Hey there! So I've been editing, changing things, and re-editing this chapter, as well as the next two or three. I ended up combining the next two chapters into one because I didn't think they could stand on their own. Plus I really want to get to chapter twelve, which I really enjoyed writing and can't wait to share. I feel okay about this update. It could be better, but I'm one of those people that will read, reread, and edit as many times as I can and never actually be totally satisfied.

Thanks so much for the favorites, follows, and reviews! I know I've been MIA for a while- things have been keeping me busy with work and some travel, and I apologize!
Enjoy chapter ten!

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 OCs that pop up along the way.

Chapter Ten: Gifts

The next time Castiel woke up, it was because he heard his cell phone ringing from somewhere nearby. He sat up and blinked, his eyes adjusting to the fact that the sun had set hours ago, and he looked for his phone. Cas finally found it and saw that Dean was calling. His eyes widened as he wondered what he should do. If he answered it, he would have to talk for a lengthy period of time and it would hurt his already aching throat, but what would happen if he didn't?

Cas decided to let it ring until it went to voicemail, and he took another dose of medicine before getting back into bed and finding a TV show that could hold his attention while he waited for Amriel to return from work.

His phone beeped, letting him know that he had a message, so he held the phone up to his ear and frowned as Dean's voice filtered through the tiny speaker.

"Hey Cas, it's me. I know that you called a while ago and I probably shoulda called back as soon as I could, but I was busy. Anyways, I wanted to check up on ya- see how things are going with you being all human and crap. Don't make me come find you."

Shaking his head, Cas hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bedside table. Typical Dean. Apologizing and threatening him in the matter of two sentences. He was in no condition to be dealing with the Winchester, so Castiel pushed the message to the back of his mind as he focused on the show he was watching.

He didn't want to think about what would happen if Dean suddenly showed up. Of course, the Winchester would probably only come if he needed help, and that would most likely entail Castiel leaving town and going on the road. He didn't want to leave, though. Cas liked it here- he liked the people he met while working at the gas station, he liked his menial job and that he had a roof over his head.

Most of all, Cas liked the fact that he spent all of his time with Amriel. Dean wouldn't take kindly to her, Cas knew that much. After everything the Winchesters had gone through when it came to angels, Dean would try to kill her before he even got a chance to explain that he cared for her and that she was not to be harmed.

Not like Dean would respect his wishes- not after what had happened with opening Purgatory and everything after that. Dean might have told him that he was over it and that he forgave him for his lies and treachery, but Cas knew that deep down Dean would never let it go, no matter how he tried to fix it and make things better.

Castiel sighed, finding that he could breathe a bit easier thanks to the pills he had been taking- modern medicine truly was a wonderful thing. He glanced to the door and the salt line he had laid hours ago, wondering when Amriel would return from the gas station.

Two days later, Castiel woke up feeling much better. He had slept most of the time, only waking to take medicine and eat soup, when he felt like it or if Amriel pushed it on him. She was rather persistent and believed that it would really help, so Cas indulged her.

Amriel had taken over his shifts at the Gas-n-Sip and he was more than thankful for that. He didn't know how she did it- he had worked all day and night before and it left him exhausted. But he could tell that she had been a little worn down when she left that morning. Her motions were less fluid and she had dropped her hairbrush in the bathroom, which woke Castiel up and prompted him to take another dose of medicine.

It was bright out, so he figured it was late morning or early afternoon. The sound of a key scraping in the lock and the door opening meant that she was back, and Castiel felt excitement building up in his chest. He thought she was going to be working late today.

"You're awake," she mused, laying a fresh line of salt before setting the motel key on the desk and taking off her coat. "I figured you'd be out for at least a few more days."

Cas shrugged, staring up at her from his position laying in bed, tucked beneath the covers. "I've been known to exceed expectations."

Amriel laughed and told him that Nora had sent her home for the day.

"I think she felt guilty that I had been working from open to close for the past three days," she said as she pulled off her blue vest, putting it in her dresser drawer. "That's the word, right? Guilty?"

Once he confirmed her word choice, she continued. "Anyways, Nora told me to take the next two days off. We both have to be back on Monday though."

"That's nice of her," Cas muttered as he sat up, watching Amriel run her fingers through her long hair. Suddenly everything he had been thinking about vanished and all he could see was her reflection in the mirror that sat on the wall above the desk she was standing in front of.

She said something, though he didn't quite catch it. He was too busy admiring his view, as she was wearing a pair of dark gray leggings and a black, form fitting top that revealed a little more of her chest than he was used to seeing. He felt embarrassed by his appearance, knowing that he must've looked like such a mess. Was he feeling unworthy? He had no idea, but Amriel had turned around and was staring at him expectantly.

"Uh, what?" he asked, blinking a few times and she rolled her eyes.

"I asked if you were feeling better. I guess not, though, judging by how distant you seem."

"No, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something else. I feel much better," he sent her a smile and she crossed the room in a few long strides, pressing her hand against his forehead.

"You are no longer above normal temperature, so I think that's good," Amriel flashed him a pleased look, telling him that he appeared much better physically as well. "Marissa came by the gas station and asked if I'd go see her once I was off work. Would you like to come?"

Castiel knew that this Marissa girl worked at a store called The Grove, and he had seen her when she would frequent the gas station looking for Amriel. The girl seemed nice enough and he didn't think she had any ulterior motives, so he nodded, saying that it'd be good to get out of the stuffy motel room and out into the frigid air.

"Good! I'm sure you want to shower and change, so take your medicine and get to it. She's quite impatient," Amriel laughed as she sat on the bed, laying against her pillows and closing her eyes. "I'll be here, resting my eyes."

She seemed to like colloquial phrases, and was constantly trying them out when she spoke with Castiel, who could only laugh and shake his head when she used them incorrectly. Not that he was much better, but he still enjoyed seeing her cheeks flush a soft pink when he corrected her.

When Cas was done in the shower and dressed for their outing, Amriel was still in the same spot she had been when he left the room. He gently shook her shoulder and her eyes shot open, glancing around for any sign of trouble. Amriel got up and grabbed her scarf off of the table before digging into her purse and holding something behind her back, out of Castiel's sight.

"So I got you a present today," she told him, unable to keep a smile off of her face.

"You did?" Castiel had never been given a present before. Actually, no one had ever given him anything without a reason. Bobby Singer gave him a shotgun when he was powerless, and that was so he wouldn't be completely useless.

"Yeah! Now, I believe you're supposed to close your eyes and hold out your hands in order to receive said gift." Amriel watched him and once she was certain his eyes were closed, she set the small item in his outstretched palms. "It's not much, but I thought it could be useful to you. You may open your eyes."

Castiel peeked down to see that she had given him a pair of sunglasses that weren't all that different from the ones she had bought for herself from the gas station. They were wire framed and the lenses were practically mirrors- he could see himself staring down at them and he looked enthused.

"I remember you said that people wear them to protect their eyes from the sun. Snow is highly reflective and I worry about you," she said, watching him try them on and Amriel was pleased. "They look good!"

She moved out of the way so he could see himself in the mirror, and he actually didn't mind his appearance. Not that he really cared how he looked, but if Amriel was happy, so was he. He hadn't seen many people wearing sunglasses out around town, just a few at the gas station, so he figured he wouldn't be too out of place if he wore them.

"Thank you for being so thoughtful," Cas said, taking them off and hanging them from the collar of his t-shirt before he put on his sweatshirt and jacket. Amriel smiled, leaning up and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, feeling the slight stubble that resided there. He hadn't shaved in a few days, but she certainly didn't mind.

"C'mon, let's go before Marissa sends me a dozen texts." Amriel grabbed his hand and slung her purse over her shoulder, pulling him out of their motel room and locking the door behind them.

Amriel and Cas walked into the warm store and found Marissa sitting at the register, filing her long nails and chewing a piece of gum, snapping it loudly. The redhead looked up as the pair entered and her jaw dropped, the gum nearly falling out of her mouth at the sight of the blonde girl holding hands with the older man. But Marissa couldn't lie, Steve was hot. Like, if she was into older guys she would hit him up in a heartbeat. But alas, she had a thing for bad boys.

"Amy, you brought your boyfriend! It's nice to finally see you two together," Marissa laughed, taking in his blue jacket with a zipped up red hoodie underneath, jeans, and boots, wondering why men lacked a sense of style. "Hi Steve."

"Hello Marissa," he nodded, looking around the store and taking in the vast amount of clothing that filled the small space.

"So, you asked me to come here once I got off work. Steve has been sick for the past few days, so I thought he could use some fresh air. I hope it's okay that he came with me…"

Marissa shrugged and said it was fine with her. "A lot of dudes think shopping is boring, so more power to you if you found one that likes tagging along. Anyways- we got this dress in today for spring and it has your name all over it."

Amriel watched as the girl grabbed a hanger from a nearby rack and held up a coral colored dress that looked way too small to be a dress for her frame.

"That? Are you sure?" she took the hanger and inspected it closely, not noticing that Castiel had disappeared from her side to look through the racks of men's clothes the store had available.

"Positive. I'm sure Steve will love it on you just as much as he'll love taking it off," Marissa winked, and Amriel realized that she was suggesting something sexual.

"Oh, no- Marissa- We haven't- I haven't-" Amriel was stuttering and she felt her entire body heat up. She felt what she realized was embarrassment, and she was almost certain that her face was bright red.

Marissa's eyes widened and she grinned. "Oh my God! You've never had sex?"

Amriel covered her face with her free hand, unhappy with how this conversation was going.

"Amy, don't be embarrassed! C'mon. Let's get you into this dress and have some girl talk." Marissa took Amriel's hand and dragged her back to the dressing rooms, all but pushing her in and closing the curtain behind her.

The fallen angel carefully pulled on the dress, unsure if she would rip the fabric. When it didn't tear and she thought that it was in place, Amriel looked in the mirror and shook her head. She wasn't going to wear this anywhere.

It was far too tight and didn't even reach her fingertips when her hands were at her sides, something Marissa had told her to be aware of. Instead of having sleeves it had finger-width straps that showed too much of her shoulders. It was made of a fabric that was soft and flexible, and it formed to her body well. The neckline was also something Amriel took offense to- it was a u-shape that revealed more than she would like, and she had told Marissa this before.

"Are you done in there? I have a pair of shoes that I think will go with it," Marissa's voice came from right outside, startling Amriel, who pulled back the curtain and frowned.

"This isn't appropriate whatsoever!" Amriel hissed, setting her hands on her hips to convey her annoyance, much like she had seen characters on TV do.

"You look hot, Amy! Here, put these on. Turquoise stilettos aren't something we get in the store very often," the human handed her a pair of shoes that had a heel that looked like a weapon. Amriel took them with a look of distaste, but put them on regardless.

The shoes added almost four inches to Amriel's height, and now the girl realized that she had a higher vantage point. This might not be too bad, she thought to herself before she took a step and nearly fell over, but Marissa quickly reacted and set both hands on her shoulders, steadying her.

"It takes a little practice, but you get used to it," she laughed. "I knew anything body con would look great on you… It's way sexier than that black dress you have."

"This isn't something I should be wearing! It's immodest," Amriel whined moving a couple more steps and getting a feel for the shoes. "Can I please change back into my clothes now?"

"No!" Marissa snapped. "C'mon, this dress looks great on you, and in a second you can go see how Steve likes it. But first, I wanna ask you something."

Amriel eyed her curiously, taking in her serious tone and realizing that she was trying to be a good friend.

"So, you've never had sex. But you like Steve, don't you?"

The blonde nodded, "Yeah. I like him a lot-."

"He seems like a good guy, Amy, but he also seems clueless and way too nice. If you wanna take things to the next level, wear this and you'll have him doing whatever you want, like a siren luring men to their deaths at sea."

"I- I'm not a siren. They haven't existed for centuries," Amriel said, making Marissa laugh, her green eyes lighting up with mirth.

"You definitely are when it comes to him, I can tell. Now, go on out there and ask what he thinks."

Amriel shrugged and slowly walked out into the store, seeing that Castiel was turned away from her, looking through a rack of dress shirts.

"Hey Steve," she called out, aware that her voice sounded unsure and cautious.

Cas turned around immediately, finding Amriel standing fifteen feet away, wearing a pinkish-red dress that looked absolutely amazing on her. She appeared to be a little taller, and a glance down to her feet confirmed that she was wearing shoes with a higher heel. He put the shirt he had been holding back on the rack and approached her, unaware that Marissa was watching the entire time.

"You look stunning," he told her, unable to take his eyes off of the dress and how it complimented every part of her it touched. "How can a simple piece of fabric make you look more beautiful than you already are?"

"I always thought clothes were meant to keep people covered and decent," Amriel mumbled, smoothing out a non-existent wrinkle. She was almost Castiel's height now, but she was still just a bit shorter and she wondered if there were shoes that were higher than the ones she was wearing now.

"Are you going to purchase it?" Cas asked and she shook her head.

"It's too provocative. Marissa thinks it's a good fit but I don't think it's appropriate."

At this point, Marissa interrupted and asked, "Steve, did you see anything you liked?"

She smirked when she saw his blue eyes dart to her friend before replying that he didn't find anything for himself.

"I'd like to buy the dress and shoes for Amy, though. She's taken care of me while I've been sick, and what better way to is there show my appreciation than to buy her a gift."

Marissa smiled at his sentiment, kinda angry that she thought he was only after a younger girl for the sake of being able to say he had a younger girlfriend. Steve wasn't your average guy, she could tell.

"Cool! I'll ring you up while Amy changes, how does that sound?"

Amriel suppressed a groan as she trudged back into the fitting room and slipped out of the dress and shoes, pulling on her leggings and various layers of clothes. She zipped up her boots and exited the small room to find Marissa staring Castiel down with a hard look.

"Don't mess things up with Amy," she threatened the man. "And make sure you use protection! She's a good girl and doesn't need to be tainted by someone that doesn't appreciate her."

Cas handed Marissa the cash for the purchase, slightly confused, and said, "I appreciate her more than anyone could ever understand."

"Good," she nodded before looking over his shoulder to Amriel. "I'll see you in a few days. Pedicures?"

"Pedicures," Amriel repeated, a hint of uncertainty in her voice but she agreed regardless.

The pair left the store and Amriel shot him a glare as she put on her sunglasses, telling him that she didn't want him to buy the dress for her. He saw that her cheeks were flushed and he knew it wasn't because of the cold- she was angry with him.

"Humans wear clothing like that even if they don't look good in it- you've seen those fashion shows. But it looks magnificent on you, Amriel, so why not buy it? Take pride in yourself," he said, not realizing that he was telling an angel to be prideful of her appearance, something that was frowned upon in Heaven.

"Just shut up, Castiel," she snapped, tossing the bag to him and walking down the street towards the small convenience store she had been wanting to visit.

"What are we doing in here?" Cas asked as they walked up and down aisles, Amriel's gray eyes scanning the shelves, looking for something. "Are you trying to buy alcohol?"

"Yeah. I thought that if you were feeling better tomorrow, we could see how much it takes for me to become intoxicated. I've been wanting to for a while, but you got sick…" She found it hard to be upset with him when he was standing so close to her and looking at her the way he was.

Cas sighed and led her toward the back of the store, where an entire wall was stocked with different types of liquor.

"What do you suggest?" Amriel looked over her shoulder to Castiel, who was busy taking in the contents of the shelves. He stepped forward and picked up a large, clear bottle with a blue label that read Nikolai, and he showed it to her.

"This. Sam once told me this is the vodka college students drink and while it's strong, it apparently tastes like rubbing alcohol." He spotted a bottle of whiskey and picked that up as well. "This is what Sam and Dean drink. It's very potent. We should buy these."

Amriel nodded, still glancing over the shelves until she saw a bottle that caught her eye. She picked up some Bacardi 151 and read over its label as well as the Nikolai, realizing that it was actually stronger.

"We'll get the three of these. You mentioned that you can mix these with other drinks?"

Cas nodded, but he knew that she would probably end up just drinking it straight. He, on the other hand, would need something to dilute it, so they grabbed a carton of orange juice and a six-pack of beer, just in case he didn't want to drink liquor, before heading to the checkout counter.

He realized that at the gas station, he was supposed to ask young looking people for identification to confirm their age when buying alcohol or cigarettes, and he wondered if they would ask here. As Amriel purchased the liquor, the woman running the register looked from her to Castiel and nodded, accepting her money and giving her the shopping bags.

Relieved because he would have felt inappropriate using Jimmy Novak's driver's license, Cas followed Amriel out of the store and back to the motel, where she hung up the dress in the closet and put the shoes on the floor beneath them, beside Castiel's sneakers.

"Sorry for how I acted after you bought me these things," she said quietly, avoiding his gaze and sitting on the small sofa. Amriel hadn't meant to snap, but she did, and now she felt bad. "I was being irrational and I apologize."

"It's fine, everyone does it. It's a part of being human," he shrugged, sitting beside her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "But, when we drink tomorrow, you should wear the dress and what were they called? Eels? You can practice for when the weather is warmer and you can wear them out to dinner."

"High heels, Cas," Amriel laughed, leaning into him and moving her legs so they rested on top of his. "I think that's a fair trade."

"Good. Now, what would you like to do now? We've been on our grand adventure today, so I imagine you'd want to stay here."

Cas knew Amriel all too well. She did love to explore their surroundings, but she either liked to go out for long periods of time or not go out at all. She didn't see the point of leaving for a few minutes, returning to the motel, and then leaving again, especially with how cold it had been outside. Amriel hated removing her coat constantly, and Cas couldn't blame her. It was tedious to deal with winter clothing. Spring was almost here, though, and then they wouldn't have to worry about it.

"Oh, I don't know… I think I want to sit here kissing you. I could use the practice," she flashed him a smile he identified as coy, and Castiel stifled a laugh.

"That's something I can spend hours doing," he barely had time to finish his sentence before he felt Amriel's soft lips on his, and then their conversation was put on hold.