Much to everyone's surprise, it's Chuck who eventually brings up the incomplete Blood Rites.
A little over two weeks after they bring Gabriel home, they're all sitting in the large room that the pack calls the theater. It's more of an overstuffed living room, complete with mismatched chairs and loveseats scattered around in front of a huge flatscreen mounted on the wall.
Someone—most likely Ash, though he'll deny it fervently when asked—put up a fake wolf's head on a wooden mount next to the TV. Someone else—Charlie for sure, though she's an excellent liar and won't admit to anything—has slapped a Darth Vader helmet onto the wolf's head.
The film they've settled on tonight is some dumb romantic comedy that Sam finds repetitive and boring. Everyone is there, with the exceptions of Bobby and Ellen, who claimed they needed some alone time and went out. Ash slipped a sock into Bobby's pocket before they left. "To hang on the door of wherever you end up," he said, which earned him a slap upside the head and a thumbs-up from Jo.
Even Raphael is there, flipping quietly through a book and pretending that he's not paying attention, but Sam notices that his eyes aren't moving over the pages even as he flips them. It's into this relaxed and generally content atmosphere that Chuck quietly says to Gabriel, "So, have you been thinking about the Blood Rites at all?"
Gabriel immediately chokes on his hot chocolate and starts coughing as every eye in the room turns to them. Sam flushes and shares a surprised look with Gabriel, whose eyes are watering from having to swallow so quickly.
"Um," he says eloquently.
"Not really?" Sam finishes, voice much higher than usual. He clears his throat and blushes even darker when he notices that most of the pack is smirking at him. Dean is outright grinning, the traitor.
"Oh," Chuck says. He settles back into his seat and turns his attention back to the movie. "Well, no pressure then. I just thought that, you know, you'd at least consider it after everything that's happened."
Gabriel pointedly focuses his attention on the movie, sinking lower into the couch. Sam hears Dean snicker, followed almost immediately by a slap and a muffled yelp.
"Don't be mean," Cas admonishes quietly, though he has the familiar dry look on his face that means he's hiding a smile.
"Chuck's right, though," Raphael says, glancing up from his book and smirking the tiniest bit. "You're young, but it would be best for you to do the Rites as soon as possible."
They're ganging up on us, Gabriel says to Sam. We've been betrayed.
"A Bonding would be so much fun!" Mary squeals, clasping her hands in front of her chest.
"The protection it would offer both of you, and the pack, would be appreciated," John adds.
"No one can get married until I find a dress!" Jo snarls, slamming her hand down on the coffee table.
"Ooh, let's go shopping!" Charlie says, and she and Jo quickly fall into a discussion about the benefits of sequins as opposed to lace on a gown.
"I would, of course, be best man," Dean says self-importantly.
"If we're doing this thing, I want to be in charge of the menu," Ellen says. "Ash, you'll be my sous chef?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Ash replies.
"Betrayal," Gabriel hisses quietly. Sam sighs and slides down until he's practically on the floor.
"Your father is playing us," he says.
"Like drums," Gabriel agrees.
"Oh, please," Chuck says. "If anything, it'd be like kazoos. You're not classy enough to be drums."
"Get wrecked," Ash says, cackling.
"Is it too late to be put up for adoption again?" Gabriel wonders.
…
Three days go by with no mention of the Blood Rites from anyone, but the seed has been sown and it isn't long before Sam and Gabriel give in and start seriously thinking about it. Since that first time Gabriel bit Sam, their Bond has gotten stronger but only on Gabriel's end. He now finds it easier to hear Sam's thoughts and break down any barriers Sam puts up, but the same can't be said about Sam when it comes to his mate.
"You know, the pack does have a lot of good points about the Rites," Gabriel says one night. They're in his house for the first time in a while, listening to Chuck muttering to himself as he prepares an overnight bag for his hunt the next day.
"They do," Sam says. "But like Raph said, we're still young."
Gabriel shifts to look at him, kicking a pillow off the bed in the process. "What exactly is making you hesitate on this?" he asks.
"I don't know," Sam says. "I guess it just feels weird to be talking about the Blood Rites when we haven't even finished high school yet."
"We dropped out of high school," Gabriel points out. "But I know what you mean. If you want to wait until we're older, then we can wait."
"What do you want to do?" Sam asks. "Wait a few years or do the Rites now?"
"Honestly, I don't care. The Blood Rites aren't going to majorly change anything, right?"
"Our lives will be connected, remember?" Sam says. "If one of us dies, the other will, as well."
"Forgot about that," Gabriel says, frowning. Then he shrugs. "Aside from that, the only change will be the strength of our Bond?"
"Right. It'll get stronger and everyone will be able to tell that we're mates just by our scents."
"Ooh, that could come in handy," Gabriel says. Sam tilts his head inquisitively, surprised when Gabriel blushes a little. "I may or may not be the jealous type," he says, and Sam lets out a huff of laughter.
"Why does that not surprise me," he says. Gabriel sticks his tongue out playfully, then squeals when Sam digs a finger into his side.
"There better not be any shenanigans going on in there," Chuck calls, his voice muffled.
"Define shenanigans," Gabriel calls back.
"At least wait until I'm asleep or something," Chuck complains, and Sam laughs.
"Gabriel, stop," he chides gently. They don't bring up the Blood Rites again that night.
…
"It's been so long since I've witnessed the Rites," Mary sighs wistfully. It's just her and Sam in the kitchen, both of them sweaty from their run. Gabriel moved out of the pack mansion a little over a week ago, after Raphael declared him officially healed, otherwise Sam knows he'd be sitting at the counter, ogling as Sam uses his shirt to wipe his face. "I bet you'd look dashing in white."
"Mom, this is coercion," Sam says, but he can't help but think of what it would be like. Mary's right, he would look good in white, and they can put Gabriel in red. Or maybe hunter green? Definitely some deep colour that'll bring out his eyes. But wait, why is he even considering this? He frowns and shakes himself out of his thoughts, ignoring the knowing smile on his mother's face.
…
Charlie's beating his ass at Mario Kart in the game room when she casually brings up the ceremony.
"I bought a dress a few days ago that I really want to wear, but it's too fancy for anything less than a wedding or something," she says too nonchalantly, twisting her controller and shooting past Sam almost absentmindedly.
Sam doesn't say anything, but he's surprised to find that instead of being irritated, he's actually starting to give in to the idea.
…
"It's not that I don't want to do the Blood Rites with him," Sam says worriedly, pacing back and forth across the floor. "Because I do, I really do. But don't you think we're a bit too young for this? What if we're rushing into this too early, and the marriage falls apart because we're too inexperienced and unused to each other?"
He pauses and runs a hand through his hair in agitation, turning to face his confidants with wide eyes.
"What do you guys think?" he asks.
"Sam, you and Gabriel are literally soul mates," Rufus deadpans. "The marriage won't fall apart, but honestly, I don't really care."
"Well, I think this is just pre-marriage jitters," Garth says sagely. "Every bride goes through them."
"I have a penis," Sam says.
"You can still be a bride even if you have a penis."
"Language, pups," Rufus says.
"I think you should talk this over with Gabriel," Garth continues, ignoring Rufus completely. "This is going to concern him, too. Besides, he's your mate; he'll want to hear all your concerns."
Sam sighs and forcibly releases the tension from his shoulders. "You're right," he says. "Thanks, Garth. When did you get so wise?"
"What can I say?" Garth shrugs and spreads his hands, smirking. "I'm just that good."
"How touching," Rufus says with absolutely no inflection in his voice. "Now get the hell out of my room."
…
"We need to talk," they say in unison, both of them just slightly out of breath from running all over the house trying to find each other.
"You guys can literally send thoughts directly to each other," Dean says, passing by with Cas in tow. "The past ten minutes of running have been completely unnecessary."
"I think it's romantic," Cas says, smiling softly at Dean. Dean immediately turns his back on Gabriel and Sam to face Castiel fully, a besotted smile making its way onto his face. Sam and Gabriel exchange unimpressed looks.
"Let's go—literally anywhere else," Gabriel says, taking Sam's hand and tugging him out of the room. "There's too much sap floating around."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean demands, but neither of them answer. Gabriel tugs them to Sam's room, and Sam feels a tiny spark of satisfied smugness at the fact that his mate is comfortable enough in his space to go right in without hesitating.
Gabriel lets go of Sam's hand once the door is closed and moves to the other side of the bed, a subconscious defensive gesture that makes Sam frown.
What's up? he asks, hoping that the intimacy of telepathy might help to reassure his mate.
Gabriel fiddles with a loose thread on Sam's coverlet, taking a careful breath in and refusing to meet Sam's eyes.
So I've been thinking about the Blood Rites, he says with forced nonchalance, perching on the edge of Sam's bed. Your family can be very persuasive when they want to be, you know.
I know, Sam says wryly. They've been bothering me about the Blood Rites ever since Chuck brought them up.
Bothering you? Gabriel frowns and abruptly meets Sam's gaze, his eyes serious in a way they rarely ever are. So you want to wait to do the Blood Rites?
Sam considers his answer carefully. Gabriel watches him with an unwavering gaze, his face carefully neutral and his thoughts blank.
"Like you said before," Sam says slowly, "I can wait if you want to."
"But do you want to wait?" Gabriel presses.
"Do you?" Sam asks, and Gabriel sighs in frustration.
"We're going in circles," he says. "It's obvious that neither of us wants to pressure the other into anything, but Sam, I really want to get werewolf married."
Sam blinks. "Oh," he says intelligently. "Me, too, actually."
Gabriel lets out a suspiciously relieved huff and tugs on Sam's hand until he sits.
"We were both straight A students in school," Gabriel says. "Why are we so dumb?"
"Because calculus is easy, unlike emotions," Sam replies, and Gabriel snorts.
…
"So Gabriel and I have been talking," Sam says at breakfast one morning. Mostly everyone is there, with the exceptions of Gabriel, Castiel, and Chuck. Even Raphael is there, though since he's unofficially moved in it's not a surprise to see him lurking around the house. He also makes surprisingly good omelettes, and Sam's mouth waters when the doctor slides one onto his plate.
"Thinking about what?" John asks. Sam carefully takes a bite of his food, briefly looking up to meet his mother's eyes.
"I would definitely look dashing in white," he says, and everyone jumps when Mary lets out a loud, happy squeal.
…
Bobby chokes on his beer and turns to Gabriel with an incredulous look on his face. Gabriel frowns defensively.
"What?" he says. "It was a legitimate question."
"It was a stupid question," Bobby retorts.
"What he means to say," Ellen interrupts, slapping a hand over her mate's mouth, "is that you're sixteen, Gabriel. You don't need to have a bachelor party. In fact, it would probably be illegal to let you do anything typically related to bachelor parties."
Gabriel pouts, and Sam doesn't even try to hide his smile.
…
"How important is lipstick to you, Dean?" Castiel asks, and Dean turns to look at him with an incredulous look on his face. Sam, who's walking ahead in between Charlie and Jo, pauses to watch the exchange.
"What," Dean says blankly.
"Monkeys," Cas elaborates. "They're very intelligent animals, and I don't think they deserve to have cosmetics tested on them."
A pretty red-headed woman with a name tag clipped onto her shirt chooses then to come over, probably hoping to sucker two clueless men into buying a bunch of things they don't need.
"Can I help you two find anything?" she asks sweetly, batting her eyelashes at Dean.
Castiel scowls and Sam exchanges an amused look with Charlie. She reaches out and tugs silently on Jo's sleeve, drawing her attention away from a shelf of nail polish and to the scene taking place.
"Oh, I'm not looking for anything," Dean says, flashing a charming grin at the woman. Sam nearly snorts when she practically swoons, both at her and at the murderous look on Castiel's face.
"Are you sure?" she purrs, sidling up to him and tilting her head up. "Maybe I could… persuade you. We have a lot of fun stuff in the back."
Dean's eyes widen and he smiles awkwardly, looking distinctly uncomfortable like he always does when his flirting gets away from him, and Sam's about to step in but Cas gets there first.
"Excuse me, could you tell me where I can find products that weren't tested on animals?" Castiel asks, loudly and snappily, and the woman turns to him with a slight frown on her face. She blanches under the force of Castiel's glare, and Sam thinks in amusement that Castiel would make a pretty good werewolf; he's already got the broody glare down pat.
"Ah, I don't think…" she says hesitantly.
"You don't have any?" Castiel guesses, and narrows his eyes when she shakes her head. "Then if you could kindly stop flirting with my friend, who's a minor, by the way, I think we're going to take our business elsewhere. There's one monkey too many running around in here for my tastes."
Ignoring the woman's outraged gasp and Dean's confused protests, Castiel grabs Dean by the wrist and quickly drags him out of the store. Jo and Charlie link arms and follow, sticking their noses into the air snootily when they pass by the woman. Sam takes immense pleasure in letting his wolf out a bit as he brings up the rear, grinning at her with glowing eyes and elongated teeth.
She squeaks in surprise and fear, and he laughs openly as he walks out of the shop.
Sammy, you tease, Gabriel says in his mind. Sam grins as he walks quickly to catch up with the others.
What can I say, I don't like it when people mess with what's mine.
Dean's yours? Gabriel asks teasingly.
The whole pack is mine, Sam replies. Just like the rest of the pack and I are Dean's, and Mom and Dad's.
Is this an Alpha thing?
'Fraid so, Gabe. He drops his voice down to a low purr. Know who else is mine?
He can practically feel the tiny shiver that elicits in his mate. Who?
Dropping the soft voice and using his preferred deadpan, Sam says, Raphael. He's a part of the pack now, wouldn't you agree?
Gabriel is silent for a few moments, during which Sam's smile only gets wider and wider.
You're mean, he says, a pout audible in his voice, and Sam bursts out laughing, ignoring the strange looks thrown his way.
…
Sam Winchester to jerk:
I CAN'T THINK OF A GIFT
jerk to Sam Winchester:
its 3 in the mrning sammy this better b important
Sam Winchester to jerk:
I CAN'T FIND A GIFT FOR GABRIEL AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE BLOOD RITES IS THE GIFT
jerk to Sam Winchester:
y do u use perfect spelling and grammar even when ur having a freakout at 3 in the fucjkig morning
Sam Winchester to jerk:
DEAN
DEAN THIS IS IMPORTANT I NEED ACTUAL HELP
jerk to Sam Winchester
idk man get him a marilyn monroe poster or smth
hes a theater nerd they like that kind of stuff right?
Sam Winchester to jerk
That was probably the worst gift idea I've ever heard
We're literally getting werewolf married and are going to be bonded by our souls for the rest of our lives
And you suggested
A Marilyn Monroe poster
Though that does give me an idea
Dean?
Did you go back to sleep?
Alright, good talk
…
"...really long, but I'm pretty sure I can memorize it," Sam hears Gabriel say, and he pauses and backtracks to the door standing slightly ajar from which his voice had come. He peers inside and finds Castiel and Gabriel flopped out on the floor of, of all places, a storage room. He has to crane his neck in order to see them behind stacks of cardboard boxes, and they seem to have been there for a while judging from how relaxed they both look. Gabriel's got a small fish-shaped pillow in his hands and is fiddling with the tail absentmindedly, the repetitive motions oddly calming as Sam watches.
"What are you doing?" he asks. Gabriel's head rolls towards him and he smiles dopily, reminding Sam a lot of how he looked when he was in the hospital and got regular doses of morphine.
"Sammy!" he says. "The vows for the Blood Rites are really long."
"They're really not, but okay," Sam says cautiously. "Are you… gonna need a cheat sheet?"
"Please," Gabriel scoffs. "I've memorized entire scripts in shorter amounts of time. You weren't here in freshman year, but we had to do a speech in history and I wrote, memorized, and gave my speech in the same thirteen hour span."
"It's true," Cas pipes up, not opening his eyes or moving at all except to tap his fingers against the ground. "I was in that class. He got an A. The teacher started to tear up and there was a standing ovation."
"Anyway, it won't take me long to learn the vows," Gabriel concludes.
"Gabe, the ceremony's in a week," Sam says.
"Yup," Gabriel agrees cheerfully. Sam nods once.
"Okay," he says simply. "Why are you guys in a supply closet?"
"I was looking for Dean and his heterosexuality and Ash suggested I look in the closet," Gabriel says. "I haven't found him yet, but I know he's pretty far back in there so I still have hope."
There's a muffled "Fuck you, Gabe!" in the background and Sam sighs.
"This is the person I'm marrying," he says. Castiel opens his eyes and gives him a pitying look.
"Glad it's not me," he says, and Gabriel slaps him with the fish.
…
"How scandalized do you think everyone would be if I showed up to the ceremony wearing a miniskirt and pumps?"
"Gabriel, no."
…
"Okay, the pumps weren't the best idea, but what about a speedo and a bow tie? Like, just a speedo and a bow tie?"
"Gabriel, no."
…
I think I'm going to throw up, Gabriel says, and Sam stops fiddling with his tie in order to flash his reflection a bemused smile.
Why? he asks. It's just marriage that will tie souls together irreversibly. No big deal, right?
Ha, ha, Gabriel says dryly. He goes quiet and Sam goes back to adjusting his clothing, knowing that his mate will talk when he's ready. For a few moments, neither of them say anything. Sam, finally satisfied with his appearance, goes to his desk and flops heavily into the chair, then remembers what he's wearing and begrudgingly sits up. His mother would kill him if he showed up to his own wedding with creases in his pants.
Okay, I'm definitely 'm gonna throw up, Gabriel says again. I've never been this nervous in my life.
What are you nervous about? Sam asks.
I don't know, everything? What if I fuck up the vows or trip into a candle and it falls and sets the whole house on fire? Gabriel sounds horrified, but Sam can barely contain his laughter.
Gabriel, calm down, he says. You're so dramatic. You'll be fine, trust me; nothing will go wrong.
You can't know that, Gabriel protests. Sam can practically hear the pout in his voice.
Yes, I can. I know everything.
You don't know what I'm wearing, Gabriel says slyly, and Sam smirks.
No, but I will soon, won't I?
Yes, if I don't crash into someone holding a drink and completely ruin my look.
Sam actually does laugh this time.
Hmph, Gabriel says. So rude. I'm baring my soul here, Sam.
Your soul is an overdramatic, anxiety-ridden, teenage angst-filled thespian. Forgive me if I'm unmoved.
Gabriel is quiet for a moment. Then, Teenage angst?
Yeah, remember when I thought werewolves couldn't be gay and I said no when you asked me out and you were so upset that you actually almost died? That was quite a bit of angst.
Gabriel laughs, the sound just relieved enough to be noticeable. Sam grins dopily at nothing, alone in his room and not caring that he probably looks like a fool.
I'm in love with such an idiot, Gabriel says fondly.
I love you, too, but I resent that idiot comment, Sam replies. I happen to have it on good authority that I'm pretty smart.
Oh, yeah? Gabriel teases. His sultry tone is a far cry from the nervous one he was using earlier, and Sam feels his mouth go dry as his mind fills with images of hooded golden eyes and a mischievous mouth. Prove it, loverboy. Blow my mind.
Sam swallows hard and shifts in his chair, suddenly feeling too restricted in his clothing. Gabriel chuckles at him.
Thanks for calming me down, Sammy, he says.
Anytime, Gabe, Sam replies a little breathlessly. He jolts out of his thoughts when someone knocks at his door. It opens before he says anything and he starts to bristle in irritation, but he relaxes when Dean pokes his head in. He gives Sam a quick once over, eyes narrowed in consideration.
"Acceptable," he says after a moment. "Could be better, though."
Sam rolls his eyes. "Is there something you needed, Dean, or did you just come here to criticize what I'm wearing?"
"Ooh, pissy." Dean grins and opens the door wider. "Nah, I was sent up here to get you. It's go time. You ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Sam replies, exhaling harshly. He pulls himself out of his chair and straightens his shoulders.
"That's the spirit," Dean says, grinning widely. His eyes are glowing green with his excitement and the overall effect is very devious. "Let's go get you hitched."
…
Dean disappears as soon as they reach the ground floor, darting off towards the kitchen and leaving behind a very bemused Sam. With no other clue as to where to go, Sam follows at a slower pace, keeping his ears pricked for any noise. The whole house is dark and silent, and the effect is enough to make him just a little wary.
He moves through the living room and then the kitchen, where he finds the back door slightly ajar. The blinds on all the windows have been drawn so he can't see what's waiting for him outside, but he can smell faint traces of his packmates from the yard and assumes that they're waiting for him outside.
He takes a deep breath and runs a hand through his hair nervously, then straightens up and walks purposefully towards the door. It's late, late enough that the sky is completely black except for the occasional star and the light of the full moon. Sam stares up at as he walks down the porch stairs; he hadn't even known it was going to be a full moon tonight, but he knows Gabriel will appreciate the irony.
He steps onto a path, hemmed in by two rows of soft white candles. They lead him in a straight line to a circle of candles in the middle of the yard that's only a few feet in diameter. The circle is surrounded by his packmates, all of them hidden in strangely flickering shadows. The only one clearly visible is John, standing barefoot in the center of the circle.
Sam walks slowly, keeping his eyes on his father. John looks serious, his eyes glowing amber in the low light, but there's a softness to his mouth and his eyes that betrays his happiness. He doesn't move as Sam approaches, and he doesn't speak; neither do any of the others. They remain silent, witnesses to the ceremony but not participants. As he reaches the edge of the circle, Dean catches his eye, standing in between Ash and Castiel. He offers Sam a smirk and then looks meaningfully to something in front of Sam.
He frowns a little and looks forward again, his gaze quickly caught by movement behind John. He steps to the side a little to see better and feels his eyes widen. There's another path of candles directly across from Sam's, leading to the circle from the woods that almost completely surround the house. Gabriel is walking up the path towards the circle; the two lock eyes and Sam feels his breath catch.
Gabriel looks absolutely ethereal. He's dressed in dark jeans and a wine red button down, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The collar is low enough that his markings are visible, dark against his skin and crawling up the side of his neck like a vine to stop just below his jaw. Like John, he's barefoot, and there are twigs and leaves caught in his hair. The moonlight and the candlelight and his glowing gold eyes all combine to make him look like some fantastical creature, and Sam suppresses a shudder. He pauses to toe off his shoes and socks before joining Gabriel and John in the center of the circle.
Gabriel smiles up at him when they're finally standing together, facing each other with John to their side, and Sam smiles back. He can practically see the excitement shining in his gold eyes. He reaches up and carefully plucks a leaf from Gabriel's hair.
Hi, he says, his voice a little breathless even in their minds.
Hi, yourself, Gabriel replies. You look handsome. White's a good colour on you.
And green's a good colour on you, Sam replies, holding up the leaf, and Gabriel snickers.
That's not my fault. They ganged up on me and took me out into the woods to work off some energy or something. I was in my wolf form for hours, he bemoans dramatically. I couldn't even shower afterwards; I phased, like, a few minutes ago.
You smell like the forest. Gabriel raises an eyebrow, and Sam is quick to say, It's not a bad smell, promise. I actually like it.
Sap, Gabriel accuses.
John clears his throat pointedly and Sam realizes that he and Gabriel have just been staring at each other for a while, just long enough to be awkward.
"Are you two ready?" John asks quietly, so only they can hear. Sam and Gabriel exchange tiny, exhilarated smiles.
"Let's do this thing," Gabriel whispers fiercely.
"What he said," Sam says, and his father's lips twitch in amusement.
"Sam, Gabriel," John says, raising his voice so the whole pack can hear. "You are here today to complete the mate bond. Although the Great Luna has destined you for one another, and though you are fated to love one another, have you chosen of your own free will to be here, to offer balance to the savage wolf inside one another, and to love and support one another through whatever hardships and triumphs come your way?"
"We do," Sam and Gabriel say in unison.
"Then it is time for the vows."
Sam releases a breath and digs his toes into the damp grass. The air is filled with the chirping of crickets and the scent of hot wax, and he's surrounded by people but all he can focus on is the way Gabriel's eyes harden in determination. This is the part that Sam's been dreading ever since they made the decision to go through with the Rites, but it's also the most important part of the ceremony. He can tell, based on the steely resignation and eagerness in Gabe's thoughts, that his mate feels the same way.
Mary melts out of the small crowd and stops at the edge of the circle, holding a long, thin box in her hands. As John lifts the hinged lid and removes an intricately designed dagger, she offers Sam and Gabriel a smile and a quick wink. It actually goes a long way towards easing Sam's nerves, brought into existence by the sight of the long knife in his father's hands.
The dagger's hilt is made of some type of dark metal, elegant yet simple in design. The blade itself, on the other hand, is carved with dozens of tiny runes and symbols that look like they would've taken days to do by hand. John lets the dagger rest lightly on his palms and offers it to Gabriel.
You okay? Sam asks, noting the slightly queasy expression on Gabriel's face.
Peachy, Gabriel replies sarcastically. Then, in a more sincere tone, he says, I'm fine, Sammy. I just don't really like pain.
Who does? Sam asks wryly, and Gabriel shoots him a little smirk, looking up through his eyelashes. Sam feels his cheeks start to heat up.
You'd be surprised, Gabriel says, right before he presses the blade to his right hand and slices a long gash across the palm. He hisses and reflexively clenches his hand into a half-formed fist, then opens it and quickly holds the knife out. Sam takes a deep breath as his hands close over the hilt, and he cuts open his own palm before he can think about it. The knife gleams darkly in the low light and the scent of blood starts to saturate the air. Sam can feel a collective sense of excitement rising from his pack at the sight and the smell; that same excitement invades his own senses, making his heart beat faster in anticipation and dulling the stinging pain in his palm.
At John's nod, Gabriel and Sam clasp their right hands, pressing the wounds together and hissing at the almost-burn. Underneath the pain, Sam feels something undeniably right about it all. His wolf, which had been interested in the proceedings but didn't make an appearance, chooses now to make itself known through glowing eyes and elongated fangs. Something inside of him clicks into place and Sam feels complete, realizing in the same breath that he was incomplete before.
"I, Gabriel of the Winchester pack, hereby swear to love and protect you for the rest of our lives and whatever comes beyond," Gabriel says. His voice is serious in a way it so rarely is, but his eyes are literally glowing with warmth and love. "I will make you whole as you will make me whole; I will give myself to you as you will give yourself to me; I will bind my life to yours, my fate to yours, and my soul to yours, and take you as my true mate and as my Alpha."
Sam can't breathe as he listens, too overwhelmed to do much except hold Gabriel's gaze and let the words pour over him. He repeats the same vow, letting soft smile steal over his face, and watches in fascination as Gabriel tears up, biting his lip so hard it's gone practically white in an attempt not to cry.
"Sam," John says, drawing their attention away from each other. "What gift do you offer your mate to show him that you're both willing and able to take care of all of his needs?"
Sam releases Gabriel's hand and pulls away, wincing as the tender skin catches and sends a shock of pain up his arm. It's already started to heal and in the corner of his eyes he can see Gabriel gazing at his palm in wonderment, not yet used to his accelerated healing rate.
"I don't actually have it on me," Sam says. "It's kind of big." Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Dean coming silently out of the house, Gabriel's gift held carefully in both arms, and he's glad his brother remembered to get it. He's not allowed inside of the candles, so he passes it to Sam over the tiny flames with a small smirk before retreating to his place next to Cas.
Gabriel's eyes are wide when Sam turns around, a black acoustic guitar held lightly in his hands. Sam knows nothing about guitars but even he'd been able to tell, back when he first saw it on display in a small music shop, that it's excellently made. The wood is smooth and cool under his hands, except for the small area right below the sound hole where he'd paid extra for an engraving. Carved carefully into the wood and then gone over in bright white paint are the words 'Like the moon in the night sky, you light up my life'. The thing had cost almost all of his savings, but he knows he'd have spent it all if it meant he got to see the awed look on Gabriel's face.
"You mentioned once that you liked to play guitar," Sam says sheepishly. "And I've never seen you play, so I figured you didn't have one." Gabriel's hands are almost reverent as he takes the guitar from Sam and runs a fingertip over the surface lightly. He gives a watery little laugh when he finds the engraving and then looks up at Sam with eyes that shine in the light.
"This is perfect," he says, an undercurrent of something in his tone that leaves Sam just a little breathless. "Thank you."
The people outside of the circle all give a collective sigh at the no doubt touching scene. Sam can't help but smile a little; he feels a little bit like a particularly adorable puppy on display at the pound, and the irony is most certainly not lost on him. They allow Gabriel a moment to collect himself, and then John says, "Gabriel, what gift do you offer your mate to show him that you're both willing and able to take care of all of his needs?"
Gabriel bites his lip, looking nervous all of a sudden.
Did you forget that you have to provide a gift, too? Sam asks wryly.
No, I remembered, Gabriel assures him. I'm just… not sure whether what I have in mind is okay. I would've asked, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise.
As long as you offer something and I accept it, it'll be fine, Sam says, and Gabriel breathes out a subtle sigh of relief. Sam is amused. You dork, he says.
You know it, Gabriel replies cheekily.
"My gift is a song," he says out loud, and Sam finally gets why he was nervous. And then the full implications of what Gabriel said hit him and his eyes widen. Gabriel wrote him a song?
His mate takes a moment to tune the guitar, and when he's done he strikes a chord and smiles at Sam. He pauses for dramatic effect, and Sam tries to suppress a smile.
Gabriel flicks his fingers against the strings of the guitar and music pours out, soft and touching and just a little sad. It's a simple melody and as he listens to it, Sam's filled with the nostalgia that Gabriel feels as he remembers the time the song describes. And then he smiles and starts singing, locking eyes with Sam. It's just the two of them and the crickets and the moon, held together by Gabriel's husky voice as he serenades his mate with smiling lips and shining eyes.
You met me in the dark and lifted me up
You made me feel as though I was enough
We stayed up way too late and talked the night away
With you I knew that everything would be okay
Then you smiled over your shoulder
For a minute I forgot I was sober
I felt like I could touch the clouds
You asked if you could stay over
I said I already told you
You're always welcome here, my love.
I knew I loved you then but you'd never know
'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go
I knew I needed you, but I never showed
I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old
Just say you won't let go
Just say you won't let go
I'll wake you up with some breakfast in bed
I'll bring you coffee with a kiss on your head
We'll stay in bed all day and watch time fly by
And I'll thank my lucky stars for that night
When you looked over your shoulder
For a minute I forget that I'm older
I wanna dance with you right now
Whoa, and you look as beautiful as ever
And I swear that every day you'll get better
You make me feel this way somehow
I'm so in love with you and I hope you know
That, darling, your love is more than worth its weight in gold
We've come so far, my dear; look how we've grown
And I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old
Just say you won't let go
Just say you won't let go
I promise to cherish you even when we're ghosts
'Cause you were always there for me when I needed you most
I'm gonna love you till my lungs give out
I promise til death we part, like in our vows
So I wrote this song for you, now everybody knows
That it's just you and me until we're grey and old
Just say you won't let go
Just say you won't let go
Just say you won't let go
Oh, just say you won't let go
As the last few notes gently fade away, there's a charged quiet. Even the crickets seem to have stopped their chirping. All the world lies still in anticipation, but all Sam can do is keep his gaze locked with Gabriel's and try to remember how to breathe. Then, because he has no idea how to put what he feels into words, he leans forward and down the slightest bit and presses his lips to Gabriel's.
The pack erupts into joyous cheers and Gabriel laughs against his mouth, standing on his tiptoes so he can wrap his arm around Sam's neck. He pulls back and presses one, two, three quick pecks to whatever part of Sam's face he can reach, then leans back so they can look at each other. Sam finds them doing that a lot lately, just looking. He's the farthest thing from bothered by it.
"You're only a few months older than me, you dork," he says. He's grinning so widely it hurts; he's not sure his dimples will ever recover. But Gabriel's looking at him like he hung the moon in the sky, and with that kind of attention on him it's hard to keep the smile off his face. So he doesn't try to.
"It may be only a few months, but I was still born first," Gabriel sing songs. He rests the guitar on his foot to keep it out of the wet grass and leans his head into Sam's chest. Together, they watch as the pack, still talking excitedly like they're the ones who were just Bonded, begin blowing out the candles. As soon as there's a dark spot along the edge of the circle, Chuck is there, throwing one arm around Gabriel's neck and the other around Sam's.
"Goddamnit, you guys," he says, his voice muffled but undeniably thick with tears.
"Dad, are you crying?" Gabriel asks, grinning widely.
"Shut up," Chuck says, swiping a hand across his eyes. "You just got werewolf married. I'm allowed to be emotional."
Gabriel laughs again and takes Sam's hand, twining their fingers together and giving a small squeeze. He doesn't let go even when Dean and Castiel come over, or when Mary shoves her way through the crowd so that she can fling herself into Sam's arms and sob into his neck. Ash, Jo, and Charlie all grin and wink at him when he looks over at them, but he can't hear what they say to him over the noise that everyone else is making. He feels a little overwhelmed, but it's a good kind of overwhelmed, and Gabriel's hand in his keeps him grounded.
We still have to complete the Blood Rites, Gabriel reminds him. And as much as I love all these nerds, I'd rather they not be here to watch as we embrace our inner vampires.
Inner werewolves, Gabe, not vampires, Sam says. And they'll probably head inside once we do.
What are we waiting for, then? Gabriel grins and tugs at Sam's hand until he starts walking.
"Where are you two going?" Dean calls.
"To Sam's bedroom, so we can get a little frisky, if you know what I mean," Gabriel replies, turning to walk backwards for a few steps so he can wink. Dean gags and Sam laughs at his disgusted face.
"See you in the morning, Dean," he says salaciously, waving a hand over his shoulder. He and Gabriel step into the kitchen and close the door behind them, instantly muffling the noise from outside. Now that it's just them, Sam finds himself growing a little nervous; his stomach is practically tying itself up in knots from anticipation.
Still, with better night vision and no lights on in the house, he takes the lead as they walk towards his bedroom. The air seems to grow heavy with tension as they get closer, and Sam is reluctant to break that silence that's descended over them. He can see the green light from his eyes illuminating the space just in front of his face, and a glance behind him reveals the same light, only in a golden shade, highlighting his mate's face.
They reach the door to Sam's bedroom and he pauses before opening it. His wolf is impatient; drawn to attention by the impending ritual, it wants to complete the Rites as soon as possible. Sam reminds it that Gabriel's not fully a wolf. He doesn't want to scare him, so he takes a second to press a soft, slow kiss to Gabriel's mouth.
"Are you ready?" Sam murmurs. This close to Gabriel, he can see each individual brown fleck in his irises, each eyelash that brushes against his cheeks. He can't resist the urge to press another kiss to the tip of his mate's nose.
"I was born ready," Gabriel says playfully. He stills Sam's face with two hands cupping his cheeks, then reaches past him to open the door. Together, they step over the threshold.
…
It's well after midnight by the time the party begins to draw to a close. Castiel is exhausted, but in a good way. His feet ache from the hours he spent dancing with the other teenage idiots in the pack, his stomach is full of a variety of delicious finger foods, and his eyes sting in a way that promises a deep sleep tonight. All in all, he feels like shit but he's glad of it.
John and Mary sure know how to throw a party. From what he understands, it's extremely difficult for a wolf to find their true mate; it can sometimes take centuries, so it's no wonder they'd been so ecstatic about Sam and Gabriel's Bonding.
"Hey." Castiel looks up and smiles at Dean in greeting, too tired to get up out of his chair. Dean pulls out the chair next to him and sits with a sigh, a glass of water in one hand and a beer in the other. Castiel takes the water from him gratefully and chugs half of it before speaking.
"Your parents throw parties like college kids," he says, and Dean huffs a surprised laugh.
"You say the weirdest things," he says fondly. "But you're right, they may have gone a little overboard."
"A little?" Castiel raises an eyebrow. "Dean, if there were neighbors, they would've called the cops. I'm surprised Gabriel and Sam didn't come down to yell at us about how loud we were being."
"Well, Gabriel and Sam were probably a bit busy," Dean says meaningfully. He sips at his beer, then looks at Castiel out of the corner of his eye and says, "You did have fun, though, right?"
"The most fun I've had in a while," Castiel assures him, and smiles when Dean visibly relaxes. He's such a dork.
"It's not often they have an excuse to go this crazy," Dean says. "It kind of makes me wonder if they'll do the same if I find my mate."
"I'm sure they will," Castiel says, ignoring the sour feeling in his gut at the thought. Raphael catches his eye from across the room and quirks an eyebrow inquisitively. Castiel shakes his head almost imperceptibly, and the doctor only nods and goes back to his wine. No sympathy, not that Castiel was expecting any. It makes him feel a bit better, though, than pity would have.
Dean takes another sip of his beer and Castiel frowns. Before the wolf can react, he snatches the bottle out of his hand and replaces it with the half full glass of water.
"Hey!" Dean protests, already raising the glass to sip from it.
"Shut up, you're too young to drink," Castiel says. He waits until Dean's not looking before taking a quick gulp. It tastes like shit but the slight burn as it goes down his throat is… not bad.
"I wonder how Gabriel and Sam are doing," Dean murmurs.
"I'm sure they're fine," Castiel says. "It's not as if they're unfamiliar with the logistics of drinking blood, right?"
"Right," Dean murmurs. He looks at the clock, then grins at whatever he sees. Quick as a flash, he leans over and presses a kiss to Castiel's cheek. Castiel stiffens in surprise and looks over at him with wide eyes, which makes Dean laugh.
"What was that for?" Castiel asks.
"It's 3:33," Dean explains. "The witching hour."
"So why'd you kiss me?"
"For good luck. Now no witch will ever bother you." Dean grins, proud of himself, and Castiel scoffs even as his cheeks heat slightly.
"Are you drunk?" he accuses, but Dean just gulps down the rest of his water and gets up.
"Good night, Cas," he says as he walks away, leaving Castiel sitting in his chair with one hand around a beer, one hand on his cheek, and his mind in turmoil.
Things that are meant to happen, will. Things that aren't meant to happen, won't. There's no use worrying about it. Isn't that what Raphael said, way back in the hospital as he'd revealed the results of his and Gabriel's blood tests? Something like that, anyway. It's good advice, but Castiel doesn't know if he'll be able to follow it.
His eyes scan the room and find Dean easily. He looks away before anyone can catch him staring and lifts the beer to his lips again. "I am so fucked," he whispers, the corners of his mouth lifting in a tiny smile. He really, really is, but maybe that's not such a bad thing.
Alright, that's it for this installment! I hope you guys had as much fun reading as I did writing. I have to admit, this chapter isn't my favourite. I kinda like how it came out, because of the little bits of Destiel I threw in there as well as all the foreshadowing (*wink wink*) but aside from that I feel a little bleh.
Anyway, now Gabriel and Sam are officially Bonded, so hopefully now people will stop kidnapping Gabriel, amirite? The third part is in the works but I have a bunch of other projects I'm going to focus on so don't expect anything more from this 'verse for a long while. As far as Blood Wedding goes, though, what did you think? Comments make my life and I genuinely appreciate every one I get.