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daylight_darknightI know I missed a day. I should have never tried to write a new 13th chapter on the 13th day of the month.
Title: Practically Human 13/19
Characters: Castiel, Bobby, Dean
Rating: PG-13 for swearing and a little violence and disturbing stuff in later chapters
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Drama
Word Count: ~19,000 in 19 in little chapters
Spoilers: Up to the end of season 5
Summary: Some things are a lot easier to deal with when the world is ending.
AN: This takes place in a slight AU where season 5 ends almost the exact same way except Castiel's powers are never restored and Bobby is still in a wheelchair. While Dean goes off to keep his promise to his brother, Castiel ends up left behind at Bobby's as he tries to adjust to his new life as a human
Chapter 13
Breakfast that day was sausages and scrambled eggs, and Castiel ate it as if he was performing a disagreeable chore. His limbs remained heavy and every movement seemed to take a disproportionate amount of effort. He had to cut the sausage into as tiny pieces as possible just to get them down his unwilling throat. Across from him, Bobby, having already finished his meal, sat reading the newspaper. Every so often, he would look up to check on Castiel’s progress. The only sounds were the scrape of Castiel’s cutlery across his plate and the rustle as Bobby turned pages.
Reluctantly swallowing another tiny morsel, Castiel reached up to rub at the healing wounds on his chest, but stopped when he saw Bobby glaring at him. The former angel scowled in return, but let his hand drop back down.
“Hurry and finish up,” Bobby said as he folded his paper. “We’ve got stuff to do today.”
“What stuff?” Castiel questioned unenthusiastically.
“Let’s just say it’s about time you earned your keep around here. Eat up and meet me outside when you’re done.” Paper tucked under his arm, Bobby wheeled out of the room giving a final warning as he did so. “And don’t even think about tossing that sausage in the garbage.”
Sighing, Castiel turned to his last sausage and continued his slow efforts, but only until he was sure Bobby was far enough away. Then silently and cautiously, he picked up his plate and scrapped what remained of his breakfast into the garbage can pushing it to the bottom so Bobby wouldn’t see. When he was sure enough time had passed, he followed Bobby outside. He found the old hunter near the back of the house gazing at one of the many battered cars.
“What do you think?” Bobby asked indicating the vehicle in front of him.
Castiel shrugged. “It’s a car,” he replied because it was all he knew. That and it was blue.
“It’s our current project,” corrected Bobby. “I’ve been meaning to get it fixed up for over a year now. Move it into the workshop and we’ll get started.”
“I don’t know how to drive,” Castiel reminded him.
“That’s okay. The engine doesn’t work anyway. Just put it in neutral and push.”
When Castiel turned to Bobby with a blank look, the hunter rolled his eyes. Putting the car in neutral himself, he directed Castiel as to where to move it. Once it was in position, he opened the trunk and had Castiel hand him his tools.
“Now pay attention,” Bobby commanded as he reached inside the engine and began loosening something with a screwdriver. “I’m going to teach you how to fix her up.”
“Why?” Castiel questioned completely baffled as to why he should find this necessary.
“Like I said, you need to earn your keep. Besides…” Bobby paused a moment to yank a small, dark greasy part from the engine and hand it to Castiel who looked at it as if he was holding an alien creature. “From what I’ve seen, you’re completely useless when it comes to machines. You could stand to learn something.”
“Angels have never had need for machines.”
“Well, you’ll find them pretty useful now.”
Castiel didn’t find that prospect particularly heartening, but was distracted from his dark thoughts as Bobby asked him to hand over another tool before beginning a long monologue on the inner workings of the engine.
******
“Sounds like you’ve been having fun,” commented Dean with what might have almost been a chuckle.
“It’s not something I’d describe as fun.” After a morning spent bent over the derelict car, Castiel was left with a painful cramp in his lower back and dark grease under his fingernails.
“Didn’t you like any of it?”
Castiel contemplated the cramped, cluttered workshop, the continuous clanking of metal tools and the overwhelming smell of gasoline. “I admit the way the interconnected parts of the engine work together is intriguing, but I don’t share your pleasure at spending hours trying to fix them.”
“Maybe you just don’t like getting your hands dirty,” Dean said, his voice light. “Hey, with my job at the garage, we’re pretty much doing the same stuff.”
“So it would seem.”
“Of course, I get paid. Not much admittedly, but I still get paid.” Dean let out a small snort. “Then again, you don’t have to wear a damn fugly uniform.”
“I’ll consider myself lucky then,” Castiel replied his tone bordering on sarcasm
Dean sighed. “I get it. I do. Fixing cars isn’t your thing, but there’s got be some part of human life you actually like?”
As he thought back, Castiel found it hard to recall any occasion he’d found pleasurable recently. He was sure there had been things he’d enjoyed, but none seemed to want to come to mind. Trying harder, he reflected on all the countless things he’d experienced and learned since he’d become human, subtle things he could have never imagined or understood when he’d observed them from afar, but he’d spent so much time struggling to comprehend his new world and mourning his old one that he hadn’t taken the time to derive enjoyment from any of it.
“I like taking showers,” he said abruptly as the realization suddenly came to him. “They remind me of summer rainfalls. And the smell of fresh coffee. I like coffee.” Castiel frowned wondering why he’d never realized those things before.
“Well, I guess that’s a start,” declared Dean and his voice held hope.
A start to what, Castiel wondered.
Chapter 14
Title: Practically Human 13/19
Characters: Castiel, Bobby, Dean
Rating: PG-13 for swearing and a little violence and disturbing stuff in later chapters
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Drama
Word Count: ~19,000 in 19 in little chapters
Spoilers: Up to the end of season 5
Summary: Some things are a lot easier to deal with when the world is ending.
AN: This takes place in a slight AU where season 5 ends almost the exact same way except Castiel's powers are never restored and Bobby is still in a wheelchair. While Dean goes off to keep his promise to his brother, Castiel ends up left behind at Bobby's as he tries to adjust to his new life as a human
Chapter 13
Breakfast that day was sausages and scrambled eggs, and Castiel ate it as if he was performing a disagreeable chore. His limbs remained heavy and every movement seemed to take a disproportionate amount of effort. He had to cut the sausage into as tiny pieces as possible just to get them down his unwilling throat. Across from him, Bobby, having already finished his meal, sat reading the newspaper. Every so often, he would look up to check on Castiel’s progress. The only sounds were the scrape of Castiel’s cutlery across his plate and the rustle as Bobby turned pages.
Reluctantly swallowing another tiny morsel, Castiel reached up to rub at the healing wounds on his chest, but stopped when he saw Bobby glaring at him. The former angel scowled in return, but let his hand drop back down.
“Hurry and finish up,” Bobby said as he folded his paper. “We’ve got stuff to do today.”
“What stuff?” Castiel questioned unenthusiastically.
“Let’s just say it’s about time you earned your keep around here. Eat up and meet me outside when you’re done.” Paper tucked under his arm, Bobby wheeled out of the room giving a final warning as he did so. “And don’t even think about tossing that sausage in the garbage.”
Sighing, Castiel turned to his last sausage and continued his slow efforts, but only until he was sure Bobby was far enough away. Then silently and cautiously, he picked up his plate and scrapped what remained of his breakfast into the garbage can pushing it to the bottom so Bobby wouldn’t see. When he was sure enough time had passed, he followed Bobby outside. He found the old hunter near the back of the house gazing at one of the many battered cars.
“What do you think?” Bobby asked indicating the vehicle in front of him.
Castiel shrugged. “It’s a car,” he replied because it was all he knew. That and it was blue.
“It’s our current project,” corrected Bobby. “I’ve been meaning to get it fixed up for over a year now. Move it into the workshop and we’ll get started.”
“I don’t know how to drive,” Castiel reminded him.
“That’s okay. The engine doesn’t work anyway. Just put it in neutral and push.”
When Castiel turned to Bobby with a blank look, the hunter rolled his eyes. Putting the car in neutral himself, he directed Castiel as to where to move it. Once it was in position, he opened the trunk and had Castiel hand him his tools.
“Now pay attention,” Bobby commanded as he reached inside the engine and began loosening something with a screwdriver. “I’m going to teach you how to fix her up.”
“Why?” Castiel questioned completely baffled as to why he should find this necessary.
“Like I said, you need to earn your keep. Besides…” Bobby paused a moment to yank a small, dark greasy part from the engine and hand it to Castiel who looked at it as if he was holding an alien creature. “From what I’ve seen, you’re completely useless when it comes to machines. You could stand to learn something.”
“Angels have never had need for machines.”
“Well, you’ll find them pretty useful now.”
Castiel didn’t find that prospect particularly heartening, but was distracted from his dark thoughts as Bobby asked him to hand over another tool before beginning a long monologue on the inner workings of the engine.
******
“Sounds like you’ve been having fun,” commented Dean with what might have almost been a chuckle.
“It’s not something I’d describe as fun.” After a morning spent bent over the derelict car, Castiel was left with a painful cramp in his lower back and dark grease under his fingernails.
“Didn’t you like any of it?”
Castiel contemplated the cramped, cluttered workshop, the continuous clanking of metal tools and the overwhelming smell of gasoline. “I admit the way the interconnected parts of the engine work together is intriguing, but I don’t share your pleasure at spending hours trying to fix them.”
“Maybe you just don’t like getting your hands dirty,” Dean said, his voice light. “Hey, with my job at the garage, we’re pretty much doing the same stuff.”
“So it would seem.”
“Of course, I get paid. Not much admittedly, but I still get paid.” Dean let out a small snort. “Then again, you don’t have to wear a damn fugly uniform.”
“I’ll consider myself lucky then,” Castiel replied his tone bordering on sarcasm
Dean sighed. “I get it. I do. Fixing cars isn’t your thing, but there’s got be some part of human life you actually like?”
As he thought back, Castiel found it hard to recall any occasion he’d found pleasurable recently. He was sure there had been things he’d enjoyed, but none seemed to want to come to mind. Trying harder, he reflected on all the countless things he’d experienced and learned since he’d become human, subtle things he could have never imagined or understood when he’d observed them from afar, but he’d spent so much time struggling to comprehend his new world and mourning his old one that he hadn’t taken the time to derive enjoyment from any of it.
“I like taking showers,” he said abruptly as the realization suddenly came to him. “They remind me of summer rainfalls. And the smell of fresh coffee. I like coffee.” Castiel frowned wondering why he’d never realized those things before.
“Well, I guess that’s a start,” declared Dean and his voice held hope.
A start to what, Castiel wondered.
Chapter 14
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-15 01:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-15 02:31 am (UTC)I spotted a word that spell check cleared, but I know you'll want to change it. morning/mourning
but he’d spent so much time struggling to comprehend his new world and morning his old one
And I'm glad that Dean made Cas think of something he does like -- he's been so wrapped up in grieving for his lost grace that he's been overlooking some of the positive things that go along with being human, like being sensual and enjoying the sensations of the body.
Maybe now that Dean's clued him in, he'll start paying more attention to how his body can feel good, although right now he's a little sore.
Laurie
(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-16 07:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-15 05:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-18 04:19 am (UTC)And I like Bobby's attitude. He's not rolling on egg shells around Cas. Very straight forward, but you know he means well 'cause Cas needs something to focus on and Bobby provides.