Another OS. Enjoy. =]
Sam fidgeted in his suit. It was in the middle of August, and he had to wear this dumb thing. The crowd around him was whispering and murmuring, but Sam couldn't care less. He just stood and silently cursed Gabriel for this event.
Then he smiled, memories flooding him.
Dr. Hudson, or Gabriel as he preferred to be called, was making them all stand up in front of class and recite their favorite poem. Of course, the class wasn't poetry, but apparently reciting poetry in front of people was supposed to help with your math skills. Whatever.
It just meant that Sam had to put on his only suit and stand up in front of class of forty people. His life sucked.
Gabriel closed his eyes, spun around twice, and whoever went first was who he landed on. So Sam walked to the front of the class, stuck his hands in his pockets, and began to speak:
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
The class clapped half-heartedly, only because they had to, and Sam moved to go back to his seat.
"Not so fast, Mr. Winchester," Gabriel stopped him. "Tell us why you chose that poem."
Sam blushed immediately. It wasn't as though he'd just chosen the poem all willy-nilly, but he really didn't want to have to say it in front of his attractive professor.
"We're waiting" Gabriel said, causing the rest of the class to snicker.
"I…uh," Sam looked down at his shoes. "I chose this Fire and Ice by Robert Frost because..." He paused and looked directly at his teacher. "Because I don't think he'd talking about the end of the world at all. I think it's so much more than that. The fire…is exactly what he says it is. It's desire. And he would rather get people get lost in what they want, what why desire, what they yearn for, than to have people only do what they think is clean and godly and right. Because Ice…it's no fun. It's predictable. But fire…" Sam grinned. "Fire surprises you."
Truth be told, Gabriel had expected such an answer from the perfect student. "That's quite a lot to glean from such a small poem."
Sam just smirked. "I thought size wasn't supposed to matter."
His classmates giggled. Gabriel continued. "Still, why is fire preferable?"
"Pat Benatar sings:
Fire and ice, you come on like a flame
Then you turn cold shoulder
Fire and ice, I wanna give you my love
You'll just take a little piece of my heart.
Even she sees it. Ice is safe and perfectly fine if you're scared. But fire gives you life. Fire makes you feel."
Gabriel's mouth twisted into a smirk. His class simply stared in awe, oblivious to what had just passed between teacher and student. What they didn't know was that the conversation they'd just witnessed was only foreplay.
It had proceeded like that for the rest of the semester. They flirted back and forth, and undressed themselves with their eyes over and over again until Christmas break brought peace and they finally came together. Literally.
Sam stood in the front of the mass of people with his hands in his pockets. When he began to speak, silence rippled through the room.
"I'd like to begin with one of Dr. Hudson's…Gabriel's…favorite poems.
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
I think that said all that I need to. Gabriel truly lived his life by this poem. You have to live your life happily. You have to take chances. And if…if that means that you burn, then so be it. Because that's undeniably and better way to live your life than treating people coldly and living in ice.
Gabriel was a hero to his students, and an inspiration to many. He was the love of my life for ten years, and he will continue to be. With him, I held with fire. When I parish a second time, without him, I know it will be in ice. Thank you."
When he sat back down, there were tears in his eyes. The choir began to sing Amazing Grace, and Sam couldn't help but smile. Gabriel would much prefer Pat Benatar.