Chapter Text
Gabriel didn't want to accept this responsibility. Not at first. He loved being independent, he loved doing what he wanted, when he wanted with whom he wanted without anyone telling him to do this or that, to stop doing it because it was bothering someone else, to stop being the trickster he was.
It came out of nowhere, however. One day, everything was normal, he was going about his business, said hello to his sister Azrael and her mate a few times when he was nearby, played tricks, etc. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Michael and Lucifer fought, Uriel, Anna, Hester, Hannah and Raphael did their jobs and Naomi took care of the fledgling Balthazar, and quite the troublemaker the brown winged angel was.
But the very next day, something was different. He could sense it when he woke up, he didn't know where it-- he came from, but when he went outside and that sense of grace got stronger and stronger and he followed it.
Now he looks back and sometimes, he wishes he didn't. All other times though, he wouldn't change it for the world.
Gabriel had felt that deep feeling of distress before he heard the shrieking cries. He didn't hesitate, he rushed to go find that sound, the source of the grace, the distress. Then he stumbled upon a little one bundled up in a white cloth, laying there on the ground with no one to look after him. He lowered his gold wings and frowned, hesitantly walking up to the bundle and crouching down to it.
He was so hesitant, didn't want to accept what he was seeing, but he did anyway. He couldn't just leave. He couldn't do that to it. He slowly pulled down the cloth to look at it's face, his amber eyes widening to see those big, tear filled blue eyes staring up at his brother, his barely there hair black. He didn't even have his wings yet. Gabriel was at a loss for words, and he couldn't hep reaching down and gently taking the fledgling into his arms. He let his grace reach out, to soothe the crying fledgling.
The archangel shushed the fledgling softly, rocking him as he stood up. He wrapped his wings around him, staring down at that sweet face with a growing smile. It came so naturally to him, holding this fledgling in particular, soothing him and making him smile as if it's happened before. Maybe it has. Maybe in all sorts of other universes he knew existed, he always wound up here. Cradling this boy in particular to his chest, cooing softly and rocking him.
"What's your name, huh?" He asked quietly, knowing he wouldn't get a response as he began walking back home. "My name's Gabriel..." The little 'gaah' he got in return from the confused fledgling made him laugh and hold him closer. "Shh... Rest, little one. I've got you. I'll take care of you..." He pressed a kiss to his forehead and held him closer, a certain name popping into his head as he felt the fledgling nuzzle his chest and slowly fall asleep.
"I'll always look after you, Castiel. Olani hoath ol... Welcome to paradise, Cassie."