Tutoring (Destiel)

Chapter Eight

When Dean dropped Castiel off at his house Gabriel and Balthazar were already there, and they were surprised to see him.

"Castiel, where were-? Wait, what happened to your face?" Castiel smiled at his little brothers concern. He shook his head and told Gabriel not to worry about it.

"Did Michael...?" Balthazar spoke up.

"No." Castiel returned sharply. They asked who did it, but Castiel wouldn't answer.

"But, Cassie-" Gabriel tried to interject.

"Stop Gabe, don't you have to go to soccer practice, where's Michael?" Castiel started walking over to the stairs, wanting to hide out in his room.

"Wait, Castiel, Michael's not here. I don't know when he'll be back, but I have to leave in ten minutes and I'm not allowed to drive." Gabriel was an eighth grader and Balthazar was a sophomore. Balthazar actually had his permit, but he still needed Michael to ride with him. Castiel looked back and saw that Gabriel was wearing his practice shirt and shorts. Castiel sighed.

"Go get your stuff."

Gabriel smiled and climbed past Castiel to get to his room. Castiel walked back over to the couch, which is where Balthazar was, and asked if he wanted to come.

"Why would I want to do that?" Balthazar asked. Castiel shrugged.

"I don't know, family bonding." Castiel responded. "I'll get you something." Balthazar smiled.

"Really?"

"No. Do you want to come with or not?" Castiel's brother shook his head. "Okay, whatever we'll be back in an hour and a half." Balthazar nodded, knowing how it would work.

Gabriel came downstairs with a soccer bag slung over one shoulder and a hand full of socks, shin guards, and cleats. He told Castiel they had to leave right now or they'd be late. Castiel nodded and went to one of the many drawers in his kitchen. He fished out a pair of car keys and went through the garage door, Gabriel on his heels.

Castiel drove for several minutes before Gabe started talking.

"Michael's drinking again, isn't he?" Castiel looked over, a bit shocked. Michael was twenty one now, before he used to have a few beers every now and then but ever since he turned old enough to drink he's graduated to hard liquor, and he liked it a lot. He said he stopped a few months ago, but Castiel never truly believed it.

"Maybe." Castiel returned.

"Because he hit you?" Gabriel asked. Castiel shook his head.

"I don't know, Gabe."

There was more silence after that. Castiel was thinking about Michael's problem, about how maybe Michael turned into a day drunk. Castiel was spiraling downward and so was Micahael, how would Gabriel and Balthazar function without at least one of their brothers helping them? I have to stop with the pills. Castiel thought to himself. I have to say goodbye to the bliss. Castiel dropped Gabriel off. He knew he had an hour and a half to kill before Gabriel was done. He grabbed his phone and searched for a nearby coffee shop.

It was just one of those chain stores that everyone seemed to love. Castiel had asked the pretty brown haired barista what was her favorite drink and ordered that. The girl was definitely flirting with him, or at least he thought so, she was laughing too much and she batted her eyelashes, then she had seemed so honored when Castiel asked her for her opinion. Castiel smiled and went along with whatever the girl was going for, he even blushed when Meg (that was her name if the tag on her apron was correct) wrote her number on the paper cup. He would never call her of course, or even think about her later, Castiel could never find it in himself to like girls, or rather like them in the way everyone wanted him to.