Author: June_Sirius | @junesirius
Beta and Artist: @thestarsmakemedream-art
Major Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Childhood Trauma Trigger
Tags: Canon Divergent, End of S07, Crazy Castiel, Tortured Gabriel, Angel Taking Care of Angel, Hopeful Ending, Whump, Angst, Blood, Hurt/Comfort, Injuries, Hurt Gabriel, Hurt Castiel, and Mentioned Archangels
Side Characters | Pairings: Asmodeus, Castiel | Castiel & Gabriel, Castiel/Dean Winchester (if you squint)
Summary: When Gabriel said, "What you call Armageddon, I call Sunday dinner," he meant it literally. That was exactly what those Sunday dinners were like back then, and he's not the only one hating it and hasn't entirely grown out of its shadow.
When Castiel, broken and child-like, runs away from conflicts that reminded him way too much of the childhood memory that he thought he'd buried deep down, he runs into the older brother he thought he'd lost, trapped by demons and under torture. He has to save him.
They don't realize how much they need each other to heal all those traumas and wounds until they start talking and bonding again.
"Believe it or not, all things considered, I think you're doing pretty good already," Gabriel speaks again after Castiel's breath evens out a little. He folds his wings back and starts trying to stand up. Castiel immediately follows him to rise up, reaching out his hands to help him and hold him steady, reversing their roles in a heartbeat.
"It doesn't feel like it," Castiel says, looking up in the direction of the sky, gesturing vaguely around them. The pile of demon ash is still on the ground in the same place where they left it.
"It never does, doesn't it?" Gabriel glances at him, testing to take a slow step forward and staggering. "But trust me on saying that, they're the dicks, not you. Michael, Lucifer, Raphael, and I guess that would include me, too, we all should have done so much better. And Dad, too, don't forget, Dad's probably the first and biggest --"
"-- dick," Castiel adds automatically.
Gabriel laughs. "Touché."
"I don't think you are, though. Not until..." Castiel hesitates.
"TV land? Or did you want to say when I killed Dean a hundred times to teach Sammy a lesson?" Gabriel nods knowingly with a tiny nostalgic smile. "Fair point, and sorry, I don't regret that one. I was just trying to teach them a lesson and it was so much fun! And you have no idea how creative I have to be to even throw them off, that's art!" Meeting Castiel's unhappy stares, Gabriel's lips twitch and the smile drops. "Sorry, off topic now. The point is, I should be there for you."
