Suddenly, the demons were gone. The angels were deprived of their grace, making them human, subsequently. Castiel still had trouble realizing this, shivering violently when it was cold, turning into a ripened tomato when he was out in the sun. Everything the Winchesters did was all in good favor- teaching him how to use the washing machine. Showing him that when you place your hand on the stove while it's on will hurt- which he had learned last week as he had done so while helping Sam cook dinner.
But most of all, showing him that he no longer possessed power granted by God. That's what hurt the most. It hurt to know that he no longer was able to stay awake all night. It hurt knowing he was unable to heal wounds with a single touch as he once did. But he was learning, and that was what mattered most.
"Cas, you need sleep buddy," Den said one night, giving the former angel a slap on the back. Cas shook his head. A bowl of tomato soup was sitting on the table in front of him, accompanied by a once piping hot and melty grilled cheese sandwich. the cheese had now hardened, the bread blackened to ash. The soup was now cold to the touch. Looks like he isn't used to eating yet, Dean thought with a heavy sigh. The utensils rested unused on the table, the metal lading under the light from the chandelier.
"No, I don't sleep, Dean," Castiel stammered out of habit, "I'm an Ange-" Dean gave him a cross look, shaking his head. Cas lowered his gaze to stare at his lap, his now human legs. He was surprised this vessel was still able to carry him, not decay and shrivel up as other angels vessels had done. He gulped, remembering how he had left Hael in the middle of nowhere, a young girl lying broken and bloody and confused in a ditch off the side of the road somewhere in… was it Georgia? He couldn't remember, the details starting to blur.
"Sorry, but those days are over, bud," Dean said gruffly, pulling Cas out of his chair, leading him away from the table and down the hall to one of the bedrooms in the back.
"But-" he began, stopping himself when Dean gave him a pointed look. In the room were a set of twin beds, Kevin Tran laying down on the one that was pushed up against the wall, absentmindedly flipping through an old comic book he found in the closet.
"No buts, Cas," Dean said, pushing him towards the spare bed, "now get some sleep." Kevin had stopped reading at this point, his brown eyes darting between Dean and Cas as Dean turned to exit the room, then added, "And I trust you remember how to make your own bed? Because I can' be up in the middle of the night doing it for you yet again." Cas nodded- he didn't really remember which sheet went where, but he could try. After all, he thought, we all need sleep.
"Good night, Cas," Dean said, throwing a wave over his shoulder at the teenager, "G' night, Kev."
"Yeah," Kevin answered, letting his thoughts drift back to the comic book, "g' night, Dean." As soon as Dean had shut the door, Kevin closed the book, tossing it under the bed for later. Cas stared at his bed, examining the crisp white sheets that were tucked in with perfect hospital corners.
"Sam made the bed for you," Kevin said, watching the former angel watch the inanimate object. Cas looked up at him, his eyes squinting with the classic confusion he usually had on his face.
"Sam….?" he asked, trailing off. Kevin nodded. Although it had been funny to watch him mess up everyday chores for the first week, it was gutting quite tiresome to have him ask pointless questions everyday.
"Yeah. He figured Dean might scold you for waking him u in the middle of the night again," Kevin grumbled, not adding that he himself was still not able to get any sleep, with their talking and moving and bumping around. It was hard enough to know that his room rested above the man who killed his mother- if he was even alive. Kevin hadn't dared to go into the basement ever since Crowley had antagonized him, tempted him to leave the safety of the Winchesters. Not bothering to change his clothes, Castiel pulled down the covers, climbing onto the creaky mattress. He felt the cold springs press into his back through the thin cloth, his shirt.
"Good night, Kevin," Cas said, hugging the pillow tightly until it was pressed roughly against his face. Kevin grinned, shaking his head as he answered, "You too, Cas," wondering if he would ever get used to having a former Angel Of The Lord for a roommate.