The Knock (Destiel)

Chapter six

6. Family are the ones you can't lie to

       The hospital smelled like, well, hospital, when the three men walked in. Sam and Dean had never been a fan of hospitals, but Castiel actually seemed terrified. Sam went to ask for Lucifer's room, while Castiel didn't dare to leave Dean's side, who had a protective arm around his waist.

       Castiel's face was OK, apart from some scratches and a black eye. His stomach had been another story, but he had insisted on cleaning it himself. He didn't want to see the pitying looks on the Winchester's faces.

       But apart from his physical appearance, he looked pale, as his forehead felt sweaty. His breathing was irregular, his eyes darting around the place quickly. With Dean's arm wrapped comfortably around his waist, he felt safer in this place though. If it wasn't for the older man, he'd probably bailed by now. Sam came back soon.

       "He's in the east wing, room 63. The woman seemed surprised when we asked for your brother," Sam informed. Castiel swallowed as they began to walk towards the east wing. They walked past several doors. A few of them were silent, others were filled with people. In one of the rooms, crying could be heard, as a woman was escorted out of the room while a nurse apologised for her loss. He quickly kept on walking, avoiding the scene. His steps sounded almost deafening in his ears when they reached room 63.

       "You can do this, Cas," Dean whispered in his ear. The man blushed at the contact, while looking at the Winchesters with an unsure look. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

       The first thing he heard, was the steady beeping of the heart monitor. His eyes found the white bed, where a figure lay, not moving. Step by step, he walked closer. He sat down next to the bed, not moving his eyes from his brothers face. He grabbed his lifeless hand and held it against his cheek. Lucifer's face looked sunken in, his cheekbones clearly visible. Even his hand felt as if it would break from his touch. It was all his fault that his brother looked like that.

       I'm sorry I never got to visit, Luci, he thought. Looking at you brings up so many memories, so much guilt. I know it's my fault you're here. I just wanted to say goodbye, as I'll probably never see you again. You'll never be able to hear this, but I just wanted you to know. I love you, brother. I hope you wake up soon and have a life I've always wanted to have.

       Sam and Dean stood in the corner of the room as the man just seemed to stare at the lifeless body in front of them. Sam seemed oblivious, but Dean knew that look. Castiel was saying goodbye to his brother.

       The moment between the two brothers was ruined when the door slammed open. Dean pulled out his gun in defence. In front of them stood a short man, breathing heavily. Both Castiel and the stranger looked at the gun in shock, making Dean put it back sheepishly. Both pairs of eyes glanced at the embarrassed man before looking at each other.

       "Hiya, Cassie. Long time no see," the man said smirking at the wide eyed and speechless man. "Oh, yeah. I told the help desk that if anyone named Castiel came around, they would give me a call."

       "Who are you?" Sam asked, already having a slight idea by the nasty scar on his cheek. The man looked up to him.

       "Me? I'm Castiel's big brother, Gabriel. Hasn't he ever talked about me?" he asked, pretending to be shocked. Castiel looked at the Winchester brothers in panic. Dean caught the expression.

       "Well, no," Dean said. Gabriel's face fell, as he actually looked sad. "But he doesn't really talk, like, ever. So, don't take it personal."

       "Since when?" Gabriel asked quietly, staring at his little brother. Now that he looked closer, he saw how much weight he had lost over the years. Dark bags were visible under his eyes, as his left one was bruised. His once shining blue eyes were now just dull and lifeless. He looked practically dead.

       Dean stepped closer to Castiel, handing him his phone. He stayed behind the black haired man as he typed, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.  Castiel leaned into the touch slightly, then showed the text to Dean, who read it out loud.

       "Ever since I left the hospital," he read, looking at the older Novak, who paled visibly. He paced around shortly, pointing at Castiel afterwards.

       "I need to talk to you, Cassie," he stated. The man looked at him hesitantly, before standing up. They both walked out, leaving the Winchester brothers alone once again.

       "You might want to be a little bit more subtle next time," Sam spoke, folding his arms. When Dean shot him a questioning look, he explained further. "Well, first off, the gun. What the hell were you thinking?! You can't just point a gun at anybody! Then your crush on Castiel. - yes, it's that obvious - Dude, as disgustingly cute as the two of you are and could be, what if he isn't gay or Gabriel isn't fond of homosexuals?"

       "Yeah, you're right. The gun thing was totally unnecessary and stupid. It just caught me off guard. And for the Castiel thing; I'm sorry he's just so damn adorable!" Sam began to grin, his eyebrows raised in amusement. "What?"

       "Oh, it's nothing. I just never thought I'd ever hear you say something about your own feelings, that's all," he grinned at a now scoffing Dean.

       "Oh, shut up. Bitch."

        "Jerk."

---

        "Why did you never come back?" Gabriel asked, as his brother kept looking down. They were standing in the quiet hallway, the older brother leaning against the wall as the younger one stood awkwardly in the middle.

       Guilt, was what Castiel typed on Dean's phone, which he realised he still held. Gabriel held a painful expression, pinching the bridge of his nose.

       "Cassie, what happened isn't your fault! Dad was and is just a homophobic jerk. Fuck him for trying to ruin our lives. He can't get through our heads like that, right?" Gabriel said desperately, as if he wanted it to be true. When Castiel didn't look up, he cursed.

       "Please say you've been taking good care of yourself," he tried again, cupping his little brother's face in desperation. When all Castiel did was stare back, he lost it.

       "Fuck! Do you think I don't know what's going on Castiel? It has been so long, that there had to be a reason to come back now. I'm not stupid. I've lost mom and dad, Luci is only barely making it through and I can't lose my baby brother too. I just can't, OK?" Gabriel was wiping his tears away rapidly, as Castiel looked at him guiltily. Without any warning, the shorter man grabbed his brother's sleeve, pulling it up.

       Of course, Gabriel'd had ideas of how it could look underneath that sweater, but he never thought it would be so bad. He gasped quietly, his thumb stroking the many scars gently.

       "Fuck, Cas," he whispered, pulling the sleeve down gently. The man just looked at him, full of fear and confusion. He nodded at the door the Winchesters stood. "Do they know?"

       Castiel shook his head at first, but then he hesitated and nodded, after that he shrugged.

       "Let me guess, moose suspected something and now him and lover boy are looking after you," Gabriel guessed. Castiel just shrugged again, blushing slightly when he called Dean 'lover boy'.

       Their names are Sam and Dean, you know? Castiel typed, showing the note to his brother.

       "Wait, not Sam and Dean Winchester, right?" Castiel tilted his head questioningly, nodding slowly. Gabriel groaned, taking a deep breath.

       "I think it's time for a little story then. Lets go back. I'm sure they could help me explain," Gabriel walked back to the room, leaving a really confused Castiel behind. When he noticed he was standing there alone, he quickly followed his brother in curiosity.