"Penny for your thoughts?" Gabriel asked, his eyebrows furrowed. He kept his hand on Sam's arm, stopping the taller man from moving away from him. Sam stared at Gabriel incredulously. His thoughts had been scattered the moment he had turned and looked into Gabriel's eyes. He couldn't believe that the man he had just been thinking about had appeared out of nowhere and saved him from stepping out into traffic. It was like Gabriel had turned as angelic as his name. And Sam couldn't help but feel at a loss at how expectantly Gabriel was watching him, waiting for an answer. He shook his head slightly, deciding it was better to lie than to tell Gabriel to his face that he couldn't stop thinking of him.
"I was caught up in details of a case," Sam could hear himself saying. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Thank you for pulling me back." Gabriel's eyebrows tugged together as he frowned.
"That seems unlike you, Sam," Gabriel said quietly. Sam raised his eyebrows speculatively. "You normally seem so in control of yourself when you come in for coffee. You don't strike me as the sort of person to be absent minded enough to cause danger to yourself." Sam hadn't realised how perceptive Gabriel was, and considered telling him what was really on his mind. The only problem with that was then Sam would have to admit out loud his possible attraction and definite confusion to the other man. Sam opened and closed his mouth as if to say something, but hastily changed his mind.
"I didn't sleep that well," Sam mumbled. "I get a bit haphazard when I am tired." Gabriel's frown deepened in worry, and Sam couldn't keep it to himself any longer. "And I found the note you left on my napkin." Gabriel let go of Sam's arm and stepped back.
"Oh, yeah, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything.." he trailed off. "I meant it as a joke." Sam could feel the disappointment radiating off Gabriel and he started to cave at the look on the shorter man's face. Sam also didn't believe for one second that Gabriel had meant it in humour, as he had encountered the barista several times over the last few months while he was frequenting the café. Gabriel never seemed to do anything unless it was of purpose to him, so giving Sam his number seemed a little counter productive if it was meant as a joke.
"I wasn't uncomfortable," Sam said, holding up his hand so that Gabriel didn't cut him off and break his nerve. "I didn't find it until late last night, and I was shocked. It was unexpected, but then I remembered your sign, and how we were interacting in the café and I knew that it was slightly more than a coincidence." Sam regarded Gabriel's expression carefully. However, Gabriel's featured remained passive, and Sam was having a hard time working out what the barista was thinking. "And when I found it, it was after I had been at a bar with my brother Dean celebrating his new car, and though I hadn't had much to drink I didn't want to be calling or texting so late at night. So I slept on it, and I still hadn't come to a decision of what to do about it, which is also what was going through my head when you stopped me from walking in front of the bus." Gabriel still didn't say anything; his face inscrutable. Sam began to panic slightly. "Aren't you going to say anything?" Gabriel raised his eyebrows.
"I don't know what you want me to say," he replied. "With every word that has come out of your mouth, you haven't actually told me how you feel about it. Just that you weren't uncomfortable. That doesn't necessarily help me. I don't know what you thought I meant by it but.." Gabriel trailed off as they were interrupted by an angry tut of someone who wanted to cross the road which they were blocking. Sam stepped away from the kerb, gesturing Gabriel to follow him. He figured that he still had plenty of time to get to the courthouse.
"Gabriel. I haven't had someone show interest in me since college. I have been very career focused, I mean Christ, I'm the youngest partner in my firms history. I don't know how to react. I'm not standing here telling you that I don't want anything to happen between us, I'm standing here telling you I don't know what to do about it." Sam ran a hand through his hair, before checking his watch. He'd been wrong, he was probably going to be late for court. "Look, I've got to go to work, I'll call you or something, okay?" Gabriel smiled, and a small look of indecision crossed over his face before he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Sam's waist quickly, squeezing him slightly before pulling away. Sam flushed, before turning and hurrying away, but it didn't stop him from waving to Gabriel after he had crossed the road away from him.
Sam had a good day in the courts. He made progress on his cases, without it going in the favour of the opposition, which was good for him. Meeting Gabriel that morning had scrambled his thoughts, and he thought that things might go down slightly differently behind the closed doors of the courtrooms, but he had been pleasantly surprised. But in the back of his mind, he had still been thinking about what he was going to say to Gabriel when he called. As court was emptying, Sam was cordial and polite to those who approached him, but his heart just wasn't in it. He was still remembering the feeling of Gabriel's arms around him, and a small smile tugged at his lips. It had been a long time since anybody who wasn't Dean had shown him affection. Sam thought back to his graduation, and the fact that his dad hadn't bothered to show. Dean was there, even though it had meant he had to travel across the country for it. But he had been there. Leaving the courtroom, Sam pulled his phone out of his pocket, and hovered his thumb over the contacts button. He needed to speak to his brother, but he didn't know whether he should tell the whole truth, or to sugar coat some of the facts. Sam wasn't sure just how accepting Dean would be. Despite his jokes, he was still his father's son, and Sam didn't think his brother would fully understand his conflicting feelings towards Gabriel. However, he had also promised Gabriel he would call, and though the barista would not know what time court let out, he also didn't want to keep the other man on tenterhooks any longer than he had already. Sam called his brother.
"Sammy?" Sam cringed. He hated the endearment that his brother so often used when he called. He knew that Dean meant it in affection, but it made Sam feel like he was a kid again.
"Really, Dean?" he questioned, and he could hear the grin on his brothers face down the phone line. "You resort to childish nicknames at a time like this?"
"A time like what?" Dean questioned, and Sam had to remember that Dean knew nothing about what he had been thinking about all day. It wasn't fair to snap at his brother like that.
"Don't worry, Dean, I've had a strange day," Sam muttered. "I gotta ask your advice, though." Sam scratched the back of his neck while he waited for Dean to reply.
"What's up, Sammy?" Dean responded with a chuckle. "You never normally call on court days." Sam rolled his eyebrows at the nickname. Dean did have a point though. Sam was usually too wired from his cases to see Dean on court days, but it wasn't like normal court days. Sam still had the thought of Gabriel in his head, and he needed to talk to someone about it before it drove him mad, or into the path of another bus.
"I'm not entirely sure where to start," Sam began. "Do you remember the other week when you said I needed a hobby, or a girlfriend?" There was a slight pause before Dean responded.
"I think I also included boyfriend in that list," Dean chuckled. "What of it? You never take anything I say seriously." Sam remained quiet, both because he was too scared to say anything, and also because he wanted to see if Dean could come to the conclusion himself without him having to incriminate himself. "Dude, you're gonna need to say something because I'm thinking that you're trying to tell me something without actually having to tell me. Am I right?" Sam sighed.
"You're partly there. I think. I just want your opinion, I know that you and Dad are quite similar in your mindsets but.."
"Were similar, Sam. We used to have similar mindsets until he tried to take Baby from underneath my nose. I became more liberal that day." Sam rolled his eyes. Dean always was one for showboating. "Are you trying to tell me that you have a new girlfriend or boyfriend? Because you're being a bit dramatic to try and tell me that you've started a stamp collection."
"If you were here in front of me, you do realise I'd have to punch you for that, right?" Sam muttered through slightly clenched teeth. Dean wasn't making this any easier for him, though he didn't really know what he had expected when he had phoned his brother in the first place. "I don't have a girlfriend."
"So it's a boyfriend?" Dean cut in before Sam had a chance to finish talking.
"I don't have a boyfriend either. I just wanted some advice, because it's been a long time since I have paid any attention to someone taking notice of me and I'm a little bit at a loss of what to do."
"Do you like them?" Dean asked, and Sam noted that Dean hadn't gendered the conversation. It pleased Sam to see that his brother might understand, if even a little.
"I'm not sure. Before last night I wasn't even entertaining the idea of finding someone, I am happy with my work, and I enjoy my routines. I was fine. And then I found a napkin with a number on in my pocket, and at first I thought that it had been given to me by mistake, and then I thought I should sleep on it, and I was going to text them or call them this morning and while this was all running through my head, I almost got run over by a bus, but then I was pulled back at the last minute. He saved me." Sam caught his breath, not realising the slip of his tongue.
"And how do you feel about that?" Dean asked tactfully.
"Feel about what? The fact that they saved me from stepping in front of a bus, or the fact that they gave me their number, or the fact that someone would take interest in me?" Sam was starting to get defensive, which was not the tact that he had originally wanted to take with his brother. "I'm sorry, Dean. It's been a stressful day, and I've had the image of him – them – sat on my shoulder all day throughout court and I just needed someone to tell me what I should do." Dean was quiet for a minute before replying.
"The only person who can help you is you," Dean said tactfully. "I think you're just calling me so that you can avoid your problems a little longer, but obviously that is your call. And anyway, it's just a call, or a text. By the sounds of what you have told me, you see him pretty regularly. You can't just ignore him, it'll get weird. Whatever your choice, Sammy, I'm here for you. Just remember that. I'm not the man you thought I would grow into. I never have been, not really." Sam smiled.
"Thanks Dean, this has helped more than you know."
"Just call your damn man, Sam." Dean's response was sharp, and Sam couldn't help but chuckle.
"You're getting a kick out of this, you jerk!" Dean's laughter resonated from the speaker in Sam's phone.
"Bitch," he replied, before the line went dead in Sam's ear. Taking the phone away from he ear, Sam scrolled through his contacts once more. Pressing the call button, he crossed the fingers of his spare hand. The line rang three times before Sam heard the smooth voice down the line.
"Hello, Gabriel speaking."
"Hi Gabriel, it's Sam."
I think I've done pretty well, maybe only one (or two) month wait on this chapter. Which is unlike me with this story. But still. I think only one (or two) chapters left to go, considering this was only going to be a one or two shot I think I got a little carried away. Anyway.
I've also been working on at least three other fics alongside this, only one of which is anywhere near to posting, but I really wanna concentrate on this as tonight alone I have written at least half of this chapter, so while I'm on a roll I'm going to smash out at least the ensuing conversation.