Chapter Text
„Castiel, this house is just perfect! “
„I know, Mom, that’s why I bought it. “Castiel Novak smiled and took his mother’s hand into his as she stepped outside his new property to admire its beautiful entrance, a stony path embedded by many kinds of flowers, leading to the wooden door which itself was enclosed by thick layers of common ivy.
“You’ll have to hire a gardener for all these flowers and trees, bro. “
“You know, Gabe, I kinda intended to tend to these beautiful babies myself” Castiel grinned as he flicked a finger through his brothers’ generous hair. “Hey!” Gabriel dramatically pretended to be hurt but grinned back at Castiel a second later. He then picked an apple from the small tree in front of him and bit into it with gusto.
“Can you, though, Castiel?” his mother asked. “You’ll have your hands full with your new practice. This garden is huge and there’s the backyard, too. Maybe Gabriel is right, and you should hire someone.”
“No, Mom, really, I think I will manage. Yes, I’ll have to work a lot, but I will have some free time, too, mostly weekends of course and then I’ve got to do something. Being outside in the sunshine with my clippers and my shovel will give me the chance to relax a little. You know I’ve always wanted my own garden.”
“Okay, dear, if you say so.” His mother smiled and kissed him on the cheek. She then went behind the back of the house to look at the huge backyard again. Gabriel winked at Castiel, patted his shoulder amicably and followed her. Castiel’s smile followed them too and his smile widened further as he watched his dog Shoshanna – a beautiful brown Labrador – shoot out of the house and jump at him. He knelt to pet the excited animal and buried his face in her soft fur, closing his eyes for a moment. Yes, he thought, this is home. This feels right. I’ve made the right choice.
He tried to supress the small ping of resentment swelling in his chest. Yes, of course. He would not forget that there was a reason he had bought this particular house in Medford, Oregon – over 800 miles away from his hometown Phoenix, Arizona. That’s where he had grown up with his family, his parents and his four siblings. He had had a happy childhood, had been a typical teenager with a few ups and downs – excellent marks, nice friends and only a few adventurous tests with alcohol and partying – the usual, nothing for anyone to worry about.
He and his father had always had a great relationship. Castiel was the youngest of four sons and Leonard Novak was proud of all his achievements: the first prizes at spelling bees, chess tournaments and even his black belt in judo. It had been a matter of course that Castiel would become a doctor like his father. His older brothers had chosen different career paths – Lucifer owned his own business, Michael was an investment banker and Gabriel, well Gabriel was an artist, a painter, which was a thorn in Leonard Novak’s flesh, but Gabriel had always been a little different and his father had accepted that surprisingly fast. But Castiel had always been the son to step in his footsteps. Leonard was Chief Surgeon at a huge private clinic in Phoenix and had a big reputation. When Castiel had opted to indeed grapple the field of medicine – but veterinary medicine – his father had been less than amused. He had had a total fit, screaming that healing “stupid” animals would not bring him any fame nor much money. Castiel had swallowed and looked his father into his eyes. He had always loved animals, and this was his way to go, he knew it in his heart.
Their relationship had been strained already by Castiel’s first semester at Phoenix University but when he told his parents that he was gay, halfway through his studies, his father nearly had a heart attack. It was enough for them to not speak each other and not see each other for the last couple of years except for Christmas and birthdays. It had hurt Castiel very much to be so rejected by his father, to realize he was a hypocrite and too shallow, too intolerant to accept anything divergent from his values. It had been a shock seeing his father in this new light and it had angered him. His mother and siblings, mostly Gabriel and Anna, his younger sister, had tried to mediate between the two of them, to no avail. He had thrown himself into his studies and decided that his father could go fuck himself. He had graduated two years ago, then he had worked at a veterinary clinic nearby as a resident. It had been amazing, finally working as a vet – but he somehow felt suppressed by his father’s presence nearby, as if his aura and all his hateful words came haunting him.
When he had found an ad from a Dr. Alex Lindt searching for a partner for her veterinary practice here in this sweet little town in Oregon, he knew at once that it was his destiny to come here, as sappy as that sounded. So here he was. He had found this old little house just a few blocks away from work and the price hadn’t been too high – it had to be renovated quite a bit though. So, he had asked his brothers to help him and to his eternal gratefulness they had all taken a week off to come and help him with the house. It had turned out wonderful, just like his mother said. She was here now for the first time, helping him unpack his things and spending the first few days with him in his new home, along with Gabriel. He was thankful that he didn’t have to be alone at first, because he was still a bit nervous despite his firm decision to undergo this endeavour.
Dr. Lindt was as nice as she had sounded on the phone and they had already discussed work specifics. He would start in a week, and his brother and mother would stay until a day before then. He was eager to show them the town and the beautiful area in which he had chosen his new home. There was a beautiful lake where one could go swimming or fishing, there were thick forests to explore and mountains small and huge, perfect for hiking trips. It was just the beginning of May, summer was ahead of him and he felt as if he could do anything he wanted. The world was his oyster.
The only thing making him nervous was the lack of people he knew around here. Apart from Shoshanna, he was totally on his own. Back in Phoenix, he had left a boyfriend, Tim. It hadn’t been all too serious with the two of them, just a casual thing and both had been sorry but not heartbroken to leave the other one behind. Who knows, maybe he would find someone nice here in Medford, Oregon?
“You’ll never know, “he quietly whispered to himself and he smiled. He was hopelessly romantic, and he would never give up the idea that somewhere in the world there was someone special for him. He would find him someday somehow. He just hoped he didn’t have to wait until he was eighty to reach that goal.
He stepped behind his house into the backyard. Just like the house itself it was perfect. It was huge: there was a patio at the back of the house with a large wooden table and chairs for people to sit outside – just perfect to enjoy a glass of wine and read a good novel on mild summer evenings. He could also, of course, invite people there for a barbecue – he would just have to find some people he could do that with. There was also a porch swing he just had to get when he saw it on Ebay. And of course, there were loads of potted flowers and vases as well as a space he had already set up for vegetables to grow at. Just like having his own garden he had always wanted to grow his own tomatoes – and now he would.
“Pretty large property for just one person, Cassie, “Gabriel said with his mouth full of apple, sitting cross-legged on the swing. “You sure you’re not going to die of loneliness here?”
“Nah, “Castiel replied. “Some peace and quiet will do me good for now. But I promise, as soon as you two are gone, I’ll take a tour and introduce myself to the neighbours, get to know the people here. I’m sure I’ll find some new friends here.”
“Of course you will, dear, “his mother beamed, “you are such an endearing and lovely person – how can anyone not like you? I’m sure you’ll have a bunch of friends here in no time.”
“Oh, you’ll be the star of the town, Cassie, “Gabriel chuckled and winked at him again. He was a good brother and Castiel loved him dearly, but he could never really be serious, could he?
“Oh, don’t tease him, Gabriel, “their mother admonished. “Castiel will do just fine.” Her face fell a little bit. “I’m just so sad that we won’t get to see you so often anymore…”
“I promise, I’ll try to come and visit at least once every two months, Mom, “Castiel sat next to her on the bench she sat on and put his arm around her shoulder. “I’ll miss you guys a lot, I know that already. It’ll be hard not having you nearby.”
She turned towards him with a reproachful frown. “Well, I still don’t understand why you had to buy a house and get a job in a town so far away from home…?”
Castiel took his arm away again and sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, eyes closed and took a deep breath to answer his mother but was already interrupted by his forward brother.
“Oh, Mother, you already know why he did it. And I can completely understand why he did it, I would have done it if I were him. Our dear father is …. A complicated man to live with, you know that.” For once, Gabriel didn’t wink or smile. Instead his shoulders hung down and his mouth twitched a little with what seemed a little flare of anger. “Let Castiel find a new home here, let him have some peace, he deserves it.”
“Thank you, brother, thanks for understanding.” Castiel said quietly and he smiled at Gabriel, although his smile did not really reach his eyes.
“Anything for ya, bro, “Gabriel mumbled. Then he clapped his hands together loudly, his typical big grin back on his face. “Well, guys, I’m starving! Didn’t we agree to have a great feast tonight, or what? I think we should get to that pronto.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Castiel stood up and smiled again, this time more openly. “I’ve already all the food we need for dinner. Mom, will you help me with the lasagne? Gabe, you can make a salad.”
They all chuckled and went towards the house as Gabriel rambled on about rabbit food and Castiel’s obsession with healthy food. The depressing moment was gone, and they were all in a good mood as they started to prepare dinner.
This is it, Castiel thought. This is the start of something new and I’m excited what’s waiting for me.
“Hey, cutie pie, the onions don’t cut themselves, you know, “Gabriel chirped right into his ear, pulling him out of his thoughts and Castiel shoved him away, laughing. He was ready.