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This story begins, as many do, with family.
Sam Winchester’s family is small. Gabriel Novak’s is not.
Sam has one brother, one father, a family friend close enough to call uncle but distant enough to not call father, and one half-brother he doesn’t know and never will.
Dean Winchester is simple. He has bright green eyes oft compared to jewels. He naturally has as many flaws as the jewels do. His features are worn by years of bitter smiles and worry covered by halfhearted humor.
As the story begins, Dean is in the back of his father’s car, talking with his girlfriend. They are going to have sex, but when he closes his eyes, he’ll see a sky blue, and when he calls her name, someone else’s will be caught by the cage of his teeth.
Here is a thing he wants: to have his freedom. Here is a thing he fears: that his freedom will be the thing to expose Sam to their father.
He is two years older than Sam.
John Winchester is anything but simple. His eyes are hazel, but most of the time they’re too bloodshot for that to matter. He has a red face layered with years of alcoholism and grief.
As the story begins, he is asleep in his room.
In his dreams, he battles a demon named Meg, and when he beats her, all is well. In reality, the only demon he battles is depression, and he never wins.
Here is a thing he wants: for his wife’s death to be blamed on something other than faulty wiring. Here is a thing he fears: that he is nothing without Mary.
Bobby Singer is not a simple man, but he thinks he is. He has dark brown eyes and a ragged face, but nobody notices that, because all anyone sees is the wheelchair.
As the story begins, Bobby is in the hospital, because he is paralyzed, and the doctors still don’t know why.
Here is a thing he wants: to walk again. Here is a thing he fears: that his chair will keep him from work.
Adam is dead. When he was alive, he was handsome, but now all anyone sees is a gray stone.
As the story begins, he is decomposing. He wants nothing, and fears less.
Compared to Sam’s, Gabriel’s family is huge. He has three brothers, countless cousins, and two parents.
Castiel Novak is an anomaly. He has eyes the exact shade of Dean’s favorite color, and features that he uses like the cat curiousity killed, because he is always curious.
As the story begins, he is not asleep, although he should be. Instead, he lies awake, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling of the bedroom he shares with his brother, and he wonders what Dean is doing. He does not guess that Dean is thinking of him, because he thinks Dean is straight.
Here is a thing he wants: to know what the purpose of life is. Here is a thing he fears: that nobody knows the answer to his question.
He is one year younger than Gabriel.
Lucifer Novak is not the devil, even though everyone thinks he is. He has eyes that glitter with intelligent thoughts and features that look like whatever the person who’s looking at him wants them to look like, which is often sad, because people like it when Lucifer is sad, so they can fix him.
As the story begins, Lucifer is bored. He throws pencils at his brother, hoping he will retaliate. He will, but not yet.
Here is a thing he wants: to be loved. Here is a thing he fears: that his name makes his want impossible.
He is one year older than Gabe.
Micheal Novak is better than you. At least, that’s what he thinks, and that’s what most other people will, too. He has kind eyes, but
they are deceiving, because he is anything but kind.
As the story begins, Micheal is laying in bed, and Lucifer is throwing pencils at him. In a few moments, he will slap his brother and kick him out, but not yet.
Here is a thing he wants: for his brother to stop throwing pencils at him. Here is a thing he fears: that he will never be rid of his brother.
He is one year older than Gabe, and the same age as Lucifer.
Chuck and Naomi are exactly the same, which is to say that nobody can remember what they look like.
As the story begins, they are doing the same thing as always: avoiding their children.
Here is a thing they want: to be alone. Here is a thing they fear: that it’s too late to be rid of their kids.
But this story is not about Dean and his girlfriend. It isn’t about John, or Bobby, or Lucifer throwing pencils at Micheal. It isn’t about Castiel or Chuck or Naomi or Sam’s dead half-brother Adam.
This story starts with family, but that’s now what it’s about.
This story is about Sam Winchester and Gabriel Novak.
As this story begins, they are apart, each longing for the other without realizing who they’re aching for.
But when this story ends, they will be together.