Title: Older Angels and Younger Women
Summary: Castiel makes a request of Ellen, the conclusion of which surprises both of them. Castiel/Ellen
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: Supernatural was created by Eric Kripke. No disrespect is intended.
Notes: Umm…odd pairings intrigue me?
~~~~~~~~~~~
As much as Ellen loved her daughter, she was glad Dean had called and suggested they meet up and head for Bobby’s house. She and Jo had been getting on each others nerves the past couple weeks, so it was nice to have other people to talk to.
Ellen even enjoyed talking with Castiel. They had a different sort of conversations than she had with Sam and Dean. At times, she had the sense that she and Castiel were the only real adults present, despite his remaining innocence of many human matters. It was probably the age thing she decided when she thought about it. She was older than Sam and Dean and Castiel was much older.
She thought of Dean and Sam as her ‘boys’, as though she’d given birth to them herself. They meant nearly as much to her as Jo did and she’d willingly adopted them as family. By extension, Castiel was part of her family too. Ellen had no problem with that. Family was important. Of course, it was also important for family to spend time together relaxing.
Yet, when Sam suggested they all go to a movie and somewhere to eat, Ellen bowed out. Castiel did the same when Dean insisted he join them, choosing instead to stay with Ellen in her motel room. She knew why she didn’t go -- to let those three have time together to discuss those things they were interested in that she wasn’t. Music, tv, whatever. Ellen had no idea what they’d discuss, she just knew they needed to socialize without her sometimes. Who wanted ‘mom’ around all the time? But why did Castiel stay behind?
She glanced at him as she flipped a page in the magazine she’d picked up earlier.
He hadn’t said anything since Dean, Sam, and Jo had left. All he’d done was sit in the chair and watch her. A part of her wondered if it was only him watching. Did his host watch too? Was the soul of his vessel still with him and awake? Ellen had been wondering about that, unable to get a sense that that was the case. She didn’t ask, however. It wouldn’t be the thing to do. Maybe when they knew each other much better.
Ellen wanted to get to know him. How many women could claim to know an angel; to speak with one? Besides, his vessel was right nice to look at. Attractive men were always a bonus.
She kept her attention half on him as she flipped through her magazine.
~~~~~~~~~~
Castiel didn’t feel like being alone. What he felt like doing was being in the company of a human. Not talking really, simply enjoying the companionship.
He sat with Ellen in her motel room, watching in silence while she read a magazine, worked a crossword puzzle, and flipped channels on the tv. His silence would have driven Dean crazy, as would his correct posture in the chair. Not so Ellen. She accepted it and let it pass. He liked that about her. She accepted others as they were.
Dean, Sam, and Jo had gone out to a movie and dinner, attempting to have a normal evening together. Ellen had told them she wasn’t interested in any of the movies listed or in having a public meal, but it was a lie. Cas knew it as she said it. She thought the ‘young people’ needed some time without her.
As though she was ancient. Compared to Cas himself, Ellen was a young woman.
Dean had tried to get Cas to join them. Surprising after Dean’s last attempt to take Castiel to the movies. It…hadn’t gone well. Talking was apparently forbidden and popcorn was an excellent projectile that when thrown hard enough and, in conjunction with something called ‘Milk Duds’, actually hurt.
She stretched, then reached for one bag, drawing out a deck of cards and holding it up. “You know any card games, Castiel?”
“Dean has been teaching me poker. He keeps changing the rules.”
“You mean the games?”
“No, the rules. The particular game remains the same.” They couldn’t play for money, though, because the only money Cas had was the change Dean and Sam occasionally handed him. They thought he kept it. He saw no harm in letting them think that, waiting until they weren’t looking and putting it with the other change they emptied from their pockets before they went to sleep at night.
“How’s that working out?”
A smile of amusement tugged at his lips -- for it was amusing -- and he let it blossom a fraction, no more than a twitch really. “Frustrating for Dean. He changes the rules in an attempt to win and can’t fathom why I continue winning despite his changing of the rules. Dean has yet to connect my wins with Sam dealing. I’ve not enlightened him.”
“Those boys….” Ellen laughed and shuffled the deck. “Anyone taught you rummy yet?”
“No.”
“Jo and I play quite a bit. It passes the time.” Getting up from the bed, she came to the table. “I’ll teach you the variation we play.” She began to shuffle the deck, telling him the rules as she laid out the cards.
As the first game commenced, Castiel decided Ellen was a good teacher. She laid her cards out so he could see them and explained her first move, then got up and explained what moves he could make and why with the cards he had.
“Now, I said ‘wrap-around’ when I dealt, which means you can put down a combination with the ace between, like Queen, King, Ace, Two or King, Ace, Two, Three. Some people don’t use that rule, so make sure you know before you play if you can make that move.”
“I see.”
“But don’t screw the deck.”
“Screw the deck?”
“Slap down four of any same card. It’s Jo’s favorite move, so I’ve banned it when I deal. You play with her though, she’ll make that move as soon as she can, mess up your chances of getting a good run going. She also likes to add the Joker, so you have to miss a turn or two.”
Back and forth until one game was over. As she moved between her chair and him, he noted that the perfume she wore was pleasant, an earthy scent with a slight floral hint to it.
Sensuous.
The word popped into his head and he mulled over the definition. Her perfume did cause a pleasurable stimulation of the senses, so perhaps it was the correct word? His nostrils twitched, Castiel attempting to draw in more of the scent when she leaned down beside him.
“You’ll want these cards,” she told him, easing cards from his hand and moving them around, then taking cards off the discard pile and adding them to those he held. His pulse jumped as her fingers brushed against his. “You see why?”
“Yes,” he replied, barely glancing at the cards, choosing instead to think about that snippet of sensory information. Interesting. A response he’d not noticed to a woman before. He’d had anxiety during that excursion Dean had planned, and a few other physical sensations, but this was different. Castiel knew it was different. How? What made it different?
As he sat, only half listening to the remainder of her explanations, Castiel thought about his moments in that house of ill repute and this moment now. There was a difference. A short while later, he thought he’d hit upon it.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Ellen?”
She glanced up from her cards. “Yeah?” He had an odd expression upon his face and in his eyes. Curiosity mixed with a bit of yearning. She wondered what was bothering him. As she watched, he broke eye contact and looked away.
“Never mind.”
Ellen set her cards down, crossed her arms on the table and leaned against them. “No, Castiel, what is it?” It dawned on her that he was uncomfortable, a dull flush spreading along his cheekbones.
“I would…ask a favor of you.” Hesitance in his voice.
“Well, sure. Ask it.”
“You agree without knowing the favor?”
“I trust you.” She did, too. Implicitly. There’d been no evidence at any point thus far that she couldn’t trust him. Dean obviously trusted him.
He blinked, lips parting. “Will you kiss me?”
The request took the breath from her. “Kiss you?”
“A kiss. Yes.”
She studied him, trying to understand the request. He wanted a kiss from her? Why? “What brought this on?”
He passed his cards from hand to hand, his stare intent upon them, as though they held the answer he wanted from her. “I had occasion to be kissed awhile ago, but it wasn’t the experience I was under the impression it would be. While it was interesting, it wasn’t…. I thought perhaps something was missing. The woman was a,” his glance raised to meet her gaze, then lowered once more, “professional.”
“Dean took you to a hooker,” she guessed.
Castiel nodded. “Yes.”
“So what do you think was missing from the experience?”
“Emotion? Trust? I’m merely guessing. It seems to me that having previously interacted with a person would add to the experience. I had not met the woman before and the moment was…awkward for me. I may have said something I shouldn’t have then that upset her and Dean and I were encouraged to leave the establishment.”
As he spoke, she had the impression he was trying to play it cool, like Dean would, pretending to ponder his next move in the card game during that explanation. Oh sweetie, she thought. Dean’s probably not the best role model for you in this department.
His brows drew together in a quick frown that smoothed out even as she watched.
“Kisses can be awkward even if you know the person ahead of time,” she told him. She knew that for a fact. Ellen had experienced her share of awkward kisses over the years, a few so awkward she still winced at the memory. “Trust me on that, honey. Knowing someone doesn’t mean it’s going to make the kiss any better. I’ve had some humdingers in my day from guys I knew pretty well.”
“I believe it would be less awkward for myself to experience the moment with a trusted woman with whom I’ve had a previous acquaintance.”
Ellen smiled a little. “And that woman is me?” Good to know.
“I like you, Ellen, and trust you. I believe you would give me the best, warmest kiss in your ability without expecting more than I’m able to return. You’d do everything in your power to make it a special moment.” He looked at her. “It’s the sort of woman you are.”
Now she sat back, still studying him. “You’re serious.”
The cards were set face down on the table top. He copied her pose. “Very. I’m curious and I find the thought of you kissing me appealing.”
“Just a kiss?”
“It’s all I’m asking for.”
Ellen looked about the room, considering the request and the potential consequences for fulfilling it. Were there any? Offhand, she didn’t think so. “Okay. I’ll kiss you, but I’ve got a couple of rules, first.”
“What are they?”
“The first: you’ll take off your coat and jacket.”
He frowned. “I’m uncertain why that would be necessary.”
She smiled, brow arching. “It’s not, but it’s one of my rules. Consider it a personal preference.”
“I see,” he replied, although she could tell he didn’t by the continuing puzzled glint in his eyes.
Ellen didn’t elaborate for him. If he was really curious about her reason, he could ask. It was a simple enough reason: she liked a man slightly disheveled and with the coat and jacket on he seemed too physically distant for that kiss he wanted. It was more for her own comfort, though if it aided his experience then all the better.
With a slow nod, Castiel stood and removed both items, placing them with great care on the back of his chair before sitting back down. “Condition met.”
“Second: We’ll sit over there on the edge of the bed for comfort. Straight chairs aren’t conducive to pleasant kisses, at least not in my experience.”
He moved to the bed and sat, hands resting on his knees. “Are there more?”
Ellen thought a moment. “I suppose that’ll do.” She joined him, sitting beside him and trying to decide how to proceed. It probably wouldn’t do any good to tell him to relax, so she didn’t bother. Reaching up with a hand, Ellen stroked her fingers across his cheek. The stubble there tickled pleasantly against her fingertips.
Castiel sat still, waiting. The color of his eyes seemed very bright. His lips were parted, gaze in constant motion, taking in every movement she made, however slight. She had the impression that he wanted to savor the moment so as to dissect it later, second by second.
“You ready for this,” she asked, quirking one brow.
The gesture was returned. “Yes.”
Ellen flicked her glance down to his mouth and back to his eyes, then closed the distance between them.
~~~~~~~~~~~
He felt her lips against his, a soft press that gradually became more, her tongue flicking along his lower lip. The sensation was pleasurable, so much so that when she began to draw away, he raised a hand to curve about the back of her neck and keep her against him in order to experience more. He wanted more of this thing called kissing, following her as she sat back, trying out the nibbling, caressing movements on her.
Her lips parted beneath his, head turning a fraction. He did the same, the movement locking their mouths in a deeper kiss. Ideas filled his mind and he tried them out. Their tongues touched, tangled in a sensual whirl of sensation.
Quite a different encounter than the first one he’d had.
One of Ellen’s hands grasped his forearm. It felt natural then, to slip his other arm about her. He wanted to hold her closer and did, drawing her flush to him, continuing to kiss her, enjoying the experience of doing so. The feel of her warmth against him somehow made the kiss more intimate, personal.
It pleased him that he’d been correct in his conclusion of what he’d been missing.
Cas pulled away, surprised to find himself gasping for breath and warm. Extremely warm. The temperature in the room appeared to have risen several degrees. “That was enjoyable,” he told her in a voice a bit raspier than it had been before the series of kisses, slowly removing his arm from around her and his hand from her neck.
Ellen released his arm and took a deep breath, scooting back from him on the edge of the bed. “Just ‘enjoyable’?”
He blinked. The word was accurate, but not the entire description he could use for their kisses. Should he elaborate for her? Would she like to hear his entire thought processes on his satisfaction with the encounter? It could take quite awhile were he to attempt to share them with her. “I meant --”
She shook her head, a tiny smile upon her lips. “Relax, sweetie. I’m teasing. I do that sometimes.”
“Oh.” The experience had been far better this time than the last. He’d been correct in another matter, as well. Ellen was a good teacher. Judging by her expression alone, she was as affected as he was. That, he concluded, was a good thing. Castiel didn’t think many things surprised this woman and he was strangely satisfied to have done so.
~~~~~~~~~~
She’d never expected such heated kisses from him. He may be an angel, but he kissed like a devil, leaving her feeling like she’d been sitting in a sauna -- all hot and bothered. Ellen hadn’t had such a thorough kissing in a very long time. Too long, she reflected, discovering her legs a bit shaky when she went to return to the table. Luckily, it was only a couple steps and she could collapse into her chair without giving away her full state of fluster.
“Ellen?”
“Yes?” She picked up the cards she’d set down, looked at them and tried to remember what she’d been planning to do with them.
“In light of a moment ago…” He remained sitting on the bed. “You should call me ‘Cas’. Castiel is quite formal in comparison and we’re no longer…formal.”
Ellen’s smile widened. “Okay, Cas. We playin’ rummy or what?”
One second he was on the bed and the next he was across from her. “We are.”
They played in silence for several minutes before his voice sounded once more.
“Ellen?”
“Yes, Cas?”
“Thank you for fulfilling my request.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I believe I can say ‘rummy’ at this point?”
Ellen blinked and looked up from her cards. He’d won the game, cards all laid out and a pleased glint in his eyes. “I think I’m going to understand Dean’s frustration with you and cards.” She tossed hers onto the table. “Let me tally the score and then you try dealing.”
By the time Dean, Sam, and Jo returned, they were back as they’d been when the three had left: Cas in the chair with his jacket and coat back on and Ellen reading one of Jo’s magazines.
~~~~~~~~~~
Dean surveyed the scene with disbelief. He’d assumed Ellen would get Cas talking or doing something besides just sitting there, yet that’s what both were doing. “Anything interesting happen while we were gone?”
“Just a quiet evening,” Ellen replied, taking the bag of new magazine purchases from Jo and dumping it out on her bed. She pulled two from the pile, then gathered the rest and handed them back to Jo.
“Ellen taught me rummy.” Cas looked up at him. “She’s an exceptional teacher.”
Ellen cleared her throat. “He’s a fast learner.”
“I enjoyed the experience.”
“He’s certainly got the aptitude for it.”
“Under the right circumstances,” Cas added.
“There are right circumstances for learning a card game?” While there seemed to be some sort of subtext in their words, Dean couldn’t figure out what. A quick shared glance with Sam and Jo showed they were curious as well. However, Dean decided he was too tired to hunt down the explanation tonight. Maybe he’d figure it out in the morning. “Okay. Well, it’s late, so Sam and I’ll head back to our room. Cas, you might want to come with us and let Jo and Ellen get some sleep.”
“Of course.” He was gone before Dean could blink.
By morning, he’d forgotten all about the odd exchange between Ellen and Cas. As long as they seemed to get along, Dean didn’t particularly care what they’d been talking around.
~~~~~~~~~~
If Jo didn’t know better, she’d swear her mother was blushing. She occupied herself with getting ready for bed and maybe pulling the story from Ellen. There was a story. She knew it.
“So what was that about,” she asked, cleaning the make-up from her face.
“What was what?”
“That bit with Castiel. Aptitude? Fast learner? What’s going on?” A glance showed her mother smiling in a definite wistful manner. “Mom?”
“Oh, nothing.” Ellen shut the magazine in her hands and tossed it aside.
“Nothing?” Jo turned, washcloth in hand. “Seriously? Just because Sam and Dean didn’t notice your blush doesn’t mean I didn’t.”
“Joanna Beth, I am not blushing!”
Jo arched a brow her direction.
Ellen got up from the bed and crossed to the mirror. She put her hands to her cheeks. “So maybe I am.”
Jo finished washing her face and reached for her pajamas, wondering what had happened to cause her unflappable mother to blush. “He’s kind of adorable, for a fierce angel,” she said, hoping to prod an explanation free.
“Sweetie, you have no idea just how adorable that angel is.”
Though Jo attempted to attain clarification for the statement, her mother was not forthcoming and she finally had to abandon her efforts for the lure of sleep. Maybe she’d find out later. Right now, though, Jo needed rest more than enlightenment.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ellen settled into bed, listening to Jo’s even breaths, and hoped she’d dream of Castiel’s kisses. It would be nice to have good dreams and she couldn’t think of anything more pleasant at present than to dream of him.
“Night all,” she whispered into the dark and closed her eyes.
She dreamed of kisses and of Cas the angel with the pretty blue eyes.
