Textbooks and LARPING
Chapter Two: It isn't stalking if there's a book in your hand
He was stupid to get his hopes up.
Dean cannot find a cute girl when he's done with classes. Literally no girls are around because it's six at night. Hell, this Castiel kid probably isn't even around anymore. He does find a directory for the campus, at least, and figures out the library is actually closer to the technology department. The department Dean passes all the damn time to get to his automotive one.
He rolls his eyes and heads to the library. As expected, it's quiet. Librarians are checking their watches and dozing off behind the counter, a few students are hurriedly typing up essays, and then on the third floor is a lone student. The kid he's looking for, Castiel, who is sleeping.
With his face literally in a book.
Dean finds it endearing, against his better judgment.
The kid is sitting there, his face hidden in a book about-embalming? Creepy- and all you can see are his ears poking out above his arms that are mostly covering his face from the light rather than truly cushioning him.
His hair is even more of a mess than yesterday, apparently the kid doesn't own a brush.
What's really cute about it-not that Dean thinks anything is cute about it- but what could be seen as cute about it by someone else is the boy's breathing. It's low and heavy, just on the edge of being quiet snores.
The kid is so far gone in the library at six in the evening and somehow that is both hilarious and adorable.
He almost takes a picture.
For, like, blackmailing purposes or something.
Dean's going to wake him up, though, because he's here on a mission. That is until he takes true stock of the picture before him. Finally taking his eyes off the sleeping teen he looks on the rest of the large table and notices it is covered in books and notes and printed off PowerPoints. The kid is clearly working himself to death, so being the generous man he is Dean decides to let him sleep while he reads some of the kid's books.
There all pretty creepy, in his opinion. One is funeral law, which states what you need to do with cremains, bodies, etc. without breaking the laws. Another is restorative art, which Dean figured would be how to restore old pieces of artwork. A pretty cool thing to know.
Dean was wrong. So very, very wrong. Restorative art is actually the art of restoring a person's appearance after death. Replacing bones with PVC pipe, recreating a face with certain shit-he didn't really read it. Finally he finds one he can stomach-the history of funerals. There are no gross pictures, just interesting facts and reasons behind certain funerary (a word he has now been taught by these books) customs around the world.
Before he knows it an hour has gone by and Castiel is slowly waking up.
In the weirdest fucking way possible.
First, his shoulders jump a little, as if the act of waking up was frightening. Then his fingers flex as the rest of him remains perfectly still. Next, his arms stretch across the table until his fingertips graze something unfamiliar-Dean's arm.
This makes him bolt upright and look to the stranger in complete and utter confusion.
The kid is apparently a master at not knowing what the fuck is going on.
"…Can I help you?" Castiel asks slowly, studying Dean for a moment until it clicks. "Hello, Dean. Or are you still pretending not to be Dean?"
"Nope, I'm Dean."
"Might I ask why you were watching me sleep?"
Dean laughs a little and smirks at the boy, "Am I not attractive enough to pull an Edward Cullen?"
Castiel stares at him blankly, "I do not know who that is."
"Seriously?" Dean gapes, "Do you live under a fucking rock?"
"No, I simply have more important things to focus on than a strange man named Edward Cullen that's apparently attractive and interested in stalking people." Castiel counters and Dean has to admit, that's fair. He wouldn't choose to know that story existed either-wait.
"Wow, ego much? I wasn't stalking you." Dean scoffs.
"Wow as in the exclamation of surprise or the acronym for your strange pastime?" Castiel asks, making Dean pale and do a quick once-over of the area to ensure no one is around.
"Haha, about that…" Dean brings his chair closer to whisper to Castiel, who leans forward as well and brings their faces extremely close. So close that he has a clear view of those amazingly blue eyes and pouty lips and did he say bedhead before because it actually looks more like sex hair from here. "What are you doing?" He asks, deciding to distract himself from his increasingly gay thoughts about the kid.
Does thinking no homo count?
"You are whispering to me, correct?"
"…Yeah…"
"It is protocol to lean towards the person when they whisper to you." Castiel explains, as if he is telling Dean some scientific fact, and Dean can't help but wonder just how many times the kid has actually been whispered to.
Probably a resounding zero, from the looks of it.
"…Right…" Dean mumbles before moving his head back a little and whispering. "What you saw yesterday didn't happen."
"Yes it did, I was right there."
"No, no, no, I mean…keep it a secret."
Castiel stares at him for a moment, tilting his head to the side and making Dean have to move away more because damn this kid has no grasp on personal space. "You do not want people to know you are, as Sam would put it, a geek?"
"Shut up!" Dean huffs before frowning, "And no, nobody can know so keep your little mouth shut."
"Are you ashamed of it…?" Castiel asks, leaning into his personal space some more and making Dean's face flush. The kid is practically off his chair now as Dean panics a little, sinking down in his own seat.
"Um, well, yeah, I'm-whoatheretiger!" Dean gasps as Castiel's hand reaches towards his crotch, grabbing the textbook he didn't realize he was still holding in his lap.
Castiel then proceeds to look at Dean like he's the weirdo.
Fuck this kid.
"Well," Castiel begins, sitting back in his seat and leaning away from Dean again as he looks over the book, "I do not see why you feel a need to be ashamed, there are plenty out there with stranger pastimes," Those damn blue eyes look back up at Dean, "But I will keep quiet."
"So, um, what on earth are you doing in the library at six on a Friday night?" Dean asks and Castiel shrugs, carefully flipping through the book the older man was reading earlier when he was not creeping on the teen.
"I do not party, and my friend Balthazar is currently participating in lewd and licentious behavior with…around…twelve women…" Castiel explains not bothering to even look to Dean anymore. Something Dean isn't sure he should see as rude or a blessing. "But I have a question for you as well." He says, catching Dean's interest.
"Oh yeah?"
"Why are you still here?" The teen asks and Dean begins to glare at the boy who remains unaware.
Of course he would know if he'd look up from his stupid fucking book.
"That's a damn good question. We're done here, so I'm going." Dean huffs, standing up before Castiel finally looks at him again, having gone through the entire textbook.
"Thank you for not writing graffiti in my books." Castiel says, throwing Dean off.
"Wha-? Why the hell would I mess with your textbooks?" Dean asks, "Just what do you think I am?"
Castiel frowns, "It is nothing against you, Dean, but usually when I wake up from falling asleep in here there is graffiti on various items I left on the table." He nods to Dean, "So thank you for not doing so."
"Wow, this is college why the hell are people being such assholes to you?"
"It is usually my brother just messing with me."
"Well he sounds like an A-class dick." Dean huffs and Castiel's lips might have just curved slightly up for a brief second.
"He means well…" Castiel frowns, "Probably…?"
"So he's like the quintessential older brother in teen comedies?" Dean asks and the younger boy looks back down at his book in what appears to be embarrassment.
"I do not really watch television…" Castiel mumbles awkwardly.
"Wait…like…as in you only watch it once and a while? Or…?"
"I have not watched television since I was fourteen."
Dean gapes at the truly horrifying fact someone could go so long without TV. "W-wait…do you watch stuff on the computer?"
"I do not have a computer of my own, I only use the campus computers for school work." Castiel explains and Dean is completely confused.
"Jesus Christ! Are you fucking Amish or something?" Dean asks, making Castiel frown.
"My father and eldest brother said it is important to focus on your studies. Computers and televisions are distracting." Castiel explains, "I do not want to upset them by becoming idle." He shrugs, "Besides, I do not find it to be that big of a loss anyways."
Dean is at a loss for words. What does this kid do all day?
Okay, so looking around the table it's fairly obvious what the kid does all day, but how is that any fun?
"Castie-" Dean gets cut off by his phone beeping with a message from Sammy. "Ah, Sammy wants me to grab dinner…" He mumbles before looking to Castiel. "You wanna come?"
Castiel's eyes widen, "What?"
"Dinner with the Winchesters," Dean grins, "A break from books."
He looks torn, like he really wants to go but something is stopping him for whatever reason. "I doubt Sam wants me to interrupt your time together, besides, I must return to my apartment as well." Castiel mumbles, "My brother is no doubt waiting."
Dean goes to ask him something, but before the words can leave his mouth the kid is already on his way down the stairs. "…Weird kid." He mumbles to himself before heading home as well.
When he arrives, with pizza, Sammy comes running up and grabs the box, quickly digging in.
"So, how did it go with Castiel?" He asks between bites and Dean shrugs.
"The kid is weird as fuck, Sammy. You know he doesn't watch TV or use the computer for anything but school? How the hell does he let loose?"
Sammy frowns, "Hmm…I don't think he does let loose." He shrugs, "I don't really know him too well, but he's only got the one friend and he is on good terms with those in his major…but I don't think he has tried to befriend them. Or anyone. I'd imagine Balthazar probably bugged him until they became friends."
"So he is a loner, huh?" Dean asks, already aware the kid is very much not willingly alone. "No, that's not it…" The look on the kid's face when he invited him to dinner was one of pure hope, and then fear. Most likely a fear that Sammy wouldn't want him there.
"He's socially impaired." Sammy explains, "Which is too bad, he does mean well."
"Sounds like he needs a helping hand." Dean says and Sammy groans.
"Dean, for the love of god, don't harass Castiel. He wouldn't know how to handle it."
"He'll be fine, I'm just gonna show him some fun."
The younger Winchester sighs and looks to Dean, "Please don't be mean to him, I like him."
"Don't worry, kiddo, I'll be the sweetest guy he's met. Totally sweep the kid off his feet."
Sammy raises a brow, "…Really now…?"
A/N: I'm sorry this story is starting out pretty...dull...or slow...or something. Idk, something about it is irking me. It'll pick up though. Just had to get the core premises done. Now comes the fun part I promise!