A/N:This fic idea just hit me when I was on the bus. And I promise I'm working on that sequel I promised.
The yelling outside the closet got louder. Gabriel really hated the way his dad, Mr. Novak, got when he was drunk. He hated the yelling, the way he hit Gabriel's mother, Ms. Milton (He refused to acknowledge them as his parents) the fact that the closet was the only safe place when Mr. Novak was drunk. Most of all, he hated how much it hurt his baby brother. Gabriel hugged the sobbing Castiel closer.
'Why does this always happen? Why can't me and my brother have a happy life, like all the other kids?' Gabriel silently asked God for the billionth time. He wondered why he was doing it again. It never seemed to help. Gabriel sighed.
"Shhhhhh, it's okay, we're okay, shhhhh." Gabriel whispered soothingly to his little brother. Gabriel was 14 and Castiel was 12. Gabriel often found himself thinking that they were way too young for this shit.
The yelling suddenly stopped. 'It's over!' Gabriel thought happily. 'Finally!' He heard footsteps. That never happened. When the yelling stopped, it always meant Mr. Novak had passed out, and Ms. Milton always left afterwords without checking on them. What was happening now?
The footsteps got louder, and the two brothers scooted further away from the door, meaning their backs were literally against a wall. Gabriel prepared himself; if it was Mr. Novak, he would make sure that son of a bitch didn't lay a hand on his baby brother.
The closet door opened. Mr. Novak stood there, angry and obviously very drunk, swaying slightly. "Get your asses out here!" He yelled, sluring his words badly. The boys scrambled out of the closet quickly.
"Wha were ya doin?!Hidin out like the cowardss you are?" He laughed evilly, and it sent a shiver down both boys' spines. "Well you ain't gunna hid no more, you Understand me!?" And, with that, he pulled his belt out of his belt loops.
Gabriel was scared shitless. He wasn't sure what that sonofabitch was gonna do, but he knew it couldn't be good. As he stood there and watched Mr. Novak crack the belt threatingly, he had only one thought in his mind: I gotta protect Cas, no matter what.
"You," he pointed at Gabriel,"Come over ere, now!" Gabriel walked over quickly, thinking 'Thank goodness he's gonna hurt me and not Cassy!' Castiel watched helplessly as his brother walked over. He caught Gabriel's eye and his brother gave him a look that clearly said 'Don't say anything. I'll be fine.'
Mr. Novak brought the belt down forcefully over Gabriel's back. Gabriel cried out in pain. This went on for ten minutes or more, and by the end, he was 100% certain he'd have bruises by tomorrow, if he didn't have them already. Mr. Novak hit him over the head and everything went black.
He opened his eyes when he heard Castiel scream. It wasn't too easy, but his baby brother screaming, "No, don't, Gabriel HELP!" sure as hell did the trick. At first he only saw shapes. He focused his eyes and saw his little brother and Mr. Novak. Castiel had his shirt off and bruises from the belt. Gabriel looked over at Mr. Novak and his eyes practically turned black with hate and rage. Then, he saw what Mr. Novak was doing, and his mouth fell open in horror.
Mr. Novak grinned maniacally at him and went back to ridding himself of his clothes. Gabriel struggled against the ropes that tied him to his chair. It was of no use; he just couldn't get free. He shot his baby brother a look that said everything was going to be okay, that no one was going to hurt him, that Gabriel was going to get free and save him. And his brother shot back a defeated look, a look that said nothing's going to be okay. Gabriel's heart broke.
Mr. Novak finished with his clothes and quickly undressed Castiel. Mr. Novak pushed him down onto all fours on the floor, and started fingering him. Castiel howled in pain, and that was it for Gabriel. With a burst of adrenaline/hate/rage, he loosened the ropes and stood up. He ran over and kicked Mr. Novak in the side of the head, knocking him out. He pulled Castiel to his feet, and they ran to the living room, where they found Ms. Milton, dead on the floor. They ran out the front door without another thought.