Sabriel Fluff Friday

Sam going to look at the Bible in the hotel room they’re staying at as soon as he can have a moment of privacy 

Sam thinking that you pick your own guardian angel and opening the book, pointing to a random verse, and if there’s an angel named then he’s going with that one

Gabriel smiling because he knows that name and he’s honored by the request, even if he technically doesn’t still identify as an angel. 

More prayers come. “Hey, Gabriel? Sorry for calling you an angel. I found a cool book that said you were an archangel. I hope I said that right.” 

“Gabriel? Can you make it so I have cereal in the morning?”

“Gabriel? Do you know where my dad is?”

“Gabe? Can I get a sign telling me what really happened to mom?”

“Wow, Gabe…. I know I asked for a sign, but I didn’t need to find dad’s journal….”

“Gabriel? Can you be Dean’s guardian angel, too? I think he needs one.”

“Hey Gabe- help me stay here longer so I can go to the dance with her.”

“Gabriel? I know it’s been a while, but I really want to get into Stanford. Help me out?”

“Hey Gabe? Can I use you as a wingman? Wait, you actually have wings…. Shouldn’t have said that. Anyway, there’s this girl I really like. Jessica Moore. Help me out?”

“Gabriel! I’m in love! I’m thinking about marrying Jess…. She’s perfect. Should I?” “Gabriel, you suck at signs. I thought finding Dad’s journal was bad, but this… I thought angels were supposed to be good.”

“So, Gabriel, there’s an angel taking out people down here on Earth. But every victim was either a murderer or a pedophile, so I don’t know if it’s good or not.”

“Uh, Gabe, so….it wasn’t an angel. Are you even real? Am I praying to nothing?”

“You’re welcome, kiddo.”

A dream. Must be a dream. Impossible-

“Not exactly a dream, but close enough.”

Gabriel, Sam wants to say, but he can’t hear his own voice. Can’t feel his body and he feels like he is drowning. Falling. Falling.

“Yep, talking here is tricky. Takes time to get the hang of it. But I doubt you’d be here long enough, so lemme do the talking, okay?”

A ghost of a touch. A memory of a memory of something that never happened. A warm hand on his cheek.

“You’ve been talking to me ever since you were seven. I think it’s only fair that now I get to talk to you. We didn’t exactly have time for a proper conversation before, have we?”

Sam isn’t sure he can see it, but it feels like Gabriel is smiling at him, soft and gentle and wistful.

“Lucifer killed me very well. He’s always been a perfectionist, so he’s probably pretty proud of that. Not that I blame him. It’s hard to kill an archangel, let alone your own brother. But he did, and here I am. No way back for me - sorry, kiddo. I wish I could be. Wish I could be there for you. Wish that someone could be there for you - someone other than Dean. Because he cannot be everywhere at once. And look at you now, getting yourself killed, scaring the shit outta your big overprotective bro. But don’t you worry, Sammy. Don’t you worry. I’m gonna get you out of here if it’s the last thing I do. It probably is - oh, I wish you could see the irony of that.”

Sam feels tears streaming down Gabriel’s face. He still cannot feel his body, cannot move, cannot speak. But somehow he finds Gabriel’s hand. Squeezes it in his. Runs a thumb over Gabriel’s knuckles. Gabriel laughs, startled.

“Everyone thinks that it’s good old Dean-o, but I gotta say, you’re the more stubborn Winchester, Samshine. So who knows - maybe I’ll see you again. In some other life.”

A pause.

“I hope we can be friends then.”

Sam wants to say something - to reassure him - but his voice is still missing, and suddenly the whole world spins, and there’s light and light and pain and-

He draws air in his lungs, gasping, gulping, suddenly aware of his body, back in my body, he thinks, not dead, he thinks, Dean-

“Hey, hey, Sam, you okay? When I saw you-”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Spell just knocked me out. Did you get him?”

“Yep. Let’s get out of here.”

Sam nods. Holds onto Dean’s proffered hand. Gets up. Doesn’t remember how they get in the car. Dean is driving, and they’re both alive, and the witch is dead. But he feels like there’s a piece of him missing.

The feeling is still there when he wakes up several hours later.

So of course, my brain goes and does the thing.  I’M SORRY, BUT I NEEDED TO FIX THE BEAUTIFUL HEART-WRENCHING ANGST, I’M SORRY.  <3 

It hurts less now, to come across Gabriel’s name.  To see it in books, in lore, and to have that quicker-than-lightening flash of golden eyes, a smirk, and a quip.  

It hurts less, but it never stops hurting.  

Sam takes a deep breath and focuses on reading the rest of the lore, but Gabriel’s name is still there, at the top, and the small pulse of pain that accompanies it settles into his chest again.  

“Sam?” 

Sam yanks his attention to Castiel and forces a smile on his face.  “Yeah, Cas?”

“Do you know where Dean is?” 

Sam smiled.  Castiel was more obvious than he wanted to be.  “He’s downstairs in the garage.”  

“Thank you, Sam.”  

It was easy to wait until Cas was gone before he turned back to the page in the book and trailed his fingertip over Gabriel’s name.  Gabriel.  How many times had Gabriel heard his prayers and laughed?  

It stung, to know that it was probably true.  

I hope we can be friends, then.

The words are familiar and they make the pulse of pain ache even more.  He remembered waking up after the spell from the witch, the faint memory of Gabriel.  

He threw his pen down on the table and sighed, closing the book in front of him.  He could still remember Chuck’s words, that it would take too long to bring Gabriel back.  But he could have done it.  He could have.  

He strode through the bunker and stopped in the main room, the small pulse of pain hurting more and more, now.  

Sam turned on his heel and went to his bedroom.  He shut the door behind him and took a deep breath, looking at the room he’d slowly started to make his.  He sat down on the edge of the bed and clasped his hands together in his lap. 

Chuck.  I’ve been praying to Gabriel as my guardian angel since I was seven.  He, he protected me once.  I’ve been to where he was.  He brought me back.  He wanted, he wanted to see me again.  He wanted to be friends.  I know there wasn’t time before.  But maybe…maybe there is now.  

He messed up, sure.  But he saved us, saved me.  And I…

Sam opened his eyes and looked up at the grey ceiling.  He could feel the surprise Gabriel had had when he’d willingly squeezed his hand, the tears running down his face.  

I think he was scared, at the end.  And I don’t think he deserved that.  Could, could you maybe think about bringing him back?  Someday?  

Sam took a deep, shaky breath and dropped his head, staring at the floor again. “Amen,” he whispered, wiping at his face.  He stood up and shook his head.  That’d been a stupid idea.  Not like Chuck was listening, he was off catching up with Amara.  

“He might be better off dead, you know.”  

OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD BUT THIS PROMPT OMG YESSSSSSSS.

Sam stretched carefully in the mattress that was far too soft to be his and smiled a little bit, opening his eyes.  There was a lump of blanket next to him, golden hair peeking out and above the blankets.  

He rolled over onto his side and just smiled a little bit as Gabriel made a noise and dug even deeper into the blankets.  Sam closed his eyes and wished that he could fall back into the dream he had been having.  Truthfully, it hadn’t surprised him, and had, all at once.  

Gabriel looked gorgeous in a tux.  More so than he ever would have thought.  

“You’re thinking so hard you woke me up, Sammich.  What’s going on?” Gabriel asked, shifting so he could poke his face out of the blankets, staring at Sam. 

Sam blushed and immediately dove back into the blankets.  “Nothing.” 

Gabriel poked at the lump-formerly-known-as-Sam and raised both of his eyebrows.  “That’s one hell of a nothing.”  

Sam bit down on his lip.  “Just a stupid dream.”  

Gabriel laughed and cuddled into the blankets again.  “Your dreams aren’t stupid.  Silly, maybe.  But not stupid.”  

“You’d think it was stupid.”  Sam poked his eyes out of the blanket and stared at Gabriel.  

“Nah,” Gabriel said, smiling at Sam.  “Tell me about it.”  

Sam cleared his throat and chewed on his lip.  “It was my wedding,” he confessed, glancing at Gabriel, afraid he would laugh again.  

“Oh yeah?” Gabriel asked, getting comfy again.  “Tell me about it.”  

“We were getting the venue ready and running around and I’m one of the grooms and I have to go get ready, and someone was screaming about the dress, and how they had to go pick up a dress, and so,” Sam cleared his throat. 

“So I go to get ready, and my parents are there, and Dean is teasing me about being a girl as Mom does my hair…” Sam said, grinning at Gabriel.  

Gabriel reached out and poked Sam in the side of his head.  “You are a bit vain about your hair.”  

“Right,” Sam agreed and looked down at the blankets.  “And then, we’re talking about my makeup, and who is going to do it, and I’m not sure why i needed it, but better safe than sorry.”  

“Yeah?” Gabriel asked, his voice soft.  “I bet she was gorgeous.” 

Sam blinked in surprise.  “Who?” 

Gabriel reached out to punch Sam in the arm.  “Don’t be dense, you dumbass.  Whoever you were marrying!”  

Sam flushed again, his mouth falling open.  “That’s just it.”  

Gabriel blinked.  “What?  You didn’t see her?” 

“No,” Sam bit down on his lip.  “Promise you won’t hate me?”  

“What?” Gabriel asked, laughing a little.  “Sam I could never ever hate you.” 

“It was you,” Sam whispered.  “You were wearing a sash and it said ‘I’m Things’ and I didn’t realize it until you straddled my lap to do my makeup that I was wearing a sash that said ‘I’m doing Things’.” 

Gabriel blinked, his eyes wide.  

“You were in this absolutely amazing dress.  It was, it was perfect.  And they said that you weren’t supposed to s-s-see me,” Sam stuttered and bit down on his lip.  “I shouldn’t have told you.”  

“Of course you should have,” Gabriel corrected, scooting closer.  “I have an important question though.”  

Sam glanced up at Gabriel and flushed even darker.  “What?”  

“Did you kiss me, in the dream?” Gabriel asked.  

“I, uh,” Sam groaned and covered his face.  “Why do you want to know?” 

“Well, that tells me right there that yes, you did,” Gabriel said.  “But I want to know so you can tell me how I compare against dream-me.”  

Sam blinked in confusion, his mouth falling open.  “You, you…” 

Gabriel grinned and leaned in close so he could press their foreheads together.  “I wouldn’t wear a dress for just anyone you know.”  

When Sam didn’t respond, and instead just stared at him with wide eyes, he continued.  “So, did you kiss me in the dream, Sam?” 

“Yeah,” Sam whispered. 

Gabriel smile and brushed his nose against Sam’s.  “Well, then I’d better kiss you so you know that I’m the better kisser.”  

“I, uh-” Sam stuttered, his eyes wide and the blush growing brighter on his cheeks.  “You want to kiss me?”  

Gabriel smiled and reached up to tangle his fingers into the floppy mess of Sam’s hair.  “I’ll tell you about the dreams I’ve had of our wedding after you kiss me, how about that?”  

Sam surged forward and kissed Gabriel, his eyes falling shut at the soft touch of their lips.  It was so much better than it had been in his dream.  Now he just needed to convince Gabriel that he’d be wearing the dress…

A sharp tug to his hair bright his attention back to the slick slide of Gabriel’s lips against his, right where it belonged.  

OH MAN YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES.  

Gabriel did his best not to squirm when the bastard leaned in close again, breathing on his neck and making the not-awesome kinds of shivers run up his spine.  He took a deep breath.  He needed to get the hell out of here and he needed to do it now.  

“Come on gorgeous, won’t you smile?” 

Thankfully the train started to pull into the station.  Gabriel spotted a guy with a small rainbow flag on his backpack that was tall and might just be enough to scare off the bastard.  “Uh, this is my stop!” he muttered and ducked away from the guy, dashing towards the doors.  

The guy was following him and Gabriel hurried up to tall guy and pretended to light up.  “Jared!” he called and hurried over to the guy with the backpack.  Gabriel tilted his head back and smiled at the guy, hoping that he would be helped.  “Creepy guy following, play along?” he hissed.  

“I haven’t seen you in forever, oh my gosh, since Mrs. Hutchinson’s class!  How’s your doctorate coming?” he chatted, putting a hand on his hip as he grinned.  

“Great!” Sam said, his eyes darting up to look at the man standing on a few feet away from them, his eyes narrowed.  He swept the shorter man into a hug and squeezed him tight.  “I’ve got two more semesters and then I’m finished.  I bet that you’re off putting that degree of yours to good use, right?  Come on, I’ve got a few minutes to kill, tell me what you’ve been up to.”  

“Absolutely!” Gabriel said, nearly sagging in relief.  “Well,” he took a deep breath and relaxed a little bit.  “I’ve got to tell you, this was the last place I was expecting to see you again.  The last time I saw you, you were graduating and ready to leave for your new glamorous life in LA.”  

Sam relaxed as well.  “It ended up being San Francisco.  Liked it better.  The acting gig didn’t end up panning out for me.”  The guy was starting to get frustrated.  “Where did you end up?”  

“Around here,” Gabriel said with a shrug and a smile.  “Happy, have a good job managing a team at a local company-” the sound of footsteps made Gabriel turn and he relaxed as he saw the guy head down the stairs.  

“What the hell, Sam?” 

Gabriel turned to the other guy that had been standing a few feet away.  

Sam laughed and looked at the man in front of him.  “It’s fine, Dean.  He needed some help.” he held out his hand.  “Sam, it’s a pleasure to meet you…” 

“Gabriel,” he said, grinning up at the taller man as they shook hands.  “Thank you.  That was awesome, he was creeping me the fuck out and hitting on me in the train.”  

“I figured,” Sam said.  “Good thing I’m tall and intimidating.” 

“Very good,” Gabriel said, getting distracted staring at Sam’s dimples.  He cleared his throat.  “Well, uh, thank you for rescuing me.  I think i’ll-”

“What if you need another rescue?” Sam interrupted.  

Gabriel blinked and started to smile a little bit.  “Maybe you could come to my rescue again?” 

Sam grinned, bright and wide.  “I think I’d like that.  How about you repay me for the rescue with coffee?  I wouldn’t want to hit on you like the asshole dude over there.”   

“Are you two seriously flirting right now?” Dean asked. 

Gabriel ignored him and nodded.  “Coffee sounds great, Sam.  When?” 

Sam’s grin turned into a little bit of a smirk. “Now?” 

Gabriel laughed.  “Now sounds awesome.”  

OH GOD PROPOSALS FUCK YES THIS IS MY JAM LET’S DO THIS, OKAY TIME TO GO.  

Sam sat down at the table in the bunker and sighed, staring up at the ceiling.  

“Try and sigh a little harder there, Samantha.”  

Sam scowled at his brother.  “Fuck off angel married,” he grumbled.  

Dean smirked and winked.  “You’re just jealous.”  

Sam sighed again.  That was the exact problem.  He was jealous.  He wanted what Dean and Cas had together.  Those stupidly sappy fucking smiles and just, the casual everything that they had together.  “Bite me.”  

Dean frowned.  “That was…weak.  Even for you.”  

“I’m fine,” Sam said on reflex when Dean squinted at him.  “I just miss Gabriel, he’s been gone.”  

“He’ll be back soon and I can tell hm you were pining for him,” Dean said, relaxing and grinning.  

“I am not pining,” Sam snapped back.  

Dean laughed and stood up from the table.  “Sure you aren’t.”  

Sam flipped off his brother, glad when Dean laughed and headed into the kitchen.  He wasn’t pining.  He just, might have wanted what Dean and Cas had, with Gabriel.  He sighed again and relaxed.  Gabriel would be home soon and then he could forget about this and go back to their normal.  

~!~

Except, of course, when Gabriel got back, Sam couldn’t STOP thinking about it.  About how he wanted more, wanted Gabriel to be his, permanently.  

Sam stood in front of the mirror in his room and glared at himself in it.  “You can do this.  You just have to tell him what you want.  It’s not that hard.”  

“Well, it’s sometimes hard,” Gabriel quipped from behind Sam.  

Sam spun around, his eyes going wide.  “Gabriel!”  

“The one and only.  What were you wanting to ask me for, Sam?” he asked, tilting his head.  

Sam swallowed hard and stepped closer.  “I want, uh.  I want us to be serious-er,” he managed, and winced.  

Gabriel gasped and clasped his hands under his chin, snapping himself quickly into a cheerleading outfit.  “Sam, you want me to wear your letterman jacket?” 

Sam realized he was now wearing one of those and laughed.  “Yeah, that works,” he said, offering the jacket to Gabriel, who took it with glee.  He fought down the small part of him that was disappointed and focused on how good Gabriel looked in the outfit.  “Now come here, mister cheerleader….” 

Gabriel fluttered his eyelashes at Sam.  “Of course.” 

~!~

He needed a new approach.  Maybe being overly blunt would work.  

Sam approached Castiel and squared his shoulders, taking a deep breath.  “Cas?” 

Castiel looked up and smiled.  “Sam, are you all right?”  

“Yeah, can I talk to you?” Sam asked.  

“Of course,” Castiel said, and put down the pencil he had been using to write a translation.  “Is everything all right?”  

“Yeah, I just,” he cleared his throat.  “I have a question for you.” 

Castiel raised both of his eyebrows.  

Sam squirmed and took a deep breath.  “If, I uh, wanted to ask Gabriel, about having the same kind of bond you and Dean do-”

“Sam-” 

“How do I go about asking? If I want, want that with him.”  

Castiel frowned and tilted his head as he stared at Sam.  “I am not certain.”  

Sam deflated and sighed.  “Why not?”

“Gabriel, the archangels do not mate in the same way that I can, and other angels can,” Castiel explained.  “I do not know if, with his power, he is able to form the same kind of bond and not overwhelm you.”  

That made a hell of a lot of sense, even though it was disappointing.  “I got it.  Thanks Cas.  At least now I know it’s not because he doesn’t want to.” 

Castiel watched Sam leave the room and frowned.  He needed to speak to Gabriel, urgently. 

~!~

Well, he was a human, so maybe doing this the angelic way wasn’t the right way.  Sam picked up a couple of rings and kept them in his pocket, waiting, desperately, for what he hoped the right moment would be.  

It never quite happened.  There were a few times that he should have, that were right, but then there were several that were right, but not quite.  Sam sighed and pulled the rings out of his pocket.  

Of course, Gabriel chose that precise moment to show up with his hands on his hips.  Sam blanched and clenched his hand around the rings before holding them out to show Gabriel.  

“Cas told me what you’d asked him.”  

Sam sighed.  “Of course he did.”  

Gabriel grinned and walked closer.  “Come on.  Go ahead.  I know you have a speech prepared.”  

Sam blinked in surprise.  “You-”

“Want to hear your speech,” Gabriel supplied, smiling at him a little bit.  He closed his eyes and rolled his neck slowly, shadows unfurling on the wall behind him.  

Sam swallowed hard and smiled.  “I love you.  Fuck, Gabriel, I love you, and I want you here, with me, as often as I can get you.  I don’t want to tie you down, but I want you tied to ME.”  

Gabriel raised an eyebrow.  

“I’m never sure, you know.  When you go off to do what you do.  If you’ll come back in one piece,” Sam said, fidgeting with the rings.  

Gabriel softened and smiled at him.  “I’ll always come home to you.”  

“I want to be home for you,” Sam said.  “The way that Dean is for Cas.  I want to be that for you.  Cas, Cas said that archangels can’t, can’t bond like he and Dean-”

“Yeah, no,” Gabriel interrupted.  “We bond differently, but we can bond.  And aren’t you supposed to be on a knee.”  

Sam laughed and shift to kneel, reaching out to take Gabriel’s hand, bringing it in closer to press a kiss to his fingertips.  “I love you.  I want to be your home.  I want to have that closeness, that bond that Dean and Cas have.  I want that with you.  I want that, with you, so much that I fucking ache with it,” Sam said, pressing a kiss to Gabriel’s palm next.  

“I love all of you that I can understand and comprehend.  I don’t want anything more than you are willing to give Gabriel.  But I want you to know how much I want and need and god, how much I am just head over heels in love with you,” Sam said, squeezing Gabriel’s hand.  “Will you bond with me, please, Gabriel?”

Gabriel hummed and reached out to thread his free hand through Sam’s hair, giving it a gentle tug.  “Mmmm.  Mate,” he whispered, his tone possessive.  “My mate,” he added.  

Sam grinned, grinned, bright and wide.  “Yeah,” he whispered, groaning into the possessive kiss from Gabriel he was given immediately afterward.  “Mine,” he added when Gabriel let him break apart for air.  

“Yes,” Gabriel agreed, smirking at Sam. 

THEY ALWAYS GET BACK TOGETHER.  THEY JUST GOTTA FIGURE THEIR SHIT OUT SINCE THEY ARE BOTH STUBBORN FUCKING ASSHOLES.  WE LOVE THEM, BUT THEY REALLY ARE STUBBORN ASSHOLES.  (ALSO I HARDCORE APPROVE OF YOUR BREAKUP MUSIC.) 

Gabriel dug his spoon deeper into the pint of ice cream and scowled as Taylor repeated the fact that they were never ever getting back together.  He shoved the spoon of ice cream into his mouth and scowled around it.  No, they weren’t ever getting back together, Sam had made that abundantly fucking clear.  

Gabriel sighed and rubbed at his eyes, reaching for the box of tissues not far out of reach.  He thought he’d finished shedding all of his tears over Sam days ago, but apparently that wasn’t the case.  It’d only been a few days and he still felt like he’d had a Sam-sized hole ripped out of him.  

A soft sound against his door made him look up in confusion.  The music immediately covered it a moment later, but Gabriel put the ice cream down and walked over to look out the peep hole.  The sight of Sam standing there made him jolt and he stared in shock.  He watched Sam sigh and raise a hand and Gabriel backed away so he could knock, but no sound came.  

He pressed himself tightly against the door again and only just caught Sam stepping away from the door.  Before he thought better of it (and the fact that he was wearing his rattiest sweats, a shirt that had at least two stains on it and he couldn’t remember if he’d combed his hair earlier), he yanked open the door and stepped out.  “Sam?” 

Sam froze and hunched his shoulders.  He turned a bit and stuffed his hands into his pockets.  “Yeah?” 

“What…” Gabriel swallowed and realized what a wreck he must have looked like.  “What are you doing here?”  

Sam flinched and looked down at the floor.  “I want to apologize.  No, I mean, I need to apologize.”  He took a deep breath and walked closer to Gabriel, stopping in front of him.  

Gabriel froze when Sam forced his face up and their eyes met.  He could see the small golden flecks in Sam’s eyes and his heart ached all over again.  It was his fault for thinking that he even could begin to deserve someone like Sam.  He swallowed hard and nodded.  “Okay, Sam.”  

Sam blinked hard for a few seconds and squared his shoulders.  “I am so, so sorry, Gabriel.  I am sorry for making you feel like you were second fiddle in my life.  I’m sorry for not trying to listen when you told me you…” he choked on the word and took a deep breath.  “When you told me you were feeling neglected.”

Gabriel felt rooted to the spot, his entire body too hot, and the tears that had stopped days ago were threatening again as Sam struggled to get the words out.  He swallowed hard and croaked out.  “School is important to you, I under-”

“You are, fuck, were, important to me!” Sam snapped, then winced and looked down at the floor.  “Not like I made that clear with how I was acting.”  He took another deep breath and lifted his eyes again, meeting Gabriel’s.  

Sam clenched his hands into fists to keep from reaching out to Gabriel and wrapping the smaller man up and into his arms.  “I’m not going to ask you to forgive me, Gabriel,” Sam said, clearing his throat.  “I don’t deserve it.  I’m not going to ask you to take me back, because, fuck, this is my own fault and I’m going to own that.  I just…” Sam made a small, helpless noise in the back of his throat.  “I just want you to know I’m sorry, Gabriel.  I’m so, so, so sorry.”  

Gabriel stared at Sam and watched his shoulders slump as he turned on his heel and started to walk away.  Sam had almost hit the corner to turn around and leave his life forever when Gabriel jumped into action.  “Do you want that?” he blurted.  

Sam froze and looked back at Gabriel.  “Wh-what?”  

Gabriel ignored the voice that said he was pathetic for even asking this question, even as his heart pounded loudly enough that he was sure that Sam could hear it.  “Getting back together.  Do you want that?  You said you weren’t going to ask.  But, is that something you want?” 

Sam sighed and stared at the ceiling.  “I wanted you back the second I told you to leave.”  

“You broke my heart,” Gabriel said, his voice quiet as he stared at Sam, even as the other man turned back to him.  

Sam walked closer, still standing a few feet away from Gabriel.  “I know,” he whispered.  “I know, because I left my heart with you and it hasn’t stopped hurting since.”  

“I don’t know if I can…can…” Gabriel started and trailed off, because it’d be a lie.  He wanted nothing more than to throw himself into Sam’s arms and never let go.  “Fuck it,” he growled, catching sight of Sam’s wounded expression before he was stalking forward to wrap his arms around Sam’s waist and bury his face in a firm, perfect chest.  

It took a second, but then Sam’s arms were around him, hugging him too tight and it felt like coming home.  Gabriel gave a small hiccup and tangled his fingers in Sam’s shirt.  “Stay,” he whispered.  “Please, fuck, don’t go again.”  

“Not going anywhere,” Sam whispered against Gabriel’s hair, blinking hard against the tears.  “I love you too damn much.”  

“Me too,” Gabriel mumbled.  “Love you, fucking ripped my damn heart out.” 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Sam repeated, pressing soft kisses to Gabriel’s hair.  

Gabriel smiled a little bit.  “I demand groveling.”  

“You have it.  Anything.  Candy, sex, ice cream-” 

Gabriel’s eyes widened.  “Ice cream!”  He tugged himself out of Sam’s arms.  “I left some out!”  

Gabriel immediately rushed back into the apartment and put the ice cream back into the freezer and turned to look at Sam, but there was no Sam in his apartment.  He frowned and stuck his head around the door.  Sam was still in the hallway, looking surprised to see him again.  “What the hell are you doing?” 

“What?” Sam asked.  

“You aren’t giving me my makeup kisses in the hallway, Sammich, get the hell in here!” 

Sam’s eyes would go wide and he would be in the apartment in a matter of seconds, and his hands would be wrapped around Gabriel’s face as he shut the door behind him and they kissed and kissed and kissed.  

Later, after a shower, and a little bit more talking, they fall asleep, curled together on the bed, their feet tangled together.  

OH GOD OH GOD OH GODDDD HUGGING LESSONS YES.  

Gabriel watched Charlie give a small grunt as Sam released her after a tight hug and shook his head.  “What, don’t know your own strength there?” he called, sauntering towards Sam.  

Sam gave Gabriel a sheepish grin and waved to Charlie.  “Uh, I’m not great with hugs?”  

Gabriel raised both of his eyebrows and took in the very obvious freshman in front of him and crossed his arms over his chest.  “What, have you never hugged?” 

Sam looked down and shrugged.  “I didn’t get a lot of practice with it.  What did I do wrong?”  

“Too tight and your hands were in the wrong position,” Gabriel said immediately and watched Sam flinch and curl in on himself.  Oh fuck, it was like he’d just kicked a fucking puppy.  “I mean, it’s not going to make her stop being friends with you or something-”

“Did I hurt her?” Sam asked.  

“I,” Gabriel blinked and paused.  “No, I don’t think you did.  I think you just surprised her with a too-tight hug and she didn’t know what to do.”  

Sam nodded and adjusted the shoulder strap of his bag.  “Makes sense…” 

Gabriel sighed and stared at the kid, at how upset he clearly was, but he also had no idea how to fix the issue.  “You just need practice, that’s all,” he offered. 

Sam laughed and rolled his eyes.  “And how do you suppose I get that practice?  Wander around campus advertising that I need a hug-coach?” 

“Well, no,” Gabriel said, grinning a little bit.  “But if you offered to buy me pizza and some candy once a week I’d be willing to help.”  

Sam lit up.  “You would?” 

Gabriel couldn’t bring himself to say no to wide, hopeful hazel eyes.  “Yeah.  Let’s do Saturdays.  That work for you?” 

Sam gave an eager nod.  “Yeah, definitely.  Want my number?”  

Gabriel held out his phone to Sam and watched him press it in, a hint of pink tongue peeking out between Sam’s lips as he did.  He swallowed hard and took a deep breath.  He needed to get himself under control.  This was about helping Sam.  Not about anything else.  

~!~

Sam made a frustrated noise and pulled out of Gabriel’s arms.  “What did I do wrong now?”  

“You’re still squeezing too tightly!  I feel like I’m being crushed!” Gabriel said, standing with his hands on his hips as he stared at Sam.  He huffed.  

Sam squirmed uncomfortably.  “Maybe I’m just made out for this hugging thing.  You’re way smaller than me, anyways.”  

Gabriel growled and glared at Sam.  “Hey, watch you who are calling small there, because I at least know how to give a hug!”  

Sam lit up with an idea.  “Show me!” he demanded, stepping closer to Gabriel.  

Gabriel blinked.  “What?”  

“Show me how you give a hug?  Let me figure it out!” Sam said, grinning, clearly pleased with himself. 

Gabriel swallowed hard and stared at Sam.  “All right.  Sit on the edge of the bed.  For this to work, we need to try to negate as much of the height difference as possible.”  

“You mean I can’t hug smaller people?” Sam asked, his voice sad.  “Everyone’s smaller than me!”  

Gabriel snorted and straddled Sam’s legs, looking at him.  “No, it means you should be CAREFUL with smaller people until you get your bearings.”  

Sam choked and took a deep breath.  “You’re, you’re-”

“Shut up and pay attention,” Gabriel grumbled, doing his best to distract himself from what Sam was oh-so helpfully trying to point out.  He took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around Sam’s shoulders, pulling him in closer.  “Arms around my waist.”  

Sam hugged like he was something precious, gentle, careful, as though he were porcelain glass, ready to shatter into a thousand pieces.  “Like this?”  

Gabriel tightened his hold a little bit, pulling Sam in properly.  “Like this,” he instructed, his voice a little hoarse.  Sam’s arms tightened around him, but stopped before they reached too tight.  

Gabriel told himself it wasn’t a good fucking idea.  Especially with a couple of beers that they had both had.  But even still, he fucking melted into Sam, because now, his hugs were everything they should be.  Firm, warm, protective… he wanted to curl up in Sam’s arms and never leave.  

“Gabriel?” Sam asked.  

Gabriel jolted himself back and out of Sam’s arms, staring at him, clearing his throat awkwardly.  “Uh, I, sorry.  That was good.  Real good.”  

“Yeah,” Sam agreed, nodding a couple of times before clearing his throat.  Gabriel was still sitting on his lap. 

“Right,” Gabriel said, standing up and shuffling a few paces back from Sam.  “I think you’ve got the hang of it.”  

Sam looked at Gabriel.  He didn’t want to have the hang of the it.  Not yet.  Then he’d never get a chance to hug Gabriel again.  “I, uh, maybe I need more practice?” 

Gabriel raised an eyebrow at Sam.  “Then I think maybe you should find a girlfriend you can practice with.  Don’t worry, I’m sure that there are plenty of girls that would love a good cuddle with you.”  

Sam mumbled something that Gabriel couldn’t pick up and he sighed, turning to face Sam again.  “What was that?”  

“I don’t want a girlfriend,” Sam said, raising his chin a little to look at Gabriel.  “I uh, kinda, maybe don’t like girls?  Like that.”  

Gabriel blinked a few times and trailed his eyes up and down Sam’s body.  He leaned against the doorframe and stared at him.  “No?”  

Sam shook his head.  “No, and I kinda…” he swallowed and flushed.  “Kinda have this crush on a really hot upperclassman.”  

Gabriel fought down the surge of immediate of jealousy of whoever Sam liked and raised his eyebrows.  “Do I know them?” 

“Maybe,” Sam whispered.  “I mean.  He’s got golden eyes, and hair and he’s a little short, but he’s funny and HOT, and I mean, he already has my number…” 

Gabriel tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, watching a bright red blush crawl up Sam’s cheeks.  “Really?  You think he’s interested?” 

Sam bit down on his lip.  “I hope so,” he offered, looking up at Gabriel, showing him a quick smile.

Gabriel was such a fucking sucker for those dimples, they should be outlawed.  “I think you’d be right with that.”  

Sam lit up, his eyes going wide.  “Really?” 

“Definitely,” Gabriel said, walking closer to Sam.  “After all, who are you going to practice hugging with if not your next date?” 

Sam grinned and reached out, tangling a finger in Gabriel’s belt loop.  “I think I’m ready for my next practice session.”  

Gabriel smirked and wrapped his arms around Sam’s shoulders again as he straddled those long legs.  “Very well, then, lesson number two? Add kissing.” 

Sam didn’t respond for a long, long time after that.  

I NEED SO MANY MORE ANIMAL GIFS I DO NOT HAVE NEARLY ENOUGH AND THIS IS SO ADORABLE THAT IT FREAKING HURTS.  PAIN.  LOTS AND LOTS OF PAIN.  BUT GABRIEL AT A ZOO, GABRIEL AT A ZOO. I’M GONNA TWIST THE PROMPT A WEE BIT BECAUSE  HAVE AN -IDEA-, BUT I THINK YOU’LL LIKE IT!!  

Gabriel sighed and stared at Sam.  He raised a mocking eyebrow and stared at him.  “You want me to go where, with you?”  

Sam held out the tickets that he had won on trivia night and smiled at him.  “I want to take you to the zoo with me.  I think that you’ll have fun.”  

“The zoo?” Gabriel drawled, his brows drawing together with a frown.  “Seriously?” 

Sam put both of his hands on his hips.  “Don’t make me do it.”  

Gabriel’s eyes went a little bit wide and he glared.  “You wouldn’t DARE.”  

Sam smirked and relaxed his face, walking towards Gabriel, his face open and gave Gabriel his best hesitant pout, like he was afraid to even ask Gabriel what he was.  

Gabriel scowled at Sam.  “I fucking hate you, do you know that?” 

Sam stepped a little bit closer to the couch, reaching out to comb his fingers through Gabriel’s hair.  “Gabriel, please?” 

“Fucking FINE,” Gabriel growled.  “Turn of the magic pouting powers already.” 

Sam smiled happily and leaned down to kiss Gabriel.  “Thank you.” 

~!~

Gabriel sighed as they walked into the over-crowded zoo and pressed a little bit closer to Sam.  A bird twittered by and Gabriel looked up at it, tilting his head a little.  

“Fucking warn us when you’re going to bring a human that size around here, I nearly ran into him!” The pigeon squawked at Gabriel.  

Gabriel burst out laughing, his back bowing back.  He grinned up at Sam and at the confused look he got.  “He was…” Sam raised an eyebrow and Gabriel shook his head.  “Nevermind, come on, let’s go.”  

As the day went by, Gabriel happily listened to the animals sass and comment on them as they walked by.  Most of them were distracted by Sam, understandably so.  Except then they got to the reptiles.

“Look at those wings.  Bet your eggs are delicious,” one snake hissed, facing Gabriel.  

Gabriel’s eyes went wide with indignation.  “You, you, you CANNOT eat my babies!”  

Sam turned to Gabriel, his eyes wide.  “What?  I’m not eating anything!” 

Gabriel pointed to the snake.  “He said he wanted to eat my eggs!” he protested and watched Sam’s face go through a complicated series of emotions.  

“Do…” Sam cleared his throat.  “Do you lay eggs?”  

Gabriel blinked and stared at Sam.  “I am not a chicken!” 

Sam started to grin and looked back at the snake who was staring at him.  “So you can talk to animals?” 

Gabriel shrugged.  “Messenger?  I can talk to everyone.”  

“What have they been saying all day?” Sam asked as they walked past some spiders and further into the reptile house.  

Gabriel snickered.  “Mostly bitching about how tall you are, actually.”  

Sam blinked a few times.  “Animals…complain?”  

“If they can, yeah.  I mean, I pretty much tune out ants, because all they do is chant whatever they’re being told by the queen, and other stuff like that,” Gabriel said, waving a hand.  

Sam grabbed Gabriel’s hand and tugged him out of the reptile house.  “Come on, I want to know what all of the rest are saying!”  

Gabriel laughed as Sam dragged him on a makeshift summary, quietly giving Sam the running commentary as they went through exhibit after exhibit.  “Birds really fucking hate you,” he said as another one gave a loud caw.

Sam laughed.  “Is it the height thing?”  

“Yeah,” Gabriel said, pulling Sam down for a kiss as they headed for the aquarium.  “It’s hilarious, they’re cussing you the second they see you.”  

“Of course.”  Sam rolled his eyes and leaned down and kissed Gabriel.  “Glad you came?”  

Gabriel smirked and winked at Sam.  “Absolutely.”  

They walked through the aquarium hand in hand before heading towards the exit when a commotion happened behind them.  Sam turned around to find several peacocks, tail feathers spread, only a few feet from them.  “What the-”

Gabriel made an approving clicking noise, bowing at the peacocks.  “Thank you gentlemen, but I’m afraid he’s mine and is not available.”  

One of them squawked and Gabriel laughed, taking Sam’s hand again before leading him out of the park.  “Come on, Samshine!  I’m tired of translating for today!” 

“Only if you promise to tell me that you don’t, actually, lay eggs.”  

Gabriel looked at Sam and waggled his eyebrows.  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” 

Sam groaned.  

WELL, SAM, I DON’T KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU TAKING ADVANTAGE OF GABRIEL LIKE THIS, BUT I THINK THE FEELING MIGHT BE SERIOUSLY HEARTY APPROVAL.  

Sam wrinkled his nose as he walked into the apartment.  It took him a second to place the smell, but once he had, he growled Gabriel’s name.  “Gabriel!” 

Gabriel blew out a slow stream of smoke and waved over the edge of the couch.  “Saaaaaam, bout time you showed up, I’m almost done the second joint!” 

Sam pressed his fingers to his forehead and walked closer to Gabriel.  “You do realize that we could get evicted for this?” 

Gabriel waved again.  “Landlord’s on vacation, and that’s what windows and febreeze are for!”  

Sam scowled.  “Gabriel, why are you smoking?”  

“Cause I can,” Gabriel said, eating a handful of goldfish.  “Sides, you were out, and I was bored, so I decided that smoking sounded like a good plan.”  

Sam stopped and thought about it.  The last time Gabriel had gotten high, he hadn’t remembered any of it.  He peeked at Gabriel.  “How high are you?” 

“Very,” Gabriel said with a giggle.  

Sam considered his options carefully and walked over to the couch, flopping down next to Gabriel.  He held his hand out for the joint.  “Come on, if we’re going to do this, you’re going to share.”  

Gabriel offered Sam the joint with a gleeful cackle.  "That’s right, follow me down the path of the glorious high, where nothing matters except that you have snacks!“

Sam grinned and took a slow hit on the joint.  It was the only one that he took.  For the next half hour, he pretended to share the joint with Gabriel, carefully teasing and testing just how high Gabriel was.  

It didn’t take long for Gabriel to get to the point of forgetfulness, and Sam took a deep breath and decided to go for it.  "Hey Gabe?”

Gabriel lolled his head in Sam’s direction and grinned.  He reached up and poked one of Sam’s dimples, pressing his finger into the indent.  "These are so cute.“  

Sam flushed and stared at Gabriel, surprised that he was so willing to touch him like that.  "You like my dimples?”  

“Mmmhmmm,” Gabriel hummed, turning over slowly, almost falling on top of Sam.  "They’re leeeeethal.  Like your smile.  You are a walking danger.“  

Sam tried not to laugh at Gabriel, watching as he slowly shifted himself so they were facing.  "A walking danger to our furniture maybe.”  

Gabriel snorted and shook his head, his hair flying around his head to settle in a mess a moment later.  "No, no, no, dangerous to my HEART, Sammich.  You and all your stupid being handsome and perfect and smart and the hottest piece of ass on campus.“  

Sam laughed and grinned at Gabriel.  "Thought the hottest piece of ass on campus was you, Gabe?”  

Gabriel huffed and attempted to cross his arms over his chest, but got distracted with his hands.  "I, dammit, no, maybe, fuck it, we tie for first?“ he said, offering up a hopeful smile.  

"Yes, of course,” Sam agreed, raising an eyebrow.  He cleared his throat and studied Gabriel, shivering a little when hazy golden eyes snapped to his.  "What do you mean dangerous to your heart?“ he asked.  

Gabriel frowned and reached out to poke Sam in the chest, pressing his finger against his heart.  He poked Sam a couple of times and pouted.  "You.  You and your perfectness.  I kinda can’t handle it.  It’s too much.  Know that?  You’re too much.  You and your~” he waved in Sam’s direction.  "’s so far outta my league, Sam…“  

Sam blinked, his mouth falling open in shock as he stared at Gabriel.  "Wh-what?  My perfectness?”  

“Yeah!” Gabriel said, giving Sam a glare.  "Makin’ me all in love with you and then, then, then, not ever wantin’ me, cause how could you want meeeeeeee?“

Sam sucked in a hard breath.  "Gabriel, you, you-”

Gabriel huffed and bit down on his lip and leaned closer, pressing his forehead to Sam’s chest.  "Yeah,“ he said in a small voice.  "Can’t ever tell you, cause you’ll leave forever, and that’s AWFUL.”

Sam’s heart was pounding where Gabriel was pressed up against him, and he wanted to say something, anything, but Gabriel gave a snore a few minutes later and stopped him from saying anything.  He took a deep breath and wrapped a firm arm around Gabriel, settling him a little bit better against his chest.  

Then Sam remembered that the apartment was going to smell like pot if he didn’t open a damn window. He careful as he got himself out from under Gabriel and opened up both windows.  Then he turned back to the couch and saw Gabriel curling up a little bit tighter into a ball on the couch.  

Sam sighed and walked over to him, picking him up easily, carrying him into his bedroom.  He stripped off Gabriel’s socks and his shirt and tucked him into his bed before kicking off his shoes, socks, jeans and overshirt before crawling in behind him, wrapping an arm around Gabriel’s waist, tugging the other man back against him.  

“I’ll show you,” Sam whispered into Gabriel’s hair.  "In the morning.  Not gonna let you leave now,“ he promised.  

Gabriel woke up, warm, comfortable and completely unwilling to move.  Except that wasn’t right.  He forced his eyes open and blinked a few times.  He shifted, and the arm around his middle tightened.  Horror flooded him as he realized that there was someone in his bed, curled up behind him.  Oh no, fuck, what if Sam found him like this?  

Gabriel yanked himself away from the person in his bed and scrambled to his feet, looking for his damn shirt, he couldn’t believe he’d been this stupid, fuck, he had to get this guy the hell out of here before Sam found him and-

"Gabriel?”  

Gabriel froze.  His entire body went ice cold.  He swallowed hard and turned around.  Sam was there, in his bed.  Wearing, wearing, oh god.  Fuck.  What had he done?  Now Sam was going to leave, and he’d messed up everything, fuck, he was an idiot, he never should have-

“Gabriel, Gabriel what’s wrong?” Sam asked, sitting up in bed.  Gabriel looked panicked, his eyes darting around the room as he backed away from the bed.  Uncertainty filled him.  "Gabriel?“

"I’m sorry,” Gabriel blurted, his eyes wide.  "I shouldn’t, fuck, Sam, I’m so sorry, I promise, I promise, that we’re never going to have to talk about it, we’ll pretend that it never happened, and we can go back to-“

"Gabriel,” Sam growled, climbing out of bed, stalking towards the shorter man.  "What the hell is going through your head right now?“

Gabriel froze again, staring up at Sam.  "I, Sam?”

Sam sighed and carefully cupped Gabriel’s face in his hands.  "Feel free to tell me if I’ve read this completely wrong,“ he said, and leaned in to kiss Gabriel, soft and gentle, pulling back a few seconds later to look at him again.  

Gabriel blinked and stared up at Sam.  His lips tingled where they had been pressed to Sam’s for not nearly long enough.  "Sam?”

“Yeah, Gabriel?” Sam asked, slowly stroking his thumbs over Gabriel’s cheeks.  

“Did you just kiss me?” Gabriel asked.  He needed to be absolutely, one hundred percent certain that had not been a drug-induced dream.  

Sam smiled and leaned in to kiss Gabriel, soft and gentle.  "Yeah,“ he whispered against Gabriel’s lips.  

Gabriel blinked and reached up to tangle his hands in Sam’s shirt, pulling him a little closer.  "Are you going to kick me out?”

“Hell no,” Sam whispered.  "But I am going to take you back to bed, if that’s all right.  It’s early.“  

Gabriel glanced back at the bed and then at Sam.  He cleared his throat a little.  "I can kiss you again?”

Sam grinned.  "Yeah.  Think we should both brush our teeth first before we go further though.“  

Gabriel’s brain broke a little bit on what ‘further’ could mean, but he nodded and let Sam lead him back to the bed.  He climbed in and watched Sam do the same, immediately cuddling up against Sam’s chest with a happy sigh.  "Sounds good,” he said, realizing that he had never responded.  

“Yeah,” Sam agreed, pressing a kiss to the top of Gabriel’s head, closing his eyes.  "It definitely does.“  

OKAY, WELP, THIS IS GOING IN AN UNEXPECTED DIRECTION, BUT THAT’S WHAT ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN GABRIEL IS DRINKING.  

Gabriel walked over towards the liquor cabinet, whistling happily.  "Friday night is margarita night, and let me tell you, I am planning on making them strong tonight, because you all have earned a drink or ten!“

Sam looked over at Gabriel and frowned at the cabinet.  "Hey Gabriel, I think we might be-”

“Where is the tequila?” Gabriel asked, scowling, pushing a few bottles aside with a clank.  "I know we had some.“  

Dean cleared his throat.  "Uh.”  

Gabriel turned around and raised an eyebrow.  "You don’t like tequila that much.  I know this.  You bitch about it every single Friday.“  

"Dean does not, but I have found I enjoy the taste of it,” Castiel said, smiling at Gabriel.  

Gabriel looked up at the heaves and sighed, long and loud.  "I’m going to have to do something drastic now.“  

"Quit your bitching and just snap up more tequila,” Dean said, turning back to his computer.  

“I have a far, far better idea,” Gabriel said, lighting up, his eyes narrowing at Castiel.  "How would you like to get Castiel properly drunk?“  

Dean snorted.  "Been there, done that.  He needs a whole liquor store.  And if you’re going to be snapping that up, might as well get yourself some tequila.”  

Gabriel rolled his eyes.  "No, no, no.  That’s so much effort.  Why not something instead that’s designed to knock gods on their asses?“  

Sam raised his eyebrows.  "What are you talking about Gabriel?”

Gabriel snapped his fingers and held out his hands, a jug appearing in them a moment later, a large smirk on his face.  "Who is up for a drinking game?“

Sam looked over at Dean.  

Dean looked at Castiel.  

Castiel walked closer and looked into the bottle, squinting.  "Is it supposed to look gold?”  

Gabriel smirked.  "Hell yes it is.  Say hello to Asgardian Mead, bro!“

"I have a feeling,” Castiel said,  "That I may regret agreeing to this.“

Gabriel laughed and snapped them up both glasses.  "Your feeling is likely going to be correct, but hey, we can wait and see.”  

~!~

“And that, let me tell you, is why Sam has the best dick!” Gabriel said, hiccuping a little bit as he waved a finger at Dean.  "Your argument over Cas is bullshiiiiiii~iiiiiit~“  

Castiel cleared his throat and downed the rest of his glass, swaying a little bit.  "I think that Dean has the prettiest dick.  And also the best.”  

Dean flushed, his eyes wide as he stared at Cas.  "Shut up, it was Gabriel’s dare!“  

"But,” Castiel pouted at Dean and frowned at him.  "You do.“  

Gabriel cackled and refilled Castiel’s glass and crawled into Sam’s lap, cuddling with him.  "Tell us more!”  

“Please don’t,” Sam said with a groan, downing the rest of his glass.  He held it out to Gabriel and watched the archangel splash in a few drops of the mead and add some other sort of mix that diluted the stuff.  

Castiel turned to Dean and smiled.  "You do.“  

Dean flushed a little darker and growled, turning to Gabriel.  "Your turn, hurry up and get it over with.”  

Gabriel snickered and cuddled back into Sam’s lap, stretching out.  "I don’t know, Dean-o, I’m enjoying where this one took me, honestly.“  

"Come on,” Sam said, slipping a hand up and under Gabriel’s shirt, giggling when the archangel shivered.  He leaned in close to Gabriel’s ear and whispered.  "Because you and I both actually know the answer to that dare of yours.“

Gabriel bit down a groan and turned to Sam.  "Fine, Sam, truth or dare?”

Sam considered it and raised both of his eyebrows at Gabriel.  "Truth,“ he said, downing the rest of his drink, as required by their game that got them.  

"So boring~” Gabriel said with a pout.  "But fine.  I dare you, Sammy Sasquatch Winchester, to tell me the top three reasons you love me!“  

Sam blinked and stared at Gabriel.  "Huh?”  

Gabriel huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.  "What you can’t think of three?“  He hiccuped and pouted.  "You’re creative, you can come up with three if you try reeeeeeally hard, I bet?”  

Sam smiled and tightened his arms around the archangel.  "Gabriel, I could give you a hundred, but if you want only three?“ he hummed and kissed Gabriel’s neck.  "I suppose I can restrain myself to three.”  

Gabriel blushed and leaned back into Sam’s arms.  He sipped the mead and closed his eyes.  "Come on, get on with the sexy compliments already,“ he said, waving his hands.  

"Ah,” Sam whispered.  "But you said top three reasons.  I have a few that are tied for the top.  But the first one?  It’s your laugh, Gabriel.  I love the way you laugh with your entire body, the way your cheeks scrunch up, and how your eyes twinkle.  You feel joy with your entire body.“  

Gabriel gasped a little and distracted himself by pouring more mead.  "I mean, you don’t-”

“The second thing I love most about you?  Hmmm, that could be a few different things, but I would have to say it’s how much you make me smile,” Sam said, trailing his hand higher under Gabriel’s shirt.  "Didn’t always have a lot of reasons to smile, Gabriel, but you give me so many, and so many of them just involve you, and I love, I love that, so much,“ Sam said, giggling a little bit, into Gabriel’s neck.  

Gabriel bit down on his lip.  He hadn’t expected this.  He’d expected some sexy compliments and then he would, would drag Sam off to bed or something.  "Saaaaaaaam~!”  

Sam smiled and closed his eyes.  "Mmm.  Third thing?  I love how possessive you are of me.  I love that when you say that I am yours, you mean it, and you prove it.  I love, love feeling that you want me that much.“  

Gabriel’s mouth fell open a little bit.  "You, you…”  

Sam grinned and trailed his fingers lower.  "Want me to continue with all the sexy compliments?  Or is it my turn?“  

"It’s,” Gabriel choked a little and sipped more mead.  "Your turn, Sam.“  

"Okay.  Cas, truth or dare?” Sam called.  

Castiel pulled himself away from where he had been staring into Dean’s eyes.  "Truth, Sam.“  

Sam rolled his eyes.  "I want you to look Dean in the eyes, and tell him five things that you want to do with him in the future.”  He watched Castiel blush and turn his attention back to Dean.  Sam refocused on Gabriel.  

“Now,” Sam whispered, sliding his hand lower, slipping it between Gabriel’s thighs.  "Where was I with my compliments?“  

"Why don’t I show you?” Gabriel asked hoarsely.  

“Sounds good,” Sam said with a grin.  

Oh, wait.

Gabriel picked up the hat and twirled it between his fingers, grinning at it.  He hadn’t seen one of these in decades.  He flipped it between his hands a few more times and then put it on his side, tilting it a little bit for dramatic effect.  

He snapped up a mirror and grinned, striking a pose.  “Oh ho ho, now,” he whispered into the mirror.  

Gabriel tapped his jaw for a moment and studied the reflection.  “I’m missing something…ah!”  He snapped and then grinned, bright and wide.  “Perfect!” 

~!~

Gabriel appeared next to Sam a moment later.  “Why, good sir, thou art looking quite dashing this evening!” 

Sam blinked and took in the top hat and then the monocle over Gabriel’s eye.  He tilted his head a little and raised both of his eyebrows.  “Uh, thank you?” 

Gabriel grinned and pretended to swirl a mustache.  He should probably have one of those.  Hm.  

“Hey Gabriel?  You’re weirding me out a little here,” Sam added, looking him up and down.  Why on earth was Gabriel wearing a top hat?  

Gabriel gasped and pressed a hand to his heart.  “Well, then you have left me with no choice!  I shall have to switch to my formal attire!” He snapped.  

Sam blinked and burst out laughing at Gabriel’s tuxedo jacket and mustache.  He grinned and wrapped his arms around the archangel.  

“Haha, quite dashing, wouldn’t you say?” 

Sam hummed and lifted the hat off of Gabriel’s head and pressed a kiss to his neck.  “Mmm, I’d say you are indeed quite smashing if I do say so myself.”  

Gabriel pretended to swoon into Sam’s arms and grinned up at him.  “Well, then, sir, I believe you should sweep me away then, as all proper gentlemen do.” 

Another laugh broke free and Sam shifted, swinging Gabriel easily into his arms.  “Of course, I wouldn’t want you to think that I wasn’t a proper gentleman!”  

Gabriel gasped and wrapped his arms around Sam’s neck, grinning up at him.  “Never!”  

OMG, YOU ARE SO TOTALLY, RIGHT, THIS HAS HAPPENED A DOZEN TIMES OVER AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH, BECAUSE GABRIEL GETS BORED WHILE SAM LOOKS AT VEGETABLES.  

Sam took a deep breath and watched Gabriel pick up another orange and add it to the growing stack that he was tossing higher and higher into the air.  Six, now seven oranges danced between Gabriel’s hands in an easy motion.  

“Gabriel,” Sam called, watching him add two pears.  People were starting to stare now.  

“Yeah, Sam?” Gabriel called, shifting and reaching a little for an apple, adding it to the mix.  

“Why are you juggling?” 

“Bored,” Gabriel answered.  "You were looking at vegetables, and I have no desire to look at those, so I decided to do something else.“

Sam watched Gabriel add another, fuck was that an avocado?  "And your first thought was to juggle things?”  

Gabriel shrugged and focused on setting up a new rhythm, throwing them a little bit higher than he was before.  "Sure, why not.  It’s harmless, it keeps me entertained, it’s fun, and you can shop for your boring vegetables.“  

Sam opened his mouth and stared at Gabriel, because he wanted to disagree, but he couldn’t.  "So are you just going to sit there and juggle fruit while I pick out vegetables?”  

“Yes,” Gabriel said, grinning as he grabbed three more apples to add them to the growing stack he had, hearing a soccer mom gasp from behind Sam.  

Sam took a deep breath and walked over to pick out what he needed.  He heard surprised gasps and whispers every single time someone else passed Gabriel, but he also watched the archangel put down some of the fruit so the stack got smaller and probably so it didn’t get bruised.  

He bit down another smile and focused on picking out the tomatoes he wanted.  Sam finished his shopping a few minutes later and walked back up to Gabriel.  "Ready?“ he called.  

Within seconds, all of the fruit had been returned to their regular spots and Gabriel was pushing their cart further into the store.  Sam followed him, smiling in a bemused way.  

It became there thing.  Gabriel would even get audiences of kids who would watch him juggle and sometimes toss him things while Sam grabbed what he needed.  The second he was finished, Gabriel would rejoin him.  

Of course, Sam might have started taking a little bit longer than he normally did so he could watch Gabriel grin while he flipped different items between his hands and kids watch him with awe on their faces.  

"You know,” Sam said, bumping his shoulder into Gabriel’s.  "You’re rather good with kids.“  

"Kids are easy,” Gabriel said with a shrug.  "There’s no real attempt to hide how they feel.  So when they’re excited or happy or sad, you know it. That’s easier than being around adults.“  

Sam grinned and pressed a kiss to the top of Gabriel’s head.  "Hopefully I don’t count in the adults column.”  

Gabriel shook his head and leaned into Sam.  "Nah, not ever.“  He grinned and waggled his eyebrows, looking down Sam’s body.  "Even if you couldn’t use your words, I almost always know what you are thinking.”  

Sam flushed and took a deep breath.  "Gabriel we are in public.“  

"Yeeeeeah, you think that’s going to stop me?” Gabriel asked, winking at Sam.  

Sam sighed and stared at the ceiling.  "Why do I love you again?“  

"My sparkling wit, conversation, occassional emergency healings, and, of course, my ability to juggle,” Gabriel rattled off, grinning bright and wide at Sam.

Sam leaned down to steal a kiss from Gabriel.  "The last one is definitely right,“ he teased, smirking at the archangel.

Gabriel sighed a blew out a breath, looking up at the sky.  A few more dances and everything would be over, he’d have pulled off one of the most successful proms in their history.  

Well, of their school anyways.  He’d been so busy planning the damn thing, finding a date had been impossible.  Nevermind that the person he actually wanted to bring had his own date, who had monopolized him for most of the evening.  

“Gabe?” 

Gabriel lifted his head in surprise and stared at Sam.  “What are you doing out here?”

Sam slipped out of the door and shut it carefully behind him.  “I was looking for you.  You disappeared.”  

Gabriel snapped into student council mode immediately.  “What’s wrong?  What happened?  Did someone else try to spike the punch?  Do I-”

“Woah, woah, woah,” Sam said, holding up his hands.  “Everything is fine.  I just wanted to come see where you were hiding since you disappeared.”  

Gabriel grinned at Sam.  “I came outside to revel in my dateless evening.  It’s easier than watching you all get sappy with each other.”  

Sam shrugged and came to stand beside Gabriel.  “I know that feeling.  I finally got Anna and Jess to dance.  Took them long enough.” 

“Anna and…Jess?  Wasn’t Jess your date?” Gabriel asked, staring at Sam. 

“Well, yeah.  But that was just because we agreed ages ago if neither of us got up the courage to ask our crushes to prom, we’d go together.  Since we were both fucking cowards, we went together,” Sam said with a shrug.  

Gabriel tried to ignore the pang of regret at the knowledge that Sam had a crush on someone.  Someone who would never, ever be him, and that was okay.  “You should have asked them.”  

Sam shrugged.  “I knew they’d turn me down.  It’s okay.”  

“Why?” Gabriel asked, staring at him.  “You’re hot stuff, and you know it.”  

“He’s hotter,” Sam said, grinning a little bit, stuffing his hands in his pockets.  “It’s okay though.  I’ll survive and keep crushing forever.”  

Gabriel leaned over and bumped his shoulder into Sam’s, pretending that his whole brain had not broken at the “he’s hotter” comment.  “You never know unless you ask.”  

Sam shrugged and gave a little laugh.  “I suppose.  It’s kinda why I came out here anyways.  Told Jess I’d fucking man up.”  

Gabriel blinked and dread settled into his stomach.  “Well, if you’re waiting for him to join you, wouldn’t want me here to distract.  Guess that means it’s back inside to brave the sappy couples.”  

Sam blanched and pushed himself upright.  “No, Gabriel-”

Gabriel waved a hand.  “It’s okay, you were nice about telling me to buzz off, though you should have been faster, what if they came out here and saw that-”

“It’s you!” Sam snapped, interrupting Gabriel, hunching his shoulders defensively before he took a deep breath and sighed.  “It’s you,” he repeated, kicking at the ground.  “Came out here to tell you, cause Jess managed to tell Anna, and well.  Fuck.  It’s senior year, and prom, and now you know.”  

Gabriel blinked again.  “I…me?” 

Sam laughed and stuffed his hands into his pockets.  “Yeah, you, you dumbfuck.  I’ve had a crush on you for he past two years.  But you’re busy running the damn school, and, well, I was just the nerd you were partnered with in Bio and Chem.”  

Gabriel opened his mouth and closed it a few more times, but no sound escaped.  

Sam sighed and stared at the ground.  “It’s fine if you don’t like me back, Gabriel, just go ahead and say it and get it over with.  I knew it.”  

“I have stared at your ass, every single day you have gone to get whatever we need in Chem and Bio for the past two years,” Gabriel said, still staring at Sam. 

Sam blinked.  “What?”  

Gabriel waved a hand at Sam.  “Your ass.  Gorgeous.  Spent a lot of tonight staring.” 

“I…now I’m confused,” Sam said, staring at Gabriel.  

Gabriel stuffed both of his hands into his pocket and sauntered closer to Sam.  “Then let’s recap.  You have a crush on me.  Have for years.  I was out here moping because I thought you and Jessica were the perfect couple of senior year.” 

Sam’s mouth went dry, and he could feel his palms sweating a little.  “M-moping?” 

“Yup,” Gabriel drawled, popping the ‘p’, stopping directly in front of Sam.  “Cause your crush happens to be mutual.  Now, with that in mind, wanna blow this popsicle stand and make out in my back seat?”  

“Uh,” Sam managed.  “Yes please?”  

Gabriel grinned and grabbed Sam’s hand that was thankfully a little sweaty, just like his own, and started to tug him towards the cars in the parking lot.  “Just think, you’ll be the one bragging to Jess tomorrow!” 

Sam laughed and squeezed Gabriel’s hand a little tighter.  “Definitely!” 

Gabriel took a deep breath and pushed the door to the coffee shop open and stepped in.  He blinked at the back of a random person that he was immediately confronted with.  "What the…“ he looked around the person and saw that there was a line.  Why was there a line?  

"Hey Gabriel!” Charlie called from the counter.  "Apparently we got some positive reviews!“

Gabriel did his best to smile back at Charlie, but a second later, the door opened again and bumped into his back.  He gritted his teeth together and took a deep breath.  He’d just wanted a few minutes to relax, sink into his new favorite chair and drink some blessed, overly-caffeinated beverage.  But no.  Of course not.  

He glanced over at the red-perfectly poofy chair that he had claimed as his and saw that there was some moose sitting in it.  And with the sandwich and drink beside him, it looked like he was there to stay.  Gabriel sighed again and shuffled forward.  Maybe he’d get lucky and the guy would be done by the time he got his drink.  

It took another ten, precious minutes for Gabriel to reach the counter, and when he did, Charlie gave him another pitying look.  

"Bad day?” she asked.  

Gabriel blew out a breath and smiled at her.  "Yeah, the definition of one, in fact.  Could I get-“

"One of your monstrosities?” Charlie asked, grinning back at him.  "You got it.  Give me a minute.“  

Gabriel relaxed as she immediately stepped away from the register and started making his drink.  Fuck, he needed this thing, so damn bad.  

"Here.  I added some extra caramel.  You needed it,” Charlie said, putting the large drink in front of Gabriel.

“Yeah,” Gabriel agreed, picking up the drink and taking a sip of the just-under-scalding hot, glorious liquid.  "Mmmm.  Fuck.“  

Charlie laughed.  "Five fifty there, boss-man.”  

“Highway robbery,” Gabriel said, winking at her as he handed over his card.  

“I’m sure you think so, that’s why you’re here every day like clockwork,” she teased, handing it back to him a moment later.  

Gabriel pretended to glare at her as he headed for his chair, which was still occupied by the moose person.  Who, now that Gabriel was in the process of caffeinating himself, he could see was rather cute.  

Well.  There was only one thing to be done. He marched over and paused next to the man sitting in HIS seat.  

“You are in my seat.” 

Moose looked up at him and Gabriel had to take a second to fucking register DIMPLES before he was being given a smile and a shrug.  Then moose dimples went back to sipping his coffee.  

Gabriel could only take so much.  He sighed and sat down on moose dimples’ thigh and took a long sip of his drink.  

Moose dimples decided to start laughing, leaning back into the plush comfort of that seat and Gabriel raised an eyebrow at him.  

“Your favorite seat is taken, so you sit on me?”  

“Yes.” Gabriel informed him, sipping his drink again.  

Moose dimples held out his hand.  “Well, if you’re going to sit on my lap and enjoy yourself, you should probably know my name.  It’s Sam.”  

Gabriel choked and found himself in a coughing fit a second later.  A nice, big hand gave him a few pats until he managed to recover.  “Fuck, that was the least suave intro ever,” he said.  

Sam, fuck, dimples were even worse when he laughed, Sam burst out laughing and Gabriel couldn’t help staring.  

“It might have been, but I’m a big fan of second chances,” Sam said, sipping his coffee.  

Gabriel shifted so he was facing Sam, spinning on his thigh.  “Well, then.  Hello there Sam, my name is-”

“Resident seat-stealer?” Sam interrupted.  

Gabriel paused, his mouth open before it split into a grin and he smirked.  “Ohhh, I LIKE you.”  

Sam smirked.  “Likewise, seat-stealer.”  

DRAGON CUDDLES DRAGON CUDDLES, SHIFTER BABIES AND DRAGON CUDDLES.  

Sam sighed and tightened his hand on his backpack as he walked towards the dorms.  The problem with soulmates was that you were supposed to wait for your soulmates to fall in love.  He exhaled hard enough that a few wisps of smoke escaped his nose and blew out a panicked breath.  Fuck he needed to be more careful with that!  

He opened the door to the door and hoped that Gabriel was home.  The best way to forget about this soul mate nonsense was to spend time with the guy that he was in love with, soulmates or not.  He and Gabriel, well, they didn’t give a shit about the pre-ordained bullshit that their parents liked to spout.  They’d hated each other at first, but, it turned out that sex was a good outlet for their anger, and that had bleed into something a whole lot more over the second semester.  

They already were planning to have an apartment together the following year.  Except…

Sam kicked at the carpet outside the front door, straightening it.  Except that all dragons were supposed to find their soulmates by the time they were twenty one and he had less than two months to go.  Which meant that fate was about to start smacking him upside the head.  

Gabriel was lucky.  He turned twenty-one tomorrow, and there wasn’t going to be any fanfare, just the two of them together, getting absolutely shitfaced in the apartment.  He’d already had one of his friends pick up the alcohol for him.  It was going to be a private party for the both of them and it was perfect.  

Sam opened the door and flicked the lights on, dropping his bag on the couch and headed into the kitchen.  "Gabe?  You home?“ he called, locking the door behind him as he opened the fridge and pulled out a soda for himself.  He took a long swig of it and relaxed.  

He blinked when he didn’t hear Gabriel answer.  There hadn’t been any answer at all.  Sam looked behind him and saw Gabriel’s shoes were by the door, which meant that he was home, but Gabriel wasn’t.  He frowned and headed for Gabriel’s room.  He probably had his headphones on.  

Sam opened the door and it was dark in the room, but Gabriel was sitting on the edge of his bed, his head dropped into his hands.  His shoulders were hunched and he looked…defeated.  "Gabriel?”  

Gabriel’s head shot up and he stared at Sam in shock.  He relaxed a little and smiled.  "Sorry, Sammich, was lost in thought.  Didn’t realize you had gotten home already.  Everything okay with you?  How’d work go?“  

Sam blinked as Gabriel got up and gave him a quick kiss and then started walking into the living room.  He followed behind slowly and nearly ran into Gabriel when he stopped, right in the middle of the hallway.  "Jesus, Gabe, warn a guy!  What’s going on?” Sam asked.  

Gabriel pulled his eyes away from the clock.  Three hours left.  He had three hours before his soulmate showed up to take him away from Sam.  He turned to Sam desperately and reached up, pulling him down and into a kiss.  He tangled his fingers in Sam’s hair and tugged him in closer, shaking a little as he pressed as close as he could.  

“Mmmmfph!” Sam mumbled into the kiss, melting into Gabriel, because this was always so easy.  Everything about him wanted to curl into Gabriel’s arms and never leave again.  When their lips parted a few minutes later, Sam realized that Gabriel was crying.  "Gabriel?“ he whispered, wiping the tears away from his cheeks.  "What’s wrong?”  

Gabriel knew that he was a coward for keeping the secret from Sam for so long, but soon, soon it wouldn’t matter anymore.  Whoever his soulmate was would come crashing into his life whether he liked it or not and he was going to lose Sam the second they did.  "I, I want to show you something.“  

Sam blinked at Gabriel and nodded, smiling down at him.  "Okay, you want to show me something.  That’s more than fine, sweetheart.  Are you sure you’re up for it?  I can wait until tomorrow, and we can do it as part of your birthday.”  

Gabriel swallowed down the sob that wanted to escape.  He wasn’t going to have Sam tomorrow and that was the problem.  Some other person, another dragon like him would sweep him off his feet and he’d have to try to forget Sam.  "No, no, it has to be tonight,“ Gabriel said, looking at the clock.  Two hours and forty-five minutes left.  He reached out for Sam’s hand and held it tight.  "Please?”  

“Yeah,” Sam said, reaching out to comb his fingers through Gabriel’s hair.  "Whatever is wrong, when you’re ready to tell me, I promise that I’m here and I won’t be scared away, no matter what it is, okay?“  

Gabriel knew that that wasn’t true.  And as soon as Sam knew, knew about him, he would go running, just like every human did the second they discovered something like this.  The thought made his heart break, and he vowed that he would savor every single one of these last moments that he had with Sam.  "Okay,” he croaked and tugged Sam out of the dorm room, towards where he had his car parked.  

He realized that he might even have to find a different place to sleep tonight and his stomach lurched in horror.  Fuck, he might break up with Sam.  Fuck, how was he even going to breathe without Sam here with him?  

“Gabriel,” Sam said, pulling him to a stop beside the car.  "It’s okay.  Whatever it is, I promise that it is okay.  We’ll figure it out.“  He reached out and brushed one of the tears off of Gabriel’s face.  

Gabriel nodded and climbed into the car, getting it started.  He stared at the clock.  Two hours and forty minutes left.  He reached out and grabbed Sam’s hand, holding it tight as he drove them both off campus.  

"Where are we going?” Sam asked, watching the campus and the city fade behind them.  

“You’ll be safe,” Gabriel promised, looking over at Sam.  "We’re just going to a farm I know.  There’s, well.  I want to show you what is there.“  

Sam raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything further.  Gabriel almost had a deathgrip on his hand, which meant that something was still wrong, very wrong, but until he figured out what it was, he would just need to play along.  

Gabriel parked in the field behind the barn and took a deep breath.  It was now or never.  He had two hours left with Sam, that was it.

“Gabriel,” Sam started, reaching out for him, combing his fingers through the golden strands that he loved so much.  “Look at me, angel?” 

Gabriel couldn’t keep the sob in this time as he stared up at Sam.  “Y-yeah?” 

Sam leaned down and kissed him, softly.  “I love you.  I love you so much.  I promise, no matter what it is, we’ll figure it out.”  

Gabriel reached up and wrapped his arms around Sam’s shoulders, kissing him until they seemed to be frozen together.  He kissed Sam every way he knew how.  Hard, soft, gentle, desperate, groaning into his lips, devouring and memorizing them.  When he finally let their lips slide apart, Sam’s were puffy and pink and his eyes were dark, staring at him in surprise.  Gabriel took a deep breath and took a step back.  

“Gabriel?” Sam asked, reaching out for him.  

Gabriel evaded the hand and took another few steps back, keeping his eyes locked on Sam.  This was probably the last time he was going to see Sam looking at him like that.  After this, it’d be over.  “I told you I had something I wanted to show you, didn’t I?” 

Sam blinked in surprise and stared at Gabriel.  “Well, yes.”  

Gabriel nodded and took a deep breath, walking backward.  “This is what I have to show you.”  He looked up at the sky, and for the first time in months, he left himself shift.  It was the work of a second now, and he unfolded his wings, launching himself into the sky.  He was silent and quick when he landed back in the field, in front of Sam.  Now to wait for the words of shock and revulsion.  

He shifted back, sighing loudly, smoke escaping out of his nose.  He scuffed his shoe in the dirt and wondered if Sam would ask him for the keys to his car so he could drive back on his own.  

“Gabriel,” Sam breathed, his mind spinning.  Gabriel was magnificent, golden, just like his eyes, smaller than he was, quick, moving through the air in easy motions.  But, more than anything else, Sam knew what this MEANT.  “Gabriel!” 

Gabriel flinched and waited for Sam to stalk closer to him.  He clenched his eyes shut and stared at the ground.  

Sam stopped running towards Gabriel and grinned.  He didn’t need to tell Gabriel, he needed to show them.  He took a deep breath and looked skyward, pulling for the shift inside him, letting it take over his body.  He was far larger than Gabriel, but he moved closer and rested his snout just in front of Gabriel, blowing a small stream of smoke at him.  

Gabriel looked up in shock at the warm smoke that was suddenly curling around him.  Another dragon was sitting in front of him where Sam had been standing.  He stared into those hazel eyes that he knew as well as his own and reached out, running his fingers along Sam’s scales, a beautiful mix of green, brown and blue, just like his eyes.  “Sam?”  

Another stream of smoke and then the scales were gone and Sam was striding towards him, a blinding grin on his face.  Gabriel felt himself smile, really smile for the first time in days.  “Sam!”  

Sam caught Gabriel the second the smaller man leapt into his arms and spun him around, kissing him harder and more desperately.  He knew what Gabriel had thought now, why he had been so unwilling to talk earlier.  He grinned and kissed him over and over until they didn’t need to breathe anymore.  

When Gabriel pulled away from him with a grin and shifted, flying to the center of the field where Sam could see there was a nest of sorts.  He grinned and shifted, curling up behind and around Gabriel in the nest, tangling their tails together.  A quick flick of Gabriel’s tongue had him opening his eyes into bright golden ones and he curled around Gabriel a little tighter.  

Mate, mate, mate.  Of course they’d found each other, but they’d never suspected.  He blew out a smoky breath, smiling at Sam and curled into the warmth of his soulmate.  Apparently he hadn’t needed to freak out after all.  

Just like that, Gabriel was excited for the sun to rise, because then they could go flying together.  His wings twitched excitedly at the thought.  They could go flying, and then spend the whole day in bed, drinking, just like they had planned.  It would be perfect.  

Gabriel nuzzled into Sam again, making a quiet noise as he settled in for the night.  Apparently neither he nor Sam felt up to moving.  Just as well, since he was comfy, and tired.  They could get on with the celebration sex tomorrow.