Title: Dancing on a String
Rating: AO (18+)
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairings: Gabriel/Sam
Preliminary Tags: BDSM, Alcohol, Angst, Lots of sex

Summary: An incredible night of pleasure opens Sam's eyes to a new world he never knew existed. However he quickly learns that the person he wants to discover this with has little interest to show him…

Gabriel Novak hasn't been a proper Dom in years, and he has no intention of changing that. But Sam Winchester doesn't play fair with his long, floppy hair and big eyes and those damn pouty lips... An untrained Sub shouldn't be that perfect.

Chapter Two:

Marionette's Blue Thread

Sam woke up feeling peaceful. There was a warm body pressed up against his own, and his nose was buried in soft hair with a strong scent from the activities of the night before. He found himself smiling as he nuzzled into the scent and felt himself throbbing as he pressed into the backside. When it pressed back he let out a little hum of approval and tightened his hold. The sun was high in the sky and Sam briefly panicked when he noticed, worried he had missed work only to remember he no longer had a job…

Memories from the night before began to return in a slow trickle. Sam looked down at the figure he had been pressed up against and realized, belatedly, that it was indeed a man. A very handsome, charismatic man who had shown him a wonderful night. He settled back into the comfort of the sheets, wondering why he had even woken up at all when he was so exhausted, but a moment later the buzz of his phone had him sighing. It wasn't surprising that something would try to pull him back into the real world eventually.

Slowly Sam untangled himself from both Gabriel and the sheets, slipping out of the bed to pad across the bedroom floor. He grabbed his pants, reaching into the pocket to pull out his phone and saw that it was Dean calling him. He pulled on his boxers quickly as he stepped out of the bedroom and into the small kitchenette. His eyes landed on the clock on the stove displaying 9:47, a good three hours later than he would normally sleep in.

"Hello?" His voice was low, not wanting to wake the man in the other room.

"Sam! The hell man I've been calling and texting you for the last two hours. You don't come home last night, then I call your office and they say you got canned. What's going on?" Dean's voice was frantic, and Sam felt both a rush of frustration at his nosy brother and a swell of love that Dean would worry so much. His time in college had made him truly miss his older brother.

Sam just sighed, "Look, it's…complicated. I'll explain when I get home. I just needed some time to clear my head."

"Why are you whispering?" Dean asked, suspicious.

"I told you, I had to clear my head." Sam reiterated.

There was a pause, then, "Aaaah. Gotcha." Dean huffed, "Well, I can't fault you there. But are you alright?"

Sam thought about it, recalled what he and Gabriel had discussed the night before and he felt the unease loosening from his gut, "Actually… Yeah. Yeah I think so." He wondered if the spell would be broken when he left this apartment, when Gabriel's presence wasn't around to ease his jarred nerves, "I'll be home in a bit." He promised, then hung up the phone.

Quietly he pondered his options. The desire to go back into Gabriel's room and curl up under his covers again was strong. He was surprised when he realized that all he wanted was to talk to the other man, to see his smile and feel reassured by his presence. Sam had always been a sucker for 'pillow talk' but a tiny voice in his brain reminded him that he'd never slept with a man before. That last night he'd let a total stranger tie him up and make him do things he would never normally do. Sam wasn't weak, he wasn't submissive, he'd never been particularly 'experimental' in his own sexuality. He liked women, that was just who he was.

But now he liked Gabriel.

Torn between the desire to stay and the desire to flee, he stood frozen in the man's living room.

Sam chose to run. He snuck back into Gabriel's room to collect the rest of his clothes and changed in the living room, however when his hand fell onto the handle of the door he paused. There was a small yellow legal pad on a magnet attached to Gabriel's fridge, and Sam felt the compulsive need to leave a window open for this man. When he finally closed Gabriel's apartment door behind him, his name and phone number were scrawled plainly on the pad for the man to see. Sam had made his move, and he was curious to see if one would be made in return.

#==#

The door to Sam's apartment opened quietly, however he was immediately aware of his brother's presence. The space was small and perhaps somewhat cramped for two grown men, but it was affordable and that was what they needed because it meant Dean wasn't sleeping in Bobby's garage, and Sam was able to save up some money for his future while still paying off school loans. It also meant that the apartment was a mess of dirty laundry, the kitchen smelled odd and there were pots and pans piled in the sink. Dean was settled on the couch in the living room, an old tattered thing they got at a garage sale for five dollars, with his feet propped on the coffee table while Dr. Sexy M.D. played on the television. It all felt familiar and comfortable.

Dean's eyes were on Sam as the man dropped his keys on the table that leaned slightly to the left, and Sam looked up to watch him for a moment, "Good episode?" he found himself asking to break the quiet.

"It's ok." Dean said, and Sam wondered if he might not be talking about the show, "You alright?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah." He walked over to the fridge and pulled out two beers, making his way over to his brother. He didn't care if it wasn't even noon yet, he had nowhere to be. Dean accepted the beer and just like Sam knew would happen, they drank in silence and stared at the television without really watching what was on. It took about five minutes before Sam broke the silence, "I did a good thing," he told Dean, "I don't regret it."

Dean nodded, "Good." He said, and he meant it. "You know I kind of expected you to be all emotional and guilty."

"Dreading one of those chick flick moments?" Sam asked with a scoff.

"Shut up." The elder brother took a long swig and used that to segue the topic, "But no, it's good to see you're doing alright. Did it have something to do with the chick from last night?"

Sam had to clear his throat to keep from choking as images of the night before played in his mind. "Uh, yeah. Something like that." He said, not wanting to tell Dean about his 'big gay experience.'

"Gonna see her again?" Dean's eyebrows raised and he had a coy little smirk on his lips.

This made the younger brother pause as he considered his answer carefully, "It's up to them, I left my number." He shrugged and used a pull from his beer to sort out his thoughts. "A lay wasn't the only thing I found last night though, you know that dive bar over on Maple street? The one I always had to pass on my way to work?" Dean nodded so Sam pressed on, "It's a pretty good place. The bartender there is the owner of the place, you should check it out sometime."

"You got to know the bartender? That's sad, Sammy." Dean chuckled and shook his head, "What was it like Cheers or something?"

"Shut up. Yes, the people in the bar were familiar with each other. But the bartender made some awesome drinks, and it was a lot better than those lame commercial bars."

Dean rolled his eyes, "Alright alright, keep your pants on. Geeze." He finished off his beer and set it aside on the end table, "So you met this chick at a bar. Was she hot?"

Sam hummed, "Not my usual type." He admitted honestly.

"So she wasn't a blonde with big brown eyes and a brain as big as her cans?" Dean mocked.

Sam had to repress a groan, because yes, Gabriel had been a blonde with brown eyes, and he was intelligent, "Older," Sam admitted, "And… Dude, why do you care?"

"Because my little brother got laid. That's cause to celebrate! You haven't gone horizontal with a girl since Jess right?" More ridiculous brow wiggling and Sam just rolled his eyes. "So, you gonna call her?" He nudged Sam's arm.

"I don't have her number, but I left mine. She can call if she wants, or leave it as it was." He tried really hard to focus on the TV…

"Well you know women can't really separate emotions from sex so I'm guessing you'll hear from her either tonight, or three days from now." Dean threw his arm over the back of the couch and smirked in that smug, wiser brother fashion. In reality though, Sam knew Dean was good with women, though perhaps not smooth all the time.

"Yeah," Sam said, "We'll see."

#==#

Gabriel didn't call. Over the next week, Sam checked his phone for the possibilities of a missed call or text, and answered any number he didn't recognize (which resulted in three wrong numbers and four tele-marketers), but by the seventh day he had all but given up. His curiosity had led him to a few BDSM 'education' websites that made him squirm in his seat before exiting the browser and erasing his search history. He didn't like the idea in concept, however whenever he recalled Gabriel's commanding words or how he was held down, able to free himself physically but being bound by some sort of mental need to please the man, he found himself in need of a cold shower.

"Mr. Winchester?" The stern voice pulled Sam out of his momentary daydream. He was settled in a posh off-white law-office with a mahogany desk and matching shelves filled with books and frames marking the educational achievements of one Joanne Fitzgerald. The woman herself sat behind the desk, mid-forties with thick brown hair and just the right amount of makeup to sharpen her eyes and lips.

Sam cleared his throat and returned to the question at hand, "During my last assignment with Alistair Demos, I admit that the nature of the case had me uncomfortable." His eyes landed on the woman's desk where a silver frame of two children sat in front of a Christmas tree. Sam recalled what Gabriel had told him about being confident in his mistake… "We were defending a man trying to take full custody of his children from his ex wife, however I let my personal opinion of the man get in the way of my judgment and it affected my behavior in the trial."

There was a pause as Joanne recrossed her legs and ran a manicured nail beneath her lower lip. Her eyes narrowed, "And what was your opinion of this man?"

"That he was an unfit father." Sam regarded the woman's impassive face and knew that he was being crossed off of her mental list. With a wave of defeat he sighed and let his shoulders slump, "Look, Ms. Fitzgerald, when I became a lawyer I wasn't under some grand illusion that I would only be defending innocent people. I knew I would have to stick up for the bad guy, the corporate jerk, but in my mind it was always adults against adults. People who could defend themselves, who could make their own decisions afterwords and move on. But kids don't have that option, and I refuse to perform my job if it meant that I would be putting kids in danger." He huffed.

Joanne uncrossed her legs and sat back in her chair, "That was quite a speech."

"You asked me why I got fired from my last job." He said.

"I suppose I did. So then, next Monday, seven AM sharp. Don't be late." The woman finally sat up, apparently done with the conversation as she reached out to pick up a Manila folder and open it to look over the documents inside.

Sam sat dumbstruck for a moment, "Excuse me?"

She glanced up, "I said Monday at seven, you don't want to be late for your first day."

Sam swallowed and stood up quickly, smoothing his hands down his jacket, "Right, of course. Thank you Ms. Fitzgerald…" He made his way to the door, and once more thought of Gabriel and his assistance.

#==#

The following Saturday, Sam gave in. He let his feet guide him down the path he used to take to his old job and stopped in front of Novak's Bar. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to happen, but he was apprehensive about stepping through the door. Regardless, at 11:11 pm, he took a deep breath and stepped inside.

Nothing seemed to have changed. The same three men were sitting in the same three seats at the bar, another game was playing on the TV. And Gabriel had his back turned to the room, mixing some drink, so Sam took his opportunity to approach the bar and settle down in his old spot. His heart was pounding. He felt ridiculous.

Gabriel finished making the drink and delivered it to a patron, and as he returned to the bar he paused when his eyes landed on Sam who offered him a nervous little smile. Gabriel raised a brow, then turned to the three men at the bar and leaned against it as he watched the game, pointedly ignoring Sam's presence.

The unexpected cold shoulder was a surprising blow to Sam's ego. He dropped his eyes to his hands on the bartop and felt his shoulders slump. He waited for a few minutes, seeing if that would change the other man's mind, but a glance up told him otherwise. He hadn't budged, and so Sam stood up to take his leave, but the sound of a glass being set down made him look over. Gabriel slid over a short glass of whiskey, "You look better."

Sam was very tempted to leave and not put up with whatever game the man was playing, however the familiar amber gaze had Sam relaxing and settling back down onto the stool. He took the glass, lifting it to his lips for a drink as he debated his words, "I feel better."

"Then what're you doin' here?" The response was quick and sharp like an almost physical jab to Sam's chest.

He scoffed a laugh to hide the insulted look in his face, "Well you know, I came here about two weeks ago and met someone I thought was pretty nice. I was hoping to find them again but it seems like I'm shit out of luck."

Gabriel hummed thoughtfully, "Sorry to hear that." There was a pause before he straightened up, "Anyway, if you need anything just let—"

"No," Sam stood up and grabbed for his wallet to pay for the unfinished drink. He threw down a ten, "I don't need anything."

"Sam…" Gabriel's voice was stern, but it lacked the ability to hold Sam this time, "Look, I haven't been a Dom in years ok? I don't have it in me anymore to take on a new project."

His brows flew up, "Project? Wow. You know what, Gabriel? Fuck you." He turned to leave.

"See, this is what I mean. You take it as an insult-"

"Because it is insulting." He snapped, then noticed three pairs of eyes on them, "Honestly, I came in here to thank you because that little pep talk you gave me last time helped me get a new job. I didn't come in here looking for a repeat of that night, but I was at least hoping you might have a similar personality." He took a breath and sighed, then turned and walked out without another word. Fuck Gabriel Novak, he was a bastard anyway.

#==#

The following Monday at 12:52, Sam's phone chimed from his cramped little desk as he took a bite of Cesar salad. It was a text from an unknown number, [I'm sorry about the other night Kiddo. I wasn't trying to piss you off and it was pointed out that what I said was really insulting to the wrong ears. The night we spent together you showed the potential to be an incredible Sub, and we both really enjoyed it. But I don't have it in me anymore to train a fresh Sub, I shouldn't have called you a project. That's not what it is. But it's something that takes a lot of time and effort that I can't give you.] Sam rolled his eyes and set the phone aside, not responding. It chimed again a few minutes later, [However I do think that you should keep exploring that side of yourself. You seemed to enjoy it and despite having a shitty Dom, that's what matters. Let me give you the address to a good BDSM bar, nothing too heavy but you can probably find a Dom who would give you the attention you deserve.] A moment later a third text came through with an address.

Sam ran the address through his phone and found it was to a small establishment called 'The Underworld.' Despite its odd name, the tavern seemed to have no visible problems, not even a late rent payment. He scoffed and closed out his browser, picked up his phone and returned the text, [Not interested.]

He didn't get a text back.

#==#

Despite its name, 'The Underworld' was a rather nice place. The music was subtle yet ever present, the atmosphere was relaxed with soft lighting and subdued hues, and the tables and bar were rich shades of brown. It was a tavern by all respects, with some people eating their meals at tables and others seeking company at the bar, and as Sam sipped at a drink he noticed some people with keys going into a back hallway that he could only assume had rooms. As he took note of the people around he, he saw that some of them wore collars around their necks, some of them stood taller than the rest or spoke in a strong voice.

It had taken over a month, but he finally caved in and decided to 'explore' that side of himself as Gabriel had suggested. The only thing he had found was boredom.

He checked his phone for the time, almost midnight, and suddenly the seat beside him was taken up by a new body. Sam looked up and saw short blonde hair and calculating blue eyes with a sarcastic yet somehow genuine smile. A hand was suddenly being held out insistently in Sam's space, "You're obviously new here."

Sam stared at the hand, not sure if he wanted to take it before it was being done for him, his hand being squeezed firmly as the man flashed him a mischievous grin, "I'm Nick." He went on to say.

Sam turned back to his drink as soon as he was able, "Sam." He said simply, not offering more than that. He didn't like this man, something about him felt wrong. "I was actually about to leave." He said honestly and went to stand, but Nick was suddenly in his space and forcing Sam to sit back down.

"But you haven't even had any fun yet…" he leaned against the counter, pinning Sam with his body.

"I think I'm fine." Sam said and stood up forcefully, edging Nick out of his space, "Excuse me."

Nick darted to make eye contact with Sam and there was something amused and challenged in his gaze, "You're not excused." He said, "Why don't you sit back down, I'll get you a drink, and you can tell me a bit about yourself Sa-" he was cut off when Sam shoved him hard and Nick landed back on his ass, falling back so that two chairs were knocked behind him.

The room went quiet and tense, most people staring at Sam and Nick. Sam glared down at him, "I said no." He said coldly and turned to leave. This bar had been a complete waste of his time, and a horrible idea…

#==#

"Well you seem to be in dour spirits." The rough British drawl carried over the monotonous drone of Gabriel's bar and drew his attention to the portly, well dressed man sitting at the counter. Gabriel smiled and felt himself already reaching out to pick up a bottle of Guinness, bringing it over.

Crowley McCloud was a businessman of sorts. More specifically, he was the businessman of businessmen, capable of selling something anywhere he went. He was also a well known Dom in the local community, which raised the question, "Where's Kevin?" Gabriel found himself asking as he poured himself a drink and leaned against the counter, pointedly ignoring the man's opening question, because he didn't want to think about that right now.

"Something about classes, I dunno." The man waved his hand absently, but Gabriel gave a knowing smirk.

"So then why are you here and no over at The Underworld? It's not like you to let some brat's schedule interrupt a night of fun." He took a pull of his draft, reveling in the scowl he received. It was obvious to Gabriel that young college-student Kevin Tran had the powerful and influential Crowley wrapped around his finger. "Not bored of him yet?"

The man chuckled, "He's a good boy and I'm too old to keep training new subs." He looked up at Gabriel, "It's a shame you didn't find someone to retire with."

Gabriel gave a dramatic wince, "You make me sound old, Crowley."

"Well as fun as it is to run around with new pets, having one who knows exactly what you like is nice as well." He watched Gabriel's face carefully, "Now then I repeat, and you know I hate repeating myself, what has your britches in a bunch?"

Gabriel shook his head, "It's nothing." But of course it wasn't nothing, and Crowley knew that. He was as good at reading others as Gabriel was, perhaps even better. He rolled his eyes, "Fine. A few weeks ago there was a kid who came in here. He was a natural Sub, and damn was he gorgeous."

Crowley's brows rose up, "Wait, are you telling me you actually let yourself have some fun?" He laughed and raised his bottle, "That's something to drink to."

"Don't get too excited," Gabriel scoffed, "He was a clingy little thing."

"Most new Subs are."

"Yeah well, most new Subs don't look at me like I hung the fucking moon. Then he came back about a week later and got all pissy that I didn't want to keep up the fun." He waved his hand and took a bitter drink, "So I sent him over to Underworld, maybe he'll find someone who can train him proper."

Crowley huffed, "I know someone who can train him." He waggled his brows, "He hasn't been in the game for a while but if anything he could use someone to polish his dick now and then to lighten his mood."

Gabriel glared at him, "I don't do that anymore."

"Ah yes, you're on the not-so-straight but still narrow." There was a pause, "Did you have fun at least?"

Gabriel chewed over his answer for a moment, "I felt powerful again. I forgot what it's like to have someone rely on you so wholly." He recalled Sam's breathless little pleas in the shape of his name, the sounds he made, the power restrained beneath those muscles. "Fun, yes, but it was a lot more than that."

"That's what happens when you take off your leash and run free after so long." He smirked, "Take a howl at the moon every once in a while, Gabriel."

Their conversation descended into idle chat after that. Gabriel tended the room, served drinks, and let Crowley tell him about his business. He almost didn't look up when the door squeaked open, but he did a double take when he saw Sam walking in. A mixture of emotions settled in his gut, but he chose annoyance and Crowley took notice, looking up at Sam curiously. "When did the zoo start letting their moose wander around the city?" he asked.

Gabriel ignored Crowley's comment and watched Sam avert his gaze and settle down in the back-most barstool. His apathy waned when he realized that Sam seemed nervous though, perhaps a little tense. Gabriel guessed that the man wasn't here for a social visit, and Crowley seemed to pick up on this as well.

"He seems upset."

There was a moment's pause before Gabriel relented and turned to pour a drink, but the squeak of the door opening again made him look up. Nick Harmon walked into his bar with a casual swagger. He walked right over to Sam and sat himself down, and Gabriel felt a pit of anger in his stomach. Had Sam come here just to show off?

Gabriel opted to ignore them, returning to Crowley. "The fuck is Nick doing here?" He asked bitterly.

"He seems to be badgering the kid," Crowley pointed out, nodding towards them, "The tall one obviously isn't interested."

The blonde paused and turned slightly. He could see Nick trying to crowd into Sam's space, and there was a brief second when Sam caught Gabriel's eyes and the look was pleading.

He grabbed the drink he had originally poured for Sam and walked over, setting it down with a definitive clack, gaining the attention of both men. Nick gave him a lazy smile, "Hello Gabriel. I'll have a gin and tonic."

"No," Gabriel said before Nick could look away, and he felt a strong possessive drive curling fire around his spine, "You can have tonight's special, 'Get the fuck out of my bar.'"

Nick's brows raised as he scoffed, "Excuse me?" He asked incredulously, "I'm here with a friend, and I'm a paying customer."

"No, you're slobbering on my Boy, who is obviously not interested in you. So you can kindly get the hell out."

"Your Boy huh? Since when did you get back in the game?" Nick asked and seemed to have no intent to leave.

"Since whenever the fuck he felt like it." Crowley sat down and dropped a heavy hand on Nick's shoulder.

Nick looked between Crowley and Gabriel and decided that he didn't want to bother with two growling Doms in unfamiliar territory. He raised his hands up defensively as he stood and glanced to Sam, "When you get bored of old men, come find me." He winked and turned to leave at last.

"So," Sam said, drawing their attention away from the closing door, "Next time you suggest some place, I'm not listening." He looked irritable, and picked up the glass in front of him to sip from.

Gabriel raised a brow, "Nick doesn't usually go to Underworld, last I knew."

Crowley scoffed, "You're out of the loop Gabe. Thats been his new hunting grounds for over a year now."

This caused a wave of something akin to nausea at the knowledge that he had unwittingly subjected Sam to that. Nick was an infamous Dom in the BDSM community, he didn't believe in consent and had a hand in the local police department that kept him safe from legal troubles. Sam had made the right move to come to Gabriel though, "Shoulda just punched him." He said despite that, trying to keep Sam's interest at a safe distance.

"I shoved him back at the other bar, knocked him on his ass and he still tailed me. I didn't want to lead him back to my apartment." He glanced over to Crowley curiously.

"Uh, Sam this is Crowley. Crowley, Sam." Gabriel introduced, "And if Nick bugs you again, you know where to find me. He's the kind of person that gives BDSM a bad name."

Sam just scoffed, finishing his drink and fishing out a bill to pay for it, "Yeah well, I'll leave you alone."

"You don't have to," Gabriel spoke up and earned a confused look from Sam and a knowing smirk from Crowley - he had to repress the urge to roll his eyes, "Give it a few minutes, make sure Nick's gone." He saved himself quickly, "You don't have to leave just yet."

"Yes, stay a while." Crowley interjected, "You're a rather handsome fellow aren't you?"

Sam raised a brow and looked to Crowley, "And you're not my type."

This caused Crowley to bark a laugh, "I the sass on this one! I like him."

Gabriel liked him too, he realized as he caught those hazel eyes and held them firmly. Sam didn't look away, caught like a deer in the headlights and it sent a thrill of power through him. "Stay, Sam." He said, and wasn't even sure why, but he got a tiny nod from the other. He broke their eye contact and noticed Crowley watching them with a grin. "I'll be back." He said, needing a reason to get away from them as he went to go check on the other patrons.

Over the next hour, Gabriel kept an eye on Sam. Crowley finished up his drink and took his leave, and it was just Gabriel, Sam, and a few straggling patrons left. The fire in his gut didn't wane at all, and he realized more and more that he wanted Sam again, trained or not.

An hour before lockup, he gave in to his urges. He beckoned Sam in close and leaned in towards his ear, "Take this key," and he slid his apartment key across the counter, "Go up to my apartment. I get off in an hour, and when I get up there, I want you waiting for me, naked, on my bed. Do whatever you want, but you better not come." He turned and bit Sam's ear and drew out a helpless little sound from the man. "Will you do that?"

Sam nodded, shaky but eager, and slowly pulled himself up and took the key.

It was going to be a long hour.