Chapter Text
The first time it happened, Gabriel was five. Drug out of bed past bed time, platypus slippers slipped onto his feet instead of his stuffy tennies, which would have made him grin had he not been trying desperately to not fall asleep where he was sitting at the kitchen table as his father gently threaded his arms into the forest green overcoat. Sleepy golden eyes blinked slowly as his mother rushed in, her beautiful dark hair cascading out of a hastily thrown up bun. In her arms Gabriel’s 3 year old brother slept, blissfully unaware of being manhandled around as Gabriel was ushered up and out of his chair and toward the garage.
As his father picked him up and buckled him into the booster seat, Gabriel pulled his fuzzy blue blanket with the cute little cartoon moose on it up to drape around his chin. After letting out a fierce yawn, the boy’s small voice piped up, “Papa, what we doin’?” His father’s gold eyes crinkled at the sides as a gentle smile overtook his face. He didn’t answer immediately however, instead he opted to maneuver Castiel into his carseat and swing around to the other side of the black SUV to climb into the driver’s seat. “Momma?” The five year old frowned deeply as his question was met with silence. That is, as deeply as he could as another yawn was pulled from his lips. “Momma.”
Tessa laughed quietly at her son’s insistence as they pulled away from the house and out onto the long winding, empty road toward the small hospital just on the outskirts of Lawrence. “Just sit back and go to sleep Gabriel. We will wake you once we get there.” Gabriel huffed angrily and folded pudgy arms over his chest, still under the soft folds of his blanket of course. Sure, he wanted to defy them. It was his job after all. As the oldest Novak child, it was his duty to pester and challenge the parents. His 5 year old body however, didn’t agree.
Blanket pulled up to his nose the flaxen haired child let out a long puff of air as he slowly started to drift off to sleep once again. From the front seat Tessa looked back at her two babies with a soft smile on her lips, eyes shining like warm spring rain. “They’re going to be so excited, Michael.” She stated quietly, turning back around to look out over the road, eyes briefly falling on her husband’s face. He smiled lightly and nodded once in agreement as a comfortable silence fell over the vehicle. On the dash, the little green lights were glowing 2:15 AM.
At 3 AM the Novak’s car pulled into the hospital parking garage and the two adults were quickly maneuvering their children out and into their arms. Bags, blankets, and in Gabriel’s case, a large stuffed platypus that matched his slippers, all in tow. Before the boys had even an ounce of awareness of where they were, the family was at the elevator to head up to the main floors. “Wanna do it.” Gabriel mumbled quietly from where his face was pressed into his father’s loose jacket, his tiny arm reaching out toward the button. Michael huffed out a quick laugh and leaned over far enough so his son’s hand pressed against the already red lit circle. Gabriel didn’t notice that however, he merely felt the plastic under his fingertips and smiled indulgently into the shoulder before his eyes slipped shut again.
Cold. That was the first thought that made it into Gabriel’s mind. Reaching around himself he squirmed to find his blankets to cocoon himself up in yet again. Little hands found it, as well as downy soft strands. Cracking his eyes open the boy narrowed his eyes as he saw his baby brother, wrapped up in his moose blanket. Rolling over onto his belly Gabe reached out with both hands and gripped the edge of one soft corner and tugged hard. Castiel let out a quiet yelp as both fell off the couch they had been sleeping on. The blond boy’s lip trembled slightly as pain shot through his little body but he was too old to cry. Instead he gently leaned over and pulled Castiel up and into his lap, shushing the dark haired child with light pats to his back and downy hair. Cries tapered off to quiet snuffles as Gabriel finally looked around at his surroundings.
It looked like the place where they had gotten Castiel. Gabriel’s eyes flew open as a horrible thought flew through his mind. What if they were taking him back? Sure the baby was annoying, and cried too much, and took his blankies and his bed when it was storming, but he’s still his brother. Gabriel didn’t want his parents to give Castiel back! Looking around, he caught sight of their momma standing by a brightly lit door with a man who looked shorter than Papa but was still scary to look at.
Setting Castiel back down on the floor, his little body draped over Gabriel’s stuffed platypus, the older boy rose to his feet unsteadily and padded his way over, blanket draped around his shoulders . “No, momma. You can’t give Castel back.” He said dramatically as he reached the two. The man smiled, bright enough to reach forest green eyes. Tessa tipped her head back and laughed lightly before stooping to pick her son up. Nuzzling his chubby pink cheek she smiled before replying in a teasing voice.
“Honey, no, no. We aren’t here to give Castiel back. We would never take either of you back.” Gabriel visibly relaxed at that conformation and he let himself be snuggled, eyes training wearily on the man in front of him. His mother didn’t seem spooked at all by him though, and that confused Gabriel. The man reached out a hand and ruffled the soft locks curling over Gabriel’s ear and when he smiled the sides of his eyes crinkled in happiness, so Gabriel figured he couldn’t really be a bad man. “We’re here to welcome Dean’s baby brother into the world.” Tessa said gently, pulling her sons attention back to herself and away from John.
Instantly Gabriel’s head snapped up, his whiskey eyes bright and glowing as he gasped out, “Sammy’s here?” His excitement bled through and he started wiggling in his mother’s grasp in order to get to the ground; content with the idea of going off to find his new small friend on his own. The grownups laughed at his enthusiasm before Michael came up beside them, small bag of Fritos in one hand and took his son’s hand in the other. Gabriel beamed up at him instantly, “Papa! Sammy’s h-“
With a radiant smile, Michael cut his son off with a pat to his head. “Not yet buddy. It should be soon though.” Gabriel looked at the floor crestfallen. He had been waiting for so long to meet his new playmate, he should just get there already. The small boy voiced this opinion but before any of the adults could speak the double doors flew open and a thin boy just a year younger than Gabriel himself burst in. His bright green eyes were wide and sparkling, dirty blonde hair flying in every direction as he ran over to where the group was congregated.
“Sammy!” Was all the boy, Dean, yelled before grabbing John’s hand and all but pulling his father toward the doors he had just burst through. Gabriel started laughing giddily as he trailed after, his own parents following, Tessa pausing to pick up Castiel in the process. Down the hall, Gabriel caught up with the Winchesters after passing only a few doors. Dean turned his bright gaze to him in an instant. “Finally here Gabe! He’s here and sleepy and pudgy and here!”
The doctor who joined them on the trek through white halls laughed easily at the boys before turning to speak with John. Neither child listened, instead, they merely dashed on. They stopped only as they reached the nondescript wooden door, the silver plate along the top held a white slip of paper bearing the name ‘Winchester’. Beside the black lettering was an elegant handwritten ‘boy’, it was that which Dean pointed at as he turned to Gabriel and said smugly, “That means Sammy is here.” Gabriel frowned slightly but remained silent as he grabbed the door handle and tried to pull it open to no avail. The bright smile fell as his tiny hands slid down from the metal.
“Mary is getting a checkup right now boys.’ The calm voice stated behind them. Green and gold eyes turned at once to the tall, thin man in the blue outfit and white coat, his thin smile was one that Gabriel didn’t know whether to trust or not. Fortunately, the older Novak child didn’t have time to blurt out this observation because at that moment his father swooped in and scooped him up at the same time that Dean was abducted by his own father. The thin doctor, at least Gabriel guessed he was the doctor-- and not some random man-- he had that ‘misery is my entertainment’ vibe about him after all, was speaking again as they continued down the quiet hall. Both families followed silently, “However, We can take you to see Samuel in the NICU.”
“NICU?” Gabriel blurted from his place on his father’s hip. No one seemed to listen to him however, and instead continued until they reached a giant long window. The blond would have been more upset at being brushed off had it not been for the simple fact that his eyes were now sweeping over the rows of tiny babies in tiny beds with their tiny blankets and tiny hats. Gabriel let out an unnoticed coo of happiness. He loved babies. He just would never admit to that little fact. Nor would he admit to cooing at Castiel when his small brother was brought home for the first time, or how he would just sit there running his small hands over the dark downy hair covering his brothers head while the baby slept.
Soon, however, a low growl of frustration erupted from the small boy as his eyes swept constantly over each baby in turn. They were all cute, but which was Sammy? Which cute baby was his cute baby friend? “Which one is he?” Gabriel demanded finally, twisting in his father’s grasp in order to look at the adults at large. It was Dean who gave him an answer though, his small hands pressed against the glass window as he pointed to a small baby wrapped in a blue blanket at the end of the row farthest from the window.
“There!” Dean squeaked out excitedly. “He’s on the end.” The boy’s grin grew wider when the doctor opened the NICU door. He squirmed out of John’s arms to slide to the floor and run at the opening, only to be stopped abruptly by a nurse who had stepped up as the doctor entered. Dean’s hands flew to his hips instantly. “’Scuse me miss, I gotta go see Sammy.” The blonde haired nurse laughed quietly and ruffled Dean’s hair before turning to the gathered adults and spoke in a soft voice.
“Mary’s done speaking with Dr. Lucinda.” The curt words were met with happy squeals from both boys and she continued with a gentle smile, “Adam will bring Sammy along soon enough.” She directed that comment to both blond boys, picking up on their impatience almost instantly. Taking Dean’s hand, she led the group back down the hall. She listened patiently as Dean rambled on and on about how excited he was to finally have Sammy there. Every now and then, Gabriel poked his head forward and boasted about how he and Sam were going to be best friends, and pick on their brothers together and stay together forever.
Michael chuckled as he listened to his son gush about the newborn he hadn’t technically even met yet. When they entered the hospital room with the little paper tag reading ‘Winchester’ about 5 minutes later, the eldest Novak child was speaking in an exaggerated whisper to the blonde nurse whose hand he now clung to opposite Dean. “When we get older, we’re gonna get married, too.” His quickly nodding head was countered by Dean sticking out his tongue and complaining about Gabe being gross. The blond in question pulled his moose blanket up around his ears and continued boastfully, “We’re gonna get married and live together with Dean and Cassie, but we’re not gonna be married to them ‘cause that’s gross.”
“Is that so?” Mary laughed from the bed along the far wall, speaking before her husband could say anything as she saw him open his mouth, brows drawn together with a frown. Her hair was mussed and she looked exhausted but she was smiling none the less. “Well how about you meet your future husband first?” She suggested with a gentle nudge to the blanket that Gabriel just noticed she was holding, while shooting John a pointed stare. Instantly Gabriel’s face lit up and he dropped the nurse’s hand with a soft gasp and rushed at the bed, blanket fluttering around his shoulders and Dean hot on his heels. They had scrambled up on the white cotton bed before any of the other adults could protest.
Tessa’s voice was the first to break through the ecstatic atmosphere, “Easy boys.” Both boys backed off ever so slightly, but they were still hovering over the bundle in Mary’s arms. Dean grinned brightly and threw small arms around his mother’s neck, telling her over and over how happy he was and how pretty Sammy was. Mary was positively beaming at her elder son’s praise as she turned to his temple and pressed a loving kiss to dirty blond hair.
Gabriel, however, was enraptured with the way Sam’s dark eyelashes fluttered over soft pale cheeks, brown fluff littered across the baby’s forehead. The newborn was sleeping, of course, but this didn’t seem to bother the Novak boy as he leaned over and pressed small lips to an even smaller head. The soft hair tickled his nose slightly but it only caused Gabriel to smile wider and breathe in deeply. The clean and new and innocent smell made Gabe close his eyes for a long moment before he lift his head he nodded once before saying with finality, “Yep. We’re gonna be married.” He looked down at the baby again and smiled softly, resting his hands on the little bundle.
“Would you like to hold him?” Mary asked Gabriel gently, resting a hand on Dean’s head when the other started to protest. Soft promises that he’d be able to hold Sam as much as he wanted later on when he wasn’t falling asleep on his mother’s side. He got to hold Sammy first, before Dean! Gabriel squeaked quietly as he nodded, golden curls flying around his head. His voice filled the room with a mantra of ‘of course of course!’ He let his father maneuver him over to one of the fluffy arm chairs in the corner and told him to hold still and stay seated as John moved over with Sam in his arms. Gabriel’s grin was radiating happiness as the blue bundle was lowered to his arms.
Wrapping short arms around the baby’s body, Gabriel grinned down at the sleeping form before leaning over and softly nuzzling his nose against Sam’s. It was at that touch that Sam’s eyes slowly blinked open, the pretty hazel shining just under the baby blue. “Hiya Sammy.” He whispered quietly down at the blinking eyes that didn’t understand a word he was saying, eyes probably not really seeing him in focus anyway. Yet Gabriel still smiled in gentle fondness as a small pudgy hand slipped out of the blanket and moved against his arm before he slowly pulled the soft blue cotton back over Sam’s hand, covering it so he wouldn’t get cold. Pressing another tiny kiss to the tip of Sam’s nose, baby blues blinking slowly as golden blond filled the small range of vision for a moment, Gabriel whispered sweetly, “You don’t know me yet, but I’m Gabriel and we’re gonna get married.”
A soft sound bubbles from parted baby Winchester lips and Gabriel full out grinned as he pulled the moose blanket around Sam as well. “You agree Sammy? You wanna marry me?”