CHAPTER THREE! This is what the muse demanded, so here you go! Hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: All of the wonderful Supernatural goodness is not from me: pretty much if it sounds familiar its not me. I do not own this (but oh the things I would do if I did...hehehe.)
"You're fighting for the wrong side."
The glare Castiel threw him was deadly, and Gabriel winced. Not his best beginning argument, he'd admit.
"You charge me with fighting for the wrong side; well at least I've chosen a side, Gabriel. At least I'm fighting for something, instead of hiding behind my own insecurities and doubts." Castiel hissed.
Gabriel winced. "This meeting was not supposed to be a hostile one."
Castiel snorted. "Really? From where I'm standing, you would have to forgive me if I believed the opposite."
Castiel glanced pointedly to the holy fire that surrounded him.
Gabriel shrugged. "I assure you, young one, I would've asked nicely if I thought you would've accepted."
Castiel said nothing; but nor did he look away.
"So how've you been?" Gabriel waved his hand, and a chair appeared in the center of the holy fire that surrounded Castiel, and Gabriel sat down in his own chair, motioning for Castiel to do the same with his. "I assume, seeing as you are now affiliated with the Winchesters, that you are in discord the rest of the heavenly host?"
Castiel stayed standing, eyes widening in realization, then squinting in anger. "Whatever your plan is this time, Gabriel: I will not allow you to use me to get to the Winchesters,"
Gabriel laughed. "Relax, Castiel. I don't want the Winchesters at the moment. I want you."
Castiel tilted his head slightly glare disappearing in his confusion. "Why?"
And for a moment, Gabriel couldn't breathe.
His babe, His fledgling, stood before him after centuries of silence, and mere moments ago, Gabriel could've said with certainty that the fledgling angel he'd raised and taught to fly was gone, grown out of the inquisitive nature that Gabriel had fostered, matured out of the curious head tilt and open gaze he had always used as a child when he'd wanted an answer to the question he never seemed to stop asking: why? But in this moment, in the worn face of a man Gabriel had never met, Gabe saw the child he'd raised, the babe who, despite being abandoned, had survived.
And that left Gabriel speechless.
"Because," Gabriel stood up from his chair and began to pace. "Because I made a mistake. Not leaving mind you, the paths the host has taken recently has only confirmed my belief that leaving was my best decision, but I shouldn't have left you." He snapped his fingers and the holy fire dissipated. Gabriel sat back down in his chair; watching to see what Castiel would do.
Castiel stared at the holy fire for a moment before he sighed heavily and took a seat in his own chair, shaking his head slightly. Gabriel was afraid to breathe, afraid the sound of his exhale would send Castiel away.
Castiel pinned Gabriel with his bright blue eyes. "You left me." He accused, and Gabriel saw again the fledgling he'd left behind.
"I did." Gabriel admitted.
"You didn't even say goodbye."
"I couldn't." Gabriel huffed, a wry grin on his face. "I'm not one for goodbyes."
Castiel nodded once, before a thought hit him. "How did you know I was with the Winchesters?"
"I didn't." Gabriel smirked. "I find the Winchesters to be highly amusing, and whenever I have free time, I help them out." Castiel snorted, and Gabriel flashed him a grin, that Castiel returned, but just barely. Still, the fleeting sight of that smile made something inside Gabriel weep like a little girl. He kept that part hidden of course; but he couldn't deny that it was there.
"The lessons I've taught them might not be ones they like, but they're necessary. They can thank me later."
"Gabriel." Castiel admonished.
Gabriel winked at his baby bro. "Seeing you with the Winchesters is actually quite shocking for me. I think you're totally stupid, but," Gabriel hesitated before going for it. "It does give me hope."
"Hope for what?"
"Castiel," Gabriel laughed, changing the subject, "Why are you helping the Winchesters?"
"Because I believe in what they're doing. Because I believe in them."
"So it all comes down to faith, does it?"
"It always comes down to faith."
"Now who taught you that?" Gabriel laughed.
Castiel smiled, a simple quirk of the lips, but it was genuine, and it made something inside Gabriel soften. "You would not believe me, but you did."
Castiel was right: Gabriel didn't believe him.
"After you disappeared, I was put with the rest of my garrison, taught what they were. Rules, obligation, duty, honor. I barely remember most of the lessons you taught me in my youth; but a few are so deeply ingrained that I would not easily forget them. Faith was one of them."
Gabriel laughed. "Of all the lessons that I've taught you, never once did I mention the word faith."
Castiel tilted his head. "You taught me about flowers."
"Yeah, about flowers," Gabriel stressed, "Not,"
"You taught me about the resilience of flowers." Castiel added with a raised brow.
Gabriel sighed. "I guess I did. Oops."
Castiel shook his head slowly. "You still haven't answered my question."
"Hmm?" Gabriel asked, having forgotten what Castiel had asked.
"Hope for what?"
"Oh, yes, that." Gabriel shrugged. "I have hope for that mind of yours. That it will choose its own path, make its own decisions. From the way I've seen you interact with the Winchesters, I don't think I have to worry about much."
Castiel shrugged.
There was a moment of companionable silence, that Gabriel of course had to break.
"I still think you're wrong." Gabriel added with a pointed finger.
"I still think you need to choose a side." Castiel admonished. But then he relaxed. "I suppose this is what brothers do, though? Disagree?"
Gabriel laughed. "If you're going by the Winchesters example, disagree would be an understatement."
He sobered a moment later, and Gabriel's sudden intensity made Castiel nervous.
"Does that mean, that you still call me your brother?" Gabriel asked lightly, as if the answer meant nothing, even though it meant everything.
"We will see." Castiel hedged, a cell phone ring interrupting their conversation.
Castiel made a face at the phone.
"Let me guess, Sasquatch and your boyfriend." Gabriel joked, though he was mostly serious.
Castiel sent Gabriel a look, not answering. "I have to go."
"Fine. Get out of here. But I'm assuming that next time I propose we chat, " Gabriel made a circle with his hand, "We can forego the fire and converse in a less damp setting?"
Castiel's face was unreadable. "I will speak with you later." Then he was gone.
Gabriel grinned. "Promise?" he hollered, even though his baby angel was long gone.
Well. That had gone better than he expected. A repeat performance was going to have to happen: and soon.
But first; feelings made Gabriel crave sugar, and he was in current need of a LOT of sugar.
FIRST CONVERSATION: CHECK. they're not fixed, not even close, but they're talking, now. I haven't yet decided where they're going; my muse has yet to direct me, but this is what I've got so far; and I think I like it! Let me know what else you want to see, I'm going to, over the next few days, start mapping out the rest of the story. We'll see what happens!
As always, I love you all in that totally platonic and not at all creepy (kinda creepy) way that I do so well. Sending you all happy thoughts and warm wishes!