All I need is a miracle/All I need is you

[fromfryingpantofire]

Things had been going well lately. Hunts just seemed to fall into their laps, the book Sam needed at the library had just been handed in or just been reshelved, the sheriff or local law looking the other direction when they needed to get to a cemetery for a salt and burn. It had been going really, really well.

It should have occurred to Sam that things were going a little TOO well, honestly. But he didn't even think about it until a knife that should have had his name on it simply ricocheted off his chest, as though he had some forcefield up around him.

Later that night, Sam pulled his overshirt off at the hotel, looking at the spot where the knife had definitely started to pierce the fabric. "Okay. There's definitely something weird going on here."

Comments

[fromfryingpantofire]

Sam isn't surprised by that, really. Castiel had always struck him as a bit young in some ways. "He was desperate," Sam finally says. "Raphael was trying to find a way to reopen the Cage and start things up all over again. And Cas wasn't strong enough to really oppose him. It was civil war and he was looking for any way to finish things fairly safely."

Not that it had gone well. Maybe, had Castiel shared the souls as he'd first intended, it wouldn't have overwhelmed him as much. But Sam can't be certain of that.

[low_key_angel]

"And I wasn't in any damn shape to help him," Gabriel frowns, his expression distant. He didn't feel quite the same sense of relief when he learned about Raphael's death as he did about Lucifer and Michael falling into the cage.

"Safely and Purgatory don't exactly go hand in hand. So 'm guessing you two couldn't talk him out of this completely cracked scheme of his?"

[fromfryingpantofire]

"We didn't even know about it until close to the end." Which is embarrassing to admit. They'd always trusted Castiel, hadn't had a reason to believe otherwise. "Cas...he was trying to follow my last wishes, trying to keep Dean out of hunting, letting him lead a normal life. Which was why he didn't go to Dean when he was having trouble to start with. Heck, he even tried to pull me out of the Cage. Didn't work, but he tried and I can't imagine it was easy at all."

Sam leans against Gabriel, trying his best not to let his memories turn back to that point. "I'm pretty sure the original idea wasn't his. Pretty sure that one came from Crowley. He was having trouble keeping a handle on Hell, too, trying to keep those who wanted Lucifer back in charge at bay. But...I think we at least talked Cas into not trusting Crowley, because he tried to take all the souls of Purgatory himself and...it ended badly."

It ended in the deaths of a lot of people. "He realized he couldn't hold them all and tried to send the souls back to Purgatory, but the Leviathans were too strong. They held on, then tried to drown Cas in a reservoir and got into the water."

[low_key_angel]

Gabriel looped his arm around Sam, listening to just how badly things had gotten with a distant frown. Sweet merciful fuck had they gone wrong.

"'m sorry kiddo. I wish I could have talked Lu into standing down, backing off or something. But it sounds like things just went from bad to worse to holy shit after I kicked it."

He smoothed a hand down Sam's arm absently. At least he was safe now. Small comfort against what had already gone down, but Sam would be okay. Safe.

[fromfryingpantofire]

Sam let out a breath and nodded. "Interesting side effect of the spell you did? I'm not getting nightmares any more. It's like the shield is doing its best to keep me from mental harm as well as physical."

If only he could give that sort of peace to his brother, too. But there were limits to everything.

[low_key_angel]

"Kinda meant for that to happen," Gabriel leaned to brush the hair back from Sam's forehead. "Because you need all the protection I could possibly put together for you."

He can't give it to Dean, as much as he really did like the older Winchester. All he could do is wrap Sam in as much protection as possible for both of them.

[fromfryingpantofire]

And being able to sleep without dreams meant that at least one of them was always rested. It could make a hell of a difference in their lives.

Sam turns his head, following instinct and kissing Gabriel's wrist. Since it's there. "Thank you. I think I'd still rather have had you, but the protection is good."

[low_key_angel]

The affectionate gesture is met with a pleased smile and Gabriel shrugs, "And who said you don't have me, kiddo?"

Hell, Sam had always had him really. Just this time it was a slightly less powered-up version. But the feelings were still there.

"I'm glad it worked. That you can sleep a little closer to normal."

[fromfryingpantofire]

Sam frowns slightly, turning back to Gabriel. "Would you ever have tried to find me? After dropping your Grace on me, that is?" Because, yes, it bothers him a bit that Gabriel didn't seem to look for them before doing so.

[low_key_angel]

"I wanted to Sam, I really did. But considering how things went the last time you saw me, I wasn't entirely sure if I'd be greeted with a hello or a shot to the face. So I, just kept putting it off. First I had to recover. Then it was the spell."

Because it was safer to love Sam from a distance than get closer and realize that it was completely and utterly one-sided.

[fromfryingpantofire]

"Considering everything, I think we could have at least stayed neutral." Whatever dick things Gabriel had done before--and there had been some spectacular ones--dying to save Sam and Dean and give them the key to dealing with Lucifer was enough to at least give him a chance. "But...I get it, I think. It's hard, when you don't know what your reception will be and there are so many other things to concentrate on."

Not entirely one-sided, but Sam was still sorting out his own feelings. But he still thought it could be good.

[low_key_angel]

"You're a veritable ray of sunshine, you know that?"

Gabriel gets it though, so all Sam gets is a little teasing in return. It wasn't easy, adjusting to a human life and he really had been preoccupied for a long stretch of it, even if his thoughts were never far from the big hunter.

"Anyway. You're here, we'll figure the rest out as we go along." Not a guarantee, but at least a promising sort of start.

[fromfryingpantofire]

Sam snorts, leaning in to kiss Gabriel's temple. "Yeah. We've got time. And we're both smart guys. We'll sort it out."

[low_key_angel]

He grins at the kiss, squeezing his hand. "Yeah. I think we'll figure it out Sammy."

"There's a guest room at the top of the stairs, you can crash there tonight. Fair warning, couple of the dogs might decide you need company and crash on you."

[fromfryingpantofire]

Sam laughs softly and grins. "I think I can handle sleeping with a couple of the dogs." And it's probably easier than trying to figure out any other sleeping arrangements. Especially this soon after the mutual admission of feelings.

ooc

[low_key_angel]

((Hm. Anything else you want to do with these guys? Fast forward it a bit or have something happen?))

Re: ooc

[fromfryingpantofire]

((Fast forward a day or so? Let them get used to each other?))

Fast forward it is!

[low_key_angel]

It's been an interesting couple of days so far with Sam staying at the house. The two of them taking the dogs for their morning run, Gabriel teasing Sam relentlessly about trying to keep up to a runner with such ridiculously long legs before returning home to breakfast and coffee while the dogs lazed in the cool grass. Sharing kitchen duties (although he'd pretty much relegated Sam to coffee duty while he did the cooking) while they talked.

It was comfortable, almost domestic. Gabriel would steal a kiss before heading to the bar to open it up and most days, Sam would grab a few books and come with him, reading in one of the booths or just to sit at the bar and chat while he worked.

"... and so there I am, wings tinted bright pink in the middle of Asgard, and Thor in a blue minidress. You've never seen anyone quite as furious as Freya had been that day." Gabriel refilled Sam's coffee with a wink. "But it was worth it."

[fromfryingpantofire]

Sam had been on the phone at least once a day with Dean, assuring his brother that he was fine and that things were going okay. And to call him if there was a hunt or anything like that. But, really, he's enjoying a little down time and getting to know Gabriel as he is now. Something that they'd never had a chance to do before.

He hummed as he picked up his coffee, snorting softly. "Okay, seriously. That sounds...like it must have been a lot of fun, actually."

[low_key_angel]

Gabriel grinned, leaning comfortably against the counter while he waited for the eggs to finish cooking. It had been a good couple of days simply spending time with Sam and getting to know him.

"Thor was a lot of fun when you caught him in the right mood. Good day? You wound up having a hell of a lot of fun. Bad day? Dodging Mjolnir left and right."

[fromfryingpantofire]

Sam grins in reply, wrapping his hands around the mug and watching Gabriel. It was strange, just how easy some of this has become. Like it's something he should have been doing ages ago. "Sound's a little bit like Dean," he admits, then shakes his head. "We actually found Mjolnir a while back. It was being sold in an auction along with one of the tablets. It's in the bunker right now."

[low_key_angel]

And just like a switch being flipped, the smile fell away. Thor didn't go anywhere without Mjolnir. Ever. When Odin handed the damn thing over, Thor never let it out of his sight.

Which means.. fuck. Dead or retired, and the big guy wasn't exactly one for retirement. "You.. you have it? You're sure it's Mjolnir?"

[fromfryingpantofire]

"Well, the people who were bidding on it certainly seemed to think so?" Sam frowns, looking down at his coffee for a moment. "And it did take out a pagan? Or, at least, pretty sure it was a pagan. Called himself Vili, after Odin's brother." Or maybe he had been Odin's brother. It could get confusing. "I mean, obviously the myths about Thor being the only one who could hold it must have been false."

[low_key_angel]

"Vili was a duplicitous little shit and if he got taken out by Mjolnir then good riddance." Gabriel took a breath, pulling himself together. "Sorry, I.. Thor was like a brother. He wouldn't want to be parted from that hammer for anything."

"Anyone could pick the thing up, but only certain types can pick it up and use the sucker. Magic weapons. You know how those things are - all kinds of cracked out rules."

[fromfryingpantofire]

Sam took a moment to consider that, then looked up at Gabriel. "I know. I'm...sorry. I don't know how it was parted from him, but maybe we can look for him. Maybe return the hammer where it belongs."

Though there was another question that Sam had, now. "Umm. What's it supposed to do when it's used? In actuality, not just myth."