(A/N: Weeeeeeee, not deeeeeeead. So sorry, school and life happened and neither Skykes or I got to this. But anyway, enjoy!~ XOXO AidaMae)
"Gabriel, I took your advice." Castiel was standing outside of the living room, and spoke to his brother when Gabriel joined him.
"I have a feeling it didn't end so well, did it?" Gabriel asked, looking over to his younger brother. "Wanna go outside and talk?"
Castiel nodded silently, forcing back his emotions in case Dean happened to look over, not that he found that particularly likely since Dean clearly didn't reciprocate Castiel's feelings.
"Cas, you bottling up emotions isn't good. Especially since you're new to the whole concept of feelings." Gabriel said, sensing the emotions his younger brother is holding back.
"I didn't want Dean to see me," the younger angel choked out once both of them were outside. "He-he doesn't..." Castiel's voice was shaky, though he was trying hold back. "I don't think he feels the same way for me," he explained as his eyes started to well with tears. "I should've known this was a bad idea."
"Damn... I'm sorry Cas. I thought for sure he returned your feelings." Gabriel said, his voice empty and broken. He looked up to Cas and saw the tears slipping down his cheek. "Cas..." Gabriel whispered as he walked over to his brother and gave him a loving embrace.
Cas gripped his older brother's shirt and buried his face in his chest, hiding himself from the world in his despair. He wondered how he could have been stupid enough to think Dean felt that way. He didn't say that he doesn't like me... He pushed the hopeful thoughts from his mind, not wanting to go through the heartbreak again.
"Humans are so stupid, aren't they?" Gabriel said, his tone went from loving and warm to ice cold. "They act like they love someone, but when it comes down to it they don't really love the person. If Sam and Dean can't love humans, how could they possibly love us?"
Castiel nodded and pulled out of his big brother's embrace a little, staring at the ground. "Dean's not stupid," he argued. "I'm stupid, for thinking he could love me back. For loving him." The younger angel sighed and closed his eyes.
"How could you be the one at fault? We're angels, we can read human emotions easier than reading a foreign language." Gabriel reasoned, a hollow echo in his voice. "Its not your fault."
"I read him wrong," Castiel insisted. "I let my own emotions get in the way of relational thinking. I thought he loved me because that is what I want."
"Cas, you didn't read him wrong. I read him the same way. He felt the same way about you as Sam does- did for me." That loving tone came back for a moment. "Maybe we should just go back. They don't need us."
"No." Castiel said sternly. "Dean may not love me, but I love him. You can go back to heaven, but I am going to stay and watch over the Winchesters, no matter what." Gabriel looked at his brother for a second, before a small smile tugged his lips upward.
"Goodbye then, see you around maybe." Gabriel said before whooshing off.
Castiel said a belated, "Goodbye," before walking back into the living room to see Sam and Dean talking. Sam saw him first, and Dean quickly turned to see him as well.
"Cas." Dean grunted, shifting awkwardly.
"Hello." Cas looked at the younger Winchester and squinted his eyes for a moment, wondering if Dean had told him about their earlier conversation. "Gabriel went back to Heaven," he informed them.
"What...?" Sam whispered, frowning.
"Why the hell would he do that?" Dean asked.
"He is under the impression that he is no longer needed or wanted," Castiel answered plainly; he couldn't blame his brother from wanting to escape the emotional turmoil of being around the humans. "Was he wrong?" Sam shifted awkwardly as he looked to his older brother. Dean just kept looking at Cas.
"Were you crying?" he asked, his usual gruff voice, softening up.
Castiel reached to his face to find that, in fact, there were no tears. How can he tell? "Uh... No," he was clearly lying. "Why would I cry?"
"Your eyes, they're red." Dean answered as if reading his mind. "This isn't because of our conversation was it?" Dean asked, tensing up.
Castiel shifted, his gaze darting away from the Winchesters. "No," another clear lie. He wasn't very good at lying. He turned to Sam. "How are you feeling?" he asked, desperate to change the subject.
"Uh, confused?" Sam answered, not wanting to be in the hot seat.
"And are you healing?" the angel pressed.
"I was just unconscious Cas, not... physically injured." Sam said, frowning at Cas's avoison. "Do you and Dean want to go talk, I'll be fine by myself."
At the same time that Cas looked at Sam and said, "No," Dean was looking at Cas and saying, "Yes."
Castiel finally looked to the older hunter, his expression hard. "I believe you were sufficiently clear about how you feel last time we spoke," he said. "I don't see what purpose further conversing could serve." Dean opened his mouth but nothing came out.
"He lied." Sam muttered as he got a look that read you-shut-up from his older brother.
"Sam." Dean huffed, looking down as a faint blush appeared on his cheeks.
Cas frowned slightly. "What?"
"I may have not been, completely honest about how I feel." Dean admitted, taking a deep breath.
Castiel cocked his head to the side. "Then how do you feel?" he asked.
"Uh." Dean coughed, looking over to his brother who had a small smirk upon his face. "Could we talk in private?"
"Yes." Castiel turned and walked towards the doorway, turning to go upstairs before Dean was even standing. Dean stood up and took a deep breath.
"You'll thank me later." Sam said, smiling for the first time in weeks.
"Yeah, you better hope so." Dean grumbled, as he walked upstairs to where Cas was.
Cas turned to Dean, his expression was dark; he didn't want to have his heart broken again. "Now tell me," he demanded. Dean felt sick and guilty. He took a breath in, closed his eyes, and spoke without thinking.
"I love you."
When Dean didn't hear a response from Cas, he opened his eyes to find the angel standing inches away from him, his eyes were uncertain and hopeful. "You do?" he asked, his gruff voice making the question sound a bit frightening. Dean stood there, trying to focus his eyes on Cas's bright blue ones, but found it difficult with their lips just centimeters apart. Instead of speaking Dean leaned forwards, pressing his lips against Cas's.
…
As Dean and Cas went upstairs, Sam thought quietly to himself. Gabriel? He called.
There was only silence for a moment, followed by, Yes?
Why'd you leave? Sam asked, frowning slightly.
There was silence again, before the reply came. You don't need me, you're better off. And... Frankly, it hurts to be around you.
You're wrong... I do need you. I miss you. Sam closed his eyes, fighting the urge to cry.
I don't believe you. Gabriel replied quicker this time.
It's true, Sam insisted. Please, Gabriel, you have to believe me. I might not feel that... Passion that I felt before, but I still want you to be around. I need you... I love you.
"R-really?" Gabriel stuttered, appearing out of nowhere in the chair next to Sam.
Sam took a deep breath and nodded. "I wasn't going to say anything until I'd had time to readjust... So that I was sure, but it didn't seem like you were gonna give me that chance." He turned his head to Gabriel, his face solemn. "I don't want to start dating right away, or anything, since I'm still pretty shaken up, but if the only way to get you to stay is by telling you, then so be it." He smiled slightly.
"Sam..." Gabriel sighed, smiling before hearing the front door open. Bobby walked through into the living room where Gabriel and Sam were.
"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Bobby asked, a skeptical look upon his face. Sam shook his head, as he sat up. "Good." Bobby said before taking out a gun and cocking it at Sam and Gabriel. Before Gabriel had a chance to do anything, Bobby pulled out the sliding door and slammed his hand on the banishing mark.
"Bobby?" Sam asked, trying to stand but to no avail. Bobby's eyes turned pitch black and sick grin was spread upon his lips.
"Nope." The demon smirked. Sam was about to yell when the servant of hell silenced the hunter. "Shut up and let me talk. I'm taking you, for my master." The beast poorly explained. Sam was able to mouth the word 'Crowley'. "Nope, not that bastard. Our original master. Lucifer." The demon almost seemed pleased with Sam's reaction. His skin turning a shade whiter, and his eyes dilating. "There's an old ritual, Sam and your blood is needed to complete it."
"Sammy!" Dean shouted, running for a gun before he was forced into a wall. Cas was nowhere to be found. "Dammit." Dean muttered, trying to break free.
"Ah, Dean. It was nice seeing you, but I'll be taking your brother now." The demon announced before taking Sam and leaving the house. As Dean was finally able to be free of the force surrounding him, Castiel and Gabriel showed back up.
"What happened?" Cas asked, going over to Dean who kneeling.
"Demon..." He muttered, looking up to Castiel, fear and worry hidden behind anger. "They took Sammy and said something about his blood as a sacrifice. To bring back Lucifer." Dean explained, clenching his fists and jaw.
Castiel felt stupid for letting this happen, he would have thought that Bobby's house was more protected. "Where's Gabriel?" he asked.
"He was with you a few seconds ago." Dean pointed out, also taking note of the missing archangel. Soon enough their question was answered.
"I can't find him, sense him, or anything." Gabriel said, feeling very defeated as he walked into the room.
Dean sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting off a headache with closed eyes. "And you have no clue where he is?"
"Not a single one, thomewhere angel protected that'th for thure." Gabriel said, that damn lisp coming through again, growing more dominant as he became more emotionally compromised. He clodsed his eyes, trying to sense where Sam is for the third time.
Dean opened his eyes and lowered his hand. "Did you see the demon who took him?" he asked.
"No, by the time we got here the demon who possessed Bobby was already gone." Castiel spoke, resting a hand on the hunter's shoulder.
Dean took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "Okay..."
"I'm sorry." Both angels said at once.
The hunter shook his head. "It's all our faults. We should've been keeping a closer eye on him..." His eyes drifted to the couch where his little brother had lain.
"I wath right there..." Gabriel muttered, mentally kicking himself for not reacting fast enough.
"Well, there's no point in sulking about it now, all we can do is try to find him." Dean turned back to the angels. "What do you guys know about the ritual?"
"I never heard of such a ritual." Castiel said, as Gabriel agreed with him.
Dean brushed his hand through his hair, fighting to stay calm. "Then we have... Absolutely no leads. Great."
"Well there ith one idea we can try..." Gabriel started, avoiding all eye contact.
"Well?" Dean demanded, growing irritable.
"Crowley." Gabriel answered, getting ready to be told off.
"Crowley?!" Dean echoed. "Are you serious?! No!" He looked to Cas to make sure he wasn't the only one who found it ridiculous.
"It could work Dean." Cas said, siding with his brother.
"You've got to be kidding..."
"Not this time Dean-o." Gabriel said with small smile.
"When has Crowley ever not been bad news?!" Dean shouted, finally giving into the stress.
"Are you forgetting the times I have helped you?" A thick accent spoke from behind the hunter.
Dean spun around to face the voice, demon blade drawn before he was even turned fully. "I haven't forgotten all the times you betrayed us," he retorted.
"So you don't want my help?" Crowley frowned, taking a sip of the scotch he was drinking.
"Do you know where Sam is?" Dean asked, disbelieving that he was even considering asking the King of Hell for help.
"Not exactly, I can find out though." Crowley said, a small grin appearing on his face.
"And why should we trust you?" Dean asked, already knowing what he was going to say. Because you have no other choice.
"I think you know exactly why." Crowley said. "Although, I do ask for a... favor in return." Crowley leaned on the word favor.
"If you think you're getting any of our souls, you can forget about it," Dean seethed.
"Don't be ridiculous. I simply want a peace treaty, of sorts." Crowley said, with another sip.
"Uh huh, because we get along so well, a peace treaty is all we need to seal the deal," Dean's tone was bitter.
"And to think we really did have a friendship going here." Replied the King of Hell.
Dean rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever."
"What are the conditions of the truce?" Castiel asked.
"Simple. You don't try and kill me every time we meet, and some more minor details that really don't matter." Crowley said, going over his words carefully.
"Minor details?" Dean didn't sound like he believed the demon. "Right, spit it."
"Just little things; Unless I am trying to kill you have no right to kill me, no making deals to save one of your lives, and if I ask for help you give it me." Crowley slurred and muttered the last part, hoping the other three don't care enough to ask.
"Why would you need our help?" No such luck, Dean had heard him.
"You never know what will happen, and it'd be nice to have a back up plan." Crowley explained, quickly recovering.
Dean was still clearly uncomfortable with even talking to the demon. He really did need his help, though. "Okay, but nothing more. No sub-clauses, no little added extras, you tell us everything, and maybe..." Dean glanced at the angels begrudgingly. "We'll consider it."
"Time is wasting, either you agree now or you can't find your precious Sammy." Crowley said, trying to push Dean to agree to his deal.
"Fine... Deal," Dean muttered. Crowley grinned feeling pleased with himself.
"Excellent, now excuse me while I go find the demon who called a mutiny." Crowley soon then left, leaving the three hoping they didn't just enslave themselves.