Hey there! So… did you like the last chapter? I really hope so, but I'd like to know your opinion about the story. I have lots of ideas, but I'd like to have some kind of feedback about them, positive or negative.

That said, thanks to my beta!

And I hope you'll like this chapter, we'll start to find out something more about the kids' life.

Hospital

The next morning they go to see Cas.

Dean couldn't explain why he feels so strange about it. A part of him is anxious to be there again and he is sure that's because who would be happy to be in a hospital? Probably another part is him feeling like he's intruding, maybe Gabriel's brother might like his privacy. But he is sure that there is something else too, he is somehow scared about seeing Castiel again, despite a small part of his mind being… excited. And that just scares Dean more. Why would he be excited to see someone he didn't even know existed less than 24 hours ago? It makes no sense.

During the whole ride Sam is quiet and when Gabriel addresses him, he is so harsh that Dean has to kick his shin; Gabriel just looks out of the window and Dean wonders if yesterday's scene was just a scene or he was being honest about being so scared.

They just stay silent until Mary drops Sam at school and drives them to the hospital, refusing to leave them in the parking lot and going inside with them. She walks a few steps ahead of the two boys and stops to the nurse station to ask for Castiel's room, so Dean takes a chance to ask is friend, "You okay? You are awfully silent."

"I'll be once I see Cas awake and healthy. And preferably out of this place," he says, "But I'm doing okay."

When they get inside, Castiel is asleep, his unbroken hand clutching Michael's while the older brother absently turns the pages of an old newspaper sitting in his lap.

"Michael? What are you doing still here?"

"Hi boys. Mary. I was waiting for you, Gabe. Cas had another fit tonight and he has been sleeping since then. I didn't want him to wake up and be alone and obviously Luce won't step foot in a hospital. How have you been?"

"Fine," Gabriel answers, hugging his brother, while Mary behind him mouths something about having a bit of a meltdown and Michael frowns.

"I'm sorry for yesterday, you must be Dean," Michael says, holding out a hand for Dean to shake it, "Gabriel talks a lot about you."

Dean is probably supposed to answer something like, "Hope it's all good," or, "Don't believe a word," because that's what people do. But he isn't people, he is just an embarrassed idiot who stares with his mouth open until Gabriel interjects, "Ehy! Sounds like I have a crush on him if you say that!", pulling away from Michael and putting back on his bitch face.

"Oh, sorry then. Didn't want to offend your masculinity," He says, glancing at the watch on his left wrist, "Now, I'd better go. I'll come back as soon as my shift finishes and I'll check Cas out, doctor said he should be allowed to go home as soon as he wakes up and is coherent enough. Would you like to come home with us, Gabe? I can leave you to Ezekiel's if you want to."

Gabriel chews on his lower lip, "Can I think about it?"

"Sure."

Dean stares at the two brothers, lots of questions appearing in his mind. For example, what kind of work does Michael do? He is twenty eight and he works enough for the four of them to have a home and go to school, and Cas' school is private, right? Must be expansive. But maybe Luce works too. And do they have a degree? What about this Ezekiel? Their mysterious uncle, why doesn't he help, instead of offering Gabriel a place to stay? Has Gabriel been in their house after the accident at all?

He doesn't know if he'll ever ask Gabriel all of these questions, but he is sure that when Gabriel tells his brother he'll think about going home, Michael sighs in relief and that seems to answer part of his questions. Allegedly Gabriel doesn't want to come home at all and the simple fact that he's going to consider the option makes his brother happy.

"And Mickey, later maybe, can I talk to you about something I've been thinking of?"

"Of course you can. But if it has something to do with Cas going to your school, don't waste your time, he already tried. And there are more chances I'll buy you two a motorcycle."

"Good! A motorcycle is just what I was looking for!"

Michael shakes his head, faking an exasperate expression, despite the smile on his lips, "Gabe, I'm late. We'll talk about it later, okay?"

"Fine," Gabriel mutters, sitting next to his younger brother and waving goodbye to Michael and Mary. The woman places a kiss on their foreheads and stops in the hallway to talk to Michael, Dean can see them, but he can't make out what they are talking about. He figures that it has something to do with the fact that that boy, Michael, has to run a family and he looks barely old enough to take proper care of himself. Every good parent would ask if he needs help and Dean can say he has an A+ mom, so there is no doubt she is going to help the brothers.

In the end he stops paying attention, because Gabriel is talking to him, "Do you think I should go home with them?"

"I don't know, Gabe. Why don't you want to- I mean, I know why, but if you and your brother are okay now I can't see the problem. I can't believe you have never been home for two years."

Gabriel rolls his eyes, "I haven't 'never been there'. I've been home after that thing, sometimes. When Cas is alone and Michael doesn't want to leave him, on his birthday. On Michaels' too. But I've never slept there and I don't want to start now."

"So you have the answer."

"Michael asked me and he never does. It means Cas asked him to, even if he won't tell me."

Dean doesn't answer, because what is he supposed to say? He won't leave Sam alone; there has been a time in his life when John had to work away from home. He asked Dean if he would go with him and Dean said no; he was a kid but even then he knew he couldn't leave Sam home and simply go somewhere else. Surely, living in California and going to school there would have been awesome, especially for a six year old kid, but it wouldn't have been special without little Sam around. It's not the same situation, but still Dean wouldn't have left if he were Gabriel, he has nothing to think about, Gabriel should go home with no hesitation.

"Where is your other brother?"

"Luce? Probably home, beating himself down and feeling sorry. As if this could fix things."

"You said you two were okay."

"I said he apologized, I never said I'm okay with him hitting me. And yes, Cas' accident was, well, an accident. I don't blame him for it. But if it would have been me, he would have said that it was God punishing me for my living choices. And I find it stupid that he doesn't want to stay here anyways. Does he think we are happy to see Cas like this? We aren't but we cope with it and we have to thank him for all of this."

Dean shrugs, "Look man, I'm not defending him, I don't like your brother to be honest. But him not wanting to be here, is the same of you not wanting to go home. Just think about it, okay?"

Gabriel's cheeks turn red, but he doesn't reply, because suddenly two big glassy eyes look at him and the world seems to stop, not only for Gabriel, but for Dean too. Gabe is probably praying God that his little brother didn't hear their conversation, Dean is just amazed by those pretty eyes.

"Ehy. Hey, you woke up," Gabriel says, his voice impossibly gentle, while his hand brushes hair out of the kid's face.

"Ehy, Gabe. How are you?" his voice is still raspy, but he is kind of sweet, with his lips curled up in a half smile and his eyes barely open, "I'm sorry for yesterday. Mickey said I shouldn't ask for you to stay here when we both know you are not allowed."

"Michael is an idiot, don't listen to him. Now, feeling better?"

Castiel nods, "Awesome. And hi," he adds, turning to Dean, "Why are you here again?"

"I slept with him," Gabriel explains, well sort of explains, when Dean just stares at Cas mumbling incoherently.

"You are a naughty bad boy. Pretty sure Michael will ground you for ages."

It takes a moment for Dean to get it, but when he does, his eyes almost jump out their sockets. He turns to Gabriel just to find him amused and slightly annoyed, "Not like that, Cassie. I slept on his couch, I meant I didn't go to Ezekiel's."

"Oh. Makes sense."

Dean smiles, taking in as much of Cas as he can. He seems to feel better today, his face is less pale and his lips are almost red, curled up in a shy smile; but what catches Dean's attention again are his eyes, his big blue eyes which are suddenly looking at him.

"Dean? You with us?" Gabriel asks and Dean realizes they had been talking to him.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

Cas coughs adorably, gaining his attention, "I just said… Well Dean, tell me something about yourself. Gabriel makes you look some sort of superhero."

"Eh?" Dean dumbly asks, turning from Cas to Gabe and back and Gabriel hits his brother's arm lightly, "Don't tell him that or he might think I want to get into his pants."

"Which is true."

"Of course, but we aren't supposed to tell him."

The interaction between the two brothers is funny, Dean imagines them in another context and thinks they aren't too different from himself and Sam; they seem to be pretty close and it's sweet, considering all they have been through. Michael seems a good guy too, but Dean isn't impatient to meet Luce; he'd like to think there are just three brothers in this family and they stick together pretty well.

Castiel laughs, just to end up coughing again and when he gets a hold of himself, he asks Dean, "So? About yourself?"

"Well, I'm Dean Winchester, but you already knew that."

"Winchester? Sounds familiar."

Oh. "Mmm I don't know, maybe Gabriel said my surname? I never met you before. And I don't think you know my brother either. His name is Sam."

Castiel's face seems to lighten up, "Wait, Sam. Sam Winchester, 'course I know him! Won the last math Olympics. Sure that I know him. Blondie, pretty eyes, impossibly tall. Gabe you know who I am talking about!"

Math Olympics? Is he some kind of nerd too? Dean can't stand two geniuses in his life. And why is he thinking about Cas in his life? He is just his friend's brother, and maybe Dean is interested into being his friend too.

"Yeah, Cas here is a little weirdo," Gabriel says, as if reading into Dean's mind and Dean smiles when Cas replies, "Geez, thanks. What If I was trying to seduce him too, Gabe?"

"God, he is not always like this, I swear," he says to Dean, before turning back to his brother, "You'd fail and I'd be happy. No boyfriends for you, too young."

"You are just jealous. And you sound like Mickey."

After that, they just spend the morning talking together, interrupted a couple of times by a nurse who checks on Cas, takes blood samples and ask questions.

At some point Cas needs to get up to go to the bathroom since he stubbornly refuses the catheter all the nurses try to fix and Dean thinks he would do exactly the same, that's embarrassing and must be uncomfortable too. When Gabriel helps his brother stand up, Dean follows their movement with his eyes and finally has a chance to study his body. Cas is quite short, shorter than Gabriel for sure and he looks skinny, but maybe it's aggravated by the long hospital gown he is wearing; he slightly leans on Gabriel and holds with a hand the pole of the IV, pushing it while walking. He wishes he could see more and the thought creeps him.

It's weird that Dean finds him so interesting and he knows that, but he can't help it, he finds Gabriel's brother attractive. And as much as they talk, Dean happens to be even more impressed by the little kid who apparently has a scholarship for the private school he goes to, which would explain how they can afford it and he has a QI even higher than Sam's. He works in his free time and Dean learns that Gabriel works too.

"It's just a part time, three times a week, into a garage less than a kilometer from your home."

"You mean Bobby's?" Dean asks and when Gabriel nods he adds, "Cool! He is my dad's friend, I have been there a lot of times! His daughter Jo, she is in school with us. Oh, wait! You know Ellen, she is his wife!"

"Of course I know, she is the one who helped me find the job. And I'm pretty sure it's not completely legal. Conflict of interests, maybe. But she is a good person, we owe her a lot."

Gabriel looks sad when he mentions how much Ellen has done for him and his family and Dean feels the need to change the subject, so that his friend can stop worrying so much, so he asks Cas what kind of job he does, hoping there won't be another sad story behind it. Who knows, with this guy everything is possible.

Cas just shrugs at him, disappointed that it's nothing too interesting, so when he says, "It's not a real job, since Michael doesn't want me to do anything," Gabriel explains, "He is tutoring some kids from his school and younger kids who want to go there."

As soon as Gabriel has said it, Cas blushes, looking at his hands sitting in his lap.

"Cool."

"So, uh, how is Sam?"

Dean blinks at the question, "He is fine, I guess."

"It's been a while since I last saw him. Is he- does he go to your school?"

Gabriel sighs, "Cas, if you are still trying to come with me I have to warn you, Michael doesn't seem to agree."

Castiel pouts, but something in the back of Dean's mind keeps telling him that this isn't the reason why Cas seems so sad.