Work Text:
Dean woke up in a good mood. Sure he only got about three hours of sleep but he was too excited to be stressed out. He stepped out of his bedroom and looked at the closed door across the hall. Cas was probably still asleep. Dean didn't hear him come in so his roommate most likely got home at around 11 PM again. He shook his head as he walked to the kitchen. He never knew being a professor was so much work.
Coffee is always a must in the morning, so Dean started the brewer on that while he rummaged in the fridge for breakfast ingredients. He got to work on cooking, turning the old school radio on as he passed by it. The kitchen was filled with a catchy tune, and Dean found himself humming and head-bobbing to the music.
"You're in a good mood."
Startled, Dean dropped one of the eggs and it broke with a splat on the floor. "Fuck, Cas. When did you come in?" Cas just gave him his trademark head tilt. "I think it was somewhere near the end of Bad Blood."
Dean paused to think and couldn't help wince. "That was like a whole song ago! Why didn't you say anything?" Cas shuffled closer to sit down at their two-person dining table. "I thought I was dreaming about you dancing to Taylor Swift." Dean turned to face Cas so he can vehemently deny any dancing that took place, catching the amused smirk his friend gave him. "Haha. Very funny, Cas. I was not dancing."
"Could have fooled me." Dean rolled his eyes and turned back to the sizzling bacon. "Fuck you. Just for that, I'm gonna eat half of your share of the bacon." Cas let out a groan. "No fair." Dean remembered the fallen egg and glanced at Cas. "If you clean up Humpty-Dumpty over there, I'll consider not to." Dean heard the chair scrape the floor as Cas stood. He made a show of wiping the egg and tossing the used rag into the trash. "Happy?" Dean just smirked.
"By the way, why are you up this early on a Saturday?" Cas asked, as he walked back to his seat. "I got a job." Dean said while serving Cas a plate of bacon and eggs. "But you already have a job."
"Actually, I quit the bar last week. I only worked last night 'cause the new bartender called in sick and the owner needed someone to fill in ASAP." Dean sat down opposite Cas with his breakfast. "Ah. What is this new job then?"
"You know that auto restoration garage a block from the university?" At Cas' nod, Dean continued, "A spot opened up in their Repairs department and I applied for it." Cas swallowed, and gave Dean a gummy smile. "That's great, Dean. You've always wanted to work there." Dean finished his breakfast and stood to pour him and Cas some coffee. "Yeah. I'll be working 8-12, Monday to Saturday." Cas glanced at the clock. "You should get ready for work then. You can leave the plates."
"Okay."
Only a few minutes in the shower and Dean started feeling the first day jitters. He was confident during the interview and the evaluation but for some reason he couldn't help but worry. He got a job, one that he doesn't want to lose. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself, to no avail. He wasn't even dressed yet and he was already thinking he was going to screw something up.
Picking out what to wear became a challenge. Dean couldn't seem to settle on anything. It didn't matter that he was most likely going to be in a shapeless blue coverall his entire shift. Everything he tried on felt off. When he finally settled on a red button up and dark blue jeans, there was a knock on his door. "Dean, it's half past 7. I know it's a short drive but you're cutting it a bit close." At that, Dean frantically pulled his clothes on. He grabbed his wallet and his jacket and hurried out his bedroom.
Dean was getting more agitated. He almost forgot to grab his keys and it was already in a bowl near the apartment door. Before he could leave, he heard Cas call him. "Dean!"
For a split second he wanted to ignore Cas, pretend he didn't hear him. But he's never done that before and he wasn't going to start now. He fixed a smile on his face, hoping it didn't look too fake. He let go of the door knob he was white-knuckling and turned as he heard frantic footsteps halt abruptly behind him.
At first, they just silently stared at each other. But then Cas gave him a small wave.
"Have a good day at work."
Dean blinked. He took in the messy hair, the pajamas, the soapy water dripping from long fingers, and the soft smile on that face. Cas looked so proud to be able to say those words to him that he let out a soft chuckle. He felt his nerves settle and his tight smile melt into something much more sincere.
"I will. Thanks, Cas."