Rating: PG-13
Pairing/Characters: Pre-slash Gabriel/Sam, Dean, Castiel
Spoilers: Anything for Gabriel
Warnings: None
Word Count: 966
Summary: It took Sam a long time to realize the importance behind the things Gabriel was giving him.
Notes: Written for Round Two, Challenge One of spn_las with the theme of : Time Will Tell. I feel like I stretched that prompt a bit much but...*shrugs*

It actually took a long time for Sam to realize what, exactly, was going on. For all that he's college bred, though he never did finish, he can be painfully oblivious. In fact, he's fairly certain Dean figured it out before him. In his defense, Gabriel was hardly obvious…

Okay fine, he was absolutely clueless and it's horribly embarrassing. Still…now that he knows, (somewhat) Sam is not sure what he's supposed to do next.

He's sitting alone on his bed, Dean had been extremely amused by his situation but Castiel had convinced him to leave Sam to it. The Meaningful Look (yes, the capital letters were well deserved) Castiel had given him before disappearing with Dean told Sam that he expected a particular outcome to this but damned if Sam could figure out what qualified as a satisfactory outcome.

Freaking angels and their inability to communicate properly like normal human beings. (Sam willfully ignored the tiny fact that neither Castiel or Gabriel were, in fact, human.)

In any case, Sam was left alone staring down at the collection of gifts before him on the bed. They were small, most easily overlooked and nothing too important seeming. But they were all from Gabriel. From Gabriel to Sam. Just Sam, actually.

The first gift, casually passed off to Sam not three days after Gabriel had finally joined Team Free Will, was a long beautiful feather. It shimmered ever so slightly in the sunlight and was composed of red, orange and yellow colors. Sam couldn't think of what animal it could have come from and didn't dare ask. He had been in need of a bookmark, hating to bend the pages of such old books, and his absent mutterings had caused Gabriel to present the feather to him. At the time they were alone and Sam had accepted out of surprise and because it was so pretty. Gabriel disappeared immediately after and Sam brushed it off. And if he found himself stroking his fingers along the edges of the feather, well, it was really pretty.

The second happened exactly a week later. Sam found it on his pillow beside his head one morning. Dean shrugged when asked and Castiel had gotten wide eyes before stating, absurdly calm, that Gabriel must have left it. For once, Sam decided against asking how he knew that. The thing in question, was a heavy, dark blue stone. It was polish smooth but still somehow rough to the touch. It was oval shaped and a few inches thick. It made the perfect paper weight. Sam left it at that.

The third and final gift was a dagger. Wickedly sharp, faintly curved and an odd shiny white color. In fact, at certain angles it sometimes flashed silver. Sam was quite taken with it and his reaction must have pleased Gabriel because the archangel had never smiled quite so widely. It was a strange look that Sam had never seen on him before but Gabriel took his leave again (running; Sam was starting to suspect though from what he hadn't the faintest clue) just as Dean and Castiel returned from fetching take-out.

Sam had been openly admiring his new weapon, extremely impressed and pleased, when Castiel stopped dead in the middle of the room and just stared. His blue eyes were intent, surprised, pleased (maybe even proud?) and Sam shivered.

Castiel had proceeded to tell him that Gabriel's gifts had been attempts to ask something of Sam. Sam asked what he meant but Castiel forced a stiff shrug and merely told him to ask Gabriel. When he turned to his brother, Dean was wearing just as odd an expression; a mixture of amusement, contemplation and perhaps a touch of caution. Dean had smirked, then snarked ("You're really oblivious sometimes, Sammy.") and left him alone to call Gabriel.

Staring at his gifts, Sam fingered the satin soft feather and sighed.

"Gabriel." he said aloud, "Would you come here, please?"

A moment passed and Sam wondered if he would even show. Then, suddenly, the angel was there.

Gabriel stood at the foot of his bed, eyes dark with something Sam couldn't read and focused on the three gathered items. "What's up, Sammy?" he said cheerfully.

"What are these?" he asked, straightforward in that way he sometimes is.

"Literally? Well…" Gabriel leaned over slightly to touch each object as he spoke of it. "This is a phoenix feather, a dragon's scale and a dagger of unicorn horn."

Sam blinked, opened his mouth, then closed it again. He frowned slightly, looking at the gifts with wide eyes and absolute wonder. He doesn't have to ask if Gabriel is serious, his voice may have been casual but not dismissive.

"Why?" he whispered, "Why would you give me these things?" He doesn't understand anything, doesn't understand why Gabriel would do this for him.

Gabriel shrugged, somehow not at all a casual movement, and doesn't answer.

"No, Gabriel. What do you want from me?"

The angel scowled, won't look him in the eyes and Sam suddenly realized he was nervous. In turn, Sam grew nervous.

"I want…" Gabriel paused, seemingly struggling. "I want to make up…for what I've done."

Sam stared.

"To you." he added.

"…oh." Sam breathed, sudden insight flashing across his mind. He looked down at the gifts, the tangible signs of a being reaching out that doesn't know how. "Gabriel. I can understand and I can forgive but I can't forget." he said, touching each item softly in turn.

Movement drew his attention and Sam looked up to find Gabriel on the bed, kneeling before him, the offerings between them. The angel smiled, wide and accepting.

Sam smiled back, a feeling like happiness in his heart.