Sam had known Gabriel for a few months now. Not very long to some, but Sam knew he liked the guy, maybe even loved him a bit. He didn't want to say anything just yet in case he scared him away. He'd done it once before, and didn't want it to happen again.

They usually just hung out and one of the others houses, watching whatever was on TV, passing out in the early hours of the morning on each other. In the mornings, one of them would make breakfast. Gabriel would then get ready to go off to the hospital where he worked as a doctor, Sam to his pre-law classes at the local college. Once a week maybe they would go out to eat somewhere, or a movie. Whatever struck their fancy at the time.

"Gabe? What do you want to do on Saturday?" Sam asked, snuggling in close to Gabriel. They were at Sam's apartment, watching reruns of The Walking Dead. Sam wasn't a big fan of the show, but Gabriel seemed to enjoy it, and any sort of tv show or movie relating to zombies.

"Hmm? What's on Saturday?" Gabriel yawned. It was getting late, and he was a bit sleepy.

"We'll have been going out for 6 months this Saturday. I was asking you what you wanted to do. " Sam said, playfully hitting Gabriel on the leg.

"Hey! " Gabriel laughed, wrapping his arms around the younger man and squeezing him. "I don't know, what do you want to do?"

"I was thinking about going out to Vinnie's. Good food, even better company. " Sam said.

"Really? Who do you plan on meeting there that's good company? " Gabriel joked.

"Gabe! You know I mean you. " Sam replied, starting to tickle Gabriel's sides.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I have to work that afternoon, but I get off in plenty of time for dinner. " Gabriel said, trying to back off from Sam without actually getting off the couch.

"So that's a yes?"

"Uh, yeah Sam. You really thing I could say no to you?" Gabriel said, placing a kiss on the top of Sam's head.

"I don't think you could, even if you wanted to. " Sam replied, moving back next to Gabriel and closing his eyes, falling asleep soon after.

Sam had made the reservations at Vinnie's. He was waiting at a table for Gabriel, knowing that he would be there soon after getting off of work.

But 45 minutes later when Gabriel hadn't shown up, Sam was starting to get worried when his cell phone rang in his pocket. Sam checked the caller ID, and it was Gabriel.

"Gabriel? Where are you? I've been-"

"Sam, I'm sorry. I got caught up here at work, and I don't know if I'll be able to make it at all. " Gabriel said, his voice sounding hurried and sad at the same time.

"It's ok, I get it. Should I eat without you, or just wait until later?" Sam asked.

"Go ahead and eat. I'll make it up to you later, ok?"

Sam smiled at that, thinking of possible ways it could be made up, not all of which were polite to mention in public. "It's ok, I understand. Let me know when you can get free, ok?"

"Of course I will Sammy. Eat something good for me, ok?" Gabriel replied. He smiled, although Sam couldn't see it through the phone.

"That I'll do."

Sam hung up his cell phone, and motioned for the waiter to come over, and ordered something to eat and a drink. He would prefer to be eating with Gabriel, but he knew it could get busy at a hospital. Especially if something bad happened.

Sam finished with his dinner, and declined desert when the waiter came by to ask if he wanted any. He paid the check, leaving a nice tip for the waiter, and headed out the door to his car.

He was going through an intersection when it hit him- a car t-boned him going what seemed like 80 miles a hour, having apparently not stopped at the stoplight. Sam held on to the steering wheel while the car flipped over twice, and then slammed into a utility pole on one of the street corners, while the other car just stopped in the middle of the intersection.

The only things Sam thought about before blacking out were what happened, and how Gabriel would react when he found out.