Existence was fleeting for humanity generally speaking but that truth was even harsher for those who choose to take up the hunting lifestyle. Along with that shorter lifespan came the very real notion that finding true happiness was forbidden. Monsters targeted the ones you love without hesitation regardless if they were aware of your occupation or not. Essentially once you stepped foot into the life you couldn't go back to the apple pie kind of existence. That was the unavoidable truth for many a hunter but not for the most infamous duo of them all; the Winchester Brothers. Unwritten rules that dogged most hunters didn't apply to the beings chosen by fate to save the world. Death couldn't keep them down and cupids arrow wouldn't miss the mark. The pair attempted to love another human in that intimate way but time and time again they would be taken. Sam and Dean where about to give up finding happiness with another when a loophole seemed to be discovered. The no relationship rule that often lead to death of the lover didn't seem to affect the angels in the lives of Sam and Dean. The older brother Dean had cultivated a profound bond with Castiel; the angel who raised him from perdition. Although both parties were completely oblivious of their shared feelings for years the relationship between them was perfect from the start. Sam Winchester on the other hand seemed to be blessed and cursed with the celestial being that captured his heart. Despite a rough beginning the younger Winchester fell head over heels in-love with Gabriel the angel turned trickster. Having a boyfriend in his own self proclaimed witness protection made managing a stable relationship rather difficult. Sam was in a constant juggling match since his beloved harbored two distinct personalities. Difficulties of the arrangement aside Sam never complained and ultimately tried to see the bright side of splitting his time equally with the Trickster and Archangel side of his personality. Needless to say Sam was the only being alive who could actually pinpoint which persona he was addressing at any given time. Sam could explain the differences until he was blue in the face but his elder brother almost always assumed he was addressing the same person. Needless to say that error brought Dean more trouble then could be calculated.

Gabriel and the younger hunter had been dating for roughly a year and in that short time Sam learned many of the quirks that came with his double personality boyfriend. Although the being was an archangel Gabriel seemed to enjoy many things both the humans and pagans did. Due to that Sam was able to enjoy those cliche romantic moments which were the hope and dream of many lovebirds. Not much surprised Sam but it was interesting to learn that Gabriel did indulge in one human activity not many supernatural beings did; sleep. As an angel Gabriel had no use for this practice but his pagan side enjoyed submitting to the solitude of a dream world. That was a habit he picked up from his adopted father Odin. The great Norse God used sleep as a way to regenerate his celestial energy and Gabriel followed suit in that behavior. Sam felt privileged to be able to witness that for himself on several occasions. Gabriel appeared so absolutely peaceful in his slumber. If you hadn't meet Gabriel you would never imagine that he was actually one of the most powerful beings in all creation with a taste for mischief. Although Gabriel was relaxed when he slept the Winchesters would soon learn another secret about the usually high spirited archangel turned trickster the hard way. Gabriel absolutely hated to have his sleep disturbed by anything and once angered he could be as temperamental as Lucifer with his own destructive behavior.

A lull in activity in both heaven and hell provided the members of Team Free Will an opportunity to enjoy some much needed down time. Since there was no threat from any wayward angels or demons for that matter Gabriel felt it was the perfect opportunity to fall off to sleep within the bunker. Given the increase in the population of the bunker Sam planned a supply run and enlisted Castiel's help. The Seraph agreed easily enough considering Dean had taken off earlier that afternoon to blow some steam at a local bar with a few rounds of hustling pool and some good drinks. At the end of this errand both Dean and Castiel hoped to end the perfect day with an enjoyable night together.

Dean Winchester had been a poster child for stress the last few days and that hadn't surprised Sam or Castiel. The elder hunter had been fighting off the influence of the Mark of Cain non-stop and all that effort was taxing. Having Gabriel around also allowed Dean an outlet to vent any of his built up aggression in a constructive and safe manner which the others were grateful for. Needless to say when Dean got back he was somewhat hammered, not so intoxicated that he couldn't drive but enough to be tipsy. A small frown appeared on his features when he saw Cas' car still hadn't returned to it's spot in the garage. Innocently he checked the time on his phone and shrugged slightly before heading inside in search for something to occupy his time. As Dean walked down the halls Dean remembered that Gabriel mentioned he'd stay in the bunker while everyone was out today. Given the Trickster's desire for fun Dean figured now was as good a time as any to attempt to develop a stronger friendship with the archangel.

The elder hunter made his way down the hallway and came upon the door leading to the holy messenger's private retreat within the bunker. 'Here goes nothing.' Dean thought to himself before he lifted up his left hand and began knocking on the door. At first there was no response within the bedroom which Dean took to mean the archangel was probably knee deep in some kind of porn watching session. Dean waited a few more moments before trying again only louder. "Gabriel, hey you in there?"

The knocking eventually pulled Gabriel from his slumber and a rather irritated expression appeared on his half asleep features. His annoyance only grew when he heard it was Dean who had dared to disturb him. Although their relationship had improved over the years thanks to the pleading of their respective brothers the two could also have their moments. Dean tried to get through to the archangel for a third time and that was when the dam broke. Gabriel glared at the entry way and then forced the door open with a wave of his hand. The archangel's eyes had a slight golden glow to them indicating his current mood which had gone unnoticed by the hunter initially. "Thought since Sam and Cas aren't back yet..." Before he could finish his thought Dean's gaze landed on the archangel's now manifested wings. The fluffed up appearance of the feathers and the haunting glow of his eyes in the dark instantly raised red flags in the hunter's mind.

Naturally Dean had assumed that someone had cast some kind of curse and the effects were just now beginning to reveal themselves in the archangel. "Gabriel, relax it's just me, Dean."

Slowly the archangel turned trickster rose from the bed and continued to send the elder hunter a dark glare for daring to wake him from his peaceful slumber. "You..." Gabriel hissed. Dean tried to appear nonthreatening and hoped to talk the powerful being down to prevent any major trouble. However, the archangel was already deep in his own annoyance to listen. Before Dean could get another word out Gabriel raised his left hand and snapped his fingers. In a flash the hunter was gone and once the offending stimuli was out of the picture the deep sleep beckoned Gabriel back. The archangel let out a loud yawn before he lowered himself back into bed and closed his eyes. Within seconds his entire body relaxed and the peace within his form was restored.

Several hours later Sam and Castiel made their way back into the bunker with their arms filled with supplies which included a generous amount of candy for Gabriel, healthy selections for Sam and a six pack for Dean. The Seraph glanced around the war room and library surprised to not see either his elder brother or his hunter lounging around. He had half expected them to pull out the portable TV and marathon through Dr. Sexy MD together. At the very least Castiel was relieved that the bunker wasn't torn in half and there was no sign that Gabriel and Dean fought while the younger members of Team Free Will were out. The passing thoughts escaped his mind and soon he was off to the kitchen with the rest of the goods from their outing which included an apple pie for Dean. What Castiel had failed to notice when he was standing in the entry way was the presence of a large golden house cat. The feline blinked a few times before following the Seraph into the kitchen.

The younger hunter just about finished putting away his own stuff when he heard a yawn echo into the room from just outside the door frame followed by a very cheerful, "Morning Shorties!" Gabriel finally awoke from his nap and was back to his usual cheerful self. A smile appeared on Sam's features as he watched as his lover walked across the kitchen floor and snatched up a few candy bars from one of the bags Castiel placed on the counter.

"Brother it's the middle of the afternoon." Castiel commented as he watched his elder brother pull back the wrapper of the chocolate goodness.

"Perfect time for a pick-me up." Gabriel replied before taking a bite of the bar. A satisfied yum echoed from his throat as he allowed the flavors to melt in his mouth.

Sam gazed over at his lover and noticed the slight case of bed head lingering over his usually perfectly groomed hair. Clearly while he was gone Gabriel had allowed himself some recharging time. "Have any good dreams Gabriel?"

Castiel narrowed his eyes slightly and then cocked his head to the side at the younger hunter's comment. Angels never slept and in turn they wouldn't have any dreams. "Angel's don't sleep Sam. I don't see how..."

"I do, Cassie. Pagan God remember?"

Castiel seemed shocked to learn that fact about his brother. He shouldn't be too surprised considering his brother was never like other angels from the start even before he took up the persona of Loki. "And you dream?"

"Oh yea, and some crazy shit too. It would make you blush Castiel." Sam didn't need to hear any other details to get the idea of what his lover was dreaming about. The imagry was so vivid to his mind that he felt a slight discomfort in his pants. Gabriel broke a small smirk noticing Sam's growing problem. He loved to tease the giant hunter every once and a while. It almost always lead to some really exotic stuff later which was just how Gabriel liked it.

The sexual tension in the room was growing by the second which was making Castiel rather uncomfortable. He once again scanned the room and once more he still didn't find any sign of Dean which was odd. "Gabriel have you seen Dean? He should have returned to the bunker by now."

Before Gabriel could even reply to his younger brother's question the large house cat jumped up onto the table and let out a loud meow. Sam instantly rose an eyebrow as he spun around to see the feline staring up at him. How did a cat get into the bunker? He didn't remember seeing one as they approached the door and he knew it didn't belong to Gabriel. Gabe was more of a dog person. "Uh Cas... did you let a cat in?" That was a reasonable assumption given Castiel did have a fondness of all animals.

"Not to my recollection." The cat glanced over at Gabriel and let out a long low tone meow which made Castiel rather curious. He narrowed his eyes slightly and studied the cat for a few moments. Something about it didn't seem right. The Seraph's blue eyes locked with it's stunning green ones and instantly Castiel's breath got caught in his throat. He also noticed a darker marking across the backside of it's front left leg. "Uh Sam...I think we found Dean."

Sam rose an eyebrow and looked between the cat and Castiel for a few moments. "What are you talking about Cas?" The cat once again turned in Sam's direction and meowed a few times. When the message didn't seem to be getting across the orange ball of fur jumped down from the counter and walked over to the fridge. He stood up on his back legs and scratched at the door. Sam followed suit and continued to look at the animal puzzled. "You hungry?" In response the cat angrily swished it's fluffy tail and then turned back toward Gabriel before letting out a hiss.

The whole time Gabriel looked on trying to keep himself from laughing. Even though he was half asleep at the time when he did it he could easily recognize his own work when he saw it. Trying to keep a straight face was nearly impossible as he watched feline Dean try everything he could to get Sam and Castiel to understand what he was trying to say. When Sam turned back to his lover Gabriel shrugged innocently.

After watching everything the cat was doing Castiel was certain without a doubt that this animal was in fact Dean. "Look at his front leg Sam and tell me that looks familiar."

Sam got down on the floor and took a closer look at the golden cat's leg and instantly the clues snapped into place. "That's the mark. Dean how?" Gently feline Dean walked over to Sam and nudged his arm with his head before letting out another calm meow. Carefully Sam picked Dean off the floor and then looked over at Cas. "You think Dean got hexed while he was out?"

"A witch certainly could..." Castiel began to say when he watched the cat's body language as Sam held it. His gaze was completely on Gabriel and his tail was swinging about angrily. The Seraph narrowed his eyes and then turned to the Archangel. "Gabriel, you didn't have anything to do with this did you?"

"Moi? Come now Castiel why would I?"

When Sam and Gabriel got together they had laid out some ground rules when it came to particulars and one item on the list was how the trickster dealt with Dean. In the past he had no problem killing the elder hunter over and over. Sam wanted to make sure that didn't happen again so he made Gabriel promise if he was going to do anything at all it would be harmless. You can't take the trick out of the trickster. Sam spoke Gabe's name in a rather annoyed tone when he heard some growls coming from the cat in his arms.

After starring at him for a few moments the archangel rolled his eyes and let out a huffed breath. "OK... OK, yes I turned Dean Winchester into a cat. He disturbed my cat nap so i turned him into one."

The younger hunter listened to the explanation the being before him gave and instantly he realized who he was dealing with. When Gabriel spoke the archangel tone breathed superiority when he was serious and childishness when he was kidding around. The nonchalant tone was more of a sign of the Norse trickster than anything else. "Loki, you turn my brother back." Sam demanded.

"Or what? You'll dunk me in some holy oil? Stab me with a stake? Come on Sam I know you don't have it in ya. Besides he's better like this... won't hurt a fly, well maybe a fly." Loki giggled at his own joke.

The Trickster narrowed his eyes slightly when he felt Castiel's angel blade at his neck. The Seraph clearly wasn't in the mood for jokes especially when they were at his lover's expense. "Return Dean Winchester to human form." Castiel ordered in a gruff tone.

"Oh Castiel... thought you'd take advantage of the situation and have your boy toy give you a massage with those claws of his." Castiel clearly responded to the statement by pushing the blade closer to his brother's vessel's throat. The Seraph wasn't in the jesting mood and that ruined all of the Trickster's fun. Realizing that Castiel wouldn't take no for an answer he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Fine." Loki groaned before raising his fingers undoing the spell with a snap of his fingers.

When Dean returned to normal he glared at Gabriel before sneezing a few times. Even though he had only been a cat for a few short hours the dander from his fur had already traveled around the bunker. Although he hadn't planned that it was still rather amusing to watch the hunter try to serious when he had to sneeze. "What the... aaaachoooo... hell Gabriel!?"

Gabriel tried his hardest to stop himself from snickering but it was just funny seeing the elder hunter brought down a peg by a simple side effect of nature. He would have continued laughing but he sensed a dark glance from Castiel which urged him to give an explanation. "Loki hates it when his...rather our sleep is disturbed. He gets to recharge his magical energies and I get my fantasy paradise." As Gabriel was trying to explain why it was dangerous to poke a sleeping angel Dean let out another series of sneezes. The archangel snapped up a small box of tissues and extended it to the hunter. "Tissue?"

"Oh screw you Gabriel." Dean hissed before letting out another loud, "AAAACHHOOOOOOO!"

"Look I'm sorry but you got off lucky. You think Lucifer and his apocalypse was bad? Last time someone woke me up when I was sleeping, Pompeii got buried."

Sam and Dean both looked at each other with holy crap expressions on their features. Right then and their they made a mental note never wake up the sleeping trickster archangel.

The mood shifted again when Gabriel eyed the large box of pie sitting on the counter. "Now how about that dessert?" Nothing was better than to share good food with good friends and that was how Gabriel wanted things to remain despite the past and regardless of fate.

"Don't got to ask me twice!" Dean excited stated as he grabbed the pie box and smiled. Out of spite he took the dessert and bee lined for his room. Afterward the only thing that could be heard was the playful whines of Gabriel when Dean didn't want to share.

Sam couldn't help but laugh as he watched his lover and brother play keep away like a pair of five year olds. When Sam noticed the confused expression of their guardian angel he lightly said, "Everything is good Cas. Everything is good."

The end...

Hello again my fellow SPN family! Today's story was inspired by just how tired I was after working a double shift without sleep for 24 hours. We are all a bit grouchy when we don't get to rest and I wondered what it would be like if that kind of thing happened with our favorite members of Team Free Will. Hope you all enjoyed this one-shot. Please leave me some kind words and tell me how it turned out. I'll see you in my next adventure.