A short little thing (because I can't, apparently, write anything over 1,000 words) featuring Castiel and Gabriel.
Spoilers: None? If you know about Cas and Gabriel you're basically set.
Warnings: None
When Castiel was smaller and Lucifer had not yet begun the war, he had flown to Earth, along with the rest of his soon-to-be garrison, and he had stood and watched.
He saw the trees wave and slightly turn towards his grace.
He saw two bear cubs fight and playfully box, eating fish with their mother.
He saw two humans gently kiss.
He saw two people fight over the hand of a woman.
He saw a man violently bleeding out as someone else held him, tears rolling over his cheeks and staining the earth.
He stayed on Earth for perhaps a month, far longer than the others, who had stayed for less than a day.
"Little bro?"
He turned, wings fluttering with confusion and excitement. "Gabriel."
Gabriel grinned, his hundreds of wings moving around the lesser angel to pull him closer. "Where were you? Dad's going to announce something to the whole family."
Castiel's grace flared out as he pointed out the various things he had seen, bending time with his still growing power. "What is this, Gabriel? I…I don't quite understand."
The archangel stared for a few minutes and then proceeded to laugh. "It's love, Castiel!"
Castiel, not sharing his brother's mirth, tilted his head in confusion. "Love?"
"Love! It's like-like-"
"Like Father and our siblings?"
"No," Gabriel said sharply, glancing up at the sky almost angrily.
"Then what is it?"
Gabriel pulled Castiel in close, touching the humans Castiel had pointed out with a bit of grace, blessing them. "Fear. Hope. Sacrifice. Pain. Infuriating madness. Torture beyond anything you've ever experienced."
This seemed to only confuse the little angel even further. "Then what's the point?"
Gabriel paused, wings stilling in a way that was incredibly rare.
"It's worth it," is what he finally said, golden eyes dark and stormy.
He then clutched Castiel tightly in his arms and they flew back to Heaven, where a budding war and Lucifer's Fall was awaiting them.
Castiel did not quite understand his older brother's words at the time.
Now, looking at the Righteous Man, he could only think, Oh.