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“Okay so let me get this straight, you’re Loki right?” When Gabriel nods Dean continues, “And he’s the god dude who hung around with all those other dudes, including Thor?” Again Gabriel nods but with a raised eyebrow and set his beer on the table.
“Where you going with this exactly Dean-o?” Gabriel’s been with them for about a month, having scared the shit out of them when he came running out of the woods covered in dirt and half-dead. Apparently he’d been hidden away again after Lucifer killed him and his Father brought him back for ‘sacrificing himself for the good of mankind.’ He’d fallen just as the other angels had, and was taking it a lot better than most of the angels they ran into.
“Just answer the question.”
“Yeah, I knew Thor,” before Dean even opened his mouth Gabriel continued, “and no we weren’t brothers.” Dean huffed around his bottle.
“I wasn’t gonna ask,” he paused, “but I’m glad.” Gabriel waved a hand at him to go on. “Look, Thor’s got that magical hammer thing doesn’t he?”
“The Mjölnir.” Gabriel sighed impatiently. “Got my frickin’ mouth sewn shut for that one.”
Dean ignored the comment, “Yeah that, and isn’t he supposed to be the only one who can use it?”
“Yeah?” Gabriel studied his face for a moment, “You trying to tell me you held Thor’s hammer or something?”
“Not me. Sammy.” Gabriel choked on his drink with a cough, Dean instinctively reaching out to grab his shoulder as he got his breathing right again.
“What?” Gabriel’s voice had rose a few decibels and he looked over to where their brothers were watching some documentary on the living room couch. Castiel’s head on Sam’s shoulder as the fallen angel drifted in and out of sleep. “That shouldn’t have been possible. You’re sure?”
“He bashed a mans head in with it. Granted the guy wasn’t human or very nice, and it was pretty badass apparently, I wish I would have seen it first hand.” Dean smiled like he always did about his little brother, proud.
Gabriel frowned, watching as Sam ran a hand through his hair and leaned further into the couch cushions as Castiel shifted more into his side. The hammer had a specific type of person that could wield it, and it made sense that Sam could use it, sort of.
Twenty minutes later Castiel was snoring with his face pressed to Sam’s chest and the documentary was over, Sam smiled down at him and lifted him slowly so he could slide out from under him and lay him across the couch, chuckling as the fallen angel curled into a ball around a throw pillow. He shuffled into the dining area where Gabriel and Dean were still and the table and waved as he passed them to grab another round of beers from the fridge. He yawned when he dropped down into the chair next to Gabriel. “I don’t know when I’m gonna get used to the fact he’s gotta sleep now.”
Dean hummed in agreement but Gabriel pouted, “I’ve got to sleep now too.”
“Yeah but you always seemed more human than he did.” Gabriel huffed and looked away from Sam, who shot his brother a questioning look.
Dean laughed at the indigent angel, Gabriel was always one who seemed to crave attention and lately, from Sam specifically. “Think Cas is challenging your place as Sam’s favorite angel?” He didn’t miss the bitchface turned in his direction or the way the fallen archangel’s shoulders stiffened.
“Quit it Dean,” Sam rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. “What have you been talking about anyway? It’s been unusually long since your last fight.”
Gabriel shrugged, “Nothing, just about how you’re apparently a superhero.”
Sam’s eyebrows rose in question and Dean leaned forward with his elbows on the table, “I asked Gabriel about the time you slammed some dude with the hammer of Thor.”
Sam nodded, “I remember that, felt a little bad about using it for that.”
“You shouldn’t have been able to use it.”
Both Dean and Sam blinked over at Gabriel, “Then how did I use it?”
The angel shrugged and laid his forehead on the table, “When Thor was given the hammer he was told he could only wield it if he was worthy of it. Specifics I don’t really know because I didn’t really care back then, something about having a pure heart and fighting for good, or whatever qualified back then. The rules were a lot different. So you being able to knock some guys around with it makes sense, you always were a goody two-shoes.”
“Don’t make it sound like an insult, Gabe.” Sam shook his head and took a swallow of his beer to try and hide the tint in his cheeks.
Dean wasn’t bothered by it, “This means Sammy got to be all godlike and powerful with a magic weapon because he’s a hero? Lucky bastard.” He grinned, “I call the next mythical weapon though, it’s my turn.”
Gabriel would have retorted with an insult but he was a little preoccupied with Sam’s use of a nickname. Neither brother seemed to notice as they went on bickering across the table at each other. It was something Gabriel hadn’t gotten used to yet, being human, his thoughts were more easily distracted, and more often than not about the hunter beside him.
Dean stood from the table after he finished his beer and yawned, “I’m going to bed. Night Sammy, Gabriel.” He nodded at them before he left, pausing at the couch to shake Castiel awake and send him to his own room, next to Dean’s.
Sam bumped his shoulder against Gabriel’s as he stood from the table too, grabbing all the empty bottles to carry to the trash. “What’s up with you? You’re being oddly quiet.”
Gabriel stood and followed behind him, shrugging again, “A lot on my mind Sammy,” he smiled when Sam glared at the nickname.
“Yeah? Like what?” He leaned a hip against the wall and crossed his arms, watching Gabriel.
Gabriel took a moment to think about it, but sighed, “You, actually.” When Sam’s arms dropped he continued quickly before the hunter could leave. “About how even after all the shit I put you through you let me into your home.” Sam’s mouth opened to protest but Gabriel shook his head, “I know, I know, I sacrificed myself in the end, and all that nonsense you like to spew. That’s another thing actually, what I said earlier. You really are one of the purest hearts I’ve ever seen. I mean, you’re a hunter, you kill for a living, you’ve been possessed by Lucifer, you’ve lost so much, and yet you still keep fighting for what you think id right. Even when you’re wrong. You’re so strong, and not even me, or my brother for that matter, could break you.” He ran a hand through his hair and made it a point not to look up at Sam, “And then I show back up as human, and I have to be around you twenty-four seven and I start to notice other things. Like how much you love reading and learning about new things, even if they have nothing to do with a case. How you treat Castiel and Dean, how you went through those trials but beat the side effects and fought yourself back to full health. How you went back to check on Crowley. Crowley, just to make sure he was okay and hadn’t been killed, how you found him a safe place to go, since you pretty much cured him.”
Sam had stuffed his hands in his pockets with Gabriel looked up at him again, and was staring at the wall next to him. Gabriel smiled slightly, “And of course that stupid smile you get on your face when you’re proud of someone, or when you’re truly happy. The one with those ridiculous dimples that makes rainbows look dull. Or that way you say my name when you’re tired of me buggi-“
“Gabriel,” Sam croaked, his voice thick and it made Gabriel shut up immediately, thinking that he had messed something up.
“I’m sorry.” But then Sam was standing in his space and he was being pulled to a strong chest and enclosed in Sam’s arms. He melted against the hunter, wrapping his arms around Sam’s middle.
“You talk way too much.” Sam smiled down at him when he pulled away and Gabriel noticed the wetness of his eyes. Sam reached up and wiped his eyes with the palm of his head before leaning down to press his forehead to Gabriel’s who couldn’t bring himself to move, either closer or further from Sam. Sam decided for him by leaning down and pressing his lips to Gabriel’s. Gabriel froze for a second before kissing him back and closing his eyes, trying to keep Sam there even as the hunter pulled away too soon for his liking. “Thank you.”
Gabriel didn’t open his eyes as Sam whispered the words against his lips. He opened them though when Sam pulled away from him, watching as the taller man smiled shyly at him, ran a hand through his hair, and turned to walk back towards his bedroom. He stopped at the corner though and turned to flash Gabriel another smile and stage whisper, “Goodnight, Gabe,” before turning the corner and heading to bed.
It took Gabriel a few more minutes to move again; he shuffled off to his room and totally didn’t notice the way Sam’s light flicked off right after he passed the room. And if the next morning he woke up a lot happier than he had since he’s fallen, he’d never admit it.