So... I am a little disappointed that no one expressed an opinion about the last chapters, but I am optimistic and I guess you still like the story.
So, here we have chapter 5!
Enjoy! (Oh and please, don't kill me!)
Study session – Aka: Chemistry is not so bad in the end
Castiel comes out of the hospital that evening. He is still shaken, as Gabriel tells Dean and sleeps almost all day afterwards, but it's understandable.
Two days later he is back to normal, or at least he is good enough to teach some kids from his school, which means that Gabriel needs to go back home and keep an eye on him, since Michael has to work and apparently no one knows where Luce is.
It's still hard for Gabriel who is still refusing to spend the night to his old home, but he has to go now, at least until Michael comes back home, then he can go back to Ezekiel's.
Dean wouldn't be able to explain why, but as soon as Gabriel asks if he wants to come with him and study together, he says yes; it doesn't bother him that Sam will be home alone, because he really wants to see Cas, especially now that he can see him out of the hospital and on his own feet. He is so happy for Gabriel's request that he almost forgets to tell his brother he won't be home with him and he doesn't care about Sam's growl when Dean tells him that he needs to take the bus home.
Gabriel normally takes the bus, but today Dean is driving him and he can't explain why he feels suddenly so nervous.
As soon as they park the car, Michael opens the door, clearly already ready for work. He has is coat on and his bag in hand and after quickly greeting Dean and kissing Gabe's head, ruffling his hair with a hand, he waves them goodbye and rushes out.
"Where is your brother?" is the first thing Dean asks.
"I guess in the kitchen," replies Gabriel nonchalantly, motioning for Dean to follow him upstairs, "He has probably already started working, but we can ask him if we don't know something."
Dean is delusional, he thought he would have spent time with the little Novak, but he doesn't want to bother him while working. Not to mention that there isn't a real reason to stay with him.
"This is your room?" Dean asks when Gabriel opens the door, arranging the desk for the both of them.
"Cassie's. But he knew we would stay here and he is okay with that."
Dean nods, mumbling a "Cool," just to sound normal and he sits in front of Gabriel rather uncomfortably. It's Castiel's room and even if he's not there, he feels like he's invading his personal space. He feels so stupid for his own thoughts.
He opens his book, looking for the first exercise. As soon as he finds it, he reads the reaction three times, NaOH + Na2So5 + Mn3As2 à Na2HAsO4 + NaMnO4 + Na2SO4 + H2 and chews on his lower lip, waiting for the letters to make sense. Well, he is wasting his time, "Gabe, have you-" he looks up from his book to his friend, just to find the same helpless expression. There is a wing drawn on the corner of Gabe's book and that tells Dean a lot about how much attention his friend is putting into chemistry.
"I'm waiting for you to tell me what to do," Gabriel explains and Dean frowns, they are not going to study today.
"Well, that could be a problem," he answers in all honesty.
"Okay, we'll ask Cas."
Dean's heart skips a beat, "Wait, how is he supposed to help us?" he asks. Okay, Castiel is probably a little weird genius as much as Sam, but he is a year behind them and even Sam doesn't know how to do reactions yet, there is no way Castiel could be helpful.
Gabriel is already standing next to the door, with his book in his hands, "I told you, little freak knows everything. Besides private schools have different classes."
"Cool. Wait, Gabe, are you sure we can ask him? He is busy."
"Stop worrying, Dean. He'll be glad, he always is," Gabriel says and Dean frowns. He doubts it; every time he asks Sam for help, his brother looks at him annoyed, saying that if he would pay attention in class he wouldn't need his help.
"Hi, Crowly," Gabriel says entering the room, without even looking at the kid in the room with Castiel and sitting next to his brother, "We need help."
"Hi, Cas," Dean greets, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, twisting the notebook in his hands.
Cas wears glasses and man, he is hot! And Dean is sweating from head to toe; he is done and he knows it, falling for your best friend's brother isn't smart, but it isn't Dean's fault that Castiel is so cute. And Dean is the one who claims to not believe into love at first sight.
"Hi, Dean," he says cheerfully, "Sure, I'll help you. May I just finish this one?" he says, not waiting for an answer, before turning to the other guy and telling him something about Prometheus and the stolen fire.
"Coke, Dean?" Gabriel asks, standing up and going to the fridge, "Crowly, do you want one?" he asks and Dean can tell that is tone is different, he just can't put a finger on it. In the last few days he has understood that Gabriel is weird, he is too tired to even pretend to understand half of what he does. Still, sometimes it's easy for Dean to get that something is wrong with his friend.
"Yeah, sure," this Crowly guy replies, looking at Gabriel with a weird grin.
"Gabriel, please shut up. Crowly, eyes on the page."
Dean looks at him in wonder. Well, if Castiel was his teacher, Dean's grades would improve dramatically.
"Can you do this one alone?" Cas asks and when Crowly nods, he turns his attention back on Dean and Gabriel, "So?"
Dean keeps staring amazed when Cas uses his pointer to adjust the glasses on his perfectly shaped nose, while Gabriel puts the open book in front of his brother, "Chemistry. It doesn't make any sense. I guess there is an error in the book."
Dean can't help but laugh, "How do you know that, if we don't even know where to begin?"
"Why do you always have to talk Dean?" Gabriel frowns, "That's it. Now he is going to explain everything."
"Isn't it why we came here in the first place?"
By now Crowly is looking at Dean, a weird look that almost scares him and Gabriel grunts, dramatically sighing, "Nope Dean! We came here so Cas could do the exercise and I could steal the paper where he wrote it and copy it. But now it's too late. This one," he says to his brother, pointing to the exercise number 12, "Explain."
Castiel looks at it and he seems to count something on his mind, "Okay. Do you know what to do at all?"
Dean shrugs, "No clue," at the same time Gabriel rolls his eyes, "Would we be here if we did?"
Castiel turns the page of the notebook in front of him, looking for a blank space to write on. "Here, this one is basic," he explains, writing a pretty short reaction and turning the notebook to Dean and Gabriel, "You just need to tell me the charge of the ions. What about sodium?"
"Cas, you tell us."
"It's plus one?" Dean half answers, half asks, not even knowing how he knows it. When Cas gives him a proud look, Dean decides that chemistry is his best subject since right now.
"Good, and since the molecules needs to be neutral, the oxygen charge is…?"
"Minus one?" Gabriel asks.
"Nope."
"What? Cas, stop bitching, I know how to count."
"Gabe. It's minus two. And that's because you have two sodium and one oxygen."
They end up studying for two hours straight, which Dean would normally complain about; but it doesn't matter right now when all of a sudden chemistry makes sense and he is almost capable of doing an exercise on his own. Especially since Castiel is so patient and helpful. And hot, but no one needs to know that part. Even Gabriel seems to get it in the end and that makes them both pretty happy.
When Crowly is done with his homework too, after Castiel checks on them one last time, the guy surprisingly asks, "Cas? Do you want to go out with me? Have a coffee or something?" and Dean's heart skips a beat when Crowly brushes a hand against Castiel's pale arm, making him blush.
"Crowly, hands down. He already said no and if you are done, you can pay and go. You know where the door is."
Crowly pouts, handing Gabriel some money and stepping next to Cas again, forcing Gabriel to stand up and put himself between his brother and Crowly, "I said goodbye, Crowly," Gabriel says, escorting him outside, while Cas mutters apologies to Dean.
"Nothing to be sorry for, man," Dean manages to say, when Cas swears it doesn't happen normally.
When Gabriel comes back, after Crowly is gone, he looks angry.
"I told you, Cas, you shouldn't be around him anymore."
"I'm not having this conversation right now, Gabriel," Cas replies, motioning to Dean and he suddenly feels like an intruder.
"I can wait out-"
"No, Dean," Castiel hurries to answer, "That's not what I meant. I meant I don't want to talk."
"Really, Cas? Good. Ehy, Dean, do you want to know why I'm so pissed right now?"
"I really don't." Dean answers. He actually really, really wants to, but he isn't going to betray Castiel like this, when it's obvious he doesn't want for Dean to know, or maybe for Gabriel to say it, Dean isn't sure about that.
"Too bad. I'm going to tell you anyways."
"Gabriel, enough."
"You don't need to work with him."
"But we need money."
Gabriel turns away, his arms on his hips, his foot rhythmically bunching against the floor, in a way that almost looks comical, "And we need you healthy, right?" he asks, trying to calm down.
"And I am as you can see. I'm not a child, Gabriel, you can trust me on this, okay? It's alright."
"Does Michael know?" Gabriel asks and it's clear that he doesn't, since Castiel doesn't reply, "Who stays with you when he is here?"
It's Castiel's time to looks away, "There is no art class, Gabe. We normally study at school so I don't need someone babysitting me. And today he came after you two were upstairs, Michael doesn't know. Now, could you please keep it for yourself and don't tell Michael or whomever else?"
"You don't see him anymore and I don't tell Michael. Sounds fair?"
It doesn't of course, but Castiel nods. "Sorry, Dean. So, uhm, are you staying here for dinner?" he asks with the obvious intention to quit the subject and Dean frowns, "I'd like to, but mom works late and Sammy is home alone."
"Oh, Sam can come too, if he wants to," there is something in Castiel's voice that looks like a plead and Dean hopes it's because he wants him to stay, "Or we can go out, maybe."
"No, we can't. you need to rest, remember?"
"I'm fine, Gabe."
Gabriel ignores his brother, turning to Dean, "But really, call Sam. I can go take him, if you want to stay here. Michael didn't take the car and you already have to drive home later, no point into going back and forth so many times."
Dean shrugs, "That would be great." And it has nothing to do with the fact that he can stay with Castiel for a while.
In less than ten minutes, Gabriel is ready to go out and he looks almost presentable, with his hair in place and a clean shirt on, as he heads out, playing with the keys of his brother's car. They are always supposed to have the car at home when Cassie is here, just in case. But right now there is Dean's car and even if everyone is sure that nothing is going to happen, just in case it's there and Dean can drive him to the hospital, so Gabriel can go out.
And that leaves just Dean and Castiel for at least an hour.
"Are you okay with all of this?" Castiel asks out of the blue, grabbing two ice creams from the freezer and handing one of them to Dean who frowns, not understanding what he is implying. "I mean with Gabriel's background. Must be hard to find out that your best friend lied to you for two years."
"He didn't technically lie." So what, is he trying to push Dean into hating Gabriel?
As if reading in his mind, Castiel clarifies, "I tried to persuade him into telling you, but Gabriel is stubborn as hell and he really likes you. Was afraid you would judge him."
"Why would I? I mean, he didn't do anything."
Castiel licks on his ice cream, reminding Dean of the one melting into his own hands, "Of course he didn't. But most of the people we used to have around happened to reject us. And it's pretty uncommon to live without any parents, in a house where social services come almost every week and having to work this young. I wouldn't want to be friends with someone like us."
"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself and your family, you know? I find all of you pretty great," he says and before Castiel can object he adds, "I know, I don't really know all of you and I thought I knew Gabriel better than this. But you know what? I somehow admire all of you. Thought it was hard to live with my mom working everyday and having to worry about Sammy. Turns out your brother does that every single day of his life and he works too. And you and Gabriel have been through a lot, still you two walk around with a smile on your face. It's pretty impressive."
Now, Dean isn't one who does big speeches, it's Sam's job. But with Castiel it's somehow easy to open his heart and it sort of came out without him really worrying about what he was saying.
"Wow. And Gabriel said you were heartless."
When Dean said that he was supposed to stay with Sam, Gabriel didn't think twice before offering to go take him. He knows Dean won't suspect anything and it's ingenuous on his part, but Gabriel won't complain. He and Sam have been dating for a few weeks now, nothing special, they just went to the cinema, because Sam likes cliché and he loved holding Gabriel's arm when the film was scary and they have been going out a couple of evenings, when Dean had something else to do.
Sam wanted to tell his brother at first, but Gabriel asked him to wait. He shouldn't have maybe, but he and Dean are friends and being a big brother Gabriel knows that he won't be happy if someone entered in Cassie's life, it's too soon and Sam and Castiel are the same age. Also he always goes to Dean's and he likes to spend time with him, he doesn't want his best friend to feel awkward when they are together, thinking that Gabriel is just waiting for him to go out and stay with Sam.
He hasn't told his brothers either. Luce, well, of course he would be the last one to know; and Michael has a lot on his mind, he probably isn't interested into Gabriel's private life. That's not fair and he knows in the back of his mind that Michael should know, but he doesn't feel like telling him. Cassie is another story. He always asks about Gabriel's life, he always wants to know what happens, but Gabriel doesn't tell him because he knows Castiel already feels restrained, he doesn't want to aggravate his feelings telling him how good public school is when he can't go there. Also he would do anything to meet Gabriel's boyfriend and Gabriel hadn't even mentioned having a brother until few days ago.
Not to mention that every time he thinks about telling someone he feels like throwing up.
Of course on the top of everything he now has to deal with a pretty pissed Sam who would have known sooner about his life. Or maybe just under different circumstances.