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Gadreel wasn’t sure in what exact moment did he realize he gets no visual signal whatsoever. It just never really occurred to him that he should be actually getting some. In an angel world there was only energy, and he couldn’t tell the difference at first, but then it slowly came to him that there’s more to this world than just sounds and smells, textures and auras. Sometimes people referred to something he wasn’t quite sure about, like the direction or color. It’d just left him confused all the time, but he learned to adjust, to hear clothing movements and pay attention to air and energy flows. It was fine for a while. And it never obstructed him in battle anyway, so he didn’t care much.
Gadreel wasn’t sure why everyone’s attitude towards him changed so drastically ever since he told the guys he supposes he cannot see. Dean stopped inviting him for a hunt. Sam started making him tea all the time, despite the fact that Gadreel didn’t need any, for angels knew nor thirst nor hunger. Cas began to be so caring and delicate it was almost annoying. Gadreel didn’t need any of that; he was perfectly fine. It took him some time to prove himself to the team, again, but even then someone would once in a while say something like “I’m here”, (Yes, Sam, I am aware that you are here, your aura of desperation is all over the place), or “Hey, it’s me”, when entering a room, (Yes, Dean, I know it is you, I could smell you three miles away, for Father’s sake). But otherwise it worked well.
It has stopped working when he died. It was definitely not working when he woke up in the tall grass in the middle of Michigan and actually saw blue sky in front of him. It felt unnecessary. And confusing. Gadreel closed his eyes and the physical world went back to normal. He opened them again and saw big curious eyes above him. That was, most definitely, a cow. It smelled like a cow, and it has an aura of a cow. “Why would I ever have the need to see you?” - Gadreel asked, unapprovingly. “Moo” - the cow answered.
Yeah, okay.
He had to cover his eyes with the blindfold all the way home, so uncomfortable it was, all that visual flux. But when he managed to find the bunker it hasn’t got any better. Humans seemed so gross and ridiculous. Gadreel closed his eyes and there was his well-known team: wild and angry aura of unrest, that smelled like pastry, gunpowder and engine oil - that was Dean; sad and sleepless aura with the smell of book dust and soap powder, which was, surely, Sam; calm and pulsating, almost inodorous, but very intense - his brother, Castiel. He opened his eyes and saw three strange creatures, who continued to talk and gesticulate excitedly, being happy to see him alive. He cringed and covered his face with the hand, annoyed and feeling headache that started to approach him.
Gadreel wasn’t sure what universal glitch caused him not to receive his sight in the first place, and why that unexpected hard reset helped him to gain it. He was sure that the ability to drive was a really nice addition to his existence, so he never took car with the boys again, riding only his bike. However, when not on the road, he strongly preferred to remain blindfolded, for that was far much easier for him. In the end, it all worked well.