The morning after chapter 10. and Writing stupid boys is just about my favorite thing

Sam was kicking at the tattered remains of colored paper, the aftermath of the present massacre that had taken place about an hour ago. He looked tired, and even though he was one of those obnoxiously cheerful morning people on regular occasions, Nick had a feeling that being woken up at six by the piercing shrieks of children was a bit much even for him. Now, Nick hadn't come to one of these Christmas things in almost eight years, and he sure as hell wasn't a morning person, but he was here, and Rehka had given him pity coffee and it was possible that if given another hour or so he might even feel human.

Hannah was the only family member he had that had stayed behind in favor of cinnamon rolls, sleeping against his chest while hugging a foil wrapped chocolate unicorn that was practically big enough for her to ride. Nick had been quite proud of managing to get a hold of that one for her. Hannah's parents less so. But they would have to deal with their daughter being doped up on an ungodly amount of sugar- not Nick. Plus he got to keep on being the best uncle in the world, so that was good.

Sam's knee jostled his, maybe for the first time, maybe for the fifth. It was just familiar and warm and good.

"I'm sorry 'bout last night." Sam mouthed against his temple. More felt than heard, like Morris code against Nick's aching skull.

Too much to drink last night, quiet throbbing down in his bones, a churning in his stomach- and wait, why was Sam apologizing? Wouldn't it be swell if the majority of last night wasn't still swimming through a haze of rum. Nick ran down what he was sure of. He'd helped make dinner, colored with his niece, learned that Sam's leg was ticklish (knowledge of which he was keeping to himself for later use). They ate, they'd cleaned up, they'd gotten caught under the mistletoe… was that it? Sam hadn't been exactly gentle when he'd grabbed Nick and kissed him, and god, but that wasn't' something that anyone needed to apologize for.

Nick opened his eyes, wincing at the kaleidoscope of colors from the Christmas tree lights. He licked his lips, rather chapped, still stitched together, and maybe a little bruised.

Sam's mouth was still against his skin, which was an oddly dizzying feeling. "I ate most of your bracelet."

Oh, was that all. What a relief. "You monster." He accused softly just to keep up pretenses.

"That, and I think I got you talking about some things that you wouldn't normally talk about."

Nick's hands tightened around his mug, and he wished he could see Sam's face to have some idea of how bad this actually was. It was a horrible habit that he had. Rambling when he'd had too much to drink and there were at least four things that he could think of off the top of his head that he prayed that he never had to let Sam know about. Things that would send Sam packing.

"If you're the one apologizing- that means I didn't fuck it up too badly, right?" He dared to hope out loud.

"Watch it." Sam warned, finally leaning back, slouching almost as low on the couch as Nick. "You're going to get yourself in trouble talking like that."

"I get myself in trouble talking like a lot of things." He admitted softly, pushing his leg into Sam's, careful not to wake Hannah. "What, uh, did we talk about last night?"

"You don't remember?" And it was Sam's turn to sound almost hopeful.

"Things get pretty hazy for me around dinner time." He confessed.

Sam fought a smile, his mouth tightening just a little, dimples shadowing his cheeks. "Then last night didn't happen." A clear proclamation if there ever was one. Done and done. Wiped from memory. Wiped from the records.

"Oh, I did fuck it up, didn't I?" He let his head fall back, closing his eyes and just embracing every well earned ache in his body.

And Sam, Sam who didn't seem to understand where the line in the sand was supposed to be, leaned over and kissed him like a whisper.

Nick's breath caught in his throat and he felt his eyes go wide. It was already over and done, but the smallest hint of heat lingered. He pressed his lips together tight before biting the tip of his tongue. He watched Sam from far too close, his autumn colored eyes and his inappropriately serious expression. Neither of them moved and if someone didn't say something Nick was going to crack.

"If you want to play chicken I feel that I should warn you, I play for keeps." It wasn't much of a joke, but he needed to say something to distract his mouth from doing anything too stupid.

"I had to... I mean, it works to get rid of Dean in any case."

Nick couldn't argue with that.

Didn't want to argue with that.

"Your brother's lurking in the hall and he's freaking me out." Sam breathed quietly, his eyebrows low and far too solemn.

"Which one?"

"The scary one."

Which one was that?

"Better go ahead an do it again, just in case he's still there."

Sam's face went from serious to seriously not amused. And Nick wasn't sure if that meant the guy was trying not to laugh or if Nick had just stepped a bit too far with that one.

"You two think you can stop playing tonsil hockey for a bit?" Gabriel asked loudly and unapologetically.

Nick blinked groggily as Sam leaned back, as Sam leaned away, and great was the loss.

"God damn it, Gabriel. What do you want now?"

"First off, this is my house, I can suddenly walk into any room I pick." He strutted over in the cocky way he had that Nick hated even as he loved it, because his brother literally didn't give a good god damn and Nick had always admired that. "Second, I didn't suddenly walk into this room to talk to you. And thirdly, there is no kissing on the couch unless I'm invited."

"Gabe, why don't you take a flying leap into the pacific?"

"Come on, Luci, I brought you a cinnamon roll." He held out a plate like a peace offering.

Nick eyed the pastry with well earned suspicion. "There's no frosting on it."

"I licked it off- but the rest of it's still fine."

And this, this was the 'scary brother'. Nick felt that Sam's fears were a bit misplaced.

Gabriel sat on the coffee table, close enough that he could almost touch Sam, though he kept his grubby hands to himself. "Fine, don't take it. It was only meant to distract your grumpy ass for a few seconds." He looked at Sam apologetically. "Our Nick has never been good at mornings. He used to punch the alarm clock if-"

"One time." Nick inturupted, because his brother never could just let things be. He always had to bring up the worst things at the worst time.

Like pity, Sam leaned against him just a touch, enough to not be an accident and Nick wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to take from this, so he leaned back with just as much force. And when that wasn't enough he slipped an arm around Sam's shoulders, which was awkward height-wise until Sam sunk a little lower, his shoulder notching just right against Nick's ribs.

Gabriel cocked an eyebrow and had that fucking smile of his. "Other than to try and give you some breakfast, you're actually not why I came in here."

"Don't want your sloppy seconds anyhow, creep."

"Funny you should mention that." Gabriel's smile turned into a grin as he turned his gaze to Sam. "I was talking to Rehka and-"

"Gabriel." Nick warned, because he knew where this was going. Because this was not a new conversation. They had had it a week ago and again last night- and he'd told his brother that he was not to ask Sam about his asinine idea.

"Oh come on." Gabriel turned back to him, easily sliding a few inches over on the coffee table. "I just wanna watch and she says it's ok if you boys say it's ok and-"

"I swear to god, Gabriel." Nick bore his teeth and did his best to keep his voice low, and not just because it was more threatening, but because he still had a child sleeping on his chest. "No is no."

Sam seemed to get a bit of an idea as to what was going on and he stiffened against Nick's side. "Are you… are you asking if you can watch your brother and me have sex?" He struggled through the molasses of Gabriel's words arriving at thankfully the wrong, but no less horrible, conclusion.

"God no. That would be weird. Even for us." And at least you could count on Gabriel to make a correction where one was needed. "I'm asking if I can watch you two have sex with my wife."

Nick closed his eyes and tried to count to ten. He ended up having to do a bit more than that, going so far as to silently spell out words like 'fratricide' and 'justifiable murder' before he managed to look at his brother again. He set his coffee firmly on the table, wanting a free hand in case he needed to smack someone. "I said no."

Gabriel rolled his eyes like he was having to deal with a particularly difficult child and not the other way around. He lightly slapped at Sam's knee. "Anywhoo, you pay him no mind. If it comes down to it we'll just uninvite him. This is my Christmas present to you." He leaned into Sam and pulled a scrap of paper from behind his ear like a magic trick. "It's my phone number." Tadah. He looked so damn proud of himself.

Before Sam could manage to get his wits about him and think of a good way to respond to the little blonde train wreck sitting before him, Nick snatched away the offering, crumbling up the bit of paper and tossed it into his coffee cup, watching it sink.

"Hey." Gabriel whined softly, not sounding at all surprised, but at the same time very disappointed.

Nick looked his brother straight in the eye as he raised his mug and took a pointed sip.

"I don't know why we even invite you to these things. You are literally the least fun brother." Gabriel kept up his whining, he was real good at it. "And you're uninvited." He folded his arms over his thin little chest angling himself in the most disapproving ways possible. "If you're not going to have the decency to touch my wife where I can watch then you don't get to touch her at all."

Sam said nothing, and it was probably the shock setting in- but Nick had tried to warn him about it before hand.

"Gabriel, go back to the rest of the family where you're safe." He told his brother carefully.

And Gabriel sighed in that way of his before getting up; looking every inch like the long suffering saint that he was not. "Do you see what I have to put up with? In my own house. On Christmas day." He left under a cloud of his own self pitying remarks.

Nick was happy to see him go.

Nick was also terrified when Sam shifted against him.

"He wasn't serious, right?"

That didn't feel like a question that really wanted or needed an answer so Nick simply took another sip of coffee and closed his eyes.

The silence between them stretched a little too thin- and this was exactly why he had told his brother not to ask Sam. Because Sam was a good kid and didn't need any inclination as to how weird this family really was.

"I mean… he wasn't really asking if he could- if we could-"

And Nick could have lied, but he didn't and he honestly didn't know why. "Gabriel almost always means what he says. He just makes a point to say it with that shit eating grin of his so you can't tell that he means it."

Sam dragged the unease out for just about as long as he could before it became inhumane. Then he turned his head, pressing a kiss into the side of Nick's neck- just as gentle and just as ruthless as he always was. "You're family's weird."

And that was that.

He stayed resting against Nick, soft mouth along the chokingly fast pulse there, his breaths slow and even. There was no way that he couldn't notice the havoc he was causing. But somehow he managed to fall back asleep. Napping quietly in the early morning like this was the most natural place in the world for him to settle.

Even knowing that he shouldn't, Nick let his head fall against Sam's, all that long, soft hair tickling him just a bit- but he didn't care.

Just like he didn't care when family came in to check on them a while later only to find the three of them asleep in a little pile on the couch with Nick at the epicenter. Warm and comfortable and enjoying some of the best sleep he'd had in recent memory. A small indulgence that was like a Christmas present to himself.

And that wasn't too selfish, was it?