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Angels never failed to surprise Sam with their peculiar, often times annoying quirks and mannerisms, whether it be their own secret communication using body language or their reaction to trying new food. But without a doubt, one of their most curious habits involved their love of television.
When Gabriel trapped Sam and Dean in TV Land, Sam had been so exasperated with the ridiculous scenarios he was forced into that he did not think too deeply on how or why Gabriel knew so many television tropes. But Gabriel wasn’t the only one who seemed infatuated with television. The hallucination of Lucifer remarked about being able to watch HBO, and even Cas found television entertaining. And when Crowley confessed to watching “Girls”, Sam had an inkling feeling that angels and demons alike seemed to agree that television was awesome.
Thus, it was no surprise to Sam that television nights became a regular occurrence in the bunker household.
With only one TV in the bunker, squabbles over the remote were inevitable. Sam had come home late at night to see Crowley and Gabriel hissing at each other and battling over the remote more times than he could count. Cas never got involved in any of the actual fighting; though he would demand that he be allowed time to watch his documentaries. Sam thought it kind of redundant that an ex-angel would want to watch documentaries about nature and science when he had actually seen all of this happen, but Cas said that he liked to watch these events from humans’ perspective.
Though they might bicker over whether to watch the cooking channel or a show about the migration treks of arctic terns, there were a select few shows that they all enjoyed. Something about HBO shows sucked angels and demons in like it was nectar from the gods. Castiel, Gabriel, and occasionally Crowley too would put aside their differences and sit on the large sofa together, entranced by whatever show of the week had them caught hook, like, and sinker. Honestly, as strange as it was, it was kind of amusing to listen to them trading theories about what will happen next in the show or analyze a specific scene. Of course, this also tended to end in shouting matches and pillow fights, but such was life in the bunker.
The trio’s newest addiction happened to be Game of Thrones, which was something that Sam could actually get into for once. A Song of Fire and Ice was one of the (many) series that Charlie suggested to him, and he actually enjoyed the books well enough. So he had no complaints when Gabriel dragged him onto the sofa on the premiere of the show, interested in seeing how the TV series compared to the books. Naturally, Cas and Crowley fell into line as well, and before Sam knew it, Sunday nights became Game of Thrones night for the bunker crew.
On the night of season 9 episode 3, Sam kept his expression perfectly calm and smooth, unwilling to hint at what the episode would entail, much to Gabriel’s insistent wheedling throughout the duration of the previous week. Gabriel was fidgeting in place in his seat, anxiously waiting for the start of the show when a disgruntled Dean plopped himself beside Sam, with Cas falling into place beside Dean. Cas managed to drag Dean into watching the show with them halfway through the first season. At first Dean pouted and grumbled throughout the first few episodes, but Sam knew that Dean was just as sucked into the series as the rest of them were, even if he would never admit it out loud. The way that he would lean in with wide eyes betrayed his interest every time, always tensing when the action scenes unfolded. And, well, the sex scenes probably didn’t hurt either.
When the episode started, the four of them tuned in with intensity, scarcely daring to comment or breathe in fear that they would miss something. By the time the wedding reception started, however, the comments started flowing in amongst each other.
“Why did they close the door?” Cas asked with a frown.
At the same time that Gabriel chimed in, “Uh, pretty sure something terrible is going to happen.”
“Are they going to fight?” Cas asked, his frown deepening as he leaned forward, as if sitting closer would help him see what was to come.
“Probably? Maybe? Sometimes?” Gabriel said.
“Jesus, be quiet,” Dean hissed, waving at Gabriel to pipe down. In any other situation, Gabriel would have a cool retort on hand, but nothing could tear him away from the episode. Even Dean was entranced: he did not blink away from the screen, blindly reaching over to pull Cas back onto the sofa, as he was leaning so close off the edge that he was about to tumble off.
Violence rained down in the form of arrows and spears, and just like that, everything exploded at once.
“What the actual fuck!”
“They killed baby Sean Bean!”
“This is terribly upsetting.”
Sam remained calm during his friends’ outbursts, which did not go unnoticed by Gabriel. His frantic lover turned to him with narrowed, suspicious eyes, a slight tremor to the hand that rested on Sam’s knee.
“How are you not freaking out over this?” Gabriel asked, just in time to watch Robb crawl to his deceased wife. Cas gave a mournful little sound.
Sam shot Gabriel a patented Look. “Dude, I’ve read the books.”
Another burst of outraged, shocked cries filled the room as Robb met his untimely demise. Dean’s knuckles had gone white from clutching his fists so hard, and Cas was hugging a pillow for support, his big blue eyes wide. And when Catelyn screamed in grief for her dead son, Gabriel’s heart dropped to his stomach. Lady Frey and Catelyn quickly followed Robb’s death. Dean made a noise that he would later deny to his grave.
“I’m so fucking done with this show, oh my God.”
“What kind of sick bastard would agree to this?”
“Fuck George R. R. Martin, man.”
“Nope. Nope nope nope.”
“It hurts to watch but I can’t look away.”
Gabriel’s distraught gaze darted between the television and Sam, unsure of whom he was more upset with at the moment.
“You could have said something about this episode being a blood fest!”
With a shrug, Sam gave Gabriel’s hand a squeeze. “Nah, thought I’d let you be surprised.”
Crowley chose that time to scurry in, finished with the business that he had been taking care of over the phone for the better part of the hour.. “What did I miss?” he asked, looking from one distressed man to the next.
“Everyone died,” Gabriel wailed.
“They killed Grey Wind too,” Cas noted with an air of sadness, unblinking eyes never tearing away from the TV. “They could have spared the animals.”
Crowley waited for the ‘just kidding’ that never came. “Dammit.”
~~
Later at night, Gabriel was still sulking, currently sprawled out on the bed he shared with Sam, his face buried in the pillows.
“I will never be happy again.”
“Okay, overdramatic much?” Sam asked, pulling off his shirt and sitting beside Gabriel in bed. Not even the sight of a half-naked Sam stirred Gabriel from his mourning; a serious sign indeed.
“No. It’s a perfectly natural reaction to that life-ruining episode,” Gabriel mumbled into the pillows.
Chuckling, Sam rubbed the small of Gabriel’s back in slow, deep movements. “Maybe you could take a break from television for a while if it’s upsetting you so much.”
That, however, did cause Gabriel to lift his head and stare at Sam like he sprouted a second head. “Never.”
Again, Sam swore he would never understand angels.