Status: Another short story for NaNoWriMo. Also, wildly unedited.
Bookwarm
Coincidence
Over the next two weeks, Castiel watches as Eyebrows silently fits himself into their train car’s new routine. He gets on at 14th Street, stands against the door until Houston and then takes CorduroyJacket’s place. Castiel tries not to watch him too much, just glimpses between page turning, and over time, he even gets used to his presence. He’s just another guy on the train, he tells himself. Another familiar face that makes his commute a little less colder.
About a month in, Castiel notices a strange thing. On a Friday he finishes his current novel. Over the weekend, he visits his local bookmart and picks up a new one. On Monday morning, on the train ride in, he starts reading. And on Tuesday, he notices that Eyebrows is reading the same exact thing. He doesn’t acknowledge him, aside from the sneaking glances he allows himself, but still, there’s no way that could be a coincidence.
Two weeks later, Castiel finishes this new novel. It’s in the middle of the week (bad planning on his part) so he grabs an old favorite on his way out the door and smirks a little smugly to himself when he sees that Eyebrows is still a few train-rides away from completing that last novel.
If Castiel had any thoughts about it being a coincidence, he knows he’s wrong two days later. It’s a Friday, and Eyebrows saunters onto the train with his nose buried in a new copy of Castiel’s current novel.
The next week goes by pretty uneventful. On Tuesday, RaincoatGiirl and Mom/Nanny don’t show up. Castiel remembers it’s a minor holiday and from the lack of a crowd on the train, guesses that public schools are closed. On Thursday, the train comes in late and there’s a weird lingering smell in the car that leaves everyone burying their noses in their scarfs. On Friday, Castiel’s a little shocked to see that Eyebrows has moved on to another novel. When he takes Corduroy’s seat across from Castiel, he notices the slight smile that lifts at the corner of his mouth. Eyebrow turns to the first page, burrowing a little deeper into his seat. Castiel swears he catches as his eyes flits up to meet his.
Even though Castiel was only halfway through his novel, he spends Friday night finishing it up and he spends Sunday brunch at the bookstore, sipping hot chocolate, browsing through the science fiction aisle before he stops all his pretending and asks the worker if he can help him find a copy of the new novel Eyebrows flashed two days before.
It’s worth it, on Monday, when Eyebrows enters the train car and his cheeks fill with color upon noticing the book Castiel holds in his hands.
About a month in, Castiel notices a strange thing. On a Friday he finishes his current novel. Over the weekend, he visits his local bookmart and picks up a new one. On Monday morning, on the train ride in, he starts reading. And on Tuesday, he notices that Eyebrows is reading the same exact thing. He doesn’t acknowledge him, aside from the sneaking glances he allows himself, but still, there’s no way that could be a coincidence.
Two weeks later, Castiel finishes this new novel. It’s in the middle of the week (bad planning on his part) so he grabs an old favorite on his way out the door and smirks a little smugly to himself when he sees that Eyebrows is still a few train-rides away from completing that last novel.
If Castiel had any thoughts about it being a coincidence, he knows he’s wrong two days later. It’s a Friday, and Eyebrows saunters onto the train with his nose buried in a new copy of Castiel’s current novel.
The next week goes by pretty uneventful. On Tuesday, RaincoatGiirl and Mom/Nanny don’t show up. Castiel remembers it’s a minor holiday and from the lack of a crowd on the train, guesses that public schools are closed. On Thursday, the train comes in late and there’s a weird lingering smell in the car that leaves everyone burying their noses in their scarfs. On Friday, Castiel’s a little shocked to see that Eyebrows has moved on to another novel. When he takes Corduroy’s seat across from Castiel, he notices the slight smile that lifts at the corner of his mouth. Eyebrow turns to the first page, burrowing a little deeper into his seat. Castiel swears he catches as his eyes flits up to meet his.
Even though Castiel was only halfway through his novel, he spends Friday night finishing it up and he spends Sunday brunch at the bookstore, sipping hot chocolate, browsing through the science fiction aisle before he stops all his pretending and asks the worker if he can help him find a copy of the new novel Eyebrows flashed two days before.
It’s worth it, on Monday, when Eyebrows enters the train car and his cheeks fill with color upon noticing the book Castiel holds in his hands.