The December wind followed Sam in as he opened the door. It was three weeks 'til Christmas and already the house smelled like cookies. Then again, with Gabriel around, it wasn't much of a surprise.
"I'm home!" shouted Sam as he hung his coat and scarf up on the peg.
"Upstairs!" shouted Gabriel. As Sam walked past the kitchen, he saw freshly frosted cookies setting up on the counter, frosting still shiny in the kitchen light. He glanced up the stairs. Gabriel wouldn't notice if he took just one. His fingers were just inches above a particularly delectable cookie when he heard a voice behind him,
"Dinner first." Sam turned to find Gabriel in the doorway behind him. He grinned,
"And who are you to talk, Mr. Cookies-Are-A-Food group?"
"I'm making scrambled eggs with turkey bacon and whole wheat toast."
"When do we eat?" said Sam. Gabriel laughed and snapped his fingers. Dinner appeared on the table, steam still rising. Sam sat and dug in, shoveling great piles of eggs and bacon onto his plate. Gabriel nibbled on a slice of toast and asked,
"So how was it being a big-shot lawyer today?"
"Well, they only asked me to fetch coffee twice, so not bad." said Sam, swallowing his eggs.
"Eh, no worries. Eventually they'll realize that the name on the door is you."
"Eventually," said Sam. He chewed thoughtfully for a while before saying, "So what'd you do?"
"What?" asked Gabriel. He knew what was coming.
"We're eating a healthy dinner. At the table. Clearly, something is wrong."
"Can't I just want to be nice to my Samsquatch?"
"No." said Sam with a smile. He knew it wouldn't be anything serious. Maybe Gabriel broke a vase or something. Gabriel only smiled,
"I'll show you after dinner." he said. Sam eyed him suspiciously but ate his food.
Later, after dinner over and a few cookies each, Sam lounged in his chair contentedly,
"So what did you do that I've already forgiven you for?"
"Well, I'll show you." said Gabriel, standing and grabbing Sam's hand. Sam followed, still smiling but slightly worried. Gabriel and surprise went hand in hand, but Gabriel was decidedly less enthusiastic about this surprise than the others.
At the landing, Sam expected to turn left, to their bedroom and whatever scheme Gabriel had cooked up. However, Gabriel led him right, to the second bedroom they mostly used as storage. The door was closed and the unease in Sam's stomach only worsened,
"Gabriel, what's going on?" he asked slowly. But Gabriel didn't reply. He opened the door with a flourish and Sam slowly walked in. The boxes and bags had been shoved to the sides of the room, leaving the middle empty except for a single item. A wooden crib sat in the middle of the room, the finish shining in the light. The craftsmanship was exquisite, each curve of the rail and spindle of the gate clearly made with love,
"Wow." said Sam softly, stepping closer, "Where did you get it?"
"I made it."
"You made it?" Sam asked in wonder. Gabriel nodded,
"You like it."
"Yeah." said Sam, running his hand along the rail. When he looked closer, there was Enochian written along the edges, "What's this say?" he asked, tapping it. Gabriel recited,
"'Do not be afraid, for we are with you. With this writing, I banish all bad dreams from those within' There's also a few basic protection symbols." he said. Sam traced the carving as he slowly mulled over the implications of a crib, nodding at Gabriel's words. He replied quietly,
"Are you saying you want to try for a baby?"
"No," said Gabriel. Sam frowned. He'd always wanted a family and he'd assumed the same from Gabriel. The lack of desire for children, however, made the crib a bit strange. Realization had just dawned on Sam when Gabriel continued, "I'm saying trying would be a bit redundant." Sam stepped forward, hands hovering just off of Gabriel,
"So you're…"
"Yep. Up the duff. Bun in the oven. Preggo."
"Wow." said Sam. He hesitantly put his hands on Gabriel's stomach, giving the shorter man a questioning glance. Gabriel laughed,
"We did far worse than that to put it there. You can touch." Sam's hands slowly slid beneath Gabriel's shit and over his belly, searching for any signs of the child within. He knew there wouldn't be—Gabriel could only be a month or two in, after all—but he still looked. He looked to Gabriel's face and saw his eyes were closed,
"Gabe?"
"Hm?" The eyes opened.
"I love you."
"Love you too, Samsquatch." he said with a smile, "You are happy about this, aren't you?" And there. Sam could barely see it. The tiny glimmer of nervousness in the archangel's eye. Sam kissed him soundly, trying to convey what words couldn't. He pulled back and put a hand on Gabriel's cheek,
"I'm very happy.
"Good. Me too." Gabriel kissed Sam back.