puchuupoet | fic: my heart told my head

Title: my heart told my head
Author: puchuupoet
Pairing: eventual Gabriel/Jimmy
Word Count: 1365
Rating: pg-ish
Disclaimer: Not mine, never happened, completely fictional.

Notes: Written for the

spn_gabriel kink meme for the prompt: Gabriel/Jimmy. Castiel doesn't look after his vessel. Maybe some H/C, whumpage fic, or Gabriel making off with Jimmy in a fit of exasperation. I just really love Gabe/Jimmy. (originally posted here).
Title and cut lyrics yoinked from Mumford & Sons' "But My Heart Told My Head"

"I need to go away for bit." Castiel's face is blank, and Gabriel's having a hard time trying to get to the point of the conversation. The wind has picked up and it's starting to lightly snow again. When Gabriel glances around the empty parking lot he can the Winchesters' influence on Castiel.

"And?"

"I've grown... fond of this vessel." Castiel smoothes down the lapels of his coat. "I need you to keep an eye on him while I'm gone."

"Pet sit for you?"

Castiel thinks for a moment before nodding. "It shouldn't be for too long."

Before Gabriel can answer Castiel's eyes roll up in his head, and there's a brief moment where the whole body stiffens. But as quickly as that happens, it's over, and Gabriel watches as the vessel slowly blinks at him.

"Is it over?"

Gabriel winces inwardly. "It's like a vacation?" He offers. The guy seems a bit wobbly and Gabriel offers his hand. "You doing okay?"

"It...It hurts," the man murmurs, a surprised look on his face before he tumbles face first into the snow.

Gabriel takes him to the Winchesters first, the vessel slung over his shoulder as Gabe suddenly appears in the middle of the motel room. Belatedly, he realizes he should have knocked first, but at least Dean's calm enough to tell him that the guy's name is Jimmy and that Gabe should probably settle in somewhere to take care of him.

"Trust me, showing up at his place with him like this?" Dean shakes his head as Sam stays under the covers. "His family's gone through enough as it is. Better let them think he's gone for good. Although," Dean checks Jimmy's pulse. "I'll do what I can tomorrow. Go take care of him, okay? Bandages and sleep and chicken soup and all of that. And Advil, don't forget that."

Gabriel can feel the vessel start to shift, fingers clutching at his jacket and Gabe nods towards Dean. "Got it," he says, and tightens his grip around the vessel's waist. "Catch you later."

The hotel Gabriel arbitrarily picks isn't half bad, and carefully sets the body down on one side of the bed. He has to remind himself that what's in front of him isn't a vessel at the moment, and that a different sort of care needs to be taken.

The man starts to come to, hands curling into fists as his breathing quickly picks up. His eyes open wide and he pushes himself up and back on the bed, looking around the room wildly. When his gaze lands on Gabe, a flash of fear crosses his face. "Who are you? Where's Castiel?"

It's odd hearing the man speak, the voice that much different than when Castiel inhabits the body. But Gabriel pushes that thought out of his head, and he takes a seat on the edge of the other bed.

"I'm Gabriel," he starts, and he tries not to grin when recognition comes over the man's face. "I'm here to... watch over you for a time."

"Like a guardian angel?"

"Something like that. Your name's Jimmy?" Gabriel tries to steer the conversation away from Cas and the temporary break Jimmy's getting. Despite the amazing run as the Trickster, there's something cruel in this situation that Gabe would rather not expose him to. He can only imagine what Jimmy's gone through already, with the tasks Castiel has been assigned to.

"Yeah..." Jimmy breaks into a coughing fit, a hard hacking noise that causes his whole body to shake. "Do you happen to know if there's a place to eat around here? Fast food or something?"

Gabriel grins. "I can do you one better. Give me a sec." He heads off towards the kitchenette, snapping his fingers to fill the tray on the counter. He carries it back out to the bed, setting it down with a flourish on the opposite side of Jimmy. He had taken Dean's word more seriously than normal, due to the number of injuries those numb nuts managed to accomplish. There's soup, grilled cheese, a couple of pain killers and a small tasting bottle of whiskey.

"This looks amazing, thanks." Jimmy cautiously smiles at Gabe, and there's a softness on his face that Gabe's never seen before. Jimmy stretches over to reach for the food but stops with a sudden cry.

"What is it?"

"Hurts," Jimmy mumbles before slumping over on the bed.

"Let me take a look." Gabriel's worried Jimmy's passed out again, but his eyes are just squeezed shut, his body rocking into the mattress. Gabriel does his best to use a light touch, lifting up Jimmy's shirt to expose a mosaic of bruises and wounds.

"What the hell?" Gabriel carefully places his palm over the mess on Jimmy's back. There's no other word for it; the way the bruises shift when Jimmy tenses, scabs cracking open to expose flashes of bloody muscles.

"It never stops." Jimmy whispers into the pillow. "He throws himself into everything, headstrong and determined to save the world."

"Dragging you along for the ride," Gabriel finishes. He doesn't know why he's getting so angry on Jimmy's behalf, but he can't think of any other way to react. "Stay where you are. I'm gonna try and fix this all up."

Taking care of Jimmy's physical wounds takes longer than Gabriel expects, and he doesn't even know where to start on the emotional baggage of being wrapped around Castiel for as long as Jimmy has been.

"You can sit up now, if you want." Gabriel secures the final piece of medical adhesive before gently tugging Jimmy's shirt back down. There was only so much he could fix on his own, and he had resorted to bandages and tape in an attempt to keep everything clean.

Jimmy whimpers a little when he gets upright, but he shoots a grateful smile at Gabriel. "It's a lot better, thank you." He glances back towards the tray of food.

Gabriel waves his hand at the words. "It's nothing, and yes, eat already. Drink too, it'll probably do more for you than the Advil."

Jimmy scoots closer to the tray this time, reaching out to pick up the sandwich.

"It's like you rarely eat or something." Gabriel raises an eyebrow at Jimmy, who's wolfing down the sandwich. When he finishes his mouthful, Jimmy shakes his head.

"Castiel doesn't feel the hunger like I do. It's not really a priority for him."

"But you do?"

Jimmy nods before picking up the bowl of soup. "You learn to savor things differently, I guess."

Gabriel considers it. He had never really thought about this aspect of it all, himself having his own vessel handcrafted instead of second hand from some human.

"And when Cas comes back?"

Jimmy shrugs, the movement obviously painful for him. "I asked him for this honor. I can't turn him away because I can't bear the challenges."

Gabriel gapes at those words. Jimmy watches his face, slowly eating the soup. Gabe would bet anything the rest of his body is banged up as well; a never-ending cycle propelled forward by Castiel's determination and Grace.

A soft noise comes from Jimmy, and it takes Gabriel a moment to realize it's a content sigh. He tries not to think about what that means - to either of them - but he can't stop himself in time.

"Fuck it, come on." He stands suddenly, the movement causing the mattress to shift and food to spill. "Let's go."

"What? Go where?"

"Out of here. Away from Castiel." Gabriel looks down at Jimmy before offering his hand. "It'll be hard, but nothing like what you've been going through. And when it comes to going underground, I'm one of the best, baby."

Jimmy hesitates for a moment before taking Gabriel's hand, allowing the archangel to pull him up onto his feet. He wobbles, the painkillers not acting fast enough, and he clutches at Gabriel's shoulder to keep upright.

"You've got me?" Jimmy asks, looking at Gabriel, and Gabriel can't help but grin. This has got to be one of the better rash decisions he's made in a very long time.

"Always. Just hold on tight."