[SPN Crossover Big Bang] Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself - Epilogue + Timestamp
Epilogue ~ Two Years Later
The cameras' flashes blinded Sam for a few seconds, but he kept on giving them his best grin, dimples and everything. None of them were really there for him, but they still took a photo every time he took a step thanks to the person walking beside him, keeping a firm grip on his hand.
Gabriel beamed with pride as they walked down the red carpet together, smiling for all the photographers. His eyes glistered in gold as he spun around to give every single journalist a shot from his best side. Sam laughed even more, but he couldn't take his eyes off Gabriel. He looked absolutely fantastic in his black three-piece suit, the moss-green bow-tie topping it all off, because this was Gabriel after all.
Sam himself had dusted off the old suit he had worn at the important meetings when he had still been working in New York. Gabriel had taken one look at it before banishing it back into the wardrobe again. What had followed was a shopping round on Rodeo Drive and Sam walking home with a new form-fitted, navy blue suit.
Before they had left home, he had walked down the stairs, trying to tie his tie. He had called on Gabriel for help and well, Gabriel too had been having a hard time with it. It hadn't been so much because of trouble tying it, but more of trying to keep from tearing it and the rest of Sam's suit off. Somehow, they had managed to keep out of each other’s pants. This was Gabriel's big day and there was no way they could be late.
“Excuse me, mister Loke, Mister Loke. Could I have a second?”
A reporter was leaning over the fence keeping the public away. She was armed with a microphone with some channel's logo on and a camera man stood just behind her. She was giving Gabriel the bleached teeth smile, a must for the predators that were Los Angeles' entertainment reporters. Gabriel caught her eyes and strolled over to her. He still had Sam's hand in his so he had no choice but to tag along. At least he positioned himself outside of the camera frame.
“Mister Loke, this must be an incredible day for you. This is your first script to make it to the silver screen and it's already one of this year’s most anticipated movies.”
“Yes,” Gabriel admitted, his smile flashing towards the camera. “It's totally awesome. I mean, these two years have been amazing. Sometimes I wake up, thinking it's all just a dream, then I go to work and meet Robert Downey Junior. It's.. well, awesome.”
Sam laughed a little, holding a hand in front of his mouth. Gabriel never did humble very well, but Sam wished he had been able to tape Gabriel's reaction on meeting RDJ for the first time. Sam had been in the car at the time it happened, waiting to pick Gabriel up for a date. Then, the man Sam had had kind of a man-crush on ever since Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang had walked past the car, bee-lining towards Gabriel.
The actor had shaken Gabriel's hand as Gabriel tried to wheel up his chin again. Sam had never seen him that wide-eyed, not even when the two of them had visited Hershey's. Later, Gabriel told him that Robert had been there to audition and that he just wanted to tell Gabriel what a great script it was. Gabriel hadn't said anything on their way to the restaurant and Sam had only laughed every time he slowly shook his head.
“Can we look forward to another script soon?” The reporter then asked as the camera man zoomed in a little on Gabriel's face.
“You're not getting rid of me that easy, if that's what you're asking. I'm here to stay, baby! And maybe win an Academy Award or two, but that's for a later time. I'm not working on anything right now, though, I'm too busy doing things with my boyfriend that I can't mention on national television. But yeah, I'll be back. Just enjoy today's show first!”
Sam's eyes widened and he could feel a blush heat his cheeks. Not exactly the noblest of expressions on a red carpet, but what could you do when Gabriel was just being Gabriel? His boyfriend gave a good-bye wave to the camera, but as it still followed them, Gabriel pulled Sam's arm down. They were still broadcasting live television off of them and there were enough cameras to document every step Sam took. Maybe he did it because it was Gabriel's big day, or maybe he wanted to show off a little. Sam didn't really have a plan when he leaned down to kiss Gabriel, almost lifting him off the ground. He just did it because he loved him.
It wasn't the best kiss they had shared. They were both smiling, one of Gabriel's chuckles mixing in as their lips moved together. It was wonderful nevertheless. Sam had to hunch over to reach down and cup Gabriel's face, who in turn stood on his tip-toes. Applause and wolf-whistles were heard from the crowd. Sam vaguely noticed Gabriel flipping off at them, something that of course only encouraged them further.
They broke the kiss soon enough, both of them still smiling. Sam's hands had curled around the small of Gabriel's back and he felt the soft material of the suit jacket under his fingers as he withdrew. When they got home, without the cameras and the fans hanging over the fence, they would continue that kiss and Sam would be able to peel the whole suit off Gabriel.
“Come on, we've given these people the next best show of their life. Time for the Grand Finale, Sammy,” Gabriel said as he stood firmly on the ground again. Their hands clasped together again as they walked down the remaining length of the red carpet. The premiere was just about to start.
* * *
As the curtain dropped in front of the screen, people all around them stood from their seats. Men in suits and women in fancy dresses stood up and clapped their hands. The applause echoed inside the room and they just carried on. Sam too clapped so hard he could feel the burn on his palms, but he didn't stop.
Gabriel sat in his seat, looking straight ahead at the red curtain. His eyes were focused on a distant point, but his lips had curled into a smile. The producer patted him on his shoulder and Gabriel turned to him. They both exchanged some hasty words but it wasn't long until he turned towards Sam. His hand squeezed his and Sam looked straight into Gabriel's eyes.
“I knew you could do it.”
“I remember the dubious looks you gave my notebook during the trip,” he said, a glimmer in his voice. “But come on, the party don't start until I walk in, as Ke$ha so wonderfully put it.”
The party was, well, Hollywood didn't hesitate to put out when it came to a good party. They had both dropped their suit jackets somewhere. Sam had taken off his tie too, opening the two top buttons of his shirt. Gabriel's vest and bow-tie remained on as he went around, shaking everybody's hands. You wouldn't believe how many people that were engaged in producing such a large-scale movie, not to mention all the guests. Sam swore he had seen Brad Pitt a while ago.
Waiters with trays stacked with champagne glasses flowed between the guests and Sam snatched two glasses from one of them. He handed one of them to Gabriel and they clinked their glasses together. After just one sip, their moment was broken by people who complimented Gabriel on his work, wished him luck with future projects and some who just wanted some time with one of the men of the hour in front of the large gathering of photographers that roamed the party.
Some two hours passed with Sam staying by Gabriel's side all the time except when he went to refill their drinks. It wasn't his scene and he got nervous every time someone even remotely famous came up to speak with him. Gabriel did his best to include him, but Sam relished in the moment when they were finally alone. Gabriel seemed a little nervous though, which was odd considering the reception his movie had received.
“There's something I'd like to ask you,” he said then. “I've been thinking of how to do this for a long time. Been planning, thinking and well, probably over-thinking the whole thing. I wanted it to be perfect. Then I realized that the two of us, we're eh, not the best people to plan perfect things. So, yeah, I'm just gonna go ahead with it.”
Gabriel grabbed Sam by the arm then, pulling him away from the crowd and into a secluded corner of the room. Sam begun to question him, but a single look from Gabriel silenced him. The shorter man's hand rummaged around in his pocket then, and Sam could see his hand forming around something. Was that...
“So, I know this is supposed to be my night, but you know what? I would much rather make it ours.” And with that, he withdrew his hand, a small velvet box following along. He opened it to reveal a simple silver ring along with a not as simple question. “So yeah, if I go down on one knee here people are gonna freak and we’ll get camera flashes up in our faces, but, uhm, Sam? Do you want to marry me?”
Sam looked over his shoulder, anxiously trying to spot any of the photographers Gabriel spoke of, but it seemed that for once, people were leaving them alone. So, he turned back to Gabriel who stood waiting, his eyes larger and that half-smile of his that Sam couldn’t help but grin along with when he saw it.
“Yeah,” he said, his own smile growing as he put a hand over Gabriel's. “You crazy, wonderful sugar-addict of a maniac. I want to marry you, of course!”
As if competing with Sam's, Gabriel's smile grew even wider, his eyes golden in the light. He removed the ring from the box, his eyes never leaving Sam’s.
“Good,” he exclaimed, threading the ring on Sam's finger. “Let's steal some more champagne and go home!”
The End
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Bonus: Timestamp
“I still can't believe that you actually made a movie out of it. You're fucking nuts, you know that?”
They were both crammed on the sofa in the house they had bought last year. The sofa itself was huge, like most things in the house, but still Gabriel was leaning up against Sam who in turn had his arm draped over his husband's chest. The TV was playing in front of them, and it was the movie that just started that made Sam utter the words.
The movie was about a year and a half old now, but Sam couldn't help but to smile and shake his head whenever it came up in different situations. It was the fourth movie of Gabriel's that had made it into production and the second time he worked with Robert Downey Jr.
“Aww, come on, Sammy,” Gabriel laughed, and Sam could feel the vibrations against his chest. “It was a too good of a story not to be told.”
Sam huffed at that, but he pulled Gabriel a little closer, leaning in to place a kiss on his cheek. The movie went on with the scene in the plane that Sam remembered a little too well, to the drugs, the car crash, the mishap at the Mexican border and the rather grand escape. He smiled a little at the memories of what had happened after their own escape from the hillbillies, and he whispered in Gabriel's ear:
“At least you didn't make Robert and Zach have sex in the car.”
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