Fallen Part 1

Dean was woken up by a knock on the door. He glanced over at the other motel bed, Sam was in the room, and his sleep-fuzzy brain was telling him that Bobby was on the other side of the country. So who the hell was knocking? Dean walked over to the door, not hurrying despite the rainstorm outside.

“Cas?” He asked the angel, who was standing outside in the rain. “When did you learn how to knock?” Something was off about Castiel. Instead of staring Dean in the eye like usual, he was staring at his own hands, flexing them back and forth. Dean stared as the normally smooth angel looked slowly up at him in wonder.

“Dean.” He said, with little of the normal intensity in his voice.

“Whozzat?” Sammy asked, waking up as the cold air blew into the room.

“Castiel. Are you okay?” Dean said, both to Sam and the angel. Castiel walked into the room, seemingly in shock. Sam closed the door behind him. In the relative dryness of the room, Dean realized that Castiel was wet. Dripping wet. Even though Dean had never seen so much as a speck on his immaculate clothes.

“I’m cold.“ Cas said. Sam headed to the bathroom and came back with a towel, Dean took it and threw it over Castiel’s shoulders. The angel didn’t even seem to notice, instead he repeated. “I’m cold.”

“That’s generally what happens when you stand around in the rain.” Dean replied, beginning to worry about Cas’ sanity.

“I’ve never been cold before.” Cas said. It hit them then. Sam gasped and Dean’s mouth dropped open as they realized what had happened.

“You… you fell?” Sam asked. Castiel, who was staring at his hands again, nodded distractedly. Cas was human. Dean, with nothing to possibly say to that, let his older brother instincts, the ones that had gone dormant around the time Sammy learned to tie his shoes, take over for him. He stepped forward and grabbed the towel from around the ex-angel’s shoulders and began to dry off his hair.

As soon as Dean’s hands touched him, Castiel stiffened and he gasped, almost like being too close to Dean was causing him pain. Dean dropped the towel and backed away from him.

“What?!” He yelled.

“That was…unexpected.” Castiel said. He bent down and picked up the towel, drying his own face.

“Why did you fall?” Sam asked.

“Iofiel. Anna. She made me think about…being human. And all the things I was missing out on.” He looked off, like he was remembering one specific accident. “So I just…did it.”

“You just, did it?” Dean asked incredulously.

“Yes.” Castiel said, a hint of hysterics in his voice and a slight grin on his face. Then, much to his surprise, Cas sneezed.

“Dude,” Sam said, ”I know that this is your first time being human and all, but if you don’t get out of those wet clothes, you’re gonna catch a cold.” It took Castiel a second, but then he slipped his trench coat off his shoulders. Neither of the brothers moved to help him, remembering the way he reacted when Dean touched his hair. He loosened his tie, and started to pull off his shirt.

“Whoa!” Dean said, stopping him. “Don’t strip out here. Go in the bathroom.” Castiel had to pause and process this, yet again, but when he got the message he did something else he had never done before. He blushed. Cas shuffled off to the bathroom, leaving his soaking coat on the floor.

“He’s closer to your size.” Sam said, looking at Dean pointedly. Dean grumbled something under his breath and went off for some dry clothes for the fallen angel to wear. He came up with an old t-shirt and sweatpants. He thought about underwear, but that was a little too weird, so he skipped it. Dean carried the clothes to the bathroom and opened the door just wide enough to slip the clothes in.

“Dean?” Castiel said weakly, his voice muffled by the closing door.

“What?” Dean asked.

“I need help.” Castiel said, sounding like he didn’t want to admit it. Dean sighed and walked into the bathroom, trying to remind himself that Castiel had probably never gotten dressed before. The older Winchester walked into what might have been a clothing massacre. Castiel had managed to get his shirt off, after removing a few buttons, but the pants were in shreds. The only whole pieces of clothing were the tie, still in a loop, and the boxers that Cas was still wearing. Dean was wondering how his pants had split up the legs like that, but then noticed that Cas still had his shoes on. Shaking his head, he motioned for Castiel to sit on the edge of the bathtub. The ex-angel sat, Dean knelt down in front of him, and began wrestling with the laces of his shoes, which the rainwater had congealed into a large tangled mess. Once he finally got the clinging shoes off, he stood up and prepared to help with the t-shirt, and his mouth went dry as he finally looked at Castiel.

Dean’s eyes traveled, almost against his will, up Castiel’s long legs and across his bare chest. The fallen angel stared back at him, starting to blush again. Dean tore his eyes away, swallowing, trying to get back to normal. It didn’t work.

“Is something wrong?” Cas said, his eyes more innocent then those of a five year old, making Dean feel like even more of a creep for checking him out.

“No. Fine.” Dean shut his eyes and handed Castiel the t-shirt. Cas considered it for a moment, then attempted to pull it over his head, leaving him in a tangled mess and Dean trying not to stare at him. “Here.” Dean said, grabbing the edges of the shirt and pulling it down over his head, trying not to notice when his fingers trailed over Castiel’s bare skin. Instead of stiffening, Castiel held still for Dean, letting him untangle the piece of clothing. Saying nothing, and not even looking at him, avoiding any chance to stare, and grabbed the soft, worn-in sweatpants. Castiel stuck his feet out in silent cooperation and Dean slipped the sweats over them. Castiel stood and pulled them up, nearly tripping himself by standing on the hems.

“How’s that human coordination goin’ for ya?” Dean asked, sniggering a bit.

“I’ll get used to it.” Castiel said, trying for his usual emotionless grace, but falling short. Dean smirked and clapped the other man on the back, trying to put all the earlier weirdness behind them. Castiel seemed all for it, and walked out of the bathroom first, with Dean right behind him. Sam, wisely, didn’t comment. Castiel put a hand to his mouth to cover a yawn.

“I’m tired.” He said, more to himself then anyone else. Sam and Dean glanced at each other, Sam holding up a fist in the rock-paper-scissors position.

“No way,” Dean said, regarding Sam’s hand. “You cheat.” Dean pulled a coin out of his pocket, flipped it, and caught it one handed.

“Tails.” Sam said, rolling his eyes at the idea of cheating at rock-paper-scissors. Dean peeked at the coin in his hand, scowling when he saw it in the heads up position. Sam grinned at him.

“Cas,” Dean said, to the angel, who’d been trying to figure out what the brothers were doing. “You can take my bed.” Castiel looked like he was going to comment, but he yawned again and laid down with no complaint. The ex-angel was out like a light.

Dean watched him for a few minutes, aware that Sammy was doing the same.

“He’s human.” Sam said. Dean nodded, his brother seeing out of the corner of his eye. “What now?”

“I don’t know.”