Chapter 2: "I´m an angel, I don't require food"
Castiel wakes up to the sound of a beating heart not far from him. The strange part was not the stranger, it was the waking up. Castiel is an angel, angels don't require sleep, or for that matter anything a living creature would need like air and food. So why had he been sleeping?
He recognizes the feeling because he had once slept, after a near fatal injury, the healer told him to rest so his body could recover. But except for this one occasion this was the first time and he was really sure he hadn't been part of some war and got stabbed.
Slowly it came back, the gate and the fall, his decision to leave and visit earth. He had rebelled; he is fallen and has now to face the consequences. Including dealing with the person that was next to him.
The other person in the room, seem nervous, the heartbeat was faster than it should be and the sound that arrives at Castiel´s ears tell him that the person was pacing through the room. Deciding that he wouldn't get new information without opening his eyes and acknowledging the person that was with him, the angel opens them and stares right into green seas.
Green eyes where fixed on him, he had moved and sit up while opening his eyes and the person (a young human male) was looking at him. This man was just there starring at him, not talking or asking anything. Castiel had thought that's what humans do, asking question. It gave him the time to look around and he find himself in wooden building, in a nice and cosy living room as it appears. It didn't have many decorative things but it looks well lived in, with only the necessaries. He likes it.
The human, Castiel notice, was quite nervous, he couldn't be sure for the reason but it seems as if his caretaker had decided to finally start asking questions. Castiel was ready for questions like, who are you, why do you have wings, are you an angel? The typical questions human ask an angel if meeting one. The question that came surprised him.
"How are you feeling?" It surprised the angel so much that he stayed silence for a whole minute. Feeling his body he could feel a few minor scratches and bruises, noting bad, his fall from heaven could have smashed him on the ground if he had landed wrong. A fallen angel had no control about how or where he falls, Castiel had been ready and it worked out it seems. He was alive and under the care of a human what means that he was on earth.
The man on the sofa had startled Dean. From a deep, dead looking like sleep to a sudden movement and sitting up. Like some cyborg that got started by pushing a bottom. The blue eyes that were looking at him and then searching the room were as blue as he had imagined the night before and they wake something up inside of Dean he hadn't thought was still there. He had really been worried about the man´s condition. Sometimes it appears that there was no breathing or pules to feel and Dean had horror pictures of the police in his house, collecting a body. He would never survive a visit like that.
Now he has another problem. The man doesn't look bothered about the fact that he was in a stranger's house or that he was injured, he was just starring and it was making Dean nervous, more nervous than he already is. He needs the man to leave but even Dean isn't that heartless to send an injured person out in the cold just because the host is a potential danger.
Finding no other way around as to start a conversation Dean makes eye contact. "How are you feeling?" Best he could came up, what else do you ask someone who is hurt but it seem to confuse his guest. Maybe he doesn't speak English or he has a head injurie Dean hadn't notice. He should have brought him to the hospital.
While Dean was worrying himself into a panic attack his guest finally found an answer and stopped Dean´s brain on his way to panic land. "I feel alright. I guess I have to thank you for your care." Dean nods. "Thank you for taking care of me." Okay, English is not a problem, also no brain damage.
"I´m Dean, I … Do you want me to check your wounds. They should be fine for another few hours before we have to change the wrappings … but if you want I could do it now." Dean was rambling, the starring wasn't helping his nervous state, he hates it when it happens, it always happens with new people in new situations combined with everything else.
"Thank you, but I think it will do for now. My name is Castiel. I´m an angel of the Lord." Dean´s mind stuck for two seconds until it starts working again. Great he got an insane person, or more likely someone with a head injurie that should be in hospital and not on a sofa in the middle of the woods. His fault, he can't blame the guy for being crazy or being hurt. He was still starring.
Feeling responsible for the guys wellbeing, Dean ignores the crazy part and just nods. "Get some more rest I will get you when dinner is ready." Before Castiel could answer Dean left the room, taking a deep breath to calm himself down.
Very aware of his guest Dean gets all ingredient he need for the food. Angel. He nearly laughs. If some guy would come up with something like that in a bar he would guess it´s his way of flirting but Dean isn't sure how far the guy would get with this. With either man or woman. He misses the bars, not that Dean had many chances to be in one. After a successful hunt with Sam, or after a not so successful hunt or when IT happened again. Dean was never able to relax completely, too afraid of the things that could happen when he loses control, or when he is too drunk to notice what he is doing. Still a visit in a pub even with the crazy guy would be nice, nice and never going to happen.
Dean´s thoughts return to Castiel. What a name came it to his mind as he gets a frying pan to make some burgers. Cooking was a relaxing activity and right now a much needed one. The other person in his house hadn't let him sleep or relax since he had been arrived. Back to the name, Dean had to roll his eyes. Some bible-loving parents. Maybe he was really crazy growing up in some cult, maybe his guest ran away from all of that.
"Hello Dean." The rough voice of his visitor appears suddenly behind him and Dean let nearly the plates in his hand fall. He had been too deep in his thoughts about cults, bars and bible fanatics that he hadn't heard Castiel coming up to him.
"Dude, I told you to rest and not sneaking around to frighten other people." Dean knows it was unfair, he wasn't used to people anymore.
"I´m sorry Dean, it wasn't my intention to frighten you." Dean turns around and find himself right in front of Castiel.
"Castiel, personal space!" It seems to confuse his visitor again, maybe his cult had not privacy or something like that. Dean steps back and then walks around the man to set the table. Not letting his visitors eyes distract him.
"My apologize." Dean rolls his eyes, what a strange guy. But he likes him. He is confused and unsure about everything as it seems after only a few minutes.
"Whatever man, sit down dinner is ready." The two plates with burgers and potatoes on the side looked really delicious. Dean had to praise himself for such a good work while worrying about his visitor. Who wasn't as bad as he thought. Dean couldn't remember the last time he had spoken to someone and if he can control himself he can enjoy it until he had to send him away. It would take a bit of time until Castiel´s wounds are healed.
Dean looks up and finds Castiel starring at him (again). "I´m an angel, I don't need food." Ok that's enough with the craziness, Dean thinks. Angels don't exist.
"Cas, shut up and sit down. Don't care if you are an angel or god himself. I made dinner, you will eat it. No wasting food in this house." Dean hadn't notice that he had given the ´angel´ a nickname but the man sits down and after studying the burger for a minute Cas starts to copy Dean by taking the burger in his hands and biting out a piece. The surprised look doesn't keep hidden from Dean.
"Good, right?" With his mouth full Cas nods. Dean likes the look in Castiel´s eyes as the ´angel´ enjoys his dinner.
"I hope you enjoy it, there is a second one waiting for us." Somehow this strange person in front of Dean makes him smile, maybe because he had been lonely for so long or the confused looks he gets. He only knows the guy for a day but since he woke up to the moment in the kitchen Cas (yes he will keep calling him that) had pulled out feelings and emotional glimpse he hadn't had in years. He was always to tight up to let anything hidden. It was as if these emotions were floating at the surface, ready for Cas to take out.
Somehow Dean thinks it´s the eyes that look full of wonder to everything that had let him relax between being startled while cooking and sitting down something had changed. It could be the eyes …
After their dinner Dean tent to Cas´ wounds. They heal fast, deep cuts were nothing more than a scratch after a day. His guest told him again that he is an angel and heals fast. Dean band him to the sofa to rest and sleep (don´t want to here the angel crap) hat said before he had send Cas in the living room with a stern look.
Dean wasn't sure what he should think about the angel thing. He was a hunter, … alright had been a hunter for years. Most of his life he and his family had hunted things that live in the night and kill people. The motivation for it was his curse, his father wanted to find out how did that to his family, who cursed his son. He never blamed Dean, only Dean blamed himself for everything that happened. They never found out who did it or what the curse is in the first place. At least they helped many people on the way but Dean became a danger for this people and everyone else so he had to leave, stop hunting and hide in the woods alone. To get back to the topic, he or his family or any other hunter they ever met had seen/hunt an angel. To Dean´s knowledge there are no angels. Just something people have invented thousands of years ago to explain the ugly world they live in.
The ex-hunter looks at the sofa and finds Cas sleeping (yes, right he doesn't need sleep) Dean rolls his eyes, takes his phone out of the drawer and steps outside. He doesn't want Cas to listen into that conversation. He really could be some cult victim. Cas had something in his eyes that let Dean forget about the world, the curse, his life and everything. This man who needed to press to eat and looking after himself, that ask curious question and had his first burger tonight woke something in Dean he had missed a long time. And that is was frighten Dean the most.
Dean takes a deep breath before he presses the call bottom. He hadn't have a conversation with the man in year. Actually he hadn't used this phone for over a year. It only took ten seconds for the person on the other end to answer not enough time for Dean to get ready.
"Yes." A grumpy voice answered and waited.
"Hey Bobby, it´s Dean." To prevent ear damage Dean holds the phone away from his ear because he knows what will follow.
"You idjit. What does it take for you to pick up the phone? Two years. TWO years." Bobby shouts in the phone and Dean secretly enjoys it. But he would never tell Bobby that. He loved the old man that tried to cure him for years. After his dad died on a hunt with a demon, he took Sam and him in. He would never forget it but he was too dangerous to stay with them.
"Sorry Bobby. Time is flying here when you watch the lake and the clouds. I call because I got a visitor." That got his attention. "He fell into my storage, through the roof and he said he is an angel." That sounds not stupit or insane at all. "I think he is some cult member. I mean he told me his name is Castiel. Who would call their child that. But we both know there are no angel." Dean needed to hear it, from Bobby, the he wasn't the insane one for thinking, hoping or believing a stranger on his sofa.
"He told you he is an angel and you let him stay?" Bobby questioned.
"He was hurt and … what else should I do. Leave him?" Better help Castiel and get rid of him then having a body to take care off. "His wounds are nearly healed after a day. He could be something else."
"So you want me to look into this angel thing, right." Bobby asks.
"Yes. I know he can't be an angel but just to make sure. You know." Dean is in serious doubt that Castiel was an angel but it was better to ask Bobby to make sure.
"Fine. Be careful and don't let your angel out of your side, he could be anything." After a short break. "And Dean? Be careful, will you. Or I have to come up there and kick your ass." Dean smiles.
"Yes Bobby, and thanks." Dean ended the call before they could exchange more chick-flicks and sighs. It really had been a long time since Dean had talked to anyone. The last time he had called someone was his brother over a year ago. He doesn't want to worry them but hearing them makes him lonely and hating himself more for what he is and what he had done.
In the living room Castiel had listen to the whole conversation. His saviour had people but something keeps him away from them. Also he has no faith at all. Castiel let his eyes closed as Dean returns inside. When he wanted him to sleep he could at least pretend and listen to the soft humming of Deans beautiful soul. If it would help Dean to believe him Cas would offer a demonstration of his power but he better not risk that his brother and sister find him.
Cas likes it here and wants to learn as much as possible form this human. Today he had learned what Cheeseburgers are. He likes them and how Dean makes them they don't taste like molecules.