god, that took ages. We were so tired by the end."
"I was ready to sleep for the rest of college."
"Worth it though?"
Cas looked over at the radiant boy next to him and thought how he could never forget a face like that. He leaned closer and placed a chaste kiss on Dean's lips.
"Worth it."
Just his luck.