Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updating this! Real life has been a taking up my time. I'm hopeful to get some more of this done over Christmas since I work an early shift tomorrow, I might have some time before Christmas, but no promises.

~This has been edited by QueenOfHearts

Chapter Three

It had been five days since he last saw Gabriel. While that in itself wasn't odd, Dean couldn't help but miss the smaller man. Holding his phone with one hand, Dean used the other to pull clothes out of the closet and lay them out on the bed. He would only be gone for the long weekend, but somehow whenever he went away, he always managed to go through twice the amount of clothes than usual. Lifting a dress shirt Gabriel had told him made his eyes pop once, Dean lay it on the bed before turning his attention back to his mother.

"It's just so surprising. Why didn't you tell us that you were seeing Gabriel? I mean sure we knew that he was your friend, but you could have told us that you two were dating. It's not like we would reject you or anything, son. I mean look at Jo and Charlie! They're both here so often I wonder if Jo actually moved out or not. Your father and I have been asking if you've met someone and you didn't say anything."

Yeah, this was one of the reasons why he didn't want to go along with Gabriel's plan. The thought of keeping such a secret from his mother would never have crossed his mind, and he had known that she would be hurt by him keeping his relationship status under wraps. Suppressing a sigh, Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's not that I didn't think you would approve… but it'sdifferent, Mom. Gabe and I have known each other for five years; if this didn't work out, I didn't want to lose that. We haven't told anyone, but I wanted you and Dad to meet him."

There was silence on the other end for a moment before Dean heard his mother give in. "All right, but what about his family? Are you spending Easter at his place then?" It wasn't uncommon for Sam and Jessica to switch up who was going where for the holidays. Unlike Charlie whose family wasn't around any longer, her mother laying in a coma from a car crash years ago, Jessica would come down for one holiday only to take Sam to her parents for the next one.

"We haven't talked about it, but I doubt I'll be going to his for it. Do you remember last year when I called thinking something was wrong with Gabe?" Dean waited for his mother to hum on the other line. "Turns out all his brothers do is fight when they see each other, it hurts him, Ma." Dean didn't have to wait long before a smile broke out on his face at her response. Even if this didn't pan out, there was no way he was going to leave Gabriel to the mess of his family again.

"Well it's a good thing he's coming down here then."

They didn't talk for much longer after that, Dean needing to get everything ready and wanting to make sure he was mentally prepared for the next day. No sooner did he hang up from his mother than he got a message from the very man he was thinking about.

'Hey, sweetie, should I be packing something formal?'

The pet names hadn't stopped if anything they got a bit worse each time Dean spoke to Gabriel. Typing out a reply, Dean looked at his half-packed suitcase and wondered how he was going to pull this off. Groaning while running a hand through his hair, Dean prayed for patience and strength.

Hearing the ding of his phone, Gabriel snorted at the response before folding a pair of jeans and shoving them into the suitcase he had laid out on his bed. He would bring a suit just in case. Glancing at his dresser, Gabriel bit his lip, his stomach turning at the thought of what he wanted to bring with him. Squaring his shoulders, the blond took the few steps and opened his top drawer.

Tossing the bottle of lube and a string of condoms into the suitcase, Gabriel double checked everything before zipping up the luggage and placing it in the hallway, laying a garment bag with his suit inside on top. Before he could go back to finishing up the last bit of work he needed to complete before he could relax for the long weekend, a loud chirping rang through the apartment.

Glancing at the screen, Gabriel groaned before answering the call. "Hey, Mikey." His older brother didn't even attempt a hello before it started.

"Hey? Is that all I get? I heard from Father that you won't be joining us for Christmas and you didn't even bother to call me?" Biting back the comment that was at the tip of his tongue, Gabriel tried to calm down to reason with his older brother.

"Like I told Dad, my boyfriend wanted to go to his parent's house; it's my first time meeting them, and I wasn't about to say no. I doubt that you will even notice that I'm missing."

"That's another thing; I thought that Dean Winchester was your friend, not your boyfriend." Gabriel rolled his eyes, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"He is, it's a new development." Hearing the snort on the other end, Gabriel frowned. "Seriously Mikey, it's new, and I'm not about to upset Dean by saying I can't meet his family just so that I can get between you and Luke."

"Whatever you think is best, Gabriel. Just remember that it's Mother and Father who were anticipating your arrival." Silence echoed through the phone before Gabriel could respond. Setting the already disconnected phone down, Gabriel tried to push what Michael had said aside. While he hadn't mentioned it to his brothers, he had spoken to his parents, and both seemed happy that he had someone to spend Christmas with. Glancing at his phone when it started to vibrate, the chirp of an incoming text grabbing his attention.

Dean-o: My mom wants to know what your favorite kind of pie is. I told her apple, but she doesn't believe me.

Knowing for a fact that Dean's favorite was apple, Gabriel laughed. 'I wouldn't believe you either, tell her that I'm not fussy. You packed for tomorrow?' They continued to message back and forth for a while, Gabriel finishing up his paperwork with a soft smile each time he answered Dean's messages. Leaning back in his chair, Gabriel wondered if it could always be as easy as speaking to Dean to brighten his mood.

Dean always made him feel on top of the world.

P.S. If you want to keep up to date on my writing add me to Facebook, Tumbler, Twitter or Instagram as CrowNoYami ;-) Also, if you want to see what I'm reading (I always review so you know what you're getting into) I'm on Goodreads as well, the same name as always.