Chapter Text
Gabe hung up the phone and sighed. He heard an angry sound to his right and turned his head, seeing his cousin standing there gaping at him. “Oh shit. Cas where the hell did you come from? I thought you were grabbing food.”
Cas sneered at him. “I’ve been standing here for way too long. My ears. My eyes. Dude, what about the bro-code?” He wailed in exasperation.
“You weren’t here when I started man.” Gabe smirked at him. “You can’t play that card. Besides, why the fuck didn’t you say something?” he asked in disbelief, a little uncomfortable that his cousin had heard him lose control. It wasn’t something that happened very often. “I’m sorry. You were never meant to hear that. Or see it.”
Cas dumped the containers of Thai food he was holding onto the table and ran his hand through his hair, frustrated. This was new ground for him and Gabriel. They worked together, sure but he had never seen his cousin actually relax enough to enjoy a sexual act. Certainly none of his films had ever been done for pleasure. Not that he was keeping tabs. Not really, not anymore. “Don’t worry about it” he sighed. “Let’s eat.” And he dropped into a chair, grabbing his yellow curry and tearing the lid off. “The food alone this week is going to cost us a fortune Gabe. It will set us back. I’m sorry.” Cas looked over to Gabriel with an expression akin to the news that someone had kicked his puppy.
Gabriel jerked upright on his bed, shaking his head, a slight tremor running through him. “No. Cas. Please don’t say that. We’re done with it. No more, you said we had enough to get out for good.” He slumped, shoulders bowed under a heavy weight, his afterglow completely gone. Sam’s offer had completely left his mind when he had realized Castiel had witnessed him with his dick out for fun and not work. His heart was still racing though, which was weird. He absently ran a hand over his stomach, and started to take large gulps of air, trying to control the panic that was welling in his chest. He felt faint and the room started to spin and he suddenly couldn’t breathe. Fuck, why couldn’t he breathe?
Cas had been living with his cousin for long enough to recognize the beginnings of the anxiety attack that was about to hit Gabriel in full swing. He leaped back out of his chair and sat down next to Gabe, running a hand firmly across his shoulders in an attempt to ground him and stop the attack before it got out of control.
“Easy man, breathe slower.” Cas said softly, his hand circling. “We will be fine. Our plans won’t change. I’ll make sure they don’t. It will be ok.” He repeated the words over and over like a mantra until Gabriel’s breathing was a little more regulated and he could feel that his heart had slowed to a more normal rate. “Are you hungry? Do you want your dinner?” Cas stood up once the worst was over, knowing that his cousin would now want some space and time to organize his thoughts.
Gabriel sat on the edge of his hotel bed, breathing heavily as the attack passed. It had been a while since he had had one this bad, but he still knew the steps to take. He stood up and went to the little fridge supplied by the hotel and grabbed a beer, twisting the cap off and gulping most of it down in one go. He belched and grimaced. “Whiskey man, we need whiskey.” he said, knowing the beer wasn’t going to give him the buzz he was craving.
Cas smiled around his mouthful of food and kicked at the bag near his bed. “Over there, make me one while you’re at it.” He paused to swallow. “In fact, because you’re an asshole and you made me witness you jerking off earlier, you can make me drinks all night.”
Gabe snorted back a laugh. “Whatever man. Here. Now shut up and get drunk with me. Or half drunk at least.” he handed Cas the drink he’d poured for him and picked up his dinner. “Smells good.” he sat down to eat. “I might take the leftovers with us tomorrow to save a bit of money.” he added as he dug into his chili basil stir-fry.
Cas looked up from his dinner, cocking his head as he looked at Gabe. “I wouldn’t worry too much about not having food while we’re teamed up with the Winchesters. I got a good look in their fridge and freezer this afternoon when we put the stuff we got for GISHWHES away.” He actually giggled. Gabe stared at Castiel, his mouth gaping. Since when did Castiel giggle ? “Dean told me Sam made him spend the day cooking so they were ready. I’m sure we can convince them to share. If we ask nicely. You know, since you and Sam are so close now.”
Gabriel just stared at his cousin unsure how to react. He appreciated his cousin's attempts to distract him, but he wasn’t sure how he wanted to deal with what had happened with Sam earlier. His mind wandered back to the event and the conversation that went along with it.
He dropped his fork as he remembered. “Fuck. Cas, with all that happened since you um. Since what happened before... I forgot. Fuck!” he slammed a palm against his forehead, cursing the fact that he had just had a completely unnecessary panic attack, quite literally over a non-existent issue.
“Huh?” Cas asked in confusion. “The fuck are you talking about?”
“Sam and Dean. We can stay there. Sam invited us to stay so that it’s easier to do the tasks. Oh man, that fucking panic attack.” His breath started to quicken again. “Oh you have got to be KIDDING me.” He rolled his eyes, fighting off the anxiety that tried to raise it’s head again and slammed back his glass of whiskey. He looked over to Castiel, who sat there with a smirk on his face, his eyes lost in thought.
“Hey earth to Cas.” Gabe waved his hand in front of Cas’s face. “Stop making plans to smooch Dean and talk to me.” Castiel jumped, and had the grace to look guilty, his face flushing in embarrassment.
“So?” prompted Gabe. “What do you say? I mean, the sleeping arrangements will be interesting. Can’t say I know where we’re sleeping, but Cas, I’ll sleep on the kitchen floor if it means we save some cash here.” He toed the carpet and twisted his fork in his dinner and looked up at Castiel, desperation in his eyes. He had no choice, he had to make this work. They couldn’t go back, not now.
Cas paused to look at Gabriel. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea Gabe. I’m not sure if you can handle it. What if you have an attack?” he looked at Gabriel in concern. “You know the nights are worst.” He added softly.
Gabe knew his cousin meant well. He knew that Castiel was worried about him, but at the same time, he was determined to do this. There was simply no choice. “We have to do it Cas. Besides, nobody knows. We don’t have to say anything. We need this to happen and if I flip out, you’ll be there.”
“Hmmm. I suppose it would make things easier. We could pay them something to stay there, or supply the alcohol. Something, just so we’re not freeloading.” Castiel said thoughtfully, submitting to Gabriel’s pleading, knowing that his cousin was right.
Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief. He meant what he said when he said he’d sleep on the floor. Not that he thought the Winchesters would make him or Cas do that. He paused midway through pouring them a second (fourth?) drink, remembering his earlier promise to Sam. And what the fuck was he going to do about it? He hadn’t been with anyone unless it was work related for a long time. Hell, he hadn’t even called Sam with the intent of making the man get off, he just wanted to ask about Dean’s nocturnal porn activities. And then the giant fool had spoken in that low voice when he answered. Gabe was a goner after that.
They sat up for a few more hours talking and drinking until what was probably an unwise hour before they called it a night, each man falling comfortably to his respective bed to sleep the kind of sleep only a night of whiskey could bring.
~
The blaring of the alarm from Castiel’s side of the room woke Gabriel up and he sat up groggily, wondering where his damned cousin was and why couldn’t he have a different alarm for fucks sake? He heard the water in the bathroom turn off as he checked his phone to see what time it was.
“Shit.” he muttered to himself. He’d overslept. He jumped off the bed and pushed past Castiel when he left the bathroom, showering in record time so that they could pack up the room and leave as soon as he was done.
Castiel, however had no such desire to be moving fast or even at all this morning, his blue eyes gazing at him tiredly as he accused Gabriel of getting him drunk again.
“This is all your doing.” he complained bitterly, pulling his shoes on. “You had to make me match you drink for drink and now I need more caffeine than this stupid room can offer. Let’s go. And you’d better hope I get coffee soon or I’ll kick you in the neck.”
“But Cas” Gabe started, “what about our stuff?” He looked at his cousin nervously, silently vowing to cut Cas off next time they were drinking. Funny, he seemed to insist he wanted more every time Gabriel opened the bottle.
Castiel groaned loudly “Coffee Gabriel. Then stuff.” he picked up Gabriel’s keys and threw them at him. “Now”
Gabriel caught the keys and made his way out the door, admitting to himself that coming back later in the day wouldn’t really make a difference to their plans since they had to drive around doing their tasks all day anyway. As long as they didn’t have to pay for another night, he wasn’t that bothered if he had to come back to collect them.
What he failed to take into account however, was Sam’s reaction when they knocked on the door sans bags.
“Morning Sammy” Gabriel quipped, rocking back on his heels and running his eyes over the man in front of him. Damn he looked good even at 7am.
Cas pushed past Sam, muttering something about coffee as he made his way to the kitchen. Sam looked at Gabriel confusion blanketing his features. “Gabe, hi.” He stuck his head out the door and looked up the hallway. “Did, did you leave your bags in the car? That was silly, come on, I’ll help you with them.” He grabbed Gabe by the arm, not noticing how the shorter man tensed up at the touch and turned to walk up the hall.
“Uhh. Sam, about that, we didn’t -” Gabe stammered out, trying to explain what had happened but failing miserably. Sam looked crestfallen, the light going out of his eyes as he realized there were no bags with Gabriel and Cas.
“Gabe? I don’t understand.” he leaned towards Gabriel, silently begging for an explanation, and when none came he ran his hands through his hair in frustration and sighed. “You aren’t staying?” he finished, the sadness clear on his face.
It was all Gabriel could do to resist flinging himself forward at Sam and holding onto him. “No Sammy, I mean. Yes, i think. But ooooohhhh shit. Can we do this with coffee please? And not in the hallway?” Gabe begged Sam, pleading with his eyes for the other man to see what he was trying to say as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Fine.” Sam muttered, stepping out of the way and walking back to the kitchen to get coffee for them both. Gabriel followed warily behind him, not sure of what was about to happen.
Castiel was in the kitchen when they walked in, a dreamy look on his face as he inhaled what was probably the second cup he’d had in the short time he was there. He shouted for Dean to get his ass out of bed before pouring himself and Gabriel a mug of coffee each, making Gabriel's with way he remembered he took it from the day before. The tension in the room was thick as he handed Gabriel his mug.
Castiel picked up his coffee and grabbed Dean’s mug, disappearing from the kitchen mumbling about it being far too early, leaving Sam and Gabriel alone as they stared awkwardly around the room.
“So. uh, I’m going to check on what the others have been up to overnight, come on.” Sam walked into the lounge-room and flopped himself down onto the sofa, his face still sad. He shifted slightly as Gabriel sat down next to him, and they pulled out their computers and waited for them to boot up.
“Sam” Gabriel said softly, pausing catching his breath as Sam looked at him, hurt in his eyes. “We seem to have had a misunderstanding.”
“No Gabe it’s cool, I get it. Lets’ just focus on GISHWHES ok?” Sam replied, looking away again.
“No Sammy. See? There you go misunderstanding me again. Castiel is a bitch in the morning and he refused to do anything until he’d had coffee. I mean, look at him. He was on his second cup before we even got in the room.” Gabe knew his reasoning probably sounded lame, even though it was the truth.
Sam took a sip of his coffee and didn’t say anything for a moment. Gabriel wondered if murdering his cousin for ruining any potential he had with Sam would be an acceptable excuse when Sam finally answered.
“Fine.”
Gabriel sighed and stood up, walking out of the lounge-room to track down Castiel, hearing him behind the door to what could only be Dean’s room. He grinned at the thought of the revenge he was about to get and burst through the door without knocking.
“Cas, we need to get our shit from the hotel. Oh.” Well, he thought to himself, what do we have here? He leaned on the doorway and grinned at the pair on the bed, who had leaped apart, pretending that they had not, in fact just been kissing on Dean’s bed.
He was trying not to laugh at them, he really was so he told Dean they were going to get their stuff and left them behind, calling out to Cas to let the man clothe himself before heading back to the sofa, still chuckling. Sam glared at him in confusion so he concentrated on his laptop, leaving Sam to whatever problem he was having, deciding to deal with him later.