(A/N): Hey. Welp...
I... I have no idea what I'm doing with this one guys, but the Sabriel is still going strong apparently. This is what happenes when my brain wants to do literally anything but research for a fourth-year Uni project.
There might be more to come. Maybe. I'm sorry.

~.~

"Gabriel!"

He wobbled, a faltered step backwards, swaying on his feet as a startled surprise splashed across his face. From across the room Sam saw the blood pushing through his fingers to fall, and when Sam reached his side Gabriel crumpled into his arms.

There was so much blood. So very much of it, pooling in Gabriel's hands and making them look so small. His face turned up towards Sam as he was lowered to the ground, and his eyes were round and clear, like sunlight filtering through amber. They were filling with a fear that clawed at Sam's heart.

One hand, the one not trying to hold all the seeping blood to his chest, reached desperately for Sam.

"Gabriel." Sam's voice was hushed, disbelieving, frightened. "Gabe, don't do this, not this, please."

The sound broke, the crack in Sam's expression as the true realisation of the moment crept into him. Gabriel's fingers clenched involuntarily in his sleeve, the movement dragging a sharp, unsure gasp from him. Sam pushed his arm further around his friend's shoulder, held him up further, closer, the space between them sending terrible fears into his blood.

If Gabriel went, if he left like this they would always have a gulf between them.

"Sa-am?"

"Oh God, Gabriel don't. Please don't, don't go." Sam's voice was a sob that swallowed his air.

He moved his sleeve in Gabriel's grip, slid fingers between his instead. He squeezed.

"Hang on Gabriel, please." he whispered, before tearing his gaze from the face below his, from the terror that was growing in Gabriel's eyes.

Sam tipped his face heavenward and drew in a wet breath, tears beginning to collect and cascade down his cheeks.

"Cas, we need you. He's dying, Cas. Help us, please."

He ducked his head down as he was overtaken by his tears, pressing his forehead against Gabriel's, feeling the searing heat of the other man's skin burning into him. Gabriel's eyelids were dropping, looking heavy. Sam's heart was rushing his blood hard and fast as he pressed their joined hands against the bloody wound, applying pressure as despair shredded their defences.

"Don't die, Gabe. Don't die." he rasped, words breaking, cracking, falling.

"Sam…" Gabriel's voice was breathy, unstable, ever-gentle.

"Gabe."

"Sam… love you."

"Don't. Don't do that, don't do this, please."

Gabriel's eyes opened slowly, tired, dimming. It looked like it took so much effort. There was so much blood. He looked blearily up at Sam, across the distance of their noses.

"S'true."

"Gods, Gabriel." Sam pleaded, before brushing their mouths together, "Stay, please."

Gabriel arched into the contact weakly, his mouth soft and gentle and tasting of blood and grit and under it all sugar. Sam's heart hurt and he kissed him, wishing fiercely that he'd done so long ago, that they'd had more time.

"I love you too."

Gabriel didn't open his eyes when Sam drew back again, but there was a small shift of his mouth that looked like a smile. His breathing was growing weak and fluttery, gurgled rasps. Sam held him tightly and pretended it wasn't a sign of what he knew it was. He knelt there with Gabriel and all the blood and he watched him through his tears, watched how it all drained from him, how the colour dulled and waned and his energy faded.

He wished for the laughter back. He needed to see that mischievous sparkle, needed the sound of Gabriel's gleeful announcements. He wanted to continue hating the way the shorter man toyed with his name, wanted more of their bickering, needed to argue over the candy wrappers and the way his coffee had a habit of disappearing.

Disappearing like the light rose he so loved to see in Gabriel's cheeks.

Sam ached for it all.

A shadow fell over them both.

"Sam."

Relief was a chilling wash that flooded and over-whelmed his senses.

"Hey, Cas."

~.~