Hey everyone! It's been a while, but here I am with chapter five. I've been busy with work and having a friend in town so I couldn't sit down and edit until now. I like to read these over a few times and tweak things here and there before I post. I have over a dozen chapters written, but I keep changing things until the story is going the way I want it to. In regards to Nicole1024's review asking for a few mature chapters, I have one or two written, but I've never been the best at writing explicit scenes, so it's still in progress.

This chapter is a little fluffy, but I'm really excited for what's coming! Thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing! I really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: In no way do I have any rights to Supernatural or any of the characters you are familiar with. I only own Amriel and any other OCs that pop up along the way.

Chapter Five: Suck it Up

Amriel had been in town for two weeks now. She was working at the Gas-N-Sip with Cas, who had trained her wonderfully according to Nora. The manager of the gas station was impressed with her employees and made herself scarce around the store now that she knew she had trustworthy workers.

She did not return to the women's shelter, partially because she didn't want to be around strangers as she learned they were called, and because she didn't want to leave Castiel either.

Cas was showing Amriel the more positive things about being human, or as close to human as the angel now was. He took her to a diner and made her try milkshakes and pie. They went to see a movie and she particularly enjoyed the popcorn the theater sold. Castiel took her to a park where they would sit and watch humans interact with one another, and he would try to explain their actions the best he could.

She was grateful, if that was the word for what she was feeling, for what Castiel was doing for her. At night when they slept beside each other in the abandoned house, Cas would toss and turn, his eyes squeezed tight and his brow furrowed. Sometimes he would speak, and Amriel, who only slept a few hours a night, would hear him pleading for forgiveness, begging for someone to understand. Amriel felt something in her chest, possibly her heart, ache because of this.

This night was the same as nearly every other. It was 4 a.m. and Castiel was murmuring softly about Metatron and how it was all his fault- how he should have known he was being tricked. Amriel knew he was having another nightmare. She had experienced one the other night and had asked Cas if there was any way to make them stop, and unfortunately there wasn't.

"Elasa bolape sapah emna" she whispered to him in Enochian as she placed her hand on his cheek, feeling the coarse stubble lining his jaw. Amriel would tell him that he was safe whenever he would stir like this, and she found that he would usually calm down and rest peacefully when she spoke in their native tongue.

Tonight was different, however.

Castiel's breathing became erratic and he was sweating- Amriel had no idea what to do, so she sat up and gently shook his shoulder.

"Cas- Castiel," she said loudly, trying to wake him. When he didn't respond, she shook him a bit harder and his eyes snapped open, and he looked around, taking in the room as he sat up. His eyes finally settled on Amriel, who was sitting still and watching him quietly, unsure of what he would do if she moved an inch.

"Amriel?" he asked, sounding like he hand't seen her in years. "Was- was I having a nightmare?"

She nodded, reaching out and moving the hair that was sticking to his forehead so she could see him better.

"It started like it normally does when you have one… I tried to soothe you, but it did not work," Amriel frowned.

In the weeks she had been with Castiel, she had learned how to let more of her emotions through, and she found that it helped when she didn't keep them locked away inside herself. She still took pills when Castiel wasn't around, and she hid it as best she could.

"Soothe me?" Cas said, shaking his head. "I don't understand."

"When you are restless or unsettled, I speak to you," she told him. "I've found that Enochian works best."

He seemed to be in deep thought, and Amriel assumed that he was no longer speaking to her, so she started to lay back down when he set a hand on her arm, stopping her movements.

"You are the voice I hear before I'm pulled from my nightmares? How do you do it?" Castiel's eyes were wide now as he stared at her, and she couldn't help but notice how they shimmered with emotions she had yet to understand.

"I do not mean to access your dreams… I didn't think I could," she told him honestly, setting her hand back on his cheek. "I lay my hand here and I speak to you. I have seen lovers do that when I watched the television."

They had gone to a laundromat and Castiel had explained that like movies, television was filled with complex, fictional stories that depicted human fantasies and dramas. Needless to say, Amriel was enthralled.

"I believe you have been able to, in some form. Thank you for that- your voice has saved me from reliving many horrible memories," Cas managed a small smile. "It sounds just like I remember it."

Amriel raised an eyebrow, something she had seen many humans do when they were confused. He could hear her in his dreams, and it was her true voice? Perhaps even though he was human, Castiel could still perceive angels' true forms. She wasn't going to test that, though, in case he couldn't.

"It's the least I can do, Cas," she answered in a soft voice, contrasting his deep, raspy one. "Now, would you like to go back to sleep?"

Cas nodded and asked if she could do him a favor. He liked the warmth that she radiated beside him, and he wanted some of that warmth to maybe ward off his bad dreams, like how her voice did.

"Could I lie with you, possibly?"

She stared at him curiously, her head tilted to the right slightly and she said that he already was. Cas shook his head, trying to explain it to her. When he couldn't, he motioned for her to lay down on her side and she complied, the apprehensive glint still in her eyes.

"Like this," he said as he moved closer to her so his chest was pressed against her back and his arm was carefully placed around her waist like he had seen in films. He laid his head on her pillow and breathed deeply, inhaling the smell of her hair, finding that he felt better now that he was in contact with someone. Amriel was tense, but he felt her begin to loosen up and place her hand on top of the one that was resting on her stomach.

"This is pleasant," she murmured, realizing that she could feel his chest rising and falling with his breath and soon enough she was breathing in sync with him. It was an odd sensation, but she liked it, none the less, and she began to speak to him in Enochian again.

Every once in a while he would respond, and Amriel's heart would beat a little faster at his deep voice and how it resonated in his chest and against her back. Their native language sounded so different when it came from human mouths, less musical and harsher sounding, but it still reminded her of Heaven and how much she missed it.

Castiel fell silent after a while and Amriel glanced behind her to see that he was fast asleep, not a trace of anguish on his face and she smiled. He deserved to be happy and free of the nightmares that haunted him, especially considering everything he had done for Heaven.

A few more weeks had past and Castiel was at the Gas-N-Sip while Amriel was out wandering around the small town. She worked all morning, so when Cas came in for the evening shift they spoke quietly before she left. He had told her to be careful and stay alert, and she promised to keep her blade within reach. Cas watched her walk out the door, unaware that he was blatantly staring at the way she looked in the leggings she was wearing.

"Steve, when are you gonna suck it up and ask her out?" One of the regular customers, Christine, had seen Amriel leave, and the woman knew he had it bad.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Cas said quickly, turning abruptly to face Christine only to see that the she was wearing a huge grin on her face.

"You clearly like her. Anyone with eyes can see the way you look at Amy, and I think it's sweet," Christine said as she set her usual purchases on the counter- a bottle of Coca-Cola, a turkey sandwich, and a small salad, and Castiel began ringing up the items. "I ask her about you when you aren't here. She says you spend a lot of time together."

Cas' eyebrows are well in his hairline by now, and Christine laughs, pulling out her debit card.

"Yes, we go to the park and spend a lot of time talking," he told the woman, watching her swipe her card and enter in her pin number.

"Wanna know what I think?" Christine asked, leaning against the counter as he bagged her items. "You should ask her on a date."

"I- I couldn't possibly," he stammered, plucking her receipt off of the printer and handing it to Christine. "I will keep your suggestion in mind, though."

"You better act fast, Steve-o, or else someone else will snatch her up!" the brunette laughed, her eyes wrinkling at the corners, "I'll see you on Monday."

Castiel watched as Christine left and he was once again alone in the store. He then remembered that he didn't have to work tomorrow- he had Sundays off, which he thought was humorous. His phone vibrated from in his pocket and Castiel pulled it out, highly aware that he was not supposed to be using his mobile device while he was working, but there were no customers so he felt that it was an appropriate time.

He opened the phone and found a text message from Amriel. Cas had been learning more and more about technology, so he imparted some of his knowledge with her so they could communicate if there was an emergency or weren't together.

1 Unread Message:

Amriel:
I believe I have attached a photograph. Marissa told me this is called a selfie. I have no idea what that means, but I think you are meant to send me one in return.

Cas opened the picture to see a grainy image of Amriel standing in front of what he figured were clothing racks. She must have been at the store she visited when she first came to town. It appeared as if she was wearing cosmetics- perhaps this Marissa girl had been teaching her things Castiel couldn't. Her gray eyes were lined with black and her lids were covered by dark blue pigments, from what he could tell in the picture. While he thought that she looked stunning without anything on her face, the cosmetics only enhanced her beauty and he was amazed.

Unsure of what he should do, Cas thought about calling Dean. He realized that he couldn't call the Winchester when he had questions about every little thing about being human, so he decided that he would figure it out himself.

Marissa had been playing dress-up with Amriel for nearly an hour now. While working on her eye for fashion, the girl had the former angel trying on all sorts of clothes that the store had just gotten in.

Fall was in full swing and winter was well on its way, so most of the merchandise consisted of things Marissa called 'leggings', sweaters, and boots. Amriel was gracious and tried on everything, ultimately ending up with a few loose sweaters and dark colored leggings. Marissa had even insisted that she get something she referred to as the little black dress, which was apparently an item that every woman needed.

As Amriel tried on dress after dress, Marissa asked questions about her hair and skin routines, which completely dumbfounded her.

"I don't use anything except shampoo and conditioner from the Gas-N-Sip," Amriel said as she emerged from the dressing room in a dress that wasn't too short and was fitted in the bust and flowing the rest of the way. She liked the way it felt and enjoyed how it moved when she watched herself in the mirror.

"That's all? No hairspray? No blowdryer? Do you use any makeup or anything?" Marissa sounded confused and Amriel shrugged, just as she had seen Castiel do, and she said that she didn't use any products like that.

Amriel had noticed that many women and girls used what looked like writing utensils and paint brushes to apply colors to their faces to make themselves more visually appealing or make themselves feel more confident. Digging into her vessel's memories, she realized that Amy had used a very simple cosmetics routine that Amriel would definitely not be able to replicate.

"You have to let me do your face! Please? I love doing my friends' makeup, I promise it won't look bad," Marissa asked before telling her that the dress she had on was definitely the one.

So Amriel allowed Marissa to "do her makeup" and she learned things from her that Castiel could never teach her, like the art of the selfie and how to apply mascara. She felt guilty for enjoying all of the time she was spending with this human girl, learning intricate things that went into being one of them, but she also knew that Castiel had no idea how women functioned and it wasn't his fault for that.

"My device has vibrated, does that mean I have a message?" Amriel asked Marissa nearly twenty minutes after she sent a picture of herself to Cas.

"Oh yeah, just open your phone and check the inbox like I showed you," Marissa had been surprisingly patient with her, figuring that she was from a sheltered home that was probably extremely religious. She wouldn't have been surprised if Amy was an ex-Amish, really, with how she reacted to technology.

Amriel navigated to the messages and saw a response from Castiel. He was the only contact in the phone and she hadn't figured out how to put his name in, so for now it was merely a bunch of numbers and his message.

1 Unread Message:
+1-410-345-5267
I received your picture. You look very lovely, judging by what you sent. I attached a selfie of my own. I will see you when my shift is over.

Pressing the little button to open the picture, Amriel heard a sound escape her mouth that surprised her. Was that laughter she heard? Was she laughing?

The photo was of Castiel just as she had seen him earlier, in his blue vest and behind the counter. His head was tilted and a confused look was on his face and she could see his arms outstretched to try and fit his entire body into the picture.

"Let me see!" Marissa peeked over Amriel's shoulder and she gasped. "That's the guy that works at the gas station! He's like 35, Amy!"

"What? He is a coworker and a friend," she said quickly, realizing that she sounded defensive and tried to soften her tone by finishing with, "He's very kind."

"To each her own. Get that hot older dude if that's what you're into, girl. Some girls need a daddy, I guess," Marissa winked and Amriel's eyes widened.

"What does my Father have to do with this?"

"I'll tell you next time. Now, take your new clothes and get out of here! Put on that dress and pay Steve a visit," she laughed, handing Amriel the bag with her new clothes inside, and the former angel nodded, only because she had no idea what the girl had meant.

"Okay, I'll do that. Thank you again for today, Marissa. You are far too generous. I will see you soon," Amriel told her and Marissa shrugged, saying that it was nothing.