Gabriel hadn't been lying when he said Cas wouldn't be in much. Weekdays, he would work at Nomed Inc. Then he'd have a bar shift on Friday evening, Saturday afternoon or evening and Sunday afternoon. Basically, Cas worked 7 days a week. Dean could see, after just a few weeks, that Cas was getting worn down. Dark bruises were forming under his eyes, and even though he wasn't outright cranky, he did become less cheerful and more curt.

Dean cooked often, making sure the leftovers were reheatable. Cas smiled every time, but his appetite was starting to fade too. Frankly, Dean was getting worried. Even for as little time as they spent together, Dean and Cas had started to become friends. So, one Saturday, when Cas had an early shift at the bar, Dean texted Gabriel.

Sent at 11.55 am to Gabe:
Gabe. I gotta talk with you buddy.
I'm getting a bit worried here.
I'm home, so come get a beer or something.
Dean.

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang.
"Hiya Dean-o! What's cookin'?" Gabe called out, popping a sucker out of his mouth.
Dean ushered him in and grabbed the promised beer.
"Look... I know I only just met your brother properly, but..."
Dean's voice tapered out, because Gabe was looking at him with a rapt, almost expectant expression.
"Go on..." Gabe urged.
Clearing his throat, Dean continued.
"But I'm worried about Cas. He's running himself to the ground, man."
Gabe dropped his shoulders and plopped that sucker back in his mouth.
"Crap. So not what I'd hoped..." he told his knees, almost whispering.

Then he perked up and grinned at Dean.
"Then we get him a few weeks off at one job. Preferably the Nomed one. He has been building up his payed vaykay days for some time... I think I can pull this off. You got a laptop I can use?"
Blinking, Dean looked at the bouncy 5'7" guy.
"Wait, what?"
Gabe cackled and rocked back with it.
"Bucko... I work maintenance, because I like doing it. Not because I can't do anything else. Gimme that magic box, and I'll show you!"

Dean handed Gabe his laptop with a certain feeling of trepidition.
Gabe opened it and his fingers started flying over the keys.
"Holy cottoncandy sticks! That nerd has over a month in payed vacation time due! Ok. That is too much."
He set the laptop aside, grabbed his phone and punched a number.
"Hello? Crowley? Gold here... Yeah. Look, pal, I just saw that a C. Novak has a bit of payed vacation due... Uhuh. Like, over a month... hmhmmm. That's what I thought. I'll handle it. Yeah. Ok. Yeah.. toodles."
Dean tilted his head, eyes narrowed.
"Gold? You're fucking kidding me. You're the mysterious, silent partner?" Lisa had told Dean years ago about that excentric guy who sometimes got very involved, but never showed his face.

Gabe cursed under his breath.
"Fuck. Trust you to know... Yeah. I am. I didn't blow all my money on debauchery. Just the scraps I didn't invest. I own 53% of Nomed, and Crowley is my personal lapdog. I have total access to the whole company, up to, and including, the company cars. That's why I could set off that hussy's alarm, and that's why I could hairtrigger the lockdown on the computer safetynet for the holidays."
He grinned mischievously.
"When Brady 'coincidentally' decided to get in some overtime, which means he had a holiday deadline and blew it because he was banging your lady, it shut down the whole shebang!"

He cackled, rubbing his hands. Dean just shook his head.
"But Brady called in Charlie Bradbury, who fixed it." he said. "Bit of a spanner in the works, bud."
Gabriel cackled harder and slapped his knees.
"I called miss Bradbury in, muttonhead! Hell, I don't want my company to go belly up because Brady is an ass... I knew she can fix just about anything. I also knew it would take her until around four, when Brady was expected at his parents home."
By now Dean was grinning too.
"You devious little imp!" he chuckled.
Gabe winked, popped his sucker back in and gave him the two fingered salute.

Rubbing his hands again, Gabe sat up and grabbed the laptop again.
"Let's send Cassie a neat little mail, requesting that he stays home Monday, until... mmmm... three weeks later? Gotta keep a little time in reserve for emergencies."
His fingers danced over the keys.
"There... and a sweet explaination that it is paid time off. There. Sincerely, human recources."
Dean sat back, nipping his beer. He was in awe at how fast and devious his friend's brain was working.
"Dude... you're awesome..." he grinned. "This has earned you a chocolate ganache cake. I'll go buy it for dessert. If you have time that is..."
Gabe's eyes lit up even more.
"Dinner? You're cooking? And cake for dessert... chocolate cake? Count me in, bucko! The bar will have to wait!"

When Castiël came home that night, his face was alight with wonder as he hung up his trenchcoat.
"Dean... you will never believe what happened today..."
His voice bled out as he caught sight of the steak dinner Dean was putting on the table and his brother, who looked like he'd fallen face first in something.
"What's going on?" he asked suspiciously.
"Moffin' broffer." Gabe mumbled, cheeks bulging like a chipmunk's and spraying darkbrown crumbs.
Dean sighed and wiped the crumbs away with a cloth.

"Nothing, Cas. I just felt like steak, and Gabe helped me with something that was weighing on me. So he deserved chocolate cake."
Cas smiled warmly at them.
"That's just amazing... this makes the day even better!"
Flashing Gabe a grin, Dean offered Cas a cold beer.
"Whaddaya mean, bud? What happened?"

Cutting neat bites of his steak, Cas told them how he had found a mail in his inbox, basically ordering him to take three weeks of payed vacation.
"That's great, Cas!" Dean smiled.
"You could use it, baby bro!" Gabriel enthused. "You've been working that tight little ass off for months now. Live a little. Chase a dream or two... get laid..."
Dean nearly choked on his beer. That was not something he had thought about, and quite frankly... he didn't want to.

Apparently, neither did Cas. He blushed furiously and slammed his cutlery down.
"Gabriel! Not all of us live for sex and sweets. When will you learn?"
Gabriel let his mischievous, golden eyes dart between both taller men and seductively placed the last, big bite of chocolate cake in his mouth. After he swallowed, he grinned.
"Really, bro? You're in denial, bucko. But I'll butt out."
He raised his hands in submission. Then he licked his plate clean, wiped his mouth, licked his fingers and stood.
"Well, this was an enlightening day, but I'm calling it. Dean, take care. Cassie, enjoy your free time!"
He winked, turned, started whistling Asia's 'Heat of the Moment' and skipped to the door.

Cas stared at the door, long after it had fallen shut.
"Dean... have you ever considered the posibility that you're adopted? I must be... or he was."
Dean chuckled, patting his shoulder and ignoring the tingles he felt.
"Only every time I see Sam. That Moose can't be my brother... just kidding!" he hastily amended when Cas looked horrified.
"I've taken care of Sammy since he was six months old. But even as close as we are, sometimes it's like he's a stranger. That's supposed to happen, I think. To keep us on our toes..."
Cas thought about that, blue eyes pensieve.
"Maybe you're right. And I do love Gabriel. So, blood or not..."
Dean smiled and tilted back his beer.
"Family don't end with blood." he quoted his surrogate father.
Cas nodded and smiled.
"You are very right."