Don't Tell Sammy

Chapter 20: From Blood to Snow

It only took a second of Cas's face pressed against Dean's shoulder and a moment of Dean's hand lightly on his back for Cas to compose himself, sigh it out and unlock the door, sweeping into the apartment without looking back.

'Who do we have to call to get a new door?' Castiel asked, pushing off his jacket and draping it over his arm as he went straight towards the bedroom. 'Or to get that ... painted? Would the words still show up if they were painted? They were carved in but the lines were thin. They're only scratches.'

'Cas ...'

'Can we do it ourselves? We could buy white paint. Is that even allowed? Or do we have to call someone about it?'

'Aren't you more interested in who fucking did it?' Dean asked.

They'd reached the bedroom now, and Castiel was emptying his pockets before he hung up his jacket, and once he did he started to unbutton his shirt when Dean grabbed him.

'Cas,' he said seriously. 'Come on.'

'There's cameras,' Castiel stated blankly. 'We can ... we can do what you do and hack into them, can't we? Or find the footage from last night and see who did it? It's easy. Not a problem.'

Dean dropped his arms and allowed Castiel to continue casually stripping in front of him.

'But Cas, I mean ...'

'Yes?'

'... Are you okay?'

'Part of me already thought it was targeting me from the very first message inside the walls,' Castiel said with a shrug. 'So yes, Dean. I'm fine. I'm done. I'm over it. I don't care. I know what people like this think about people like me, people like the ones in this building, and I know it's ridiculous and stupid so could we please get over this and could you please take off your shirt or something so I'm not the only one standing here half naked?'

Dean surveyed him and his stance, and then removed his jacket, flannel and t-shirt in quick and fluid motions, draping them all over his arm. Castiel grabbed his sweats and hung up his shirt and then stepped away silently and disappeared into the bathroom to change the rest of the way, because he wasn't wearing underwear while sleeping because it was more comfortable without, and he wasn't about to get completely naked in front of Dean because that was plain weird.

Dean was still standing there, completely changed too, leaning against the closet with his arms folded across his chest, watching Cas as he emerged. Because Dean was in the way, Cas just dropped what he'd been wearing his lower half on the floor and walked up to him.

'Goodnight,' Castiel said blatantly, flatly, looking Dean right in the face.

'That's it?' Dean asked. 'That's all you're going to say?'

'It's ... late. I'm tired. You're tired. We seem to be going to bed. What else is there to say?'

Dean watched him, his eyes peeled for signs of anything else he could read in his features, but there was nothing.

'Nothing,' Dean shrugged. 'There's nothing. Night, Cas.'

And then Dean swept out.

'You forgot your stuff,' Castiel muttered, turning and seeing the still doubly made bed as he went to pick up the clothes he had dropped and put them in the closet.

Dean came back in.

'Forgot ...'

He pointed roughly. Cas made a gesture. Dean grabbed the things from the bed and left again. Castiel continued to the closet and put away his things.