Sam couldn't think straight by this point. He thought he finally had someone that he'd never have to lose, someone he'd never have to see go. But of course, fate or in this case devine interventiona well.... intervened. He's lost everyone he's ever truly, deeply loved. His Angel with those golden eyes and bright smile was gone, off to heaven to stop the other Angels from starting the apocalypse.
Gabriel didn't want to go. Basically said so in every language known to man and then some. But it was the only way and now Sam was waiting by an empty vessel, staring at the motionless body. He promised Gabriel that he'd take care of the man, watch out for him but... this was just weird. Sam never really liked to think too much about the human sleeping away in his subconscious while he did things with Gabe, using the man in ways Sam was pretty sure he didn't expect to happen when he first said yes to the Angel.
But he'd stay true to his word. He'd keep the archangel's vessel safe until one day Gabriel might have the chance to come back to him. Sam didn't know what was going to happen when the man woke up. But he was a little prepared; bucket in case he got sick, sandwich if he was hungry, water if he was thirsty.... extra blankets if he was cold... Sam just didn't know what to do. Without his golden eyed Angel near him, Sam felt lost.
Dixietech:
Gabriel didn't want to leave Sam; he fought against the idea for as long as he could until it became the only way out. The only way Sam and his brother would be completely free of Dad's completely awful Plan was if he went home and set things right. Kicked a little angelic ass back into line. They didn't know a thing about free will, so how could they possibly appreciate that it had been there all along?
With one last warm pass of his grace over Sam, warm and full of sorrow, he pulled away from his vessel. He and Cynewulf had been partners for a long time and he owed the guy his freedom. As the human began to stir, Gabriel washed him in warmth.
Be happy, buddy. Look out for my Sammy, okay?
Slowly he began to stir, clawing his way to consciousness for the first time in centuries. "Hnn.."
Second_son83:
Sam felt Gabriel's warmth brush across him and he had to hold in a whimper. His Angel's grace felt so sad and he prayed that feeling wouldn't be his last memory of the last Archangel. He sat in a nearby chair, eyes filled to the brim with unspilled tears. He knew now wasn't a good time to get caught up in his emotions but he couldn't help it.
Sam quickly wiped them away as he heard Gabriel's voice... the vessel's voice. He didn't even know if this man spoke English... probably not. Crap. Sam moved a bit closer, wanting to make sure that the other man was okay, but he still didn't say anything.
Dixietech:
I'm comin back Sammy. You're not done with me yet. A final vow before Gabriel arrowed towards Heaven.His arms felt like lead and it was a struggle to even drag a hand across his face. Memories are distant and fragmented - a jumble of places, names and faces, his existence tangled up with another's. And imagine Sam's surprise when he spoke English clearly, with a distinctly southern twang to it. "Christ on a pogo stick. If that ain't the mother and father of all hangovers."
Second_son83:
Well, that made him smile a little. He knew Gabriel always kept his promises.Sam's eyes were glued to the other man, watching his every movement. Then the man spoke.... completely plain English. The hunter's eyes widened to about the size of dinner plates when the English came complete with a southern drawl. Yeah. He was speechless. He had no idea what to say."Um... Can I get you anything?" It was the only thing he could come up with. He just... had no idea what to do. But at least the guy spoke English well enough to come up with a pretty good curse.
Dixietech:
Still a little shaky, Bill drew in a deep breath and raked his fingers through his hair. Blearily he blinked up at the man and.. stared. Gabriel sure could pick them. Wide, startled eyes and a sorrowful look that made him want to soothe away his unhappiness. "Where.. where is he? What happened?" His mind was startlingly quiet without the roil and storm of an archangel in him.
Second_son83:
The movements were different. He didn't have the fluidity that Gabriel did... it wasn't right and he knew Gabe would laugh at him for being a child but... he didn't like this."He uh... he had to go back home. Back to heaven. I'm not sure when... when he'll be back. He wanted me to look out for you. Make sure you were okay." Names and introductions? That could be done later. Right now he had to make sure the other man was okay and understood that he was just here to help.
Dixietech :
"You.. you're Sam, right?" Bill fumbles for the water and takes a long swallow. At least Gabriel ate often so he didn't wake up starving or dehydrated. They'd only bickered about that a few hundred times the first few years together. He scratches his nose and struggles to sit up. "I remember you."
Second_son83:
And that confused him even more.He moved closer as the man tried to sit up, wanting to make sure he didn't fall over in his sitting position. But he was still confused. "Um, yeah but... what do you mean, you remember me?" Maybe Gabe had told his vessel what they did in the dark... which.... you know, was really uncomfortable.
Dixietech:
"We used to.. talk I guess. It's.." he rubbed at his forehead, "hard to explain. We were partners, me and him. I was a poet a long time ago, centuries I think. Time goes a little funny after awhile with the guy, you know?""You're the first mortal he ever loved, you know. You should have heard the way his grace glowed when he talked about you."
Second_son83:
Sam was speechless. He had no idea what to do with this. His heart swelled when the vessel mentioned Gabriel's grace, a small, sad smile gracing his lips before sadness brushed it away. He sat back down in his chair, trying to catch his breath for a moment. "I... I , well... seems you know a lot more about me than I do about you. I'm not even sure how to pronounce your name." This was just nerve wracking. The voice was different. The mannerisms were different. This wasn't his Gabriel... Fuck, this was gonna be hard.
Dixietech:
"Used to be Cynewulf," he reached for the water, swallowing down a few more greedy gulps. "Honestly, the guy liked sweets, but hydrating was never high on his list.""Gabriel updated me a little, I think he wanted to make it easier on both of us. Better than leaving you a Saxon a thousand years or more from home. You can probably call me Bill. Might be easier."He can read the kid like a book, even without Gabriel's memories. "I miss him too," he offered quietly.
Second_son83:
Seeing how thirsty 'Bill' was, Sam bent to pull another water bottle out of the hidden mini fridge in his room. Dean didn't need access to everything Sam had. Sam listened to what the man had to say before he set the bottle on the nightstand next to his bed within Bill's reach. Sam found it hard to look at or to listen to the other man talk. He just wasn't used to Gabriel's voice sounding like that. It was too different and apparently Bill was observant. His eyes locked onto Bill's when the other man commented about missing the Angel. And all Sam could muster up the strength to do at that moment was just nod. But that wasn't much of anything and Sam knew he had to help Cynewulf... or Bill now, get back on his feet. "Yeah, but... he said he'd come back so..." nope. Still sounds sad, Sammy."I could never really get rid of him anyway," he said, trying for a lighter tone, smiling softly. "And knowing him, he'll show back up at the most inconvenient time possible."
Dixietech:
"I'll say yes," he offers. "Whenever he does come back."Reaching out, Bill unscrewed the bottle and drained about half of it in a single long swallow. This isn't easy on Sam and it's just as unsettling for him, missing the music in his head, the noise of the archangel. His angel."Of course he's going to show up at the most inconvenient time possible. That's just how he likes to operate."
Second_son83:
Sam brought his chair closer, trying to relax in the company of the other man. It was gonna be difficult but Sam was determined to do it. "You... you don't have to," he said quietly, even though the words hurt as they passed his lips. "Its your life... you can create a new one for yourself if you wanted."Its true, he wanted his angel back but... he couldn't let that happen if Gabriel's vessel wanted a new life. It was like Jimmy.
Dixietech:
Bill’s laugh is a shade unsteady as he looks down at his hands, flexing them. It’s odd to be in control again and not simply an observer. “I’ve got two sets of memories going on in my head. A guy who would completely freak out at the modern age, and everything that Gabriel gave me so that wouldn’t happen. And.. he’s my angel too. If he needs me again, all he has to do is say so.”There’s always the chance that he won’t come back, or that he’ll somehow find another vessel and let him keep his life, let him stay awake and the thought is exciting and terrifying all at the same time.“Sam, I get it if this is gonna be too much. I know what Gabriel asked, and he wanted me to look after you too. But I’m also not who you expect in this body.”
Second_son83:
The hand flexing brought back memories of his own run in with an archangel. Sam knew how this guy felt, to an extent. Being ridden around for a day or two is nothing compared to a few thousand years but still... he could relate. But he wasn't gonna bring that up right now. He took a deep breath as Bill spoke. "I'm gonna be completely honest with you. I figured that when, or if, you woke up you'd be someone that I couldn't even communicate with. But you are and that just made things a million times easier for me... for us. But you're right. When I'm with him, I... I always just thought of it being his body. I barely thought about his vessel. I've known him longer than I've known about angels so... yeah its gonna be a little difficult but I've been through a lot and I'm pretty sure this is nothing I can't handle."Of course this was gonna be difficult. He'd be around the body of his lover but wouldn't be able to touch or hold or kiss or laugh with... make stupid jokes at their brothers' expense but... but Gabe would come back. He promised. And if when Gabe came back he decided to find a new body... well, that would be a whole other thing that Sam would have to work through.
Dixietech:
He watches his hands a moment longer, just getting used to the feel of being in his own body again, alone. It’s lonely. Painfully lonely. There wasn’t the quiet ring of his laughter in his mind, or the hum of his consciousness. It doesn’t even bother him that Sam looked at him and saw Gabriel and not the face of his vessel; it was part of what it meant to be a vessel. You sacrifice everything so the angel can walk the earth and somewhere along the way, Gabriel became his angel.“I know. And it’s okay. I get it, I do. This is probably weirder for you than it is for me. I’ve got this quiet in my head, but you’re looking at someone you know and you don’t.”God this was going to be hard. A part of him wanted to reach out to Sam, to soothe away the sorrow in his eyes, the grief. But he didn’t think the gesture would be welcome given the situation. “I think it’s a safe bet that this sucks for both of us, but maybe we can hang on until he sets things right and comes back for both of us.”
Second_son83:
It wasn't just the inside of Bill's mind that felt quiet or empty. The whole room was still. Like all the energy had been sucked out of it. And that was the part that broke Sam's heart the most. It meant that Gabe really wasn't here... on earth. Yeah, Gabe stepped out of the bunker from time to time, came and went as he pleased but Sam could still feel him near, feel the archangel's energy, feel the connection between them. But now he felt empty and cold. Like all the light had gone out of the world.Sam hadn't felt this way since Jess.... "Hey man, enjoy the quiet while it lasts. Archangels have a tendency of running their mouths nonstop. So, don't get angry at the quiet just yet," Sam said, a gentle smile on his lips. He wasn't just talking about Gabriel though. Lucifer monologued like he was a Bond villain. "And I'm sure we'll get to know each other better as we go. Its what Gabe would want right?"
Dixietech:
"Yeah," he answered quietly, echoing Sam's smile. "He's a hell of a talker. But you know what he did best? He sang. Sometimes he'd wake me up just so he could sing a new song, a new fragment of the music that built Creation.""That's what he wanted," he confirms after a moment. "And I'd like that, Sam. I'd like that a lot."
Second_son83:
Sam's face showed his amazement. "He sang that to you? That must've been beautiful. He uh... he sang me to sleep once. Fell asleep too quick to really enjoy it."His smile spread a little, dimples showing for the first time in their conversation. "We should try then, try to make the most of this. It'll... it'll be good, I think. Is uh... is there anything you wanna do? Get some rest? Eat something? Take a shower?"
Dixietech:
Those dimples were this side of adorable. Bill can understand what drew Gabriel to Sam in the first place. The kid had lived one hell of a hard life, but instead of making him bitter and angry, it had only made him kinder.“Yeah. He liked to sing while you were sleeping, sometimes we’d talk then.” And okay, sometimes he’d grouched at the angel for poking him awake because he was bored while Sam slept, but that was Gabriel. He wasn’t doing things right if the people he loved weren’t occasionally exasperated by him.“I’d like that Sam. I really would. As long as it’s not in any way related to sugar or chocolate, I’m good. Is there any coffee?”
Second_son83:
Oh, his life made him bitter and angry. He just tried not to think like that too much. Like right now for instance, he was plenty angry and so bitter. Angry because Gabriel was gone and bitter because well... Gabriel was gone and it wasn't the first time he had to lose someone. He frowned a little. Why would Gabriel only sing while he was asleep? He would love to hear his Angel's voice. But he tried to replace his expression with something better, another smile. "Sick of sugar, huh? He uh... he's got one hell of a sweet tooth. But yeah, we've got coffee."Sam stood up, moving towards the door that connected his bedroom to the rest of the bunker. "Did you want me to bring you some? Or did you wanna try to get your land legs back?"
Dixietech:
He doesn’t know what brought on the frown, but without Gabriel around, they were likely going to have some time to get to know each other, learn each other’s patterns. Bill loved Gabriel - he’d been his angel for centuries and they’d been bonded in a way that few creatures had. But Sam had been in love with the angel.Slowly he swung his legs over the side of the bed, attempting to flex them, to reassert control over his body. “You might wanna grab it. I’m still working out the kinks here.”And Sam.. could probably use some distance, even if it’s for a few minutes. Time to collect himself, to get used to the idea of someone else looking at him with a familiar face. Tuck offers him a faint smile. He can’t ease the guy’s heartbreak at losing his angel, but he can at least try and be a decent friend to him until Gabriel returns.“I’m good, Sam.”
Second_son83:
"Yeah, okay. No problem," he said as he nodded, giving the older man a gentle smile before turning and leaving, closing the door behind him. He made his way to the kitchen, passing his brother along the way. Of course, Dean had a million questions but Sam really wasn't up for answering them. But he did anyway. Sam made a fresh pot of coffee for the new guy as he went over what he'd learned to his brother. Dean left him alone eventually, leaving Sam completely by himself for the first time in what felt like ages. As he waited for the pot to finish brewing, a few tears snuck in but he didnt have time for that. He had to help the other guy out, get him a room in the bunker, new clothes, food... toilitries.... everything that Gabriel wouldn't need."Fuck," he breathed, getting together a sugar bowl, creamer and a cup of the fresh brew. He slowly made his way back to his bedroom, knocking twice on the door before opening it and moving in to put the tray on the nightside table. "Here you go."