Chapter 12

Castiel's alive! Sam's declaration in his head almost had Gabriel halting mid-ascension to Heaven, but he swiftly reminded himself of his mission. From the corner of his eye he saw many of his brethren in their astral bodies soaring toward their once lost home, glowing so bright they looked like stars to the human eye—an amazing sight it be seen in the middle of the day with the sun high in the sky. He could also see a few of siblings still in their vessel's bodies as they surged behind him, ready to storm the gates.

He flew onward, leading his siblings home with a heart made lighter from the knowledge that he had not killed Castiel.

He could see the gates—they weren't literal gates but more like a rift in the sky that could only be seen and entered by his brethren, reapers, and souls, although reapers were not allowed much farther beyond the gates.

A human-sized speck dropped out of the rift.

Metatron.

"Amos have your group follow me," Gabriel connected to his troops' leaders through angel radio, doing his best to block Metatron from receiving the transmission. "Everyone else, continue into Heaven and follow the plan." There was a resounding chorus of agreements in his head as he arced through the air and dove for the falling figure.

Gabriel had to admit, Metatron did an excellent job of hiding his Heavenly self within his vessel, even Gabriel had trouble seeing his true form through his human visage. There was just a very faint halo of light around the stout angel scribe. The light was just enough to assure Gabriel that it wasn't a human plummeting from Heaven. It was a small miracle that Metatron hadn't formed a crazy scheme that involved kidnapping humans, bringing them to Heaven, and then throwing them out as a distraction.

He was right on Metatron's tail. He just needed an extra boost of speed and he'd have the troublesome angel in his grasp.

Metatron glanced over his shoulder at Gabriel. He said something, but the wind stole the words.

Metatron flattened his limbs to his side, picking up speed as he nose-dived to Earth like he was frickin' Icarus,

Gabriel ground his teeth together and mimicked Metatron's posture, his own speed increasing.

Metatron smirked up at Gabriel. He knew he had the lead on Gabriel and the archangel had no way of catching him.

Twinkling lights rushed up through the clouds, unnoticed by Metatron, who's attention was too focused on Gabriel.

Gabriel returned Metatron's smirk.

Metatron didn't think Gabriel would be stupid not to have a cavalry, did he?

Metatron smug expression faltered and he twisted his neck so he was looking down at the swarm of angels rising up to meet him.

A squawk escaped Metatron. He hurriedly veered to avoid the horde of his brethren, but it was too late. Hundreds of his siblings swarmed around him in their Heavenly bodies, and held him in place.

A cry of victory broke out between the cavalry and Amos' troops as they all celebrated the capture of Metatron.

Gabriel hovered in the air with his arms crossed over his chest. To the human eye, Metatron appeared simply surrounded by lights while suspended in the air with his arms outstretched at his side and his legs pressed together as if bound. Desperation flashed through the stout angel's eyes. "Gabriel, please, I was only trying to do what was best. You have to believe me."

Gabriel shook his head, smiling all the while. "You really think I'm going to buy that?" Glee tickled Gabriel's insides. "By the way, I really hoped you liked Heaven, because are not going to be leaving it for a long time."

Dean, Castiel, Kevin, and Sam clinked the necks of their beer bottles together in triumph then chugged down mouthfuls of beer.

"Guess who I caught," Gabriel voice drifted into Sam's mind. Sam ripped the lip of the bottle from his mouth. A huge grin became his prominent facial feature.

Kevin was the first to notice as he scrunched his face at Dean's choice of beer. "Okay, your expression just skyrocketed ten-thousand watts. What's up, because I gotta know what would top one of your friends not dying when everything said he would?"

"Yeah, Samantha, what's up with the rainbows shooting out of your ass?" Dean joked. He wrapped his arm around Castiel's waist. He probably would leave it there for the next hour or two, or until he and Castiel got a chance to intimately confirm the renewed angel's existence.

"Rainbows are not shooting out of his ass, Dean." Castiel frowned. "It is not even physically possible. Now if he were part unicorn…" Castiel's eyes sparkled with mirth as he joked.

Sam had to admit, Castiel's sense of humor had improved since Dean and him officially got together.

"Well, come on, spit it out," Dean demanded.

"Metatron has been captured."

Dean pumped his fist in the air and let out a victorious hiss. "Finally. Please tell me Gabriel is giving the asshole his own personal brand of justice, because Met is one of the few friggin' people who deserves that kind of shit."

"Don't know, just got the message Gabriel caught him."

Dean grunted as he took another swig of alcohol. His face may have possessed a frown, but his demeanor was the exact opposite. His posture was loose and lazy and a sense of contentment rolled off him as he unconsciously brushed his fingers along Castiel's side.

A small smile was present on Castiel's lips as he bowed his head ever so lightly, as if mentally thanking everyone who had made that moment possible. It looked like decades of stress had been striped from him as he leaned against Dean.

Kevin kept sipping his beer and making faces.

Sam chuckled and took the beer from Kevin and gave the prophet his. Kevin read the beer's label to see that it was a different brand then took a sip. He didn't gulp down the beverage, but at least he had stopped making faces of disgust.

Sam sighed as he looked around. He was delighted to see everyone around him happy, and he couldn't help but share in that happiness. However, he also couldn't ignore the part of himself that was still tense and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Behind you!" Dean shouted.

Sam whirled and ducked as a ghost charged at him.

There was a scream from the young woman who's family had been the victim of some recent hauntings. Sam moved in time to see Dean pick up an iron poker from a rack next to the fireplace and swing it through the ghost's misty body.

The ghost howled as it vanished temporarily.

"I thought you were taking care of burning the necklace," Sam gasped as he straightened, his muscles tense and ready to strike if the ghost attacked him again.

"Sorry! Sorry!" The girl cried as she pushed a large, brown, curly tress from her face. She scurried past Sam into her kitchen, which was filled with so many potted plants it had to be a health hazard (not to mentioned the freaky amount of cat-themed cooking utensils everywhere). "I forgot, I took it off in the kitchen because the clasp broke."

Sam mentally rolled his eyes at the new information. Dean rushed past him with his salt-bullet-loaded gun in hand. Dean shoved the poker into Sam's hands.

The girl skidded to a halt and fumbled with a drawer.

The old hag of a ghost reappeared behind her.

"Shit!" Dean couldn't shoot a bullet with the hag standing in front of the girl.

Sam charged forward, swinging the poker. The iron sunk through the ghost and the hag disappeared again.

The girl whirled, holding a faux silver necklace in her hand as she beamed at the brothers. "Found it."

Sam yanked the necklace out of her hand and tossed to Dean, who was already fumbling was a small canister of oil and drenching the damn necklace with it. Sam doused the necklace in salt as well while Dean lit a match. Sam jumped out of Dean's way and as his brother set the thing ablaze on the tiled floor.

There was an inhumane screech as the ghost permanently vanished.

The cat-fanatic pouted. "Would you guys mind paying to replace my floor you just ruined?"

Dean and Sam glared at her.

The girl held up her hands in a defensive gesture. "Sorry, just asking."

Sam and Dean shared a look of incredulity. They didn't waste any more time with the girl than they had too. They packed up all of their equipment and hopped into the Impala, driving back to the motel where they had stayed for the last few days. Sam laughed at one of Dean's jokes as he got out of the Impala and rounded it. He popped open the trunk and pulled out his bag. He mentally went through a list of things that he would add to the sack once he was back in the motel and packing again. He slung the bag of his shoulder and headed for their room, only to pause and ask Dean if his brother had removed his laundry pile from the bathroom.

He turned, and the question died on his lips.

Castiel stood in front of Dean—his back facing Sam. Sam had no idea what expression Castiel wore, but Dean was smiling like crazy and chatting up a storm.

Sam's chest constricted. Another two weeks had passed since he'd seen Gabriel, and once again there was a lack of communication. He got updates from Castiel, but whenever he saw how happy Castiel and Dean were together bitter jealousy rose in him.

Castiel turned, grinning, only for the smile to fall when he spotted Sam watching Dean and him. He shifted in discomfort, and Sam immediately worried that perhaps he had been projecting his bitterness and Castiel had sensed it. If Castiel had, the renewed angel did not let it deter him, because he marched up to Sam. "Things are going well, Sam. The successful capture of Metatron and reopening of Heaven has aided Gabriel in swaying many of the angels over to his side. There are only a few who stubbornly refuse to submit to him, and their numbers are dwindling each day. He should return to you soon, although, I am certain he has told you as such."

"Yeah…" Sam half-lied. He knew that the angels were warming up to Gabriel as their new leader, but Gabriel had promised no such return. He just apologized and said he was busy the few times he responded to Sam's attempts at communication.

Castiel frowned and cocked his head to study Sam.

Sam sighed; he did not want Castiel reporting to Gabriel that he was moping. "I get it, Cas. He's establishing his power. He can't run off right now."

"Yes, Sam, although…" Castiel hesitated. "Time flows differently up there, and it is hard to tell one Earth day from the other. If you were to insist, I assure you, Gabriel would come to you in an instant. Whenever given a chance he is quick to brag about you to our siblings. He has also made it quite clear if, and these are his words, 'if any of you dickheads damage my Husband's ass or any part of that fuck-tastic bod of his, I will personally make you wish you had been thrown into the cage with Luci.'"

Sam burst with laughter even as his cheeks reddened in embarrassment. That was his Gabriel. "Thanks, Cas."

"It was no burden on my part, Sam."

"Okay, so now that you two chicks have finished your gossip, you mind making yourself scarce, Sam?" Dean stepped up behind Castiel so angel's back was just a hairsbreadth away from his chest.

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother's request, but was already planning what to do for the next few hours. "Do you two ever stop?"

"Nope," Dean said, and gave Castiel a nudge in the direction of the motel room.

Sam shook his head at Dean's antics. He strolled across the motel parking lot and did his best to recall a park he had seen when Dean and him had driven into town. He had seen it near a sandwich shop, which would be a good place to stop by to get an early dinner. He could even pick up something for Dean; there were only so many rounds of sex a human body could go without proper rest and nourishment.

The park was a twenty-minute walk away. Sam searched for an unoccupied picnic bench, and when he found one, he spread himself across the top and pillowed his head with his hands. A breeze tickled his nose with a strand of his hair and rustled the lush, green leaves of the trees shading the bench.

Children's laughter echoed from the play structure a short walk away, accompanied by the sounds of parents cries of warning or their bubbly laughter as they cautioned and played with their children.

Sam smiled, enjoying the peace that juxtaposed his roiling thoughts.

He'd known for a while that if he really wanted Gabriel to come back all he had to do was call and demand a visit just as Castiel said, but his greed and moral compass were at war with each other. He wanted to be selfish and have Gabriel at his side but this wasn't just Gabriel spending too much time at work —he was rebuilding a kingdom. Whatever, Sam wanted seemed trivial in comparison, and Gabriel appeared to be in agreement, because even Gabriel with all of his self-centered-ness and hedonistic ways hadn't come to Sam.

Even so, Sam didn't want to go through another month without seeing Gabriel, but interrupting him for a booty call just seemed wrong. Sam wasn't even sure if that was what he wanted. He would enjoy the sex immensely, but the thought of it just being that did not ease the feeling of a gaping hole in his chest, which Sam liked to think was curtsey of Gabriel punching him in the heart.

Sam touched his chest and frowned.

It really did feel like someone had punched him in the heart. There were only a handful of relationships that had ever made him feel that way. The first was his relationship with Dean. He'd felt it when he had stormed out of the house that night so many years ago and Dean hadn't chase after him to say goodbye. It also occurred every time he thought Dean would die. The second relationship had been the one with Jess. It would happen during long weeks of studying in which he didn't get to see her. The third and last one had been his relationship with Amelia after he'd given up on what they had together—both times.

Two out of three were romantic relationships, and all of them contained love, albeit one more familial than the others. Even so, Sam knew what he felt for Gabriel wasn't what he felt for Dean, which could only mean one thing.

Sam sat up and buried his face in his hand. Sometimes even he wondered how he managed to get into Standford when he was so obtuse about such obvious things.

He loved Gabriel.

Now what was he going to do about his new revelation?

Dean owed Sam for kicking him out of the motel that afternoon, so it wasn't difficult to convince Dean to spend an extra day in town and get separate rooms. Dean was also all too thrilled to drive to the convenient store and buy ten pounds of chocolate and candy. He even threw in three pies, although, two of them were for himself and Castiel.

Sam spread the contents of the bags of candy over every available surface in his motel room with the exception of the floor and the bed. Sam did not want to risk melted chocolate in the sheets killing his mood even if Gabriel would happily lick off any that got on Sam. Maybe he was being a little presumptuous about the bed, but considering the only two things Gabriel loved as much as sweets (Sam chose to believe he was loved more than sweets) was trashy TV shows and sex, Sam thought the odds were in his favor.

The overpowering scent of sugar assaulted Sam's nose as he scanned the candy-coated room for any spots he had missed.

He had to admit, this was one of his weirder romantic moves, but he figured Gabriel would enjoy how over the top it was.

He crossed his arms over his chest and put on his best scowl, despite knowing how the mounds of sweets undermined his feigned fury. "Gabriel, get your ass down here this instant! You think this is funny?"

Gabriel appeared in front of Sam, his head swiveling as he took in the sight of the room. His eyes lingered on each piece of furniture coated in candy. He whistled in appreciation. "Listen, I know sweets are my thing, but I swear I did not move Candy Land to your motel room, although, I could if you want." Gabriel grinned.

Sam glared.

Gabriel's grin faltered. He tried to force the expression onto his mouth again, but his lips struggled in their upward curl. "C'mon, Sam, it's not that bad. I'll even eat all of it for you, if you want."

Sam had to fight down his smile; he found Gabriel's casual willingness to eat ten pounds of sweet humorous and endearing, especially when Gabriel could just snap it all away. "That's not my only problem, Gabriel."

Gabriel stiffened. He dropped all pretext of a smile. "What's wrong? Did something happen to you or your brother? I thought Cas was keeping an eye on you guys." He cursed as he kicked his toe across the floor. "I told him that job takes priority over all others."

Sam shook his head and stepped toward Gabriel. "No. Do you have any idea what day it is?"

Gabriel glanced around the room for a calendar. When he found none, he must have assumed the worst, because his eyes widened with alarm. "Shit. Heaven messed up my perception of time on Earth, didn't it? Please tell me it hasn't been months." Gabriel scowled. "And why the hell didn't you call me? New rule: if three days go by and you don't see me, bitch at me until I get my ass down here and show you a different kind of Heaven."

Sam bit the inside of his cheek to avoid laughing at the cheesiness of the last line. "It's been two weeks, Gabe."

There was a flash of surprise in Gabriel's eyes as he mentally faltered over the nickname.

"Heck, I have only seen you once in the last month and half, and you know what I have realized?" Sam said bitingly.

Gabriel's shoulder blades pressed together as he put on a mask of nonchalance. Whatever he thought Sam was going to say, he didn't want the hunter to know he was scared and anticipating heart ache. A twinge of guilt almost caused Sam to cease with his scheme, but he knew Gabriel would appreciate the reveal of Sam's true reasons for summoning him.

"I realized that without your constant pestering for attention, your jokes at my expense or anyone in the vicinity, your secret piles of candy wrappers that you never put in the trash—even though it's just three feet away—your desire to tell everyone just what a great body I have, your willingness to go to museums and hunt demons and monsters, and your cuddling ways—even if you swear you are not a cuddler, but just making sure the goods aren't damaged before you get to have sex with me—I miss you."

Gabriel's mouth dropped open an inch. He stared at Sam as if the young hunter had just revealed he was part unicorn with a little mix of kelpie. "Sam, are we stuck in a b-rated romance flick, or are you—?"

Sam cupped Gabriel's face in his hands pressed a chaste kiss to the angel's lips. "I love you, you idiot."

Gabriel clasped Sam's hands, looking aghast. "Oh Dad, we really are trapped in a chick-flick, aren't we?"

Sam laughed as he swatted Gabriel's shoulder. "Get your head out of your ass. I love you, and just so you know, all this candy is for you."

Gabriel's jaw dropped. "Say it again."

Sam rolled his eyes, but even as he did so there was warmth in his chest. "I love you."

Gabriel pounced on Sam, his arm and leg's wrapping around Sam like snakes. "One more time." He grinned.

Sam turned his head away in mock defiance. He used a fake put-upon voice, "No. Now you are just being difficult and demanding."

Laughter burst from Gabriel. He slid his hand under Sam's chin and turned Sam's head to face him.

Gabriel locked his lips onto Sam's mouth. He refused to release Sam, forcing Sam to breath out his nose. The kiss was long, and even with his alternative way of breathing, Sam felt himself growing light headed. He drifted to the bed and sat on the edge, letting Gabriel occupy his lap. Once Sam's butt hit the mattress, Gabriel pried his lips off Sam's and beamed. "Love you too, Sasquatch, and I wasn't joking about the three day thing. You know what, forget three days, make it two."

"What about—"

Gabriel pressed a finger to Sam's lips and glared at him. "There is plenty of time for that, and I do have a few siblings I trust to run things while I'm away, however, I got no one to take care of you."

"What about, Cas?"

Gabriel huffed. "Oh please, that guy can barely tear his eyes away from your brother long enough to realize what is going on around him. Honestly, if you and Dean weren't practically Siamese twins you'd have no protection at all. And besides…" His fingers trailed up Sam's chest, dancing around the buttons of his shirt. A predatory gleam entered his eyes. "…Castiel can't take care of your needs."

"And you think you can?" Sam taunted playfully.

Gabriel surged forward and pushed Sam down on the bed, his arms pinning Sam in place as he leaned down so his breath ghosted Sam's lips. "I promise you."

Gabriel's lips latched onto Sam's.

Sam ran a hand over Gabriel's chest as he smiled into the kiss. His fingers gripped Gabriel's shirt. He bent his leg, positioning it next to Gabriel's side then threw his weight into it, flipping them over and pinning Gabriel. Gabriel blinked as he adjusted to his new perspective His lips formed a small "O".

Sam smirked, reveling in Gabriel's surprise. "You sure you can keep that promise?"

Gabriel scoffed. He gripped the back of Sam's head, his finger's lacing through the strands as he yanked Sam downward. "What? You need it in our wedding vows or something?"

Sam didn't answer, just smiled and pressed a feather-soft kiss to Gabriel's lips. Gabriel groaned at the tease when Sam pulled away just to hover his mouth a few inches from Gabriel's.

Gabriel glared challengingly. "Definitely. I can definitely keep that promise, you tease." Just like that Gabriel smashed their mouths together. He ran his free hand over Sam's back, memorizing the contours that lay just beneath the shirt.

Excitement and anticipation thrummed through Sam, so it took all of Sam's willpower to withdraw from Gabriel.

Gabriel pouted at the distance put between them. He tried to pull Sam down to continue their kiss, but Sam pressed a finger to Gabriel's mouth. "You did ask for it one more time." Gabriel scrunched his face in irritation and confusion, causing a chuckle to reverberate within Sam's chest at Gabriel's face. "I love you."

Gabriel expression softened. "Love you too, Hubby."

There was a beat of silence as the two enjoyed the confessions, then Gabriel groaned and rolled his head back into the pillow. "Now can we please get to the fucking already. This is torture!"

Sam laughed and dove for Gabriel's mouth.

He gave Gabriel everything the archangel wanted.

End.

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