Supernatural, Debriel, Warnings: Angst. All the fucking angst.
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The movie had been selected by the younger crowd of the alternate world. The kids were being homeschooled by their superiors and while some held a very stoic position where only practical skills were needed, Sam had been adamant on teaching these kids properly. Today was the last Friday of the month and as a reward for doing so well with their classes they now had a huge projector at the end of the library, tables and chairs moved aside and replaced by comfy floor cushions and rugs.
Dean had not meant to stall around them. He had only intended to bring them popcorn and juice boxes but when the bright colours of the papel picado at the start of the story appeared he was inevitably hooked and pulled a chair to sit on along the adults.
A place where you could reside after you died, a place where you lived as long as the family you left behind remembered you. It was a beautiful idea. But it wasn’t true.
Dean inevitably wandered back in his life to list all the people that had left him behind.
Dad, Jo, Ellen, Bobby, Kevin, Charlie, Crowley, yes, even Crowley. And most recently, Gabriel.
Gabriel, whom he had always liked but forced himself to not think anything about; first because he was a Trickster and he should just be thinking of killing him, not befriending him and later because he was an archangel right at the end of the world and apparently didn’t give a shit for them.
That first time he died Dean had been sad he hadn’t been able to make amends with him.
And then he had shown up once more. Beaten, cracked, a shell of what he had been. It was obvious that he would do little help in that state and yet he had left Sam behind with the archangel in hopes that both would be safe and that Sam could reach him.
True to his beliefs, Sam had delivered but Gabriel was gone again. And then back, hitting rock bottom on his grace reservoirs.
Gabriel, whom he brought with them to the alternate world. Dean had desperately tried to not let any kind of feeling develop for him, knowing that he would probably never stay close to them afterwards. He’s an outsider. He’s a stranger. He’s a means to an end. He’s one of the few real options to get me to Jack. To get me to Mom. To get us back home.
He could still see his eyes trembling with fear while he told them to go, to leave while he stalled Michael.
What had all his walls been for when he still had felt such despair watching Michael stab his heart?
The bright glowing golden-orange of the flower bridge in the movie reminded him so much of the archangel’s glow. He had never said a thing to anyone about it because it was weird but he had always clearly seen him glow before he had been taken by Asmodeus. And it surely might have just been his imagination but Gabriel always had imposed that kind of joyful presence.
If only he hadn’t have so many troubles on his plate. If only he could have stopped being an ass. If only he could have allowed himself to talk, really talk to the guy.
When the climax of the movie came and the guitar began strumming the chords of the song, Dean couldn’t hold it any longer. He bent forward to cover his face in his hands. Strings of tears fell over, barely restrained.
Maybe this reaction was the result of all the accumulated deaths he had had to endure in his life. But the only clear face on his mind was that of the archangel on his most vulnerable moments.
Dean was suddenly startled by a soft hand on his shoulder and a subdued whisper. The movie was still on it’s last seconds before the credits went black.
“Dean? Are you alright?”
Dean used all his strength to hold a sob and stood up quickly. He didn’t want anyone else to watch him like that.
“Yeah, I, I’ll… I need some rest.”
He brushed shoulders past his brother and swiftly moved across the place and towards his room. Sam knew better than to follow him. He only wished his brother had realized no one in the room would have ever said a thing about him crying.
For one reason or another, everyone was in tears.









