#cozaure

No one seemed to notice Cas, so he quickly ran to the kitchen, relieved that he wouldn’t have to socialize. He opened one of the high cupboards, looking for bread to prepare a sandwich.

“If you’re looking for the pizza, there are still some pieces of it in the living room, but you better hurry up, we just began to eat the last one!”

Cas startled, bumping his head on the door of the cupboard that was still open.

"Ouch," he grunted before quickly turning around.

The guy from the couch was standing in the kitchen doorway, two empty bottles of beer in his hands. Cas brought his hand to his head, rubbing his skull, grimacing a little with pain. The guy quickly put the bottles on the table and reached towards Cas.

“Sorry, man, I didn’t mean to startle you! Are you alright?”

He raised his hands towards Cas’s head, before stopping his gesture, uncertain. They looked at each other, the guy trying to probe Cas’s expression, as Cas was trying to come to his senses. He’d never seen that boy before, he wasn’t one of Balthazar’s usual friends. Cas dropped the hand that was still on his skull and brushed past the boy’s shoulder. That’s how they both realized how close to each other they were standing, and the guy took a step back. He was still looking at Cas.

“Are you okay?” he repeated.  

Cas blinked.

“Ye… Yes, I think so.”

“Good. I’m sorry, I didn’t think you would hit your head…”

“No… No worries, I’m still half asleep, it’s not your fault.”

The guy smiled.

“Oh yeah, that explains the bed hair.”

Cas blushed and ran a hand through his hair, looking at his feet, suddenly aware of his sleeping outfit: an old, worn shirt, plain sweatpants, and bare feet. He usually liked wearing button-down shirts, fancy crew-neck pullovers, or nice polo shirts, even when he was with his friends, and he almost felt naked. In comparison, the guy was wearing a casual outfit, nothing fancy, but it made him look cool and at ease: blue jeans with an open plaid shirt over a dark t-shirt. He was wearing a metal pendant hanging from a leather string, and Cas wondered briefly what it represented.

“Sorry, I didn’t think I’d run into anyone… Which was stupid, because obviously I knew you were all here, and I…” Cas began to say, very embarrassed.

“Hey, it’s cool, man”, the guy interrupted him. “Don’t worry, it looks good on you.” He winked and Cas felt himself blushing furiously.

“You must be Balthazar's roommate?”

“Yes. I’m Castiel.”

The guy frowned. “Castiel?”

“Maybe Balthazar referred to me as “Cas”? That’s what my friends call me”.

“”Cas” sounds right”, the guy nodded. “I’m Dean, by the way. Dean Winchester. Nice to meet you!”.