Title: Music of My Heart
Summary: Being a washed up pop artist had its ups and downs, but in Gabriel Milton's case, it had more downs than ups. He was thirty five and he wasn't getting any younger. He was a laundry list of issues and slept on his cousin's fold out couch. When he meets Samantha Winchester, however, his whole life turns upside down. Sam/Gabriel, fem!Sam, slight Dean/Cas, boyband!AU
Disclaimer: We do not claim any ownership to the lovely characters of Supernatural. Characters belong to Eric Kripke and we make no money from this. It's all fun and games people!
A/N: WHOOO! 9000+ words! This was co-written by me and my darling Anna and most of the scenes are her ideas! We want to stress that English isn't our first language, so please, if there are any mistakes, we'll be willing to correct them. This is our first contribution to the SPN community. This was also written for our Creative Writing class so I hope all of you enjoyed this! Review please! Love you all!
The ArchAngels – Where Are They Now?
Article by: Ruby Cortese
Their debut single "Heaven's Soldiers" reached the top of the Billboard Charts on its first week and reached the hearts of millions of fans everywhere. Many of us know of The ArchAngels as the underdog that proved themselves worthy of being at the top of the music industry. Their debut album, "Paradise" sold over 1.8 million copies on the first three days of its release, just a few thousand shy of *NSYNC's 2.4 million. Soon, the boy band composed of real life brothers Michael, Lucifer, Raphael and Gabriel Milton became an international sensation, selling albums worldwide. The ArchAngels were well on their way to the big time.
However, shortly after the release of their third album, "Apocalypse," the tension grew between the brothers, most especially between front men Michael and Lucifer. Disagreements rose between the group and after their third world tour, they called it quits, shocking their relatively large fan base and the rest of the world.
The question on everyone's minds is...where are they now?
Michael Milton, the eldest of the group proceeded to become a solo act, making more music for his fans. His latest single, "My Vessel of Love," sold over a hundred thousand copies on it's first week. Today, he currently resides in his penthouse suite in New York with his fiance, high school sweetheart, Rachel Gold.
Lucifer Milton, the second eldest, left the music business and proceeded to get into acting. He's been nominated for two Academy Awards and won the Golden Globe for best actor, Comedy or Musical, for his movie, Hellhound. Lucifer recently outed himself as bisexual to the public eye, and is currently living with his partner, Balthazar Roche.
As for Raphael Milton, showbusiness seems to have lost its spark for him as he went on to get his Bachelor's Degree in Engineering and graduated Cum Laude from MIT. He now works for one of the biggest Engineering Firms in the country and is living a relatively quiet life away from the spotlight, and he doesn't seem to be searching for it either.
But what about the last of the Milton brothers? The youngest ArchAngel with golden, amber eyes and that quirky smile? Ladies, I'm sure you know who I'm talking about. Whatever happened to Gabriel Milton?
"Whatever happened to Gabriel Milton?! That's the best they can come up with? They make it sound like I've gone off the deep end and started snorting cocaine and injecting myself with heroin!"
"Well, to make it fair, you did go off the deep end and they make it sound like you drove into a ditch somewhere and died."
"Why thank you, Castiel, for making me feel like a worthless piece of crap. Again." Gabriel deadpanned, turning to face his cousin, Castiel Novak who was currently lounging on the couch. Castiel was the only member of the family that wants something to do with him and while Gabriel was appreciative of the company, Castiel was sometimes like an annoying bug that he so desperately wanted to squash but couldn't because of an irrational fear of bugs.
Then again, Castiel did give him a roof over his head, so Gabriel was in no position to complain.
Castiel's face remained stoic and blank. "I say it how I see it. If you can't take it, you can deal with it."
Gabriel glared at Castiel then at the ivory keys of the ancient piano in the living room. He wanted desperately to bang his head against it and hope with fingers crossed that some half-assed excuse for a song would come out and make him famous again.
"I'm a failure." Gabriel bemoaned. Across the room, he could practically hear Castiel's eyes rolling in his head. "I'm thirty five, practically in my prime, and what do I have to show for it? A failed boy band career and a crappy job singing at bar mitzvahs just so I can have something to eat. I'm not even Jewish, for Christ's sakes!"
"Here we go again." Castiel grumbled but Gabriel ignored him.
"I mean, just because I'm the youngest, I get to be the one with the failed career?" Gabriel spat. "Look at Michael! He's forty-three and he's still doing concerts. And making money! And Lucifer. The bastard's forty one, and his body forgot to age past twenty five. He's got a boyfriend, he's an actor, and oh, right, he's also making money!"
Castiel simply sighed, too used to Gabriel's rants to even bother shutting him up.
"And Raphael," Gabriel pressed on. "So what if he's not in show biz anymore? He's a goddamn engineer, and is still making money! Do you know what they all have in common, Cas?"
Castiel looked into the crazed eyes of his cousin and rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time that day. "Hm, let me guess? They're still making money?" He deadpanned.
"They're still making money!" Gabriel repeated, his voice climbing an octave higher. "I'm gonna grow old broke, and alone, and no one's gonna come to my funeral except for a damned priest who's obligated to read a few scriptures while they lower me into the ground and – OW!"
Castiel had gotten up and across the room in a flash, whacking Gabriel around the head with the newspaper. "You are being a total child, Gabriel. Get a hold of yourself. You've been acting like this since Lucifer quit the band ten years ago! Keep in mind that you contributed just as much to your current predicament!"
Gabriel met Castiel's gaze with a glare. "Lucifer didn't quit the band. Michael forced him out. And I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
"Whatever. The point here is you're acting like a five year old." Castiel said. "Seriously, when are you going to grow up and do something with your life instead of mooching off me? You're thirty five, Gabriel. Act the part."
Gabriel pressed his lips into a thin line to keep from admitting the fact that Castiel was right.
Being a washed up pop artist had its ups and downs, but in Gabriel Milton's case, it had more downs than ups. He was thirty five and he wasn't getting any younger. He had a huge amount of money left over from his ArchAngel days, however, he had splurged it all on booze and hookers and rehab. He was depressed, and he had an excuse to act it.
At least he had never touched drugs, though there have been so many times he's come close. He was just thankful that he's become too much of old news for the trashy tabloid magazines to pick on. They never caught wind of his journey into the downward spiral of alcoholism, debauchery, and ultimately, rehab.
When he faced a sudden bankruptcy, he immediately turned to the one member of his family that hasn't shunned him out yet. His cousin, Castiel Novak, was a respected professor of Theology at Stanford and took him in along with what was left of his possessions – an old piano, a '79 Corolla and the small, sliver of self – respect he had. To Gabriel, Castiel was more of a brother than Michael, Lucifer, or Raphael ever were. And Gabriel was thankful for him.
Of course, as a washed up pop star, there were moments when someone would recognize him and chat him up. Gabriel cherished these moments and he always had time for a fan who still remembers him even after ten years. But, when they start asking about the other three, he'd immediately excuse himself. He didn't want to talk about his brothers.
He glowered at the thought of them. Michael and Lucifer were the reason behind the break up of The ArchAngels, and it ended horribly with the band going in opposite directions and Raphael took Michael's side. Gabriel didn't take a side. Instead, he acted as damage control and just quietly hoped that the fighting would stop soon. His silence in the matter seemed to add more fuel to the fire than successfully extinguishing it, though. He knew creative differences were a part of being in a boy band, but Mikey and Lucy took it to new heights. As TMZ liked to say: "It was like Lennon/McCartney all over again."
The band split and Gabriel had been the one to pick up the remains while his brothers gallivanted off to God-knows-where, not even bothering to look back.
While Michael and Lucifer never left the world of showbusiness, and Raphel pursuing a more realistic goal in life, Gabriel couldn't move on. He's given up so much for The ArchAngels that it became his life. The break up had hit him the hardest because after that, Gabriel stared blankly at a wall, and silently wondered, "What now?" He couldn't complete his education – he had dropped out of high school to focus on their music, plus he thought school was a waste of time – and he had no other talents aside from singing, dancing, pranking the living crap out of people and playing the piano.
With a lot of money in his back pocket and nothing more, he had turned into the comforting arms of the nearest bottle.
Castiel had been the one to find him, lying in a dark alley way somewhere in Los Angeles, barely breathing. It was the biggest miracle to ever happen in Gabriel's life. He hasn't seen Castiel in over ten years, and yet, his little cousin still became the bigger man and rushed Gabriel to the nearest hospital. After having his stomach pumped and Castiel scream his ear off for scaring the bajeezus out of him, Gabriel reached out for help.
He checked himself into rehab, got cleaned up, and with Castiel's help, tried to piece his life back together. Since music was the only thing that didn't abandon him in his time of need aside from his cousin, Gabriel decided to put his talents to good use with the occasional performance at a wedding, birthday, or the laundry list of bar mitzvahs. He gave piano lessons to anyone who wanted to learn and did a weekly gig at a nearby coffee shop. Slowly, but surely, Gabriel was finally ready to start anew.
There was always the occasional melt down, but hey. What self-respecting, washed-up pop artist didn't have one of those once in a while?
"That's all for tonight, folks." He said into the microphone, taking one last bow as the audience, consisting of various patrons of the Roadhouse, applauded. "Come back next week for another round of the best coffee, cake, and music you've ever heard!"
He walked off the makeshift stage and was accosted by Jo Harvelle, the daughter of the coffee shop's owner. Jo used to be a fan of The ArchAngels, and had the biggest crush on Lucifer, but that was before Lucifer outed himself as practically gay and paraded his partner around the papparazzi.
"That was a great set, Gabriel." Jo said, smiling widely. "You did good tonight. The crowd loved it."
"Thanks, Jo."
She chuckled. "Go on. Get. Mom's got your usual diabetes-in-a-cup."
"It's not diabetes-in-a-cup!" He began, indignant, before agreeing that, yes, a triple whip mocha latte with extra whipped cream, extra cinnamon, and extra everything was really diabetes-in-a-cup. Jo swatted him lightly on the arm, causing him to make a beeline for the complementary cup of coffee that he gets everytime he performs.
Gabriel sat by a window table, a nice, hot latte in his hand and watched as a tall girl with floppy brown hair and wide eyes grabbed a guitar and sat down, strumming the opening notes of Rising Up From Hell – one of the songs from their second album. Gabriel's lip curled into a scowl and was about to get up and go when he heard her voice.
Now, Gabriel considered himself to be a connosieur of music and singing, and to be honest, he was a snob when it came to judging people's voices. Castiel will testify to that fact because every time they watch American Idol, Gabriel would criticize every contestant, whether it be about their song choice or voice in general. Then, he would scream at the judges and call them tone-deaf-imbeciles.
But this girl...this girl sitting on the stage right now and strumming her guitar and singing his song wasn't like anything he heard before. Her voice was light and effortless but it grabbed the attention of every one in the room. Gabriel vaguely remembers Rising Up From Hell as an upbeat, rock-type song, but this girl changed it into a slow, soulful, acoustic version that tickled Gabriel's ears. And in a good way.
He must've gotten in a daze, cause the next thing he knows, the same girl was standing in front of him, a sheepish smile on her face. And now that Gabriel's gotten a better look, it was evident that the girl standing in front of him was tall. Like really tall. Like "Hey–I'm–a–guy–yet–we're–the–same–height " tall.
She also had beautiful, blue-grey eyes, and if this were a cheesy, rom com, Gabriel would be waxing poetic about her eyes, including details such as azure flecks of color and stormy orbs of beauty.
It was a good thing he was no poet. Song writing, he could do. Poetry, not so much even though they were essentially the same thing.
"Yes?" He inquired, a smile on his face.
"I just...wanted to say, great set back there." She began slowly, settling into the seat across him.
He raised his latte. "Back at you."
She swallowed a bit her lower lip. "If you don't mind me asking...you're the Gabriel Milton, right? As in...one of the ArchAngels?"
"The band or the messenger of God?" At the unimpressed expression he got, he chuckled. "Yes, that's me. Always a pleasure to meet a fan. You are a fan right?"
She chuckled. "I have all three albums, Mr. Milton. I have t-shirts, posters and oh!" She dug into her pocket and pulled out her wallet. "I also still have the ticket stub for one of your concerts." She said, presenting the small strip of paper. Then, she shied away a bit. "I'm sorry, it's...I was such a huge fan back in the day."
"This was a ticket for a concert almost twelve years ago." Gabriel said, examining the stub. "I remember this. This was the Raised Up From Perdition Tour. I can't believe you still have this after all this time."
She nodded. "Like, I said, huge fan, and really really nostalgic. I was only thirteen back then. The tickets were a birthday gift from my brother cause he knows how much I love your music and...well, he decided to take me to one. It was one of the best birthdays ever."
"You got a cool brother then." Gabriel replied, unable to keep the slight bitterness out of his voice.
She froze a bit. "Oh...right...I'm sorry, I'm sure it's a very touchy topic for you."
Gabriel waved away the concern. "No, I'm sorry. It was like ten years ago...it's no big deal, really."
She eyed him in a way that told him she was not buying his crap, but she wasn't going to push either. He was kinda grateful for that. Most fans would start questioning him about the details of the split, and really, Gabriel did not want to think about that. "Well, it's nice to meet you...?"
"Sam." She replied. "I'm Samantha Winchester, but you can call me Sam."
"Well, Sam, let me just say that you sing very good. I've never heard Rising Up From Hell in such a slow, soulful tune."
She blushed. "Oh, you mean that set I did? It wasn't my best work, really. I was kinda hesitant at first because I wasn't sure how you'd react. Hearing one of your songs again, that is."
"Well, I was about to up and leave until I heard you sing." She blushed hotly and Gabriel thought it was cute. "Take it from me, Sam, it was a good set. Great set in fact."
"Thanks." Sam replied, biting her lower lip. She looked up at Gabriel with a small blush painting her cheeks and alarm bells started ringing in his head. She looked only twenty four – twenty five at most – and Gabriel was a good decade older than her. She looked like she was going places, and Gabriel?
Gabriel slept on his cousin's fold-out couch.
A loud honk was heard outside. Gabriel turned to look out the glass window and his eyes widened at the obviously well-maintained '67 Chevy Impala parked on the sidewalk. Across him, Sam let out an exasperated sigh. With a small smile at Gabriel's direction, she said: "I have to go. Dean – my brother – is outside right now and he's my ride home."
Gabriel gawked at her. "Your brother? Is he the guy outside in the Impala?"
"Yeah. It's creepy how attached he is to it. Calls it his baby. Then again it holds a special place in both our hearts. We practically grew up in that car." Sam replied with a sad tone to her voice.
Outside, another loud honk came from the Impala and Sam rolled her eyes. "Well, I have to go. It was nice talking to you, Mr. Milton."
"Sweetheart, please. Call me Gabriel." He replied with a wink. " And it was nice talking to someone who didn't pry about either my brothers or my apparent lack of love life."
Sam chuckled, and her brother honked the horn a third time. "See you then!"
And just like that, she dashed towards the door and Gabriel craned his neck just to see her go.
He sat there for a moment before he realized that crap, he didn't ask for her number.
They literally bumped into each other about a week later when Gabriel and Castiel were out grocery shopping. Their carts slammed into each other and Gabriel was ready to tear the guy a new one about it when he looked up and saw the surprised, yet pleased face of Samantha Winchester.
His heart thudded in his chest and he sternly told it to calm the hell down.
"Gabriel!" She exclaimed, smiling widely. Gabriel was unable to tear his gaze from her dimples. "Fancy bumping into you, stranger."
"Well, you know me," He began with a saucy wink. "I just can't stay away."
"Sammy, who's this?" Gabriel was suddenly looking up at a taller guy with spiked hair, green eyes and a scowl on his face. Gabriel met his stare, refusing to be cowed by him.
Sam sighed. "This, Dean, is Gabriel Milton. Gabriel, this is my neanderthal older brother, Dean."
Dean's eyes suddenly widened and recognition lit up his features. "Oh, you mean the guy you practically worshipped in ninth grade?"
Sam blushed and jabbed Dean sharply with her elbow. "Shut up, jerk!"
"Ow! Bitch." He snapped back. Gabriel's eyes flicked from Sam to Dean then back to Sam again.
"Worshipped?" He repeated, an amused smirk appearing on his face.
"Oh yeah." Dean remarked, mirroring Gabriel's smirk. "Her room was plastered with posters of you guys. But I remember the most prominent face was of this one guy...and now that I think about it, he looked a lot like you."
"Really now?" Gabriel turned to Sam who was blushing about a million different shades of red.
Sam scowled and turned to Dean. "I swear to God, Dean, I will kill you and by the time they find your body, you'll be a skeleton, decomposed beyond recognition."
Gabriel watched, amused, as the siblings bickered with each other. It made him remember the fun times he used to have with his own brothers. He and Lucifer were a force to be reckoned with and when they had the time in between rehearsals, interviews and recording, they would prank Michael, Raphael or both at the same time. The look of pure murder on Michael's face and the disapproval emanating from Raphael would always be worth it.
Those were good times, he thought somberly.
He was brought out of his inner musings by Castiel materializing out of nowhere beside him. He jumped about two feet into the air, letting out a loud, girlish shriek that he will vehemently deny making even if he was threatened at gunpoint. Castiel stared quizzically at him, eyebrow raised.
"Jesus Christ, Cas! What have I told you about sneaking up on people? I should put a freaking bell around you so that people will know when you're coming." Gabriel snapped once he finally got his bearings.
"I apologize, but I got the milk." Castiel replied, holding up a carton of full cream. "Next time, I'll try to make more noise."
"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Cas." Gabriel retorted.
Castiel ignored him. "Who are they?"
Gabriel turned to realize that Sam and Dean had stopped bickering and were looking at them. Dean, specifically, was staring at Castiel who was staring right back.
"Cas, remember that girl I told you about? The girl I met at the Roadhouse who still had the ticket stub from one of my old concerts?"
"You mean the girl with the angelic voice and gorgeous eyes?"
Dean scowled again, burning a hole through Gabriel's head with his stare, and Sam choked a bit behind him. "Yes." He bit out. "I want you to meet Samantha Winchester.
Castiel held his hand out and Sam shook it. "Pleasure to meet you. Gabriel's been talking about you non stop all week. It's nice to finally put a face to the name." Castiel said.
"I will end you, Cas." Gabriel snarled under his breath.
"It's nice to meet you too...Cas, was it?" She asked.
"Castiel Novak. I'm Gabriel's more sane cousin." He replied with a small smile.
"You mean you're my freaky, younger cousin." Gabriel retorted. Castiel leveled him with an unimpressed glare before turning back to the Winchesters. "He's got this tendency to stare at people and he has no sense of personal space. I swear to God I would send him to therapy if I just had a legitimate reason other than the fact that 'he freaks people out.'"
Cas scowled darkly at him and Sam was laughing. It was a nice laugh, Gabriel noted. "It's nice to meet you, Castiel. This is my brother, Dean."
"Hello, Dean." Cas said.
"Hey, Cas." Dean replied.
They held eye contact for about eight seconds and Sam cleared her throat to get their attention. Castiel tore his gaze away from Dean with some reluctancy. Interesting, Gabriel thought.
"So, anyways," Sam began. "Why don't you guys come over tonight? Dean and I are having a movie marathon."
"All of the Marvel movies since the first X-men." Dean added.
"We'd love to." Gabriel replied instantly and Castiel nodded. "We'll be there."
"Great!"
They switched numbers and Sam gave them directions to their apartment. They parted ways at the dairy section and they waved at them as they left.
"She's nice." Castiel noted, once the Winchester siblings were out of earshot. "I can see why you like her."
"Shut up, Castiel. Why don't we talk about that impromptu staring contest you had with Dean. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't he your type – rough, rugged, douche?" Gabriel asked, a teasing tone to his voice as he smirked at Castiel whose ears tinged pink.
"Shut up. Just...shut up."
They arrived at the Winchesters' apartment complex later that night just after seven. Gabriel adjusted the apple pie in his arms as Dean buzzed them up.
Sam and Dean have a two-bedroom apartment on the fifth floor. It wouldn't be that bad, but considering the elevator was broken, and they trudged up five flights of stairs, by the time Dean opened the door, Gabriel was doubled over, trying to catch his breath and glaring murderously at the broken elevator.
Dean promptly burst into laughter and Castiel, the bastard that he was, remained calm, collected and not about to keel over and die from exhaustion. "Hello, Dean."
"H-hey, Cas! Gabriel. How was the exercise?" He asked, trying to hold in his laughter. It wasn't successful.
"See if I give you any pie later, Winchester." Gabriel snarked and as if a switch was turned, Dean did a complete 180.
"Is it apple?"
"Of course." Gabriel replied with an air of arrogance , turning his nose up like as if he'd get anything less than freshly baked apple pie.
Dean quickly ushered them in, becoming the perfect host in a matter of seconds. He did everything from taking their coats and telling them to make themselves at home. Gabriel, not trusting Dean with the pie, personally carried it to the kitchen.
"We got Chinese, if that's cool with you guys." Dean told them, though he looked like he was addressing Cas more.
"It's perfect, Dean. Thank you." Cas replied. He then turned his electric blue gaze towards Gabriel causing him to roll his eyes.
"I'm sure I'll survive. Where's Sam?"
Dean looked up from the pie he was sallivating over. "She's in her room. Went in there like three hours ago and still hasn't gotten out. I think she mentioned something about make up and whatnot."
"D'you mind if I...?" Gabriel asked, gesturing to the direction of the bedrooms.
"Nah, go ahead, but if you try any funny business, I will not hesitate to throw you out of the window." Dean replied, moving to sit down next to Cas. If he sat a little too closer than necessary, either Cas didn't mind or he was still that oblivious, asocial cousin Gabriel knew once upon a time and personal space wasn't anywhere in his vocabulary.
Gabriel approached the bedrooms and heard the distinct ka-thump, ka-thump of the bass. He peeked inside the door and watched as Sam slid across the floor, singing along to Bob Seger into her hairbrush and performing amusing air guitar solos.
Once the music cut, Gabriel started clapping, causing her to drop her hairbrush and whirl around in shock.
"What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Your brother let me in."
"You...you didn't see any of that, did you?"
"Oh, I did. Believe me."
She groaned. "Wow, I'm a dork."
He chuckled. "Don't worry. We've all had our hairbrush-singing moments. Can I come in?"
"It's a free country." Sam replied, gesturing him in with a wave of her hand. He walked in and after a moment's deliberation, sat on the edge of the bed.
"Nice place." He finally said. "You've been living here long?
Sam smiled. "We got it right before I entered college. Dean, being the overprotective bastard that he was, suggested that we move somewhere closer to the campus. We're originally from Lawrence, Kansas, but when our dad died awhile back, we packed up, sold the house and moved here. Now, it's just Dean and I."
"I'm so sorry." Gabriel said in earnest. "I can imagine how hard it is to lose a father."
Sam just shrugged. "I'm indifferent to it, really. After our mom passed when I was just six months old, dad was never the same again. He drunk himself to an early grave. Not a moment passed where I didn't see a bottle in his hand."
Gabriel froze, remembering his very own tryst with alcohol. He could've died that day, had Castiel not appeared at just the right time. "I nearly died too." He blurted out before he could stop it. Sam jumped at this revelation and concern manifested itself on her pretty features.
"What happened?" She asked softly.
Gabriel let out a humorless laugh, glancing down at his shoes. He hasn't told anyone about his spiral down into alcoholism, aside from Castiel. "Well, I – after the ArchAngels broke up, I'm sure you know what happened to my brothers. Where they went."
She nodded. "Michael continued singing, Lucifer started acting and Raphael became an engineer. Everyone knows that."
"Right. Did you ever wonder what happened to me?"
"All the time. A lot of people did." Sam replied. "It was like you dropped off the face of the earth. Not even TMZ could find you. After a few years, they just gave up and...you were old news to them."
"Right. And I wanted to keep it that way." He said. "I had no idea what I was going to do after the break up. Do you know what it's like to give your everything to something and then when it's over, you just sit there, wondering, 'what the hell should I do now?' I'm ashamed to say that...I'm a recovering alcoholic. Castiel saved me, literally. I nearly killed myself with alcohol poisoning, and with the little money I had left, I checked myself into rehab.
"I was at my lowest point in that time. I'm still not fully out of the hole I dug myself into, but...I'm getting there."
He finally looked up, expecting to see disgust or absolute revulsion on Sam's face. He didn't expect to see concern, sympathy and relief on her face and he sure as hell didn't expect her to wrap her arms around him. Gabriel tensed up for a moment, before he breathed in her scent and melted into the hug.
"You should be proud." She murmured. "You managed to recover. To save yourself. Not a lot of people could do what you did."
Sam pulled away from the hug. "I'm glad you're alive." She said, their eyes locking together.
Gabriel chuckled. "Well, thank Cas for that. I didn't see the kid for over a decade and yet, he still saved me. If he didn't, I woudn't be here."
He could feel her fingers playing with the tufts of hair at the back of his neck and he saw her eyes flicker down to his lips. It was right then that he realized their close proximity and if he moved just a tiny bit forward, he would be kissing her. Gabriel cupped her cheek gently and Sam moved closer, their noses bumping ever so slightly. He could feel her breath on his face as they inched closer...closer...closer...
"Sam! Gabriel! Food's here!" Came Dean's obnoxiously loud shout. They sprang apart, looking towards the open door to see if Dean was there. Thankfully, he wasn't.
They glanced at each other, a hot blush making its way up Sam's neck and Gabriel could feel his ears tinge.
"Well." Sam began. "I'll just...food."
"Yeah." Gabriel agreed. "Food."
Sam then walked out of her room, leaving the door ajar.
If Gabriel stuffed his fist into his mouth to keep from shouting obscenities at Dean, well, no one needed to know.
Food consisted of Chinese food from that quaint, little, Chinese restaurant just a few blocks from the apartment. Gabriel picked at his sweet and sour pork, opting instead to watch Sam as she nibbled on her stir-fried veggies.
After they ate, and Sam put away the boxes of take out, they all convened back at the couch. Gabriel brought out the apple pie and tried hard not to laugh as Dean stared at it like it was the Holy Grail.
While he sliced the pie, Sam popped in the first X-men DVD into the player and they all settled down to watch. Dean and Cas sat on the floor while Gabriel and Sam commandeered the couch.
By the time the they reached the first Fantastic Four movie, it was already past twelve midnight and Sam had somehow gravitated towards him. She fell asleep, head on his lap as Gabriel carded his fingers through her hair.
He fell asleep by the time the credits were rolling, Sam still snoozing on his lap.
The next day, he and Cas said their goodbyes.
They didn't mention the almost-kiss between them.
It was all Ellen's fault.
No, not Ellen Degeneres, though that would be quite awesome. No, Gabriel here was referring to Ellen Harvelle: the owner of the Roadhouse and Jo's mom, and who was to blame for everything.
It had all started by Ellen sitting both him and Sam down before Gabriel took the stage firstand talked to them about their peformances. Sam had asked if there was something wrong, and Ellen quickly told her that while they sang good, the patrons were getting a bit bored with their repetitive performances. Gabriel wanted to tell her that the patrons can stick it up where the sun don't shine (he nearly did, but he didn't want Ellen Harvelle, all-around-badass mom, to flay him alive) when Ellen suggested they do a duet. And they do it right now.
"A duet? Like right now?" He repeated.
"Did I stutter, Gabriel?" Ellen asked, hands on her hips. Gabriel know knew where Jo got her feistiness from.
"Ellen," Sam began. "I'm not sure a duet would work. I'm not even sure if our voices are compatible."
"Compatibility has nothing to do with this, Samantha." Ellen replied. "The patrons want to see something new and there hasn't been a duet in this place since Bobby Singer and your father drunkenly sang 'My Way' together. If it doesn't work out, well, what the hell, right?"
She left no room for arguments and when she left, Gabriel turned to Sam. "So, a duet?"
She sighed. "Apparently. What do you want to sing?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. What's a good duet?"
"Baby It's Cold Outside?"
"No, it's not even winter yet."
They tossed around a few ideas, conveniently ignoring events of a few days ago. The memory was still embedded and burning brightly in Gabriel's mind. A part of him wanted to kiss Sam already – to just scoop her into his arms and have her all to himself. Another, more composed part of him reminded him that Sam was ten years younger than he was and he didn't need to add "cradle-robber" to his rapidly increasing list of defects.
"Lucky."
"Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat?"
Sam paused. "Yeah you're right..too generic."
"We can do one ArchAngels song and that's it." He blurted out before he could stop himself.
"Cupid?" Sam quickly suggested.
"No, that's too Valentines Day-ish."
"How about Angel With a Shotgun?" Sam asked.
"Too rock-type and dark for a duet, don't you think? And it was a cover."
"Angel of Mine." Sam said.
Gabriel shook his head. "That was a cover too."
Sam pursed her lips in deep thought. "Oh! How about Falling From Heaven For You?"
Gabriel opened his mouth to veto the suggestion when he paused, mulling it over in his head. Then, his face broke out in a grin. "Perfect."
"You still know the words?" She asked.
"Sammy, I wrote that song. Of course I know the words." Gabriel replied arrogantly which earned him an exasperated eye-roll, before standing up and moving towards the piano on the stage. He played a little tune for a while and looked up at her. She quirked a small smile, grabbed the guitar and strummed a few chords. Gabriel vaguely wondered how horrible they would sound.
And it just happened.
In an unexpected turn of events, they sang beautifully together with Gabriel playing the piano and Sam accompanying him on the guitar. The customers and patrons of the Roadhouse all stopped and watched. Sam's voice – a light, effortless, soulful soprano – melded perfectly with Gabriel's deep baritone. It was magical.
"Cause I'm falling..." Gabriel sang, looking into Sam's eyes.
"...falling from Heaven..." Sam second-voiced.
"For...You..." They finished together and the crowd erupted in applause, and were shouting "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" at them.
Sam turned to him and Gabriel and was caught by surprise when she pulled him close. Their lips met and the crowd's wolf-whistles became nothing but mere background noise. But none of that mattered now as Gabriel kissed back, feeling his chest curl with affectionneedwant. They pulled away reluctantly and Gabriel found himself staring into beautiful, blue-gray eyes.
And it was at that moment in time, when Gabriel looked up at Sam and she smiled beautifully at him, that something clicked.
Gabriel was in love.
He was hopelessly, head over heels, irrevocably, say I - do, in love with Samantha Winchester.
So, Gabriel did the one thing he thought was right to do.
He ran.
They didn't see each other for nearly two weeks, and Gabriel, the ass that he was, pointedly ignored Sam's text messages, attempts at calling him, her voice messages and any attempts at all to make contact. After the first week of his self-imposed isolation from Sam, she stopped trying and Gabriel suddenly missed the constant ring of his phone.
The door to the apartment barged open and Gabriel was looking up at Castiel who was glaring disapprovingly at him. Cas didn't get mad very often, but when he did, there was hell to pay. Cas' eye shade changed depending on his mood and now, they were an icy, furious blue that froze Gabriel down to his very core, and wasn't that just so damn poetic?
It also came as a shock when Castiel hit him around the head with a very large Theology book.
"You are the most idiotic man I have ever come across and you have the emotional range of a chipmunk!" His cousin added.
"The hell did I do?!" Gabriel shouted in pain, rubbing the part of his head that connected with the hard-bound leather book. He was surprised he didn't lose consciousness. Or get amnesia.
Cas made a long-suffering sigh. "I just came from seeing Dean,"
"You're seeing Dean?" That was news.
"Yes, I'm seeing Dean, but that's beside the point!" Cas snapped. "The point is, I just came from seeing Dean, and he told me some interesting things about Sam that I feel you should know about."
Gabriel grunted. "What about?"
"Like did you know she's holed herself in her room, barely eating, threw herself into her studies and that not even Dean could get her to come out if it didn't mean her going to school? She's practically a hermit and Dean told me it's got something to do with you. So spill, Gabriel. What the hell did you do?"
"I didn't do anything!" Gabriel hastily defended himself. Castiel crossed his arms, eyebrow raised.
"Gabriel," He began, tone dangerously low.
Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Fine! We kissed. I panicked, and I left!"
Castiel stared at him for a long moment and Gabriel was beginning to feel very unnerved. Castiel stared at him for a few minutes, unblinking (and how the hell does he even manage to do that?) and the scowl on his face increased tenfold. "Will you please stop staring at me, Cas?" He finally snapped out.
"I take back what I said. You're not the most idiotic man I've ever met. You are the most asinine, imbecilic, stupid man I've ever met and you have the emotional range of a damned teaspoon!"
"Hey! That was uncalled for." Gabriel said, slightly offended.
"Bailing on someone after you kissed her is uncalled for!" Castiel retorted.
"What did you expect me to do? Sweep her up in arms and run off into the sunset for our happily ever after whileCeline Dion plays in the background?" He asked sarcastically.
"No, but I expected you to have more decency than to just ditch her." Castiel replied, anger fading if only a little bit.
"You know I can't Cas...I just can't." Gabriel finally said. "I screw up every good thing in my life. I screwed up the band, I screwed myself up...I can't just...I can't just let something as good as her come into my life and...and know that somehow, someday I'll ruin it, and I don't think I can live with that."
"First of all, Michael and Lucifer screwed up the band – don't look at me like that, I read magazines too – and second of all, you were going through a tough time in your life. You did screw yourself up, but you reached out and got yourself fixed. You can't just let the good things in your life pass by without doing something about it." Castiel said, anger gone and concern taking place. "Why keep eating bland oatmeal all the time when once in awhile, you can have chocolate cream pie with whipped cream?"
"I'm gonna tell Sam you compared her to pie."
Castiel nudged him gently. "Shut up. The point, Gabriel, is that life's blazing by. You can't keep letting every good thing to come to you get away, and Sam is definitely good for you. Ever since you met her, you've been happier. Don't think I didn't see how you looked at her when we were over at their place watching movies. I've known you for years, Gabriel, and I know that just when things are starting to get good, you push them away."
"I'm gonna screw her up, Cas. I just know it." Gabriel finally said. "Oh god, I did screw up, didn't I?"
"Big time."
"What do I do, Cas? I'm not good with this crap."
"Well, an apology would be nice. And flowers."
Gabriel nodded, made for the door before pausing and turning back to look at Cas. "Can you come with me? Just in case Dean decides to commit murder?"
"I'll hold him down for you."
The moment Dean opened the door and saw Gabriel's face, he had him pinned to wall faster than Gabriel could blink.
"What the hell did you do to my sister?" Dean growled, fist poised above him, ready to strike.
"Dean," Castiel stepped in, a hand on Dean's shoulder, and the older Winchester relaxed. "Let him go."
"But he..."
"Now."
Gabriel fell to the floor with a thud as Dean let him go from his iron-like grip. The older Winchester glowered down at him as Gabriel scrambled to get up.
"Look, can I just please talk to Sam?"
"No." Dean replied, crossing his arms.
"Please. I just want to..."
"You just want to what?" Dean cut him off mid-sentence. "You want to explain? You want to apologize? You want her to listen to some sick, twisted story you've got? Because I sure as hell can tell you right now that Sam doesn't want to do anything that concerns you and I am not allowing you anywhere near her."
Gabriel stood to his full height of 5'8", which, really, was still short compared to Dean's 6'1". He met Dean's blazing green eyes. "Listen here you arrogant, pompous prick. I don't care what bull crap comes from your mouth. I want to hear Sam say it herself, not you. Now, where is she?"
Dean regarded him for a moment, green eyes narrowed with Castiel putting a cautious hand to his arm in case the elder Winchester decided to actually punch Gabriel.
"She's not here." Dean finally said. "She's at the coffee shop."
Gabriel stared at him for a moment, before nodding. "Thanks."
"Hey, Gabriel." Dean called out just as he was about to go down the stairs. Gabriel turned back to see Dean with an arm wrapped around Cas' shoulders. "If you hurt my sister again, I swear to God, no one will be able to find your body."
The look in Dean's eyes was just enough for Gabriel to nod and high tail it out of there.
True to Dean's word, Sam was at the coffee shop. Gabriel quietly slipped in, hoping against hope that Sam wouldn't notice him. He settled down at a chair by the window and watched as Sam strummed her guitar.
His heart clenched as she sang, and she seemed more somber than he's ever seen her. Her shoulders were slumped in a defeated manner and she was practically lifeless as she sang. It hurt Gabriel even more to know that he did this to her.
She looked up and her eyes widened as she saw Gabriel sitting there. Gabriel forced out a smile when their eyes met but he was rewarded with a cold glower. Sam strummed the final chords of the song, thanked the audience, and walked off the stage.
Gabriel followed her just as she slipped out of the back door and walked hastily towards the bus stop.
"Sam!" Gabriel called out. "Sam, wait!"
She ignored him, opting instead to wait for the bus, or Dean's Impala, whichever came first.
"Sam," Gabriel began. "Sam, look I'm..."
"You're sorry?" She finished sardonically. "For what? For ignoring me for two weeks? Or has it been three? Look, whatever, Gabriel."
"No!" He snapped. "No, whatevers. Look, I was a dick, I know that now."
"Damn right you were a dick." Sam retorted. "And you know what's worse? I don't even know what I did wrong."
"No, you did nothing wrong." Gabriel finally said.
"So, it's not me, it's you? We're really doing that whole schtick?"
"It was my fault. The blame is on me...I...I panicked."
She raised an eyebrow. "Do you panic when any girl kisses you?"
"No! You...let me explain! You caught me off guard and..." He took a deep breath. "Sam, look, I'm a laundry list of issues. I can't...I can't drag you into that. I panicked because..."
Sam looked quizzically at him, silently urging him to finish the sentence.
"...because I love you. And you're too good for me, Sam. You're going places – you're going to law school at Stanford for crying out loud – and me? I'm just some washed up singer that did nothing with his life. You...you deserve someone better than me. You deserve someone who won't pull you down or...or won't pull you from your dreams. I can't watch you fall with me because you're someone who has their whole life ahead of them. I'm just gonna weigh you down.
"I mess up every good thing in my life. And I don't want to do that to you. I'm thirty-five, I'm a recovering alcoholic, I sleep on my cousin's fold-out couch...why would you want someone like that? And I love you too much to see you get hurt by me. And I don't think...I don't think I'll be able to handle that...that I ruined something good because I'm a pitiful excuse for a man."
Gabriel finally took a breath. "There. I said it." He said, averting his gaze.
"You. Idiot."
His head snapped up. "Excuse me?"
"You absolute, moronic, idiot." Sam said, clear disbelief on her face.
"Can we skip the insults? Cas already told me I had the emotional range of a teaspoon." He deadpanned.
"Because you do! You actually...Oh my God." Sam breathed out, as if she wasn't believing this. "You actually thought you were dragging me down?"
"I didn't think. I know. I screw up every good thing in my life, Sam. You're too good for me, and I was just gonna drag you down. Maybe not know, maybe not tomorrow, but soon."
"And you didn't think to ask me how I felt about this?"
"Sam, come on, let's be realistic here - !"
"I've been in love with you since ninth grade." Sam cut him off. He looked at her, bewildered at his revelation.
"Well, infatuated with you," She pressed on. "But when I met you in person at the coffee shop weeks ago, I came to know who you are."
"And who am I, exactly?"
"You're Gabriel Milton – not the ArchAngel, but the absolute imbecile that I should not have fallen in love with, but I did." She finished. "You told me things that I didn't know about, and you were strong to face your demons. I fell in love with you the moment I sat down at that very chair in front of you and said hello."
"Are you telling me I had you at 'hello?' Cause that's just really cheesy." Gabriel said, a smile pulling at his lips.
"Can you be serious for once?" She asked exasperated.
"Hey, I am serious! You're the one turning this into a chick-flick moment." Gabriel pointed out. "All we need is rain and we can be the perfect cover for a Nicholas Sparks' novel."
She bitchfaced at him, and really, how can one have so many bitchfaces?
"Sam, are you sure about this?" He finally asked.
"Yes. I've been sure since that moment I kissed you when we sang that duet."
"I'm going to complain about my brothers a lot."
"I'll complain about mine."
"I'm a pig."
"I live with Dean."
"I'm fat."
"I like my men a little soft around the edges."
"I sing in my sleep."
"So? I love your voice."
"I'm thirty five years old and I'm ten years older than you."
"Age is just a number, and I'm legal."
"I'm gonna weigh you down."
"Let me deal with that."
"Are you really sure about this?"
"Yes."
And with that, she pulled him close and pressed their lips together. This time, Gabriel didn't pull away. Instead, he kissed back, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. As if on cue, rain started falling around them and Gabriel had to pull away to laugh.
"This is so cheesy." He said, putting their foreheads together and looking into Sam's eyes.
"S'your fault." She mumbled, pulling him again for another kiss.
And really, he didn't complain.
EPILOGUE: ONE YEAR LATER
"Is my tie crooked?"
"Oh for the love of God, Gabriel! You've asked that question three times in the last two minutes! It's fine!"
"Oh excuse me for wanting to look good for Sam!"
"She's going to love you even if you wear a trashbag."
"I don't think she'll approve."
A pause. "You're right. Maybe she'll hit you with the podium."
Gabriel turned around from the mirror and turned to face Cas. Cas was wearing a three-piece suit, his hair for once not in disarray, and smiled up at him. "You look great."
"What if she ditches me?" Gabriel asked suddenly. "What if she realizes she's making the biggest mistake of her life and jumps out the window?"
Cas rolled his eyes. "Please. I was sent here to make sure you didn't jump out the window. Calm down, will you?"
"This is actually happening, isn't it?"
"Afraid so."
Gabriel turned to look at Castiel and smiled up at him. "Hey, Cas...thanks."
"For what?"
"For everything. For saving my life."
Castiel chuckled. "You're welcome."
A loud knock interrupted them and Gabriel looked up and gasped.
Michael, Lucifer and Raphael stood awkwardly at the door, shuffling their feet and looking every bit like the children Gabriel always thought they were. Aside from the foot of space between Michael and Lucifer, they all looked very apologetic and nervous. Well, Lucifer looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. His eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you three doing here? Get out!"
"Gabriel, wait," Michael began. Gabriel turned to face Cas who looked just as bewildered as he was.
"I didn't invite them." Cas said immediately.
"Then who - ?"
"I did." A female voice said and Gabriel looked up to see Sam standing there. He was breathtaken by her. The strapless, white dress cascaded to the floor and her hair was done up tastefully, falling to her shoulders in waves of brown. Probably Jo's doing.
"Why did you –?"
"You boys are long overdue for a much needed talk." Was all she said. "Come on, Cas. Let's leave them to talk. Dean wants to see you."
Cas followed her and Gabriel was left to face his three older siblings.
"You snagged a good looking one, Gabby." Lucifer said, eyeing Sam as she left with Cas. Gabriel glowered at him.
"Hands and eyes off, Lucy." Gabriel snapped. "You're gay."
"Bisexual." Lucifer corrected.
"Whatever. What are you dickwads doing here?"
Michael had the decency to look ashamed. "We came to see how you were doing."
"I'm fine, thank you. Now leave."
"Gabby, is that a way to treat your guests? Your beautiful bride-to-be invited us!" Lucifer exclaimed.
"Lucifer, shut up." Michael snapped. Lucifer glared at him, sticking his tongue out in a childish manner that reminded Gabriel of their childhood years. "If you don't have anything important to add to the conversation, please, do not say anything."
"Screw you, Michael."
"Why I oughta - !"
"Hey!" Raphael shouted, getting in between his brothers before a fist fight broke out. The third Milton sibling massaged his temples before turning to Gabriel. "We came here because we wanted to apologize."
Wait, hold the phone. "Excuse me?"
Lucifer looked like he just swallowed pure lemon juice. "We came here to apologize. Your beau personally visited us one by one, sat us down, and practically drilled into our heads of how dickish we were."
"We didn't realize how much the band meant to you." Michael said.
Gabriel snorted. "Understatement of the Decade, Mikey. You three were so wrapped up in yourselves that you couldn't see anything else. I gave up more than you morons. I didn't finish high school. I worked night and day writing new material for our dickish record label while you three were out partying like a bunch of hooligans at a frat party! I gave everything to keep the band together, and after everything, you three didn't even bother checking to see if I was okay. So, yeah, no wonder." He spat venomously.
They all look liked they've been slapped. "Gabriel, that's why we came." Michael began softly. "Because we're sorry. I know we have no excuses. You're our brother. I just wish we could've done more."
"I know we can't erase the last ten years," Raphael cut in. "But we want to make up for it. What we did – abandoning you – it was a crap move on our part."
"We are assholes." Lucifer grudgingly admitted. "You were my partner in crime, Gabby. Remember when we used to prank Mikey and Raph here?"
Gabriel refused to smile. "What can you possibly do to make up for the ten years of abandonment? You know, Castiel became more of a brother to me than you three. He didn't leave me when I needed him the most. And now? I've got Sam, and she's the best thing to ever happen to me. I cannot fathom how I would possibly ever need you three again."
"I know, but can we just at least watch our little brother get married?" Michael asked quietly. "After all, we were invited."
Gabriel studied each of their expressions: Michael looked remorseful, Lucifer looked indifferent, and Raphael had a hopeful smile on his face.
"Fine." He finally conceded. "You can watch, but you better not ruin this for me."
Watching Sam walk down the aisle was everything Gabriel dreamt of and more. She looked absolutely stunning and he was torn between high tailing it out of there and running down the aisle to scoop her up in his arms and just put the ring on her finger.
He waited with bated breath. Behind him, Cas squeezed his shoulder in reassurance and across, Dean gave him a thumbs up and a look that plainly said "You better not screw this up, again."
At the back pews, Gabriel could clearly see his three brothers and almost burst out laughing. Michael looked like he was going to shed tears, Raphael was actually shedding tears, and Lucifer was looking at them disdainfully.
Sam finally stepped up to himand Gabriel stood in awe of how beautiful she actually was. She smiled shyly at him before taking his arm and they turned to the pastor.
Dearly beloved, Blah blah blah, talking about love, blah blah blah, and they were soon saying their vows, blah blah blah, they said I do to each other – it was a blur really, and Gabriel just couldn't see anything else aside from Sam. When they kissed, Gabriel actually heard Lucifer whoop with joy.
"I love you." Sam said when they pulled away.
"Back at you." Gabriel replied, a stupid grin on his face.
"Oh, by the way, I've got a surprise for you." She said with a wink. Gabriel smirked at her as he led her out of the church.
"Oh you do, do you?"
"Mhm, but you have to wait until the reception." Sam added.
"Well, I can't wait."
The reception happened at the coffee shop because a) that's where they first met and b) Ellen was a very persuasive woman and the promise of cakes and other sweet things had Gabriel agreeing right off the bat.
Not a lot of people attended the wedding and very few attended the reception. It was really just a small family affair, and Gabriel was content with it staying that way.
It seemed everything was perfect.
The moment when Sam pushed a microphone into his hand and had Michael pull him up from his seat, though, was the moment he realized they were conspiring against him.
"What the - !" He exclaimed as Michael dragged him onto the makeshift stage. He glared at his wife (he will never get over the fact that she was his wife!) who was making innocent faces at him.
Lucifer was now addressing the crowd. "Hello, everyone! We first would like to say, congratulations to the happy couple. Really, Gabriel, you don't deserve anything less."
"And as a promise we made to the bride," Michael continued. "ArchAngels are reuniting for one night only! So get your cameras people cause this is something you will never see again!"
Gabriel was bewildered by the events around him and the loud, familiar beats of their old song was blaring out of the speakers.
Michael sang first – he always does, singing the first verse and the chorus while the crowd catcalled and whistled at him. At his age, Michael was still extremely nimble. Probably because he needed to keep in shape.
Lucifer sang next before Gabriel found himself being pushed to the front, Michael encouraging him to sing. From the distance, he could see Sam smiling widely, mouthing: "SING ALREADY!"
He looked at the microphone in his hand, at his brothers, Cas, Dean, then at Sam who smiled lovingly at him.
He brought the microphone to his lips...
ARCHANGELS REUNION? ONE NIGHT ONLY?
Article by: Ruby Cortese
We caught wind last night of an impromptu ArchAngels reunion performance that took place in a quaint little cafe called the Roadhouse. Fans all over the world going crazy with pictures from the apparently one night only performance.
What surprised us here at People Magazine is that Gabriel Milton is alive, healthy, and married! Yes, ladies, that's right! After years of not seeing the youngest Milton brother, he suddenly comes up and is married! Our sources indicate that the impromptu concert happened during his wedding reception. Some fans are calling it a publicity stunt, while others are bemoaning the loss of an eligible bachelor. Was the wedding a hoax to simply get him back into the spotlight? We can only speculate.
Our writers caught up with Michael Milton yesterday and we asked him about the little reunion they had. Here's what he had to say:
"It was good seeing my brothers again. Lord knows I haven't seen them in years, but we didn't reunite for the fans. We got together because we actually had some real business to take care off, so, I'll leave it at that."
When asked what he thought about his brother's sudden married status, he said: "Gabriel's happy, and really, I wish the best for both of them."
Will this be the start of a new era for the ArchAngels? Will they actually reunite for real? I, for one, am excited to find out.
But until then, we can only hope.
Side Note: We only turned Sam into a girl because our professor will be reading this and me, being the more experienced in fanfiction out of the two of us, cut back on gay scenes for that reason. When our Creative Writing is over and done with, I may have plans to do a little more expounding on this. Until then, I hope you guys can enjoy what we cooked up :)