Hello all. I would like to thank those of you who have favoured and followed since my last update.
So here we are the next chapter I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.
It had been two months since the funeral, two months since he had organised an empty coffin to be used as his brothers final resting place, two months since he stood in the grave yard and watched the men place the head stone engraved with little Cassie's name. Gabriel had done what he could at the family home, he had packed up his brother's stuff, not that he could get rid of it, no he put it into storage. Maybe one day he would be able, but that day wasn't now. No now he had decided it best to do the same to his brother's room in the apartment he had shared with Dean. So Gabriel tried to call his brothers best friend but it was futile, it was almost like Dean was avoiding him, though he didn't know why, but in the end he gave up and called Sam instead and together they arranged a week that Gabriel could come in and pack everything up. The only condition given was that he expected no help from Dean. In fact Sam requested that he not be home at the same time as his brother. Something about Dean not dealing well. Gabriel wanted to help, he hadn't seen Castiel without Dean for so long he was practically family in Gabriel's mind. But he respected Sam's wishes and made short work of the room, taking out box after box of stuff to join the rest in storage.
It was at the end of his clear out that he found it, an old shoe box at the back of the cupboard, buried under other stuff, though it was obvious to Gabriel that that wasn't because it had been forgotten, it seemed more truthful that Castiel had not wanted it to be discovered. Gently taking it out and carrying it to the stripped bed he eased the top of the box off. What he saw made his heart ache. Putting his hand inside he gently pulled out the small pile of photos on top. The first was of Castiel and Dean taken the first summer they had become friends, they were both smiling madly up at the camera and briefly Gabriel wondered what it was they had just done to make them so happy, shaking his head he turned to the next photo to find that it was similar though the friends were slightly older now. The next was of a teenage Dean leaning against that car of his staring of into the distance as if he had no clue the picture was being taken. Gabriel flicked through the pile and saw they all had the same subject, Dean Winchester was in every one. Then finally he saw the last picture in the pile. It was the one he had taken at Castiel's graduation celebrations. With closed eyes he remembered the day he had given it to his little brother.
Gabriel had just got the photos from his little bros graduation developed, he had been going through them attempting to find the most embarrassing one in there that he could blow up and make into posters to plaster the college campus with, Cassie would kill him but he thought it would be hilarious. He had just come across the photo of Dean and Castiel together, there was something in there that rather than making him smile made him frown and look closer. He had never really thought about Castiel and his best friend but now… he remembered the way that his drunken little brother had looked at his best friend, and how he was resting his head on Dean's shoulder, and looking at the photo Gabriel's eyes widened as the truth hit him like a ton of bricks. In fact he couldn't believe he had never seen it before. It was so obvious now. Castiel was in love with his best friend. His straight best friend. His straight best friend who he was moving in with.
"Oh Cassie, what the hell you up to now kiddo?" He muttered to himself as he looked at the photo wondering what to do with this information, but before he could formulate a plan there was a ring of his door bell. Answering the door he found his little brother standing on the step with his usual warm smile on his face.
"Hey Gabriel, thought I'd come see if you have those photos done yet." Castiel said making his way into his brothers home and Gabriel, he was trying to work out what it was he wanted to say, without pissing off his kid brother.
Castiel walked through and spotted the photos on the table, with the one of him and Dean on top, he picked it up and smiled at it and Gabriel watching his reaction intently knew that he was right. His brother was definitely in love with Dean. God damn it.
"Castiel what are you doing?" He asked before he could think better of it. He and Castiel after all had never been as close as some brothers.
"What do you mean?" Castiel asked puzzled by Gabriel's question.
"Moving in with Dean. It's not going to help." Gabriel replied with an exasperated voice as he sank down onto his couch.
"Help with what?" Castiel asked frowning, though there was a slight wariness in his voice.
"The fact that you love him and he doesn't feel the same for you." Gabriel replied looking up at his brother who just stood there staring at him like a rabbit caught in the head lights. "Look you need to try and move on, find someone new." He said as gently as he could and yet it still caused his brother to burst into humourless laughter and a hard look to appear in his eyes.
"What do you think I was doing going to Stanford Gabriel. It didn't work, I missed him and I needed him." Castiel replied vehemently.
"But Cassie, this isn't healthy." Gabriel pleaded, why couldn't Castiel see this?
"Gabriel you don't understand you can't." Castiel replied through gritted teeth. He did not need his casual love them and leave them brother tell him about love.
"Then explain it to me." Gabriel suggested reasonably gesturing for Castiel to take the chair next to the couch. Castiel looked at his brother as he thought what to do, he then looked down at the photo in his hand and with a sigh he sat. It might be good to talk to someone about it, normally he would talk to Dean, but that was out of question with this. It always had been.
"He's my world Gabriel. His smile lights up the room when I see it. I know he will never feel the same for me but I can't turn off my feelings… and even if I could I won't want to. He is so special, he cares for so many, and asks for nothing in return. How can I deny him the one thing he wants from me? How can I deny him my love when he has given me so much? He showed me freedom. He was the one who helped me work out what to say to our parents when I realised I was gay. He was the one who taught me to stand up for myself, to follow my own path. And if all he ever wants from me is my friendship then he'll have it, because as much as it hurts for me to see him with anyone else, it hurts even more not to see him at all."
"I love him Gabriel, with all my heart and nothing, nothing will ever change that or remove that feeling from my soul." Castiel finished rather surprised at the words that had come out of him. He had never said any of that out loud before, and it felt good. It felt good to say it to someone. Even if that someone was Gabriel.
"Okay Cassie, okay. I just don't want to see you hurt that's all. I may not have been the best big bro, but I am still you brother." Gabriel replied leaning over and squeezing Castiel's arm in what he hoped was a caring gesture.
"I know Gabriel, and honestly, you're not that bad." Castiel responded dryly turning to Gabriel with a smile.
"Thanks, I think." Gabriel replied matching the smile with one of his own.
"Can I keep this?" Castiel asked looking once more at the photo in his hand.
"Sure… and Cassie, if you ever need to talk… you know where I am right?" Gabriel asked not sure if he was doing this right. This was him and Castiel venturing into new and uncharted waters.
"Always." Castiel replied with a smile and his eyes spoke of his thanks for his brothers understanding.
Gabriel opened his eyes as the memory faded and he looked down at the picture once more and for the first time since his brother's death he felt emotion surging through his body. And that emotion was anger. Standing quickly he tried to work out what to do. It was then he heard the door of the apartment go and the sound of Dean's feet on the floor making his way to the living room. And Gabriel stood there making a decision. He could take the box which seemed to be filled with Castiel's memories of Dean and leave… or he could place his anger where it rightly belonged. With that thought and the photo clutched tightly in his hand he stormed his way to the living room to find Dean sitting on the couch a bottle of whiskey by his side, not that Gabriel cared about that. That was not his problem.
"Dean Winchester you're a bag of dicks, you know that." He snapped at the man.
"What?... Gabriel?" Dean asked completely stunned by this. And not just because of Gabriel's words, but because Gabriel was there. He had done his best to put Cas from his mind which necessitated that he also put all his family from it too.
"What are you doing?" Gabriel demanded crossing his arms and staring hard eyed at the man who had broken his brother's heart over and over again without a thought or a care.
"That's none of your god damn business." Dean snapped back. Gabriel could go to hell, he didn't need this.
"I wish that were true, but you, you, were the one my brother loved and that makes it my business." Gabriel growled at him making Deans eyes widen almost comically.
"You br-… he … what?" Dean stammered out, because…not it couldn't be true, could it?
"He loved you Dean. Heart, body and soul. Now what are you going to do about it?" Gabriel commanded.
"He's dead Gabriel not a lot I can do." Dean snapped back, he couldn't cope with this, not now that he knew the truth about himself. He couldn't cope with the idea that Cas had felt the same about him as he now realised he felt for his friend.
"That's where you're wrong Dean. You can live the life he would want you to have." With that Gabriel slammed the photo of Castiel and Dean down on the table in front of him and left the room to pick up the rest of the memory box. As he walked past the door to living room on his way out he heard a sob escape the man inside, but there was nothing he could do for him. Pulling his phone out of his pocket when he got to his car and had placed the box on the passenger seat with the seatbelt round the precious cargo he found the right number and placed a call.
"Sam, your brother needs help, and he needs it now." with that Gabriel hung up and got into his car and drove away without looking back once.