Work Text:
Dean Winchester isn’t exactly an avid library-goer. If it were up to him, he’d reread Vonnegut for the rest of his life even though his books were beyond tattered and Slaughterhouse Five was missing it’s front cover and a page was loose towards the centre.
Standing in the doorway of Kansas City Library, Dean takes a breath before entering. Technically he’s only here to drag his brother away from studying just for a couple of hours because he’d been there for his entire spring break from Stanford University.
It’s not long before he spots Sam, hunched over textbooks and scribbling away at a stack of note paper.
“Hey, Sammy,” Dean says, clapping his brother on his back and making him jump.
“It’s Sam, I’m studying.” He quipped with a scowl.
“You can’t spend your whole spring break looking at nerd books.” Dean said with exasperation.
“I can and I will, Dean! I have exams when I get back.” Sam sighed, turning a page of his book and noting something down before highlighting it.
“Dude! C’mon, where’s your sense of adventure? We could head down the Roadhouse and get shit-faced.”
“Dean it’s not even afternoon. Give me an hour okay and we’ll go down the Roadhouse for lunch.” Sam shoved at his brother to leave him alone.
“Alright, alright, I’m going. I’m sticking around though, bitch,”
Sam huffs but doesn’t reply so Dean wanders off into the large library. This level seems entirely non-fiction though so he heads back down to fiction and peruses the science fiction.
He pulls out a book not even taking notice to which one he’s pulled out. There’s an armchair by the window and he takes his place, if Sam’s going to be doing his nerdy stuff, Dean might as well be comfy.
He’s read the book before more than he can count and he’s barely fifteen minutes in when he can feel someone watching him.
Dean looks up to see no one in sight and narrows his eyes at the surrounding area before returning to his book. He feels the sensation again shortly after and this time when he looks up, there’s a dark hair man wearing slacks, shirt and a knitted pullover hovering by his side.
“Can I help you?” His tone comes out harsher than expected and the man steps back with a frown.
“I apologise, I just…” He stops and Dean sets his book down on his lap and removes his feet from the coffee table as he notices a Kansas City Library name tag on his chest. Dean watches as the man glances down at his lap and back to meet his eyes. “I… I must say your taste in books is beautiful,”
Dean grins, so this is how it goes. He’s finally picking up that the guy is probably attempting to flirt with him. “It’s only Vonnegut – unless you were implying something else?” Dean raises a brow and the man – Castiel, he reads – blushes.
“I uh, well, perhaps – maybe. Coffee?” He stumbles.
“Coffee sounds good, I’m Dean,” Dean’s smooth with this kind of situation, he doesn’t exactly sleep around but he’s no stranger to dating and picking up chicks and guys. Dean pulls an old receipt from his back pocket and scribbles down his phone number with a pen stolen from Castiel’s pocket. The man startles a little when he takes it and blushes harder. He tears the receipt in half and hands both to Castiel, prompting him to write down his own number for him.
He sees a small smile creep up on the man’s face as he writes his number down. Castiel hands over his number and Dean winks as he tucks it into his pocket.
“So, what’s your favourite book then?” Dean wonders as he sits back down and sneaks a glance at his watch. He’s got half an hour before he’s dragging Sam out of there so he has time to chat. Besides, he should know what kinda guy he’s going on a date with.
“Will I need to give your number back if I say Twilight?” Castiel deadpans. Dean seems to stop functioning for a moment before his brain kicks into gear to work out if he’s joking or not.
“ah,” Dean stumbles, he can’t just reject the guy because he likes a book he doesn’t. “Uh,” but Castiel did offer him an out.
Castiel smirks and bursts into a giggle that’s more glorious than angels singing.
“What?”
“You really thought my favourite book was Twilight?” Castiel says in between getting a grip of himself.
“’course not, that would be stupid.” Dean replies sheepishly. Castiel huffs a laugh and smiles. It’s cute with his blue knitted sweater vest and radiant blue eyes.
“So coffee?”
“Yes, coffee.”
“Great! I should be getting back to work, books to stack and all,” Castiel says, he straightens his vest and nametag before giving Dean a small smile. He turns to leave before saying: “My favourite book is The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by the way.” And he disappears between the library shelves.
Dean’s never heard of the book but he digs his phone out of his pocket and searches for it before heading off to go and find it. It can’t hurt to read something new for once and so what if it’s his date’s favourite book.
*
Dean’s smiling when he goes to drag Sam out of the library.
“What’s up with you?” Sam asks, packing up his books and hauling his backpack onto his shoulder.
“Who me? Ain’t nothing up with me.”
“Dude, you look like you just got laid,” Sam laughs. Dean goes quiet and gives Sam an uncomfortable smile. “You didn’t? In the library? Dean!”
“I didn’t,” Dean promises. “I just got a number is all,”
“You’re left for less than an hour and you get a chick’s number – in a library…” Sam’s exasperation is clear and he shoulder checks his brother as they head towards the door.
“Hey,”
“See you later, Dean,” A voice says from behind them and the brothers turn.
“See ya, Castiel!” Dean replies back with a two fingered salute and a wink.
“You hooked up with Cas?” Sam asked.
“I got his number, and a coffee date.” Dean tells him, hooking up implies sex and that’s not what they agreed to… yet.
“Dammit, Dean!”
“What?”
“I don’t know. Let’s just go get drunk. I think I need to be drunk.” Sam sighs.
“Too right, let’s go!” Dean fires up the impala, finishing the same rush listening to her as he got talking to Castiel earlier. This one could be good, and he has a new book to read.