#gabe-trash

Almost every day, Cas (he liked that nickname better) and Gabriel would come over with their puppies and they would play together and it was awesome.  Except, then one summer, Cas and Gabriel had tearfully told them they were moving and that they wouldn’t visit anymore.  

Then there were no puppies anymore.  

~!~ 

Sam sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair as he walked past the cages in the shelter.  “I want to take all of them home.”  

“A common problem.  Now, you said you were looking for a larger dog?” 

Sam nodded to the attendant.  “Yeah, I’m not a small guy.  Want a bigger dog that I can run with.”  

The attendant smiled and led him further down the row.  “I think I know just the one for you.  She’s a German Shepard, husky mix.  A bigger dog, needs a yard and regular runs to stay fit.”  

Sam’s smile brightened and he followed her over to the cage.  The dog immediately perked up and Sam asked the attendant to let her out so they could play.  Less than ten minutes later, he knew, he knew this was his dog.  

He took her home, named her Sadie and they quickly fell into a routine.  Ever since had had broken up with Jess, he’d be craving someone else in the house, wanting someone there.  Now, with Sadie, though he was still sad, it was a bone-aching sad as it used to be.  

It was good.  

Then, of course, it got even better.  They fell into a rhythm, and it was easy and even fun, most of the time.  Sometimes, when Sam had to work long days, it was harder, but Sadie always forgave him and curled up with him at the end of the night.  

It was another time, when they were together in the dog park, going for a jog, that Sam realized just how good things were going to be.  There was the sound of loud barking (almost yipping, but not quite), and then a voice, 

“Loki, dammit!  Loki, I am not in the kind of shape to be chasing after you like this!” 

Sam gave a quick whistle and was pleased when Sadie sat.  It also gave him a chance to reach out and grab the lead of the Corgi that was bolting away from his owner.  The dog was immediately pulled to a stop and Sam smiled and held up the lead to the panting owner.  

A shorter man approached, smiling gratefully as he panted and Sam grinned back at him.  

“Bad Loki.  I swear, you own up to that name far too often,” The man said, reaching out to take the lead from Sam.  

Sam blinked as a memory clicked into place.  Corgi.  Loki.  He turned to the man as he started to talk away.  “Gabriel?”  

The shorter man froze and turned back to him and Sam grinned, bright and wide, because those eyes, he would have recognized those eyes anywhere.  “Gabriel!  It is you, holy shit!”  

Gabriel’s eyes widened as he realized who he was looking at.  “Sam?  Is that you?”  

Sam laughed and nodded, immediately reaching out to wrap his arms around Gabriel.  “Yes!  It’s been forever!  How are you?” He asked, pulling back just enough to grin again.  He moved to step back, but realized that he couldn’t.  

He looked down at Loki and Sadie, whose leashes were tangled together and wrapped around their legs.  Sam laughed and reached down to untangle them, trying to keep his balance.  

“I think our dogs are trying to tell us something,” Gabriel said, laughing as he tugged on Loki’s lead.  

Sam looked down at Gabriel, and this time he really looked.  Soft lips, shining eyes, gorgeous body and skin?  Maybe Sadie was trying to tell him something.  “You’re right.  I think they might be,” he agreed, raising an eyebrow at Gabriel.  “How about coffee, and a catch up, hm?”