Gabriel Novak tapped his pack of cigarettes to his knee out of habit. His hazel eyes scanned the area behind the building as he pulled one out, sticking the filter between his lips. It hung there a moment before he finally lit it, drawing in the flavors onto his tongue. The flame of the lighter illuminated his boyish face in the darkness of the evening. Gabriel inhaled again before he puffed out the smoke. His nerves seemed to settle from their rattling, twitching state. He drew again and sighed as the smoke floated into the crisp September air.

For five years Gabriel had been a valued - though some would argue annoying - member of the Kansas State Fire Department. In those years of hundreds of accidents and fires, Gabe still took deaths the hardest. It was supposed to be a small fire, just a grill on the patio the owners couldn't handle. The crew never expected to arrive to the charred remains of a home caused by the fire licking too close to the propane tanks. He nudged a rock with his smoke stained work boot and flicked the ashes from his cigarette, words from the Chief still fresh in his mind. Three small children and their parents had died that night.

Hazel eyes closed and he sucked the rest of the stick down, squashing it beneath his shoe with finality and more aggression than he would let himself admit. Gabe moved to open the back door when it flew open.

"Yo, Novak, Chief wanted-" Ash Harvelle's words died out as he took in Gabriel's rough composure. "You alright, compadre?"

Gabriel gave a jerky nod, pushing past the other man. He walked halfway down the hallway before turning back, an apologetic look on his face. Before he could open his mouth, Ash nodded and held his hands up. "No problemo, Gabriel." He smiled and gave a thumbs up to his disheveled friend.

Gabe dodged dirty laundry and weaved around the other men until he came to his locker. He hastily tugged his coat and scarf on, taking no time to check if he had everything he needed. The clash of his locker closing echoed through the room. With a sigh, the hazel eyed man leaned his body against the cool metal, hands deep in his hair and lips open to allow long breaths to escape.

"Been a rough day." Dean Winchester squeezed Gabe's shoulder. He turned the shorter man around gently and embraced him, the smell of stale cigarettes and the expensive cologne he used invading Dean's nose.

"You can't save everyone." He said quietly.

"I can try," Gabriel mumbled.

Dean's full body laugh rocked them both and he let his friend free from his hold. "Chief said to go home and rest. You're off tomorrow so we better not see you here. Got it, Novak?"

Gabriel snorted and rolled his but nodded nonetheless. A day to wallow in rocky road ice cream and 80s movies is exactly what he needed. "Night, Dean." Gabe called behind his shoulder as he left the room.

He nodded towards the Chief, an older man by them name of Gordon who was as stout as a brick house but took in the firefighters like his own kin. The walk to his apartment helped to clear his mind and when he arrived to the tall building Gabriel felt lighter if anything. He fumbled in his jacket pockets during the trek up to the third floor, brows furrowed in frustration when he found them empty. He patted the pockets of his jeans and groaned when he found them to be empty. Pulling up his sleeve, he checked his watch. It was a little before eleven and he was damned if he would make the trip back to the station. Gabriel chewed on his lip as he leaned against his apartment door.

Rattling of locks from the door across the hall brought him from his thinking daze and he raised his eyes to see Ms. Tran with a smirk on her first.

"Forgot your keys again?" Her eagle eyes were sharp on him, but didn't lack the humor he assumed they would. He nodded sheepishly and she disappeared a moment before returning with a shining key.

"Good thing you gave me a spare." Gabriel unlocked his door and handed the key back, thanking her again for her help. As the door closed and the locks were set in place, he began tugging off his layers of clothing. He dropped onto his bed in exhaustion and willed the horrors of the day away from his dreams.

The heat smothered him. Flames kissed his skin and ate away at his surroundings. He screamed and screamed, the roaring of the fire seeming to drown him out. A cold touch and a whispering of his name became his rescue. Sam Winchester startled awake, his breath heavy and harsh. Hands grabbed hold of his shoulders but he flailed and opened his mouth to scream. A mouth covered it and evergreen eyes full of worry and sleepiness looked into his own.

"Sammy," Dean's voice was soft and he withdrew his hand, settling it instead on Sam's other shoulder. "Just a dream, Sam. Just a dream."

The younger Winchester shuddered as he worked to remove himself from the phantom burning. "'Dunno what triggered it." Was that his voice? It sounded ragged and harsh.

"You've been focused on that damn book too much. When was the last time you slept?" Dean scolded

"Ruby is hounding me to finish it so she can have it out by next Spring."

"I don't care what that she-devil wants. You're taking a break." Dean rose from where he was kneeling and shuffled out of Sam's room mumbling about everyone around him having mental breakdowns.

Sam flopped back down and ran his hands over his face. Maybe he did need a break. He had written two best-sellers in a short amount of time and his publisher was pushing him to finish the third in the series. Damned if he did, damned if he didn't. Writing used to be a joy for him, and now it only seemed like a chore. As a final thought before his eyes drooped, he promise himself a full weekend of laziness.

Dean's stomping and crashing woke Sam up hours later. Groggy and stiff, the younger Winchester padded slowly into the kitchen.

"The hell are you doing in here, Dean?"

"Mornin', Sammy!" Dean's cheery voice boomed throughout the kitchen. He turned and sat a plate of banana and peanut butter pancakes in front of his brother along with a cup of coffee.

Sam smirked and said, "You haven't made these for me since I graduated college."

Dean shrugged and began whistling - an old rock song Sam assumed - as he scrubbed dishes. As he dug into his food, he noticed his brother was fully dressed but didn't have to be at work until later. "Got a hot date?"

The older brother snickered. "Not if you see a date as taking a whiny twenty-eight year old out to a ball game so he doesn't sit at home with a pint of Ben and Jerry's."

Sam laughed and shook his head. "Bring me back a pretzel?" Sam asked around a mouthful of pancakes.

"Don't I always?"

"But, Dean," Gabriel had Oreo crumbs on his shirt and empty beer bottles everywhere. "I'm being antisocial. Why can't I have this one moment of post-teenage over dramatics?"

"One moment?" Dean asked incredulously.

Gabe huffed and pushed past his friend to the messy bedroom. Dean cleaned up as he waited, cursing Novak with every empty bottle and package of mini muffins.

"I'm ready, asshole." Gabriel pouted and grabbed his wallet and keys, securing them in his pockets.

"Lose the attitude, princess, we're going to get fried foods and ice cream." Dean smirked at Gabriel's yell of excitement, praying to whatever God was out there that his friend wouldn't be a handful.

A/N: Hi everyone! This is the first chapter of a fic I've been planning for awhile. I hope you all enjoy it and will leave me feedback. Can't to hear from you. xoxo