"I... can have my own room?" Cas flicked his gaze between the brothers, eyebrows drawn together, as if trying to determine if this was another human thing, some joke or test. Sam grinned widely, and Dean's lips quirked up, though something seemed off around his eyes.
"Of course," Sam said, laughing. "You're one of us now, right?" He clapped Castiel on the shoulder as he walked past him. "Take your pick, man. I've got to get back to work. Dean, can you give him a hand if he needs it?" Dean glanced up from where he was inspecting a plaque on the wall, hands shoved in his pockets and looking as if he'd rather be anywhere but here
"Yeah, sure," he replied, still not quite meeting Cas' eyes. Sam didn't seem to notice as he strode back toward the library. There was an awkward silence for a moment before Dean took a deep breath and turned to Castiel with a smile. "Alright, let's get you settled in, yeah?"
'Settled in' quickly turned into a much more involved affair than Dean had anticipated. Castiel picked the room next to Dean's without much deliberation, but it was all downhill from there. They ended up taking a drive out to the closest Target for 'the essentials' -- they emerged four hundred dollars lighter ("It's not even really your money, Dean," Castiel pointed out reprovingly in response to Dean's grumbling) and almost more stuff than they could fit in the Impala. Bed sheets, a comfortor, big fluffy pillows, wall decor, shelves with little doodads to go on them, scented candles, rugs, under-the-bed storage, a fancy patterned trash can -- if it was in the Home Decor section, Castiel wanted it.
They spent the next three hours getting everything cleaned, hung, covered, and mounted. By the time they were done, Dean had a hand on his aching lower back, but he surveyed the room looking vaguely impressed.
"Gotta hand it to you, Cas, looks like something out of a damn Martha Stewart magazine." Castiel smiled softly.
"Thank you for your help, Dean. This was... unexpected." He moved to sit on his bed and looked around his room with something akin to wonder. Dean watched him for a moment, his conflicted expression softening into something else.
"You deserve it, man," he said, smiling. "Hey, I'm going to head on to bed, alright? See you tomorrow," he added over his shoulder as he headed down the hall. He poured himself a scotch and looked around his own mostly bare room. Maybe later on he'd add more stuff, but for now... it suited him.
He was just about to slide into bed when he heard a tapping at the door. "It's open," he called, expecting Sam. He was surprised to see Castiel slide into his room, closing the door behind him. Dean frowned, confused.
"I was hoping we could..." Cas trailed off uncertainly, eyes focused on Dean's bed.
Dean's eyes widened just a fraction, before he glanced away. "Yeah," he finally answered, voice gruff. "Yeah, sure."
It had started in Purgatory, sharing space in small caves. One person always had to keep watch, so once Castiel joined them, suddenly they got more sleep, and had to share sleeping space. Benny always kept a respectful distance, but Cas... well, he'd never understood the concept of personal space, and that much hadn't changed. Dean hadn't complained -- after all the time he'd spent looking for the angel, the heat of him against his back was reassuring.
Now was no different. When Cas had disappeared to heaven for so long, Dean had started to worry that the angel had actually taken his own life, and then when he had returned, he wasn't... Cas. After the whole mess with Naomi and Heaven, after all the time he'd spent wondering (again) if he'd ever see him again, he wasn't going to complain about sharing his bed -- even if he also wasn't going to be advertising that fact.
"I thought... what happened to you wanting your own room?" Dean asked a few minutes later, after the lights were out and both men were under the covers. Castiel rolled over to face Dean, their faces only inches apart.
"I do want the room," Castiel said. "I've never had anything of my own before, other than my blade." Dean blinked in surprise, but after a moment, he nodded slowly in understanding. Even his skin was not his own, or at least hadn't started out that way. "I just.... also want to be with you when we sleep," Cas added, unashamed. "I like watching you sleep. I like feeling you next to me and knowing you're here and I'm not back in Purgatory. I like seeing you when you first awaken."
Dean could barely breathe; their faces were so close it was as if Castiel had stolen the air from his lungs. Castiel frowned and raised a hand, brow furrowed as if in intense concentration as he ran two fingers down Dean's cheek. "I've wanted to do that for some time. Is that normal for humans?" Dean swallowed hard.
"Not... no, not really. Not for friends," Dean added quickly. "But for... uh, other things..."
"Like lovers?" Dean's jaw clenched as he nodded. Castiel didn't seem bothered by that in the slightest; in fact, he seemed to relax some. "Ah. Is this okay?"
Dean thought for a moment, studying Castiel's face mere inches from his own. He shifted just enough to press his lips softly to the angel's.
"...yeah. Yeah, I think it's gonna be fine."
