I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - Holiday Prompt Fill
Title: I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
Author: Gedry
Pairings: John/Gabriel
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 902
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. I am making no profit from this fanfiction.
Spoilers: none
Warnings:none
Summary: For kijikun who wanted wrapping presents
No beta, my bad!
I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
“You do know the kids don’t believe in Santa, right?” Gabriel huffs as he moves on to the next box to wrap. “I mean seriously, we don’t have to do this Christmas Eve, we could have packed this stuff up weeks ago.”
“Gabriel,” John sighs. “Less wrapping more talking.”
“I’m going I’m going,” Gabriel snarks.
John rolls his eyes at his friend and focuses on trying to put the bike together for Dean. “This thing has more parts than my car,” he grumbles. His hands hurt and his back hurts. He’s tired and grumpy.
“Again,” Gabriel comments. “Could have done this before tonight and been drinking a beer right now.”
“You mean I could be here drinking a beer and you could be out at some wild party with Kali,” John snorts.
“Not likely,” Gabriel mutters.
“Why?” John asks as he gets up to stretch his legs.
“We broke up,” Gabriel shrugs.
“Again?” John questions. He’s trying not to laugh. Gabriel and Kali have been on and off again for a long ass time. It’s nothing new.
“Fuck off,” Gabriel snaps. “This is serious. It’s over this time. We just want different things.”
“Like what?” John leans against the counter and takes a drink of his beer, pushing Gabriel’s toward him when his friend looks a little green in the gills.
“She wants another year of wild parties and long vacations and I want,” Gabriel sighs. “I want a family. It’s time for me to be a big boy John. I want nights at home with someone where I’m doing crap like this. I want kids to tuck into bed who ask me crazy questions all day long and glare at me when I won’t give them the last cookie. I want to be part of something bigger than just me.”
“So that’s it then,” John comments. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not,” Gabriel shrugs as he slaps a brightly colored bow and a gift for Dean and shoves it over into the wrapped pile. “It’s time for me to grow up.”
“You’re coming over tomorrow,” John says. It’s not exactly a question but they’ve been friends for a long time and John’s more than a little interested in Gabriel if he were to tell the truth. He’s been off the market since Mary and his boys have never responded to anyone that John’s spent time with like they have Gabriel.
Dean treats him like a confidant, something between a parent and buddy. He talks to Gabriel about things that he would never open up to John about and Sam just adores him. Sam would follow Gabriel to the ends of the Earth asking him a million questions about everything he could think of and hang on every answer Gabriel just made up.
“At this rate I’ll still be here in the morning,” Gabriel chuckles.
John goes back to the bike and Gabriel finishes the other gifts long before he’s done. By two hours later they’ve both settled down to plow through the matching bike for Sam, both of them hoping it can take half the time of the first one.
“John,” Gabriel asks hesitantly. “If I were interested in someone else, someone that’s not a woman, would I still be welcome over here?”
“Of course,” John says without a thought. “I can’t even believe you asked me that.”
“I’m sorry,” Gabriel murmurs. “I’m being an ass.”
“I still love you,” John answers gruffly with a nudge. He’s turning to ask for the next part when Gabriel’s kissing him suddenly. It might have gone smoother if John hadn’t dropped the wrench on his bare foot because of the surprise.
Gabriel slaps a hand over his face as he moans in pain, trying to keep his voice down so he doesn’t wake up the boys.
When he gets himself together John spends a moment laughing quietly at how utterly stupid this all is. “Next time warn a guy okay?”
“I’ll take that under advisement,” Gabriel huffs but he won’t look at John’s face.
They sit like that for a while in silence. “What are you waiting for?” Gabriel finally snaps, flustered.
“You,” John answers and when Gabriel turns to him with wide eyes John kisses him.
The next morning the boys don’t even comment about the fact that Gabriel’s sipping coffee in a spare pair of John’s pajama pants. It’s obvious he never went home last night the lack of blankets makes it pretty clear he didn’t sleep on the couch either.
So does the hicky on his neck.
“You staying?” Dean asks after breakfast.
“I’m heading home in a little bit but I’ll be back before dinner,” Gabriel answers.
“Not what I’m asking,” Dean clarifies and John thinks, not for the first time, that Dean’s eyes look much older than his age.
“Would it be alright if I did?” Gabriel asks.
“What do I call you?” Dean says with suspicious eyes.
“Lord and Master of the Universe,” Gabriel says with a grin.
“Shut up dude,” Dean chuckles. But after a pause he adds “Sammy’s gonna be real happy. I am too.”
Gabriel’s smile is blinding.