Pairing: Gabriel/Sam
Table: #1-Elemental
Prompt #28: Speak
Word Count: 718
Spoilers: Need to know who Gabriel is obviously, mention of Andy.
Warnings: Psychiatrist!Gabriel AU. A tad angsty, mentions of child abuse and alcoholism.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Five times that Gabriel met Sam in a professional setting and the first that started everything after.
Notes: I just happen to like this AU line, may be more eventually.

Gabriel's first meeting with Sam left him with three impressions. One, the young man was extremely insecure. Two, he was highly distrustful. Three, his loved his brother more then his own life. Quite frankly he worried the psychiatrist. Sam had little interest in himself and had said, as polite as possible, that the only reason he was there was because his brother had begged him into it. Gabriel was not surprised to hear it, most of his patients don't ever want to be there.

Actually, Sam reminded him of his favorite patient; Andy. The conspiracy theorist had the same soft tone and bright spark of intelligence as this college drop out. Gabriel made a mental note to have them meet.

The second appointment told Gabriel even more heartbreaking things. Sam had a dearly loved girlfriend at one point and they were together for over a year before she died in a house fire. He suspected Sam had a strong case of survivor's guilt and according to the brother, Dean, Sam took months to recover. If he ever truly did. It was because of the loss that Sam dropped out of college and started living with his brother, who was a full time mechanic at their uncle's salvage yard.

Sam spoke fondly of their uncle Bobby and clearly loved the man like a father.

Gabriel didn't get to hear about their real father until the third meeting.

John Winchester had become an alcoholic after the death of their mother, who died giving birth to Sam. Sam only knew what Dean could tell him about her. All Sam remembered was a father who seemed to resent his existence and his brother, who did whatever it took to protect him. The abuse differed for each boy. Dean took the physical assaults to save Sam but there was nothing he could do about the things John said to Sam as he grew up.

Gabriel felt he had a pretty good idea what those things included and so he didn't bother to ask. Sam would tell him if he felt the need.

Sam's fourth visit was about how the story of their father ended. Eventually the boys weren't children anymore and Dean, at age sixteen, took Sam and fled. They ended up at their mother's brother's home where Bobby Singer got the full story and reported John. John was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and declared an unfit father. At Dean's insistence and Bobby's agreement the brothers were given into their uncle's custody. Sam spoke lovingly of the man now but Gabriel could see that most of the damage had already been done by that time. It was of little wonder why Sam was the distrustful introvert Dean had come to him about.

The fifth appointment was a clear breakthrough in regards to Gabriel's personal intentions. Sam brought him a candy bar. To say Gabriel had been surprised would be a vast understatement because the meaning was subtle but clear. Sam said he'd noticed that Gabriel had a sweet tooth, a belief probably reinforced by the blown glass candy dish filled with a mix of Skittles and M&Ms. Gabriel suspects he had smiled stupidly throughout the rest of the meeting but he didn't really care because Sam never stopped smiling shyly either.

Gabriel saw Sam for the first time outside of his office while at the supermarket. He was flitting back and forth across the candy aisle when someone dangled a bag of Twizzlers in his face and Gabriel looked up to a gently grinning Sam. The younger man looked thankfully at ease while they talked and Gabriel couldn't help but be proud that he had something to do with the change.

The invitation popped out before he could stop it and Gabriel slapped a hand over his mouth, feeling nine kinds of stupid and terrified.

Sam's expression was much the same, a little shocked, more then a bit terrified and then he smiled. Bigger then Gabriel had ever seen from him and Sam's teeth were a bright white.

"You know what, Gabriel? I'd love to go out with you."

And really, what could he possibly say in return to that? So Gabriel just grinned right back and grabbed Sam's hand to continue on down the aisles.