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In a rare moment of weakness, Sam felt bad for Gabriel. The newly human angel had lost none of his sass and attitude when he lost his grace, but glancing at him, seeing him sulking without any sarcasm to it, Sam could tell it was really bothering him. Sam was the one who suggested they make a run to Target to get Gabe some more clothes, since there was nothing in the bunker that came close to fitting him. Cas could make due with some of Dean’s old clothes, even some of Sam’s old shirts, but Gabe’s vessel was almost a good foot shorter than both brothers. Gabe had whined and pitched a fit like a child, and it wasn't until he snarked something about not needing clothes at all that Dean put his foot down and demanded Sam take Gabe shopping.
Well, not so much demanded as pulled out his gun and threatened bodily harm against any part of Gabe’s anatomy not covered by clothes.
So here they were, Sam and an ex-arch- angel, wandering through Target with a cart half full of clothes and other human necessities.
“It's not that bad,” Sam attempted to reason while Gabe was examining packages of underwear. Gabe scoffed, tossing a package of briefs into the cart and another package of boxers (guess he's trying out both).
“Says you, gigantor. I have to learn how to play practical jokes without my mojo, and I’m stuck with you, your broody brother, and Cas in that overgrown man cave while I do it.” Gabe crossed his arms, following along behind Sam as they walked towards the grocery side of the store. “And as dickish as the angels were, they were my family, and I've lost them, too.” Sam winced, keeping his eyes on the cart.
“You've got Cas. You've got me,” he added. He wasn't about to speak for Dean.
“Hmm,” Gabe grumbled. Sam sighed, moving past the overly pink aisle proclaiming the Valentine's merchandise was 70% off. Making it to the end of the aisle, the toiletries came into view, and Sam turned to ask Gabe about shampoo.
Only to see he'd left Gabriel behind near said Valentine stuff. He turned the cart and wandered back.
“Gabe?” The shorter man was staring down the aisle, his eyes open wide. “What is it?” Sam asked.
“I take back what I said, humanity is beautiful, ” Gabe gasped. Sam looked down the aisle, each of the shelves were filled with piles of candy and lined with sale signs, nothing extraordinary about it. In fact it made Sam kinda nauseous just looking at it.
“Gabe, I'm not buying you shitty candy just because it's on sale,” Sam warned.
“Oh come on, Sam,” Gabe pleaded, walking over to a shelf and picking up a huge chocolate heart that claimed to be an ‘entire pound of chocolate’. “Have a heart?” Gabe turned to Sam, a pout on his face, holding the heart up under his chin.
“No,” Sam insisted. Gabe added puppy eyes to the mix, and Sam sighed inwardly. The guy had just lost almost everything… “Fine, just a couple things… Gabe… Gabriel!”
Dean's going to kill me.
Sam walked slowly down the bunker stairs behind an exuberant Gabriel who had three bags on each arm. Sam was holding two bags, one of Gabe’s clothes, and one with his other necessities, which Sam had ended up just picking out for him since Gabe couldn't have been troubled to pay attention once he'd found the candy.
“Cassie! Check this out!” Gabe shouted running towards the chair where Cas was sitting reading.
“Gabriel, what is all-”
“Perfectly good candy, all going to go to waste just because they put it in pink packaging!” Gabe was gesturing excitedly with both arms as he dumped the bags on the table, and Sam rolled his eyes, turning for the dormitory hallway.
“You're back!” Dean called when Sam wandered past his room. He had his pistol laid out across his bed for cleaning, and Sam took comfort in the fact he probably would at least not get shot right away.
“Yeah,” Sam held up the bags of Gabriel’s things. “Mission successful.”
“What are we going to do about those two?” Dean asked with a sigh. Sam shrugged, he'd been asking himself that question the entire time he was in Target.
“Two graceless angels, on the top of heaven’s most wanted list. Guess we’ll keep them here for now until we figure out a way to help.” Sam didn't miss the shift in his brother's posture.
“I don't mind Cas living here,” he shrugged. “Kinda glad we’ll be able to keep an eye on him, but Gabe?” Sam laughed.
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” He leaned on Dean’s door jam, watching his brother expertly and thoroughly clean out the barrel of his gun. “Look, I know you think he almost deserves this, for all the crap he's put us through, but Gabriel’s hurting too.” Sam watched his brother’s jaw tense.
“I know, Sam,” he sighed. “Just find it hard to feel as sorry for him as Cas, who's gone to the mat for us, who's bled and sacrificed for us.” Dean raised an eyebrow at his brother. “Gabe killed me 102 times in a single day .”
“You think I'll ever forget that?” Sam scoffed. “I lived that, Dean. All I'm saying is maybe… don't be too hard on him?”
“Okay, put your bleeding heart away, Sammy,” Dean rolled his eyes. Sam almost smiled, turning from his brother’s room and making his way to the room Gabriel had been sleeping in, dropping his things on his mattress. Sam retreated to his room, grabbing the enochian lore book he'd been studying and dropped into bed to continue reading.
A couple hours later, just as Sam is seriously contemplating a nap, Dean walks up to Sam’s door.
“Imma go grab some burgers, can I have my change from this morning?”
“Your- your change?” Sam stumbles, sitting up. Dean raised an eyebrow, holding out his hand.
“Yeah, I gave you $200, you came back with two bags of stuff, I'm assuming you have change for me.” Sam flushes, running a hand through his hair.
“Look, about that…” he started, and Dean’s hand fell to his side.
“The hell, Sammy? What could you have possibly spent all that money-”
“Dean,” Cas groaned, stumbling into view with his hands on his stomach. He looked a little green around the edges, and Sam hoped if he needed to hurl he'd get to Sam’s trashcan fast enough.
“Cas!” Dean grabbed Cas by the arm, looking him over worriedly. “Cas, what's wrong? What happened?”
“I'm afraid I don't know my human limitations yet,” Cas groaned, leaning on Dean so he was holding most of Cas’ weight.
“The hell did you do?!” Dean asked. Cas looked over at Sam, and Sam caught a glimpse of chocolate on Cas’ lower lip.
Son of a bitch.
“It's nothing a little pepto won’t fix,” Sam said, smiling nervously at Dean’s glare.
“Pepto?” Dean snapped.
“Cassie, don't leave me to die alone!” Gabe called from down the hall. Dean lowered Cas onto Sam’s bed and handed him the trash can, then he and Sam hurried back out to the library. Gabe was bent over the table groaning, and all that was left of over half the candy he'd bought was discarded wrappers.
“What in the holy-” Dean’s mouth was opening and closing but no words were coming out.
“Sam, you did this on purpose,” Gabe groaned when he turned his head towards them. “Trying to poison me-”
“I was not poisoning you,” Sam sighed, rubbing his forehead. “You just have no self control.”
“Sam, what the hell ?!” Dean snapped. Sam flushed, and busied himself cleaning up Gabriel’s mess. “Is this- please tell me this isn't where my money wound up,” Dean groaned. Sam flushed, helping Gabe up and walking him towards the hallway.
“Look, I thought if I cheered him up he'd be easier to deal with,” Sam grunted as Gabe fell into him, his arms wrapped around Sam’s torso tightly.
“Cheer him up… are you fu-” Cas’ groan from down the hall cut Dean off, and he scrubbed a hand down his face, turning on his heel to head back down the hallway. Sam helped Gabe to his room, leaving him long enough to grab him some water and pour him a dose of Pepto.
“Sammy, I'm dying,” Gabe whined, reaching out for him and Sam shook his head.
“You're not dying,” Sam grunted, tucking him into bed with a bucket nearby. “You have a stomach ache, you ate too much candy.”
“Too much… but that's…”
“You're human now, Gabe. Try and remember that,” Sam chuckled. Gabe groaned, curling up on himself.
“Yeah, laugh, you big stupid moose,” he muttered. Sam shook his head, stepping out of Gabe's room to go see if Dean needed help with Cas.
“I'm afraid I miscalculated how much ‘candy’ my vessel can consume,” Cas’ voice drifted out into the hallway, and Sam paused, peeking around the corner to see what was happening. He didn't want to incur more of Dean's wrath than he had to.
“It's just a little tummy ache, nothing a little time won't fix,” Dean reassured him, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. Cas was stretched out on his bed, and Dean had just finished tucking him in, dropping to sit next to him on the bed.
“I am sorry if my brother’s behavior and lack of gastrointestinal awareness upset you,” Cas said. Dean chuckled, a genuinely happy sound, not the forced laugh Sam was used to.
“Nah, I'm alright,” Dean sighed. “Feel bad for you though, too much sugar isn't fun.” Cas grunted his agreement, his face screwing up as his hand rubbed his belly. Dean reached out, his hand running over Cas’ forehead, and Sam’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Don't be angry at Sam,” Cas said quietly. “Seeing Gabe smile again was...well, mostly worth this.” Dean smiled, leaning in to brush his lips against Cas’ forehead, and Sam blushes, turning and backtracking down the hallway.
Well that's new…
“Sammy!” Dean’s voice makes him stop, and he composes himself before turning.
“I'm sorry, Dean, I didn't-”
“Just shut up,” Dean sighs. “Come help me clean up the mess.” Sam smiles, following his brother back into the library.
A few hours later, both of the ex-angels were feeling better enough to join Dean and Sam out in the library, and Dean set up a movie on their projector. Gabe chose the seat next to Sam, almost looking remorseful, and Sam nudged his shoulder winking to show he wasn't mad. Dean and Cas sat next to each other, Dean making sure Cas was comfortable before he finally sat down himself. A slight shift in Cas’ shoulder caught Sam’s attention, and he leaned back just far enough to catch a glimpse of his brother's hand slipping into the angel’s.
“So what are we going to do about those two?” Gabe whispered to Sam. Sam watched his brother’s half smile, and he shrugged.
“Who says we have to do anything?” he whispered back. Gabe wiggles his eyebrow.
“We could always out PDA them,” he muttered back. Sam was grateful the room was dark, though it didn't stop him from feeling the blush creep up his neck.
“Just shut up and watch the movie,” Sam muttered.
He may or may not have let Gabe’s head fall tiredly on his shoulder when the movie was halfway done, his arm curled tightly around Sam’s.
He also may or may not have caught Cas’ hand creeping up his brother's thigh. Dean shifted in his chair, his jaw clenched tightly, and Castiel smiled to himself.
Sam, in an incredibly good mood, grabbed a package of gummy hearts off the table, popping one in his mouth with a smile.
“Not fair,” Gabe mumbled. Sam laughed, and Dean and Cas turned to shush him, Dean’s eyes lingering on where Gabe had attached himself to Sam. Sam raised an eyebrow and nodded at Cas, and Dean’s eyes widened, his head snapping back around to watch the movie.
Sam decided the day after Valentine's Day was his new favorite holiday.