So! This has been rattling around my brain forever, and I had to write it. I've recently gotten into Supernatural, and fallen in love with the characters and wealth of that show... So I figured I'd write a fic. This is a CastielXOC fic, because though I do (sometimes) ship Destiel, I don't feel like I'd be able to write it properly. I felt that there weren't enough CasXOC fics out there, so this is my attempt at a contribution! I hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Supernatural.

So, I completely revamped this story after posting two chapters, because I really wasn't happy with it. Thank you so much to everybody who already read and reviewed :P Sorry to do this to you!

HOUR ONE

The angel Castiel had always been patient. As a Warrior of the Lord, patience had been essential, something not only required, but engrained into his very being. He had waited centuries to be given orders, patiently awaited for the reason behind some of the atrocious acts he'd been told to commit, and was ever patient in waiting for his Father to reveal himself before the impending apocalypse. Castiel had Faith and Patience to spare.

…Which made the Winchesters extremely impressive.

Rarely frustrated, Castiel had originally split up Sam and Dean as they, again, fought over who would sacrifice themselves for the greater good. He had broken up another argument five minutes later about what to get for dinner, and a half hour after that, had done the same about who got control over the television remote.

Suffice it to say that by the time Cas had broken up the fifth argument, his patience had worn very thin. By the time he broke up the sixth, he was out of the motel, walking the dimly lit streets of whatever backwater town they had stopped in this time. He would have zapped himself halfway across the world, but on top of the fact that he still felt weakened from his tryst in 1979, the angel found that he liked walking around in the dark. The repetitive motion of moving one foot in front of the other was soothing in a way flying to Jerusalem or Tibet was not.

When he'd originally returned, the atmosphere in the motel room had been brooding and serious, but Cas had been thankful for the silence. He had needed rest, which made him feel uncomfortable and useless, but both Sam and Dean had been wonderful in taking care of him… something for which the angel was forever grateful. However, as days passed, the brothers grew restless and frustrated, especially because as Castiel healed (a cumbersome process in itself), they still hadn't left. Not for any fault of their own… they just had nowhere to go. They hadn't seen anything resembling a case for almost three days, a fact that only served to further aggravate things.

Making his way into town, Cas wandered the main street, his mind working a mile a minute on a solution to the impending doom of the Earth as his vessel's feet carried him past store after store. He needed to find some solution regarding the upcoming apocalypse. That, and prevent the Winchesters from doing something incredibly rash and stupid.

Though it was emotion and spirit that Cas admired most in the human race, he would soon strangle the brothers for their abundance of each. Enough was enough.

"Oops." A male voice broke him from his reverie as somebody pushed past him and the angel looked around in confusion. He was in a store. A small grocery store… that was currently empty, save for himself and a girl closing the meat and dairy coolers to his left. The angel observed that their inventory was primarily plant-based. Fresh corn, tomatoes, peppers, apples and lettuce were among some of the things that comprised their inventory. A wall of tea and coffee blends lined the space to his right, and a singular cash register was directly in front of him at the back of the store, a shelve of books and chocolate bars lining the space in front of it. There were signs that boasted locally grown, organic products, and Castiel wondered where exactly he had ended up. He could be five or fifty minutes from the motel at this point.

"Hi," a female voice said from behind the counter in the front, "can I help you?"

Cas turned, frowning at the woman. She had wavy brown hair that stopped just past her shoulders and light brown eyes. Her delicate nose was dotted with freckles and she sported a 'Save the Planet' t-shirt. She wore multiple leather bracelets, one chain with a delicate moon and stars pendant hanging just past her collarbone. He noticed a pad of paper to her right, a pen in her hand, and a warn copy of a novel entitled 'American Gods' directly in front of her.

"Sir? You alright?"

The angel frowned. "Where am I?"

"It Takes a Village," she replied slowly, a curious quirk in her brow. "You looked at the sign for a good five minutes before walking in."

Castiel turned, taking in the herb section at the front. Everything was bathed in warm, synthetic light… the kinds of bulbs that used altogether too much power, but made a room warm and welcoming. Old crates had been converted into makeshift containers for produce, the floorboards dipped in the middle of the small room, and the building smelled strongly of earth and herbs and spices. Altogether a very pleasant smell. It reminded him of rain. "How far to the Blue Oyster Motel?"

She cocked her head to the side. "A good five miles… How long were you walking for?"

"I don't know."

"Oh," she muttered. "Okay, well… you want a ride?"

Cas looked at her as if trying to decipher if she was a trick. She could have been. What kind of trick, he wasn't entirely sure. The angel could normally sense the supernatural, despite being cut off from Heaven. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. "I have gathered that it is not prudent to accept the help of strangers."

"Well, I've gathered that it's not prudent to offer help to them. Seems we're at an impasse." She shrugged. "I'm closing up shop anyway and you'd be on my way home. Your choice." The angel watched as she pressed a couple of buttons on the cash register, locking the cash box with a small key and shoving the pen, paper and worn novel into a hemp satchel she produced from behind the counter. Realizing something, she paused. "Sorry, I completely forgot to ask: were you gonna buy anything?"

Castiel looked around. Though the food looked very appetizing, he had no desire to eat. "No… thank you."

"I didn't think so, but I thought I'd ask anyway." She smiled, the thing warming her face and making her infinitely more beautiful. Castiel was about to tell her so, but stopped himself as she stood, walking towards him. Old, dirty jeans adorned her legs and she had some worn brown boots on her feet. She was young. A child compared to himself; he who had born witness to the creation of the Universe. "I'm Ara, by the way." She stuck out her hand.

Cas looked at the appendage curiously, making no move to reach out to her. Eventually, the young woman let her arm drop to her side. Odd bird, this guy. "Castiel," he replied.

"Your parents named you after the Angel of Thursday?" she asked, incredulous. "That's rough. I mean, I get Gabriel or Zachariah or Michael, even Adriel… But Castiel? Must have been hell in grade school." She thought for a moment. "Though probably not as bad a Uriel. Or Hesediel. God really liked his iels, didn't he?"

The angel had never thought about that. "I… suppose He did." A pause as he tilted his head to the side. "How do you know of so many angels?"

"I took a Bible Study course in college," she shrugged, "Not the most riveting class I've ever taken, but I got some really interesting stories out of it." She paused, rocking back and forth on her heels as he looked at her unflinchingly. It was as if he didn't know he was supposed to blink… which made her increasingly uncomfortable. "So, how 'bout that ride?"

To this day, Castiel did not understand why he took it. He could have continued walking, or just as easily zapped himself back to the motel… But he didn't. He took the ride with the quirky girl in from the organic market. To some extent, it felt like an act of rebellion: not only was he socializing just for the sheer enjoyment of it, he was doing something that had nothing to do with upcoming apocalypse in the company of a woman who knew nothing about it.

Absently, the Angel realized that not only was this girl the only human other than the Winchesters with whom he'd had an entire conversation, but it was by far the longest conversation he'd ever had that wasn't about work. Not that this conversation was long to being with, but he enjoyed the companionship more than he thought he would, despite the fact that nothing had really been said. "I would love a… ride," he replied, trying the expression out on his tongue. The words felt foreign, though he had easily understood the gist of it when she had offered. "Thank you."

"No problem. Like I said, you're on my way." Besides, she always had time to help out a cute guy in need, despite the fact that he was a stranger. This should have worried the young woman, and truth be told, it did; Ara was not known for her great judgment of character… But it too felt like an act of rebellion, like one of those things she had never really done as a kid. She was starting over, the brunette remembered. Trying new things, being more social… Letting loose. Offering rides to attractive strangers fit into the category, right?

Ara was living on edge. She was being spontaneous.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Arael called herself ridiculous and pathetic. This was not rebellious. This was something she would have done before she lost her livelihood.

But staying out with him wouldn't. Sleeping with him wouldn't.

In her admittedly shorter experience on the planet, Ara had never done the casual thing. Serious boyfriends: yes. She had had three and slept with two. But casual? Friends with benefits, one-night stands… these all seemed like disasters waiting to happen. She had weighed the variables and decided that the cons out-weighed the pros.

But not this time. This time, she wanted to do something reckless and stupid… Like going out and having wild sex with a complete stranger. Which, the brunette thought mildly as she looked at her odd candidate, was probably a long-shot considering his general weirdness, but she figured she'd give it a shot. Worst-case scenario, she got rejected. "Um, do you like ice cream?"

He frowned, unsure what this had to do with their previous subject matter, but understood that humans sometimes tended to jump from topic to topic. "I don't know."

"You… don't know if you like ice cream? What kind of childhood did you have?" she blurted out.

"I didn't."

The human didn't say a word, too embarrassed and ashamed of her faux pas to do anything but feel sorry for the man. Her compassion was etched on her face, and the angel tilted his head down in a sign of appreciation.

"I appreciate your sympathy." And he did. He really did. It felt nice to be sympathized with after the hell he'd had to go through. In fact, he even twitched a tiny smile. "I… would not be opposed to trying it," the angel continued, "ice cream, I mean."

The relief was plain on the young woman's face. Why, Cas wasn't sure, but he decided he was glad she was relieved anyway. "I know this really good place just down the street." Ara reached out and tugged on his hand, a small smile playing at her lips. "C'mon."

Whatever it was about her that made the young woman so easy to talk to, Castiel found he didn't really care. For the first time since he began to truly feel, his feelings were nice. Good. It was a welcome reprieve from the hopelessness and frustration of his everyday.

So, he went with her, despite the fact that every angelic instinct he had was telling him he needed to get back to work. This girl was a waste of time, after all. She wasn't a hunter, she wasn't a vessel, she wasn't a prophet.

Perhaps that's what Castiel liked most about her.

Cas followed obediently, looking at their intertwined fingers in utter confusion and embarrassment. For what, he had no idea. It was just skin touching skin… He'd touched Dean and Sam's hands before without any sort of physical reaction, but his cheeks turned red just the same. The young woman let her hand slip from his as they exited the shop and she locked the door, and the angel was struck by how odd the evening had been progressing.

After all, he was only in this position because had decided to walk.

They ambled down the street close to each other. Every few steps, Cas would feel her fingers brush against his. He could not fathom why, but his attention would be completely focused on their touching appendages. He had an unexplainable urge to grab her hand but decided firmly against it, keeping his hand extremely still. In response, the young woman held her arms firmly at her sides, and Cas felt the loss of contact sharply. Hesitantly, he attempted joining in on her game, his fingers brushing her hand as they walked.

His palms began to sweat. Ara's throat went dry.

Castiel both knew and could not understand what was going on.

She entered the ice cream shop first, the angel holding the door for her as she grinned and murmured a 'thank you', a little uncomfortable with the chivalry despite the fact that she thought it was sweet. It was rare that somebody would hold a door for her.

"So, what do you want? My treat."

He didn't argue the method of payment, but looked at each flavour intensely, unsure. In truth, he had no idea what to want. There were too many choices… too much freedom. "Which do you prefer?"

Ara shrugged. "Depends on what you feel like. If you want something sweet, I recommend the triple chocolate chip. It has actual chocolate covered potato chips, which sounds a lot nastier than it tastes. The vanilla truffle is also great. If you're looking for tart though… Personally, I like the lemonade sorbet best, but the raspberry is really good, too."

Though the angel knew she was trying to be helpful, narrowing down the choices did nothing for him. He had no idea what the words coming out of her mouth meant and therefore needed to be given something. Recognizing his look as one of frustration, the brunette leaned over the counter, asking for some tasting spoons. "Try 'em all and see which you like best."

It turned out that Castiel enjoyed every flavour she had recommended, but the clear favourite was the triple chocolate chip. A concoction of vanilla ice cream loaded with chunks of white, milk, and dark chocolate, as well as chocolate covered potato chips, it was no wonder the angel closed his eyes in ecstasy as a mix of sweet and salty exploded on his tongue. Cas groaned in pleasure, something he had never done before, and that surprised him, but found communicated exactly what he was feeling. Ara looked at the angel in a way that made him both embarrassed and incredibly warm. He swallowed. "This is phenomenal."

She smiled. "You want a cone or a cup?"

He frowned and she shrugged, handing eight dollars to the person behind the counter. "Can I get a small lemonade sorbet and a small triple chocolate chip, both in cones? Thanks." Ara then turned to her companion. "If you're an ice cream virgin, you really should get the entire experience."

Cas nodded, still sucking on the plastic spoon as he answered: "You are the expert."

Grinning in response, the young woman leaned over the counter to get their cones and handed the chocolate one to him. If she liked watching him eat a spoonful, watching him lick the cone was even better. Not that she was being lecherous; Ara had just never seen someone eat ice cream so… intently. The brunette was caught between needing a cold shower and thinking him the most adorably odd man-child she'd ever come across. Enraptured, Arael looked on as he took another lick, getting some chocolate on his nose as he closed his eyes, groaning.

"Um, Castiel, you've got some ice cream on your nose." He frowned, first instinct to look at the offending area as he made himself cross-eyed. The young woman bit her lip, trying to not smile as she took a napkin and dabbed the sweet liquid from his skin with the utmost concentration. As soon as she touched him, the angel's gaze immediately snapped to her. Ara felt uncomfortable. "So… Is it alright if I call you 'Cas'? I mean, 'cause Castiel sounds super formal."

He was silent. The brunette began to get nervous. "I could call you Castiel if you want, though. It's really not a problem. I guess because my full name is Arael, I just figured that you'd want a nickname, but if not that's totally-"

"Arael? As in the Angel of Nature?"

"Angel, Protector, whatever. Arael is my namesake."

Suddenly, her 'Save the Planet' t-shirt made a lot more sense… and not just because it was gloriously ironic. "I see you take your… namesake, very seriously."

She shrugged. "I didn't try to become the way I am, I just am. It was a coincidence that my name fits me like a glove. I mean, normally, a child becomes the exact opposite of their namesake. What about yours? Do you feel particularly lucky on Thursdays?"

The angel cracked a smile. "Cas is more than adequate." The answer came off as kind of oddly phrased, but the angel could not communicate his utter surprise. He had always been Cas. His brothers and sisters who knew him well had tacked the nickname to his wings before he knew how to fly… Which was a figure of speech, seeing as he'd been created knowing how to fly and in the same transcendental state his celestial form occupied. But, the point was that Castiel had had no choice in the matter. Not that he minded, of course. Especially now, the angel found that Cas suited him much more than the entirety of his name.

But Ara had asked him. Even Dean had not done him such a courtesy, and they shared a bond of love that insofar rivalled anything Castiel had ever felt. But Ara had asked. Ara wanted to know his preference.

He wanted to thank her for it. A strange thought, one that should not have come to mind simply because it made about as much sense as a unicycling hedgehog, but it did anyway. He was more than grateful for her consideration.

The pair looked at each other for a spell, stares soon turning awkward as Ara stepped away, nodding. "Okay, Cas." She raised her brows and smiled, spinning on her heel as she began to make her way outside. "So, how are you enjoying your first real slice of childhood bliss?"

He took another lick. "Every mouthful tastes of paradise."

She smiled. "Glad to hear it."

Outside, the pair sat on a park bench in silence. Ara worked on her ice cream in silence, every so often looking over at Castiel. Of the angel's part, he stared continuously at her, confused and intrigued. He had been watching the Earth for millennia. He knew humans could be just as kind as they were cruel, and generous as they were selfish. But Ara… Arael was different. Or maybe she wasn't different. Maybe she was so predictably human in her kindness and naivety that she seemed otherworldly. Yes, that was it, Cas decided. She was just so normal. Well, normal relative to the other humans he'd actually met.

Cas watched, oddly mesmerized as she licked her cone. He liked the fact that her tongue was pink and pointed, and felt his pulse quicken at the thought. Why, he had no idea, but the angel assumed it was a side effect of being cut off from Heaven. Licking his cone as well, Castiel realized he wanted to talk with his companion again. He enjoyed conversation, he decided, it was comforting. Especially when you talked about nothing at all.

He tried to think of something a human would say. "You look… Healthy."

"Um, thanks… I guess. So do you?"

The angel's lips quirked up as if he was extremely proud of himself. And he was. He had managed to act human. "Thank you."

"So, where're you from?"

"Pontiac, Illinois." Though his first instinct was to say 'Heaven', Cas found himself omitting that particular piece of information. He told himself he wasn't lying, not really—After all, Jimmy Novak was really from there—but he felt guilty just the same. It was curious, the act of lying, and he couldn't fully understand why he'd done it. But he had. And it was troubling.

"I've never been there," Ara replied. "Is it nice?"

"Yes."

The young woman bit her lip. "If you don't mind me asking… Why'd you leave?"

A shrug. "I had to."

This was the truth. He did have to leave.

"Oh."

"It's nothing to mourn over," the angel murmured. "It was time to leave that place, just as it will be time to leave this one, and the one after. My…. Work, requires a great amount of travel."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a soldier." Another truth. No longer associated with Heaven, Castiel went from being a high-ranking soldier… to an outcast working for rebel forces. Now, he was merely a warrior.

Though this made him even more attractive (Ara assumed it was because of the whole big and strong, mysterious and war-ravaged protector thing. That evolutionarily, she was programmed to find a warrior a more attractive mate), the young woman had a hard time believing him. For a soldier, he was lean and skinny… and his hair was too long. Not that she was an expert in these things, but she knew how a soldier looked. And though this man may have had the 'I've seen too much' eyes, his body was not in the proper condition. At least, not for active service. But she held her tongue. You never knew, right? Maybe he worked as an analyst. "Well, Cas, I thank you greatly for your service."

Castiel had never been thanked before. Looking at her in amazement, the angel did not know what to say. For millennia, he had been doing what he was told without a word of appreciation. He had never done anything for this girl… and she was thanking him? His expression morphed into one of bewilderment and Ara frowned, reaching over to squeeze his hand. "You okay?"

The angel nodded. He squeezed back experimentally and Ara smiled, moving to thread her fingers between his. His human heart skipped a beat and Cas swallowed thickly. He liked the feeling of her hand more than he knew he should. "Thank you."

"My pleasure."

"What is it that you do for work?" he asked unsurely, figuring it was his turn to carry the conversation.

"Nothing now. With all the freak weather we've been having, my research centre in Brazil was destroyed… But before, I was a biologist. More a conservation biologist than anything else, though I dabbled in ecosystem ecology. I was studying the Amazon Rainforest." A sigh. "Now though, I live in my parent's house. Not with them: my dad and stepmom are in Florida and my mom passed away. The house was hers."

"I am sorry."

"Why? It's not your fault. It happens. People get sick; people die… That's just how life works."

Not in his experience. How many times had the Winchesters been brought back? How many times had he bent the rules for them? The humans he knew never stayed dead. "You have a very refreshing outlook on things."

"Thanks."

Silence fell yet again, and Cas found himself disappointed. He wanted to keep talking. "Do you… have any siblings?"

"Nope, just me. You?"

"In a manner of speaking."

Ara smiled wistfully, ignoring his odd phrasing and attributing it to his general weirdness. Which was okay, quirky was good. It meant you were different. "I've always wanted a big family."

"There are too many voices, too many opinions. I love each and every one of my brothers and sisters, but quarrels happen often. And with my Father gone… We are all missing direction."

"I'm sorry."

"As am I."

She pursed her lips. "You speak very eloquently for a soldier from Pontiac, Illinois, you know that?"

He merely looked at her. Ara took a deep breath, trying to figure out how she wanted to say this. She had never done this before. Not with a stranger. "What I mean to say," the brunette tried again, heart pounding. "Is that you seem… different. Not in a bad way! You just-you're… captivating." She frowned adorably, crinkling her nose in the process. "I don't think I've ever used that word in that context before. Is that weird? I swear I don't mean to be weird."

"I… don't think so," Cas replied, unsure. "But I'm not the best reference for social protocol."

She grinned. "Well, I guess that makes two of us."

"You are also very different," the angel stated seriously, though somewhat clumsy in his timing. "I don't believe I've ever met another human being quite as curious and kind." Though he had been stating a fact, Castiel found that he meant the words as more. He'd never been one for romance, but had learned enough to vaguely understand the consequences of his actions. Consequences that, at that particular moment, he was not entirely opposed to.

Arael blushed crimson, and Cas found himself liking the colour on her. Clearing her throat delicately, the young woman leaned towards the angel, kissing him lightly on the cheek in thanks. Castiel sat rigid on the bench.

Ara bit her lip, made aware she had done the wrong thing. "Sorry. I just thought-"

"I should get back."

"Right. Yeah. Let's—Where are you going?"

He had long since finished his cone and threw out his napkin in the nearest bin. He began walking down the street. He wanted to walk. Walking seemed to clear his head.

"Don't you want a ride?"

Did he? Did he want to spend more time with the odd human woman that volunteered in the organic market? Did he want to sit in her beat up station wagon as she drove him to the motel, talking and smiling in that way that made her beautiful, not pretty? Or did he want to walk and pretend that this very abnormal, anomaly of an evening never happened?

Cas was very surprised when he realized that he wanted the ride. In fact, he wanted it very much. On top of that, he wanted to eat more food with her, spend more time with her, and he very much wanted her to kiss him again.

And that was confusing.

"Look, I'm sorry about the kissing thing. I just—it was stupid. I promise I won't-"

"Let's go." He was confused, clueless, and a little frightened by the way his vessel was reacting. It felt like his stomach had dropped five feet as he walked to the car, despite the fact that the angel knew this to be physically impossible. In any case, the myriad of emotions he was currently experiencing made for a very rigid, very awkward, very nervous Cas.

The next thing either of them knew, the pair were driving toward the Blue Oyster Motel in her mom's rickety station wagon, the tension in the air so thick you could practically see it. Ara tried to make conversation: "So, with a name like Castiel, your family must be religious."

His face was a wall. "Very much so."

And that was the end of that. As Cas was quietly coming undone in seat beside her, Arael felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach. She genuinely liked Castiel. Acting spontaneous and reckless aside, it was a shame the evening had to end in awkwardness.

"Which room number?"

"Twenty-three."

She pulled up to the motel five minutes later, parking in front of his door. Turning to the angel beside her, the young woman smiled, trying to mask the awkwardness. "So, this is it."

Cas nodded, though he didn't move. "Thank you."

He wanted to stay. He wanted to stay and he needed to go and all of these feelings and thoughts were rattling around in his brain incessantly—

And then he was kissing her. He had no idea how, but he had undone his seatbelt, leaned over, and kissed his driver full on the mouth. "Goodbye, Arael."

Logically, Castiel had always found the act of human kissing to be odd. It didn't look pleasurable. In fact, when particularly intense, it looked like both parties were attempting to devour each other.

His opinion changed after he had kissed Ara. Because as ridiculous as it looked… it felt good. Very good. The softness of her lips, the taste of her skin, the way she smelled of lily of the valley; it all melded together into one very enjoyable experience. A short, sweet, good experience. He wanted to do it again.

The brunette human looked at him, shocked. "I—Bye," she stuttered.

And he looked at her, and she looked at him, and neither moved an inch until Cas reached for the doorknob. Sam and Dean would have killed each other by now; he needed to get back to reality.

"Wait!" Ara tugged on his arm, watching as he turned to look at her. "I think… I think you should stay here. With me. Just for a little while longer."

The angel looked at her unsurely. Would staying longer entail more kissing? Would she want to do something else? When Dean had asked if he'd ever had a woman, Cas had not lied. This was new territory. He had no intimate experience with women whatsoever. Nobody had ever shown an interest in him, and he had been uninterested himself. After all, as a Warrior of Heaven, any act that was not following an order was a distraction. Warriors did not need distraction.

And Cas had been a good warrior.

Ara leaned forward again until her lips brushed his. The angel held very still. She kissed him properly this time, a hand moving to thread in his hair as her eyes fluttered shut. Cas began responding in kind, his mind blank as he acted purely on instinct he didn't know he had. Not knowing what to do with his hands, the angel left them dandling at his sides, unable to keep track of everything at once. He was overwhelmed with emotion. It raced through his system, making him happy and impatient and gloriously warm all at once.

He doubted he had ever felt anything so wonderful in all his years of existence. If this was what kissing felt like, no wonder humans killed for love. No wonder they had sex at every opportunity. Kissing was just the beginning… and if it felt so good, how did humans ever get anything done?

Suddenly, the angel had much more respect for the hairless apes.

Ara ran her tongue along his bottom lip, grinning when he opened his mouth automatically for her. He groaned as her hands tugged at the strands at his nape, his own appendages drifting to her waist.

He pulled her close, somehow managing to bring her out of the driver's seat and onto his lap as their mouths mashed and melted together in feelings and rhythms Cas had no idea existed. They were clumsy, they were imperfect, and the angel could not get enough of the physical and emotional chaos.

"Can we go to your room?" Ara gasped, whimpering when his hand accidentally brushed her crotch.

It took the angel a moment too long to understand why she wanted to get out of the car, but Ara didn't notice. Cas shook his head, breath hitching when he felt her lips at his neck. "Winchesters."

She paused. "What?"

"Sam and Dean Winchester," Castiel murmured, slightly breathless. "My… friends."

Though not ideal, the young woman figured she could wait. Blood was pumping in her veins a mile a minute and she couldn't believe she was doing this and she just felt so alive and why did she wait to have meaningless sex because it had been so long and she was so ready. "We can go to mine. Sound good?"

He nodded, slightly dazed as he felt her move to get back to the driver's seat, grinding against him in the process. He hissed, moving forward to bury his face in her neck, breathing heavily as shocks of pleasure assaulted him. He was grasping her tightly.

The angel was ridiculously sensitive. Ara bit her lip, a hand tangling in his hair as she ground against him again, this time purposefully. "Cas, have you ever done this before?" she asked softly.

He shook his head in response, unable to stop the moans and groans from escaping his lips. He needed… He needed something. And it was right there. If only he could just… "Ara," he whimpered.

A virgin. Surprisingly, she didn't find this as weird as she thought she would. Though he looked to be in his early to mid thirties, the fact that he had no experience seemed almost natural. I mean, he seemed clueless and mysterious about everything else, what was one more thing? Besides, it made him more endearing than she would have thought possible.

The brunette ground against him for a third time. Castiel, meanwhile, was certain his vessel would explode before she was done, and yet the last thing he wanted was for her to stop. But stop she did, and all too soon, Arael was in the driver's seat, smiling at him. "All right?"

He nodded, breathing heavily as the young woman started the car. "You know, an attractive, sweet guy like you? It's a wonder you haven't gotten laid yet."

Castiel immediately thought of the strip club Dean had brought him to shifted uncomfortably. "All my other attempts have failed."

"Fair enough." They pulled out of the parking lot. "But you are okay with this? I've never done the whole casual thing before."

He looked at her in a burst of confidence. "I have never done any kind of thing."

Ara pressed on the gas.