Disclaimer: I don't own. Duh. A.N. Happy birthday, Sendai, and many, many happy returns! I know, I know, this is incomplete and a bit of a downer... But I promise better times to come ;D This plot just kept swelling on me, and actually gave me an idea for a (mixed pairings) series, hence the name... I swear, I can't contain Gabe. Sorry sorry sorry!
One
Gabriel can't stand his family. It isn't that they are that bad...most of his siblings are, all in all, not intolerable. And of course, there are a few he's especially fond of. The problem is...he's a coward. Because otherwise, when dad laid out his grand plan, including a duel to the death between Michael and Lou? That was when someone should have spoken up. Told him to stop being ridiculous, and if he refused to, find a way to have him committed, or whatever equivalent they could figure out. Instead, they all went along with it.
Gabriel ran off. Tried to bury anticipatory grief (for both, not knowing who he'd lose) in as much hedonism as he could find. Convinced himself – tried to convince the future vessels, too – that there was nothing anyone could do but let it happen, wait for the agony to wash over you.
And then. Well. He wasn't even actively listening, but when someone screamed that loud... He really suspects that even Lucifer, down in his cage, has just learned that "Dean Winchester is saved." That is a "Dibs!" if Gabriel ever heard one. Doesn't Castiel know that it's useless, anyway? Dean is Michael's. Unless...
Unless they could change the script. Oh, not much. But dad has always been big on consent. You don't just take over any person you like. They're not demons. Even Lou remembers that rule, surely, and Michael? He's too obsessed with being good to even consider ignoring such a major issue. Is it possible that the boys would actually, truly never say yes? Their whole lives have been charted. Played.
But maybe, maybe. A spanner in the works. Not enough to make it all grind to a halt, but enough to throw the whole thing off course. Without vessels, his brothers won't be able to kill each other. Not in the grand scene dad has been dreaming of.
Get Dean Winchester a different angel. Make sure that Sam's demon knows what's best for them – Lou has a tendency to be testy, and Gabriel doubts the time-out did wonders for his disposition. Check for eventual spares, maybe, and his brothers could stay alive. Easy as one, two, three. That's a temptation. And Gabriel left heaven long ago. Temptation is something he's revelled in for the past few eons.
It takes Gabriel a while to catch Castiel on his own. When the boy isn't with the Winchesters, Uriel is hanging around him. There's no way that Uriel would understand Gabriel's hopes. He's never spent long enough on Earth to appreciate it. The last thing Gabriel needs is Uriel running to Michael to tattle on him. Gabe's managed to stay out of Mike and Raphael's hair this long, and he'd like to keep things that way. Of course, in the end it comes out that Gabriel had pegged Uriel on the wrong side of the Apocalypse, but that doesn't make his brother any less annoying – or willing to forego dad's dramatic plans.
When he can finally corner Castiel alone – in a park, of all things, people watching, even if they're not his favorite human – the younger angel looks shocked to see him. Ok, yes, he's been out of the loop lately (a long, long lately), but still. It's not like he faked his death, that time.
"Gabriel."
"Yep."
"Do you have a message?" Castiel leaves the bench he was sitting on, ready to follow orders. That might be a problem. Then again, Gabriel can be a romantic, when he wants to. He's going to trust in the power of love.
"Not from anyone else, no. I wanted to speak to my sibling. Surely, that's allowed." He sits down, and Castiel follows his example.
"Where have you been?"
"Oh, here and there. So many things to see, so much fun to be had. Why stay still? But I didn't come to boast. You see, no matter where I was, I couldn't help but hear." He smiles, teasingly, and Castiel's embarrassed reaction is adorable enough he considers snapping a picture to send later to one Dean Winchester. "It sure sounded to me like you'd be thrilled to keep him."
"He's -"
"Supposed to be Michael's, yes. But dad wouldn't have preached so much about freely obtaining consent if there weren't options, would he? All I'm saying is – make sure he knows there are options, and let him pick. If he's so perfect for Michael, your human will choose him. Or maybe not, but at least you won't have to regret being gutless."
"I'm not gutless!" Castiel protests hotly. "I'm just...not sure."
"And that's why I'm here. I want to help, just like when we were younger. Now you tell me how things went with Dean, what you did, and we'll try to see how it might be best to proceed, yeah?"
Gabriel has to remind himself periodically that he's doing this to save his brothers – both of them – afterwards. The problem is not getting Castiel to open up, but getting him to shut up about Dean sometime before the man himself dies of old age. Gabriel knows the Winchesters, and he'll be the first to agree they're kinda cute and can be highly entertaining. Castiel, though, is getting unexpectedly lyrical about his beloved, and has more data on him – and every single interaction they've ever had, down to the last excruciating detail – than Gabriel thought possible to remember.
After too long, endangered seals come as a relief. The nearing-at-a-gallop Apocalypse is a legit excuse to separate, after all. Still, Gabriel has to make his sibling promise to keep him up to date about Dean, and their relationship, wherever it might veer. Castiel proves all too eager to keep his word, and it doesn't take Gabriel long to be sure beyond any reasonable doubt that the Winchester boy would like nothing better than to take up any offer Castiel felt like making. And sure, maybe Dean's convinced everyone, himself included, that all he wants is just yet another quickie, but Castiel has been categorical. There's love in Dean. So, so much love. True, Castiel is confused about its object, but it's natural he'd be nervous. At the very least, it's something Gabriel can work with.
He can't do it out of the blue, though. He means well, more than well, really. A little push towards love? It's not like he's actually sparking feelings, Cupid-style (he'd die before joining their ranks – and their dress code – out of sheer awkwardness), He'll just point out alternatives. Nudge a little. But if he messes with one Dean Winchester again, he better be very quick, because he has a feeling Sam will be trying to figure out exactly how to murder him at the same time. True, archangel blades aren't exactly common, but he'd rather be able to concentrate on being Castiel's wingman than avoiding attacks.
Tracking the boys down is easy. Gabriel waits until they split up – Sam left in the local library to check records his brother doesn't have the patience for – and strolls inside, smiling brightly. His "Hello" is met with a startled glare.
"Don't." Sam's voice is dark, furious threat and stomach-clenching fear rolled into one.
"Fear not," Gabriel retorts, smiling even wider if possible. "What I mean is... I offer reparations. I've been a bit of an asshole, yes."
"A bit?" It's a grumble, but calmer. Sam is listening.
"But as it so happens, my baby brother seems to be very enamoured with your sibling."
"Yeah, no. The last thing Dean needs is another trickster permanently playing with him." The hunter gets up. He might not be equipped to fight Gabriel now, but it's not going to stop him.
Gabriel can't help it, He laughs. "One, tricksters usually are part of a pantheon – there's no reason to assume a brother would have the same role. Actually, it's highly improbable. But well, I guess, if we're gonna be family, you might as well know a little secret."
Sam stares him down, unimpressed.
"Trickster is my cover. I'm in witness protection, you could say. The brother I was mentioning? Castiel."
"You do know that if you're lying, you won't have to deal just with us, but with the whole angelic crowd? And they can be annoying."
"You tell me." Gabriel 's eyes roll. "Anyway, if I know my brother – and I do –he's not a master at seduction. And yours is so not great at feelings, if I'm not wrong."
Sam sighs. "You could say that."
"So, well. Some – utterly harmless, mind you, I swear – herding might be needed with these two. Bringing about an eternal happy ending would be an adequate compensation for the damage inflicted, wouldn't you say?"
"Are you serious?" A mistrustful glance.
"I'll swear on anything you want, or go through anything. I just want to help. And this time, you can't exactly argue with the result, can you? Doesn't your brother deserve a steady beloved?"
"Of course. Just –"
"Yep, you'll keep an eye on the goings-on. I might need help, so you would have to, anyway."
"What were you thinking?"