Work Text:
To say that Dean Winchester was bored out of his mind was an understatement. The man was staring out the window, as if the passing scenery would somehow prove to be entertaining. It had been entertaining at some point… Like the first ten minutes of the train ride. Now, after hours of seeing it, every tree, every cloud seemed like the same.
At some point in the last thirty minutes, Dean’s phone had died. Now it was stuffed somewhere in his bag, forgotten. He just hoped his brother didn’t get in his head to worry. Sam loved to panic whenever Dean arrived late, even if it was by minutes.
Of course, Dean knew where this panic came from. It hadn’t been easy living with a father who would disappear for weeks on end, not knowing if he would return or not. But Dean had assured Sam time and time again that he would always return.
It would still be nice to send a message to his brother at least. ‘Hey, this train ride is taking much longer than I expected, I might show up very late.’ And of course, without his phone, he couldn’t listen to his music. Granted, listening to the same four albums would have driven anybody insane, but Dean had been all but vibing with them.
But now, he was left with a dreadful silence and the passing scenery.
“Ugh.” Dean groaned and leaned back on his seat. He tilted his head up and shut his eyes, as if maybe he could make the train move faster by sheer power of will. “I’m never taking the train again.” He muttered.
“How long have you been on?” A voice asked. Dean opened his eyes and glanced at the speaker, a young man sitting a few seats away. To say that Dean hadn’t noticed the man before he spoke would be a lie. Dean had noticed him since he got in the train two stops ago. The man wore dress pants, a white dress shirt and a beige cardigan over it. While it was an outfit Dean wouldn’t be caught dead in, the stranger made it work. And of course, Dean had noted how his hair was tousled, and how his blue eyes rather than cold seemed almost warm…
“Oh I lost count after a few hours.” Dean admitted, earning a smile from the stranger. Oh, and it was a nice smile. Dean found himself smiling too, momentarily distracted from the boredom. “How about you?”
“I got on two stops ago. I’m still pretty sane.” The stranger said. He gestured towards the empty seat across from Dean. “May I?”
“Sure.” Dean replied, which prompted the person to grab his briefcase and join Dean.
“My name is Castiel.” The man said with a smile, extending his hand towards Dean. Now that he was closer, Dean could smell the faint scent of coffee and something sweet. He reached up and shook the stranger’s hand.
“Dean.” He replied. Then, Castiel fell back into his seat and turned to look at the scenery. Dean was going to follow his lead, but for some reason he found himself staring at the stranger. He seemed so friendly, so approachable. Everything about him seemed welcoming and cozy.
“So where are you headed, Dean?” Castiel asked, breaking his gaze from the window and glancing at Dean. Dean looked away from him immediately, feeling somewhat embarrassed to be caught staring. For a moment, he even forgot why he was in that train in the first place.
“I’m, um… Visiting my brother.” Dean said. “He’s a university student, and um… Well finals’ week is over, and I know for a fact he’s drained, I mean the kid’s been studying nonstop for the past few weeks, and I just want to make sure he’s doing well.” As soon as he started talking about Sam, Dean found it easy to go on with the conversation. If there was one thing he found no problem talking about, it was his brother. “He’s a smart and resourceful kid, but he’s also my little brother.”
~~~
The stranger nodded, silently listening to Dean speak. Finally, he smiled. “Well it sounds like he can handle it. But it’s nice that he’s got you watching his back.”
Dean smiled and continued speaking, unprompted. “Did I mention he’s in law school? The kid’s a genius!” And Dean went off, talking about his brother. Castiel was a good listener. He nodded along, listening to Dean without interrupting the male, he commented on all the appropriate places, and generally encouraged Dean to keep talking. It was clear Dean loved talking about his little brother, and Castiel was intrigued by him.
It was nice listening to him speak. The way his green eyes lit up whenever he praised his younger brother, the way he tilted his head slightly, or the way his hair caught the sun rays bleeding through the window, turning it a caramel color. It was all so captivating.
Dean was in the middle of describing Jessica, Sam’s girlfriend, when he finally caught himself. “Oh, wow. I talked a lot, didn’t I?” He chuckled nervously and glanced outside the window. His side profile was no less perfect, Castiel had to make a conscious effort to look away from his perfect jawline before Dean noticed he was staring.
“Oh, it’s fine! I want to know more. So Sam took Jessica to the family dinner?” Castiel asked, proving that he was paying attention. Dean hesitated before he started to talk again. But within seconds he was already glowing again. After he was finished talking, Castiel smiled and leaned forward.
“He sounds like an amazing young man.” Castiel concluded. Dean smiled and nodded. He gestured towards Castiel.
“What about you?” Dean asked. It was a terribly vague question, but Castiel obliged.
“I’m a professor.” Castiel said. “I teach Theology.”
While Dean had never really been interested in such a subject, the man was an atheist, he looked at Castiel expectantly. The professor laughed and gave Dean a quick overview of what he taught. Dean listened quietly, nodding along to Castiel. It was a lovely interaction, both of them sharing their view and yet being respectful about it. After a while, Castiel found himself being interrupted by an announcement on the train.
Another stop. Sadly, not Dean’s. Thankfully, not Castiel’s either.
Castiel looked down at his watch and smiled. “Well, we have thirty minutes before the train departs. Care to grab a cup of coffee while we wait?” He looked at Dean, waiting for his reply.
And honestly… How could Dean say no to those lovely eyes?
“I’d love to.” Dean replied. And together, they left the train in pursuit of the nearest coffee shop.