Dean doesn't want to go back to the room, but he has the bag, so he gives in. Struggling against his flight need and his crushing defeat at the hands of normal life, he stalks back to the room and stops right outside the door, back to the wall, feeling hopeless. He was a hunter, not some damn kid in school. This was never going to work and Sam didn't understand. He had done it well - studying, learning, and fitting in. Dean had fought through it. He put his head back and opened his eyes. People were passing him by, loading up their rooms with tons more shit than Cas had, stupid grins on their faces. Excitement shone in their eyes and it was hot in their breath as they chatted anxiously with their parents, friends and new roommates. He looked at his own doorway sideways. He should get over himself. This was his life now. He had to do it, no matter how much it sucked.
Poor Cas. He had to deal with him as a roommate. He took a deep breath and walked back into the room, where Cas was untangling the wires on his desk.
"You all right?" The kid asked kindly, and Dean turned in surprise to see worry in his eyes. "I... really don't mean to pry, but you seem a little out of sorts." He offered. His face was covered in even stubble, as if he disliked shaving. The blue eyes latched onto his were cloudy, but bright, in a tired face softened by kindness. Casually tossed into his chair, his gangling form was all large hands with dexterous fingers twined in wire, and well-built shoulders. He wore a wrinkled old t-shirt, his jeans one size too big. Even his sneakers were beaten up and old. The ruffle of his hair was careless, but it seemed almost staged. He tilted his head and squinted at Dean, putting down the wiring and turning to him. "You don't want to be here, do you?"
Dean laughed. "Yeah, well, I was never good at school. Now I'm living at one." He sank down onto his unmade bed, hearing its squeaks and groans like noises of protest. "I'm sorry you got stuck with me. I'm not much of a bunk buddy." He smiled a bit bitterly, but Cas seemed unaffected.
Shrugging a bit, the dark haired boy looked him over. "Don't be. You look more together than most of the people here."
"No kidding. Did you see that moron in the hallway with a bottle of vodka in his pillowcase?"
They laughed a bit and Cas sat back, hands on his knees. He rubbed his nose thoughtfully. "So, traveled a lot, now you're stuck in one place for four years. That's a huge change, I'm not surprised you're having trouble with it."
Dean waved his hands. "It's all just settling in, I guess. What about you?"
"I went through most of my life in schools built adjacent to each other. This was just a down-the-road move for me." Cas sighed. "I guess that makes it easier, but it's really... boring. Trust me."
"Boring sounds a lot easier right now." Dean chuckled. "But hey. Boring, we can fix, lucky for you."
The awkward shyness that began to creep into Cas's motion made it very clear he had protests against that. "I really don't have much to offer socially. I believe it would be best if I kept to boring." Even as he spoke his eyes slid over Dean, unable to conceal the spark there - the fiery curiosity to know what it was like to be exciting, a drifter, always out of place and on an adventure. The fear there did not outweigh it, even then.
"We'll see." Dean smiled.