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Although he was very much enjoying his chance to be with Castiel, something was bothering Sam about how they got together. It wasn’t that everyone – him included – had assumed that Castiel was in love with Dean. He knew his brother too well to know that Dean would ever consider the angel romantically, since he’d been in a male form when they met and even if Castiel changed to a female host Dean would still likely think of him as male. Finding out that Castiel had wanted him all along instead of settling for him when he couldn’t have Dean? That was the best thing Sam could have imagined if he’d ever allowed himself to imagine things going anywhere.
Gabriel’s explanation for his interference was that he wanted to repay Castiel for agreeing to serve as parole officer, along with being a safe way to flex his pranking muscles. Sam wanted to believe that was all there was to it, but something told him there was more to it. If nothing else, he’d have expected Gabriel to come say hello – especially when Dean told Castiel to tell him to get his feathery ass to Kansas and let them say thanks.
He was thinking about it again after Castiel brought the message that Gabriel wasn’t at Dean’s command and would not be coming, which was fine because he didn’t want their thanks anyway. After all, if he’d done something to thank them for, plan A would have worked and he could’ve ganked Lucifer’s ass with his archangel blade, and plan B wouldn’t have ended up with Sam trapped in the Cage with his asshole brothers.
Two birds, one stone? Prayer would let him get his thanks to Gabriel, and maybe talking it through would help him figure out what the piece he was missing here was. “Gabriel – it’s Sam. Cas said you won’t come here, so I’m doing what I can to reach you. Hope you don’t have me blocked. I know we weren’t exactly friends before, but you came through for us in a huge way. I would love to see you, but if you won’t come, that’s your choice. Thank you for helping us out. And thank you for helping me and Cas out – I know you didn’t mean to, but you gave us a kick neither of us would have ever dared to make on our own. Not sure why you did it… Cas was going to spend his time here as much as he could get away with whether he and Dean or he and I were together or not, so there’s no getting rid of your warden, and I’m just not seeing what you…”
Sam cut off as there was a rush of wind and a whoosh of wings. “Hello, Gabriel.”
“Heya, Samshine. Couldn’t block your prayer even if I wanted to, so I figured this was the next best way to get you to stop embarrassing me, hmm?” Gabriel smirked at Sam. “So, you’ve seen me, thanked me… anything else?”
Gabriel had come for him. More importantly, Gabriel had let something slip. He was an archangel. Aside from his own true vessel, the only humans’ prayers he couldn’t block were people he had a very personal tie to. The parents of any nephilim he’d created. People he had been assigned as a guardian to, like the prophets. And, most importantly… a human he was in love with. “Yes. But we need Castiel here.”
Gabriel snapped his fingers. “Relax, I just told him we needed him here, he came all on his own,” he said off Sam’s glare. “Cassie, Sam wants to talk to us.”
“Yeah. I figured out why Gabriel put us in those dreams.” Gabriel’s face remained calm, but there was a tension around the eyes that had Sam convinced he was correct. “He was hoping that with you and Dean together, he might have a chance to…”
“Why’d I have to go catching feelings for the genius instead of the terminally straight one?” Gabriel muttered. “What now?”
“Now I try to figure out what our Father did to you,” Castiel said. “You know perfectly well that angels rarely form exclusive relationships, and that many humans are willing to share or be shared. Aside from a fear of rejection, why should Sam being with me mean you can’t at least ask him if he would welcome your pursuit?”
“Which, by the way… I would,” Sam said. “The stories Castiel has been telling me, the lore I’ve found about you, the way you helped or tried to help…”
“Tuesday,” Gabriel said flatly.
Sam reached out, putting a hand to Gabriel’s shoulder. “If you’d tried too soon after, you would’ve gotten exactly what you seem to think you deserve. But I’ve had time, not to mention the perspective from actually losing Dean and, you know, all that time in the Cage with your asshat brothers. You meant well and you were trying to keep me from making the mistakes I did. Look at all the bullshit Cas and I have obviously forgiven each other for – I can spread some of that your way.”
“Yeah?” Gabriel stepped closer to Sam. “You wouldn’t mind if I start trying to woo you?” His eyes shifted to Castiel. “And my parole warden wouldn’t get pissed off and start cracking down on me?”
“Your parole warden will aid and abet,” Castiel assured him. “Based on the dreams you created for us I don’t expect you’re lacking in ideas, but if you need assistance, I am at your disposal.”