Requested by Magic_and_books

Imagine finding a man in the woods and caring for him before you realize that it's Gabriel.

Word Count: 972

~

It's been years since Gabriel died.

How many restless nights have you spent reliving that terrifying moment when Lucifer ended Gabriel's life in a burst of light?

The dark outline of his wings as he lay dead on the floor will forever be etched in your mind. A haunting vision that stalks through your thoughts even as you try to forget.

You feel empty now without him. He was your companion for years, and you loved him with all your being. He loved you too, which is why he tried to stop his brother from ending the world. Had you known the outcome of that dire fight, you would never have let him go through with it.

His sacrifice had saved your life, as well as the lives of the Winchesters, who were very good friends of yours.

Now, though, you live alone in a small cottage in the middle of nowhere. Away from the hunter lifestyle, away from an ignorant society, and away from those you once considered friends.

Initially, you had tried to fill the void in your heart. You tried drowning your sorrows, but that never worked. You tried to focus on your job but you couldn't. It seems like nothing ever works.

The emptiness can't be filled.

So, you embraced it and now you live in isolation by choice. Of course, Sam and Dean visit once in a while, which is often nice.

Right now, you are taking a quiet walk in the woods as gentle winds blow against you. Memories try to press themselves to the front of your mind, but you push them down. Focusing on the past just makes the pain hurt anew.

Silently, you pad past trees and observe the birds as they fly and sing. You inhale the fresh scent of the forest as you meander.

Suddenly, the birds let out frightened shrieks and fly away. You stop in your tracks, frightened. In front of you, a man huddles against a tree on his knees. You gasp as you take in his state.

His face is scratched and bloodied, his clothes dirty and torn, his hair messy and grimy. Cautiously, you slowly approach him with your hands in front of you.

He whimpers and shies away.

"Relax, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna help," you say soothingly, stretching out a hand to help him to his feet.

The man shows no signs of hearing you, so you continue, "Please let me help you. My house is just a few minutes from here. Those scratches might need stitches and they definitely need to be cleaned."

Still showing no signs of understanding, he just sits there. You slowly take his arm, the gesture causing him to flinch. You look him in the eyes, "I promise I won't hurt you, I just want to help you... please."

His eyes flicker to yours, and then he lets you help him stand. You escort him to your home and, once there, you get supplies to clean out his wounds and stick up the worst ones.

You work gently, trying not to hurt him any more than he is already. The man seems very familiar, but he hasn't spoken a word yet. His eyes look haunted, and his wounds tell a horrific story of abuse.

"Can you tell me your name?" You ask after cleaning a few of the cuts on his arms.

Still no sign of understanding. He seems out of it, and you decide to not press him anymore. You work steadily and clean all of his wounds before stitching up some of the deepest ones.

"I'm sorry," you apologize as you stitch his cuts. He whimpers a bit as the needle pierces his flesh, but doesn't move against you.

You leave him in the living room and go to get some of Gabriel's old clothes from your room. Handing them to the man, you explain, "Here, these are better than those ratty rags."

You then leave the room and clean up the supplies you had used up. When you get back, you find him in the new clothes. Smiling, you take away the old ones, "That's better, hmm?"

~

Two days pass, and you care for the stranger, all the while thinking about how familiar he seems. You gave him the spare room, helped him eat, and checked on his injuries periodically.

"You don't have to tell me what happened, it's none of my business, I know. It would be nice to know your name though," you babble as you clean dishes.

He sits at the table and watches you work silently.

~

Another few days have passed, and you have continued caring for him. He has shown signs of recovery as well.

He still hasn't spoken, but his eyes show that he understands what you're saying.

As you sit in the living room, you say, "You remind me of someone, you know. He was great, the best really. Always so kind and caring, and funny. He could always make me laugh even on the worst days."

The man stood during your speech and stared intensely at you. Your eyes connect with his, and you recognize the whiskey brown colour.

Inhaling sharply, you realize what has felt different all these days. The emptiness dwelling inside you has dissipated, leaving a feeling of being whole.

"G-Gabriel? You're alive?" You ask, standing hesitantly.

He sighs, and for a second you think you've made a terrible mistake, but then he speaks.

"Yes, Y/n. I missed you so much."

His voice is a scarce whisper, but it brings a thousand emotions to your heart. Bursting from your eyes, tears fall down your cheeks, "I missed you too, Gabe."

You carefully wrap your arms around him, and he returns the hug. And you stay like that for a long time, making up for all those years where there was no one to hold you tightly.