A/N: Sorry, guys, I caved. And yes, I know, the dreaded college AU! I'm not going to tell you that this one is special, because it's not. It was just something to help me get past my writer's block and to get the creative juices flowing, and I figured I might as well post it. So, here you go! This is based off of a post I saw on tumblr.
Dean groaned and put his head down on the desk as he tried to make sense of the textbook passage for the fifth time that night. He had waited until the night before his history project was due to start it, and now it was hitting him, hard.
From the other room, Cas poked his head in the doorway. "What's wrong?"
Dean lifted his head and cast a glance at him. "This entire goddamn assignment is the problem! How the hell do they expect to write an essay analyzing the importance of Martin Luther's works if they don't actually tell you what happened then?" Dean was nearly shouting at this point, though he apologized after seeing Cas' alarmed face.
"Sorry, man. I didn't mean to shout. This project is just getting to me, is all." He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to wake himself up a little bit.
Seeing his roommate's very obvious distress, Cas stepped further into the room where Dean had all of his papers spread out. "I think I might be able to help. Let me see?"
The hours flew by quickly as Cas patiently helped Dean with his assignment. Before either of them knew it, the night was nearly gone.
When Dean got up to refill the coffee cups for the fifth time, he finally noticed the time the clock on the nightstand was broadcasting.
3:32
"Shit!" Dean exclaimed, walking back towards Cas. "I didn't realize it was so late, Cas, you don't have to stay up for me."
Cas glanced at his watch, and then said, "Honestly, I hadn't even noticed the time. I'm happy to help, Dean, though I still think you should have started this earlier."
"No, really, man, you don't have to do this for me. I know you've got classes in the morning."
"Dean. It's fine," Cas said, and when Dean tried to protest, held up a hand to stop him. "You can't possibly get this whole thing done by yourself. This is a major part of your grade, and I think I'll survive losing a couple more hours of sleep. That's what caffeine is for, right?" He smiled.
It was nearly five AM by the time the project was finally finished. Both of them were nearly asleep in their hard, wooden chairs, though Cas started awake with Dean's joyful shout. "Finally! We're done!"
"Yay," Cas managed to blurt out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Come on, man, let's go to bed. You're exhausted. Why didn't you just leave me to it?"
"I could not agree with you more on that. And I already told you, I wasn't going to-"
"Yeah, yeah, you weren't gonna leave me high and dry, you already told me. Come on."
While Dean was in the bathroom, Cas took care of cleaning up the mess that was their dorm room. Finally, mercifully, they were done and could both go to bed.
Cas yawned as he turned off the light "Good night, Dean."
"Good night, Cas."
Cas woke up. Something was wrong. He glanced at the clock, which was blinking 6:03. Then he heard it. A gasping, wheezing noise coming from Dean's bed. He immediately shot upright, looking through the darkness over at Dean. "Dean? Are you alright?"
The wheezing became more pronounced, and Cas fell out of the bed in his haste to get over to Dean.
"Dean!" His eyes fell upon a wide-eyed, gasping for breath Dean.
"Why didn't you tell me you were asthmatic? Where's your inhaler?" shouted Cas, who was smart enough to recognize the signs of an asthma attack when he saw them.
Dean shook his head frantically. "Don't have it - with me," he gasped out.
Cas nearly yelled at him for this, too, but saw that he was only making the situation worse by increasing Dean's anxiety.
"Okay. You're going to be all right. I need you to try to match my breaths. Can you do that?" He took an exaggerated breath, inhaling deeply. This continued for a few minutes with frustratingly little progress, before Cas switched tactics. He took a deep breath.
Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember, to let her into your heart. Then you can start to make it better.
Ever so slightly, Dean's breathing slowed. Cas took it as a good sign, and kept singing.
Hey Jude, don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin, then you'll begin, to make it better.
With each verse Cas sang, Dean became more relaxed, and breathed easier.
Eventually Cas reached the end of the song, and by now Dean was fine, nearly asleep.
Cas smiled wistfully. Carefully standing so as to not disturb Dean, he was about to head back to his own bed when a hand shot out from underneath the covers. "Stay?" a voice pleaded.
Cas hesitated, unsure. "A-are you sure? I wouldn't want to-" he began, ever polite.
"Cas, get in the damn bed," Dean interrupted, pulling aside the covers as an invitation.
Cas looked over at his empty, cold bed and promptly shut his mouth, climbing in to Dean's bed without a second thought.
He was ever-so careful not to intrude on Dean's space, uncomfortably perched on the end of the bed, until Dean, on the edge of sleep, flung out an arm across Cas, pulling him close to his body.
Cas tensed up, but then relaxed into Dean, snuggling closer.
"Good night, Cas. And thanks," Dean yawned.
Cas didn't answer he was already fast asleep.
Prompt: Asthma attack without the inhaler in the middle of the night and the other one sings to calm them down AU.
