After coming to that last perfect picture of him - the drawing paused mid stride through the college square, every angle of him exact down to the turn of his collar - Dean couldn't help himself. He took it. Tore it right out of the sketchbook. It came off in his hand a perfect square of paper with the most incredible chaotic thing he had ever seen. He put the sketchbooks back and went to his side of the room, hiding the picture in the back of a large textbook.
What was going on here? Did Cas... was he...? Did it matter? Yeah, a little. When it concerned him it mattered. They were roomies, he walked around mostly naked sometimes, right after a shower. Slept across the room from him. He hadn't thought it mattered. But it did. It had to, why else would he do this? Months of studying him, drawing his every aspect. Dean felt a little bit... violated. Only because it meant Castiel had a crush on him. If he was checking him out every second Dean wasn't thinking, that was hard to take. The amount of exposure they'd exchanged had been… so platonic.
The drawings, even the large amount of them, were... flattering, actually. He sat down on the bed and tried to get his bearings. His eyes kept going to the textbook where the picture was hidden.
After doing some homework, pacing, and stalking the halls, it was finally eleven at night. School was tomorrow. Maybe Cas wasn't coming back tonight. Dean stripped, the acute awareness of how routine it was nagging him, and sprawled out on the bed. Cas had seen and drawn every visible part of him. He groaned and rubbed his face. He had to ask him. He had to bring it up. This was going to drive him nuts otherwise. But...
The lock turned, and the door opened and shut quite gently. In bustled Castiel, all jangling car keys and heaving chest. His being out of breath was alarming, seeing as it was a small campus - but to Dean's knowledge he didn't own a car. Had he walked into town?
"I apologize for my lateness," he breathed, emptying his pockets onto his now-clean desk. G2 pilot pens in three different shades of blue. A black pen, a marker, change, a wallet, keys, and several balled up receipts. "I had a job offer call after you left, and I couldn't get a ride. I hiked in and went to an interview."
He had walked. Dean was perplexed. "Cas, you could have called me. Sam's number is on speed dial and he has a car."
Cas shed his trench coat, dropping it over the back of his chair, and unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his jeans with such a casual motion. His stomach peered out from the open zipper, as did his red boxer briefs. Sinking onto his bed, he shot Dean a glance as he leaned down to unlace his sneakers. "I didn't want to be a bother. It wasn't that far, and I like running."
Dean felt that strange feeling return. Cas kicked off his shoes and socks and got up again, walking around with his jeans undone as he searched for a shirt to change into. The muscles in Dean's chest convulsed with pin pricks and needles. "Cas," he protested on instinct. "You're my friend, you could ask me for a week long piggy back ride and you still wouldn't be a burden."
A grin took over Cas's face as he sorted through his laundry. He'd let his stubble get longer than usual. "Thank you, Dean," he said wearily, turning to give him an even look. "Really. But I needed to walk anyway. Sometimes... Sometimes I just need to put myself through it, you know? Relieves stress." He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it into his laundry bin, pulling on a faded Star Wars shirt. Then, with dramatic humor he fell back onto his bed, belt jangling, and sighed, arms and legs eagle-spread. "So how's Sam?"
"Sam's good." Dean swallowed. "Joined a fraternity."
"Really?" Cas turned his head on the pillow his dark hair was curling against and his blue eyes filled with excitement. Dean hadn't had any idea how that spark made his chest fill with warmth until he was thinking about it. Cas drawing him over and over. His eyes moving lovingly along the lines, his fingers smoothing them. It was… It was… Does this make him gay? Bi? He swallowed again. Cas chuckled, his laugh lines dotted crinkling around his eyes. "Maybe we should join one next year."