This story begins with an Australian Shepherd puppy named Riot, as he playfully snaps his teeth at his owner's feet. He meant no harm of course. He was just being playful and giving color to the ordinary life of the man walking about the kitchen. It's the same routine every morning, after the first cup of coffee they'd go for a walk. They call it walks but, mostly it's a combination between a jog, a bit of skips, sniffing things, and hating on fire hydrants. While going on walks when the sun still hasn't risen has its advantages, there are barely any other dogs around which means… Riot had no one to ask if there's anyone he could match his owner with. He doesn't understand why it's his job to find another human for his human but, a bloodhound he met only once, mentioned that it's his sole purpose. He shouldn't even hesitate to bring out the puppy eyes if he has to.
Sadly enough, today's walk was not fruitful… just like every other walks. A couple joggers paused in their tracks just to pet Riot. He tried his best, he wagged his tail, barked excitedly, and yet they still managed to return home without any progress at all. With his bowl now filled with food, the puppy slobbered the tall man's face vowing to find him the perfect match no matter what it takes. It would be a crime not to. The food was delicious.
"Ack, Ri- Riot! Stop!" Sam pushed the dog away gently, and Riot obediently followed him, plopping his butt as he munched on his food. When he finished, so did his human with his morning routine. Now wearing his work clothes, the man's ready to leave. The puppy never hid his frustrations on the set of clothes, that's been the only reason why Sam had long given up on neckties. While the man puts on his shoes, Riot stole one pair and hid it under the couch. A terrible hiding place since Sammy was able to find it in no time. He doesn't like it when Sam leaves.
"Riot, you be a good boy, okay? Dean's going to be with you in a few. I honestly hope that Bobby lets him out of the garage earlier," the Australian shepherd's owner reminds him, but he mostly mutters the last part to himself.
Riot knows Dean. Dean lets him eat burgers and doesn't get mad at him if he chews and hates his owner's shoes. The man even shouts encouragements towards his way. A very effective way to boost the puppy's morale. On good days, mostly Thursdays, Dean brings Cas with him. Cas is another human, who lets Riot take a nap on the couch. The latter while discouraging Riot's destructive behavior, is the only one that can find the right spot to scratch behind the puppy's ears.
With a wagging tail, and happy bark, the Australian shepherd promised Sam that he won't be good, he'll be the best. And through his favourite spot by the window, he watched Sam walk out into the fast-paced world.
After his nap, Riot paced on the kitchen floor. His tail wagging with every step. Carefully, he tried to hatch a plan to make the joggers stay longer. Perhaps he should lie on his back and expose his belly? What if he uses his leash and wrap it around someone's leg? Sam might scold him for the latter but it'll be worth it when someone asks Sam for his number, whatever that might be. His scheming gets halted when he heard a screeching sound.
MAILMAN!
He quickly resumes his position by the window and barks aggressively at the man delivering the mail… until the moment he realized it's a different mailman. Riot thinks his powerful barks had finally driven the evil mailman away. He observes the new mailman closer. His nose fogging up the glass as he pressed forward. And then just as the glass clears up, Riot, and the man met stares. Instead of sneering at him, or sticking his tongue out, or telling him to get lost, the new mailman smiled and waved at Riot.
"Hello big fella," the man greets from the side walk. Although quite far, his smile was still so intoxicating and kind that Riot cannot help but return it. He wagged his tail, and barked back happily. His knowledge of evil mailmen vanished, and in that moment only believed that good mailmen exists.
A few days after that, Sam realized something about Riot while eating a hot bowl of mac n' cheese for dinner. His dog didn't seem as lonely when he had to leave for work. He couldn't tell yet if this was a relief or something alarming. He told the Australian shepherd about his discovery over the loud noise of the television. The dog gave him a pleading look because he wanted a macaroni from the bowl, but nevertheless he told his owner the reason why.
Just this morning, the mailman told him that he was a good boy for watching the house all on his own. And in all honesty, Riot agrees with the mailman.
The mailman didn't arrive on a holiday but, Riot didn't know what holidays are yet. He's just glad that there are days where Sam gets to stay all day with him, and their walk was early but, not early enough that he didn't get to meet other dogs. He tried to be enthusiastic and try to form matches for his owner but, something just didn't feel right. He didn't hear the screeching metal of the mail box today and he can't help but, wonder if his barking had also scared the good mailman away?
As the day went by, the Australian shepherd figured that maybe a holiday is a day where people wear funny-looking clothes, having tissue paper everywhere, and the abundance of hotdogs. His ears moved curiously, his tail following the suit. The thought that there's a day just for dogs, and today is that day is a really wonderful thought. He looked around more, trying to understand what a holiday is when he saw Dean and Cas in the kitchen. Riot sat on the corner and observed their exchange.
"I think I'm a little drunk," Dean said rubbing the back of his neck. It was a gesture that made the dog wonder if the back of his neck's itchy too, so he used his hind leg to scratch it just in case. "Did you really said you love me? Like just now?"
"Yes, Dean I did say that."
"That I'm a little drunk?"
An equally drunk Castiel chuckled, body moving closer to the other man with each smile. Dean tried to move away not wanting to be made fun off. But Cas was fast and he pulled him closer by the cheeks, "Not exactly the words I used, but to put it simply, I did say I love you." With their faces close together, his eyes glanced at the Dean's lips, "M-may I?"
Dean was dumbfounded. With his cheeks stuck between the palms of his best friend's hands, he nodded, "Yeah, of course-"
From where the dog sat, he saw everything. He saw Dean tug on Castiel's coat. He saw Cas bite Dean's lower lip as he lifted the taller man on the counter. He saw them kiss as if they had waited forever to be in each other's arms again. Seeing the scene unfold, Riot understood a different kind of love.
He realized that he had been looking for another human in the wrong places. Clearly, there's already someone that visits him everyday. The mailman is the perfect human for Sam, he was sure of it. Illuminated by what he learned, he yipped happily at the men he was watching. The noise made the two men pull away from each other's lips but, still in each other's arms nonetheless. Riot jumped from left to right as if getting ready to catch the ball. He was celebrating.
Today was really a holiday for dogs.
He left them be, after all he didn't need to see everything. Riot skipped his way to the couch, feeling giddy. He just can't wait to start planning on how he could begin the matchmaking. Buried in his thoughts as he skipped, his ears moved curiously. There was a long whistling sound he had never heard before, then silence, and then BOOM!
The loud noise startled him, and he whimpered all the way to the back of the couch. His butt's the only thing he couldn't protect. He even heard the red-headed lady say, "Aww you poor little thing." Riot agrees with her completely with a low whine, he'll just have to move his plans after he survives the only downside of holidays… Fireworks. He figured that work is not a good word.
He gets to see the mailman today. The cheery man smiled and waved at him, asking him how his holidays went. The Australian shepherd whined and pawed at the glass in response. Holidays are wonderful but fireworks are the bane of his existence.
"Oh no," the mailman looked at him sadly, "Did the loud boom boom noises got to you?"
Riot howled, before hiding his face behind his paw. When his moment was over he finally decided to lower his paw. He was curious to see the man's reaction. He looks concerned, it's the same face Sam has when he's worried about leaving Riot all alone at their home. It was a face that made him think that his plans are working. He placed back his paw against his face thinking that this might work better than the puppy eyes. When he checked on the mailman again, he was gone, barely even a goodbye.
Was Riot supposed to like fireworks? Was he a bad boy for not liking the way the sound rings in his ears? He sighed and lied down, contemplating on his failed plans, perhaps he had upset the mailman.
The familiar screech of the mailbox returned, and Riot's head popped by the window again to see if the mailman had returned. Oh boy, two deliveries. He seems to like Riot very much. Riot barked at him happily, and wagged his tail so hard he can barely figure how fast it was going.
"Samuel's got extra mail," the man explains, "Tell him that you have something on the mail too, 'kay?" And Riot did just that the exact moment Sam opened the door in the evening. He hopped around the man, and snatched the pile of letters to get a whiff of his mailman friend. He after all have a letter of his own.
"No, Riot. Give that to me!" Sam shouts chasing after the Australian shepherd. "No. Drop it. Drop. It."
The puppy hid himself between the back of the sofa and the wall, a secret place he found when the fireworks startled him. It's definitely better than on top of the couch, no, Sam won't find him here. He dropped the envelopes on the ground just as what he was told, and sniffed through the slobber he coated it with. Each one smelt different, but he can differentiate his owner's from everyone else because Sam kinda smells like Riot. The dog smelt various things like smoke, paper fresh from the printing machines, wax, all sorts of saliva from friends who didn't bother using sponge stamps, coffee, gasoline, dusty storage boxes… almost the same scent. But, one he figured that the one that probably belongs to his mailman is the dominant smell among the letters which are the sweetness of melted chocolates, Frisbees in an open field, and whoopee cushions.
Riot's detective work was halted when the couch on his side moved, and giant hands took all the letters away from him. He barked at Sam, he was definitely not done with those yet. Despite his protests, he wasn't able to get them back. He plopped his butt angrily as he watched his owner sort through the mail. Muttering, "Bills, postcard, bills, investments, work, postcard-"
Sam paused, and looked at Riot in wonder, a look which the puppy of course returned. The man cleared his throat and ripped the envelope open. A gift card fell as the he unfolded the letter. To which Sam read to the Australian shepherd as if it was for him because well… it was.
"To the Puppy in the Window,
Thank you for making me smile whenever I walk by. You're a really great puppy. :)
P.S.
Please ask your human to buy you your favourite treats or maybe a new toy for you. Whatever you want it's on me.
Love, Gabriel XXX"
The man lowered the paper from where it was to get a better look at his puppy. Riot stood up from his angrily plopped butt, and barked happily. He heard the words great puppy, walk, treats, toy, and love in one go, and those were good words. Sam walked towards him to give him a pat. "So my Riot made a friend?" he says to the Australian shepherd with a smile. The word friend made the dog cock his head to the side, and then he barked. He does have a friend.
MAILMAN.
"Whoever Gabriel is he must think you're really special," Sam smiled, scratching the back of Riot's neck, "He's right, of course. You're a really great puppy."
On Sam's next day-off, a Sunday, he took Riot to what the puppy would describe as heaven on Earth, if he knew what heaven is. It's like a grocery store but, everywhere he looks there are things made especially for his kind: Squeaky toys, Frisbees, treats, a bone bigger than him. He sniffed everything he likes and can reach, if he cannot reach them he'd stare longingly at it and bark at it. Sam placed everything in their cart, especially the giant bone that the Australian shepherd kept looking at glutinously. It was a happy moment until the human decided to add a costume.
Riot kept pulling at the ridiculous outfits Sam kept putting on him. A bee? Gross. An astronaut? What even is that? A unicorn? It's really itchy and shiny. A taco? Welp, he'd rather not get eaten. The Australian shepherd pawed and gnawed at the fabrics that the man was trying to put on him, until he sniffed a familiar scent on the linoleum floor.
Whatever it was that made Riot obediently put on a costume with a tiny hat on… must've been an angel. Surrounded by discarded costumes, Sam was able to snap two to three pictures of the puppy. Until the Australian shepherd ran away from him whilst sniffing the floor, he'd pause once in a while to turn back to the man and bark at him excitedly. FOLLOW ME! FOLLOW ME! Riot barked which Sam seemed to understand perfectly because he was chasing after him with a worried look.
With great confidence of knowing that Sam would follow him wherever he goes, Riot focused himself on the trail of a familiar scent. An Australian shepherd donning a mailman costume on, moved around the store slowly. He was slow, yes, but not slow enough that his human would be able to interrupt his detective work. It was difficult, there's just so many people and dogs that came here that it confused him for a moment but, he won't give up yet even if he sneezed. He paused to take sniff, and his pause had brought him nothing but good news. He heard a familiar voice, muttering about old dogs being picky eaters.
Riot scampered to aisle fifteen, forcing himself between the tight space of two product displays. With his nose still stuck to the ground, he found the scent once more and boy was it stronger. The puppy stopped at someone's shoe. "Well, hello there," the man chuckles, and the sound the dog look up. Riot found him! He found his mailman! And to celebrate his success, he jumped up and down, and around him, barking excitedly, tail wagging so hard it could have flown off somewhere in aisle twenty.
But then, all of his four paws were lifted off the ground, cutting his celebration short.
"Riot! No! Bad dog!" Sam scolded, and that made Riot whimper. He doesn't understand why he was being called a bad dog. What did he do wrong? He was just saying hi to his friend. Are having friends not good?
"Yours?" the mailman asked.
"Yes, I'm sorry. He just run off I have no idea what's gotten into him. A-are you okay? He didn't try to bite you did he?"
"What? No, you're dog's adorable," he assures to which Sam returned with a sigh. The stranger moved closer to pet the top of Riot's head which the dog absolutely loved, and to show it, he kissed the in-betweens of the mailman's fingers. "A real sweetheart," the man chuckles when the licking had turned into gentle nibbles. He turned his gaze from the puppy to its owner. "And you're not so bad yourself…" he trailed off his words, but he said this with a glint of interest in his eyes. The man cocked his head to the side, and it wasn't long until Sammy realized that the gorgeous man had been waiting for him to reply.
"Sam!" his human blurts, just loud enough for other people to hear it too. Riot barked out too, shouting his own name to the store. Sam cleared his throat trying to recover from the embarrassment as he started from the top, "M-my name's Sam."
"It suits you," the mailman smiled, finding the embarrassment all endearing. "I'm Gabriel. Nice to meet you," he introduced. Riot gave him another kiss, "And you too, Riot! You too…"
The three of them spent the entire afternoon trying to find some good food for Gabriel's dog named Bingo.
The moment they got home, Riot was concerned about Sam, because Sam left everything at the table still encased in their plastic packaging. Riot tried everything. He tried whimpering, he tried howling, he tried jumping, he tried scratching at the door, he tried gnawing at his human's shoes, he tried the puppy eyes which had never failed but, now… It has. Sammy's eyes are glued to the screen of his phone, unable to look away.
The Australian shepherd made his way to the couch and into Sam's arms, nuzzling himself under the phone that his human can't seem to set aside. Riot looked at him carefully, and noticed that Sam's eyes are smiling on their own glimmering charm. He had never seen Sam this happy before. Of course he'd seen him laugh at jokes, and comedy skits on the television, or smile when he looks at Dean and their other friends but, this… the closest he can compare it to is when Dean and Cas look at each other.
Sam takes a short glance at him and realized that he forgot to do something extremely important. The dog barked happily around his human as the packaging from every toy they got finally fell to the floor. Riot jumped from toy to toy, marking each as his own, giving each a name, and carefully planning on giving them homes secretly so that his human can never take them from him.
"Riot, food's ready," Sam called out to him, and it wasn't long before the human heard the pitter patter of the puppy's nails against the floor tiles in the kitchen. As the Australian shepherd ate his food, the man voiced out his idea, "I know it's a long shot but, we should probably do something to thank, Gabriel, he paused, "Err… the other Gabriel at least." To which Riot replied with a grumble. He would rather not be disturbed while he munches on his new kibbles. A reply that Sam interpreted as the dog agreeing with his brilliant plan, "You're right. I should write him something at least. I-I'll just attach a return address. Or tape it to the mailbox."
A terrier named Bingo sat in the front seat of the mail truck, looking behind curiously as his companion organize the letters and parcels at the compartment. It's not something new, this is what Gabriel does for a living. Bingo has seen it all, but, there was something different about this neighbourhood. The sole house on the 13th street is a lovable home to an Australian shepherd that Gabriel constantly talks about. He's not typically a jealous dog, but yesterday the man came home reeking of slobber, and it damped Bingo's appetite once more despite the new cans of dog food that the man offered him.
He stuck his head out of the truck's window and watched Gabriel stop in front of 13th street doing something quite unthinkable for mailmen to do. He ripped an envelope open and before he can read it Bingo barked, wanting to know what's so interesting about that letter. The mailman jogged back to him, and the dog skipped excitedly because it was rare that his human understood just what he had said. Mostly when he said he doesn't want to go for a walk, Gabriel will say, 'What's that? You want to go for a walk? Okay, let's go for a walk,' or that one time when he told his human that he loves him, and the mailman said, 'Drop that thing out of your mouth right now!'
It wasn't fancy paper, it didn't smell of rose or lilac or whatever brand of perfume that makes dogs sneeze. It was just your typical bond paper, folded in half, smelling faintly of coffee, morning dew on grass, and doggy biscuits, just paper shoved in an envelope stamped with a paw print. "Aww, this is cute," Gabe finally says, but, Bingo doesn't get it, so he whimpers until his human reads it to him.
"To Gabriel, friend of puppies,
My name is Riot and I am a five-month-old Australian shepherd but, don't let that fool you, I have never been to Australia. I like to take morning walks with my human, hide behind couches, and swiping the burgers my human's brother makes from everybody. I absolutely detest fire hydrants, fireworks, and neckties. That being said, my human no longer wears them.
Yes, I am a good boy, and my human, Sam makes sure I hear it everyday. He'd like you to know that he's really happy that I had made a friend while he's out for work. He'd also like for you to come by the house on Sunday (that's his day off), so that you can personally pet me and so that he can thank you personally for your kindness. He promises to prepare drinks, and some snacks. I'll try to be on my best behavior.
Love, Riot"
The moment the mailman finished reading his letter, his eyebrows furrowed, fitting puzzle pieces into each other. The names sounded familiar, too familiar to be considered coincidence. After all how many Sams in the world have an Australian shepherd pup named Riot? Not a lot.
The dog blinked, and soon it was Sunday. They both stood in front of 13th street, his human smelled of anxiety, and hair product. The man didn't want to press the doorbell, and Bingo absolutely rolled his eyes at the unnecessary tension. He barked, loudly, until someone from inside barked back. The terrier heard it clearly, the dog's name was Riot.
"Okay, okay," Gabriel said, shushing his dog, "I'm going to press the doorbell. It's probably not even the same Sam. It's not the same Sam." The latter looped on his mouth trying to convince himself that there's no such thing as fate. He took a deep breath, straightened his back, left all his worries to the wind, and pressed the button. There was a rustle behind the other side of the door, chains clinking, and an excited pup came out the door first.
The puppy ran towards Gabriel, butt wiggling in pure merriment. A dance of pure hello and friendship to both Bingo and his human. The mailman crouched and scratched behind the dog's ears to which the dog returned by putting his paw on the man's lap, as if to say 'continue, please.' Unable to stop himself from the intoxicating cuteness, Gabriel found himself grinning as he greeted the pup, "Hello, Riot."
"Gabe? Gabriel?" another man says.
The mailman barely looked up, he was busy surrendering to Riot's every whim, the ear scratches had turned into a belly rub. And when he did look up, he saw Sam. Bingo assumed it was the same Sam, because the tall man smiled at his human like they had both seen each other before. Based on the same expression on Gabe's face, the terrier's deductions must've been true.
"It's you," Gabriel chuckles.
"It's me," Sam nods. He was smiling too.
Bingo found himself spending all the Sundays he have left in his long life with Sam, Riot, and of course, Gabriel. He told Riot the exact reason why he was a picky eater. He was an old dog, his senses aren't as sharp as they used to. Food that used to taste like heaven had now turned into something very bland. Riot didn't understand despite understanding every word that came out of his mouth. It felt like he talked to a human. But, the Australian shepherd is still young, perhaps he'll understand one day.
That one day came soon enough. It was on a Sunday when Sam decided to invite his brother over to introduce to Gabriel. Riot was such a furry ball of static energy that Bingo found himself growing tired with each hop and skip the pup takes in his steps. 'You'd like Dean,' the younger dog tells him, 'He makes the best food, maybe he can make you something.' The terrier didn't keep his hopes up, so it was up to Riot to prove just how good Dean is by swiping a burger.
Gabriel panicked unsure what to do, "Did you guys just saw-"
Dean and Sam just waved him off. Riot swiping burgers apparently is a norm.
"He thinks he's so clever," Dean pointed the tip of the spatula to his temple, "He stole nothing. But he really likes the meat so it became a habit to set aside a few slices for him."
"It's one of the reasons, he likes Dean," Sam provides.
"Maybe I should give that a try, Bingo is extra picky with his food."
Riot didn't eat his well-hunted burger meat, what he did with it is placed it in front of his older friend. He moved it closer with the tip of his nose when Bingo didn't even bat an eye. One bite wouldn't hurt. As the old mutt sniffed and judged the meat with his senses, all humans were at the edge of their seats. A very well-known food critic had been called to judge their food. Will they pass?
Bingo barked, the chunk of meat was no where in sight. In fact he moved towards Dean to ask for more, and he got more. That day, Riot learned that puppy eyes work even if you are no longer a puppy.
They figured that Bingo had an uncanny taste where he prefers home-cooked meals over the ones that can be brought in the store. Dean jokes that he's the Gordon Ramsey of dogs. No one understood that reference but, the humans. As long as they've known neither of them were named Gordon. They were just Bingo and Riot.
It wasn't a Sunday the next they spent their time together, if Bingo was right, and Riot was wrong. Today is a Tuesday. Both dogs have their heads out the window of the backseat, letting the great wind of the outdoors sweep their ears behind. The mailman watched them from the side-view mirror, and noticed the Grey hairs becoming more prominent on the older dog's snout. Gabriel wondered if a hike was a safe play date activity.
"You're only saying that 'cause you don't want to go hiking," Sam said in a sing-song tune.
"I'm here with you, right? I'm ready for that mountain top view, Sam. It better not disappoint."
"You sure you're not here cause I'm the only view you wanna see?"
Gabriel's ears turned red, he's usually the one quite forward with their relationship. But, now that they had somehow grown closer, Sam had found a bit of courage that was tucked away in the car trunk and by god, he was using it generously. Gabe had to look away, "Shut up and keep your damn eyes on the road, Sam Winchester."
Sam's chuckles commuted to the back seat of the car, and the dogs wondered what the laughter was about. They never found out but, they supposed it was being on the top of the world or the fact that the air in the mountains smell a lot peaceful than the air down the cities. They enjoyed those things.
Yet another Sunday dwells the realm, and neither dogs has been to a place like this before. They have sand beneath their toes, and the waves to case after. Bingo, having seen a swimming pool before was not afraid and barked at the sea. The sea fought back, and he got swept by the waves and was taken quite far. Riot was worried, and so was Sam. Gabriel was unfazed, like he'd seen this before but, he was still keeping an eye out just to be sure.
Another wave crashed and another, before the gray snout of the tiny dog finally resurfaced. It was a lie to say that it wasn't the coolest thing Riot has ever seen the small dog do. Gabriel met his dog on the beach, just shy whispers away from the kisses of the sea. He was cheering, "You old, dog! You still have it! I'm so proud of you!"
Riot was inspired, he tried it too but, there was a loud thumping in his chest. He tried biting the ocean but, it was no use. He couldn't fight water. He was scared. Just when he was about to cry, he was enveloped in Sam's big arms. Sam has him, Gabriel was by his side, he is safe. Bingo comes close, barking at him telling him to pedal. Like a walk, he says but, on water. It takes a few moments, until he finally gets a hang of it. Everyone cheers for him. He's doing a good job. He's doing great. Soon he was out of his human's arms and venturing the great unknown of the ocean.
He caught a seaweed, he was very happy with that.
Thursday, this time they were both sure they spent a Thursday together. Riot told Bingo that if Cas shows up it's a Thursday, and the older dog didn't have it in him to disagree. He after all, knew all these people better. It was a wedding, and the terrier had been to a couple of those before. Riot was excited, carefully observing what weddings are for.
"God, it's about time that they finally did it," Sam muttered as he sat next to Gabriel during reception. He was the best man for his brother's wedding, whatever that means. He didn't notice it but, their paw-ed friends did. They saw Gabriel look at Sam the same way Dean looks at Cas.
When the Winchester looked at him, the mailman quickly stuffed his face on the slice of the wedding cake to hide in plain sight. Bingo said that Gabriel always come to weddings for the cake. Maybe this wedding just hits different.
Soon enough the days became inseparable, none of them can no longer tell what day it was. It would be wrong to argue that it was all Sundays for all the consecutive days they all spent together. Gabriel, and Bingo finally moved in with Riot, and Sam. Riot had to learn how to share the sofa with two men and a terrier. He was still growing and the bigger her gets the more uncomfortable he becomes but, he still sleeps on the same place as he does when he was a puppy. He was never going to change that.
Their mornings didn't change much despite the new companions, Sam still makes coffee but this time, he makes two. He leaves it by the bedside and lets the aroma wake up his lover. Sam never catches Gabriel when he comes home after their early jog but, he now comes home to delicious stack of pancakes and bacon that he shares with their two dogs.
"God, I love him," Sam would always mutter after the first bite. Most mornings, he would text Gabriel to let him know that he misses him already. Bingo could tell because it's the first thing the mailman would ask once he gets home.
During the times both men aren't home, Riot would entertain himself to pass the time. Mostly, he'd spend the morning to catch Bingo's lazy tail whilst the terrier sleep by the window. Once they hear the familiar metal screech of the mailbox, they'd drop whatever they were doing, and they'd make themselves visible on the window.
Gabriel would bring out the house keys, and greet them with hugs and kisses. Refill their water bowl, hand in a few snacks before he's once again out the door. It was short, and it was a simple life, but both dogs wouldn't trade it for anything else, even though belly rubs from strangers were indeed good ones.
The holiday that Riot thought he wouldn't dread finally came. They went costume shopping and while, Bingo looked like a supermodel, whatever that meant- He wasn't pleased with the two humans that were the sole customers of his matchmaking services. He still thinks it wasn't fair that Bingo's costume is nothing but a collar but, he's forced to wear an elaborate vehicle.
"Oh no, Sam look at him," Gabriel was laughing.
Whatever the man had to say, Sam didn't listen. He was still struggling to put on whatever atrocity he thought would look cute on his dog. "He looks so defeated," Sam settles when he was done.
"The defeated machine!" the mailman was hysterical. He's on the floor, a phone in his hand, wiping the tears off of his eyes. He had to send the picture of the poor pup to Cas and Dean at some point before the party.
"You ready, Daphne?" the Winchester asks the mailman, whilst adjusting the fake glasses he's donning on.
"I'm a black belt now, Velma. I've transformed my body into a dangerous weapon."
Sam raised an eyebrow, and gave his boyfriend a look over. He bit his lips, "I bet you have."
"Fuck, Sam."
The Winchester just laughs as they made their way to the party.
This was their first party as newlyweds so of course Dean and Cas went all out, dressed in what Riot can only describe as a terrible interpretation of a white bird, and a red sausage with a fork. Gabriel was able to introduce Balthazar to them, and Bingo did the same to the Australian shepherd. The pup found Balthazar rude, he's going around the party with slices of bread.
"What are you?" he'd ask them.
"An idiot sandwich," his victim would answer.
Dean didn't fall for that, he'd always say he's adorable.
To end the party guest's misery, Riot and Bingo teamed up to each have a slice of bread. It was safe to say that there are no longer idiot sandwiches for the rest of the night.
Once the party reached the climax, Castiel lowers the music's volume, and Dean cleared his throat to make an announcement. The man didn't beat around the bush, he just said loud and clear, "Cas and I… We're going to be dads."
The whole house erupted in a cheer, drinks were spilled as they both made a toast and clinked their glasses together. The music didn't need to be turned on to recreate the lively atmosphere they had before the news. Everyone was excited. Including Riot who had no idea what that meant.
He found out soon enough. He was biting the tinsels off the fresh Christmas tree when he heard the doorbell. And when the door opened he met two small humans. Few blond strands on the top of their small heads. They were sleeping and they were beautiful, he swore he'd protect them.
And then they cried which he returned with a whimper. Unsure on what to do, he finds his way to seek wisdom from the wisest dog he knows. The thing was, Bingo was unsure as well but, he was familiar on how to deal with pups like Riot. He moves next to Jack, and rests his head on the infant's chest. Silence. Quick on his feet, the Australian shepherd followed his suit, and rested his head on Claire's chest. Silence.
The Winchesters found the four of them all asleep. Jack holding onto the terrier's ear, while Claire holds onto Riot's nose. It was a sight to see. Dean might've cried but none of the dogs were awake to make sure if that was indeed true.
The twins came by once a week for date night which Gabe and Sam gladly encouraged so they could spend time with the kids. Dean and Cas weren't their when the children learned to walk. While that wasn't entirely true, Riot likes to think that it was him that taught them how. After all, they always seem to pull his tail when they fell. He contributed a large percentage to their education.
Bingo won the contest he didn't know he was in. Jack's first words are "Papoo," which his dads were arguing about. On the other hand, Claire's first words were "Bee-bee!" while actively pointing at the sleepy old terrier. Soon enough they learned more words. Riot was "Right," Sam was "Tam", and Gabriel was "Gay" which the humans found really amusing. The argument on who 'Papoo' was had been settled, it was clearly, neither of them.
One Sunday morning, it was just the four of them. No twins, no Dean, no Cas. Just Gabriel making Sam cry. Both dogs weren't sure what caused it. They went out to catch ball and Frisbees in the park there was nothing sad about those two very exciting things. But Gabriel went down on one knee, and Sam cried. Soon enough the mailman cried too as he watched Sam nod with enthusiasm. Forgetting the rest of the world in that moment, they shared a kiss, their lips smiling despite the clear streaks of tears on their cheeks. The sun shone brightly that day, blessing their new beginning.
It was two weeks after their engagement that Riot learned what the metal band on Sam's ring meant. But it wasn't a happy memory. In the morning, he found Bingo not responding to his playful calls. He couldn't hear him breath clearly. The younger dog was quick, he moved quickly to Sam and Gabriel's room and called for their help. Without any hesitation all three of them brought Bingo to the vet. The vet asked Sam to wait with Riot while Gabriel volunteered to stay by his dog's side. Sam sat in the waiting room, clasping his hands together, the metal band glinting in the light. Riot licked at it to try and cheer his human up.
"You noticed something different huh, boy?" Sammy said unable to hide a sad smile, "Gabriel asked me to marry him, and I said yes-" Sam cried when Gabriel came out of the room. They told him terrible news but, the puppy didn't understand.
Riot still leaves behind random pieces of meat for Bingo. Surely the dog would be hungry when he comes home?
Months passed by like minutes. Riot grew a lot, he was bigger than the terrier before but, now he was BIGGER. Though he still hates on fire hydrants with great ferocity, it was clear that he's now a big boy. He clearly doesn't hate wearing clothes anymore as he walked down the aisle wearing a tuxedo. With Bingo in his heart and spirit, he alone delivered the rings to the altar.
Today was a very special day indeed. Today marks the second wedding he attended in his lifetime but that's not what made it special. Today, he is the mailman.