Chapter Text
It had all started a week ago. Team Free Will, plus Gabriel the semi reluctant hanger on, had been sat peacefully on the couch, watching some soap opera. Since this was TFW and Gabe though, peacefully was a relative term. Dean was complaining loudly about whatever Ricardo was doing this time, Cas was asking questions in plaintive tones about whatever Ricardo was doing this time and Sam was trying his best to concentrate on whatever Ricardo was doing this time but failing miserably because of Gabe’s distractions and impressions of Ricardo. He was fairly certain Ricardo was flirting with someone though (maybe Marcia?) , since that’s what Gabe was doing to him.
“Ok I can’t take any more of this,” he declared, pushing Gabe off the sofa arm. He toppled backwards with a squawk and landed in an undignified heap. Sam burst out laughing and his disgruntled face and messed up flop of hair.
“Shut up!” ordered Dean and Gabe in sync.
“It’s not funny!” protested Gabriel as he popped back onto his couch arm, gripping it a little tighter this time.
“It is a little funny,” replied Sam, smirking.
“I could have been seriously hurt!”
“It’s a tiny drop and you’re an archangel.”
“Ok one, it’s not a tiny drop to the ground it’s massive!” Gabriel risked letting go of the couch to gesture wildly to show just how ‘massive’ the metre drop was, but quickly clamped his hands back down when Sam feinted a shove. “And two, how do you know being pushed off a sofa isn’t the archangel’s secret weakness?”
“It was a risk I’d be willing to take if it means I don’t have to put up with your Ricardo style flirting,” sighed Sam.
“You do not ‘put up’ with my flirting!” argued Gabe, sneaking some popcorn out of the bowl. “’Putting up’ is something you do with something you don’t like. You ‘put up’ with Dean, you ‘put up’ with salad, you ‘enjoy’ my flirting. And Ricardo is copying me for the record!”
“Shut up dude!” said Dean. “I think Marcia is going to say she loves him!”
“If Marcia loves him, why did she pretend to marry Antonio?” asked Cas.
“Cas have you even been paying attention?” Dean launched into a complicated explanation of the many virtues of Antonio and the benefits of pretending to marry him. Sam, Gabe and Cas all managed to tune it out.
“I don’t know why you even bother,” said Sam, turning back to Gabe. “It’s not like I’d ever go out with you.”
“But there are infinite worlds right?” asked Gabe, winking. “You’ve gotta do it in some version of reality!”
“No way,” replied Sam, turning back to the TV. He probably should have known better than to challenge a trickster, but then he was distracted by the loud entrance of Antonio, who was just in time to see Ricardo and Marcia kiss. The conversation was instantly forgotten among the drama of cheesy soaps. Or, rather, it was forgotten by most of them. Gabriel remembered, and if there was one thing he couldn’t resist it was a challenge. Well, that and lollipops. And maybe Sam. But that was beside the point.
Sam abruptly broke away from the kiss and stumbled back a few metres when they popped into existence in the bunker. Or perhaps the bunker popped into existence around them. Or maybe the football pitch just melted away and they had been in the bunker the whole time. Gabriel wasn’t entirely sure, and he was the one who had set it all up, so he could only imagine how confusing it was for the three sorry saps he’d roped into this. They were back to their normal selves, dressed in their typical clothes (Cas and Dean were still covered in pink glitter though, because how could he resist?) but they were looking down at themselves in alarm rather than seeming relieved like he expected. After a second, he remembered he was still repressing their memories of who they truly were. Snapping his fingers for the second time, he refreshed their minds and was glad to see a sort of calm return to his moose.
Sam took a deep breath and stared at him.
Oh damn. This was the wrong kind of calm. This was the ‘Sam is furious’ calm. Dammit.
“Gabriel?”
“Yes?” he replied brightly. He felt a knot of nervousness begin to twist in his stomach. Maybe creating an entire alternate universe and complete new lives for the hunters and his little brother just to prove a point to Sam (and finally relieve some of that goddamn sexual tension between Cas and Dean) was going a little too far?
“Did you cause all of that?” Sam’s glare made it clear that he already knew the answer.
“Well… it wasn’t NOT me if that’s any help?” Gabriel felt his had go to his ear automatically before remembering he didn’t have piercings in this world. Instead, he cast his eyes around the room. Cas and Dean seemed to have decided that dealing with him could wait until later and were continuing their long kiss (now standing up) Gabe wished Sam would follow their lead, but the murderous glint in his eye suggested otherwise.
“I can’t believe you…” sighed Sam. “I wanna punch you so bad right now!”
“Is ‘punch’ a euphemism for ‘snog’?” asked Gabe hopefully, wiggling his eyebrows.
All the tension drained away from Sam and a softer expression drifted onto his face. “Yeah, sure, just come over here then.”
Gabe had actually already taken a step before he noticed Sam’s hand curled into a fist by his side. “Actually, I changed my mind!” he yelped before zapping to a safe distance away (Greece) He was almost sure he could hear Sam’s furious curses from here, or maybe that was the ‘busy’ couple he’d accidentally dropped in on.
Not bothering to apologize, he made he was out of the hotel room and onto the bustling streets. Ok, sure, maybe he’d have to watch his step for rings of holy oil for the next few days, or weeks, alright fine, months! And Sam would probably be grumpy with him for ages. But he’d sorted out their little Destiel problem. And he’d proven that Sam would go out with him in at least one AU, and he hadn’t used his powers to make Sam like him. Those feelings were real in that world and this one, just maybe buried a bit more than he would have liked. It didn’t matter, he could work on it. Until then, he’d carry on as he always did, laughing, flirting and dishing out just desserts.
Happy with his progress, he began humming as he made his way to the beach. He was sure he could sense an adult taking joy in knocking down some kids’ sandcastles. Hmm… unlikely he would appreciate some kids knocking down his house. That sounded like a plan.
Gabriel was so busy being caught up in his next mischief that he didn’t notice the tune he was humming. If he had, he maybe would have smiled about it. ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ was the classic song of his people after all.