Chapter Text
At first, things don’t seem all that strange. They seem... normal. Or at least as normal as Dean figures he’s going to get. The truth is, Dean’s so excited by the sudden change that he doesn’t bother looking into it. Sam is decidedly indifferent about the whole thing, but that’s not unusual for him.
One morning, after months of Dean and Sam trying in vain to convince Cas that he should have a room at the bunker to call his own, instead of just spending his spare time wandering around the library or the war room, the angel finally caves. Surprisingly, he does it without a fight. As a matter of fact, he does it entirely unprompted.
“Hey, Dean?” Cas asks, poking his head into the kitchen where Dean is busy making eggs and bacon for breakfast.
“What’s up, Cas?”
“I’ve been thinking...there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Uh, yeah? What is it?”
Cas steps fully into the kitchen.
“I think I would like to have my own space here in the bunker, as you and Sam have suggested on multiple occasions. A room.”
Dean nearly drops his spatula. Getting Cas to even consider the idea has been like pulling teeth. Now for the angel to agree, entirely of his own volition? Dean is shocked. Even so, he quickly realizes that perhaps this is a good thing. Perhaps this means Cas is finally seeing the bunker as a home. And while Dean would never admit it out loud, that’s something he’s wanted since they took it over and moved in. A smile plays at the corner of his lips.
“Really?” he asks. “You mean it?”
Cas nods.
“Alright then. We can start on that as soon as I’m done with breakfast.”
As far as Dean’s concerned, that’s all the conversation needed. He’s never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and this is no exception. If Cas wants a room in the bunker, then he’ll have one. Sure enough, after breakfast has been eaten and the dishes have been washed and put away, Dean enlists Sam’s help in seeing what they can put together. They settle on giving Cas the room at the beginning of the hall, two doors away from Dean’s room. Sam’s is the one at the very end of the hallway, chosen for its privacy.
They get it cleaned up and situate a queen-sized bed frame and mattress along the center of the back wall for Cas. It isn’t the most luxurious bed, but it’s certainly nicer than some of the motels they’ve stayed in. There’s a small closet in the corner for Cas to put his things in and Dean offers to move in an old dresser if Cas thinks he needs more storage space. Sam goes to inspect what spare sheets they have lying around and when he returns, he shares the news that it’s probably a better idea if they just get some new ones. He turns to Cas.
“Do you have a preference about sheets?” Sam asks.
Cas furrows his brow.
“I’m not sure…” he responds slowly.
Dean takes the opportunity to step in.
“Hey, I have an idea,” he says, getting Sam and Cas’s attention. “Why don’t we take Cas shopping and let him pick out what he wants?”
Sam nods his approval.
“Okay.”
They both turn to Cas expectantly.
“You’ve probably never had your own room before, have you?” Dean inquires.
Cas shakes his head.
“Then this should be a fun experience. Sammy and I got to pick out stuff for our rooms, you should get to do the same.”
The angel contemplates this for a moment.
“Alright,” he agrees. “I think I would like that.”
***
Within the hour, they’re standing in the aisle of a home goods store, looking at queen-sized sheets and comforter sets. Sam, ever the practical one, is comparing prices for a couple different sheet sets. Dean on the other hand, is completely lost in his own little world, wondering if maybe he should look at some new pillows for himself while they’re there. Cas, however, looks like a deer in the headlights. He never imagined that there would be so many choices for what to put on a bed. His eyes scan over the length of the aisle, and he’s not sure where to begin.
“If you don’t see anything you like here, we can always go somewhere else,” Dean informs him.
Somewhere else? Cas thinks. As in, there’s more to choose from than what’s already available here?
“Uh. R-Right,” he stammers.
Eventually, Dean seems to notice how lost Cas looks.
“Do you have a favorite color?” he asks.
“I...I don’t know,” Cas admits.
“That’s okay.”
Dean starts strolling along the aisle, searching avidly for something he thinks Cas might be interested in.
“Mine’s blue,” he adds mindlessly.
For some reason, this strikes a chord with Cas. Blue. Blue like the sky. Or the ocean. Or the petals of certain flowers. Or Cas’s eyes...Hmmm. Blue. The angel walks along the shelves, looking for what he suddenly wants. He wants something blue. Cas makes it all the way to the end of the aisle before he finds what he’s looking for, and when he sees it, he knows it’s exactly what he wants. It’s perfect.
“I like this one,” Cas announces definitively, pulling a package from the shelf.
Inside the package is a cottony, slate-blue comforter set that seems to match Cas’s eyes perfectly. He watches as Dean’s features soften into a look of joy and amusement.
“Alright...I like it too, it looks nice.”
Cas can’t help but smile a little bit as a sudden sense of pride fills his chest. He made a good choice, he picked something Dean likes. And now, he gets to put it on the bed in his room.
“How much is it?” Sam asks, shattering Cas’s thoughts.
The angel knows how Sam is with these sorts of things. Cas slowly turns his attention to the price tag.
“Uh, it’s—”
“It’s not important,” Dean cuts him off, looking intently at Sam.
The older Winchester quickly reaches over and takes the comforter set from Cas’s hands.
“This is about us doing something for Cas,” he reminds his younger brother.
He pointedly looks at the price tag, then smiles.
“But if you’re worried, it’s not that much.”
Sam ducks his head slightly as Dean tucks the comforter set under his arm.
“Besides, Cas likes it.”
If possible, Cas’s chest swells even more. Yes, he’s made a very good choice. Perhaps there’s even more he can do to please Dean…