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Dean and Nesting.
Dean's nesting is not an indication of his impending relationship with Castiel. I'm sure he's going to enjoy showing Cas his new space, but Cas, and a relationship with Cas is not the reason why Dean is suddenly nesting.
I do realize that the term nesting is often used for mothers having babies, and getting their homes ready for their homecoming, and in the posts I've seen about Dean's nesting they are indicative of his getting his room ready in this way for some romantic company, namely Cas.
I don't agree, however.
I think his admission that he is nesting is something he wouldn't have done if it was related to a relationship with Cas. He's still not wholly comfortable with his feelings for Cas; he's certainly not going to admit that the nesting is related to Cas possibly visiting if that were the case.
If, on the other hand, Dean was going through the acts of nesting and not admitting it when Sam asked – he could have said, 'what? What are you talking about?' and ignored it like he does with other things that come up that he doesn't' want to talk about. If this was about Cas, he'd go through the motions of nesting, but never say what it was that he was doing for fear of the connotation.
During the days that followed September 11th in the Fall of 2009, there was much talk and even consumer trends involving nesting. We, as a country were nesting. Finding ourselves at home, and staying at home with our families around us. We were making the lives we had better, more comfortable rather than going out to dinner, and buying frivolous things. We were enjoying what we had in the shadow of our nation's tragedy. For those of us in New York State, we felt those effects even more dearly; holding our children closer, spending less and what we were spending was closer to home and on our homes. We had perspective in the wake of 3000 murdered.
Imagine how this feels to Dean, after all of the death and destruction he's not only seen, but been a part of, and at the end of a long day, he goes to a tacky motel room that smells like the last guest and whatever they've left behind.
This is the kind of nesting that I think Dean is doing.
He says it right there in the episode. He's never had his own room. Ever. He finally has his own room, and he is just like a little kid with it, decorating it with his favorite things.
Look at his face. He is so happy. His face is open. I don't remember ever seeing him like that before. Everything, even the things he enjoyed always had a shadow over it, and that showed on his face as well. This is the first time to me that he looks free.
That's not to say that it's going to be smooth sailing from now on; I'm sure it won't be, but he has a home. A home that was once part of his family's lives. It's a connection to his father's family. It's carrying on a tradition that he never expected. A tradition that's not hunting and killing everything. Something he could actually pass on to children if he has any. He could still go back and be part of Ben's life when it's all over, and that doesn't' mean Lisa, but if Ben is his son (and I believe that he is and say so whenever I get the opportunity), this is something he can give him. A legacy that he can be proud of instead of the terror that he brought to his life before.
And look at his stuff. How long has he been carting all of that stuff around? His first sawed off shotgun, his ax from Purgatory – they're the trophies of his life. Sam has a soccer trophy at John's Buffalo storage place; Dean doesn't have any of that stuff. This is his special stuff.
He puts a picture of his Mom on his bedside table.
His bed is made.
Did you see the look on his face when Sam tossed the candy wrapper on the floor? Sam is lucky that Dean's weapons are out of reach.
This nesting is not about an upcoming relationship.
I'm sure that there will certainly be more nesting when they do get together and I'm sure Sam will be happy to remind Dean about this and Dean will blush and get all 'fuck off Sam', but inside he will want Cas to see his happy place. He's never had a happy place.
And that's really what this is about.