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Castiel was constantly surprised by the new sensations he was able to experience since he turned human. Humans tended to catch him off guard by what they were capable of, their emotional range and how they chose to express those emotions, but it never occurred to him that he would one day be able to feel those things in the same way people did. Even positive emotions were a trip for him at first and he didn’t think he could ever get used to the feeling. It was unsettling yet he wanted to continue to try each kind of emotion until he had felt them all.
That’s why he found himself sitting in the dark, the glow of Sam’s laptop the only thing illuminating the space around him, watching a scary movie.
Alone.
In the vast, emptiness of the bunker.
Castiel had felt fear before as an angel, he had been on terrifying adventures with the Winchesters, he had seen things many being will never see, but it was still nothing like the fear a human could feel with their nerve endings and breathing patterns, synapses in the brain firing off, adrenaline pumping their hearts faster and faster as their human terror rose. Still, even as he felt a thumping against his chest that should mean he was in danger, he was actually enjoying himself. It was exhilarating, he thought, as the camera panned up a dark, rickety stair case. How odd it was to not want to find out what was at the top of the stairs while at the same time anticipating it.
Humans were very interesting. Cas, for a moment or two, felt honored to get to be one.
The camera crept along the bloody bannister. The score of the film was an eerie blend of out-of-tune violins, piano wires, and grinding gears. It made Castiel even more uncomfortable than the subtle knocking of something he suspected was hanging from the ceiling in the room at the top of the stairs. The star of the movie pressed her back against the wall as she finally reached the last step, ready to push open the door to her left and discover the sound of the knocking. The music crescendoed, wild violin noises poured from the laptop. Castiel’s eyes were glued to the screen when, suddenly, the lights in the room were flipped on.
I sharp cry of surprise escaped the former angel’s lips as he jumped out of his chair, knocking it back and nearly sending it toppling over.
“Cas?” came Sam’s amused voice. He stood at the doorway, hand on the light switch. “What the heck are you doing?”
“I-uh…” Castiel worked quickly to straighten out his trench coat and tie. “I was just …”
“Are you watching a horror flick,” Sam asked, picking up the ratty, rental DVD case setting on the table next to the laptop. Screams still escaped the speakers as the film played on.
“Er, yes,” Castiel admitted, hitting pause and pulling the chair back up behind him to sit. “I was seeing what it felt like to be afraid as a human.”
“Well,” Sam chuckled. “Boo, I guess.”
“It is a very different experience than I had anticipated.”
“Oh, okay. Then I’ll leave you to it.” Sam turned to leave, an entertained smirk on his face. He switched the lights back off when he reached the door.
“Sam…?” Castiel muttered.
Sam turned on his heels. “Yeah, Cas?”
“Might you… want to finish the movie with me?”
Sam stifled another chuckle. “Sure.”
Castiel shifted his chair over so Sam could drag another from the other side of the table. Cas felt it was odd that his heart sped up momentarily even though he had not yet started the movie again. When Sam was settled next to him, Castiel hit play.