I can't believe it's been a little over a year since I first published this story! Thank you all so much for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing. I really appreciate it. Hope you enjoy the chapter.
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 Fifteen: Perception
It had been a few weeks since Dean had left, and Amriel couldn't get what he had said about Naomi out of her head. It was all she could think about when she wasn't busy with work or doing things with Marissa.
The human had taken Amriel to a bar and they didn't have to pay for a single drink thanks to the generosity of a few men that had taken interest in them. When Cas showed up after his shift, however, the men shifted their focus onto a game of pool, unhappy with the presence of competition, as Marissa had explained to her.
But nothing she did could change the fact that Naomi had done something to Castiel. Amriel had heard whispers about the angel that was a part of Intelligence in Heaven, and how she had been tampering with the minds of several angels. Naomi was supposedly debriefing them after traumatic missions or something along those lines, but she should have known better.
Now Amriel was laying wide-awake at 3 a.m., staring up at the ceiling with a sleeping Cas to her left. She really didn't want to ask him about it, but she had to know. His nightmares had been happening more often since Dean had been there, and Amriel did what she could to calm him down either in the dream or once he woke up.
She heard him mumble something and the girl turned her head to see that his face was pinched and he had started to sweat- a sign that he was deep within his own subconscious, she recognized. Amriel rolled onto her side and set a cool hand against his cheek, wondering how restless he would get.
Castiel let out a low groan and moved so he was on his back, one of his feet kicking out from underneath the blankets as he shook the entire bed. If Amriel didn't wake him up, he was only going to continue thrashing for the rest of the night. She sat up and yawned before crossing her legs beneath herself and turning so she could face Cas as she gently shook his shoulder.
"Hey," she said in a soft voice, watching him roll over and move closer to her. "Cas, wake up." She shook him again and his eyes flew open, frantically looking around until they settled on Amriel. A relieved look flooded his features and he relaxed, taking a deep breath and rubbing his face.
"Was I having another nightmare?" He was exhausted still- whatever had been going on in his dream had been wearing him down and keeping him from having a restful sleep. When she nodded, he asked, "Did I wake you up?"
"No, I was already awake. I'm having trouble falling asleep," Amriel shrugged before deciding she was going to confront him with what had been keeping her up. "What did Naomi do to you?"
Cas froze and he felt like his heart was in his throat- that's what his nightmare had been about. How did she know? In his dream he had been strapped to the chair in her bright, white office and the brunette angel was standing above her, berating him for corrupting Amriel and drilling into his head as she spoke. He had tried his hardest to free himself when Naomi told him that she would be working on Amriel once she was done with him, and panic had filled him completely when he woke up.
"Wh-why do you ask?" he stammered, sitting up and leaning back against the headboard. Squinting at the alarm clock that sat beside the TV, he saw that it was nearly 3:30 in the morning and he was suddenly thankful they didn't have to work until the afternoon.
"Dean said that she did something to you, but he didn't explain. I just- I heard rumors of what she had been doing to others. Did she tamper with your mind?"
Amriel watched a flash of fear cross his face and she knew he was going to say yes. She had been learning to read body language and she liked to think that she could read Castiel's pretty well- he looked like he was going to be sick, so she set her hand on one of his, offering whatever comfort she could.
"Naomi went through my memories- she changed things, took moments from me, and twisted my thoughts so I would do what she wanted. I hurt people- I hurt Dean in the process, and turned to Metatron thinking I could make up for my mistakes," he said, avoiding eye contact as he took a deep, shaky breath. "I dreamt I was back in her office, being drilled into. I know that she's dead, but Naomi was telling me that I ruined you, and that she was going to have to fix you once she was done with me."
When he finally looked at her, Amriel could see that his eyes were glistening with unshed tears, and she did what she had seen in countless movies- she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly, saying that it was only a dream. Cas rested his face in the crook of her neck, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm down.
He heard Amriel's steady heartbeat and it soothed him more than he realized something as simple as that could. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Cas pulled Amriel closer and squeezed her tightly, worried she would disappear if he let go.
"Please don't leave me, Amriel-" all he could hear was Naomi's voice in his head, "You've ruined her, Castiel! She's been tainted by humanity and some sick version of love. Such a shame, little Amriel has such a bright grace… Just as bright as yours was."
It seemed like a memory, his dream had been so vivid. What if it had been real? What if Naomi was still alive and messing with him? Castiel let out a low groan, feeling his head begin to ache, and then he heard Amriel's voice. He hadn't even heard her mumbling things to him as he remembered his dream.
"Cas, I promise I'm not going anywhere. God himself couldn't take me from you," she told him firmly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head, smiling at the feel of his soft hair and the way his shampoo smelled. "Now, would you like to go back to sleep?"
He loosened his grip a bit and sat up straight, staring down at Amriel with a look she had come to recognize as lust. Castiel brushed his lips against hers softly before kissing her cheek and breathing against her neck, sending chills down her spine. He spoke in a low voice, deeper than his usual tone, "I think there's something I'd rather do."
Amriel stared at the television, carefully watching the commercial that was promoting something called a Summer Fair, that would be held that evening and through the rest of the weekend. Cas was in the shower, so she would have to wait to tell him about it once he emerged from the bathroom.
The advertisement had shown families eating strange looking foods, many covered in a white powder, throwing balls at targets, and being strapped into seats and riding something that the voice had called a roller coaster. As the commercial ended and one selling a skincare regimen began, Amriel knew she had to go to this event. It seemed like such an important part of being human and fitting in. The people in the ad looked so happy and Amriel wanted to feel that way, too.
When Cas finally came out of the bathroom dressed in a pair of jeans and a dark blue t-shirt, Amriel immediately turned to look at him, a smile crossing her lips as she saw that his hair was still wet. She was struck by how blue his eyes were, brought out by the dark hue of his shirt. They still amazed her and Amriel wondered if she would ever grow tired of looking at him.
"Cas, I saw a commercial for something called a fair. It starts tonight, and I thought we could go. It has food, games, and rides. I'm curious about the tilt-a-whirl," she said excitedly and Castiel could clearly see the anticipation in her eyes. He asked if she had gotten the address and she nodded, holding up the motel-provided pad of paper.
Sitting beside her, Cas took the pad and looked down at the writing, noticing how neat her print was. It always fascinated him that humans' handwriting could vary so much- no two were the same, despite the fact that the majority of languages use the same letters. His writing was sketchy and seemed rushed, but Amriel's looked like it had been done by an artist. Perhaps it was her vessel rubbing off on her- she said that the girl had been an art student
"I don't think it's too far away, so we shouldn't have a problem getting there. I've heard that fairs are fun," Cas said and Amriel nodded, telling him that many movies and tv shows portrayed them as such. "We'll go tonight."
The two spent the rest of the afternoon playing card games and watching television, before leaving the motel and arrived at the fairgrounds as the sun began to set.
Amriel was instantly enthralled with all of the bright lights and noises. She was overwhelmed by the music and laughter coming from every direction, and she grabbed Castiel's hand before they made their way into the crowd to see everything that the fair had to offer.
"This is amazing," Amriel mumbled through a mouth full of funnel cake, and Cas laughed at her powder-covered face. Of course the first thing she had wanted to do was eat. He watched the glow of the carnival lights reflecting in her eyes and he was entranced, having never seen them lit that way before. The blonde was holding out her plastic fork, a piece of the sugary dessert waving in front of him as she said, "Want a piece?"
Castiel tentatively took the bite, realizing how intimate feeding another person was in this culture. He didn't say anything though, knowing that Amriel most likely wasn't aware of it. The food was interesting, but he was content with the bag of popcorn he had in his hand. Cas found that he liked saltier foods and the funnel cake was way too sweet for him. He watched Amriel's attention turn to something behind him and her eyes widened, so he turned to see the tilt-a-whirl she had been talking about earlier.
"Want to ride it once we're done with our food?" he asked and she nodded, finishing off the rest of her funnel cake quickly and shooting him an expectant look. Cas merely laughed and ate a handful of popcorn, offering some to her as they made their way to the tilt-a-whirl.
They stood in a long line for the ride, behind a family of three and in front of a group of teenagers, so they were well entertained. Castiel was watching the way couples around them were interacting, wondering if that's how people saw Amriel and himself, while she was busy watching the faces of the people getting off of the ride.
Some looked exhilarated, while others appeared worn and pale. She was pulled back to her surroundings by a tug on her fingers, and she looked to see a little girl with dark blonde pigtails standing before her. She belonged to the woman ahead of them in line, and Amriel glanced to Castiel before looking back down at the girl.
"You're really pretty," the girl said, and Amriel opened her mouth to thank her but the girl kept going, "Your light is beautiful… But what happened to your wings?"
Amriel froze and she felt Cas tense up beside her, and she stared at the child before crouching down and offering her a sad smile.
"I fell to Earth and they were hurt in the process," Amriel told her before asking her name. The girl, whose eyes were a brilliant maple color, said that her name was Paige Summers.
"Paige? Your birthday is May 14th. It was my job to watch over everyone born during that month."
"Are you my guardian angel?" Paige asked, her wide eyes flitting over to Castiel and narrowing slightly. "Are you an angel too?'
"I'm one of your guardians, yes," Amriel nodded and she looked up to Cas, seeking his nod of approval before telling Paige, "He was, until recently-"
"Paige, leave this young woman alone," her mother interrupted, catching her daughter's attention before looking to Amriel. "I'm so sorry if she bothered you."
"Don't worry, she's fine," Amriel smiled at the woman, realizing that she needed to be pleasant. "You have a lovely daughter."
The line continued to move and once Paige and her family got to the front, the girl allowing people onto the ride stopped them, saying that the little blonde wasn't tall enough. The boy, obviously Paige's older brother, stomped his foot and said he wasn't going to miss going on the ride because Paige couldn't go. Their mother looked conflicted, not wanting to disappoint either child, so Amriel tapped her shoulder and offered to wait with Paige while she and her son went on the ride. She and Cas would be the first ones on once this run ended, so it wouldn't be a problem.
"Oh, thank you so much," the woman said gratefully, letting her son drag her away and onto the ride. Paige stared up at the two, a huge smile on her tiny face and Amriel couldn't help but grin too.
"You really are an angel," Paige gaped up at her, tugging on Amriel's fingers until she was kneeling in front of her again. "Will you answer my prayers when you get the time? Davey's sick and mom can't make him feel better…"
"I'm always listening. My name is Amriel, and this is Castiel. Whenever you want to pray to me, say my name and I'll hear you wherever I am. That's all you need to do," Amriel said quietly, making sure that no one else could hear them over the loud noises of the fair.
Cas watched as Amriel continued talking with Paige, noticing how kind and attentive she was with the girl. He knew that she went above and beyond when it came to her duties in Heaven and he wasn't surprised to see that she was still fulfilling them on Earth. What was even more surprising was the fact that this child could perceive Amriel's grace. Not many people could, and even if they did many never actually saw an angel in their lifetime.
They talked until the ride was over and Paige's mother and brother came towards them. The woman thanked Amriel once more and the angel briefly set her hand on the boy she now knew was Davey's shoulder, identifying the problem and healing him quickly and Paige's eyes widened as she watched a bright light pass from the blonde to her brother. Amriel flashed the girl a smile before telling the family to enjoy the rest of their night, and she took Castiel's hand, leading him onto the ride.
"You healed that boy earlier, didn't you?" Cas asked as they walked around the fairgrounds, stopping at booths to play games they thought looked interesting.
"He had a tumor… I felt it as soon as I touched him. The next time he goes to the doctor he'll be given a clean bill of health and Paige will be happy. That's my job- making their lives better."
It shouldn't have surprised Castiel to hear that she just wanted to help the people she had been tasked to look after. But after dealing with so many other angels that had nothing but ulterior motives and a thirst for power, Cas welcomed the change. He heard her saying that she didn't even feel drained from healing the boy and he shot her a smile.
Castiel wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled the girl closer, pressing a kiss to her temple, enjoying the time he was spending with Amriel. He liked this small town and he liked waking up beside the blonde angel he loved like he never had before.
It was such a change from constantly being told what to do by superiors or worrying about fighting a war or dealing with Sam and Dean's requests. It was a simple life but he wouldn't want it any other way. Amriel glanced up at him and grinned, pressing a quick kiss to his lips and asking if he wanted to go on another ride.
While Amriel was working her shift at the gas station, Cas used the opportunity to go see Marissa at The Grove. He walked into the store with an uncertain look on his face, finding the redhead seated behind the register like she usually was. The girl looked up for a second before returning to her magazine, but then she seemed to realize just who had walked in and she immediately focused her attention on him.
"Hey Steve-o, what're you doing here all by yourself?" Marissa smiled as she snapped her gum, setting her magazine down and giving him an expectant look.
"Uh… I was wondering if you sold suits or knew where I could get one."
Now that wasn't what she had been expecting him to say. Marissa raised an expertly shaped brow at him and wanted to know what was going on. Why would he suddenly need a suit?
"Are you and Amy planning on eloping or something?" she asked curiously, biting back a laugh when his eyes went wide and his cheeks flushed a deep pink. He fumbled through his words, muttering something that sounded like he wasn't intending to and he didn't know that eloping required a suit.
Before he could work himself into a nervous mess, Marissa told him she was only teasing. "We have a few suits I guess… C'mon, let's see if any are your size."
Marissa took his measurements and was surprised to find that she had a black suit and a white button-up that fit him nicely. She watched as he slowly knotted a tie around his neck, noticing that it was a little off, but it seemed to work on him for some reason. Smiling, the girl nodded and asked what he needed it for.
"I want to take Amy somewhere nice, but I don't have any appropriate clothing." Castiel was only partially lying. He had been following some leads and found out about some crimes that may have been angel-related, and he figured he would need a suit if he wanted to question people at some point, like Sam and Dean did. He did want to take Amriel somewhere nicer than a diner, too, especially with that coral dress she had.
"That's actually really sweet," Marissa nodded, admiring how thoughtful he was. Steve was a really good guy, she had realized over the past few months, and she was glad Amy had someone like him in her life.
They were a good pair- both of them were similarly odd and didn't always get her jokes, but that's what made them endearing. She had noticed that they were way too into each other to really see how people around town watched them.
Marissa had gone out to bars with the couple a few times and Amy didn't even notice the horde of guys trying to get her attention. Their relationship kinda made her sick, to be honest, but that's because she was more used to the 'hit it and quit it' method when it came to guys.
"I just want to make her happy," he said with a shrug. "Do you think this is acceptable?"
The girl smiled at him, saying that Amy was gonna freak when she saw him in his new suit. He shot her a curious look, his head tilted to the side and asked, "Is that a good thing?"
"Oh yeah, it's definitely a good thing," she winked. "I'm sure you'll be getting some if you take her to a nice dinner wearing that. Maybe comb your hair though. You get changed and I'll ring up the suit. Friends and family discount and all that good shit."
Castiel would never understand Marissa Davis or the things she said, but she was extremely helpful and for that he was thankful. He changed back into his t-shirt and jeans, tying his shoes and taking the clothes to the register, where Marissa was waiting with a garment bag.
"So where you gonna take her?" Marissa provided the conversation, knowing that Steve wasn't one to start it up himself.
"Um, I actually hadn't thought about it. Do you have anywhere you could recommend?" He watched her eyes light up and she immediately began naming a few places off the top of her head.
"My favorite is this place like two stores down from here. It's French, and it opened almost a year ago. Good wine, great food. Le Sirene, it's called. I'm sure Amy will love it."
She handed him the suit, now hanging and protected in a garment bag, telling him good luck and that he should probably stop in to make a reservation before they filled up, which would probably happen if he didn't get a move on.
"Okay, I will. And thank you, Marissa… I really appreciate your help. You've been a great friend to Amy and you have helped make her feel at home in an unfamiliar place." Before the girl could reply with a sarcastic comment to cover the warm feeling spreading through her chest, Castiel left the store and made his way to the restaurant to make a reservation.