Sam was half asleep on his couch one Saturday afternoon, cuddling with Socks, when his cellphone started ringing. He looked at it a moment before picking it up and answering. It was a short phone call, and Sam hardly understood what was being said. They were halfway through the conversation when he realized it was Dean on the other end of the line.
"Anyway, I'm on the road with one of my friends and we're gonna stop by your place before heading back."
"Oh, yeah, alright." Sam agreed.
"I gotta go, Cas's got a thing about me driving and talking on the phone."
Dean hung up and suddenly Sam was awake and very aware of how messy his apartment really was. There were plates on the coffee table, sweaters and coats strewn across the chairs, books in stacks on the floor, and countless dog toys that littered the floor. Not to mention the random crap that didn't have places to go. He sighed mentally preparing himself for cleaning like he'd never done before.
Sam didn't get to bed until three o'clock in the morning. He smelled like cleaning products and hoped that Dean wouldn't open the closet next to the bathroom or he would get buried. Hours were spent pondering how he was going to keep good company, he'd never met the mysterious Cas guy, and didn't exactly want to make a fool of himself.
He didn't wake up until Dean called and said they would be there in 20 minutes. Sam shot out of bed and went straight to the shower. It took longer than expected and his hair was still a bit wet when he answered the door.
"Hey Sammy!" Dean said pulling Sam into a hug, "What's up man?"
"S'good to see you."
Another guy who Sam assumed was Cas stuck his hand out, "I'm Castiel." He stated.
"Sam," he shook Castiel's outstretched hand. "So are you guys just gonna stand there, because I didn't clean for eight hours for nothing. Careful of the dog, he's not a biter, but he jumps." Socks hopped around sniffing Dean and Castiel's feet as they entered.
Castiel tripped and fell into Dean, "Whoa, easy tiger." He helped him back upright, laughing at the panicked look that flashed across Castiel's face.
"So how'd you two meet? Or am I stupid and just not remember you?" Sam asked sitting on the couch.
"Nah, we met when I fixed his car."
Castiel raised an eyebrow, "You mean after you rear ended me in a parking lot?"
Dean blushed, "Yeah." He muttered looking away. "So, that's a cool painting."
Sam looked over at the picture Gabriel had given him. "My neighbor made it." Then it got awkward, Dean's face still flushed, Castiel sitting there with no emotion whatsoever. "Uh, do you want something to drink? Beer? Water?"
Castiel shook his head, but Dean took a beer. The rest of the conversation was full of awkward banter, with Dean laughing a little bit too hard at Castiel's jokes, which weren't all that funny in the first place.
"Can I use your restroom?" Castiel asked.
"Yeah, uh, the first door on your left." Sam replied.
All Castiel had to do was wash his hands, but his eyes wandered to the picture hanging on the wall across from the mirror. "I'm sorry I was an asshole… you are an angel sent from heaven." He'd seen that calligraphy before, or at least some very similar to that, but it couldn't have been who he thought it was. He was long gone. Castiel sighed as he dried his hands.
When he came back out he noticed the cat sitting on the counter in the kitchen. He picked it up and took it into the living room with him, "What's its name?"
Sam raised his head, "Oh, that's Copernicus, I forgot to give her back I guess. She's my neighbor's cat. He'll probably be over later to take her back, so don't worry if there's a guy on my porch."
"Where'd you get the picture in your bathroom?" Castiel asked petting the cat.
"My neighbor." Sam answered.
"My God," Dean exclaimed, "Can you do anything without your neighbor?"
Sam scrunched his nose, "Yeah."
"Really? Because you've mentioned him like eight times in the last hour." Sam blushed bright. "Don't you have other friends?"
"I have him and Jess here. I don't get out much." Sam admitted. "But that doesn't mean I don't still have friends in other states."
Dean raised his eyebrows, and sat back against the couch, stealing Copernicus from Castiel's lap. A cry of protest escaped Castiel's throat, but the cat had accepted its fate, and Cas let it be. "Sure."
Sam pursed his lips.
Around 2:30 Gabriel slammed a paper against Sam's back door knocking rapidly. Sam got up from the couch and opened it, "What's the all the commotion for?"
"This, I'm in this!"
Sam took the paper, "an art show?"
"YEah!" he exclaimed, "and you are coming because I'm not going by myself and… you've got company… I'll just..." then he paused and took a step into the apartment, "Castiel?"
Castiel gasped and hopped off the couch. "Gabriel?" he exclaimed, a grin forming on his face as he got up from the couch and enveloped his older brother in a hug.
Sam leaned over to Dean and whispered, "What's going on?" Dean shrugged confused himself.
Castiel let go of his brother and took a step back, "Where in the hell have you been?" he yelled.
"Everywhere and nowhere." Gabriel said looking at the floor.
"That means shit! You disappeared after college! You could have at least called or heck I'd have taken a letter! Something to tell me you were still alive!" Castiel yelled. He couldn't believe this was actually happening, sure he'd hoped when he saw the picture, but Castiel hoped every time he saw a short guy with blond hair.
"I don't know what happened. I mean, I thought about calling, many times, but… I… didn't." Gabriel answered slowly realizing there was no way out of the hole he was digging.
"Damn right you didn't." he clenched and unclenched his fists. "I'm not having this fight right now." Castiel sat back down on the couch and stole the cat from Dean this time. With one last glance back, Gabriel exited the back door, leaving his cat in his little brother's lap.
"So." Sam started. "What was that?"
"He's the neighbor you speak so highly of?" Castiel asked pointing towards the back door. Sam nodded, "Gabriel's my brother, and like I said, I haven't heard from him in a long time." He paused for a second, counting on his fingers. "Eight, nine years. And, I'm guessing this is his cat that I'm holding." Castiel said looking at Copernicus.
"You let your long lost brother leave out the back door? Cas, are you high?" Dean asked.
Castiel furrowed his eyebrows, "No."
"Then go talk to him, Birdbrain."
"My brain is not the size of a bird's, shut up!" Castiel huffed, standing up. "I don't even know where he went!"
"Literally out the back door." Sam stated.
Hesitantly Castiel got up and paused standing in front of the backdoor. "There's a railing in the way, looks like I can't." He shrugged.
Sam gave him an unamused look, "Gabriel get your ass out here." He yelled.
"No, you're just gonna yell at me." He called back.
"Please?"
Terrified that things were going to go worse than they already were, Gabriel appeared in the back door. "Yes?"
Sam went back in the house leaving Castiel and Gabriel to talk.
"Look, I'm sorry." Gabriel started.
"That's not gonna fix years."
Gabriel opened his mouth then closed it again, "I don't know what you want me to do. I can't go back in time."
"Just tell me why."
"I don't know."
Castiel narrowed his eyes. "That's not good enough."
"I was done at home. There was no reason to go back."
"What about family? Were you done with us? Michael, Anna, Luce, me?"
"No! Never!"
"It sure felt like it."
Gabriel took a deep breath, "Your guilt trip is working; you can tone it down a bit."
"Mom and Dad miss you. You should call."
"To get yelled at? I waited too long!"
"Too long is their death bed. Heaven forbid your actions get consequences."
"My actions have no reason to be reprimanded. I am a legal adult, and can make my own decisions."
"You are a coward."
Gabriel clenched his jaw, "You're not being fair."
"I'm not trying to be fair."
"I haven't had the best luck since I left. I've been so lost, and when I find something familiar it throws me out too."
Castiel softened, "Please, just call once, for me." Gabriel nodded. "Thank you."
"You're coming back for Christmas right?" Sam asked Dean.
"Of course. Me, Dad, whoever else wants to come." Dean hugged Sam goodbye.
Castiel had already said his goodbyes to Gabriel and forced him to promise he'd come visit sooner rather than later. They were still a little rocky, but it was better than the nothing they'd had before.
"It was nice to meet you." Castiel said resting his hand on Sam's shoulder."
"You too."
"Keep my brother in check."
"Only if you'll do the same." He replied with a knowing smile. Castiel blushed and slipped out the front door.
Sam locked the door behind them and returned to his living room to find Gabriel on his couch. "Our brothers are so fucking." Sam stated.
Gabriel cringed. "Ew."
"I know right." Sam shuddered.
"It seems that Winchesters have a knack of finding Novaks."
"It's talent." Sam shrugged.
"You keep believing that." Gabriel grinned. "I'll take my cat now."