Gabriel looked at him suspiciously. "Yes? Why?" he asked squinting slightly at the dark haired man in front of him, wondering why a complete stranger would be asking him this.
"My name is Castiel Novak, adopted by Helen and Joshua Novak when I was 18 months old. I have a brother called Gabriel, but I've never met him and I am looking for my birth parents, and have left my husband at home, in order to do." Cas said, hoping he sounded confident and raising an eyebrow in order to hint at the shorter man in front of him.
"You think I'm that Gabriel", he scoffed, the cogs in his head turning as he considered that possibility.
He vaguely remembered a baby with blue eyes, but having been only three at the time he wasn't sure. He only just about remembered his mum, and even then she was pretty much just a shape without a proper face.
"And what if I am? Then what do we do?" he asked Castiel, who was staring at his feet.
"Well, I was thinking that we would look for our parents, starting in Pontiac, Illinois" Cas said.
Gabriel could tell that he had obviously thought it through.
"But that's five hours away. How are we going to get there?"
"Coach, I think… Did you say 'we'? Are you coming with me? But you don't even know if we are brothers yet?
"I know… I just like an adventure. Plus I have a good feeling about you, so it'll be fun even if it amounts to nothing." Gabriel replied. He honestly did love a gamble, and the scruffy haired guy in front of him looked like a good travelling companion, 'might even be a good friend' Gabriel thought to himself.
He had always wanted a brother. Growing up in the care home meant that he had had loads of people to play with, but never any proper friends. That was why he got out of there the minute he could… and went off the rails slightly. He had lived with Balthazar first. That guy could party. He once walked in on Gabe having what he called a 'ménage á what's French for twelve'…
"Do you want to get a test done?" said the gravelly voice, breaking him out of his thoughts.
"A test?" Gabriel replied realising what he meant the minute it left his lips; a test to find out if they were really brothers. "Yeah, sure, I don't really care though. I'd be happy to help you with your quest, got nothing better to do."
He was joking but actually he didn't. He'd been fired from his last job for eating the stock and pulling pranks on employees and customers. They were only small but still he was fired. From a candy store.
"You got any plans for dinner? I make a mean omelette, followed by the best brownies you will ever taste." He wiggled his eyebrows at Cas, he was fed up of eating on his own. He loved all the female attention he got but still wanted something more. Someone to sleep the night with, not just a quick fling. That reminded him; Cas said he had a husband.
"So who's this husband of yours and why didn't you bring him with you?" he brought up over dinner.
Cas looked down at his food. He missed Dean. He hadn't been apart from him as long as they'd been married, or even before. He wandered how Dean was doing. He had Sam and Bobby, but not him. He should call, but then he would just want to go home. But what if Dean thought Cas didn't love him anymore. He put his head in his hands, elbows either side of his plate.
Gabriel saw his discomfort, "Don't worry Cassie, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
"I should call him", Cas murmured almost to himself, "but what if his tells me to turn back?"
"If he loves you, and I'm sure he does, then he will support you. He's probably worrying about you." I would if I was him, Gabe thought.
"Do you mind if I go home now?" Cas asked, standing up from his half eaten plate of food.
"Of course", Gabe answered as Cas walked passed him towards the door, "Oh and Cas", he said as he had one foot in the hall, "Good luck."
Cas walked into his room, desperately trying to regulate his breathing as he sat down on the edge of the bed, and stared at the old fashioned phone sitting on the bedside table. He picked up the receiver and keyed in the number, before lifting it to his ear, listening to the dial tone.
There was a click in the line.
"Hello?" Dean's voice cracked down the phone. "Cas? Is that you?"