She felt warm breath on her face and rolled over, coming face to face with a sleeping Cas.
"good morning, Cas." He tugged her closer, seemingly not ready to get out of bed, "Five more minutes…" she just laughed at him but she relented, snuggling closer to the ex-angel.
"You're so clingy." She joked but he just held on tighter, pressing a soft kiss to her neck, "And very forward." She felt him smile into her skin. "Come on, Cas. I gotta make breakfast."
"Bacon and eggs?" another laugh, "If that is what you wish." He growled slightly at her words and pulled her back to him when she tried to get up.
"Cas!" she didn't understand why he was being so possessive today. "Mine." She sighed and rolled to look at him. "Cas, what's going on with you?" blue met blue as he stared back at her, "Not that I don't like it, but its uncharacteristic for you." He said nothing as he pressed another kiss to her neck.
"Don't ask questions." She raised an eyebrow but shrugged as he moved towards her collar bone.
"Cas…" He kissed her again, "Don't you want…" again, "Breakfast?" he stopped and looked down at her from where she was pinned, finally he rolled off her, she took that opportunity to climb out of bed.
"Good morning." Cas finally emerged from the bedroom they now shared, "Good morning, Cas." She scooped some eggs onto a plate for him, "I made extra Bacon." She grabbed the plates and set them on the table.
"Care to tell me what that was up in the bedroom?"
"Not really." She sighed and went back to eating, she heard Castiel sigh from his sot across from her.
"Ever since I first saw you, I knew you were special. At that point, I didn't have feelings for you, but as time went on . . ." Grace looked at him. "So…the more time you spent around me? Does this have anything to do with that angels flame thing?"
"Angels fire, but yes. I'll give you some time to think this through, but just know, I'll stay by you as long as you wish." She caught the look in his eyes, there was a type of longing, and something else she couldn't place. She suddenly stood and went to put her food away in the fridge.
"Grace?" she headed for the living room, ignoring him. "Grace, talk to me."
"What do you want?" his expression shifted, becoming angry.
"Don't take that tone of voice with me, Grace." She frowned at him, "Don't talk to me like I am a child, Castiel."
"To me you are a child, Grace!" she flinched away from him, his expression softened and he reached out to touch her face, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He sighed, gaze focusing on the far wall. "Every millennia or so, a handful of angels are given an opportunity…"
"But you're not an angel anymore, Castiel. You're human…we both are."
"Grace, I may not have my grace but I am still technically an angel, and you are far from human if you really are the flame."
"Why did it have to be me?" he frowned, not liking the tone her voice held, there was sadness, he put an arm around her shoulder as he sat next to her, pulling her closer.
"I…understand that this is a lot to handle, especially with everything going on."
"Last week I was just…Grace Winchester, hunter of the supernatural, saving people and hunting things, the family business you know? Now…Now I'm Grace Winchester, Angel fire and target for every angel and demon out there…"
"So you feel like Atlas?"
"Come again?"
"Atlas, I read it in a book, he pissed off the Greek gods and was punished with the task of carrying the world on his shoulders."
"And you think, lumping me together with a shamed god, is going to make me feel better?"
"No, that was not my intention. Grace, I don't know what you want me to say."
"That everything is going to be okay, Cas. I'm tired of being afraid that tomorrow is my last day, that I'll never see Sam, or Dean, or… you again. I'm scared, Castiel." She felt her head rest against his shoulder.
"I know, and I can't promise you things will get easier, but like I said, I'll stay by you, for as long as you'll have me."
"Thank you."
*Later that night.*
Grace looked around, this was her old room, but there was no way she could be back, she hadn't been back since the night her mother was killed. This had to be a dream.
"Mom?"
"GRACIE, RUN!" she jumped at the sudden scream and sprinted downstairs, stopping in the living room entry way, just as she had when she was 15. The demon held her mother captive.
"Let her go!" the demons smile chilled her to her core, "Once I'm done with mommy, I'll deal with you, Gracie…" the way the thing said her name made her flinch. She watched as the demon snapped her mother's neck.
"…ace…Wake up." The voice sounded familiar.
"Grace, you need to wake up!"
She snapped back into reality, Cas looked down at her worriedly, it quickly changed to surprise when she leapt at him. Uncertain of what to do he awkwardly patted her back.
"You had a nightmare?" she nodded, keeping her head pressed to his chest.
"Um…Okay…" he tried to remember what Sam and Dean did when this happened "Shh, it's gonna be okay, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." He ran his fingers through her hair to soothe her.
"Promise?" the way her voice wavered made him angry, what had she been dreaming about, how could this girl he saw as Fearless, be spooked by something like a nightmare?
"Shh, I promise, I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here, Paid ra." She finally seemed to relax.
"Lay back down." Grace did as he told her and laid back down, Castiel draped and arm over her and she snuggled closer, he used his free hand to keep stroking her hair, as he curled around her in an effort to protect her.
"I'm here, right here." his breath stirred her hair, and grace relaxed against him. Angel or not, she found comfort in him being next to her. She slowed her breathing to match Castiel's, and soon was able to fall into sleep.
The next morning she snuck out of bed to take a shower and put on clean clothes, she had another day off as her manager was training in a few new employees.
"Grace?"
"Yeah, Cas?"
"Why didn't you wake me?" she raised an eyebrow at his question, "I just figured you'd want to sleep some more. Besides, not like you were going to shower with me." His eyes roamed her figure, as if the idea was not appalling.
"You….you weren't planning on showering with me, were you, Cas?" the ex-angel was now blushing.
"The idea is not…terrible. Besides, I believe we are…dating." She stared at him with a shocked expression.
"We're dating?" the notion was strange to her, did angels even date?
"I understand that is what humans do." She smiled. "I know, Cas. It's just weird to hear that from you."
"It's weird?"
"Well yeah, I mean I know you said yesterday that Angels find Mates, but do they date before they do this or what?" now he raised an eyebrow.
"No, Angels do not date. It's more like when they find a mate they mark them…but I'm human now, so I am trying it your way."
"They mark them? Is it painful?" he advanced on her, "No, it's almost like what you humans call a love bite, except once you receive the mark of your mate, you're locked into a contract of sorts, the only way the contract is nullified is if the angel who marked you is killed."
"So, if you still had your angel mojo…you'd have chosen me?"
"That is correct. Angels usually carry the scent of their mates. To keep other potential mates away."
He was in front of her now, a rough hand touching her cheek. "You're beautiful, Grace." Now it was her turn to blush.
"Well, who knew angels were so good at flattery." He smirked, something certainly uncharacteristic of the usually firm but gentle angel. Cas was looking at her desperately. His eyes seemed both hopeful and hopeless at the same time. Grace felt her heart break. Part of her wanted to hold him tight, but she made no moves towards him, as he stared down at her.
"I'm new to this whole 'angel' thing, even though you don't have your Mojo right now, so I'm sorry if I say something offensive."
"I understand. And I will try to explain things you may not understand," Castiel promised as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in for another kiss. She kissed him back, He let out a small smile, and leaned in as Grace kissed him back, wrapping her slender arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Castiel obliged, winding his arms through hers. His mouth opened slightly against hers, and teeth teased at her bottom lip. Grace tilted her head, deepening the kiss, wondering somewhere in the back of her mind how Cas got this good. She ran her hands through his soft hair.
after a moment Castiel pulled away. Grace just smiled, brilliant blue eyes sparkling, and pulled him back in for another kiss. He happily consented.
After what felt like forever, yet at the same time only a mere second, they broke apart. Grace looked up to see his pupils blown. She stared up at him for a moment before sneaking under his arm to go sit on the bed. Castiel followed behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, peppering her neck with kisses as he pulled her further down into the comfort of the mattress.
Grace squirmed playfully as he pulled her down on top of him. "You, are a very tenacious angel, Castiel."
"It's the only way to get what I want," Castiel mumbled back, flipping her so he was now on top, burying his nose into her neck.
"Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" she asked kindly, referring to his Job at the gas station.
"Yes. Right here."
Grace closed her eyes as she felt his breath on her lips. They ached in need, but she stubbornly refused to give in quite yet. "I was talking about your job. Doesn't Nora need you at the store?"
"She'll survive," Castiel grunted. "Right now, you need me more."
"Oh?" Grace raised her eyebrow playfully. "And what does that mean?"
Castiel effectively silenced her with a kiss. she melted into him; for her, he was the only thing in the world that mattered right now. Castiel ran his fingers through her long hair, curling it around his fingers. He gently pulled her hair back, and Grace arched her spine. Castiel kissed her neck, trailing them back up to her lips. He kissed her passionately, and Grace easily matched his intensity. She ran her hands up his chest, and tangled her fingers in his dark hair. they finally broke apart.
"I love you," he murmured.
"I love you too, Cas," Grace yawned.
"I mean it, Grace." She could make out the faint gleam of his blue eyes. "I love you. More than anything." He pressed a light kiss on her forehead. She felt the hand on her stomach began to move, running drifting lightly down her shirt. It slipped under the soft fabric, rough skin against smooth. Cas drew small patterns that grew larger and more complex by the minute. He traced her ribs, making her shiver. He ran his hand down, circling her navel, before stopping by her hips. He ran a finger over her sharp hipbone, trailing it across to the other, creating more patterns on its way. Grace jumped when two fingers slipped below the waistband of her jeans.
"Castiel," she started to protest, rolling over to face him. Cas silenced her with a kiss. One strong arm snaked around to her back, pulling her into his broad chest. He propped himself up on his elbows, hovering over her. His head tilted, making the kiss more heated. His tongue ran over her bottom lip, and Grace opened her mouth, letting him take control. He happily obliged.
She reached up, wrapping her arms around his back, tracing the strong muscles up his back. she let out a soft gasp when the angel lowered himself completely onto her, pushing her down into the sheets once more, his lips never leaving hers. He rolled his hips, and Grace instinctively pushed up into him. Fingers ran down her sides, and thumbs hooked themselves under the waistband of her pants. She reached a hand up to his chest, gently.
"Cas…" he stopped, staring down at her, "What is it?"
"Cas, I…I'm not ready" Castiel rolled off her, letting her sit up. "Grace?"
"I'm really sorry, Castiel. I just... Don't get me wrong, I love you, more than you know, but I'm not ready for this." He smiled, another uncharacteristic thing for the ex-angel, as he reached out to touch her face again.
"I understand, Grace. I won't force you." She leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek, "Thank you. Now, how about you get ready for work, and I'll drive you?"
"Yes, I believe Nora would appreciate me showing up for my shift." Grace grinned.
"Maybe I'll hang around and help, todays a training day so I have the day off again."
"I'd enjoy that." He kissed her again, she smiled into the kiss "I bet you would."
So, that's where I end ch. 14. I hope you enjoyed it, I know I did *Wink* PLEASE! leave reviews. I enjoy hearing from all of you!
Word: Paid Ra
Pronunciation: Pah Deh Rah
Translation: Always and forever.