#sabrielnetwork

“Sam’s too smart to go for you,” Cas argued. “He’s top of our grade.”

“Huh,” Gabriel murmured. Surprising. Gabriel was only familiar with the other Winchester who, by any academic standards, wasn’t the sharpest Crayola in the box. Of course he’d have a smart, hotter younger brother. Dean wasn’t an idiot, just sort of a brute. It was surprising that Sam turned out the way he did with that as a role model. Wait. Castiel’s words finally caught up to him. “Hey! He’d be dumb not to go out with me.”

Cas sighed. If Gabriel had a nickel for every time he forced that anguished sound out of Cas, he’d be a rich man.  “Well, good luck. I’m pretty sure he’s straight.”

Gabriel waved off the words. “Pish-posh. I’ll suck the straight right out of him.”

“Gross,” Castiel complained, throwing his sandwich down and slouching miserably. Gabriel grinned delightedly, lounging back in his chair.

///

He passed Sam exactly three times in the halls each day. Normally he just sat back and watched, taking him in for all that he was, but now that Gabriel had decided to take their relationship to the next level, he determinedly wove through the hall to step in front of Sam, deliberately tripping him up.

But Sam barreled into him without a glance, dropping literally everything he was holding as he yelped in surprise. He threw his arms out to steady himself, nearly catching Gabriel across the cheek.

“Whoa!” Gabriel smirked, kneeling down to help Sam gather up his things. “I know I’m short, but I didn’t think you’d miss me all together.”

Sam was grimacing, embarrassed, and Gabriel felt his heart constrict. “I’m sorry,” Sam said heavily, pulling all of his papers and books into his hands messily. “I guess I’m kind of clumsy.”

“We all have our days,” he said blithely, picking up a notebook. “Don’t you have a backpack?”

“Yeah,” Sam laughed, “I spilled coffee in it this morning.”

Gabriel grinned, shaking his head. “Today is not your day, huh?”

Sam was smiling slightly, his expression unreadable as he shrugged one shoulder. “Could be worse.”

“Ergh, an optimist,” Gabriel teased, poking at Sam’s shoulder. The taller boy swayed with the movement and the sight made Gabe actually want to giggle. He managed to keep a lid on it.

“So what if I am?” Sam said lightly. “Leibniz had some good points.”

Gabriel’s eyebrows shot up as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “You fancy yourself a philosopher, then, big guy?”

Sam ducked his head, maybe shy. “I do some studying in my free time. I want to major in it when I get to college.”

“Enjoy your teaching career,” Gabriel said blandly, and Sam rolled his eyes, but was still smiling.

This back and forth, the conversation, Gabriel usually didn’t bother with this. Normally, he’d already be forcing his way into Sam’s personal space and running a finger down his arm and breathing against his neck but this seemed more appropriate. This subtle verbal flirting. Were they even flirting? It was more like they were talking.

Sam leaned forward, startling Gabriel out of his trance. “I’m sorry I ran you down.”

“Well, how ‘bout you owe me one?” It was the flirtiest he’d gotten since the conversation began. He stuck out his hand. “I’m Gabriel.” Sam stared at his outstretched hand, then tried maneuvering all his books to one arm so he could return the handshake. Gabriel just laughed and waved him off. “Sorry. You’re encumbered.”

“I’m Sam,” Sam sighed, clearly trying to pull himself together. It was so fucking cute that Gabriel had to resist the urge to fling himself into Sam’s arms. “You’re Castiel’s brother, right?”

Gabriel blinked. “Uh, yeah, the one and only. You know Cas?”

“He’s my lab partner,” Sam explained, and Gabriel huffed. He’d definitely have to have words with Castiel later about the things he decides to keep secret. “Speaking of which, I’m going to be late to chemistry.”

“Don’t forget about that favor,” Gabriel said, stepping firmly into Sam’s personal space. He clicked a pen and scrawled his number on the inside of Sam’s wrist, subtly pressing his thumb against his pulse. “To be collected when I see fit.”

“Oh- okay,” Sam stuttered, and Gabriel almost felt bad. He knew he was catching the kid off guard but he didn’t seem scared or shy, just surprised.

“See you around, Sam,” Gabriel said deliberately, reigning in the grin that threatened to break through as he watched the tops of Sam’s cheeks turn pink.  He shouldered past, striding down the hallway to English class with full confidence that by the end of the week, he’d have himself a Winchester.

Even if it was just as friends.

///

Unknown Number [9:07 PM] : I have to ask. What kind of favor are you looking for?

Gabriel smirked, adding Sam’s number to his phone quickly. He read over the text a few times, musing over his response. He typed out one, heavy on the innuendo, then immediately deleted it. He tried a few more, but none of them sounded right. As he debated, Castiel poked his head around the door frame.

“Gabriel? You’ve had Shurley’s class before, right?” Gabriel nodded absent-mindedly, still reading over his next. “Can you help with- hello? Who are you texting?”

“Sam,” Gabriel said, then looked up at Cas sharply. “Why didn’t you tell me you were lab partners?”

Castiel shrugged. “I didn’t want you to have an unfair advantage. Did you really get his number?”

“How noble,” Gabriel said flatly, distracted. “I gave him mine. He texted me. I’m not helping you cheat on your homework.”

“It’s not cheating-“ Castiel started, but put up his hands defiantly. “I’m not going to let you bait me. I’ll figure it out.”

Gabriel was still staring at his phone, too many thoughts rumbling around in his brain. “Do you think I come on too strong?”

“Like a freight train,” Castiel said sagaciously. “Why?” He took a tentative step into Gabriel’s room, concern etched between his eyebrows.

Gabriel frowned, moving to sit up on his bed. He sighed, putting his phone to the side and resting his chin in his hands. Cas stared at him like he’d grown a second head.

“What?” Gabriel snapped. So what if he wanted to be more careful for once?

Castiel shook his head. “I’ve never seen you think about saying something before you say it,” he pointed out. “You always just shoot off whatever comes to mind.”

Gabriel didn’t respond, eyes flicking between his bed spread and his phone. Cas was right, obviously, but he didn’t want to give his brother the satisfaction. It just didn’t seem right to flirt so openly with Sam; not after how uncomfortable it had made him at school earlier. “I don’t want to scare him off,” he said after a minute. “This one’s a long game.”

Castiel huffed a sigh, crossing his arms. “Just when I thought you were being considerate,” he said vacantly, “you prove to me once again that people are just toys to you.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Gabriel began to argue, but Cas had stomped out of the room. He didn’t even think about going after him, instead snatching for his phone.

///

Gabriel [9:32 PM] : Dinner. At a nice place! You have to wear a tie.

Sam’s heart was in his throat as he replied, fingers flying fast along the keyboard of his phone.

Sam [9:33 PM] : I don’t have the money to do that

Gabriel [9:35 PM] : I’ll pay. The favor is just your company.

Sam resisted the urge to bury his face in his pillow.

Sam [9:42 PM] : Are you asking me out on a date?

He figured, hey, he could play it like a joke. Gabriel probably would. Dean had told him stories about that guy, the ultimate prankster, always one step ahead of everyone around him. It didn’t exactly give Sam any level of comfort, but Gabriel didn’t seem like a bad person. He was intense, kept a lot of eye contact, but Sam refused to deny the way he’d shivered when Gabriel had grabbed his wrist.

Gabriel [9:47 PM] : If you want it to be.

Sam [9:48 PM] : What do you want?

///

Gabriel found himself staring at his phone again. How could Sam bait him like that? Before he knew it, he’d sent off a response that he desperately wished he could somehow claw back into his phone.

Gabriel [9:52 PM] : To see you naked.

Sam didn’t respond for a long time. Gabriel figured that he probably wouldn’t, not after he said something like that. It wasn’t the first time he’d completely blown a romantic encounter, but he couldn’t help feeling bad. He just hoped Sam didn’t think he was a complete asshole.

After an hour, he sighed resignedly and started to type out an apology and let Sam off the hook for ever talking to him again. Halfway through his lament, his phone buzzed.

It was a picture; a bare, flat stomach with a large hand resting just below his navel. His pinky was just under the waistband of what looked like boxer briefs, tight against the taut skin and Gabriel just drank it in. There was no way to tell who it was, if the photo got out, but Gabriel knew. He wanted to run his tongue along the seam of those briefs. He was snapped out of his reverie by another text.

Sam [11:02 PM] : Sorry that took so long.

Gabriel [11:02 PM] : You’re never allowed to apologize to me again.

Sam [11:04 PM] : That was okay, then?

Gabriel [11:06 PM] : More than okay. Light years beyond okay. I didn’t know you had it in you, Sammy.

Sam [11:07 PM] : I’m full of surprises.

Gabriel groaned.

Gabriel [11:10 PM] : You’re killing me. Where is this coming from?

Sam [11:13 PM] : Something about you. Dean says you’re a scam artist, but I just don’t buy it.

Gabriel bristled a little, clenching his teeth. Maybe he’d have to have words with the older Winchester.

Gabriel [11:17 PM] : I am a scam artist. But I only scam people who deserve it. And that picture just bought you three prank-free years.

Sam [11:21 PM] : What do I have to do to rack that number up?

Gabriel [11:23 PM] : Go on a date with me and we’ll chalk it up to ten.

Sam [11:24 PM] : Okay. Friday. And maybe I can get it to fifty by the end of the night.

///

They’d texted for hours. Even as Castiel complained that he could hear Gabriel laughing long after midnight, Gabriel ignored him and kept up the banter with Sam. They flirted a little, but mostly talked about their families and school and Gabriel helped Sam with a philosophy question for Singer’s class and Gabriel was just floored that this guy was even bothering to give him the time of day.

After just four hours of sleep, Gabe dragged himself out of bed and readied himself for school, still buzzing with adrenaline from the night before. Castiel glared at him for the entire ride to school, grumpily refusing to speak, but it was just fine by Gabriel. He had more important things to think about.

He usually passed Sam twice before lunch, but he hadn’t seen him at all. He was hoping to get a little face-to-face action (in more ways than one), so his disappointment was palpable by lunchtime. He sulked, swinging his legs and not bothering to eat.

“You look miserable,” Cas pointed out happily.

“I haven’t seen Sam all day,” Gabriel complained. “Do you think he’s avoiding me?”

Castiel opened his mouth to respond, but caught sight of something over Gabriel’s shoulder. His eyes went wide as saucers and he dropped his sandwich, hurriedly dragging a book out of his bag to concentrate on.

"What are you-“ but Gabriel was cut off by a big, heavy hand clapping down on his shoulder. He jumped and looked up to meet the eyes of Dean Winchester, smiling ear-to-ear in anything but a friendly way.

“Hey, Novak,” he said in what was probably supposed to be a pleasant tone, but just came off mildly terrifying. He slid into the seat next to Gabriel and nodded across the table “Hey, Cas.”

“Hi,” Cas said in a very small voice.

But Dean turned his attention back to Gabriel, his smile all teeth. Ferocious. “So, you’re taking my little brother on a date on Friday, huh?”

Gabriel wasn’t scared of Dean. Sure, there were rumors he could punch through a brick wall but Gabriel hadn’t given him a reason to do anything like that. At least, he supremely hoped not. A bit of panic rose in his throat when he wondered if maybe Dean saw some of the texts they sent; they weren’t all PG rated. He swallowed. “Sure am,” he smiled thinly.

Dean’s eyes whipped over Gabriel’s face. “If this is some kind of play, or prank, or whatever, I will fucking end you,” he said lightly. “I would say you can’t go at all, but Sam is so fucking excited I swear he’s going to pee his pants.”

Gabriel’s heart fluttered. “Where is Sam? I haven’t seen him all day,” he ventured.

Dean gave him a hard look. “I may have told him to stay away from you or I’d kick the shit out of you after school,” he admitted. Anger spread like wildfire through Gabriel’s veins and his fists clenched as tight as his teeth. “Oh, relax,” Dean drawled. “Haven’t you ever dealt with an over-protective brother before?”

“This isn’t a game,” Gabriel said seriously, and Castiel peeked up over the rim of his book. “I like him. He’s sweet, and smart, and totally my-type adorable. Did you know his philosophy project is on the domestication and dependency of dogs and their owners? How fucking cute is that?”

Castiel put his book down. “You’re serious.”

Dean looked at Castiel. “He is?”

Cas nodded, blinking slowly at Dean before remembering himself and clearing his throat, staring down at the table. “Gabriel’s never serious about anything. But he’s telling the truth.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Gabriel said sarcastically. Castiel shrugged. Dean crossed his arms over his chest, eyes still firmly on Gabriel’s face. He was starting to wither under the intensity of the stare, so he bit into his apple, just for something to do. “So, can I see him, you human chastity belt?”

Dean sputtered angrily and scooted off of the bench. “Fine,” he said tightly. “For Sam. But I swear-“

“Yeah, yeah,” Gabriel interrupted, “if I hurt him, you’ll kill me. Put your claws away.” He caught Dean’s eyes. “I won’t.”

He caught Sam after lunch before English, the same spot they’d slammed into each other the day before. He looked frightened, at first, probably still from Dean’s threat, but he seemed to steadfastly ignore it and stride right toward him.

“I’m not avoiding you,” he said breathlessly, reaching down to circle his fingers around Gabriel’s wrist. “Dean’s being a jerk.”

“I talked to him,” Gabriel explained, threading his fingers through Sam’s. “He’s backing off. Sort of,” he added thoughtfully. “He’s just trying to protect you.”

“I’m not scared of you,” Sam said earnestly, and it caught Gabriel off guard. “Besides, now that I know A Chorus Line is your favorite movie I think I’ve earned myself a fair amount of blackmail.”

“That stays between us,” Gabriel said sharply, but Sam just laughed, moving forward until his front was pressed against Gabriel’s. He was so much taller that Gabriel’s nose was right at his throat; he had to resist the urge to lean forward and put his mouth there. Sam tilted his head down, though, arms looped around Gabriel’s shoulders.

Tentatively, Gabriel’s hands landed on the curve of Sam’s hips and he looked up at Sam. He took in his earnest brown eyes, the mole right next to his nose, the very slight dimple on his cheek that only emerged when he smirked. Gabriel wanted to memorize all those things and more. He cleared his throat, not even paying attention to the people passing them in the halls.

“I bumped into you on purpose,” he found himself admitting. “I want to run into you. You’re just so-“

Sam cut him off by kissing him, a thumb pressed into the base of his neck. It’s chaste and fast but Sam is smirking, dimple and all. “I know,” he said. “I saw you coming.”

“And you ran into me anyway.”

Sam shrugged a shoulder.

The face that Sam made very clearly conveyed confusion, making Gabriel reel back and snap them both clean of the blood and stinking insides of the creatures they’d been slashing. Apparently that was enough to distract Sam away from his misstep, and they were able to continue on like nothing had happened.

That was, until a week later, which found Gabriel perched on a bookshelf in the Men of Letters Library while Sam did research. “I’m glad you’ve found your calling in glorified Librarianism, but I’m bored out of my freaking mind.”

“If you just answered some of my questions, I wouldn’t have to look these things up,” Sam countered gently, delicately turning the page of a dusty book.

“Ah-ah,” Gabriel sing-songed. “The secrets of the universe must remain secrets else my wings fall unceremoniously from my back.” Sam stared at him. “I can’t give up the goods or they’ll lock me out. I have a data limit.”

Sam scoffed and went back to reading, chin resting on his hand.

“Aw, c’mon, big guy,” Gabriel soothed. “You know if I would fall for anyone, it’d be you.”

The silence was heavier with each passing second after that slip of the tongue, but Sam didn’t seem to notice the weight. He just rolled his eyes and shut the book. “Fine,” he snipped, tucking the book under his arm. “I’ll go study alone and subject you to Dean’s company.”

“Say it ain’t so,” Gabriel whined, flopping back on the top of the bookcase. It was dusty.

It was around then that Gabriel decided to up his game. He briefly considering whamming Sam with some sexy mojo, but quickly decided that would be less than appreciated after the fact. So, he phoned in a call to his buddy Cupid and got some tips. Things like, flowers (Sam was allergic). Things like, chocolate (Sam gave them to Dean). Things like, playing jazz and lighting candles (Sam thought the bunker had been broken into).

Gabriel was at the end of his rope.

“I’m telling you, man, I think the bunker is haunted!” Sam was ranting to his brother, shoving a bottle of flat champagne in Dean’s face. “Where is all this shit coming from?”

“So, what, you’re being seduced by a poltergeist?” Dean said, eyebrows raised to the sky. “Come on, Sammy.”

Sam threw his hands in the air. “Something’s going on, Dean!”

“Well, you rest on that. I’ve got my own date with the water pressure in the shower room.”

Sam scrunched up every one of his features in disgust and it was all Gabriel could do to not laugh aloud. Instead, he quietly manifested behind him and tapped his shoulder, startling Sam through the roof.

“Fuck, Gabriel,” Sam said, hand over his heart. Gabriel was ready to quip back, but found it within himself to bite his tongue. “You scared the hell out of me.”

Gabriel shook his head. “I did not. You don’t have any Hell in you, Sam.”

A beat passed where Sam just looked at him, eyes alive as his mind undoubtedly ran a mile a minute. He was putting it together, Gabriel figured and he stepped back in a last vain attempt to ditch this inevitably horrible trainwreck of a conversation.

What he didn’t expect was Sam’s giant hand to cup his cheek, the hunter suddenly looming over him all tall and soft-eyed. His lips parted, ready to snark, but he was cut off by Sam’s mouth closing gently over his.

“I’m an idiot,” Sam murmured against him.

“I don’t like it,” Cas said firmly, carefully touching a blacklit pair of ripped jeans. “The clothing is damaged.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “You’re such a square. Come on, let’s get you a fitting room.”

Twenty minutes of Castiel tugging on tight shirts, playing with the third set of pockets on a pair of khaki cargoes, and Gabriel hitting on the eighteen-year-old store manager had Cas bored and irritated. He liked his coat. It reminded him of Jimmy’s. And he washed it regularly – with laundry soap, even. He enjoyed the scent. Much more than the sickly sweet cologne-ridden musk of this store.

He did wind up partial to a canvas army jacket, faded gently green at the elbows, but Gabriel accused him of compensating. He hung it gently on the hook in the small fitting room. He found he certainly did not enjoy skinny jeans and the skirt that Gabriel assured him was gender-neutral made his legs look short.

“I think you look good,” Gabriel mused, but Castiel was already shimmying out of it.

He ended up back in his white button-up and tan overcoat, black slacks fitted high on his waist. He stared at his reflection for a moment before scooping up the clothing and exiting.

“We’re leaving,” he said to Gabriel, discarded clothes from the dressing room hooked over his arm.

“I’ll just ring you up,” the manager said sweetly, eyes a little too stuck to Cas’ face. Castiel hardly blinked before she was rattling off a price to him, eyes wide and expectant.

“Pay the lady, Cas,” Gabriel muttered out of the side of his mouth, elbowing Castiel in the side.

As they left, Cas gazed suspiciously at the shirtless men lounging lazily on the outside of his shopping bag. “Dean won’t like that I used his credit card for this.”

Gabriel grinned brightly. “Good news, then! You used Sam’s.”