1. When Gabriel was enjoying a movie
-Its movie night in the bunker.
Dean has demanded one at least once a week. He says it's because they need a break from hunting once in a while, but Sam thinks it's because big brother Deans body isn't 25 anymore. it's a thought that brings a smile to his face every week when Dean brings out the "movie hat" full of slips of paper with everyones choices for the week, and each time Dean looks over at Sams stupid face and asks "what?" and Sam always says the same answer. "Nothing, Dean."
This week Castiels' movie has been drawn out of the hat, a documentary about black plague that Dean rolled his eyes at, but in a loving way, and all four members of the new team free will were scattered across the TV room. Dean and Cas were sitting on the long couch pretending that they wouldn't be snuggling under a blanket before the movie was done, and Sam was sitting in an armchair with Gabriel situated between his legs.
"What are you doing down there?" Sam had asked when Gabriel plopped down at his feet without hesitation.
"Sitting. Duh. You have all the snacks."
Sam had looked to the side table and discovered a whole movie theaters worth of candy, popcorn and drinks. His eyes lit up as he surveyed the many choices Gabriel had snapped up.
"Throw me some raisinets, Sammy." Dean called from the other side of the room. Sam complied and tossed a cold can of beer after. He happily spied a long ribbon of rainbow sour candy that he claimed as his own and poured a bag of m&ms into a bowl of popcorn and set it at Gabriels side, earning him a delighted gasp.
"Samsquach, how'd you know?!"
They all sat and watched the movie mostly uninterrupted. Cas and Gabriel kept correcting the information from the movie, Dean kept pausing the movie to ask again and again if they really had to watch it. And, yes they did. Sam kept up his duties as candy waiter, a trademarked phrase coined by Gabriel, and the easy night continued.
At some point during the movie, one hour twelve minutes and thirty six seconds in (but Gabriel wasn't taking notes or anything, nope) Sams hands made their way to Gabriels shoulders. It was gentle at first, barely there touches and Sams fingers trailing from his spine out to his shoulders. And when Gabriel didn't protest, Sam didn't pull away. Neither man said anything, and as the movie went on, Sam dug his fingers in a little harder. He didn't even realize it when he started giving Gabriel a full on massage of the parts of Gabriel he could reach.
He must have hit a knot in Gabriels shoulder, because suddenly a pleasured cry broke the quiet of the room.
"Aaaaaaaoooohhhhh! Yesss!"
Three sets of eyes were instantly on Gabriel and the hands on his shoulders stilled. He slowly lifted the lids of his eyes, body still slack from the man paws on his back, and hears Sam gently laughing at him. Gabriel tilts his head back all the way so it's resting on the couch between Sams thighs.
"What?"
"Do you like that?" Sam inquired through his chuckling.
A satisfied smile came on Gabriels face. "You've got magic fingers, sambo."
"Ugh," came the mocking grunt from Dean across the room. "Get a room you two."
Sam and Gabriel shared a mirthful look, and with a few friendly pats on Gabriels shoulder, movie night continued uninterrupted.
2. When Sam showed off on a hunt
- "come on, Gabriel! Let me do the thing!" Sam was bouncing on his crouched legs as he pulled his best puppy dog face.
Gabriel laughed as he sat high up on the stack of pallets in whatever abandoned warehouse they were in right now. "No way, Sam."
"Please? I know you don't want to get involved with this hunt, but it'll look so cool!"
"These are just people, Sam. I'm not getting involved. It'd be unfair."
"You said you weren't getting involved when we thought they were werewolves, either, yet here you are." Sam could hear the distant gunfight between Dean and the group of hunters they mistook for lycans getting closer, and he ducked further behind pallets and wooden boxes they, or rather he, were using as cover. "Me and Dean have almost beat them all. Please Gabriel. Please Gabriel. Please Gabriel. Please Gabriel."
Gabriel rolled his eyes and leaned back on him palms. "Are you serious right now?" a smile still on his face. "I'm many millennia older than you. I think I can beat you in a battle of wills."
"Please Gabriel. Please Gabriel. Please Gabriel." Sams ridiculous grin was getting wider and wider as he saw Gabriel getting a taste of his own annoying medicine. "Please Gabriel. Please Gabriel."
"Oh my, father! Fine!" Gabriel sighed in resignation. "What are you, five?" he mumbled to himself and sat up straight. "Let me tell cas to have them bring the fight this way." The look of pure delight on Sams face as he refilled his guns magazines softened Gabriels mood again as he called out to Castiel.
Hey Cas, Sam has a stupid and childish plan he wants to do. Can you lead the last of them this way?
What? Came the confused response. Are - are you and Sam in danger?
Only of Edgar Wright suing us
Gabriel, I...I don't understand...who is that?
Just bring them to us, please.
"Okay," Gabriel huffed in new found annoyance, "here come the bad guys."
"Yes. I am so ready for this." Sam said to himself as he sheathed the magazines into his weapons, earning another lighthearted eye roll from Gabriel. The hunter looked up with a spark in his eyes and said "Alright. Shields up!"
Gabriel barked a loud laugh as he snapped his fingers, and an iridescent shimmer rose up from the ground around Sam. the golden colors engulfed Sam completely before fading away into nothing, but Sam knew he was well protected. A hunters bullet could never hurt him now. In fact, nothing could hurt him in here.
Sam peeked out from his hiding spot, a fully loaded gun in each hand, waiting for Dean and Cas to draw his prey out to him. The sounds of gunfire were almost on top of them now and he could see his brother and his angel moving to his position. Sam locked eyes with Dean, letting him know he was ready to pounce. Dean tapped Cas on his shoulder, and gestured for him to move behind Sam. as they passed him in hiding, Dean called out to Sam "two left. Twelve o' clock. all yours!" then took cover.
From above him came one last good natured snarky remark. "Are you going to do the stupid accent, too? You're not good at it, you know."
Completely straight faced, Sam looked at Gabriel, and with the worst English accent ever, Sam said "Have you ever fired two guns whilst jumping through the air?"
Gabriels chest hurt with how much Sam was making him laugh today. and his laughter didn't stop when Sam took a flying leap out from behind his hiding place, Gabriel helping him fly only a little higher, his face contorted into a ridiculous face while yelling out into the cavernous warehouse, firing both his guns at the final two bad guys. Sam emptied both magazines before he hit the ground and both of his adversaries collapsed to the ground, dead.
Sams laughter joined with Gabriels as Dean and cas walked over, and Dean looked pissed.
"That was your plan? To live out some action movie fantasy?"
"Gabriel did say it was stupid and childish." Cas interjected, placing a calming hand on Deans shoulder.
"Hey!" Sam looked up to Gabriel like he just kicked a puppy. "Stupid and childish?"
Gabriel jumped down nimbly from the mountain of wood and held out his hand to help Sam up with a devilish smirk on his face. "It's also not the first time he's done it."
"WHAT?" roared Dean.
As Gabriel was hoisting him off the ground, Sam asked him "Do you like that?" ignoring his fuming brother. His face was soft as he gazed down at Gabriel.
"I sure do, you giant geek." Gabriel said quietly, his hand still holding Sams.
3. When Sam cooked for Gabriel
- The next morning, Gabriel awoke to the wonderful smell of coffee and bacon cooking. He rose out of bed slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and stretching out his limbs from his rest. He didn't need to sleep, but he liked to sometimes.
He grabbed his fluffy blanket with the moose pattern, his favorite and by far the warmest, and padded his way to the kitchen still in his pajamas. As he walked, the wonderful smell became stronger, and he could detect a trace of sugar in with the bitter and savory.
Something sweet for breakfast? This was a very good morning.
When he reached the kitchen, he was greeted with the sight of Sam, also still in his pajamas (just a sleeveless undershirt and his favorite flannel pants), hovering over the stove and flipping something in a pan.
Not that Gabriel noticed. All he saw was Sams muscles rippling under the skin of his arms.
Oh yes, what a very good morning.
Gabriel was still lost in his thoughts when Sam noticed him standing in the doorway.
"Hey, good morning Gabriel. Coffee's fresh," he said, gesturing a spatula towards the pot. "I just made it."
"Hmm?"
Sam chuckled at him, and placed a cooked batch of pancakes on a plate. "Coffee. You want a cup? I've got sugar on the table for you," he set the platter in the oven to keep warm. "It's the good stuff. And, um, here." he quickly headed for the fridge, "I got some cream, too. Nicer than just milk." Sam set the tiny cup on the table next to the sugar and the plate of bacon, and Gabriel noticed Sams ears were starting to take on a red tint.
Son of a bitch, he's so damn adorable Gabriel thought as he smiled at the obviously flustered Sam Winchester.
"What?" Sam asked nervously after Gabriel didn't answer for a few minutes.
"Oh, nothing. Still a little out of it. Yeah, coffee sounds great, actually." Gabriel wrapped his blanket around his shoulders a bit tighter and sat down at the table as Sam poured him a fresh cup of coffee. The table was already set with two sets of plates and silverware. Almost like Sam was planning something, and it had Gabriel eyeing Sam suspiciously as he headed back to the oven.
As Gabriel doctored his coffee to his liking, Sam would call it sugared milk at this point, Sam was pulling the plate that had a mountain of pancakes on it out of the oven and proudly presenting it to Gabriel with an enthusiastic "ta-da!" then scurried off to the bunkers large pantry, returning with way too many bottles of honey and different flavored syrups for two people to ever need.
"What is all this, Sam a lam?" he was trying not to laugh as Sam almost dropped all the bottles and jars on the floor.
"Well," Sam struggled to the table, "I made you some chocolate chip pancakes," he managed out as he set all the bottles down, "as a thank you for all you've been doing since you've been here. Oh, wait." Sam snapped his fingers like he just remembered something and made his way back to the fridge to retrieve chocolate sauce and whipped cream. "There, I think that's everything."
This time, it was Gabriels turn to flush a little bit red in his cheeks.
"Ah, kiddo. You don't have to do all this for me." he said while Sam was serving him a pile of pancakes and a few pieces of bacon before serving himself.
"Well, I wanted to. Since you came back, I don't think I've been this happy in a long time." Sams eyes softened and he tried to convey the truth in his words as he looked at Gabriel. "I know for a fact that I haven't laughed this much in a long time. So, you know, thank you."
Gabriel sat there motionless for a moment and thought about what Sam had said. Well, shit he thought. How about that. He takes his hand out from behind his blanket, reaches out, and covers Sams as it sits on the table. Gabriel squeezes it gently as he answers "You're welcome, Sam. You deserve to be so happy."
A moment of quiet falls in the kitchen, and Sam and Gabriel are just smiling at each other, holding hands at the table while their breakfast gets cold.
"Well," Sam speaks and breaks the silence. "You should eat. See if I did a good job." Sam expects for Gabriel to grab a little bit of everything on the table and bury his breakfast in sugar and syrup, but he is surprised when he cuts a piece of the plain stack of pancakes and brings it to his mouth. it must have shown in his face because Gabriels fork stops short of his mouth.
"What?" he shrugs. "Gotta make sure the base is good. Plus, I'm not a hummingbird, you know."
He popped the cake in his mouth and chewed it carefully. Sam watched intently, seeing if he created something that Gabriel deemed acceptable.
"Do you like that?" Sam asked hopefully.
"I don't know, Sam," Gabriel taunted, "It's a little...amazing!"
"Oh my god, Gabriel!" Sam exclaims, scrubbing his hands down his face. "You are such a little shit sometimes."
"Yeah, but you love me." Gabriel says hesitantly, and he and Sam laugh and talk their way through breakfast. Gabriel uses too much syrup and sugar, and Sam has to make a double batch of everything after they finish when Dean and Cas join them after a while.
4 When a hunt went badly
- The demons were dead.
But in no way was this hunt successful. Not at all. In fact, this is the worst thing that Sam had ever experienced.
None of them have any idea where common low level demons gained this kind of knowledge, this kind of power. And all of them had been caught off guard.
And now Sam was kneeling in this muddy field, clutching Gabriel into his chest as hard as he could. Castiel and Dean were standing off to the side, each whispering comforts to the other, but Sam wasn't listening. All he could hear was Gabriel crying into his chest, and it was breaking Sams heart.
"My back. It hurts. Why does it hurt?" Gabriel murmured as his tears soaked into Sams dirty shirt.
The bloody mess on Gabriels back told a terrible story, and all Sam can think about is that searing flash of light, it burned so bright and hot, then he heard the earsplitting sound of Gabriel screaming. The panic rose up in him and he blindly groped for the archangel, but the scorching heat made it too painful to move.
As the crippling flare receded and his eyesight returned, Sam felt pure horror as he looked to Gabriel and saw his glorious wings engulfed in flames. The flames licked up high into the night sky, illuminating the field and sending the ashes of Gabriels feathers into the wind.
Dean had screamed for Cas to find them, that they needed him, NOW, but Sam was frozen in the ground, staring at the fire on his friends back, too horrified to think.
Castiel had arrived, only hesitating for a second as he gaped wide eyed at the fire on his brother before conjuring a rain storm over the field to put out the massive fire that was still burning bright.
The rain snapped Sam out his stupor, and he ran to Gabriel to try and help, but he didn't even know how he could do that. Cas had put out the fire, but the wings were thoroughly destroyed. They were still hidden in the ethereal plane where Sam couldn't see them, but the embers were visible. A perfect shape of three sets of wings, stripped to the bones, glowing a radiating red and orange.
Gabriel was on his knees, head pressed into the cold ground, screaming and wailing in pain. Sam was afraid to touch him, to cause him more pain, his hands hovering at Gabriels shoulders.
"SAM!" Gabriel screamed. "HELP ME PLEASE!"
Sam didn't have any idea how to help. He whipped his head up and around, looking for Castiel, found him exorcising demons alongside Dean.
"CAAAS!" he bellowed to the angel. "GET OVER HERE!"
Cas materialized next to Gabriel, placed his palm on his big brothers back and did his best to block the pain that Gabriel was feeling. There was no way that he had the power to restore Gabriels wings, but he could offer him some reprise from the misery of his burned wings.
"I'm sorry, Sam. That is the best I can do." Castiel said, his own tears running down his face. "I can't fix them, but I helped with the pain as best as I could."
Gabriels wailing had quieted slightly, and Sam had gathered him up as gingerly as he could into a protective hug, both men still kneeling in the mud.
And they stayed that way. Sam was trying to keep his tears back, to be strong for Gabriel, but he failed miserably. He cried for Gabriel, cried for the pain he must be feeling, cried as he tried to imagine the deep terror of an angel without his wings, cried because there was nothing he could do to help.
Except hold him.
"I'm sorry, Gabriel." Sams voice was broken and he was sobbing along with Gabriel. "I'm so sorry." He ducked his head, leaning into Gabriels hair, shaking harder when all he could smell was smoke and sulfur, not the sweet smells that always stuck to Gabriel. "What can I do?"
"It hurts, Sammy." It was all Gabriel would say now in between his pained whimpers. "It hurts so much."
Ignoring the blood soaked shirt, Sam slipped a hand under the fabric. He did his best to avoid the areas where he thought his wings were, and started rubbing slow circles across the angels back.
"Is this ok, Gabriel? Does it hurt when I touch you here?" paralyzing sobs escaped Sam, and all he could do was hold Gabriel closer.
"Do you like that?"
5. When Gabriel needed to start healing
-Castiel had flown Sam and Gabriel back to the bunker. Sam didn't think a four hour drive back would have been good for the traumatized angel, and Dean and Cas had agreed.
After Cas had dropped them off and then returned to Dean for the long drive back, Sam took Gabriel to the bunkers bathroom to clean him up. They were both covered in mud, dirt, grass and blood, and both of their faces were red and stained with tear tracks.
Sam carried Gabriel the whole way, he hasn't let go of Sams neck once, and thankfully his tears have subsided. But Gabriel hasn't made a sound since Sam broke down holding him, and the hunter knows what can happen when the mind decides it has had enough and completely shuts down.
So Sam keeps talking to Gabriel, tries to keep him grounded. As they walk to the large bathroom, Sam carrying Gabriel bridal style, he talks about the history of the bunker.
When they get to the generous communal bathroom, Sam places Gabriel on a bench and talks about when he was a child hunting with John. Sam wasn't sure Gabriel would let go of him, but when he softly explained that he had to fill the tub, Gabriel let him go. He immediately pulled his legs up and buried his face in his knees.
As he turned on the water and tested the temperature, Sam wanted it a bit on the cool side, he talked about when Dean picked him up from Stanford, although he did leave out why he decided to go with him in the end.
All the while Gabriel didn't move. He didn't make a sound. Sam didn't pry, he knew that there was anguish and pain in the archangels mind right now.
Sam stripped off the bloody clothing that stuck to Gabriels body. As he got down to the bare skin of his back, Sam was glad to see there wasn't any open wounds or heavy scarring to avoid. As the last of his clothing was removed, Sam scooped Gabriel up again and set him in the water.
"Is the temperature ok?" he asked shakily. Gabriel had gotten himself in the same position as when he was sitting on the bench, knees drawn up and his head down. He still didn't answer Sam.
"That's ok," Sam said. "I understand. I do." Sam grabbed a wash cloth and some soap and began the process of cleaning off the caked on grime. "You've gone through something…horrible. I can't even imagine what this feels like for you." he could feel Gabriel shaking underneath his tender hands, and Sams voice started to waver a bit. "But I want you to know that I will be here for you, whenever you need me. And even when you don't. So don't expect to be rid of me soon."
Sam fell quiet, his hand resting on Gabriels shoulder, waiting for some kind of an answer.
"Sam…"
It was barely a whisper, but it was all Sam needed to know that Gabriel was at least a little ok. That he was ok having Sam around and helping him.
"Thank you Gabriel." Sam whispered back through a tight throat. He sniffled and brought a hand up to wipe away the tears in his eyes. "Ok, now lean your head back so I can wash your hair."
Gabriel complied, but his eyes were unfocused and glazed over. It made Sams frown deepen as he wet down Gabriels matted hair and washed out the blood and soot.
Sam used his fingers to massage Gabriels scalp from his temples to the nape of his neck, dirty soap sliding down Gabriels back.
"Do you like that, Gabriel?" Sam asked calmly. "Feel ok?"
Gabriel answered by closing his eyes, new tears falling down his face.
6 When it meant something more.
-It had been a few weeks since the incident, and life in the bunker was nowhere near back to normal.
They hadn't gone on a hunt since the demons that destroyed Gabriels wings. Not only was Gabriel recovering, but Castiel was going through his own suffering at seeing his older brothers wings destroyed. So the hunters stayed at the bunker, nursing the psychological wounds of two of heavens most powerful.
Castiel had tried to fix whatever physical damage he could multiple times, but there seems to be nothing he can do for Gabriel. And without his wings, Gabriels grace doesn't work properly, if at all. Sam hates thinking about it, but short of Chuck coming out of hiding, Gabriel may never be the same. He thinks he may become human, and that thought saddens Sam so much.
He's thinking about it as he and Gabriel are lying in bed, a habit Gabriel hasn't let go of since Sam said he would take care of him. They always face each other, Sam always wants to look in Gabriels eyes. Always looking for that spark of the old Gabriel, of his old friend in those amber eyes.
But they were always glassy, always staring far off in the distance, and the longer Sam looked into those eyes the harder it was for him to keep the tears out of his own.
"Oh, Gabriel," his hands running up and down Gabriels arm, "where are you?"
Sam trailed his fingers higher up Gabriels arm, rounding his shoulder and grazing up his neck, coming to rest on the archangels' cheek. Sams thumb was lazily smoothing the skin under Gabriels eye, heavy with bags, and his long fingers reaching into his hair.
"Please come back to me." Heavy tears broke free from Sams lashes, dropping onto the pillow under him. "Please," he whispered.
All of a sudden, Gabriels eyes seemed to clear a little, and he blinked a few times before his gaze settled on Sam.
"What's wrong?" he whispered as he noticed Sams tears.
The sudden clarity from Gabriel made Sams chest flutter, and he struggled to keep his emotions in check. With a few moments to compose himself, Sam opened his eyes to a look of concern on Gabriels face.
"I'm just so glad you're still with us." he said, his wet laughter echoing through his bedroom. "Can I do something, Gabriel?"
Sams fingers tightened in Gabriels hair, anxiously waiting for a response. And when Gabriel nodded yes, Sam leaned forward and kissed him tenderly, slowly. He tried to pour weeks of pent up emotions into one kiss, to show Gabriel that he meant so much to him.
As he reluctantly pulled away, their foreheads resting together, both men panting lightly, Sam asked "Do you like that?"
And Gabriel smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time.