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There was someone on Cas’ shoulder.
His eyes sprung open unwillingly under the weight of it. White light and unyielding plastic flooded his senses and as he turned his gaze to see who it was, all he could make out was light brown hair and the dark scent of cheap cologne.
Someone had fallen asleep on his shoulder.
Cas couldn’t blame them. The train had left at four thirteen that morning, a half-empty carriage full of doctors and interns and early-morning talk show hosts. It had been a cocktail of coffee smells with the underlying scent of Egg-McMuffins and everyone aboard either had music jammed into their ears or bore a certain death glare that one could only develop after months of waking up at three.
Cas was a rarity among the regulars, a professor with an early class to teach and an earlier meeting to make. Today was the first of the new semester, and despite having been doing this for about two years now, the early fringes of nervous energy fluttered on the edge of his senses. He wished he’d remembered to make himself some coffee.
The train ground to a sudden halt with a mind-numbing screech and half the passengers started, limbs flying to grab handles or poles, hot drinks spilling out of the tops of Starbucks cups. Cas considered himself a seasoned professional when it came to riding the train every morning, but even his head snapped back as the car abruptly stopped, and smacked hard into the stranger on his shoulder.
He jerked himself back, but it was too late. He heard a soft mumble and groan before the head started to move and quickly fixed his gaze on the opposite wall of the car. Then-
“Oh, uh, sorry about that man-“ and a low chuckle. Cas turned his head, a perfunctory smile and “No problem” on his lips, but it died in his throat as he stole a glimpse of the man’s eyes. They were green eyes, a green Cas had never before seen on anyone else, a light green, with flecks of gold that stole half of his face. Not that the other half was bad either, dusty freckles and a sharp nose and the quirk of a smile on pink lips. Cas reminded himself to stop staring.
“Um, yeah, it’s not a problem.” Cas turned his gaze quickly away to the wall, reminding himself that the new semester started in a matter of hours, he had a syllabus to go over with whoever his new TA was and he needed every shred of his concentration to stop himself from falling asleep. It wouldn’t be prudent to get distracted by a stranger, albeit a gorgeous one.
“So…you’re a professor?” the man was saying. Cas turned back to him, a question in his eye that the stranger must have seen. “I saw your badge,” he explained, nodding to the plastic rectangle clipped to Cas’ sweater. “Plus, you seem the type—you’ve got the whole sexy teacher thing going on.”
Cas’s throat went dry and felt his face flame as he struggled to find words to say.
“I am a teacher, yes.” Was all the answer he could muster, kicking himself as the phrase spilled out of his mouth.
Thankfully his stop was next and before any more awkward conversation had been forced, Cas ducked out of the train and began the walk to the campus, casting a long glance at the coffee stand and a regretful one at his watch.
He strode into his office ten minutes before his TA was scheduled to get there, and began to put himself in order.
Cas pulled a spare copy of his syllabus out of his bag, placed it across his desk at the empty seat and arranged his notes on the other. He was just moving to sling his briefcase on one of the pegs in his wall, when he heard a quick knock on the door.
He moved to open the door, and almost froze with it half open as he was greeted with green eyes, a green Cas had never seen on anyone else.
The man flushed as he saw Cas and pushed forward one of the cups of coffee in his hands, casting his gaze on the floor.
"I’m Dean. I-uh, I guess I’m your new TA. I stopped to grab us some coffees.” Cas took the warm cup out of his hand, with a nod of thanks.
“I’m Professor Novak, but you can call me Cas.” Cas turned, walking back into the room and hearing Dean follow behind him.
“So, English 202, huh? Where do we start?” his new TA asked, settling on the chair. Cas allowed himself a smile at the enthusiasm and the private thought that maybe this semester wouldn’t be so bad at all.