Work Text:
Griff was walking down the hallway, heading for his room, when he saw Gabriel approaching from the other way. He looked as if he were…moving furtively? With his hands in the large pockets of his khaki coat, the one he’d taken to wearing on hunts. Griff blinked and looked more closely. The pockets were…squirming?
“Gabriel? Why are you sneaking around? And what do you have in your pockets?” He had to suppress the fleeting memory of Gollum invoked by that question.
Gabriel actually jumped as Griff spoke. “Shit, Griff. I didn’t know you were there.”
Griff raised an eyebrow at him and tapped his chest. “Seriously? You can always feel the grace in my chest.”
Gabriel’s expression morphed from surprise to chagrin. “Well. Almost always?”
Griff let out a quick bark of laughter. “Okay. But that still doesn’t answer my question.”
The angel motioned him closer and took a hand out of his pocket. “Come see.”
With Gabriel, you never knew, but Griff was reasonably certain the angel wouldn’t let him get hurt, so he stepped forward to peer in Gabriel’s coat pocket.
A squirming ball of tri-color fuzz rolled around and peered up at him with brown eyes and up-pricked ears. “A puppy?”
Gabriel grinned and held open the other pocket. “Two puppies.”
Griff loved dogs. The last time he’d had a chance to hang out with a dog was back in Bill and Sarah’s universe. But he still had to ask. “Okay then. Why do you have a couple of puppies? Dean is going to scream.”
Gabriel pulled a severe frown. “Let me deal with Dean. These are for Sam. He loves dogs.”
Griff knew that, and he knew that Sam loved dogs as much as Dean didn’t. On the other hand, Sam was also pretty willing to share his stuff, so if it meant puppies in the Bunker, Griff was all for it.
“What’s the occasion?”
Gabriel’s eyes darted down to the puppy in his right pocket. “Uh. Two-month anniversary of bonding Lex?”
Griff laughed again. “Let me get this straight, Gabe. You’re celebrating the bonding of Lex by giving Sam a couple of puppies. You know Lex isn’t exactly a dog person either, right?”
Gabriel pointed to the puppy that was attempting to climb out of his pocket. Griff reached out and caught it before it could topple to the floor. “How can anyone resist that?”
Griff held the fuzzy creature to his face, inhaling puppy smell. A tiny tongue gave him a thorough kiss. “I don’t have any idea. But then I like dogs.” He held up the puppy. “What breed?”
“Beagle/German Shepherd cross. My favorite.”
Griff raised another eyebrow at him. “Wait? But I thought corgis were your favorite dog breed?”
Gabriel shook his head and frowned. “I don’t know where that came from. I mean, I see it in fanfic all the time, but no, I’ve never owned a corgi.” He scratched his chin. “I would have expected terrier from the dog I had when I was doing my gig at Crawford Hall.” Griff noticed the far-away, fond smile on the angel’s face. “Where I met Sam.”
Griff had heard this story, and he still wasn’t sure smiling was the right reaction. On the other hand, this was Gabriel.
“But,” he continued. “All the stories have me owning corgis or turning into corgis and…” He threw up his hands. “I just don’t know why.”
Griff shrugged. “I’m partial to beagles anyway, so I’m cool with these.”
Gabriel’s eyes grew conspiratorial. “Then you’ll be willing to help me?”
Griff did trust the archangel…mostly…but he still had to check. “Doing what, exactly?”
“Keeping the puppies in your room until Sam and Lex get back from their hunt.”
Griff’s mouth widened into a grin. “With pleasure.”
“Don’t let Dean see them.”
“No worries. I was FBI. I can make things disappear when they need to.”
Gabriel laughed and clapped the man on his shoulder. “Of course you can. You’re my vessel, after all.”
***
Gabriel knew he’d left the puppies in good hands. He’d picked up from Griff that the man liked dogs and wanted one. While he had truly gotten the puppies for his mate, the angel didn’t mind making more than one person happy with his gift. He was sure he could get Lex to go along with it, especially when he saw how happy they made Sam and Griff. As for Dean, well, he’d think of something. Sam could be counted on to help.
The two days until his mates came back dragged on endlessly. He had finished his binge of the CW shows and cast around for something else to watch. Finally, he’d found Three’s Company , and he spent most of his time watching that, when he wasn’t sneaking into Griff’s room to play with the puppies. He had decided to name them Janet and Chrissy, in honor of the two women from the show. He thought about trying to explain Jack Tripper to his nephew but eventually came to the conclusion that it would require too much explanation. He’d keep the thought to himself, and if anyone wondered why he was smiling? Well, he liked keeping them guessing.
Griff had done an excellent job of sound and odor-proofing Griff’s room, and Dean had no clue there were puppies in the Bunker. Cas knew, of course—he could sense the presence of the animals—but he was as amused by them as Gabriel. Chrissy had taken to the seraph and liked to chew on his tie. Gabriel had promised to snap him up a new one when it became too ragged to wear.
Finally, however, he felt the approaching presences of Lex and Sam. He grinned at the thought of his gigantic mate trying to fit himself in Lex’s Honda Civic. He really needed to get his newest mate a larger vehicle. Maybe a Hummer? He tried to imagine Lex in a Hummer and had to admit it wasn’t a good look for him. He’d figure something out eventually.
He shuttered the bond, not wanting to admit how much he’d missed them. Sam gave him a knowing smile as he clomped down the Bunker steps, and he knew he hadn’t fooled the big man. Lex dropped his bags and dashed over to hug his angel. “I missed you,” he said, his tone shy.
Sam engulfed them both and whispered, “He really did. I had to…distract him frequently to take his mind off of it.”
Lex pulled back with a frown. “It was only the one time!”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Really? What about…”
Lex held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, yeah. And maybe that time too.”
Gabriel regarded both of his mates with affection. He trusted each of them to watch out for the other, but he still wished he could go on all the hunts to protect them. However, if he did, Sam would lose his edge and Lex would never gain his.
“Dean’s cooking burgers,” he said.
Sam picked up his bag in a hurry. “Let me drop this in our room. I’m hungry!”
Gabriel snapped his fingers with a casual flourish. Sam and Lex’s bags both vanished. “I don’t intend to let you out of my sight for the rest of the evening.”
Sam grinned. “Oh ho. Lex wasn’t the only one who was missing his mate.”
Gabriel put an arm around both of them. They were joined mind-to-mind, and he didn’t want to conceal his feelings from them. So, he didn’t mind that Sam had caught him out. “Of course, I did. It’s the first time you both were gone since we bonded Lex.”
Lex and Sam each gave him kisses on his cheeks. “Let’s go get some dinner,” Sam said.
***
Dean’s burgers were up to their usual standards, and Gabriel ate three of them. Which led to a lot of teasing. When no one could take another bite, they all headed for Dean’s Man Cave ™ to hang out. It wasn’t often that all the Bunker residents were in residence, and Dean had proposed movie night.
As Dean turned on the TV, Three’s Company started. “Dude! You’re watching this lame show?”
Gabriel had been about to sprawl all over Sam, but he straightened, letting his eyes flash just a little. “It’s not lame. I met John Ritter once, and he was a fantastic human being. I adore this show.”
Cas put a hand on Dean, who had the grace to look abashed. “Uh. Sorry. Want to watch it now?” It was obvious Dean would rather watch just about anything else, but Gabriel had to give him points for trying.
“No, it’s movie night. Let’s find a movie.”
Griff, who often played the peacemaker role, proposed Prisoner of Azkaban , and everyone agreed. Cas popped the popcorn. Dean set up the movie. Sam motioned Lex and Gabriel to the couch, while Griff took one of the comfy chairs. Soon everyone was comfortable, and the movie played.
About halfway through the movie, Gabriel suddenly sat bolt upright. “What’s wrong?” Sam asked.
Griff was already standing up. “I…need to check something in my room.”
Dean glanced up from stroking Cas’ hair. “What’s up?”
Gabriel noticed suspicion in the Hunter’s tone. Bonding Cas had made him more sensitive to things around him. Had he figured out about the dogs?
Dogs? came a sending from Sam.
Gabriel sighed. Clearly the secret was almost out. “Go ahead and bring them out here, Griff.”
“Bring what out?” Dean asked, sounding even more suspicious.
“Something for Sam,” Gabriel said.
You got me a dog? Sam’s mental tone was amused and delighted.
I think it’s more than one, Lex added.
Gabriel frowned. The hacker was getting far too good at…well…hacking him. It was starting to be hard to keep things private. The archangel sighed. “Yes, both of you. It was supposed to be a surprise for later, but…”
Griff appeared just then with two squirming balls of fuzz. Sam stood up with a squeal. Gabriel smiled, realizing he had never heard that particular sound from his mate. Griff handed one of the puppies over, and she promptly started licking Sam’s face.
“ Where the kisses are hers and hers and his ,” Gabriel sang, grinning,
Dean groaned. “Puppies? Two of them? In the Bunker? They’d better not make a mess.”
Sam was reaching for the second puppy and cuddled both of them. “They’re adorable. Do they have names?”
“Janet and Chrissy.”
Lex doubled over with laughter. “You named them after the girls from Three’s Company ?”
“Why not? They’re perfectly good names.”
“They fit,” Sam said with a laugh as he tried to keep Janet from wriggling her way to the floor.
Dean was looking disgusted, but Cas was whispering in his ear. Good. His baby bro had his back.
Sam handed Janet to Lex, who took it carefully, as if it might bite.
“It’s a puppy, Lex, not a werewolf.” Griff was smiling at his partner’s expression.
Janet cuddled down in the hacker’s arms, and the man smiled. Gabriel could feel his wonder and happiness through the bond.
Sam grinned at the angel. “I love them. Thank you, Gabe.”
Dean made a disgruntled huff but said, “I don’t know a lot about dogs, but those don’t look like corgis.”
Gabriel threw up his hands. “Like I told Griff a few days ago, I have no idea where that came from.”
Sam started laughing and everyone looked at him.
“What?” Gabriel asked. Sam’s side of the bond was shuttered tightly.
“Oh, nothing.”
Gabriel frowned at his mate. “Sam! What?”
Lex started giggling, and Janet perked up and licked his face. He shifted her so all she could reach was his arm.
Gabriel rolled his eyes. One mate was hiding things from him. Which his other mate clearly could read. “Lex?”
Lex walked over to Sam and put the arm not holding the puppy around the big man’s waist. “You started it?”
Sam nodded.
“Started what?” Gabriel asked. Then he thought he got it. “You started the thing about me and corgis?”
“Sam writes fanfic?” Dean asked, almost yelling. “Since when?”
Sam was grinning. “Since…oh…a few months after Gabriel returned. I had an idea for a fic, created an account on Tumblr and posted it.”
“Did this idea involve corgis?” Gabriel asked.
“Maybe,” Sam answered, his tone sly.
“Why corgis?” Cas asked sensibly.
Sam shrugged. “They’re compact, fun loving and full of energy. They seemed to fit.”
Gabriel sighed. Not what he had expected, but it could have been worse. At least it wasn’t that Becky person.
“Uh, Gabriel,” Lex said suddenly, holding Janet away from his body. “About messes…”
“Not in this room,” Dean said with a groan. “I knew I’d hate this.”
Gabriel snapped his fingers, and the mess vanished. “Griff and I will have them housebroken within the week. They’re both smart and eager to please. Until then, well I am an archangel.”
“Where will they sleep?” Lex asked, sounding as suspicious as Dean had earlier.
“With us,” Sam said, his tone matter-of-fact.
“Fight you for them,” Griff said. “I’ve gotten used to having them with me.”
“There are two puppies,” Lex pointed out reasonably.
Sam looked as if he was considering, but he finally nodded. “All right. Griff can have one, and we can keep the other in our room.”
Lex shrugged and seemed agreeable. Griff was smiling. Dean wasn’t but Cas had an arm around him, and Gabriel knew his brother would work on his mate. Even Dean couldn’t resist cute puppy antics forever.
Gabriel regarded his entire family with fondness. Yes, puppies were just what the Bunker needed to be complete.