Sam's head was throbbing and his body itself protested his awareness back to the world. He felt a warm weight on his back and lifted his swimming head. Opening his eyes to the morning light was a bad, -bad, bad- idea. Sam groaned into the grass and his stomach had a swill of nausea.

"Oh gods..." He groaned hoarsely and found his mouth parched. The person laying on him hummed, awakened by his movement and a quick glance confirmed it was Gabriel.

"Uhg, Helios could have kept the sun away for a few hours more," Gabriel complained in a sigh and Sam felt better that he wasn't the only one feeling hit by a chariot. Sam rolled over, back to the sun and Gabriel grumbled as he thudded on the grass. Shying away from the sun did not cure Sam's pounding head though. Gabriel dragged himself up, fumbled around and Sam heard the sloshing of liquid in a jug. Sam didn't feel like getting blinded to see what Gabriel had. He heard Gabriel's hooves drag in the grass as he walked around Sam and set down the jug, which Sam saw in his shadow was the same one from last night.

"Drink up," Gabriel advised. "At least till we get home and can drown ourselves in the lake." Sam dragged himself into a sitting position and winced as his legs protested movement. Sam's stomach protested more wine but Sam gulped it down, hoping it would really help. Gabriel shielded his eyes from the light with his pan flute and Sam looked out into the field, seeing many couplings of satyrs and maenads, and a few with more than two or three in a group. Some were still sleeping, but many were waking and getting to their shaky legs.

Sam rubbed his temples. "My head..."

"Yeah, we did some heavy drinking," Gabriel agreed and his butt hit the grass next to Sam. "Ah. Our transportation should be along eventually. A dip in the lake always helps with a hangover." Sam pulled his one leg closer and rested his head upon his knee. "Ah, there he is." Sam glanced up and a few groups ahead of them faded out of existence, leaving only the satyr decorated in silver there before he trotted over to the next group. He took the coupled maenad and Satyr's hands and they disappeared as Sam blinked at them. In the light he could see the lines in his face and the grey in his hair and fur gave tell tale to his older age.

"Who is he?" Sam asked.

"He's Silenus, Dionysus' mentor. He knows which satyrs are fit for Dionysus' parties and it keeps him from wandering off drunk." Silenus meandered over to them at a slow gaunt. He looked as though he too had a hangover, eyes half closed and his movements fluid in that partly drunk way. "Crete forest," Gabriel told him as he came closer. Selinus took Gabriel's and Sam's hands and a whirling moment later, Sam's stomach twisted, threatening to rebel as he landed. They sat in the dry dirt of Crete and Sam groaned, feeling the wine sour in his stomach and bile in this throat. Gabriel pushed himself to his hooves and leaned over him, "You okay?" Sam shook his head and he rolled over, ending up emptying what ever liquid was in his stomach.

Sam groaned, feeling his head pounding again. "Noooh..." He felt a hand brush through his hair and over his back.

"The lake is only a few paces away." Gabriel took Sam's arm and guided him to his hooves.

"I never want to see a jug of wine again," Sam murmured, holding his head with a hand and letting Gabriel pull him along.

"That's what we all say after our first party," Gabriel assured him with a knowing smile.

At the lake, Sam dipped his head at the water's edge and it was a blast of relief from the smell of bile and drinking it down helped mellow his stomach. He came up for air and saw Gabriel was already wading into the water. Sam slid in after him, the cold chill was a refreshing distraction from his body's discomfort. Sam resurfaced for air, feeling clearer headed and finding Gabriel lounging against the rocks. Sam swam closer to Gabriel, resting against a boulder that was submerged under the surface.

Sam's mind lingered on the wine, dancing, and music for only a moment or two before it drifted to the time they'd had alone, rolling around in the grass, hands roaming Sam's body like he'd never felt before. There were moments of clear memory, feeling a swell of pleasure, and others were hazy, only tastes of feeling.

"Are parties always like that?" Sam asked, resting his arms on the flat rock, body floating weightlessly behind him.

"More or less." Gabriel smiled, lounging in the shallower water in a patch of rocks that supported his shape effortlessly. Most likely Gabriel himself had a ritual after such a long party. "Recovery time is about as long each time."

"It sucks..." Sam's mouth dipped below the water, feeling his head start to throb again.

"Worth it." Gabriel dipped his head back, head leaning into a small pool behind him.

Sam dunked himself under the water and rose back up, more refreshed. He sighed, looking at Gabriel. He was hungry, but with his belly still knotted, he could go a while before leaving the water.

"So." Sam looked at Gabriel, who hummed in acknowledgment. "We... That was sex?" A smiled spread on Gabriel's content face, eyes closed.

"That was sex," Gabriel confirmed. "Did you enjoy yourself?" Sam nodded.

"Yeah..." Sam couldn't quite remember every detail, but the rush of sensations was enough to know that he'd liked it.

"You know, it's not just for parties," Gabriel hinted. Sam pursed his lips. It did sound nice to do it when he wasn't drunk, and not hung over... But Sam remembered Gabriel's spontaneous bouts with the nymphs in his forest. Sex had been nice, but Sam couldn't feel right if he was just one of Gabriel's conquests.

"It was nice," Sam agreed. "But I don't think we should make it a regular thing." Gabriel sat up straighter in the water, looking confused; as though no one had ever turned down his offer before.

"What? Why? Didn't you like it?" Gabriel asked.

"I did, I really did," Sam confirmed, eyes drifting down to the water. "But... You have your nymphs to keep you occupied."

"They're not 'my' nymphs," Gabriel said, "They're the nymphs of the forest." He pushed himself out of his comfortable spot and floated closer to Sam. "It's fun, why not enjoy it?"

"I'm sorry," Sam said, guilt settling in; because Gabriel was the only one who had ever made him feel that good. He should have been grateful that anyone found him attractive enough to have sex with him. But being one of Gabriel's consorts did not appeal to him. He looked up at Gabriel, who gave him a mix of concern and confusion. Sam gave him a shy smile. "I still like your stories."

A soft smile finally found itself back onto Gabriel's mouth. "I still want to tell them to you." Sam smiled back. He did have the urge to close the space between them, to feel Gabriel's warm lips on his again, but he drew back, having already stated his decision.

"I want this headache to go away first," Sam said and Gabriel chuckled.

"Agreed. We can lounge here today." Gabriel said, treading water after Sam. One moment later, Sam's head was splashed with water. Sam spun in his spot and splashed water back at the chuckling satyr.