Eccentric (AO3)

Requested by sparksflycastiel​

Prompt: “I’m with you, okay? I love you, no one else.”

It wasn’t always easy, being in a committed relationship with a college professor.

In fact, some days, Dean considered it downright difficult. It wasn’t that Castiel wasn’t his everything, because he was. Once he’d pulled his head out of his ass and actually took the time to see what was right in front of him, he knew that there was never going to be anyone else that compared.

But that wasn’t to say that some days he didn’t just want to shake Castiel until his teeth rattled in his skull. Particularly during what they’d both come to call ‘grading week’.

It happened every time there were finals. Castiel had a short turnaround before he needed to return his marked papers, but due to the fact that he was always researching himself, he only allowed himself a week. It didn’t sound so bad in theory, but that week was one of the worst weeks of Dean’s life. As soon as he found out when it was, he booked the week off work.

Because there was no way he was letting Castiel burn down their kitchen again.

It was ridiculous. Every time that grading week came around, Castiel would become the most absent-minded, neglectful, messy idiot this side of the Atlantic. He had no ability to self-care, no thought for anything other than his grading. He wouldn’t eat, sleep or shower without prompting, and was a danger to himself and everyone else within a ten foot radius.

The first time Dean discovered grading week, he’d found Castiel had locked himself in his study before Dean had even left for work, and was still in there when Dean went to bed. He’d chalked it down to a one off, but then he’d told Castiel he was leaving breakfast in the pan for him the next day as he left for work. A call from his neighbour just after he’d gotten to work had informed him that his house was on fire. Nobody had been hurt, but Castiel had been shaken and upset that he’d left the stove on and completely ruined their kitchen.

After that, precautions were set in place. Twice a year Dean would take a week’s vacation to make sure Castiel took care of himself properly during grading week, would making him shower and sleep and eat, and bugged him until he did as he was told.

Sex was a no-go, Castiel simply didn’t have the time or energy, but Dean was okay with that, because they more than made up for it when Christmas and summer vacation came around.

It was the last day of the summer grading week now, and Dean couldn’t wait to spend some time with Castiel after it was done. He’d made all sorts of plans for them, including dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant that had just opened across town, and he was even taking Castiel to a damn apiary, just to see him smile.

The sound of an engine outside caught Dean’s attention and he peered out of the window. A removal truck was pulling up just a few houses down from his, so Dean decided to be neighbourly. Castiel could manage on his own for a few minutes, from the sounds of it, he was hard at work. Stepping outside, Dean jogged down the street towards a dark-haired woman and her son, who were just getting out of the truck.

“Hey!” he greeted with a warm smile, nodding at the kid, who was wearing a Led Zeppelin t-shirt. “I’m Dean, I live just down the road. Welcome to the neighbourhood. Can I give you a hand with that?”

He took the box that was just about to slip from the woman’s grasp, steadying it easily. She gave Dean a grateful look, and inclined her head in thanks.

“Lisa Braeden, and this is my son, Ben. Thanks for the help. This seems like a nice neighbourhood.” She commented, politely.

Dean nodded, looking around at the pristine lawns and laughed softly. “Yeah, it’s not bad. If you don’t mind me saying, Lisa, this seems an awful lot of heavy boxes for a woman and her kid. Do you need a hand moving everything inside? It’s no trouble.”

Laughing, Lisa gave him a sheepish look. “If you really don’t mind, I’d appreciate it,” she admitted.

Ben smirked and nudged her. “Dad wanted to wait until he’d finished work to move, but my mom said that she could have everything done by then. I told you, mom.”

Laughing loudly, Dean shook his head at Ben’s light teasing and Lisa’s now pronounced blush. “Alright, well, your mom knows best, Ben, and we can still get all of this inside before your dad gets home.”

It didn’t take a lot of time, most of the heavy furniture was carried in between Dean and Lisa, and if Dean could manage it alone then he insisted on carrying it. It was being neighbourly, he told her, and his partner was holed up in his study grading, so he had nothing better to do.

When everything was inside, they settled on the front lawn drinking glasses of water, and Dean and Ben were in a deep discussion about Led Zeppelin’s best album. Dean was about to argue more when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Glancing up, he recognized Castiel instantly, pleased that he was eventually out of his study.

“Cas! Come and meet Lisa and Ben!” He waved his partner over.

Castiel came over awkwardly, his face tense and his motions stiff. “Hello. It’s lovely to meet you,” he spoke quietly, before shifting. “I just came to see where you were. I, um, think I left the stove on, please excuse me.”

There was something in Castiel’s face that told Dean that was a barefaced lie, and he frowned, unsure of what had upset Castiel so much. “I should be heading back, if Cas is getting started on dinner then I should be there to supervise,” he grinned, handing Lisa her glass back. “Feel free to stop by any time, Lisa. Bring your husband. And Ben, look after your mom, you hear?”

Dean’s steps were quick as he made his way back to the house and he found Castiel slumped over the kitchen table, his shoulders shaking slightly.

“Cas?” he breathed, concern etched into his face. “Cas, what’s wrong?”

He was at Castiel’s side in an instant, crouching beside him and rubbing his arm, trying to get his lover to look at him.  Something must have happened to make him like this, and Dean couldn’t figure out what it was.

“I’m sorry about this, Dean,” Castiel sniffled pathetically. “I… I don’t even know where it came from. I just saw you with that woman and her son and you looked happy… and I know grading week makes you miserable, and I’m not as attentive as you deserve. You should have the world, a normal family, a wife, kids… not some … eccentric professor who forgets to shower and almost burns his house down.”

Dean’s chest ached with the broken words, interspersed with scattered sobs, and he shook his head, stopping Castiel from saying anything else with a finger on his lips.

“I’m with you, okay? I love you, no one else.” He promised, pulling Castiel to his chest and carding his fingers through the soft, fluffy locks. “Maybe you are eccentric, Cas, but it’s two weeks. Two weeks, every year. Yes, I have to force you to shower when you smell, and suffer with blue balls from no sex, and watch you eat dinner I spent an hour making in less than three minutes. But it’s also two weeks I get to look after you, and wash your hair for you. I get to spend two weeks thinking of nothing but you, and what we get to do after grading week is over.”

He pulled back just enough to gently tilt Castiel’s chin up, gazing into the big blue eyes in front of him with complete sincerity and love.

“I wouldn’t change you, Cas. Not for anything.”

Castiel’s cheeks flushed a light shade of red, and he leaned in, brushing his lips over Dean’s slowly.

“I don’t deserve you,” he breathed. “But I’m going to make it up to you. After I shower.” His nose wrinkled as he caught a whiff of himself.

Pulling back, Castiel stood up and headed for the bathroom, stripping off his shirt on the way. At the kitchen doorway, he turned back and raised his eyebrow suggestively.

“Coming? We have a whole week to make up for, after all.”

Dean was pretty sure his feet had never moved that quickly in his entire life, but in record time he had Castiel in his arms, and carried him to the bathroom.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

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