Skin to Skin

Chapter 28

Castiel went to class, leaving Dean alone for the day, something he wasn't particularly thrilled about. He skimmed through some of the books piled against the wall, played on his phone, even got on Facebook on the damn computer. Dean sighed, leaning back in the computer chair, trying to ignore the urge to get up and go look for Castiel. What the fuck is wrong with him? Dean shook his head, nothing, nothing's wrong. They were apart for 6 months, of course Dean is going to be a little...clingy. If that's even the word for it, how he acted earlier was entirely unexpected even to him. Dean fished the pill bottle out of his jacket, it was an anxiety medication the medic had written out on ship and Dean had filled when he got back to Galveston. He rolled the bottle between his fingers. He doesn't need these...does he? Dean leaned forward, face in his hands. There is nothing wrong with him, he doesn't need pills to make him normal. There was a knock on the door and he jumped, yea he's normal. Dean got up and answered it, it was Kevin. "Hey... Cassy sent me over to check on you, see how you're doing." Dean's eyes narrowed, "Why didn't he just text me?" Kevin looked a little caught of guard and stuttered when he responded. "I-I don't know, man. I'm just the messenger boy. Maybe he thought it would be better if I checked in on you in person." Dean nodded, his anxiety was becoming too much, he almost couldn't function without suspecting everybody. "Well I'm fine. Thanks for checking on me." Dean went to shut the door and Kevin stopped it with his foot. "I probably shouldn't say something because it's not my business-" "You're right, it isn't." "But I'm going to anyway. I get being on the ship from Cassy was hard, it was hard for him too. The kid loves you, Dean. Don't hurt him, in anyway. I saw the rage last night that Castiel didn't, he sees the good in people." Dean scoffed when eternally he was getting angrier by the minute. How dare he accuse him of wanting to hurt Castiel, he loved him more than anything, so yea he's a little clingy right now. "What are you his protector or something?" Kevin shook his head and sighed. "I'm just a friend looking out for his friend."
Kevin messaged Castiel midday during class, saying he checked on Dean but it didn't go over as Castiel planned. Now he's been anxious all day, debating on skipping his last lecture, then Dean messaged him, "I'm okay." Castiel let out a breath, there was a lead weight in his stomach. He couldn't focus on his professor so he didn't see the point in staying. He needed to make sure Dean was really okay.
Castiel stuffed his notebook in his satchel and quietly left the classroom. He leaned against the wall in the hallway, took a few breaths to calm his nerves before confronting Dean then walked to his dorm.
When Castiel reached his room he heard nothing, no music, no pacing, not even Dean snoring. He unlocked the door and eased his way in and saw Dean stretched out on his bed. Headphones on and clearly listening to unnecessarily loud music. Castiel set his things down and approached the bed, Dean jumped, wide eyed and looking terrified when he felt the bed dip. Dean ripped the headphones off and tossed them in the bed. "You should announce you're in a room before you get on the bed with someone." Castiel looked away, "I'm sorry." Dean stood up, stretching his legs. His jacket fell off the bed and a pill bottle was exposed in its pocket. Castiel picked it up and looked at it, licked his lips out of nervous habit when he realized these were some pretty heavy duty mood stabilizers. Dean ripped them out of his hand and shoved them in his pocket. "It's nothing." Castiel took deep breath before approaching the subject, "Are you supposed to be taking these?" Dean shrugged, he wouldn't look at Castiel so he took that as a yes. "Wow, you got on me about not taking care of myself or thinking I wasn't worthy and here you are not taking something you need." Dean looked at him, anger, pain, despair in those bright green eyes. "O-okay, I'll try to remember taking them." Castiel didn't believe him, he wanted to but he knew Dean. If there was a problem with himself he was probably running from it.