Written by IwRiTe4yOu (lucifers-otp)
Sam watched Gabriel as the shorter man spoke in hushed tones in Enochian with the other angel. They were smiling about something that neither of the hunters could understand. The shorter angel began to hum quietly as his brother spoke before looking at Sam, smiling sheepishly and stopping. Sam quickly catalogued the tune, it was the same tune that Gabe had hummed when they had started looking for a Christmas tree, and when they had been on their date in Christmas Village.
The hunter had asked his angel about the tune, but Gabriel had just grinned and winked at him, so Sam had made it a personal goal to find out exactly what tune could make Gabriel smile that earnestly. Gabriel had given him a hint during their date: It was, in fact, a Christmas song.
Cas stood up and addressed everyone in the room, "Would anyone like some hot chocolate?"
Gabriel was, of course, the first to nod enthusiastically, earning a chuckle from his brother and boyfriend. Sam nodded as well and Dean stood up to help Cas with the simple task.
Finally alone in the room Gabriel got up and joined Sam on the couch, laying down with his head in Sam's lap. Instinctively Sam began to play with Gabriel's hair, and he decided that now was just as good a time as any to question his boyfriend.
"Is it a Christmas song I know?" Sam asked.
Gabriel chuckled and closed his eyes, happy to be so close to his hunter. "Are you still trying to figure that out?"
"Hey, you're the one who won't just tell me what the song is."
Gabriel grinned, "That's because it's a secret."
Sam groaned and shook his head, "You're impossible, you know that right?"
The angel opened his eyes and reached up grabbing one of Sam's hands, he pulled it towards him and kissed the back of the taller man's hand. "And yet you love me anyway," he retorted. He laced their fingers together and they sat there for a moment, quiet and content.
After another minute Dean and Castiel came back with four mugs full to the brim with their favorite holiday drink. They sat around the fireplace, sipping their drinks. Castiel was sitting as close to Dean as he could with his head laid on the other man's shoulder, Gabriel was sitting up with his legs across Sam's lap.
They made small talk with one another until Castiel yawned making Dean smile and chuckle. He stood and pulled his angel up with him, half carrying him.
"See you guys in the morning," Dean said. Castiel silently bid them a good night as Dean pulled him away.
Not long after Sam began to yawn and decided it was time for them to head to bed as well. They headed to their room, stripped down to their boxers and Sam crawled into bed. He was instantly asleep the second his head hit the pillow. Gabriel grinned and crawled into the bed next to the other man, playing with the other's hair, humming the song Sam so desperately wanted to know the name of.
Eventually the angel drifted to sleep himself, curled up against the winter chill. Sam slept fitfully, and not long after he fell asleep he woke and looked at the clock. It was two in the morning, he groaned and pulled his sleeping boyfriend closer. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on getting back to sleep.
He was nearly asleep when he heard the angel humming in his sleep. Sam smiled and listened intently, hoping that this would be his chance to finally discover the significance behind whatever the song was.
As he listened he instinctively began to sing the carol that he recognized. "O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant."
Gabriel shifted when Sam began to sing quietly. He woke and looked up at Sam. "Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?"
Sam smiled down at him, "O Come All Ye Faithful."
Gabriel stared at his boyfriend for a second before snuggling back into his chest. "Okay, someone is way too sleep deprived. Go back to sleep."
Sam laughed and ran a hand through Gabriel's hair. "No, I meant that's the song that you've been humming. Is 'O Come All Ye Faithful' your favorite Christmas song?"
Gabriel chuckled and murmured into Sam's chest, "You can't even stop thinking about this in your sleep."
Sam grabbed Gabriel's chin and forced him to look up at him. He knew Gabriel hadn't meant it as a question, but he answered it anyway. "Yes, because every time you think about that song you get this look, like you couldn't be happier. And I always want to see that."
The smile that Sam loved more than anything returned. Gabriel shifted in the bed until they were level and kissed his boyfriend. "Yes, 'O Come All Ye Faithful' is my favorite Christmas song. Now go back to sleep." He lay his head back down on the pillow.
Sam groaned, "That's not it. There has to be some reason that it's your favorite. Is there a line in it that you really like? The overall message? There has to be something connected to it."
Gabriel rolled over onto his stomach and shoved his face into the pillow, "Three in the morning is not the time to talk about this. Can't this wait until morning?"
"No," Sam stated simply, "Because in the morning you be fully prepared to brush me off and avoid the question again. The only time I ever get straight answers from you is when you are half asleep."
Gabriel whined, "Okay fine, there is a memory connected. Now can we go back to sleep?"
Sam stared at the angel and Gabriel knew he obviously wasn't going to get back to sleep anytime soon. "The sooner you confess everything, Gabe, the sooner we can go back to sleep."
Gabriel groaned and shoved his face into his pillow. "It's two in the morning, it is not time for this conversation."
"When is the time for this conversation?" Sam inquired.
Gabriel was about to answer 'never', but he realized that would never get him back to sleep. So he took a deep breath and looked at Sam. "Lucifer was my favorite brother up in heaven. He taught me almost everything I know, and I was following in his footsteps while everything was happy upstairs.
"When I was a fledgling he was the only one who could put me to sleep. He was the angel of music and he used to sing me to sleep every night. When I got older, the songs became an occasion. I was distraught when he became upset because of the humans. He knew I was loyal to our father, but that I would do anything to make him happy.
"He came to sing me to sleep one night, and I woke up late the next day. By the time I had woken up everyone had chosen sides and I was fighting alongside all the other archangels against my favorite brother. The song he sang to me the night before he rebelled was the original version of 'O Come All Ye Faithful'. It was the last song he ever sang to me."
Gabriel took another shaky breath, "It makes me really happy because it reminds me of a happier time. When my brother would sing and teach me how to do little tricks. I guess there are some memories I just can't let go of."
Sam kissed Gabriel softly. "Wow Gabe, I had no idea that's what it could have been. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be," Gabriel said grinning. "It's not a bad memory anymore, and now I have several more reasons to smile rather than just memories."
"Good reasons I hope," Sam teased.
"Only the best," Gabriel began, "The first of which being my favorite moose."
Sam groaned, "I wish the memory of that nickname would leave everyone's heads."
Gabriel laughed and snuggled closer to Sam, "What is your favorite Christmas carol Sammich?"
"I thought you said that you wanted to go to sleep now." Sam said yawning.
"Well I shared something with you, so I think that it is only fair if you tell me yours as well." Gabriel said.
Sam rolled over, "Maybe in the morning."
Gabriel stared at his boyfriend incredulously. He poked him in the back, "Now you have to tell me right now."
Sam laughed, and wiggled away from the finger. "Now's not the time, we can continue this conversation in the morning."
Gabriel reached forward trying to find the places in which Sam was most ticklish. He ended up on top of Sam tickling his sides, with Sam laughing and squirming like crazy beneath him. Sam was gasping for air and saying something along the lines of 'please stop'.
He did stop tickling Sam only to lean down and kiss the taller man until he was completely breathless. He moved off of Sam and lay next to him, cuddling up to him. Sam rolled to face him and smiled. "This is going to be the best Christmas."
Gabriel grinned and hummed for him. "Yes it will Sammich. I'll make sure of that."