Thank you so much for the comments, likes, favorites, and follows! I thought I had finished writing this whole little story but I keep going back and re-reading and adding things here and there, so that's why it's taken me so long to update. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter Two: Firsts
A couple of days after he had been at the diner, she came into the Gas-N-Sip, this time in a pair of ripped jeans and a sweatshirt rather than her work uniform.
Once he was finished helping the customer he had been assisting, she approached the counter nervously, and Cas wondered why she was staring at the counter rather than looking at him.
"Hello, Rory," he greeted kindly, "How can I help you?"
"Would you like to get drinks with me sometime?" the woman blurted out, and Castiel was shocked.
"I- you want to get drinks with me?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound like he was turning her down. He'd been working up the courage to ask her out himself, but she had beaten him to it. "Are you positive?"
"I'm definitely sure," Rory nodded, and Cas glanced down at the counter before looking back to her, unable to say no to her with the way her green eyes were shining.
"Then I'd love to get drinks with you."
Castiel hadn't meant to get so drunk during their first date.
As an angel, he'd been able to drink an entire liquor store before feeling any sort of inebriation.
But as a human, all it had taken was three beers.
The night had started off well. They'd met at a dive bar that Rory had suggested, he bought their first round of drinks, and things were going great.
He learned so much about Rory. She was from Boise, her parents ran ski tours in Sun Valley before they retired to New Mexico, and she'd gone to culinary school. He found out that Rory was just a nickname she'd had since she was a kid. Her full name was Aurora Grace. She told him that it made her feel like a Disney princess, so she stuck with Rory.
Cas was as honest with her as he could be.
"I used to be very close with my family, but we had a falling out," he'd told her, trying not to let the sadness overwhelm him. "I had structure for years, now I'm just adrift… I guess you could say I'm finding myself."
Rory had told him she could relate and bought them shots, cheersing him before throwing it back and downing the clear liquor.
Cas wasn't sure if he liked the taste of alcohol, but he found himself enjoying the warmth in his chest. He didn't like the dizziness he felt at the end of the night when he got up from the bar stool.
"Are you good to get home by yourself?" Rory asked as they stood outside of the bar, the cool air helping him breathe a little better.
"I- I don't know," Castiel told her honestly, his speech a little slurred as he blinked at her tiredly.
He wasn't sure if she was drunk too, but he watched her frown slightly, her hand settling on his shoulder to help steady him.
She asked where he lived, telling him that she could get him there, but his thoughts were jumbled.
"I can't remember," he answered as he looked up at the streetlight above them, "It's all fuzzy…"
He heard her take a deep breath beside him, so he looked back down to Rory, who was a little blurry to him at the moment.
"Okay. Alright, we got this," she breathed out, "My apartment is walking distance from here. You can crash on my couch. Is that okay with you?"
Castiel nodded, not really realizing what he had agreed to. She took his hand and led him down the street, keeping him stable as they walked.
"I didn't think we drank that much," Rory laughed as she tried to unlock her front door, her head resting against it as the key scraped against the lock. Cas leaned back against the wall beside her.
The next thing he knew, he woke up to the sun streaming in through curtains that weren't fully closed, the smell of coffee in the air. There was a soft, knitted blanket covering him and he felt a pillow under his head.
His stomach churned and he suddenly felt like he was dying. Castiel rolled over on the couch and found a small trash can placed on the floor, as if Rory had known this was going to happen to him. He didn't want to throw up in her house though, so he held it back and slowly got up, pushing the blanket off of him and to the side.
He heard soft music coming from the same place the smell of coffee was, so he followed his senses and wound up in a small kitchen. He found Rory, looking just as tired as he felt, but she was still radiant, even with her messy hair and circles under her eyes. She was wearing a big, fluffy looking bathrobe and worn out bunny slippers, which he thought were cute.
"G'morning," she mumbled, unable to take her eyes off of the coffee maker. "How you feeling?"
"Not great," Cas answered as he leaned against the countertop. "I don't think I've ever been that drunk. I don't even remember coming inside."
Rory turned her attention to him, a frown on her face as she ran her hands through her long hair.
"Yeah, you were definitely gone. I - I didn't think we even drank that much, I was just having such a good time with you…" she trailed off, tucking her chin down shyly. "Sorry it got out of hand and you had to stay here. Maybe we should have dinner before drinks next time."
The way she'd spoken so nonchalantly caught Cas off guard. She wanted to see him again? His confusion must've shown on his face because he heard her giggle as she grabbed two mugs and poured them each a coffee.
"Did you not get the vibe I was getting?" she asked, glancing back at him over her shoulder as she reached into the fridge for creamer. He saw worry flicker across her face and she quickly backpedaled, "If not, that's totally fine- I just.. I had a good time and-"
"I had a good time as well, Rory," Castiel nodded. "I'm not quite sure what a vibe is, but I enjoyed our date last night."
"Even though we got too drunk and you're definitely gonna barf as soon as you get home because you don't want to do it here?"
Castiel froze. How did she know?
"Yes, even with all of that, and you know what? I want to see you again," he told her with a small smile, his eyes catching the time on the oven clock. "But I think I might have to take my coffee to go. I have to be at work in an hour."
Rory's eyes widened and she quickly retrieved a travel mug from a cabinet, pouring his drink into it and letting him fix it to his liking- a lot of sugar and a splash of creamer. He had a sweet tooth.
"Okay, let me just…" she ran her fingers through her hair, getting caught in a tangle and she released a sigh. "Let me grab my keys and I can drive you home!"
He watched her hurry out of the kitchen and he took a deep breath to keep himself calm. She seemed pleased that he wanted to see her again, and as he listened to her fumbling around and the jingling of keys.
"You good to go? Your shoes are somewhere in here…" Rory called from the living room, and Cas followed her voice, almost letting out a laugh when he saw her.
She had changed from her bathrobe into an oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants, her hair was tied up in a loose bun, and she now had black, large framed sunglasses perched on her nose. There was a smile on her face, though, despite how tired and hungover she appeared.
His shoes were beside the couch, so he quickly slipped them on and nodded that he was ready.
Rory dropped him off at the motel, and if she was surprised or put off by the fact that he was living there, she didn't show it.
"Have a good day at work," she smiled softly as she pushed her sunglasses up onto her head. "I'll see you soon, yeah?"
"Of course," Cas nodded excitedly, and before he could realize it Rory had leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, then another to his lips before she pulled back.
"Cool. I'll text you later then," she beamed, and Cas got out of the car in a daze.
As soon as he got into his motel room it all hit him at once, and he felt his stomach flip. Suddenly he remembered how unwell he had felt earlier, and he rushed into the bathroom to empty the contents of his stomach.
By the time they'd gone on their third date, Castiel knew he was in love.
They had quickly become inseparable, one rarely without the other unless they were at work. Even then, he found himself at the diner for his meals and Rory would spend her breaks in the Gas-N-Sip, eating M&Ms and hovering nearby as he worked, or watching him stock shelves as they chatted. Nora had jokingly asked if Rory wanted to put on a blue vest and help him out when she wasn't there.
The staff at the diner all knew him by name, his fake name, and always made sure he was at one of her tables. They'd let him sit for as long as he wanted, and weren't all that subtle when they asked him about who he was or where he'd come from. They wanted to make sure he was good for Rory.
When they weren't at work, they were either at Rory's apartment or out around town. Whenever he mentioned never having done something or a desire to try something new, he could see her file it away in her mind for a later date. So far, they'd done a lot of activities in nature, since neither of them really had money for expensive outings.
The more time he spent at her place, the harder it was for him to justify paying his weekly rate at the motel. When he mentioned it in passing once, Rory didn't hesitate when she asked if he wanted to move in with her. Sure, it had caught him off guard, but it felt right. They'd gone and gotten what was left of his stuff and returned the key that same night.
Living together had been an easy transition. It had gotten to the point where they were so intimately familiar with one another that they'd fallen into a comfortable pattern of domesticity that Castiel had never experienced before.
They'd wake up, Cas curled around Rory, who had kicked the covers off of herself and up onto him, and just lay in the morning light. Sometimes they would talk about what they were going to do that day, dreams they had during the night, or anything that came to mind. Other times they'd just soak each other in silently. Castiel's favorite mornings were when they'd continue with the passionate kisses and gentle touches that they'd shared the night before, resulting in slow, tender morning sex he grew to love and crave.
Being intimate with Rory was something he could never get enough of. It was nothing like the time he had been with the Reaper, and it only got better as they grew closer. He loved feeling her soft skin with his fingertips, and hearing the little sounds she made, small gasps and moans. Something in his brain would short circuit when she'd breathe his name, making him wish she was calling out his real name. It was those times when he felt bad for lying to her about it.
They'd have breakfast together if they got out of bed at a reasonable time, then Rory would drive them to work if their shifts started around the same time. If not, she'd go to work and he'd stay behind, or vice versa. On their days off, they'd go on easy hikes on nearby trails, or they would drive to the river and sit on the rocks, dangling their feet in the cool water.
Castiel would hold her hand whenever he got the chance, and he'd smile every single time she laced their fingers together in response. He craved her forehead kisses and her fingers in his hair, scraping against his scalp just right. He enjoyed that she was just as touchy as he was.
He also learned to cook so she didn't have to feed him all the time, even though she swore she didn't mind. He wasn't great, but he learned some simple dishes from online recipes and the cookbooks in the apartment, just so he could give her a break after work or on her days off.
"I gotta put my culinary degree to use somehow, might as well use it to feed the most handsome man I know," she'd winked at him once while she flipped a steak she'd been basting on the stove, after talking him out of making breakfast for dinner.
They would do face masks and watch Netflix after dinner, while Rory preached about the benefits of self-care and snail goo. Cas had no idea what snail goo was or why it was beneficial to put on his face, but he liked when she helped press serums into his skin. He always caught himself admiring the way light caught on her dewy skin and shimmered in a way he'd never seen before.
Once she had told him that he was the only man to ever let her come near him with her skincare treatments, and it shocked him. Who wouldn't want soft skin?
Rory would eventually nod off during whatever they'd ended up watching, and Cas would always rouse her gently and coax her into bed, where they would whisper goodnights and he'd kiss her forehead. She'd groan in fake-annoyance, telling him that he was gonna be the cause of an acne breakout.
"Goodnight, Rory," he'd always reply, pulling her close and smiling as she'd snuggle into him, mumbling a quiet g'night.
On the nights he had nightmares and woke up sweaty and terrified beyond belief, she would wake, somehow knowing something was wrong.
She'd talk him through his panic, bring him back to their bed, with her. She would rub his back, hold him close, and wait for him to talk about it if he wanted to.
Cas couldn't tell her about them even if he wanted to. His nightmares were filled with all of the horrendous things he'd done throughout his existence- the angels he killed in war, the people he'd hurt… His time in Purgatory seemed to make an appearance more often than others.
Rory wouldn't press him for details, instead she would have him lay back down and curl up around him so he was the little spoon. She would hold him and draw patterns into his warm skin, soothing him in a way he never knew he needed. He'd try to go back to sleep, but always had trouble trying to settle his overworked mind. If he had done things differently, maybe he wouldn't have helped Metatron cause the Fall. Maybe he would've been able to win the war against Raphael without all of those souls from Purgatory.
Eventually the combination of her steady heartbeat, even breaths against his neck, and gentle touches would lull him back to sleep, and in the morning they'd start their whole routine over again.
Castiel wouldn't change it for the world.
When he had told her that he loved her for the first time, they'd been stargazing on the hood of her car, two months after they met.
He hadn't been thinking when he said it, but after the words left his mouth he'd never felt panic in the way that he had in that moment. What if she didn't love him back?
Instead of laughter, or whatever rejection had been running through his mind, she'd turned and looked at him, a shy smile on her lips and affection in her eyes.
"I love you too, Steve," she answered quietly, and while he was elated, he was upset at the same time.
He wanted nothing more than to hear his name come from her lips, so he did the one thing he promised himself he wasn't going to do when he started his new life as a human.
"My name isn't Steve," he blurted out, not surprised when her eyes widened and she sat up, staring down at him in confusion.
"Did y-you just say what I think you said?" Rory's voice wavered as she spoke, and he hated the look on her face. It was confusion, sadness, and what he thought was betrayal. "You've been lying to me?"
"I- I haven't been completely honest with you," he said slowly, not wanting to alarm her. "Most of the things I've said about myself, my likes, dislikes… That's all true. But who I am… what I am…"
He was uncomfortable under her gaze, so he remained silent for a bit, unsure of how to start explaining things to her.
"So, what is your name then?" Rory asked as she reached out and brushed her fingers through his hair, playfulness in her eyes as she lowered her hand and scratched along his jaw gently in a comforting manner. "I don't really want to keep calling you Steve if that isn't it."
He tried to speak but felt a lump in his throat, amazed at how calm she was. But he finally nodded, working up all of his confidence.
"My name is Castiel," he told her, completely focused on the way her eyes glittered under the night sky.
"Castiel," The woman practically beamed, testing it out. "Why didn't you just say so from the beginning? Are you… a fugitive? Witness protection? Were you a mob informant?"
Her excited voice lowered into a whisper and Cas found himself smiling, shaking his head at how ridiculous she was, even when she was being faced with the fact that he'd been lying to her.
"Not quite… The fugitive part is somewhat accurate, you could say. This is going to sound facetious, but please, hear me out. I am-" he started, but quickly shook his head, correcting himself, "I was an angel of the Lord. I.. lost my grace, and fell to Earth. Do you remember the meteor shower that happened a little while ago?"
Rory nodded, a curious look on her face. She wasn't calling him a liar or running away, so he kept going.
"That was because every angel in Heaven was forced out, and fell as well. Unwittingly I- my grace was used in the spell that cast them out, and many angels are after me for vengeance."
"So, you're telling me that you were an angel, but you're not anymore, and other angels, that are still angels, want you dead?" she asked like she was asking him the weather, or what time it was. "Are there… other things out there? Aside from angels?"
He nodded, listing a handful of what he knew to be the least horrific creatures he could think of, "Yes… There are. Ghosts, witches, vampires, demons, and a multitude of others. My friends are… hunters. They kill supernatural creatures and save people, and I helped them."
"I'm sensing a but?" Rory still hadn't taken her eyes off of him, hearing him out completely and trying to keep him talking when it became difficult for him.
"I couldn't stay with them, so I went out on my own, and it's been hard," he mumbled. "I've existed for eons, and nothing I've ever done has been this difficult. But… being with you has made it worthwhile."
Rory nodded thoughtfully, humming in acceptance as she took his hand and squeezed gently.
"You believe me?" Cas asked as he sat up from the position he had been in leaning against the windshield.
"Why shouldn't I? You've never given me a reason to doubt you before," she shrugged. "You came out of nowhere after that meteor shower. Nobody just decides to live in Rexford. You seem… worldly. Like you've lived so many lives, based on the way you go about things and the observations you make… Even the way you speak, sometimes. I dunno. It seems like it could be true. Plus, there's honestly no way supernatural creatures don't exist. There's too many stories about them throughout history."
Castiel laughed, running his free hand through his hair as he thanked her. It was a huge weight off of his shoulders to be able to tell her who he truly was. There were no secrets between them, and he felt relieved.
"What's grace, though?" Rory asked after they had settled back agains the windshield, only this time she was tucked against his body for warmth.
"It's… energy," he answered thoughtfully, tracing patterns against her jacket-covered shoulder. "It's an integral part of what makes an angel… an angel. It's celestial energy that gives angels access to Enochian magic, which is how I- was how I used my abilities."
"That sounds pretty cool, to have powers and stuff. What could you do?" she asked, and he felt her tense up in his hold suddenly. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to! I'm just curious, is all."
"It's fine, Rory. I don't mind. I could heal injuries and illnesses with just the touch of a finger. I could move objects, enter people's dreams, receive prayers, and be invisible to the human eye. I could fly, and be anywhere in the blink of an eye," he smiled fondly as he remembered instances of all of his powers. "I could travel through time and space. It seemed innate and so… normal during my eons of existence. But now, I think I took it for granted."
"You said you could fly… Did you have wings?"
He glanced down to see fascination clear in Rory's eyes, and he couldn't help but smile as he nodded.
"I did. Angels are enormous in Heaven, it's hard to describe their forms. But on Earth, in this body, my vessel... They were black, but humans couldn't perceive them, except as shadows when I willed them," Cas explained, a small frown on his face now. "I miss them."
Rory sat up and moved so she was straddling his thighs, blocking out his view of the stars so he could only see her, but he didn't mind whatsoever. Her glittering eyes were better than the stars above.
"Is there a way for you to get your grace back?" she asked quietly, taking both of his hands with hers and twining their fingers together.
"I don't think all of it was used for the spell, but… even if I could get it back, I'm not sure if I would," Cas mused. "I like my new life, and I think I'd like to spend it with you, if you don't mind."
He watched her eyes light up and fought back a smile when a small gasp escaped her lips.
"I wouldn't mind that at all," she answered as she leaned down, her hands letting go of his so they could rest on his jaw. "You know, you— you're the first man I've ever said 'I love you' to."
Cas was surprised by how passionately she kissed him, and just as surprised with himself when he returned her fervor.
"What do you say we head back home?" Rory asked when she finally pulled up for air, and Cas could only nod in response, unable to form a coherent thought other than how much he loved her.