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The storm was sudden, not that Sam particularly cared, he had a roof over his head and a lot of research to go through. He just hoped he wouldn’t lose power, but he had candles and he had flashlights and he had books to continue his research if it did happen.
He could hear the wind picking up outside and rumbling thunder drawing closer. What he didn’t expect is a knock at the door.
He considers not answering but he gets up anyway and stretches as he goes over and opens the door. The sky is practically black and the wind rushes in. He hears his papers on the table fluttering behind him.
“Hello,” the man greets. His eyes are ridiculously blue and his dark hair wind-swept and messy. He was in a suit with a long tan coat.
Sam blinks, mutters, “Uh, hi,” back, and looks around, it was just the Impala in the driveway of the little cabin he was bunking down in. “Need something?”
“Sanctuary,” the man says.
Sam raises a brow.
“From the storm,” he adds.
Thunder rumbles, closer than before and Sam looks up and sees lightning streak across the dark sky in the distance. He can just about feel the rain coming and soon. He could practically taste the electricity and ozone in the air.
He has more than half a mind to shut the door on the guy, Sam wasn’t stupid; he’s a hunter, and he has self-preservation, and a mission to carry out. But he was also receptive to helping others, although more importantly, something about this man was giving Sam a weird feeling. He’s not sure if it was a bad one or not.
“Christo,” he mutters.
The man didn’t even blink.
Sam looked back up at the sky, the storm was closer and the rain began to fall. He moved away from the door and gestured in. “What’s your name? I’m Sam.”
“Castiel,” the man says as he walks in, the strong scent of electricity and ozone follows the man inside.
Sam just about freezes and looks over at him. Castiel is standing in the middle of the room, staring at him with his blue-blue eyes, practically illuminating.
“Cas-tiel?” Sam says. His heart picks up almost immediately and all he can think is: angel!
“I suggest you shut the door,” Castiel says.
“Huh?” Sam looks over and finds that it’s down pouring now and it’s hurtling in through the open door. Sam quickly shut it, his clothes are a little damp but he’s more interested in if he just let an angel into his cabin.
Sam huffs and shakes his head. The man could be just a man with an angelic name, or even using an alias, but it didn’t dampen Sam’s hope. He glanced over and found Castiel still staring at him.
“Uh, I, um, I don’t have much food, but I could throw something together if you’re hungry, or… there’s beer or coffee, and water, of course.” Sam starts for the fridge, suddenly in need of a beer himself.
“Thank you, but that’s not necessary. You’re already providing me with shelter, I don’t want to impose on your provisions too.”
Sam twists off the cap of his beer and tosses it onto the counter. “Alright, but if you change your mind, just say so.” Sam watched the man and the man watched him back. Sam returns to the small table, picking up fallen papers, before sitting back down at his laptop and research.
“You can, uh, you know, sit down, if you want. Watch TV or whatever, if you’re bored. Don’t know how long this storm will go on for.”
“I am never bored,” Castiel says. “And this storm will not be very long.”
“Ah,” Sam says, ignoring his laptop in favor of watching Castiel, and in turn being watched by him.
“Thank you for allowing me into your home. Others usually just shut the door,” Castiel says.
Sam shrugs. “Sounds about right, I mean you could be a murderer or a pervert. You can never be too careful.”
Castiel's face scrunches. “I am not a murderer or a pervert.”
Sam huffs a laugh. “How am I supposed to know? I don’t know you. You just showed up out of nowhere.” Literally, he was miles from town, and there was no other car in the driveway.
“You can take my word for it.”
“I could, but you could lie.”
“I never lie.”
“Never?” Sam raises a brow.
“Yes, never.”
“Okay,” Sam smirks. “Are you an angel, Castiel?”
The man’s eyes widen slightly, then looks away and remains quiet.
“Admission by silence. Wow, I just let an actual angel in.”
Castiel lowered himself to sit on the edge of the bed and intertwined his fingers, pensively. “How did you know?” Castiel asks quietly.
“Other than the fact that your name is Castiel? Angel of Thursday? I’d say it was the way you talked too. You declined food and something to drink, you never lie and never grow bored, and you knew for a fact that the storm wasn’t going to last very long. Also, you smell strongly of electricity and ozone. Which I guess isn’t unusual considering it’s storming but it’s practically flowing off you, man. I’m a hunter, by the way, don’t know if you knew that, so I know a bit about things that aren’t necessarily human.”
Castiel nods. “I am aware.”
“Why are you here?”
The angel looks around. “I’m not supposed to… you weren’t supposed to know…”
Sam grunts. “Ah, well, I’m sorry I ruined your plan then, whatever it was.”
“You’re forgiven.”
Sam huffed a laugh. “It’s nice to meet you anyway, Castiel. Even if I’m dying to know why you’re here of all places.”
Castiel squints at him. “You are dying, very slowly, but I don’t see how your curiosity would cause you to die, faster or otherwise.”
Sam bites his lip but smiles around it. “It’s a, uh, phrase. I don’t mean literally dying, I’m just really, really curious. Although, haven’t you heard that curiosity killed the cat? Or being too curious for your own good?”
“I’ve heard of them, but those are a bit confusing too. Curiosity doesn’t kill or harm, and most cats are incredibly smart and agile to prevent them from dying from odd situations.”
“It’s not so much about the feeling of curiosity as it is about how one goes about exploring their curiosity. For example, if let’s say a person were to be curious about what would happen if they were outside in the storm, they could get hit by lightning, or get really sick. Their curiosity then killed them or hurt them.”
“I see,” Castiel says slowly. “Well… I can’t disclose why I’m here appraising you, so please don’t… kill yourself over it.”
Sam snickers. “I’ll try.” Then he finds himself just watching the angel. He clears his throat. “Sorry.” He tries to concentrate on the work in front of him, not that Castiel wasn’t doing the same thing and staring at him.
“For what?”
Sam huffed a laugh. “I’m just staring at you. It’s rude of me.”
“It is?”
“You’re not really, uh… used to being down here, communicating with humans, are you?”
“Of course not, angels haven’t walked the Earth in nearly two thousand years.”
Sam was just whirling with more questions. Why? And why now? Why him?
“What would you have done if I were as you said a murderer or a pervert?”
Sam blinked then shrugged. “I know how to take care of myself. If you attacked me I would have fought back.”
“Why did you let me in then if you had a suspicion I would have attacked you?”
“I’m not sure. I had a feeling about you, I guess. I honestly was thinking about shutting the door on you, but with the storm coming and the gut feeling, I just… I knew I could have held my own, but if I turned out to be wrong…” Sam drifts off.
Castiel tilts his head. “If you turned out to be wrong?”
Sam shakes his head. “Uh, nevermind.”
“And if you turned out to be wrong you wouldn’t have cared if you died,” Castiel finished as if reading his mind.
Sam shrugs and picks at the paper around his beer bottle. “Not like I have much here anymore, anyway… My brother’s in Hell, but I’m sure you knew that.” He looks up at the angel.
Castiel slowly nodded. “I’m aware.”
Sam sucked in a breath. “And it’s all my fault.”
“That is where you are wrong, Sam. Dean chose to make that deal. You did not pressure him or threaten him. You were actually resting peacefully in Heaven until he made that deal to revive you.”
He had never mentioned Dean’s name or anything about his deal. Then something else had sparked his interest. “Heaven? I was in Heaven? Me?”
“Yes.” Castiel watched him.
“But… I mean…” Sam shakes his head. “You’re also aware of the… my blood, right? That doesn’t make sense.”
The angel hummed and tilted his head at him. “You are a… curiosity.”
Sam huffed a laugh. “Don’t kill yourself over it.”
“I doubt you could actually hurt me.”
Sam snorts. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“That’s good, I don’t wish to hurt you either.”
Sam looks away again. “Exactly how much do you know about me?”
“A great deal.”
Sam was quiet for a long moment, shame and guilt burning him up. He gave a bitter laugh. “Then you should know that I’m certainly not what I was before. I definitely won’t go back to Heaven when I die.”
“You could.”
“I assume it’s too late for me.”
“It’s never too late, Sam. You know that.”
“Maybe… maybe for someone normal. I’m not normal.”
“Sam. I’m telling you it’s not too late.”
Sam sucks in a breath as he meets the angel’s eyes again, his own stinging and hot. “H-how am I supposed to… I owe Dean to… if I… if I beg, would you help me save him? He doesn’t deserve Hell, you know me, so you must know Dean. He doesn’t deserve Hell. I’ll do anything.” Sam gave a shakily laugh. “Literally anything, you know that.”
Castiel stared at him.
“Please,” Sam starts. “Please save my big brother, Castiel. I’m willing to take his place, I’m willing to die, I’m willing to do anything to get him out of there.”
The angel smiles at him. “You’ll do anything?”
“Yes, anything, Castiel. Just tell me and I’ll do it.”
The angel got to his feet. “You should stop, Sam, with what you’re doing with that demon. You should care for yourself and… have faith.”
Sam nods quickly and stands up too. “I will, Castiel, I promise. I’ll kill her the next time I see her like I should have done. I’ll take care of myself and-and I’ll pray every day like I used to. Can I—can I pray to you, Castiel?”
“You may if you’d like. But it’s not me you should worship and exalt.”
Sam nods. “I know, but… He sent you here? Oh! S-sorry, you’re not supposed to—nevermind. If you do help me save my brother, I’ll owe you and I’ll owe Him. I know it’s not natural for Dean to come back but it wasn’t natural for me to come back either. It’ll be a miracle and I’d be so grateful.”
Castiel nods and heads toward the door. “You and Dean… you both still have work to do.”
Sam’s heart is pounding in his chest as he quickly follows after the angel. He and Dean. Dean is going to come back. Heaven, God, Castiel—they’re going to bring his brother back.
“Castiel!” Sam cried out over the sounds of the storm.
The angel is standing under the pelting rain, lightning, and strong winds, but it all seems to not touch him. Castiel turns to look at him.
“Will I see you again?” he asks breathlessly.
Castiel smiles at him, then in a blink, he’s gone. The storm almost immediately is swept from the sky.
Sam sucks in one last breath of ozone and lightning.
He has faith.
* * *