Title: Big Brothers are All the Same
Prompt: Written for cageyklio on livejournal: Supernatural, Gabriel & Castiel, I hate to see you hurting.
Castiel was in the middle of a confrontation with Zachariah when he heard the echo of a snap and found himself falling forward onto an oversized bed.
"I don't have time for this, Gabriel," he shouted, trying to push himself upright again, but the bed is too soft to get any leverage.
"Make time," his brother responded. "Chocolate?"
Castiel rolled over to glare at his brother. Gabriel was standing behind a kitchen island loaded with sugary confections, his dog dancing around him for a treat.
The Winchesters need me. They cannot escape from Zachariah alone."
"It can wait," Gabriel waved dismissively.
"They can't wait!" Castiel shouted frantically, finally managing to sit up.
Gabriel slammed both hands onto the counter hard enough to crack the cheap material. "Well, they're going to have to!"
Castiel held his tongue out of self-preservation, but Gabriel flinched and slumped forward against the broken countertop.
"Don't look at me like that," he grumbled. "I'm not going to hurt you, and you know it. I hate it when you get hurt."
"I am older than time itself, Gabriel," Castiel risked. "I am quite capable of taking care of myself."
The archangel snorted. "Bang up job, bro. If those Winchesters don't take good care of you, then I will continue yanking you out of danger."
"I wasn't in danger!"
"There was a seraph with a sword aimed at your head, Castiel. If that's your idea of safe, you don't get any say from now on," Gabriel declared, from his spot moping among his desserts.
Dean and Sam are in peril, Gabriel."
The archangel sighed and snapped his fingers. Dean and Sam appeared in the corner of the room, but before they could get a word in edgewise, a second snap reduced them to puppies. Labradors, if Castiel wasn't mistaken.
"Now they're not. Will you just listen to me already?"
The golden puppy sniffed at Castiel's feet, and attempted to climb the angel's pant leg. The dark one sat on its butt and howled at the ceiling. Castiel slid to the floor so both could reach him. "Go on," he complied wearily.
"I will not lose any more brothers than I have already, Castiel," Gabriel pointed emphatically. "And you don't have the juice to serve as their hard-hitter anymore-don't deny it. I know better."
Castiel remained obediently silent. Sam crawled into his lap and fell asleep. Dean attempted to do battle with his trench coat sleeve.
"I hate to see you hurting," Gabriel muttered under his breath as if Castiel couldn't hear him. He glared at the innocent canines. "So either they take better care of you, or I intervene. And you know how well they'll take that."
"Dean does think you have ill-intent," Castiel acknowledged.
"Just because you won't admit that you got those injuries trying to escape the sorority-wide orgy I tried to offer," Gabriel grumbled. "You need to loosen up, bro. You got the best of TV Land."
Castiel made a skeptical noise and freed his cuff from Dean's teeth.
Gabriel threw up his hands. "Last chance: They take care of you properly or I take care of them. No more lying. You are not a Winchester, and the word 'fine' is no longer in your vocabulary."
Castiel tilted his head in agreement. Gabriel didn't appear to believe him, but he raised his hand once more to snap.
"And I'll be taking care of Zachariah," the archangel added one final demand.
"I would suggest a toad," Castiel offered politely, gathering Dean and Sam to his chest.
"I knew there was a reason I liked you best," Gabriel grinned and snapped.
"The motel room is empty now," Castiel observed quietly.
Dean was not so calm. "Son of a bitch!"