Hi, amazing people. Again, sorry. I've been putting in so much over time at work that I've just been too tired to do anything when I get home. Anyway, I sincerely wanted to thank you guys for your reviews (Tari4078 and Amy945), favs, and follows. Love you guys!
"You want me to what?" Sam asked. He and Gabriel were eating dinner in Sam's apartment, just the two of them. It was two weeks into November. Dean was still watching Sam closely, but he had allowed Gabriel to come over more often and would sometimes leave the apartment (once for nearly four hours) to give them alone time. This was one of those times, and Gabriel had just asked Sam about Thanksgiving break.
"Come with me to Manhattan. Charlie doesn't have any family and we kind of started this tradition for Thanksgiving. We would spend it at one of dorms or apartments and watched movies and ate crap food. Once we got out of college we started doing more Thanksgiving-y food, but we always have one non-Thanksgiving food. Last year it was chips instead of stuffing." Gabriel smiled at Sam. Sam picked at pizza. Gabriel's face fell. He thought it was a good idea. "Do you not want to go?" Sam looked up alarmed.
"I would love to, but who else would be there? I mean, I know Charlie knows, but who else does?" There was one name on Sam's mind, and he didn't want to say it out loud of he didn't have to.
"It would just be you, me, Charlie, and Dorothy. Everybody else was invited at one point, but they either stopped coming or we just didn't invite them back over." Sam took another bite, but didn't say anything for a minute.
"Well, I…I mean, it would be fun…it's just that Dean and I go over to my Uncle Bobby's every year, and with everything that's happened this year, I feel like owe him this."
"That's all you had to say." Gabriel leaned over a gave Sam a kiss on his nose.
"I'm sorry."
"For what? Wanting to spend a family holiday with your family?" Sam shrugged and continued to pick at his pizza. "Hey," Gabriel lifted Sam's chin with his finger. "Sam, you spent your senior homecoming with me instead of out having a fun time with your classmates. You've made sacrifices for me. Maybe…"
"Maybe you can come with me." Sam blurted, not really thinking. Dean wouldn't be happy about just inviting Gabriel, but he didn't see why he couldn't come. Gabriel gave Sam half of a smile.
"I can't do that to Charlie, sorry."
"She can come too! And Dorothy. The more the merrier right?"
"But…your uncle doesn't know that we're together."
"Well, no, but I know that Castiel is coming and you're his brother so we could pass it off as that." Gabriel thought for a minute.
"And Charlie?"
"Friend of yours that you wanted to invite?"
"And he would be okay with that?"
"Oh yeah! He would love it. We can call him and let him now. Or I can ask him at least."
"Let's wait for Dean to get home and see if he's okay with it. I don't want him to be upset." Gabriel was still trying to stay on Dean's good side. Well, maybe not Dean's good side, but the he-is-kind-of-on-the-verge-of-killing-me-so-I-don't-want-to-piss-him-off side.
"I would really love for you to come to Thanksgiving." Sam gave Gabriel a kiss, which Gabriel deepened. Sam pulled away and set his pizza down on the coffee table before kissing Gabriel again and leaning back, pulling Gabriel with him. Gabriel straddled Sam's hips as best as he could on the couch. Sam slid his hand into the back pockets of Gabriel's jeans. Gabriel smiled against Sam's mouth and pressed a kiss to the corner of Sam's mouth before kissing his chin and down his neck. Of course, at that moment, the door opened. Sam tried to sit up, but it wasn't in time.
"Hey!" Dean's voice came from the doorway. Gabriel popped up and scooted away from Sam, turning bright red. "I leave for two hours and…"
"Dean, can Gabriel come to Thanksgiving?" Sam knew better than to let Dean go on a rant about how he'd never leave the apartment with Gabriel there again. Dean was quiet while he came deeper into the apartment and sat in the chair next to the couch.
"Well, I don't know, we'd have to ask Bobby." Dean cast a glance at Gabriel before looking back at Sam.
"Can you ask him? Please? I know that Castiel is coming, so can't we just say that he has nowhere else to go?" Dean stared at Sam for a while, and Sam tried his puppy eyes on him. He knew he'd at least get Dean to ask Bobby, even if Bobby said no.
"I'll ask him at the garage tomorrow. Now, it's getting late isn't it?" Gabriel sighed and picked up his plate.
"Yeah, I suppose it is. Sam, want to walk me to my car?" Sam nodded and stood up, following Gabriel into the kitchen and then to the door to put his shoes on.
"Good night, Dean!" Gabriel called as he left the apartment. Sam walked out to the car with him, holding his hand. Gabriel had to admit, it was nice to have somebody that wanted to spend Thanksgiving with him other than Charlie. Gabriel had a feeling that Bobby would be okay with whoever came, including Charlie. Plus, how could somebody not like Charlie?
"I'll get my Uncle Bobby to come around. I just hope Charlie is okay with me stealing you away." Sam gave Gabriel's a squeeze once they'd made it to the parking lot.
"Well, she'd be invited too, right?" Gabriel pulled Sam into his arms. Sam smiled and placed a kiss to Gabriel's forehead.
"Of course. I'll make sure of it." Gabriel rested his head to Sam's chest to shield himself from the cold Kansas winds. At least that's what he'd tell Sam if he asked.
"I really don't want to go home." Gabriel looked up at Sam. Sam gave him a sad smile.
"I wish I could invite you to stay, but if you want to come to Thanksgiving, that might be out of my hands." Gabriel stretched up to place a kiss on Sam's cold, chapped lips before unlocking his car.
"Let me know tomorrow, okay? I'll see you in class."
"Okay, I love you." Gabriel smiled wide and gave Sam another, longer kiss.
"I love you too, Sammoose." Gabriel quickly got into his car before he could change his mind and drove home.
The next morning, Sam got to school early to tell Gabriel the good news. Dean had called Bobby while Gabriel and Sam had been at Gabriel's car and Bobby had said it was fine. Sam then asked if Charlie and Dorothy could come too and, after some grumbling from Dean, Bobby agreed to that too. Sam walked to where Gabriel's office was and knocked. There was no answer. Then he heard Gabriel's voice from down the hall.
"…love to, really, but I'm actually going to my brother's boyfriend's family Thanksgiving." Gabriel rounded the corner with Professor Shurley.
"Oh come on, Becky would love for you to come." The two hadn't noticed Sam yet.
"I really appreciate it, Chuck, but I've already made a commitment." Professor Shurley (it was weird, thought Sam, to hear him be called something as common as Chuck. Even when Gabriel was telling stories, the least formal thing he called him was Mr. Shurley) sighed dramatically.
"Fine, but if you change your mind, you know where to find us." The two stopped short of the office and finally looked up and saw Sam. "Ah, Mr. Winchester, how are you?"
"Very well, thank you. Yourself?"
"Also well, thank you." Sam thought that Professor Shurley would leave, but he continued to stand there as Gabriel unlocked his office. "Heard back from Stanford yet?" Gabriel visibly stiffened and almost dropped his keys. He and Sam and spoken about Stanford in a long time. He supposed that Sam would tell him when he heard back, regardless of what the decision was.
"No, sir, not yet. They said they would most likely get back to me by early to mid-December."
"I've no doubt the results will be in your favor, Sam." Professor Shurley gave Sam a smile and clapped Gabriel on the shoulder as Gabriel opened the door to his office. "I'll see you at lunch." Gabriel gave Chuck a wave and a smile.
"Mr. Winchester, what can I do for you this morning?" Gabriel raised his voice so that it chased Chuck down the hallway. Once he was sure that Chuck was out of earshot, he quickly shut the door.
"Dean talked to Bobby." Sam grinned wide when the door closed. Gabriel couldn't help but grin back. The true smile that Sam had, with his dimples and teeth showing fully, was just too contagious.
"And?"
"And all three of you are officially invited to the Singer/Winchester Thanksgiving." Gabriel could have, and probably should have, stopped himself, but he didn't really want to. He threw his arms around Sam's neck and pulled him into a heated kiss. Sam grabbed Gabriel's hips and pulled him closer. Sam started to lift Gabriel up onto his desk. They hadn't done something like this in a long time. Since they had almost gotten caught and then got back together they had tried not to do as much at school. Small kisses here and there and some hugging, but nothing like this. This seemed to be going somewhere. That was until the bell rang, making both of them jump apart.
"Shit." Gabriel needed to calm himself down in the next ten minutes, otherwise he was going to be teaching his class a little too enthusiastically.
"I need to get to my locker." Gabriel nodded before giving Sam another quick kiss.
"Maybe tonight, Dean would let you come over to my place for an hour or two." Gabriel smirked.
"An hour or two? Who are you kidding?" Sam quipped back. Gabriel's jaw dropped.
"Rude, Samuel." Sam laughed to himself before placing a kiss to Gabriel's chin.
"I'll ask him. I'll see you soon." Sam turned and left the office as Gabriel's thoughts turned to other things. Like cold days, and baseball.
Gabriel played with the collar on his sweater again. He thought it clung to him weird, but Charlie had said it made him seem "grown-up". He wasn't sure what kind of look he was going for since meeting Bobby was a huge step. The only problem was that he wasn't meeting Bobby as "Sam's boyfriend" but rather "Castiel's brother who happened to be Sam's teacher". Dean had even convinced Bobby that inviting Gabriel was a favor for him because now Castiel didn't feel guilty about leaving his brother high and dry on Thanksgiving. Gabriel walked out of his bathroom and heard a slow whistle.
"Why, don't you look adorable?" Charlie fake gushed over Gabriel. Dorothy tried not to laugh. They both were in jeans and flannel shirts, but they had nobody to impress.
"Come on, Char, give the guy a break." Dorothy elbowed her girlfriend as they stood up.
"Fine, come on though, we need to get going." Charlie bounced near the door. "Come on! Mama needs some turkey." Gabriel grabbed his car keys off the coffee table and the three left.
Arriving at Bobby's didn't take nearly as much time as Gabriel thought (or hoped) it would. Too soon, they were parking in front of the house with the familiar Impala sitting out front. Gabriel sighed and gripped his steering wheel.
"Come on, we've got food to eat." Charlie said, pulling Gabriel out of his small trance. Gabriel nodded and hopped out of his car. He led the way and stopped on the porch. He looked back at Charlie for encouragement to knock on the door when the door opened to reveal Sam. He smiled widely at all of them.
"Hey guys, Happy Thanksgiving." Sam leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Gabriel's cheek before pulling back and looking to Charlie and Dorothy. "And you must be Charlie and Dorothy." Sam reached out and shook Dorothy's hand, but Charlie batted it away.
"Oh no. I know way more than enough about you to make this not awkward." Charlie threw her arms around Sam and squeezed him tight. Sam hugged her back and laughed. "See, now that wasn't awkward was it?"
"Not even close." Sam smiled and then stepped aside, allowing them to walk in. The house was a bit of a mess, but from what Gabriel had heard about Bobby, this was actually a step up from normal. "So, Bobby's in the kitchen, Dean and Castiel are in the living room." Sam led the way to the living room.
"Will one o' ya idjits come in here and help me?!" Came a voice from the kitchen. Sam changed course and took them to the kitchen instead, the other three followed him. Bobby Singer had a turkey in one arm, and was attempting to stir mashed potatoes with the other.
"Uncle Bobby, I got the potatoes." Sam quickly stepped over to the oven and stirred. Bobby set the turkey down on the counter and then stared at his new guests.
"Well, hi there. You must be Gabriel, and his friends."
"Yes sir, hi, nice to meet you." Gabriel held out a hand. Bobby didn't smile, but took and shook Gabriel's hand.
"You're Sam's teacher, right?" Gabriel nodded.
"Yes, that would be me." Bobby gave a noncommittal grunt and then moved along.
"And you are…Charlie?" Bobby asked the redhead. Charlie gave a big smile.
"That would be correct, and this is my girlfriend, Dorothy." Bobby shook both of their hands and then turned back to Sam.
"Well, this food ain't gonna eat itself. Tell your brother and that boyfriend of his that it's nearly time to eat." Sam gave a little salute and then took Gabriel, Charlie, and Dorothy to the living room. Castiel and Dean were watching the Dallas Cowboys play.
"Hey!" Dean jumped up and shook Gabriel's hand with a very plastered on smile. "Happy Thanksgiving." Introductions, handshakes, and hugs were all given. Everybody took seats. Dean and Castiel returned to the couch, Charlie and Dorothy shared the oversized chair, leaving Sam and Gabriel to sit on the loveseat. They tried not to sit too close, but they kept bumping their knees together. At halftime, Bobby poked his head out of the kitchen.
"Are we ready to eat yet?"
"I'm always ready to eat, Bobby." Dean replied.
"I know you are, son. Is everybody else ready?" There were some murmurs of agreement and then a march to the dining room table. The table was set. Corn, stuffing, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberries, macaroni and cheese, vegetable mix, and even a small bowl of salad. The only thing missing was the turkey that Bobby brought in after they all were seated.
"Well, here we are again." Bobby placed the turkey down in the center of the table.
"It looks great, Uncle Bobby." Sam gave him a warm smile and Gabriel finally saw Bobby smile.
"Thanks, Sam. Now dig in, dig in." Bobby sat at the head of the table. They all began eating and talking. Nobody felt out of place. Gabriel really felt like he and Charlie were a part of the Winchester family all along.
"So, who's ready for some football out back?" Dean asked after pie had been eaten.
"Yeah!" Charlie stood up and the group walked out, but Gabriel was stopped in the kitchen by Bobby.
"So, is there anything you need to tell me about one of my boys?" Gabriel tried not to look guilty.
"Um…no, sir? Sam's doing well in school and…"
"That ain't what I meant. Look, Dean and Sam may think that I don't notice things and that I'm a little on the dumb side, but I ain't stupid. I see the way you and Sam look at each other. It ain't exactly rocket science." Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck.
"Look, sir, I love Sam. He's an amazing person and I can't say that enough. He just…he is so mature and smart and…" Bobby held up his hand for silence. Gabriel stopped.
"I don't care that you're his teacher. I care that Sam is happy. He seems to be very happy with you, but if you hurt my boy, I will rain all kinds of hell down on you, got it?" Gabriel nodded quickly. "What was that?"
"Y…yes, sir."
"And I won't say anything until Sam says something to me." Dean poked his head inside.
"Are you two coming?"
"Of course! Come on, Gabriel." Bobby slapped Gabriel on the back. Gabriel shook his head and followed the other two outside. Were all the men in the Winchester scary as hell?
The rest of the night was one of the most fun nights that Gabriel had had in a long time. He enjoyed playing football, and then once the games were over, they came inside and told talked. Gabriel learned a lot about the Winchester's past when it came to Bobby. Sam would talk about it, but not like Bobby did. Finally, around eleven-thirty, Bobby started shooing people out.
"Thank you for everything," Gabriel told Bobby as they were leaving.
"Anytime, ya'll are definitely invited next year."
"You're awesome!" Charlie gave Bobby a hug and he laughed, hugging her. He gave Dorothy a hug too and gave Gabriel a hand shake.
"Really good to meet you all." Gabriel, Charlie, and Dorothy walked out.
"I missed the movies, but that was a lot of fun." Charlie opened the door and got into Gabriel's car.
"Glad you enjoyed it, Red."
Meanwhile, Sam was thanking Bobby for the meal.
"Everything was great, Bobby." Sam gave Bobby a hug.
"Good, glad you thought so, but boy," Bobby let go of Sam and took a step back to look at Sam. "The next time you bring your boyfriend over, you better introduce us properly." Sam's eyes widened in shock as Dean laughed from the couch.