Author's Note: Here it is! My Debriel Christmas Story as promised. This is also my submission for the Gabriel Monthly Challenge.
AU/Trope: Fake Dating for the Holidays - the Holiday season means family get-togethers and family get-togethers means well meaning family asking whether or not you've got a significant other. It is a time honored tradition in fanfic of bringing that friend who you may or may not have a crush on to dinner to get your family off your back.
This has been edited by QueenOfHearts!
Chapter One
"I just don't want to let them down again, you know?" It had been a long week, and Gabriel had needed to work practically double time to get the days off for Christmas. Initially, when he suggested to Dean to have a couple of beers, he thought his friend would be glad to sit down and rant about work for a couple of hours before they stumbled back to one of their apartments. They had done it more times than Gabriel could count, especially when one of them had just got off a double shift.
He wasn't expecting Dean to complain about their time off next week; if anything, he thought the other man was excited to go back home for a few days. Dean was never one to dread going back to his family. The taller man typically did nothing but mention his family; how his parents were doing, how his siblings were making their way in the world. This was the first time Gabriel had heard anything but praise come from Dean's mouth about his family.
"How exactly are you letting them down? I don't know if you noticed, but you have a pretty decent job, an apartment on the nice side of town, and didn't you just finish that extra course you were taking online? What the hell could they be disappointed about?"
Dean downed the rest of his beer, motioning for the bartender to get him a new one. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I haven't had a date in months." He had noticed. If there was one thing that sucked about being in love with your best friend was when they tried to find happiness with someone else. The last girl had been one Gabriel thought would be 'the one'. Lisa had been everything Dean had wanted. She was classy when the occasion called for it, but down to Earth most of the time. After five months she still wouldn't let Dean meet her kid. . Eventually, she spit out that it was because his father wasn't out of the picture.
Gabriel had wanted to ruin her, to tell the father about Dean and how his wife had not only been sleeping around but was building a relationship with someone else. Dean had been devastated, leaving Gabriel to pick up the pieces of his friend. It had taken time, and a string of one-night stands, but eventually Dean brought himself back to where he had been before meeting Lisa, finding his footing again. And if Lisa's husband got a package of photographs, that Gabriel may or may not have hired a private investigator to get, of her in bed with other men, well nobody had to know.
"They would never say anything, but last year when Jo and Sam both brought their partners for Christmas? Mom kept looking at me, and I could see it Gabe, that she was expecting me to bring someone. I don't want to let them down again; they're gonna wonder why I can't keep someone around at this rate."
Shaking his head, Gabriel grabbed his beer and looked at Dean. He could never understand why someone wouldn't want him. To Gabriel; Dean was perfect. He had his issues; he couldn't go on a plane, his stomach was a bottomless pit, and his obsession with pie was going to put him into an early grave… but he was also one of the kindest, thoughtful and damn hottest people Gabriel had ever known. Clapping his hand on Dean's back, Gabriel tried to think of something to make his friend feel better.
"You'll find someone, man. I mean if nothing else you have a great ass, right?" It was a running joke between them, how Dean couldn't walk into a room without at least one person checking out his ass. It wasn't what Gabriel wanted to say, how he desired to sing the praises of the man beside him and offer to expand their relationship. It would never happen. As much as Gabriel wanted to wake up to Dean's face every morning, even dealing with how cranky he could get before coffee… he could never chance losing what they had.
Finishing his beer, Gabriel kept his hand lingering on Dean's shoulder for another minute before reluctantly removing it. Getting them both another drink, the shorter man smiled at his friend, clunking their bottles together. "Hey, at least you got me, right? Sad to say that you're stuck with all this fineness." Dean laughed, and Gabriel could tell that his friend was on his way to wasted. Unlike his usual laugh, when he was drunk Dean would let go and not hold back. It was beautiful.
"Besides," continued Gabriel while trying to keep Dean's mind off his family. "It's not just you who is going to have a sucky Christmas. I would give just about anything to skip out on my family's idea of celebrating. I bet ten minutes after I arrive Luke and Michael are going to be at each other's throats, and it's going to be hell trying to stay out of the middle."
It was always the same. Each time they gathered for any holiday the two eldest would fight like cats and dogs the entire time. It was his little brand of hell, and Gabriel dreaded going back into it, even if it was the only time he had the chance to speak with any of his family. Thankfully the two would cool it while their parents were in the room, both still scared of their mother and her wooden spoon even as adults. The second their parents were no longer in sight, it was back to trying to tear each other's throats out.
"Man that sucks, I forgot about your brothers being total dicks." Gabriel laughed, nodding.
"Yeah, but I can't get out of it. They know I have time off work, and unless I have something pop up last minute, I'm expected at the dinner table." The shorter man didn't drain the bottle like he wanted, knowing that his friend wasn't in his right mind and would need someone to babysit him for the night. The next thing that came out of Dean's mouth proved that perhaps he had a few too many.
"You know, if you think about it, maybe we could help each other out. I could take you home, pretend that we're dating, and you won't have to go back home. Mom and Dad can relax, thinking I found someone like Sam and Jo, and you don't have to go back to your brothers' this year." Dean turned his full attention to Gabriel then, and for a second the whiskey-eyed man couldn't breathe. "They would buy it; you're my type."
Shock flew through Gabriel. While he had known that Dean's sister was at least partially gay considering her partner was a woman, he hadn't known that Dean swung that way as well. Clearing his throat, Gabriel leaned a bit closer, wanting to make sure he heard Dean correctly when he next spoke. "I thought you were straight?" asked Gabriel, his voice lowering as not to draw attention. The last thing he needed was for some twink to come in and try to take Dean away while they were talking about how the guy may not be straight.
The beer sloshed in the bottle as Dean used his hand to speak. "Never thought I would need to advertise it. Dude, it's not an issue is it?" The last thing Gabriel wanted was for Dean to think he had a problem with his sexuality.
"No, it's not a problem, just thought I would have known by now. We've been friends for five years now, man." Dean looked at him for a moment before draining his beer and asking for another. The bartender raised an eyebrow, but with a quick nod from Gabriel who was working on his second one of the night, she gave Dean the beverage.
"I just thought that you should come home with me. We could get both our parents off our backs… what do you say, Gabe? Wanna be my boyfriend for Christmas?" He wanted nothing more than to be with Dean, but Gabriel laughed the comment off. Drinking another beer slowly to Dean's three, the shorter man thought about what his friend asked. Overall it wasn't a bad plan. They knew each other well enough that they could pretend to be together, play up the whole friends to lovers' deal.
Helping Dean into his car later that night, Gabriel drove them back to his apartment where the taller man flopped onto the couch and was snoring before Gabriel put the blanket over him and helped the sleeping man out of his shoes and jacket. Once his guest was reasonably comfortable, Gabriel went into his bedroom and stripped down to his boxers before climbing in bed. Laying there, setting his alarm for the next morning, the whiskey-eyed man wondered if maybe Dean was on to something.
It would be nice not to have to return home for Christmas. If Dean was worried about disappointing his family, maybe it would be best if they teamed up. He could go somewhere that wouldn't include shouting every second, and Dean could convince his parents that he wasn't alone. With a grin, Gabriel flicked off the light and curled on his side, wondering if maybe during the long weekend he would be able to feel what it would be like having Dean hold him close.
P.S. If you want to keep up to date on my writing add me to Facebook, Tumbler, Twitter or Instagram as CrowNoYami ;-) Also, if you want to see what I'm reading (I always review so you know what you're getting into) I'm on Goodreads as well, the same name as always.
