Chapter 3 Welcome to hell
Gabriel awoke early on Monday morning to the sound of someone pounding his front door. It felt more like they were beating a drum next to his ear. So that meant it could only be one person. He stood, pulled on some sweatpants, stretched and rubbed the tiredness from his face as he made his way downstairs. He could already see Balthazar grinning at him through the window before he reached the door. He felt a strong urge to flip him off.
"Most people call before waking me at the crack of dawn!" He grumbled and Balthazar smirked at him.
"Sounds like that smoke has gone to your brain rather than your lungs. I knew you would forget." Gabriel blinked at him a few times before realization hit.
"Shit!" He turned and ran back up the stairs, ready to climb into the shower and get ready for his first day at his new job. His first day and he had slept in! Of course Castiel already hated him so it wasn't like the job would last long anyway, he told himself.
"Relax!" Balthazar called after him. "Why do you think I turned up and hour early!"
Gabriel washed as fast as he could, before pulling on some black trousers and shoes and a simple white shirt. When he walked back down the stairs he looked at his friend and then down at himself. Balthazar was wearing a pair of tight jeans and a comfortable looking black tee shirt.
"Casual then?" Gabriel grumbled and ran back up to change. Trying to ignore Balthazar sarcastically looking at his watch-less wrist.
'If the fucker had told me, then we wouldn't be late.'
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"It's…nice." Balthazar said when he saw how Gabriel looked at the café. They're new workplace for the next few months. So far, he looked less than impressed. "Bright." He added looking hopeful.
"Bright?" Gabriel responded looking at him like he had lost his mind. "My neighbours porch light is bright…the SUN is bright! This! This is hell with florescent lighting!" He looked around the place taking in everything it had to offer. Looking more and more disgusted as he did so. "He has a counter painted blood red, the pictures look like he stole them from a pensioners home and…is he using garden furniture for people to sit on!?" Most of the table and chairs were either designed for patios or looked something similar to picnic tables.
"I believe it goes well with the lights from hell. They can get a nice tan." Balthazar joked and rolled his eyes at him. "Come on, its only for a few months. Where else are you going to get a job that pays well and lets us work together?"
"Sperm bank?" Gabriel looked at him with hope. "We could get neighbouring rooms and everything."
"As much as I love you, darling, it will never be enough to hear you moaning some poor bastards name!" Balthazar smirked at him. "Speaking of poor bastards, did you ever find out who your knight in shinning armour was?"
"Oh yes, didn't I tell you?" Gabriel replied and Balthazar gasped in excitement, moving closer as if this was the world's best kept secret. "Yeah, I just called 911 and told them I was looking for a hot fireman with gorgeous eyes and slightly tanned skin. Looks half my age and could give you a boner just by getting a little too close."
"Why don't you just go down to the fire station and thank him?!" Balthazar snapped in annoyance.
"Because I'm sure he either (a), gets that all the time or (b), would think I a complete fucking stalker!" Gabriel snapped back.
"Oh good, you're both early." They both turned their angry glares from each other, to the man who had walked out of the kitchen. "What?" Castiel asked looking a little confused and slightly threatened.
"Nothing." Balthazar sighed. "Castiel you remember Gabriel." Balthazar pointed to his friend.
"How could I forget?" Castiel answered before lifting the table top next to the counter and allowing them both to follow him into the kitchen. "I suspect you will keep the table dancing to a minimum?"
"Yes!" Gabriel replied looking both confused and a little offended. One time! One time and they will never let me live it down. Next time, I'll make one of them suck face with Benny
The two of them remained quiet, as Castiel showed them around the place. Most of the stuff he explained to them, they had previous experience in, but they kept their mouths shut out of respect.
"I call dibs on the kitchen!" Balthazar called out when Castiel had finished.
"You can't just call dibs!" Gabriel argued immediately. "Castiel has to assign you to something." Castiel turned to look at Gabriel, a little surprised that the man had shown some form of respect. But Balthazar ignored them both, as he pulled on an apron and hairnet. "For the record, you look ridiculous."
"Love you too." Balthazar blew him a kiss and began getting the ovens and other things needed to begin the morning breakfast.
"Guess that leaves us to man the front of shop." Gabriel said as he followed Castiel back out. "Shouldn't be that bad, right?"
"Brace yourself." Castiel replied, as he flipped the sign on the door to open.
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Gabriel had always thought that working in a fast paced restaurant was hard work. He always told himself that working in a café would be mindless and boring. But after a week at Castiel's place he felt like every muscle in his body was on fire. He was beyond exhausted and found himself needing the inhaler prescribed by his doctor more and more. His coughing had eased a little bit, but he still found himself short of breath quite a lot.
But, aside from all that, he actually found himself enjoying the work. Castiel barely had to correct him on anything he did and the two of them were slowly getting to like each other. The tips were good and he loved the regular customers who were in on most days. There was Pamela, a woman who had lost her sight at a young age. Gabriel had been a little self conscious around her, not really sure how to talk to her. That all changed when she pinched his ass and told him to stop checking her out.
"Honey, I was doing no such thing?" He replied, trying to balance a tray of empty glasses as he spoke to her.
"Don't be bashful, Gabe. Everybody looks." He didn't even have to see behind her glasses to know that she was winking in his direction.
"As sexy as you are, you are not my type. But if I ever start batting for the opposing team, then I will be at your door in a heartbeat." She laughed loudly and gave his ass a firm slap before he went on his way. After that they shamelessly flirted with each other on every occasion.
A few college students also came in on a regular basis. Becky, who was shy but openly attracted to anyone with a dick. Ash who always looked like he was hungover and Alfie who didn't really talk much. Gabriel noticed this kid was a little jittery and that that was made worse when he drank coffee. So he secretly switched him to decaf.
It was after the first week that Gabriel noticed a common occurrence with Castiel. Apart from his inability to make idle conversation with customers. Everyday at the same time Castiel would man the counter. Whenever the bell rang over the front door, his head would shoot up and he would look so hopeful. And every time he would then look down in disappointment.
At first Gabriel shrugged it off as nothing. But then on a Wednesday afternoon he heard a loud rumble of a car pulling up outside and noticed Castiel suddenly becoming very fidgety.
"You ok there, boss?" He asked teasingly.
"Fine. Why do you ask?" Cas responded looking nervously between Gabriel and the car outside. "It's just Dean. One of our slightly regular customers."
"Just Dean?" Gabriel replied and laughed slightly when Castiel blushed and scowled at him.
"Oh. He's not alone today." Castiel said more to himself then to Gabriel. But Gabe still looked up to see what he was talking about.
He suddenly felt like everything around him had just stopped. He could still see the group of people making their way towards the front door, but his eyes zeroed in on one in particular.
"Gabriel could you…Gabriel?" Castiel glanced from where Gabriel had been standing to the swinging door of the kitchen.
"Hey Cas!" A voice called, pulling him back out of his confusion.
"Hello Mr Winchester."
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"What did you do?!" Gabriel pointed a knife at Balthazar as he casually flipped burgers.
"He showed up then?" He asked and smiled at the knife. "Please, put that down before you break a nail."
"What. Did. You. Do?" Gabriel hissed in a bid to try and keep his voice from getting too loud.
"I just went down to the fire station and told them what a great job they did on getting everyone out safely from the restaurant. I then may have invited them here for a free lunch." Balthazar said matter-of-factly.
"Why would you do that?!" Gabriel demanded.
"Because I was the only one with the balls to do it!" He yelled back. "Now, stop acting like such a pansy and get back out there!"
The two of them walked over to the door and peaked their heads out. The group of fire fighters had just found themselves a table. They also looked like they were getting impatient.
"Castiel, any chance of getting service? We're on the clock!" One of the men yelled over. It was then that Castiel's eyes fell on the floating heads hanging out of the kitchen doorway.
"Gabriel will be right with you!" He called and grabbed the flailing man. He pushed Gabriel towards the table before he could open his mouth to protest.
"What can I get you?" He squeaked and kept his eyes down on his writing pad, rather than risk looking at the sexy devil sitting directly in front of him.
"Four cheese burgers and fries, with four cokes and…have you decided yet, princess?" Gabriel lifted his head to see them all looking at his fireman. Wow! Hold the phone, not my fireman. Fireman in general. A long legged off limits fireman. Yep!
"Just because I don't want to die of heart failure before I'm fifty does not make me anymore girly." He rolled his eyes, still scanning the menu.
"I'll second that." The girl with long red hair smirked at him. Also the only woman at the table. "It the hair that makes you more girly."
They all laughed at the teasing of the poor guy. Gabriel didn't see anything wrong with his hair. He just wanted to run his hands through it while the guy- nope! Not going there.
"I'll have the Caesar salad and a glass of water please." The guy smiled at Gabriel and he felt his face beginning to heat up.
"Rabbit food it is then." 'Dean' smirked.
"I guess your women like a little beef on you…more cushion for the pushin'" Sexy fireman began to cough through his laughter while Dean turned his wide eyes on Gabriel. "Ill…be right back with your drinks."
'Why the fuck did I just say that?! Why can't I just keep my damn mouth shut?!'
'But you did make the sexy fireman laugh'
'….true'
"Stop having an internal debate and tell me what you need!" Balthazar called, hitting him in the face with a towel. He rambled off the order, still looking very red faced.
"You ok?" Balthazar asked, looking concerned.
"He…he said…he said please." Gabriel replied in shock.
"Oh fuck…he's a keeper."