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Castiel always thought that the seating arrangement in Miss Fitzgerald's classroom was unusual. The miniscule square tables were lined up around the classroom to form the first three sides of a rectangle-in contrast to the usual two-per-row arrangement that most teachers devised. The reason that this grouping was so abnormal was that it left each student to be seated both directly next to and across from somebody else, something most teachers try to avoid. This was also the reason that Castiel was left to dread French class each day. Poor Castiel was left sitting directly across from Dean Winchester, who, every morning, sat down and stared Castiel down. While eating a banana.
It had all started in the September when it became common knowledge that Castiel, son-of-a-preacher-named-after-an-angel-Castiel, was gay. It was like the whole school found out overnight and, on the Monday, Dean Winchester took his seat opposite Castiel and ate his banana. Which Castiel took no notice of, until Dean started staring him down.
Now Dean isn't exactly what you'd call the "jock type", but he isn't one of the nerds either. The son of the absent, abusive town mechanic. At 18, Dean was left with the responsibility of raising his 14 year old brother. So, as you can imagine, sports or books are the last thing on his mind. Of course, this doesn't stop all the girls practically throwing themselves at him. Not that he accepts any offers, claiming to be "too busy".
It's not as though Castiel can't see why the girls fly at Dean. With his dark blonde hair, emerald green eyes and a smile that could light up the darkest alley, Castiel would be lying if he said he hasn't looked himself. But, that still does not explain the banana incidents.
In mid January, four months after his coming out, Castiel decided that he had enough, taking his seat in French as Dean took his, he watched as Dean reached into his bag and produced the banana from its depths. He turned to Castiel, and proceeded to maintain eye contact. Nothing new there, Castiel thought. Castiel raised his eyebrow at the boy pestering him for months, before reaching into his own bag and taking his own banana. Without breaking eye contact, Castiel peeled his banana and slowly took a bite-before carefully chewing. He watched with satisfaction as Dean Winchester's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Grinning slightly, Castiel took another bite, wiggled his eyebrows while struggling to contain his laughter. Castiel's chest contracted slightly as he saw Dean's eyes crinkle slightly in amusement before he broke eye contact-shaking his head. Triumphant, Castiel turned away from Dean and began paying attention to the class.
And this is how things continued. For a month. For a whole month, Dean and Castiel would sit down in French, eat their bananas, both determined to not break eye contact. As these things go, it got more intense over the month. Rather than just lazily staring at the other from opposite sides of the room, the boys would be leaning over their desks staring intensely at each other, both intent on making the other look away, yet they never spoke outside class. Usually, it was Dean who looked away first, causing a flare of triumph to go through Castiel. Until one day on the final day of February, during one of their stare offs, Dean winked at Castiel. He winked. Castiel was caught so off guard that he started before ducking his head in embarrassment. When he finally built up the nerve to glance at Dean, he saw the other boy leaning back in his chair, a cheeky grin across his face. He's making fun of me, Castiel thought in horror, he's been mocking me this entire time. Thoughts of what Dean could have been saying to his friends flashed through Castiel's mind causing him to get more caught up in his despair. Shaking his head, he turned towards Miss Fitzgerald, determined not to look at the boy with too green eyes, even though he could feel said eyes burning holes in the side of his head.
The following day Castiel did not bring in a banana, he took his seat without looking at the boy across from him and turned towards the teacher's desk, waiting for her to enter. He could feel Dean looking at him, and felt a twinge of disappointment with the knowledge that Dean had been toying with him the entire time. Shaking his head, in the hopes of shaking off the burning eyes, Castiel stared at the whiteboard Miss Fitzgerald came in and taught-not taking in a word she said. And this is how things went for another week and a half. Castiel refused to look at Dean, who did nothing but look at Castiel and Castiel was miserable. He was unaware of how much he had started looking forward to his daily French classes and his staring competitions with the strange banana boy. Despite being unhappy about their interactions ending, he rathered it ended now than when Dean could make Castiel look like an even bigger idiot.
So that's why, in mid March, Castiel was completely caught off guard when Dean Winchester strode towards him after French class one Tuesday.
"Okay, what's up?" Dean's voice was laced in anxiety and concern-catching Castiel by surprise. Remember Dean's mockery, Castiel's own voice hardened, "I don't know what you're talking about." Castiel was proud that his voice didn't shake.
"Bullshit!"
Again, Dean Winchester caught him by surprise, "excuse m-."
Dean's eyes flared with an indecipherable emotion, "C'mon, Cas, you know what I mean. We had a nice thing going there and all of a sudden you're acting all weird! It's not like I've said anything wrong because we never talk! Not that I don't want to talk-."
He's rambling, Castiel thought in surprise, he's nervous! Castiel thought of the way Dean had started the staring competitions, how he had winked at Castiel, how he had nervously approached Castiel and how his voice caressed the nickname he had been given like nobody else's does.
"Oh, God," Castiel whispered in mortification.
Dean's voice faltered mid sentence before tentatively asking what was wrong.
"Dean, I believe there has been a misunderstanding." Could Dean hear the way that Castiel's voice caressed his name too?
"And by misunderstanding you mean..." He trailed off, fidgeting with his fingers.
"I was under the impression that you were making fun of me this entire time," Castiel said honestly. And, to his surprise, Dean began to laugh. "I don't understand your amusement," Castiel's head cocked to the side in confusion.
Wiping tears from his eyes, Dean shook his head, "dude, why would I make fun of you? Because you're gay?" Now it was Castiel's turn to fidget. "Cas, my brother, Sammy, has tried to set me up with guys! Granted, I've never agreed because they're, y'know, fourteen." Cas' head shot up as Dean broke his ass laughing. Shaking his head, he handed Cas a piece of paper. "I'll tell you what, come to dinner with me tonight and I'll tell you all about it." Up close, Dean's eye crinkles were flecked with freckles, Cas nodded stiffly. And, Dean, still laughing, strutted away.
Eye's flickering to the phone number written on the paper in black ink, Cas shook his head, "Dean Fucking Winchester."