"Hey there, little bro."

Gabriel.

The entryway that had opened for the new arrival slowly creeped back closed, returning the room to its familiar state with only two occupants. Yet, the white walls seemed to take on a subdued beige hue, bathed in the golden glow emanating from the youngest archangel.

As Castiel's brow furrowed, he cautiously uncurled himself from his position against the wall, his legs creaking as if they had been frozen in that posture for hours. "I…" He tilted head slightly, voice filled with uncertainty, "Are you truly here?"

Gabriel glanced over his shoulder, deliberately exaggerating his turn, "Me? Well, you see me."

Castiel watched as the initial glee in Gabriel's eyes faded ever so slightly as the silence stretched on between them. Castiel couldn't help but feel the underlying relief, the joy that was simmering under his skin, but it was all clouded in the cold remnants of doubt. Desperation laced Castiel's words as he spoke, a mix of longing and skepticism coloring his voice, "Are you real, Gabriel?"

Gabriel's expression broke back into a smirk, winking as he moved to towards his brother, "And that, little bro, is the million dollar question." He held out his hand, beckoning Castiel to take it. Castiel hesitated for a moment, searching his brother's features before he reached out, taking his hand.

As Gabriel pulled him up, he quickly supported Castiel's shaking form with an arm around his shoulders, wings draping loosely around him like a blanket and guiding him towards the bed, carefully maneuvering him. With each step, Castiel focused in on their points of contact, running the feeling in his head on repeat, as if to confirm that the sensation was real. The presence was grounding, an ease from the panic that felt like it had just ensued when Lucifer was here.

Once Castiel was safely seated on the edge of the bed, Gabriel released his hold, suddenly tucking a blanket around his shoulders to replace where his wings had covered. Castiel's gaze slowly broke from his older brother at his side, sliding back around the room once more. The desk had reappeared against the corner wall as if it had always been there, complete with the wooden chair and shabby paint job. The black book still lay discarded across the surface, it's presence a little less commanding in this lighting, but nonetheless alluring.

The sound of a wrapper filled the quiet as Gabriel perched himself on the edge of the desk, glancing down at the book and popping the lollipop in his mouth. He held the wrapper in his hand for a second, glancing towards the trashcan at his side, halfheartedly tossing it and watching as the plastic drifted towards the ground, missing the designated place completely. He glanced back towards Castiel with an unbothered shrug, back to eating the hard piece.

"Why are you here, Gabriel?" Castiel's voice was barely above a whisper, uncertainty still covering him entirely, his eyes searching Gabriel's face for answers.

Gabriel's expression turned to one of mock hurt as he pulled the candy from his mouth, "What? I can't just save my helpless, young brother from his torture?"

"No." Castiel's voice was deadpan, one hand clutching tightly to the blanket as a soft cool breeze passed by.

"I heard you, okay? Happy? Wasn't just going to leave you like that, I'm not a monster," Gabriel replied, his frown betraying a hint of concern. His leg was propped up on the chair, and he leaned forward against it. He paused for a moment before muttering under his breath "though, since you were begging for help so loud, that could create a problem in the future for the both of us."

Castiel's face fell into one of subdued concern, before leveling back out, looking unimpressed as if he had been processing the sentence. It wasn't without venom in his tone that he spoke his next words, "Others' hurting has not stopped you before. You did run from Heaven."

Gabriel's gaze hardened at Castiel's remark, his playful demeanor dropping. He leaned back to rest against the wall, lollipop forgotten in his hand, "you think I don't know that?" His voice held an edge, even as it was tinged with regret, "I made mistakes, big ones. But that doesn't mean I don't care." His golden eyes searched deeply into Cas' features, "I thought you might be able to relate."

The memories came flashing in Castiel's head,

Crowley— the deal with Crowley. The demon that kept him like a dog on a chain. Even when Castiel wrangled the leash back to his possession, even when he fought back, the angel and demon were both still tied inexplicably together by necessity to survive.

Then the souls were crawling inside of his chest, tearing and they spoke whispers that made it hard to think. They spoke of righteousness, and a way to fix the mess his Father had left, the pain and the agony the world held.

And if he fixed all of that— the voices asked— if he fixed all of that, wouldn't he be worthy of some recognition? Shouldn't he be praised and honored for doing more than what his Father did?

And curse those who stand against you; the voices were very clear about that. His fingers curled around the metal of his angel blade, cold metal seeping up his arm. The voices had grown louder, louder still, consuming every thought and curse him if it felt good.

And that's exactly why it was so easy to listen to them. Because he wanted it; he desired it, and something that tasted so sweet surely couldn't be poison.

The blade slid easily, and it wasn't even with a second thought that he could keep them still. Some souls dared him to wipe them all out with a clap or a snap of his fingers, but the majority?

If his siblings' lights were going out, wouldn't it be better to watch them fade? Let them plead and let them suffer for their trespasses against their new leader.

It wouldn't be fair to the loyal to let the insubordinate ones off easy.

Castiel's eyes clenched in pain as the feeling of his sisters and brother's blood over his skin resurfaced, crashing into him like a wave.

This is how Sam felt.

But so much worse.

So so so much worse.

Hundreds of years of hell with Lucifer opened in an instant.

All for power.

All because-

"I…I do understand, Gabriel." Castiel murmured, his gaze downcast.

Gabriel's expression softened as Castiel's words left his lips, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes as the remnants of his lighthearted persona covered his expressions. "You know, little bro," he began, his voice back to being full of playful cheer, the sound driving his recent memories away, "I've missed these heart-to-heart talks. We had 'em all the time back in the day, before everything got so well…" He raised an eyebrow and winked, "apocalyptic."

Castiel couldn't help but let the small smile take over his lips, a flicker of nostalgia pulsating with the golden light across the walls that cast away the recent aches. "I remember." His voice was tinged with the same warmth that covered the walls, "They… often left me with more questions than answers." He frowned for a moment, "and the answers I did receive, more often than not were incorrect… or led to less than ideal situations."

Gabriel snorted, doubling over in laughter, "What was his name? Un- no, Ar- no… Ur-"

"Uriel." Castiel said, small smile still on his face, "though, I suppose it depends on which circumstance you speak of."

"The rubber duck?"

Castiel nodded, soft smile on his lips, "Yes."

"I had you convinced too, little bro. Perfect accomplice, telling Uriel it was some divine gift."

Castiel's cheeks heated in a slight blush, "Yes. I did not realize it was a prank until much later. I had genuinely thought it was a gift from our Father." Gabriel's laughter filled the room, infectious and full of mirth. Castiel couldn't help but continue: "I still don't understand how you acquired the object. It was hundreds of years before the humans were placed on Earth or even created it."

"I have my ways, little Cas." He sucked on the lollipop for a second before continuing, "He showed it to Michael, didn't he?"

"He did."

Gabriel's laughter resounded once more, "Told him God gifted it to him-" he replied, wiping away a tear of mirth, "Gosh that kid, Uriel? He was lucky he wasn't that much older than you? 200 years? 300?"

"Something like that," A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

"Yeah well, I know the kid was searching ancient texts for that bright yellow duck. Brought it to Joshua too, the garden keeper. But Michael?" He shook his head, "He was livid." He couldn't stop the continuing laughter, "The look on his face? Priceless."

The whole room seemed to be completely enveloped in the golden glow, sparkling vibrantly from Gabriel's wings and eyes. The archangel's smile was wistful as his laughter faded, "Ah, good times."

Castiel watched his brother regain his composure for a moment, watching still as Gabriel readjusted his grey jacket before his hand grazed over the leather book next to him on the desk. Gabriel's gaze followed Castiel's eyes looking over the book to his side.

Just as Gabriel began to pick it up, the bed moved in a sudden lurch, Castiel's hands gripping the covers tightly with the unexpected movement. Panic laced through him as his limbs refused to cooperate, to move off the object as its wheel squealed loudly as it began to roll. "Gabr-"

"Relax, little bro. You're fine." Gabriel reassured, jumping on the bed beside him. He crossed his legs and let his wing lightly drape over Castiel's shoulder. "They're just movin' ya."

"Who?" Castiel asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

"Eh" Gabriel shrugged noncommittally, glancing around. "Doctors, wearing white, all sterile and whatnot." He looked back at the confusion on Castiel's face. "You do remember... psych ward, case of the crazies? There was a hunter, had a brother... Dean-o was his name-o?"

Frustration furrowed Castiel's brow as he scanned the surroundings, as if he had somehow missed the people who were supposedly present. His hand grasped the railing at the foot of the bed as it lurched again. "I understand the purpose of my presence in this place, but why am I unable to see the doctors you claim are here?" His tone conveyed both frustration and exasperation.

"I mean… I suppose we are in your head, but color me surprised." He glanced down to his clothing, "Though you don't seem to have much color at all; I am truly honored to be gold." He winked, then looked toward the slowly opening doorway that awaited Castiel. "Maybe the new room won't be so black and white."

Gabriel turned back to Castiel, whose eyes were darting everywhere. With one hand, he adjusted Castiel's direction, pointing to the head of the bed. "Look, it's your girlfriend."

If possible, Castiel's confusion doubled as he looked at the empty space ahead while the bed continued its journey. "I don't-"

"Oh, come on, Castiel," Gabriel teased, tossing the stick of the lollipop toward the trashcan as they passed it. "The hot demon chick, feisty, fiery, and—" He tilted his head, as if pondering, "apparently your type."

A faint ghastly form materialized, pushing the bed with visible annoyance etched in her features. She wore a nurse's attire with an ID tag hanging off her shirt.

"Meg." Castiel acknowledged, his gaze moved from her back to Gabriel, "Why is she here?"

"Lookin' after you, hotshot." Gabriel replied with a smirk.

Sudden worry and adrenaline surged through Castiel's gut as he glanced at the empty desk while passing through the doorway. Despite his attempts to move, his limbs felt locked in place. "Gabriel, the book-" he managed to utter, struggling to understand why he felt such a strong attachment and its purpose.

"Kiddo." Gabriel's tone softened as he opened his jacket, revealing the book safely tucked away in an inner pocket, "It's right here, safe and sound."

He couldn't help but breathe out a sigh of relief, leaning slightly into Gabriel's side, listening to another door open as they both were moved inside.

The new room was much the same as the old, it resembled the previous one and the walls had returned to their original bright white state. A window covered by blinds on the far wall failed to let any light shine through, and an IV stand occupied a corner. The bed was positioned in the center, just as before, with a chair and table nearby.

"Who do I have to kill to get some color in here? You'd think all this would just further the insanity." Gabriel looked over the walls in disdain, tsking under his breath. After a moment, he adjusted his position on the bed, pulling out the small black book and flipping it over in his hands.

Castiel's blue eyes couldn't be torn away from the object, an unsettling pulse resonating in his chest as he looked at it. The pages themselves seemed to call out, begging to be read, begging to be in the angel's grasp.

Begging to consume.

It wasn't just Castiel that could feel the darkness radiating from the book, Gabriel seemed to understand the pull it held over his brother, keeping it tight in his hands as Castiel reached over, opening the cover to gaze upon the pages.

It was endless words, written in blood red ink, red that was a permanent stain. The page that was in front of them was filled with names and the corresponding page numbers. Gabriel, with one side glance towards Castiel, flipped forward in the pages, searching for more context.

Castiel did not need further information, not after glimpsing the names. Pain clouded his eyes as Gabriel landed on a page titled "Sins" written in elegant cursive script. Gabriel's expression was devoid of his levity, replaced by confusion and trepidation. "Okay, Cas, what is this?" he asked, voice tinged with concern.

He flipped through a few more pages, glancing over the text and detailed accounts; the lies, the misjudgments, the repercussions, the betrayals, the pain. All the entries were written in the same blood red ink, each word etched into the paper like a permanent scar.

"Castiel?" Gabriel paused, a hand moving to his little brother's shoulder, gaze soft. The blue eyes did not waver away from the oozing red on the page.

With his free hand, Gabriel snapped the book shut.

It was only then that Castiel lifted his gaze to meet Gabriel's golden eyes, shaking his head, "I have to-"

"Says who?"

"I am unable to ignore it, Gabriel."

"Well, you're not continuing it right now." Castiel could only watch as the book was tucked out of his sight and back into Gabriel's jacket. "You need to rest."

"Angels don't rest—"

The whole room was suddenly plunged into darkness but was still illuminated by Gabriel's golden glow.

Castiel's heart skipped a beat with the sudden shift in lighting intensifying his unease and uncertainty, "what's happening?" His voice trembled slightly, his hand instinctively reaching out for his brother's arm, seeking reassurance.

"It's alright, little bro. Think it's just lights out. Not the first time its happened; but…" Gabriel's voice trailed off softly, "just the first time you've noticed."

They both grew quiet in the dark, Castiel slowly leaning into the warmth of Gabriel's golden wings. "We'll figure it out." Gabriel whispered, voice laced with reassurance, "You're just exhausted. We'll go through it when you're better."

"Thank you, Gabriel," he whispered, his voice barely audible in the darkness.

"I got you, little bro."