Sam leapt out of his chair as the Angel spoke behind him, yelling in shock. He had thought he was alone in the library and that Cas would be off with Dean somewhere doing whatever it was that those two did when they were alone.

"Cas! I didn't see you there…em…something I can…eh…help you, can I help you?" Sam stuttered as he tried to shuffle the books backwards away from the Angel, placing himself between Cas and the table at which he had been reading. Cas smirked a little at Sam's discomfort and placed a hand on the mans shoulder, moving him to the side so he could look over the books.

"Mating Rituals…that's a very interesting thing for you to be reading Sam, but could I ask why this has suddenly become an interest to you?" Castiel asked, watching with glee as the Hunters face went red. "Could it have anything to do with the new addition?" Cas asked and Sam looked up at the Angel in confusion. "You know, short and annoying Archangel with a set of gorgeous gold wings?" Sam squeaked, looking down at his shoes again and Cas took pity on the blushing man, leading him back to his chair and sitting down beside him.

"What are you feeling, Sam?" Castiel asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from the Hunter himself. Sam shrugged a little and kept his eyes on his shoes, biting his lip nervously.

"It got really bad when he turned up in the motel room and he was all torn up…I thought I was gonna die looking at him he looked so hurt…Then I started to get real angry like I wanted to rip something apart." Sam explained and Cas nodded in understanding, motioning for him to continue. "When we got him home I just wanted to get him somewhere safe, somewhere I knew he wouldn't get hurt and no one could get to him…And I had to look after him. But then I started…" Sam trailed off and Cas quirked his eyebrow at him.

"Started what, Sam?" Cas asked, prompting the man to answer.

"I started collecting little things…" Sam said with a sigh "It was just books at first, I would go to get something for Gabe and I'd see a book in my room and I just had to bring it to him…It was stupid he wasn't even awake but I just had to keep bringing him things. Things I thought he might like…" Sam's head slumped down and he began to shake, feeling a weight lifting off his shoulders as Cas listened to him talk. "Then there were his sheets…" Sam said in a whisper, his blush deepening and Cas couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Let me guess…you stole them?" Cas said in a knowing tone "And his clothes to?" Sam's head whipped up as Cas spoke, his eyes wide with shock.

"How did you know that?!" Sam squeaked with embarrassment and Cas smiled at him, placing a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"Because I have been where you are Sam…You remember a few months back when your Brother kept complaining he couldn't find any of his clothes? That would be because they were stuffed under my bed." Cas asked and Sam began to laugh, earning a pout from the Angel who was trying to help him. "Anyway! What you are feeling is completely normal Sam…its all part of finding your Mate." Sam choked on his laugh and began to splutter again at Castiel's words.

"My what?! Gabriel is…but…I'm not an Angel?! I'm about as far from a damn Angel as it gets Cas, this isn't right I'm not…" Sam stammered and Cas had to take him by the shoulders to hold him still.

"For one, your being a Human makes no difference to us once you have chosen an Angel as a partner your body will adjust accordingly. And for two, you and your Brother are much closer to us than you think. The fact that you are vessels for the two most powerful Archangels aside, your bloodline is absolutely pure running right back to the beginning of life itself. Its what makes you stronger and more intelligent than the rest of your species, and why you never feel comfortable around your own kind. You have adapted to live among Humans, Sam, but like it or not you will never feel connected to them in the same way you feel connected to us…isn't that why you accepted Gabriel's offer in the first place?" Cas asked and Sam nodded, feeling complete stunned as the Angel put into words every odd feeling he had ever had. It all made so much sense when Castiel explained it to him. Sam and Dean had always been told it was their upbringing that made the outsiders but Dean knew better, he remembered life before the road and there was a reason he wasn't in nursery. He couldn't make friends, couldn't connect with those around him and all he ever wanted was to be back home where things where comfortable and familiar. Back home with his own blood. Sam only had one problem left in his arsenal…

"I'm not good enough for him, Cas!" Sam snapped and Castiel's grip on his shoulder became unbearably tight, making him hiss and pull away from the Angel who's eyes had gone hard as steel.

"And you think for one moment that is your call to make? You think you get to tell Gabriel what he wants?" Cas growled lowly and Sam's face fell.

"No but…I don't wanna hurt him! And I will, I always hurt them…" Sam whimpered softly, wrapping his arms around himself and Castiel reached out to grab at his arm - wanting to shake some sense into him - but at that moment a loud snarl sounded behind him and the Angel reacted on instinct, flying himself across the room and away from Sam as fast as he could go and narrowly avoiding being beaten by his posturing older Brother who was now standing over Sam with his one good wing arched high over his head. Castiel backed off again put his hands in the air, surrendering.

"Its okay, Gabriel. No harm meant, I am not making a claim. He is all yours…" Cas said before disappearing and leaving the two alone. Sam stared up at Gabriel in awe and he gulped loudly, nervously reaching out a hand to stroke down his feathers. Gabe huffed out a breath and looked down at the trembling Human, growling approvingly at his touch and puffing out his feathers impressively. Sam smiled a little and got a little bolder with his touches, running his fingers deep into the feathery wing and tugging very gently to make the Angel gasp.

"Careful, Sam…You have no idea what you are doing to me right now…" Gabriel spoke softly, his eyes glowing blue as the Hunter run his hand up and then along the muscle.

"You're right, I don't…but I do know I want to find out." Sam said leaning up to place a kiss under the Angels chin, nipping at the skin gently with his teeth. Gabriel reached out and gripped Sam by the back of the neck, forcing him up to look in his eyes. After a moment he smirked at the man.

"Fine…you asked for it."