Their first lesson seemed to set the tone for the next few days. The two fell into a routine there at Gabriel's little beach hideaway. Each morning Spencer joined the archangel for breakfast, where Gabriel displayed a sweet tooth unlike any Spencer had ever seen, and then the two would separate for a while. Gabriel would go do whatever it was that archangels turned tricksters did and Spencer would work through more of Gabriel's books. There were quite a few in there and Gabriel seemed to have no issue replacing the ones Spencer had read with new ones. He even put a series up there that he called the Winchester Gospels that he'd grinned and insisted Spencer read.
Then in the afternoon, after lunch, Gabriel would return and the two would spend most of the afternoon, breaking for dinner, and part of the evening in 'training' on how to use and control his grace. Spencer found himself softening towards Gabriel more and more as time passed and it scared him a little, yet it was wonderful as well. To learn about this part of himself, it was just…it was so much. He was learning not just about his grace and how to use it, but about Heaven and angels in general. Gabriel shared stories with him of times gone past, of a Heaven that had once been glorious. Even as it would make the archangel's eyes sad, he'd tell Spencer stories of what his home had once been like, back before the wars. It was like he was trying to give Spencer the history that, according to him, all angels had from birth.
"I could share it all with you, grace to grace." He told Spencer on his third day there. "But, it's nice telling stories. It's been a long time since I sat and remembered."
They hadn't really shared grace yet, the two of them. Gabriel taught him everything he could by word alone. It wasn't until the fifth day there that Spencer finally let Gabriel's grace touch him, even just the slightest bit.
It was during their lunch when Spencer was shifting yet again on his seat in an effort to get more comfortable. The backache that he felt like he lived with almost constantly was bugging him a little more than normal and nothing he did seemed to ease it. The warm shower that morning had helped, a little. But he just ached. It didn't take long for Gabriel to notice it and to call him out on it. "You got ants in your pants there, kiddo, or you just feel like dancing all around your seat?"
"What?" Spencer looked up to find the archangel watching him with a bemused expression on his face. Even in their short time together he'd learned that Gabriel found amusement in almost everything. No matter the situation, it was normal to see the trickster archangel greet it with a smile, a smirk, or a laugh.
Snorting, Gabriel gestured with his fork towards Spencer. "That. You keep wiggling like that and you're gonna fall right outta your chair. What's up?"
He realized what Gabriel was talking about and he found himself flushing. Again. "It's nothing. Just a backache, that's all."
"You get those often?"
No, he really didn't. Or, he hadn't. Spencer shrugged one shoulder and pushed a bit of food around his plate. When he looked up, he was surprised to find Gabriel watching him with an uncharacteristically serious look on his face. "Spencer," The use of his actual name had Spencer sitting up just a little straighter, despite the wince he gave at the movement. Gabriel noted it and his expression turned a little more serious. "I know you don't like the idea of grace touching you, but…I think I might know what's going on. I just, can't confirm it without my grace touching yours."
There was no way Spencer could stop that instinctive flinch that he gave.
Could he trust him? So far, Gabriel hadn't hurt him. He'd helped him just as he'd promised he would. He was giving Spencer control with each passing day. He hadn't pushed for them to do anything that made Spencer uncomfortable and he'd been respectful of every single boundary that Spencer put up. But had that all been a ruse? A trick of some sort to get him complacent? Spencer had tried to think about this every way possible when he was lying in bed at night. What would Gabriel hope to gain here? What could his possible ulterior motives be? So far, Spencer hadn't found any. And he couldn't really find any now. There was nothing that he could see that Gabriel would gain from this. He'd already taught Spencer how to shield himself and hide his grace. If the archangel tried anything, Spencer could always try that. It might not work but it was worth a try. But, really, he already had Spencer here on is island, away from anyone. If he wanted to do something to Spencer he could've just forced it on him already instead of waiting days and then using a backache as an excuse to trick him.
The young genius looked up at him carefully and found Gabriel still watching him. He'd given Spencer plenty of time to think and hadn't interrupted his thoughts.
Spencer hoped he wasn't about to make a giant mistake. However, trust had to start somewhere, and the pain in his back was getting steadily worse. If it was something Gabriel could help with, Spencer would be a fool not to take him up on it. "Okay." His voice was whisper soft. Gabriel heard him, though. He always seemed to hear him.
The archangel rose from his chair and moved to stand behind Spencer. He must've been able to see how tense he was because he was extremely gentle as he laid his hand between Spencer's shoulder blades. "I'll keep this as light as possible, kiddo. Just, breathe for me and let me know if I'm hurting you." The next moment there was the feel of Gabriel's grace reaching for him through his hand and into Spencer's back.
What startled Spencer the most was how much his own grace leapt into that touch. Only by sheer force of will did Spencer keep his grace from trying to wrap around Gabriel's like some weird equivalent of a hug, if two lights could even manage to hug, that is. He held himself still and paid close attention as he felt Gabriel's grace press all along his back like a warm, soothing waterfall. The touch was only brief. There for just a few moments and then pulling back. Spencer was stunned to find himself almost reaching out to try and draw it back. It had felt, wonderful. Amazing. Like home, a traitorous voice in his head whispered.
The whole thing took not even a minute. Then Gabriel was moving back around him and dropping back into his chair. His eyes fixed right on Spencer's face and there was a smile on his lips. An honest one, without any trace of mockery. "Well, I was right." His smile grew a little wider. "Your wings are growing in."
"My…my wings?" Was he serious? Was he actually being serious here, or was this some sort of prank of his?
"Yep!" Seeing the look on Spencer's face, Gabriel chuckled. "Don't look so gobsmacked, little bird. You're a fledgling. It's what fledglings do – they grow. We would've seen em before now if we were back home. But since you're in a vessel, they're all tucked and hidden inside, just a-growing away. Your backache is because your body can feel the growth in grace and it's being pushed at from the inside."
That was, vaguely disturbing. And a bit worrisome. Spencer's mind whirled as he processed the fact that he was going to have wings. Wings! Would they be like Gabriel's and Castiel's, visible only to him and other angels? Would he be able to hide them the way that Gabriel did? Most importantly – how on earth were they going to get out? If his wings were growing and pushing against his back, causing his backache, that meant that they couldn't just pass through his skin on their own. So how were they going to get out? Eyes wide, he asked Gabriel just that.
The trickster didn't even bat an eye, didn't show any outward signs of worry, though Spencer watched him carefully. He looked just as calm and amused as before as he answered him. "Don't worry. By the time they're ready to come out, I'll help you. You really think I'd just leave you alone for it?" He grinned and leaned forward, picking up his own fork again. "I'd say another couple weeks. A month, maybe. Then we'll get to bust those bad boys out. Then we'll start the really fun lessons – flying."
Spencer found a soft smile curving his own lips at that. What kid didn't at one point dream about being able to fly?
"Hopefully you have more grace in your wings than you do on two feet." Gabriel teased him.
The young genius didn't think about his response. He reacted the same as he would've if it were Derek here teasing him. Rolling his eyes, he kicked out lightly, meaning to just nudge Gabriel's leg as he told him "Shut up." Unfortunately, he had the absolute worst kind of luck and the world seemed to want to help prove Gabriel's point. He overshot his kick a little and the only thing that kept him from tumbling out of his chair was the hand that Gabriel shot out, catching his shoulder and keeping him from pitching forward.
The musical sound of Gabriel's laughter echoed around them. Even as Spencer blushed in embarrassment, he couldn't help the small smile.
It wasn't just Spencer who was enjoying their time together. For Gabriel, it was an amazing time as well. This was the closest to home that Gabriel had felt in a long, long time. Longer than humans could measure. He'd been cut off from his family for so long now, going deep to hide from them, that this little touch of home was the most amazing thing for him. It also brought a long for home that was almost overwhelming.
This little fledgling, so eager to learn and so utterly sweet, made his grace ache sometimes. It reminded the lost archangel of the home he'd once had and the life he'd once lived. It hadn't all been bad. There'd been good there. For a while, they'd been happy. Heaven had once been the paradise that it was still referred to as. There'd been glory and beauty and so much love. They'd been a family in the truest sense of the word and Gabriel had been happy. Until it had all broken apart.
Seeing Spencer now, watching him learn and grow and flourish under all this, coming into himself, was a reminder of that better time. Having that reminder was hard at some times.
What was even worse was looking at this little, eager fledgling and knowing what was to come.
Gabriel wasn't a fool. He'd known what it meant from the instant that he'd really looked at Spencer and figured out what he was. So far he'd managed to push those thoughts to the back of his mind and pretend that they didn't exist. They were drifting up to him now, though, and refusing to be ignored. He knew what Spencer's existence heralded. What it meant for them now, for the Apocalypse, but more importantly – what it meant for their future.
The archangel let out a sigh and shook his head, trying to chase away those thoughts once more. One problem at a time. The rest could be dealt with when the apocalypse was over. Right now, he had to figure out how to deal with this problem. Or, more accurately, he had to work up the courage to deal with it. He knew what he had to do. What he didn't know was if it was going to work.
The heaviness of his thoughts was part of what had brought him out here to the porch of his island home. Spencer was inside probably still finishing off the dinner that Gabriel had sent him in for a while ago.
They'd been here for five days now and they were getting along a lot better than when they'd started but Spencer was still hesitant and careful around him. Gabriel hadn't wanted to push his luck with the kid and worry him by forcing him to deal with the worry that had settled on Gabriel's shoulders. So, when their lessons were done, he'd sent Spencer in to eat alone instead of joining him, and he'd stayed out here to think and, well, sulk. That's what he'd been doing for almost an hour now. Perched on the top step of the stairs that led down to the sand, he'd just been sitting here and thinking as he stared out blindly at the water.
He was still lost in thought when he felt the glow of Spencer's grace, a presence he'd grown so accustomed to sensing, start to come his way. A moment later he heard the kid's footsteps. There was hesitance easy to hear in every single step and it was almost coming off the kid in waves. But he came right outside and, after just a small pause, he moved to sit down on the stairs as well. It didn't escape Gabriel's notice that he took a seat two steps below, putting him just slightly lower than the archangel. Whether that was deliberate or instinctive, he wasn't quite sure.
For a little bit neither one of them said anything. The only sounds were the wind and the crashing of the water on the shore. However, as Gabriel discreetly watched the little one beside him, he could see the debate on Spencer's face, the way he drew his bottom lip in between his teeth as if thinking carefully about what he was going to say. It reminded Gabriel abruptly of a slightly nervous Jor, back when his son had been small and young and they'd used to sit together and talk. Jor would do the same exact thing as Spencer was doing now, chewing on his bottom lip as he tried to find the words or the courage to say what he wanted. Unlike Jor, Spencer didn't relax, though. He just grew more tense. Apparently Gabriel wasn't the only one who'd been doing some thinking tonight. Spencer looked like he'd done some deep thinking. Figuring out what was going on would've been easy. A simple peek inside the kid's head. Gabriel tried not to do that, though. He wanted to give Spencer some semblance of privacy.
It took a few before Gabriel could feel as Spencer's resolve to speak firmed. He stopped chewing on his lip but the lines of his body stayed tense as he stared down at his hands. "We…we need to talk, Gabriel."
"Well that doesn't sound ominous at all." Gabriel said dryly. "What's up, buttercup?"
The nickname had Spencer wrinkling his nose in a way that Gabriel was tempted to tease him about. It made him look years younger and ridiculously adorable. But then Spencer opened his mouth and Gabriel was too busy being stunned by the words that came pouring out. "I've been thinking and, things…things need to change. We can't keep going on like this. I appreciate so much what you're teaching me, Gabriel, but I can't, this isn't… we can't keep going like this. The part of me that's a profiler says that I absolutely shouldn't trust you. I know all the facts and statistics about Stockholm Syndrome and I know how easily all of that could be applied to our situation."
Eyebrows rising, Gabriel sat back, not quite sure what to say except, "Wow."
He watched the little fledgling flinch. Still, Spencer didn't turn towards him. "I'm sorry. But you, you have to understand the parallels here. You've taken me somewhere isolated and set yourself up as my only point of contact. I have to rely on you for food, for shelter, for anything that I might need. I can't even go to the store to pick up my own deodorant. If I want it, I have to get it from you. Then, you give me most everything I could want, and you show me how to use these powers of mine. You've effectively made yourself the one positive, steady thing in my life at the moment, and that's an effective way to force a trust that might not have otherwise formed."
That was…he hadn't really thought of it like that. The idea that the kid might really think he'd done this intentionally, as a way to force a trust between them, left Gabriel feeling vaguely sick. "That wasn't my intention, Spencer."
Brown eyes flicked up to him at the sound of his name, not a nickname, and then dropped back down. Then he nodded, ever so slightly. "I think I'm beginning to believe that. And that terrifies me, because I don't know if that's really me, or if that's all of those things I mentioned making me feel that way. There's something about you…my light—my grace…" he corrected himself, still so new to using that name for what had always just been a 'light' to him, "…wants to reach out to you. It always wants to reach out to you, all the time. You get close and I just, I want to trust. I want to lean on you and trust like I never have with anyone else. And that's so terrifying, Gabriel."
The fact that life had taught him that leaning on something was a scary or bad thing was one of those things that made Gabriel seethe. As he got to know Spencer he got to see more and more just how badly damaged the little fledgling was. How broken his trust was – not just in Gabriel, but in anyone. "There's nothing wrong with leaning on someone." That was a lesson he wanted to teach him, even if it was one that the archangel had a hard time remembering himself sometimes.
"I don't think I'd even know how." Spencer admitted quietly, which was so damn heartbreaking. The kid drew in a shaky breath and blew it back out, his shoulders squaring once more under a weight he shouldn't have to carry. "If we want whatever this thing we've got going here to work out, this friendship or mentorship or whatever it is, we need to be able to trust each other." He turned to look at Gabriel and for the first time he kept his gaze steady and didn't flinch away from eye contact. "I can't stay here, Gabriel. I need to go back."
Well. It'd taken longer than Gabriel thought for the kid to finally say it. "I know."
That clearly surprised him. "W-What?"
"I never planned on keeping you here, kiddo. I always planned on taking you back. Like I said, you're not a prisoner. I won't hold you hostage here. Besides," He slanted Spencer a look and smirked at him. "If I've learned anything about you these couple days, it's that you're not the type to just sit on the sidelines. Something tells me you wanna go look those chuckleheads back up and join on Team Freedom's bandwagon." No matter how much the idea had Gabriel wanting to wrap up his fledgling and keep him locked away. He didn't want to take Spencer back around the Winchesters. Hell, he didn't want to take Spencer back into the real world. He wanted to keep him here, safe, where nothing could touch him. Not the Winchesters, not the idiots in Spencer's life who'd already hurt him, not the apocalypse, not the dark threat that sat on the distant horizon…He just wanted him safe.
Speaking of the Winchesters never failed to cause some kind of reaction. This time was no different. Gabriel watched Spencer's grace draw in a little and a shiver ran down the kid at the memories that assaulted him. He had an angel's memory even if he hadn't realized it. Eidetic, he called it, the human term for it. For Gabriel it was just how angels worked. They remembered everything. Over time, enough of it builds up that sometimes it takes a bit to remember something you know, but it's all there, all accessible. Spencer had that. He had the memory and he had the ability to hold it all without going truly insane. Those memories could hurt, though. Just like these ones did.
One of Gabriel's wings reached out before he could stop it and it curled lightly around the little fledgling just like he would've done for any other fledgling back home. It was a testament to how far they'd come in just these few days in that Spencer didn't flinch or pull away. For one brief moment he actually leaned into the wing. His grace calmed in response to the gentle soothing.
Spencer lifted a hand and brushed light fingers over some of the feathers in front of him. In response, Gabriel curled the wing a little more, draping it over Spencer's shoulder and down into his lap. He was rewarded with a delighted little shy smile. He continued to card his fingers through Gabriel's feathers in a gesture that was more self-soothing than anything else. "I may not be happy with the Winchesters, but…I can't just, I can't sit back knowing that I can help. I can't hide out here while people are out there dying and know that there's something I could be doing about it."
"You're too good, Sparrow." Gabriel murmured. He saw Spencer was about to protest and he used the wing around him to nudge him quiet. "Calm down. I'm not taking back what I said or anything like that. I said I'd take you back, and I will. But I've got a few conditions to it, kiddo."
He couldn't deny it was painful to watch the walls immediately slam up in Spencer's eyes. "Oh?"
Gabriel tried to keep his tone light as he lifted a hand up and ticked off his conditions. "One, we take a few more days just so I can be sure you've really got things under control before we unleash you on the general populace. You're nowhere near trained and we're definitely gonna have to keep working on it, every day, but I just want to make sure you've got control enough to make it each day."
"Okay." Spencer nodded his agreement easily to that.
"Two, you let me know if you start having troubles."
He wasn't going to budge on that one, not in the least, and Spencer must've been able to see that because he nodded to that one rather quickly as well. "All right."
"And three." This was the one he knew Spencer might not like too much. "I have a talk with the Terrible Trio before you go anywhere near them." Sure enough, Spencer tensed up at that, mouth opening in immediate protest. Gabriel cut him off before he could say anything. "That one's non-negotiable, kiddo. They screwed up, bad. Even if it was simple ignorance, they still screwed up, and I won't let it happen again. They need to learn their lesson before I'll feel safe letting you back around them."
He could see how much Spencer wanted to bristle at the 'letting' part of that statement. However, he held it back and focused instead on a different part. "What kind of lesson?" He'd heard enough stories from Gabriel these past days to know that the word lesson hadn't been an accidental choice. It had been very, very deliberate.
There was more of the Trickster to his grin in that moment than archangel. "Don't worry, it won't kill them."
"That's not entirely reassuring."
"They're going to get their lesson either way, bucko." Gabriel folded his arms over his chest and smirked at him, one eyebrow up in a look that dared Spencer to contradict him on this. "I'm mostly just giving you the heads up that it's going to happen before you go back around them, in the honor of trust here. If you don't like it—sorry. This is one I aint budging on."
Spencer watched him for a moment with a small frown on his lips and a furrow in his brow. Whatever he saw on Gabriel's face or in his body or wing language had him shaking his head. "Not that I have much choice in the matter, but, I'll accept your terms." Then he shot Gabriel a look through his bangs that held just a hint of the sass that Gabriel had so far only seen a small hint of. "You have a lot to learn about compromise, though."
A grin stretched Gabriel's lips. "Kiddo, you've got no idea how big a deal it is I compromised even this much."
To his surprise and delight, the fledgling let out a low laugh at that.
They settled in together a little more peacefully than before. Now that things were out in the open between them, and they both understood what was going on, they could both relax just the slightest bit.
Gabriel knew this was only the calm before the storm. There was so much that was waiting ahead of them. So many things that were coming their way. His eyes drifted to the young one that was slowly leaning into his wing, his weight getting a little heavier as his grace, soothed and comforted by the embrace of an archangel, pushed him towards sleep. I'll do everything I can to keep you safe, Gabriel promised silently.
He just hoped it was a promise he'd be able to keep.