Gabriel was a runaway. He hauled ass out of Dodge when he was sixteen with nothing but a backpack full of clothes, books, and cheap canned food. His older brothers were insufferable. Frankly, if he was being entirely honest, the entire Novak Clan was insufferable. Daddy was a higher up in one of the most powerful companies in the world, and talk about daddy issues! Half of the Novaks weren't even full siblings. Cousins and half siblings and twice removeds. But they all called themselves Novak, because who wouldn't want to be tied to the richest man in the country, besides the president? It was disgusting.
He was the youngest of the oldest, of the real Novaks. Real in the sense that the four of them all shared a mother and a father, when none of their other siblings or close family members did. But Gabriel had never truly been close to any of them, or their father, primarily because shortly after he was born, Mr. Novak became somewhat non-existent in his children's lives. He was much too busy with work. He lived through his work.
Michael was the eldest. He raised the second eldest, Lucifer, by himself, as their mother had distanced herself away from her children, and daddy's pride and joy was Michael. Anyone else after him wasn't usually given a second thought. Raphael was born not very long after. Lucifer had always been jealous of the fact that if dad had to pick favorites, the list would go Michael, and then Raphael.
This was partially due to the fact that Michael and Raphael had taken it in stride that their parents were getting a divorce and they would now be forced to live with a string of half-siblings, cousins, and other Novaks that could hardly be considered 'family'. Lucifer's reaction was less than savory. Gabriel still had nightmares, even at twenty-seven years old, about the screaming and the shouting and the throwing of things. Lucifer had a full-on rebellion, and hadn't been seen since his 21st birthday.
That all lead up to Gabriel's own departure. Lucifer made him an offer.
"Come live with me, brother. I raised you when Mike and Raph were too busy kissing daddy's ass to pay attention. I love you. Please leave with me."
Gabriel hadn't and Lucifer shook his head sadly as he walked out the door. It broke Gabe's heart because he knew that Lucifer was right. Family was family, however, and the littlest Novak couldn't just leave his two older brothers.
In the end, that is exactly what he did, and his heart ached with regret for turning down Lucifer's offer.
Within a week of Lucifer leaving the nest, Michael and Raphael praised (If that was even the correct word) Gabriel. They chittered about Lucifer, their words cruel and dark, and Gabriel couldn't take it anymore. Even with Lucifer gone, they just couldn't let him be. And Gabriel knew that it would be the same once he was gone.
Talk about daddy issues.