Hear Both Sides | NC17 | 3.1/4
Year three
Part One
Sam gave a pained groan from his seat next to Gabriel in the back of Crowley's ridiculously spacious SUV and leaned to the side to rest his head on Gabriel's shoulder. Gabriel snickered and patted his head before going back to the reason for Sam's groaning.
"No one forced you to eat all that salt-water taffy. In fact Crowley threatened you if you threw up because of the amounts you were shoving in your mouth, so really, you have no one to blame your stomachache on other than yourself," Gabriel told him in an entirely unsympathetic tone but did brush his fingers through Sam's hair which lessened the blow a little. Didn't do much for his stomach though.
"It was so nice!" Sam groaned, shifting so that he could press his face into Gabriel's neck. Only to grumble when he couldn't get quite comfortable. "You're too short."
"You're too tall! Hey! We're all bitchy. Clearly Crowley's been rubbing off on us in less sexy ways as well," Gabriel announced cheerfully, which completely belied what he was saying.
"Neither of you will ever reach my levels of sheer malice, don't even bother," Crowley told them from the front. Sam snickered and then sat up and looked out of the window at the passing scenery.
"So where are we actually heading for now? I mean, we've got, what? Two weeks left until I have to be back at Stanford? Do you have a plan of where else to go?" Sam asked, getting an idea when he saw where they were on a passing sign.
"Nope, no plans. We were kinda just winging it. Why, do you have any ideas on where you want to go?" Gabriel asked him, grinning as he rustled through the empty wrappers for more taffy and Sam just stared at him with a slightly nauseous expression on his face.
"Well… I was kinda wondering… see, we're in South Dakota, right? So well… do you think we could possibly stop at an old family friend's house to visit? I mean, not for too long. I doubt Bobby would be too happy if we stayed for too long, but I just thought it'd be nice to see someone that I consider family. You know? Plus, he might be able to tell me how my brother is. I think I'm kinda getting a little homesick. Well, Dean-sick. I don't know. I miss him," Sam admitted quietly, still staring at the scenery that was passing them by. The other two men in the car were silent for a moment or two, obviously deciding whether or not to agree to Sam's request.
It was a sigh from Crowley that broke the silence minutes later, causing both Sam and Gabriel to look over at him curiously. "This bloke, he your Uncle Bobby that you've mentioned a time or two?"
"Um… yeah. Bobby Singer," Sam said in a cautious voice, staring at the back of Crowley's head then looking over at Gabriel, who just shrugged and they both turned their attention back to Crowley.
"Right, so where's he live then? I don't really see much reason as to why we can't go see him. He's your family, so if you think he'll be happy to see you, then we can go visit," Crowley said finally, after making Sam and Gabriel practically fall of their seats as they waited for the man's answer. Though why Gabriel was curious was beyond Sam's knowledge. As far as he knew, this whole trip had been equally planned between Crowley and Gabriel.
"Really? That's awesome! Thank you!!" Sam exclaimed, having decided to just ignore the fact that apparently even Gabriel listened to Crowley in this relationship. Sam stopped that thought right then and looked up to catch Crowley's eye in the mirror. "Um…"
"What now, Moose?"
"Do we tell Bobby about us? I mean, all three of us us?" Sam asked, nibbling his lip and looking to Gabriel to see if he had the answer.
"Do you think he'd be okay with it?" Gabriel asked him, once again showing that he knew exactly when to drop his 'Trickster' persona and actually take things seriously. Normally, Sam had observed, the man only did it when he thought Sam needed to have a serious conversation.
Sam paused before actually answering, realising he wasn't too sure what Bobby would think about his current relationship. Though, of all the people Sam had met in his life, Bobby Singer seemed to be the most accepting and laid-back of the lot. "Um… he'd probably be shocked, but all in all, he may possibly be accepting of it. I mean… I dunno, I just want to tell him. No idea why, I just do. Maybe it's because I just want someone in my family to know, maybe?"
"Sounds like a reasonable request to me. So we let him know just what we are to you then? And I get to protect Crowley from the big bad father-figure in your life, right?" Gabriel asked him with a wicked smirk, which grew even wider when Crowley looked over his shoulder to glare at him. Though, even with the smirk, Sam couldn't help but think that there was an extra weight behind the words, for the life of him, however, he couldn't work out what that might mean.
"More like I'll be protecting you, Trickster," Crowley grumbled, making Sam snicker and ignore the fake wounded look that Gabriel shot him for clearly not taking his side on things. Sam just stuck his tongue out at him and snickered at the affronted look this got him.
"Bah! You're the demon of this relationship! Hell, I'm angelic!"
"Just because you're called Gabriel does not make you an angel, sorry to say," Sam said with a mock sad look, laughing as he ducked out the way of the swat Gabriel aimed at his head. "Actually, that reminds me. Um… Bobby is kinda, well… he's a bit of a paranoid old drunk and well, he sorta believes in things like demons and such, so… think we could cut back on the supernatural related nicknames? Including Loki? Because I really don't wanna get shot as soon as you two start bickering about something petty."
"So no calling Gabriel 'Loki' or 'Trickster'? And no calling me a demon every time Gabriel doesn't get his own way? I can work with that. And if your uncle looks like he thinks I should have a first name, then tell him it's Aleister," Crowley told them. Sam looked up and stared at the back of Crowley's head in confusion and not just a little shock.
"Is it your first name?" Sam asked, unable to let the subject go now that the man had brought it up. Sam had always wondered if Crowley was his first name or surname, or even his real name at all, and now he actually had the chance to find out he wasn't going to drop it.
"You going to start calling me it?"
"Um… maybe?"
"Then no, it's not my real name. It'll do in a pinch though, so use it. And no, I'm not telling you my real name. It's bloody embarrassing. Stick with Crowley if you don't want to wake up with me looming over you holding a pillow above your face, deal?" Crowley asked him, voice creepily pleasant and making Sam gape at him then look to Gabriel to see if he was being just as freaked out - and maybe a little turned on - by Crowley's big bad behaviour. Judging by the look on Gabriel's face, he was just turned on.
"Right, so no calling you Aleister. How about Lee?" Sam asked, grinning widely when Crowley grumbled under his breath, before he cursed a passing driver out so spectacularly that Sam felt himself blush.
"You call me Lee all the time when you're rat-arsed. How would now be any different? Other than you being sober for once?"
"What do you mean, for once? I'm hardly ever drunk! Only when you two peer-pressure me into it!" Sam huffed out, flopping back into his seat and crossing his arms over his chest.
"I think the whole point of peer-pressure is that you're pressured by people in your age-group. We're most definitely not in that range. Nice to be considered though. And ignore Crowley, he's just being grumpy because he can. So, where exactly are we heading? I mean, isn't South Dakota quite a large state? Would be nice to know where this Bobby guy lives instead of just driving around aimlessly and hoping that one day we come upon his house," Gabriel pointed out, making Sam blush when he realised he hadn't told them anything about Bobby other than the man's name and that he was close to Sam.
"Ah, right. Um, he lives just outside Sioux City," Sam said, shrugging when he caught the look from Crowley that told him he really hadn't given enough information for the man to go on. "Um… he owns Singer Scrap Yard… so it's not too hard to find. Really."
"Fine, we'll go on a smaller wild goose chase as opposed to hunting round the whole of South Dakota. Better than nothing, I suppose," Crowley grumbled, then took the next exit off the highway that would hopefully take them to the right place. Sam just beamed happily in the back seat, suddenly highly excited to see Bobby.
Sam's excitement faded pretty rapidly as soon as they started to pass familiar scenery, and Crowley and Gabriel knew they were getting closer just by Sam's nervous fidgeting. So by the time they actually pulled to a stop outside the main gate to Bobby's property, Sam was an alarming shade of white and looked like he was going to throw up or pass out in any minute.
"Um… Sammy?" Gabriel asked, gently placing a hand on Sam's shoulder in hopes to sooth the clearly freaked out man. Sam just carried on breathing deeply, trying to keep his stomach contents in and not make a complete fool of himself by passing out.
"Sam?"
"I've just had a thought," Sam managed to whisper once he was almost certain he wouldn't be throwing up anytime soon. Though having to voice his realisation may change that.
"What?" Crowley asked warily, and Sam jumped having not noticed that the man had apparently left the car to walk over to Sam's side so he could stand next to him. Gabriel was even closer to him, almost sitting on his lap.
"Just… what if my dad and Dean are there? They go to the man a lot, you know? So… what if they're there right now and… what if?" Sam whined, breath hitching a little as the sheer horror of what that situation could bring hit him fully.
"And what if they're not? We ain't gonna know unless we head in there, are we? So stop being a pansy and get out the car. If your halfwit of a father is there, then we'll deal with it then, alright?" Crowley told him, squeezing Sam's shoulder comfortingly before he stepped away from Sam and went back to the front seat. Sam nodded and took a deep breath before he managed to force himself to get out of the car and opening gate, letting Crowley drive past him, before he closed it again and got back in, this time sitting in the front with Crowley. Gabriel didn't say a word and Sam knew the man realised Sam was probably clinging to Crowley's gruff personality to hide behind.
They pulled up in front of Bobby's house, Sam breathing a small sigh of relief when he didn't see the Impala or their dad's truck anywhere, though he nearly choked when the front door to the house was flung open and Bobby came outside to investigate why Rumsfeld was barking, shotgun in hand.
"Right, better get out then, huh?" Sam muttered, almost to himself, before he pushed his door open and stepped out of the car. He walked towards Bobby, hearing the car doors slam shut as Gabriel and Crowley both left the car, but before he had a chance to say anything to Bobby, he was bowled over by an over-excited Rumsfeld.
Laughing loudly, Sam fussed and play-wrestled the large dog, before sitting up, patting the dog on the head and smiling widely at Bobby, who was just staring at him suspiciously. Though Sam knew that the suspicion was aimed more towards Crowley and Gabriel, than Sam himself, who had been given the seal of approval by Rumsfeld.
"Sam. Who're your friends?" Bobby asked warily, walking slowly towards them, gun held loosely by his side. Sam was well aware that the man would be able to shoot them at a moments notice however and he quickly stood up and moved to stand by Crowley and Gabriel.
"Bobby! Hey! Um… these are Crowley and Gabriel. We went on a road trip for my summer break and well, I asked if we could drop by to see you before we headed back home for my third year. So, um… yeah. Long time no see, huh?" Sam asked sheepishly, grinning shyly as he stared at the man he saw as more a father figure than his actual father.
Bobby just stood and stared at them for a moment longer, before stepping forward and dragging Sam into a hug. Sam stood still in complete shock for a second or two before he wrapped his arms around Bobby and hugged him tightly.
"Missed you, boy. I told your daddy exactly what I thought of him for what he did to you," Bobby told him once they'd pulled away from one another. Sam gave him a small smile and just shrugged his shoulders.
"How did you find out?" Sam asked, looking over his shoulder and smiling when he saw Crowley and Gabriel standing aside, letting Sam catch up with his uncle and generally giving off the impression of well-behaved, polite men. Which Sam knew was a complete lie most of the time.
"How about we head inside and I can tell you that story, and you can introduce me to the two men you've brought with you," Bobby told him, turning on his heel and heading into the house. Sam glanced over at Gabriel and Crowley once more and noticed they were whispering to one another though they stopped when they saw Sam looking at them curiously.
"We should head inside so that Bobby can get to know you and he won't be as suspicious of you. You two alright?" Sam asked them, stepping closer to them and shooting them both a concerned look.
"We're fine. Just discussing something. You know how it is. Crowley asking to hide behind me and everything. You alright? He seemed to be quite happy to see you, so that's a good thing, right?" Gabriel asked him, wrapping an arm around Sam's waist as he walked with Sam into Bobby's house, Crowley walking behind them, glowering at Rumsfeld, who seemed to be making an effort not to go anywhere near Crowley, much to Sam's confusion.
"Yeah, definitely a good thing. I really wanna know how he heard about what happened between me and my dad, sounds like it could be an interesting story," Sam said, frowning when Gabriel paused at the front door and twitched a little, then snapping his fingers like he'd just remembered something. "Gabe?"
"Hmm? Nothing! Just a thought that crossed my mind. Crowley, you coming or you gonna spend the rest of the day staring out the dog?" Gabriel asked, snickering when Crowley glared at them both before following them inside. Sam grinned, and leant back to squeeze Crowley's hand before he let go and stepped out of Gabriel's hold, then led the two into the front room where Bobby would be waiting for them.
Sam paused in the doorway and looked around the room that hadn't changed in all the years Sam had known Bobby, he bit at his bottom lip and glanced up to see Bobby just staring at him like he was a moron. A look he'd grown used to in the two years of knowing Crowley.
"Sit down, you idjit! I ain't talking to you when you're standing there like a lump," Bobby grouched, getting a snort of amusement from Crowley who was standing behind Sam, whilst Gabriel snickered and Sam just felt himself blush before he quickly took a seat on the sofa, moving so that there was room for both Crowley and Gabriel to sit with him. Because as much as the two annoyed him at times, he really wasn't mean enough to make one of them sit alone during an interrogation by Bobby.
"So… What did Dad tell you about me leaving?" Sam asked after a moment or two of awkward - on his behalf - silence. He shifted awkwardly in his seat a little when Bobby looked at him shrewdly.
"Him and your idjit brother came here about two months after you'd left asking for help about… something. I asked him where you were, and he told me exactly what he'd said to you and didn't sound remorseful in the least that he had just kicked his youngest out just for wanting an education," Bobby growled, the look on his face telling them all exactly what he thought of that, which warmed Sam a little, knowing that at least one person backed his decision.
"What did you say to him? That? I don't imagine he was all too impressed with that," Sam muttered, grinning a little as he imagined just how his dad would have taken Bobby telling him that he thought.
"Do I look like I care what the idjit thinks? I told him what I thought, then I chased him off with my shotgun and told him that if he came back then I'd shoot him," Bobby told them bluntly. Sam just stared at him for a second or two before bursting out into semi-hysterical giggles, leaning on Crowley as he tried to gasp in breaths between giggles.
"Oh! Oh that's- that's brilliant!" Sam gasped out between giggles, grinning widely at Bobby, who just looked back with thinly veiled amusement on his face.
"Right. So? You gonna tell me who those two are next to you?" Bobby asked minutes later, which promptly cured Sam of his giggles and made him sit up a little straighter. He felt Crowley stiffen a little next to him and knew that Gabriel was probably tensing as well. All three of them wondering just how Bobby would take the actual relationship between them.
"What do you mean? I told you, they're my friends from college," Sam said, wincing a little when his voice came out a little higher than normal and just screamed 'lying' to anyone that heard him. He really did suck at lying when it mattered.
"Uh huh. Little old to be college students, ain't they? How about you tell me the truth. Not that I completely get why you're lying to me in the first place. How bad can it be? Unless they kidnapped you to get to me, in which case I should probably shoot them," Bobby mused, smirking when Sam glared at him. He really wasn't helping Sam feel more relaxed at all.
"They haven't kidnapped me and forced me here and you know it. So stop threatening them. Look, the thing is… I'm kinda… they're… We're…" Sam huffed as he tried to think of a good way of telling Bobby that he was gay and in a relationship with two other men. And possibly had some sort of weird submission kink, though Bobby really didn't need to know that one.
"Sam? You ain't soothin' my suspicions here," Bobby pointed out and Sam blushed and looked down at his hands in his lap. He felt Crowley subtly move closer to him, clearly letting Sam lead and that made Sam actually feel a little better.
"Right. Of course. Umm… so here's the thing. Right? Yep. That. And there you have it," Sam nodded to back up his non-point, ignoring the exasperated look Bobby was shooting him and the amused looks he was getting from Gabriel and Crowley. Really, they could laugh all they wanted. They didn't have to tell their uncle that they were gay and taking it up the ass from two men. Not that Sam needed to go into that much detail. In fact, Bobby would probably thank him if he didn't.
"Well, at least I know you ain't possessed," Bobby muttered and Sam pouted, and made a mental note to possibly ask why Crowley stiffened next to him. And also ask why no one thought anything was wrong when he turned into a babbling spaz.
"What's that mean?!" Sam asked huffily, pouting and crossing his arms over his chest. Which really did nothing to make him look mature and less spastic. Well, it didn't make him look any more spastic either, so that was something.
"Means nothin'. So how about you try telling me what you should be telling me by using actual words instead of some sort of stilted language that ain't no one gonna understand but you," Bobby suggested, looking at him with that look that normally made Sam spill every secret he'd been hiding and most of the time got Dean into trouble and Sam a beating from his brother. Once he'd gotten out of whatever punishment Sam had gotten him in the first place.
Really, Sam hated that look.
So did Dean.
"I'mgayandi'minarelationshipwithtwoguys. Yep. Me. That's… yep," Sam sat up straight, smiling anxiously at Bobby - who apparently was just gaping at him. A glance to the side showed him that Gabriel and Crowley were both gaping at him as well and Sam really had no idea what any of their problem was. He'd said it, hadn't he?
"So you're gay, huh?"
"You understood that?! Man, you are some sort of magician or something! I still have no idea what Sammy says half the time. He's like a hummingbird on a sugar high at the best of times. You need to teach me-"
"Gabriel," Crowley interrupted. Sam stuck his tongue out at Gabriel, who returned the gesture whilst Crowley just gave a small suffering sigh between the two and shared a pitying stare with Bobby.
"Sam, you know I ain't one to question how anyone chooses to live their life. If you're happy, then I'm happy for you. Just… don't be doin' anything under my roof whilst you're here. Which brings up the question, how long are you intending on visitin'?" Bobby asked him. Sam just shrugged and looked to Gabriel and Crowley, none of them having actually decided on how long to stay. Hell, Sam had been happy enough to just fly by visit and leave that same day.
"Dunno. How long before we out stay our welcome?" Sam asked after getting a small shrug from both Crowley and Gabriel, figuring that either one would speak up if they actually had a problem with staying as long as they were allowed.
"Sam, son, you know you can stay here as long as you like. Your… partners are welcome too. So feel free to stay until you need to leave. You can stay in the room you normally stay in when you're here," Bobby told him and Sam smiled widely at him, even more happy that he'd decided to come here and visit Bobby than he had been before.
"Okay… so, well, it won't be longer than two weeks! I have to be back in California by then. So… um… I guess we'll just see how it goes, huh?" Sam said and smiled slightly when Bobby just nodded his head.
"Sounds good to me. So, how about you tell me what you've been up to since you started college? You enjoyin' yourself?" Bobby asked him, and Sam beamed, happy to sit back and tell Bobby about some of the funnier stories that had happened to him over the last two years. With helpful interruptions from both Crowley and Gabriel which mostly ended up with Sam blushing shades of red that were not normally seen in nature.
The next two weeks went far too quickly for Sam's liking, but at the same time, by the time they were packing their bags and throwing them into the car, he was a little happy to be heading back home. Though he was a little anxious that he would return to find that he was once more rooming with the homophobic asshole that was Brady. He wasn't sure what he would do if that were the case.
"Sam?" Sam turned when he heard Bobby call his name and the beckon Sam over. Sam glanced at Crowley and Gabriel, who seemed to be bickering over who would be driving. Or possibly who would be the one to sit with Sam in the backseat. He wasn't too sure which. Seeing, however, that they were clearly distracted, Sam walked over to Bobby and enveloped him in a hug before pulling back and smiling widely.
"It's been great staying here, Bobby! Thanks for not turning me away as soon as I arrived," Sam mumbled, a little curious as to whether Bobby had called him back for any other reason than to say goodbye.
"You know I'd never turn you away, son. And I'm glad that things seem to be going well for you. You're happy, right?" Bobby asked him, looking past Sam to where Gabriel and Crowley were now hissing insults or something at one another, whilst rearranging the bags in the back. Sam knew they were doing it deliberately to give him time with Bobby and loved them even more for it.
"I really am. Those two, as insane and annoying as they can be at times, are the best things that could have come from me leaving for college. I think, no, I know I'm in love with them, which really isn't anything you need to know, but well, I know that they'd do anything for me to keep me safe and happy. Which really is something you might want to know," Sam added, blushing a little as he realised he was currently having a chick flick moment with Bobby. Dean would smack him up the back of the head if he was there.
"Good. And Sam, if you really are serious about this relationship you have going, then I hate to say it, but you need to tell them the truth about your past. That ain't something you can hide from them and it certainly ain't something you can run from. It's going to catch up with you one day, and I'd advise that your partners are prepared as best as they can be. More chance of survival that way," Bobby told him, a look in his eyes that told Sam far more than the man's words were. Sam just nibbled on his lip and glanced at the floor though, not committing to anything. It wasn't that he didn't want to - well, technically it partially was - but he was also terrified that they would call him insane and leave him. And he knew he couldn't cope if that were to happen.
"I'm scared to, Bobby," Sam admitted in a quiet voice, jumping a little when Bobby just clapped him on the shoulder and gave a small shake of his head.
"Son, I know the risks of what might happen were you to own up to the truth, but don't you think they deserve to know? So they can be safe?" Bobby asked him, and Sam gave a loud sigh and nodded his head.
"Yeah, you're right. I… need to tell them the truth. As much as it might turn out to hurt me, it'd hurt me even more if either one was harmed just because I didn't tell them. Guess I just need to find the right time to tell them." Bobby gave him a small, but proud smile when Sam said that, and once more clapped him on the shoulder before pulling back, handing Sam a piece of paper with a number written on it, which Sam took and stared at in confusion.
"What's this? This isn't any of your numbers," Sam said, looking at the strange number in confusion before looking back to Bobby for the answer.
"That's your idjit brother's new number. Give him a call because Lord knows the boy won't be calling you. Too afraid that you'll reject him and that he'll ruin any all chances of normality that have going for you. He don't hate you, Sam, but he sure as hell misses you. And I'd wager that you miss him just as much. So give him a call and then maybe he'll stop bitching and moaning to me about it," Bobby grouched, tugging his hat off his head so that he could turn and twist it in his hands. Sam just gave a weak chuckle as he stared at the number, before putting it in his pocket and giving a small nod.
"I will, Bobby. And I'll try to tell them the truth as well. And Bobby? I hate to ask this, but…"
"Your daddy ain't gonna find out about this visit nor your two partners from me. So don't you worry none about that. Just stay safe, Sam and you know you'll always have a home here. Maybe keep in touch a bit more so that I know you're alive and safe. And visit more as well. Bring those two with ya when ya do. That Crowley guy has some interesting stories," Bobby told him with a grin, which just grew when Sam gaped at him then turned to stare at Crowley.
"There's something a little creepy and a lot terrifying about you and Crowley getting on, Bobby," Sam admitted, then he smiled and dragged the man into another hug before taking a step back and away. "I'd best be going before Gabriel gets bored and tries to teach Rumsfeld more bad habits."
"I swear that dog don't listen to anyone but you and now that menace you brought back with you. Feel free to leave him behind or on the side of the road when you come back," Bobby told him, making Sam laugh and shake his head, knowing the man liked Gabriel just as much as he liked Crowley.
"Will do, Bobby. And I'll come back again soon, okay? Call me if you hear anything, alright?" Sam asked, walking to the car and looking over his shoulder for Bobby's answer. The man just nodded his head and gave a small wave, which Sam returned eagerly then climbed into the back seat, snickering when he saw Crowley grouchily sitting in the seat next to him.
"So, time to go back to good old California and, for you, college! How fun, no?" Gabriel said chirpily after they'd all been silently driving along for a good hour or so. Sam just groaned in the back seat and slumped against Crowley, shifting so he could hide his face in the crook of Crowley's neck.
"I thought you liked school and learning and all that shit?" Crowley muttered, though he didn't hold back from wrapping an arm around Sam's shoulders and pulling him closer. They had refrained from showing too much affection to each other in front of Bobby to save the man from being uncomfortable - and Sam from dying of humiliation - so Sam was enjoying being able to just cling to Crowley without worry that Bobby would walk in and mock him/start muttering balls until the end of his days.
"I do like school. It's the rest of it that I hate. I just know I'm going to be rooming with Brady for another year because things have been going well for me and well, Fate hates me, so she's gotta find some way of torturing me, right? Brady is her way," Sam mumbled, feeling ridiculously sorry for himself.
"Huh, about that…" Crowley trailed off, which made Sam pull back from where he'd been trying to see if he could become one with the man and see the reason for why he had stopped speaking. Of course, looking at the man didn't actually help any as Crowley looked as stoic as ever, though he was glancing at Gabriel, who looked over his shoulder, nodded and then turned back to the road.
Oh no, Sam wasn't suspicious at all. "What? What about it? What are you talking about? Why did you and Gabriel share a look? What's going on?"
"Quit your yammering. You sound ridiculous. All I was going to say was, me and Gabriel have been talking about your third year and your… delightful ex-roommate and we decided to ask you something."
"What something?" Sam asked, still eyeing Crowley suspiciously.
"We were wonderin' if you wanted to move in with us permanently," Crowley told him, causing Sam to gape at him and do a pretty good impression of a stranded fish out of water, before he turned to look at Gabriel, who glanced over his shoulder to nod at Sam.
"Really?"
"Really. Why the bloody hell would we ask if we didn't mean it? We're cruel but we ain't that bloody cruel, Moose," Crowley muttered, narrowing his eyes at Sam, who just grinned sheepishly and shrugged.
"You wouldn't mind? You'd actually want me to live with you both all the time?" Sam asked, having to just make sure just in case they really were pulling his leg.
"Yes, all the time. What part of what I said was confusing? Because you clearly ain't gettin' it. Sam, we want you to move in with us and live with us permanently. Or until you get fed up of us." Sam snickered at that and grinned at Crowley before he launched himself at the man, ignoring his over-exaggerated groan as he clung to the man.
"In that case, yes! Definitely! I would love to!" Sam exclaimed into Crowley's chest, beaming though no one could see him. He felt Crowley's hand move to pet and stroke his hair, making him melt into the man even more and wish he could purr.
"So that's a yes?" Gabriel asked in amusement from the front. Sam felt Crowley's chuckle vibrate in his chest and snickered him self, pulling back a little so that he could kiss Crowley before turning to lean over the front seats and press a kiss to Gabriel's cheek.
"Definitely a yes," Sam confirmed, smiling widely and probably looking like he'd slept with a coat-hanger in his mouth. He didn't care though, he was just ecstatic that he'd no longer have to worry that he'd be sharing a room with Brady for a third year running.
Of course, given he would be living with the two on a permanent basis, Sam felt that it was probably even more imperative that he told the two just what, exactly, it was that he had been running from when he'd gone to college. Strangely enough, the prospect of doing so didn't look any brighter even with his new living arrangement.
When they finally got back to California, after a few diversions when Gabriel was behind the wheel, all three were exhausted, but Sam found himself buzzing a little and just knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep any time soon. All three piled into the house, deciding to leave their stuff in the car until the next day after they'd gotten some sleep.
However, upon collapsing on to the couch, Sam realised that he really should let the two know about his family and his past, or he really wouldn't be getting any sleep as it would be constantly playing on his mind. He just wasn't too sure how to tell them. Well, no, he knew how to tell them, he just wasn't sure how to start it.
"I think I could sleep for the next month. How is driving all day exhausting when all we do is sit down and watch other cars try to kill us?" Gabriel asked as he practically became one with the couch next to Sam. Sam still had no idea how the man looked like he'd removed all his bones whenever he relaxed. It was a skill, clearly.
"You're normally the one trying to kill us, not the other people on the road. Your passengers are suffering mental exhaustion," Crowley muttered, sitting in his usual seat and glowering at Gabriel. Sam grinned weakly and shook his head at the two, really he wondered if they ever stopped bickering with one another outside of the bedroom. He hadn't seen evidence of it.
Heaving a sigh and deciding that now was as good a time as any, given the two men were just as tired as he was and thus less likely to be bothered to call someone and get him committed or something just as likely upon hearing someone claim they grew up hunting ghosts.
"So… I should probably tell you guys something since I'm moving in and all…" Sam trailed off, not really sure how to carry on with that sentence and losing his nerve anyway when Crowley and Gabriel both looked at him sharply.
"You're not a serial killer are you? Because getting rid of bodies is a messy job. I mean, I'll help you, but try not to bring it back here. Blood is a horrible thing to get out of the carpet," Gabriel added, nose wrinkling as a show of his distaste. Sam just stared at him and then snorted, shaking his head. Though to be fair, he had left his fair share of bloody prints in past motel rooms.
"No… it's not that. It's more… what my dad does. What I did," Sam said, nibbling on his lip as he forced himself to meet the stare of Gabriel, glancing briefly at Crowley before looking back at Gabriel, who looked like he somehow knew what Sam was going to tell them. Which was just stupid thinking.
"Okay… so why not tell us? Can't be that bad, right?" Gabriel asked. Sam just shrugged and looked at his hands, glancing up at Crowley through his fringe and relaxing a bit at the warm smile sent his way.
"Well, it depends I guess. See… Right, bugger it-"
"Knew I'd make a Brit of you one day," Crowley interrupted smugly, looking proud as punch at Sam's use of a typical Britishism without even thinking about it. Sam just rolled his eyes, but didn't stop the smile that broke out.
"Right, yeah, so, can I get this out without any more interruptions? Or I'm gonna just wimp out and leave it," Sam admitted with a shrug.
"Okay, Crowley won't interrupt anymore. He promises. Go on, Sammy."
"Yeah… so, the thing is, my dad is a hunter. And I don't mean hunting animals. More, he hunts supernatural things, like spirits and demons and such. And maybe, in hindsight, it would have been better to have started with the whole 'ghosts are real' part. That would possibly have made my dad's job a little less crazy. Or just made me look even more crazy. Um… I'm gonna stop rambling. Please interrupt me," Sam pleaded, looking up just in time to see Crowley and Gabriel exchange a glance with one another that certainly wasn't them worrying about Sam's sanity, which just made Sam's paranoia skyrocket.
"Okay, no, we believe you, Sam," Crowley told him, sounding like he was choosing his words very carefully and therefore making Sam even more suspicious. He narrowed his eyes at the man and clenched his jaw.
"What was the look for? Why did you two exchange a look like you were having some sort of weird mental conversation about me? And why are you taking this so easily? Where's the 'Sam, ghosts don't exist' or 'Just how many drugs did your dad take when he was younger?'? What aren't you telling me?" Sam demanded, a sinking feeling starting to twist his stomach up as he tried to guess just what it was they weren't telling him.
"See, the thing is, the reason we believed you so easily is because, well… neither of us are exactly human," Gabriel admitted gently. Sam had the sudden and uncomfortable feeling of ice running through his veins and he stiffened in his seat, staring from Gabriel to Crowley and back with wide, fearful eyes. Every creature that his dad had told him about and that he'd helped hunt down was running through his head, making him dizzy and he could feel his breathing start to come faster.
"But… what-what are you?" Sam finally managed to ask, flinching a little when Gabriel moved closer to him as though to calm him down. Gabriel looked pained at Sam's visible show of fear, but didn't move any closer to him. In fact he got off the couch and moved to sit on the arm of the chair Crowley was sitting on. Crowley, who had been silent and stoic since Gabriel had told Sam that they weren't human.
"You know who I am, Sam. I've never really hidden it, and well, Crowley calls me it every day practically," Gabriel told him. Sam just frowned at him and tried to think if he'd been given any clues that Gabriel was claiming he had been. Then he remembered the nicknames Gabriel had and all breath left him.
"Shit. Y-you're Loki. Actually the Loki? Oh God. Fuck. You're a-a-fuck!" Sam gasped out a panicked breath and leant forward to rest his forehead on his knees, wrapping his arms around his legs as though to hug them.
"Sam? Sammy, you need to calm down a little. Come on. You're safe, Sammy. We'd never hurt you, I promise. And well… I'm not just Loki. I'm Gabriel too," Gabriel added. Sam let out a slightly hysterical giggle at that as he imagined Gabriel as an angel, though he figured that wasn't quite what the man meant.
"I don't… What? I… why Gabriel? Why that name?" Sam finally asked, head a rumble of disjointed thoughts that mostly didn't make much sense to him.
"That's not… Sam, I meant literally. I'm also Gabriel. The Gabriel. You could say I'm in witness protection as Loki. No one… other than Crowley, and now you, no one knows who I really am. I'm just known as Loki to most," Gabriel admitted to him, and Sam just stared at him, wondering if he was, quite honestly losing his mind. Though the mention of Crowley made Sam realise that the other man had been staying quiet and hadn't told Sam what he was.
"Right. Okay. I… no, I can cope. I can… Just… Crowley? I don't… what… who are you?" Sam asked fearfully, not too sure he wanted to know, because there were only two Crowley's that Sam had ever read about, one was fictional and the other was assumedly dead, and neither one were something Sam wanted to have been sharing a bed with for the last year and a half.
"I'm a crossroads demon, Sam," Crowley admitted, his eyes flashing a milky, pale blue before going back to normal. Sam stared at him in horror before he suddenly flung himself off the sofa and moved to try and get out of the room. He jumped and yelled in shock and terror when he found his way out blocked by Gabriel.
"No! No, let me go! I can't… You can't… He's…" Sam gasped out, yanking at his hair as he turned back to stare fearfully at Crowley, who was now standing by the chair, watching them sadly.
"Sam, Sam calm down, you're going to start hyperventilating soon if you don't calm down. Do you hear me? I wasn't lying about who I am, Sam. Think about it, would I, an archangel, allow a demon to hurt anyone? Especially you, Sam? Crowley's not… he's a demon, sure, but he's not a normal demon, Sam. For one, he freaking loves you, and well, okay, he's morally ambiguous on the 'don't give a shit' side of things, but he'd never hurt you and I promise you, Sammy, I promise that he would never hurt you," Gabriel told him, hands coming up to rest on Sam's shoulders as though to ground him. Sam couldn't help himself as he stared at Gabriel, eyes wide as he swore he could see a slight outline or shadow of wings on the wall behind the man.
"Gabriel…" Sam managed to gasp out in a hushed voice, knowing that small tremors were running through his body as he tried to get over his fear upon finding out what Crowley was, desperately trying to convince himself that Crowley was still the man he'd somehow fallen in love with, as cliched and smushy as that sounded.
"Sammy, please, you've gotta believe us, we'd never hurt you and never let anyone or thing hurt you," Gabriel told him in a soft voice, hands squeezing his shoulders a little which somehow made Sam relax, though he had no idea how because relaxed was the last thing he thought he'd be feeling in this situation.
"Did… did you know who I was? Who my family was?" Sam asked quietly, stepping back from Gabriel so he could look at Crowley, giving the other man a clear indication as to who exactly he was asking. Crowley just sighed and moved closer to them, though Sam noted that he kept his body language opening as unthreatening as he could.
"I did. And yes, I considered messing with you, but… you are so damn charming and likeable that I found myself thinking of reasons to go and talk to you that had nothing to do with finding out where your family was or anything like that. Besides which, I've never really had anything against the Winchester's anyway so I don't really think my heart was in the whole messing with you deal anyway. And Sam, Gabriel's right, I might not say it much or at all really, but I do love you. Shocking as it might seem for a demon, but there it is. And like Gabriel also pointed out, I'm not really like any other demon you might have come across," Crowley told him gently as he slowly moved closer to Sam one step at a time until he was almost toe to toe with him.
Sam just stared at him warily, unsure if he wanted to take a step back from the man or get rid of the little distance between them and just forget everything he'd been taught about demons and just let the man do whatever he liked as long as he was showing Sam some affection.
"I don't… I'm tired," Sam admitted softly, shoulders slumping and head dropping down so that his chin was practically on his chest. He sighed deeply and couldn't find the energy to flinch when Gabriel stepped up close behind him and Crowley placed a hand on his cheek.
"Sam… I promise you that I would never do anything to hurt you deliberately. And I will understand if you wish to leave us and go back to college. Or even just leave California altogether. We won't follow you if that's your wish, and we certainly won't bother you again. But, Sam, we both love you and neither of us want you to go." Sam pressed into Crowley's touch as the man's words washed over him and he leant back a little into Gabriel as well, knowing that both men, though shorter than him, would be able to take his weight with no trouble.
"I don't want to leave… but… I'm confused and - and maybe a little scared. I-I don't get… I don't know what… I'm just so tired of it all. I came here to escape it and ended up living with it. I just… I want to sleep," Sam admitted tiredly, resigned to the fact that Bobby had been right and he would never truly be able to escape his past.
"Okay, come on, Sammy. Let's go to bed, sleep on it and maybe in the morning you'll be able to think about it a little more clearly and decide what it is you want to do," Gabriel told him gently, arms moving to wrap around Sam's waist from behind and pressing a small kiss to the back of Sam's neck.
"Yeah. Maybe. Can we… can we pretend tonight didn't happen and just… I want to feel you. I want to feel your love. Anything. I just… I feel so numb right now. Love me?" Sam asked quietly, looking up from where he'd been looking at the floor to meet Crowley's stare. Crowley just nodded and moved his hand from Sam'f face to grab Sam's hand and led him to their bedroom, Gabriel following close enough behind them that he didn't have to let go of Sam.
As he lay down on the bed, Crowley moving to lie in front of him and Gabriel lying behind him, Sam felt all the confusion, fear and unease shifting around inside of him, and decided to just let it go if only for the rest of the night. He could think about everything he'd learnt about his lovers in the morning, and just allow himself to get lost in what they were doing to his body before then.
He had no idea how long he had been sleeping for when he woke up the next morning, looking to the side to see Crowley was no longer in the bed, but Gabriel was curled around Sam; hand resting over Sam's chest and looking - to Sam - as though he were protecting Sam from the world. Which was cute, but Sam had more confusing matters running through his head.
"Huh, guess angels can sleep then," Sam muttered to himself, slowly bring his hand up to brush the hair away from Gabriel's face, freezing when the angel nuzzled his hand and answered Sam's mutter.
"We can sleep. Most choose not to. I've been around for a bit longer than my brothers who tend to dislike humans for some reason." Gabriel shifted a little so that he was lying on his stomach and resting his chin and hand on Sam's chest. "How are you feeling this morning? Now that you've had time to sleep on it all a little? We weren't lying when we told you that you could leave and we'd let you and not bother you."
"I know. And I guess my head is a little clearer after having slept some. I don't… I don't want to leave you two. And I guess I can just, learn to deal with it and accept you both. Do… do you think Crowley hates me for my reaction to him last night?" Sam asked in a quiet voice, heart clenching a little at the thought of having possibly hurt Crowley or Crowley not forgiving him for not giving him a chance.
"I don't think Crowley would ever blame you for your reaction last night. For one, you were exhausted before we even started the conversation, and so, given the topic and the revelations of the night, you're reaction could have been much worse. So no, I don't think Crowley hates you. In fact, I'm pretty positive the only reason he didn't wait for you to wake up was so that he could give you some space. For a demon, Crowley's shockingly thoughtful. Give him a chance, Sammy. In fact, give us both a chance. You'll maybe see that the Gabriel and Crowley you know are the real us." Sam looked at Gabriel, before letting his head fall back and looking up at the ceiling, nodding his in agreement to Gabriel's request.
"Just… promise me I'm safe. As much as you can, I mean. I just… I don't know if I can be comfortable if demons are gonna be around me all the time and knowing who I am. Who my family is," Sam murmured, frowning a little even as he spoke, not quite agreeing with his words, but unsure of how to word his actual concerns.
Thankfully Gabriel seemed to get what Sam was asking and didn't take offence in thinking Sam didn't trust them, or thought they would start having strange supernatural monster parties or something. Not that he'd put that past Gabriel.
"Sam, you'll always be safe with us. You're under the protection of Loki, Gabriel and Crowley. Yeah, sure, Loki and Gabriel are the same person, but you're one of the only beings to know that. And well, Crowley may be unpopular in Hell, but he's powerful and begrudgingly respected and feared by most demons around. In fact, most of the demons that wouldn't think twice about messing with Crowley are still in Hell and are too powerful to actually be able to get out. So, I don't think you have anything to worry about on that front. Okay? So you're feeling a little better about things then?" Gabriel asked him, moving up the bed so that he could press and light kiss to Sam's temple and then sitting on the side of the bed.
"I… yeah, I think I am. Guess we should go let Crowley know this, huh?" Sam asked, smiling slightly as he too moved to get out of bed.
"You know he's gonna be grouchy and his usual infuriating self, right? But deep, deep-deep-deep, down, he'll be happy to hear that," Gabriel told him, grinning cheekily when Sam just shot him a glare in Crowley's defence, though it was probably ruined slightly by the grin he couldn't hide.
"You're really quite horrible to him."
"We're an angel and a demon. Natural enemies."
"You sleep with him."
"With you as the filling in that sandwich. Now, stop stalling, time to face the demon. Literally," Gabriel added almost as an afterthought, grinning and ducking out of the way of the swat Sam aimed at this head.
"Horrible, horrible person. Let's go," Sam said, smiling as he shook his head at Gabriel's antics. Sure, he was still a little uncertain about everything that he'd learnt, but he felt that he could honestly deal with it and eventually not be bothered by it at all.
And he also knew that he would never be introducing his lovers to anyone else in his family. Bobby was enough and even then, the man would never be finding out just what Gabriel and Crowley were if Sam had anything to do with it. That was just not a confrontation Sam ever wanted to have. Though Bobby finding out he was sleeping with an angel-come-trickster and a crossroads demon - who was apparently more powerful than any demon Sam might have ever come across - was marginally better and less lethal than his dad ever finding out.
Or Dean.
Next
Previous
Part One
Sam gave a pained groan from his seat next to Gabriel in the back of Crowley's ridiculously spacious SUV and leaned to the side to rest his head on Gabriel's shoulder. Gabriel snickered and patted his head before going back to the reason for Sam's groaning.
"No one forced you to eat all that salt-water taffy. In fact Crowley threatened you if you threw up because of the amounts you were shoving in your mouth, so really, you have no one to blame your stomachache on other than yourself," Gabriel told him in an entirely unsympathetic tone but did brush his fingers through Sam's hair which lessened the blow a little. Didn't do much for his stomach though.
"It was so nice!" Sam groaned, shifting so that he could press his face into Gabriel's neck. Only to grumble when he couldn't get quite comfortable. "You're too short."
"You're too tall! Hey! We're all bitchy. Clearly Crowley's been rubbing off on us in less sexy ways as well," Gabriel announced cheerfully, which completely belied what he was saying.
"Neither of you will ever reach my levels of sheer malice, don't even bother," Crowley told them from the front. Sam snickered and then sat up and looked out of the window at the passing scenery.
"So where are we actually heading for now? I mean, we've got, what? Two weeks left until I have to be back at Stanford? Do you have a plan of where else to go?" Sam asked, getting an idea when he saw where they were on a passing sign.
"Nope, no plans. We were kinda just winging it. Why, do you have any ideas on where you want to go?" Gabriel asked him, grinning as he rustled through the empty wrappers for more taffy and Sam just stared at him with a slightly nauseous expression on his face.
"Well… I was kinda wondering… see, we're in South Dakota, right? So well… do you think we could possibly stop at an old family friend's house to visit? I mean, not for too long. I doubt Bobby would be too happy if we stayed for too long, but I just thought it'd be nice to see someone that I consider family. You know? Plus, he might be able to tell me how my brother is. I think I'm kinda getting a little homesick. Well, Dean-sick. I don't know. I miss him," Sam admitted quietly, still staring at the scenery that was passing them by. The other two men in the car were silent for a moment or two, obviously deciding whether or not to agree to Sam's request.
It was a sigh from Crowley that broke the silence minutes later, causing both Sam and Gabriel to look over at him curiously. "This bloke, he your Uncle Bobby that you've mentioned a time or two?"
"Um… yeah. Bobby Singer," Sam said in a cautious voice, staring at the back of Crowley's head then looking over at Gabriel, who just shrugged and they both turned their attention back to Crowley.
"Right, so where's he live then? I don't really see much reason as to why we can't go see him. He's your family, so if you think he'll be happy to see you, then we can go visit," Crowley said finally, after making Sam and Gabriel practically fall of their seats as they waited for the man's answer. Though why Gabriel was curious was beyond Sam's knowledge. As far as he knew, this whole trip had been equally planned between Crowley and Gabriel.
"Really? That's awesome! Thank you!!" Sam exclaimed, having decided to just ignore the fact that apparently even Gabriel listened to Crowley in this relationship. Sam stopped that thought right then and looked up to catch Crowley's eye in the mirror. "Um…"
"What now, Moose?"
"Do we tell Bobby about us? I mean, all three of us us?" Sam asked, nibbling his lip and looking to Gabriel to see if he had the answer.
"Do you think he'd be okay with it?" Gabriel asked him, once again showing that he knew exactly when to drop his 'Trickster' persona and actually take things seriously. Normally, Sam had observed, the man only did it when he thought Sam needed to have a serious conversation.
Sam paused before actually answering, realising he wasn't too sure what Bobby would think about his current relationship. Though, of all the people Sam had met in his life, Bobby Singer seemed to be the most accepting and laid-back of the lot. "Um… he'd probably be shocked, but all in all, he may possibly be accepting of it. I mean… I dunno, I just want to tell him. No idea why, I just do. Maybe it's because I just want someone in my family to know, maybe?"
"Sounds like a reasonable request to me. So we let him know just what we are to you then? And I get to protect Crowley from the big bad father-figure in your life, right?" Gabriel asked him with a wicked smirk, which grew even wider when Crowley looked over his shoulder to glare at him. Though, even with the smirk, Sam couldn't help but think that there was an extra weight behind the words, for the life of him, however, he couldn't work out what that might mean.
"More like I'll be protecting you, Trickster," Crowley grumbled, making Sam snicker and ignore the fake wounded look that Gabriel shot him for clearly not taking his side on things. Sam just stuck his tongue out at him and snickered at the affronted look this got him.
"Bah! You're the demon of this relationship! Hell, I'm angelic!"
"Just because you're called Gabriel does not make you an angel, sorry to say," Sam said with a mock sad look, laughing as he ducked out the way of the swat Gabriel aimed at his head. "Actually, that reminds me. Um… Bobby is kinda, well… he's a bit of a paranoid old drunk and well, he sorta believes in things like demons and such, so… think we could cut back on the supernatural related nicknames? Including Loki? Because I really don't wanna get shot as soon as you two start bickering about something petty."
"So no calling Gabriel 'Loki' or 'Trickster'? And no calling me a demon every time Gabriel doesn't get his own way? I can work with that. And if your uncle looks like he thinks I should have a first name, then tell him it's Aleister," Crowley told them. Sam looked up and stared at the back of Crowley's head in confusion and not just a little shock.
"Is it your first name?" Sam asked, unable to let the subject go now that the man had brought it up. Sam had always wondered if Crowley was his first name or surname, or even his real name at all, and now he actually had the chance to find out he wasn't going to drop it.
"You going to start calling me it?"
"Um… maybe?"
"Then no, it's not my real name. It'll do in a pinch though, so use it. And no, I'm not telling you my real name. It's bloody embarrassing. Stick with Crowley if you don't want to wake up with me looming over you holding a pillow above your face, deal?" Crowley asked him, voice creepily pleasant and making Sam gape at him then look to Gabriel to see if he was being just as freaked out - and maybe a little turned on - by Crowley's big bad behaviour. Judging by the look on Gabriel's face, he was just turned on.
"Right, so no calling you Aleister. How about Lee?" Sam asked, grinning widely when Crowley grumbled under his breath, before he cursed a passing driver out so spectacularly that Sam felt himself blush.
"You call me Lee all the time when you're rat-arsed. How would now be any different? Other than you being sober for once?"
"What do you mean, for once? I'm hardly ever drunk! Only when you two peer-pressure me into it!" Sam huffed out, flopping back into his seat and crossing his arms over his chest.
"I think the whole point of peer-pressure is that you're pressured by people in your age-group. We're most definitely not in that range. Nice to be considered though. And ignore Crowley, he's just being grumpy because he can. So, where exactly are we heading? I mean, isn't South Dakota quite a large state? Would be nice to know where this Bobby guy lives instead of just driving around aimlessly and hoping that one day we come upon his house," Gabriel pointed out, making Sam blush when he realised he hadn't told them anything about Bobby other than the man's name and that he was close to Sam.
"Ah, right. Um, he lives just outside Sioux City," Sam said, shrugging when he caught the look from Crowley that told him he really hadn't given enough information for the man to go on. "Um… he owns Singer Scrap Yard… so it's not too hard to find. Really."
"Fine, we'll go on a smaller wild goose chase as opposed to hunting round the whole of South Dakota. Better than nothing, I suppose," Crowley grumbled, then took the next exit off the highway that would hopefully take them to the right place. Sam just beamed happily in the back seat, suddenly highly excited to see Bobby.
Sam's excitement faded pretty rapidly as soon as they started to pass familiar scenery, and Crowley and Gabriel knew they were getting closer just by Sam's nervous fidgeting. So by the time they actually pulled to a stop outside the main gate to Bobby's property, Sam was an alarming shade of white and looked like he was going to throw up or pass out in any minute.
"Um… Sammy?" Gabriel asked, gently placing a hand on Sam's shoulder in hopes to sooth the clearly freaked out man. Sam just carried on breathing deeply, trying to keep his stomach contents in and not make a complete fool of himself by passing out.
"Sam?"
"I've just had a thought," Sam managed to whisper once he was almost certain he wouldn't be throwing up anytime soon. Though having to voice his realisation may change that.
"What?" Crowley asked warily, and Sam jumped having not noticed that the man had apparently left the car to walk over to Sam's side so he could stand next to him. Gabriel was even closer to him, almost sitting on his lap.
"Just… what if my dad and Dean are there? They go to the man a lot, you know? So… what if they're there right now and… what if?" Sam whined, breath hitching a little as the sheer horror of what that situation could bring hit him fully.
"And what if they're not? We ain't gonna know unless we head in there, are we? So stop being a pansy and get out the car. If your halfwit of a father is there, then we'll deal with it then, alright?" Crowley told him, squeezing Sam's shoulder comfortingly before he stepped away from Sam and went back to the front seat. Sam nodded and took a deep breath before he managed to force himself to get out of the car and opening gate, letting Crowley drive past him, before he closed it again and got back in, this time sitting in the front with Crowley. Gabriel didn't say a word and Sam knew the man realised Sam was probably clinging to Crowley's gruff personality to hide behind.
They pulled up in front of Bobby's house, Sam breathing a small sigh of relief when he didn't see the Impala or their dad's truck anywhere, though he nearly choked when the front door to the house was flung open and Bobby came outside to investigate why Rumsfeld was barking, shotgun in hand.
"Right, better get out then, huh?" Sam muttered, almost to himself, before he pushed his door open and stepped out of the car. He walked towards Bobby, hearing the car doors slam shut as Gabriel and Crowley both left the car, but before he had a chance to say anything to Bobby, he was bowled over by an over-excited Rumsfeld.
Laughing loudly, Sam fussed and play-wrestled the large dog, before sitting up, patting the dog on the head and smiling widely at Bobby, who was just staring at him suspiciously. Though Sam knew that the suspicion was aimed more towards Crowley and Gabriel, than Sam himself, who had been given the seal of approval by Rumsfeld.
"Sam. Who're your friends?" Bobby asked warily, walking slowly towards them, gun held loosely by his side. Sam was well aware that the man would be able to shoot them at a moments notice however and he quickly stood up and moved to stand by Crowley and Gabriel.
"Bobby! Hey! Um… these are Crowley and Gabriel. We went on a road trip for my summer break and well, I asked if we could drop by to see you before we headed back home for my third year. So, um… yeah. Long time no see, huh?" Sam asked sheepishly, grinning shyly as he stared at the man he saw as more a father figure than his actual father.
Bobby just stood and stared at them for a moment longer, before stepping forward and dragging Sam into a hug. Sam stood still in complete shock for a second or two before he wrapped his arms around Bobby and hugged him tightly.
"Missed you, boy. I told your daddy exactly what I thought of him for what he did to you," Bobby told him once they'd pulled away from one another. Sam gave him a small smile and just shrugged his shoulders.
"How did you find out?" Sam asked, looking over his shoulder and smiling when he saw Crowley and Gabriel standing aside, letting Sam catch up with his uncle and generally giving off the impression of well-behaved, polite men. Which Sam knew was a complete lie most of the time.
"How about we head inside and I can tell you that story, and you can introduce me to the two men you've brought with you," Bobby told him, turning on his heel and heading into the house. Sam glanced over at Gabriel and Crowley once more and noticed they were whispering to one another though they stopped when they saw Sam looking at them curiously.
"We should head inside so that Bobby can get to know you and he won't be as suspicious of you. You two alright?" Sam asked them, stepping closer to them and shooting them both a concerned look.
"We're fine. Just discussing something. You know how it is. Crowley asking to hide behind me and everything. You alright? He seemed to be quite happy to see you, so that's a good thing, right?" Gabriel asked him, wrapping an arm around Sam's waist as he walked with Sam into Bobby's house, Crowley walking behind them, glowering at Rumsfeld, who seemed to be making an effort not to go anywhere near Crowley, much to Sam's confusion.
"Yeah, definitely a good thing. I really wanna know how he heard about what happened between me and my dad, sounds like it could be an interesting story," Sam said, frowning when Gabriel paused at the front door and twitched a little, then snapping his fingers like he'd just remembered something. "Gabe?"
"Hmm? Nothing! Just a thought that crossed my mind. Crowley, you coming or you gonna spend the rest of the day staring out the dog?" Gabriel asked, snickering when Crowley glared at them both before following them inside. Sam grinned, and leant back to squeeze Crowley's hand before he let go and stepped out of Gabriel's hold, then led the two into the front room where Bobby would be waiting for them.
Sam paused in the doorway and looked around the room that hadn't changed in all the years Sam had known Bobby, he bit at his bottom lip and glanced up to see Bobby just staring at him like he was a moron. A look he'd grown used to in the two years of knowing Crowley.
"Sit down, you idjit! I ain't talking to you when you're standing there like a lump," Bobby grouched, getting a snort of amusement from Crowley who was standing behind Sam, whilst Gabriel snickered and Sam just felt himself blush before he quickly took a seat on the sofa, moving so that there was room for both Crowley and Gabriel to sit with him. Because as much as the two annoyed him at times, he really wasn't mean enough to make one of them sit alone during an interrogation by Bobby.
"So… What did Dad tell you about me leaving?" Sam asked after a moment or two of awkward - on his behalf - silence. He shifted awkwardly in his seat a little when Bobby looked at him shrewdly.
"Him and your idjit brother came here about two months after you'd left asking for help about… something. I asked him where you were, and he told me exactly what he'd said to you and didn't sound remorseful in the least that he had just kicked his youngest out just for wanting an education," Bobby growled, the look on his face telling them all exactly what he thought of that, which warmed Sam a little, knowing that at least one person backed his decision.
"What did you say to him? That? I don't imagine he was all too impressed with that," Sam muttered, grinning a little as he imagined just how his dad would have taken Bobby telling him that he thought.
"Do I look like I care what the idjit thinks? I told him what I thought, then I chased him off with my shotgun and told him that if he came back then I'd shoot him," Bobby told them bluntly. Sam just stared at him for a second or two before bursting out into semi-hysterical giggles, leaning on Crowley as he tried to gasp in breaths between giggles.
"Oh! Oh that's- that's brilliant!" Sam gasped out between giggles, grinning widely at Bobby, who just looked back with thinly veiled amusement on his face.
"Right. So? You gonna tell me who those two are next to you?" Bobby asked minutes later, which promptly cured Sam of his giggles and made him sit up a little straighter. He felt Crowley stiffen a little next to him and knew that Gabriel was probably tensing as well. All three of them wondering just how Bobby would take the actual relationship between them.
"What do you mean? I told you, they're my friends from college," Sam said, wincing a little when his voice came out a little higher than normal and just screamed 'lying' to anyone that heard him. He really did suck at lying when it mattered.
"Uh huh. Little old to be college students, ain't they? How about you tell me the truth. Not that I completely get why you're lying to me in the first place. How bad can it be? Unless they kidnapped you to get to me, in which case I should probably shoot them," Bobby mused, smirking when Sam glared at him. He really wasn't helping Sam feel more relaxed at all.
"They haven't kidnapped me and forced me here and you know it. So stop threatening them. Look, the thing is… I'm kinda… they're… We're…" Sam huffed as he tried to think of a good way of telling Bobby that he was gay and in a relationship with two other men. And possibly had some sort of weird submission kink, though Bobby really didn't need to know that one.
"Sam? You ain't soothin' my suspicions here," Bobby pointed out and Sam blushed and looked down at his hands in his lap. He felt Crowley subtly move closer to him, clearly letting Sam lead and that made Sam actually feel a little better.
"Right. Of course. Umm… so here's the thing. Right? Yep. That. And there you have it," Sam nodded to back up his non-point, ignoring the exasperated look Bobby was shooting him and the amused looks he was getting from Gabriel and Crowley. Really, they could laugh all they wanted. They didn't have to tell their uncle that they were gay and taking it up the ass from two men. Not that Sam needed to go into that much detail. In fact, Bobby would probably thank him if he didn't.
"Well, at least I know you ain't possessed," Bobby muttered and Sam pouted, and made a mental note to possibly ask why Crowley stiffened next to him. And also ask why no one thought anything was wrong when he turned into a babbling spaz.
"What's that mean?!" Sam asked huffily, pouting and crossing his arms over his chest. Which really did nothing to make him look mature and less spastic. Well, it didn't make him look any more spastic either, so that was something.
"Means nothin'. So how about you try telling me what you should be telling me by using actual words instead of some sort of stilted language that ain't no one gonna understand but you," Bobby suggested, looking at him with that look that normally made Sam spill every secret he'd been hiding and most of the time got Dean into trouble and Sam a beating from his brother. Once he'd gotten out of whatever punishment Sam had gotten him in the first place.
Really, Sam hated that look.
So did Dean.
"I'mgayandi'minarelationshipwithtwoguys. Yep. Me. That's… yep," Sam sat up straight, smiling anxiously at Bobby - who apparently was just gaping at him. A glance to the side showed him that Gabriel and Crowley were both gaping at him as well and Sam really had no idea what any of their problem was. He'd said it, hadn't he?
"So you're gay, huh?"
"You understood that?! Man, you are some sort of magician or something! I still have no idea what Sammy says half the time. He's like a hummingbird on a sugar high at the best of times. You need to teach me-"
"Gabriel," Crowley interrupted. Sam stuck his tongue out at Gabriel, who returned the gesture whilst Crowley just gave a small suffering sigh between the two and shared a pitying stare with Bobby.
"Sam, you know I ain't one to question how anyone chooses to live their life. If you're happy, then I'm happy for you. Just… don't be doin' anything under my roof whilst you're here. Which brings up the question, how long are you intending on visitin'?" Bobby asked him. Sam just shrugged and looked to Gabriel and Crowley, none of them having actually decided on how long to stay. Hell, Sam had been happy enough to just fly by visit and leave that same day.
"Dunno. How long before we out stay our welcome?" Sam asked after getting a small shrug from both Crowley and Gabriel, figuring that either one would speak up if they actually had a problem with staying as long as they were allowed.
"Sam, son, you know you can stay here as long as you like. Your… partners are welcome too. So feel free to stay until you need to leave. You can stay in the room you normally stay in when you're here," Bobby told him and Sam smiled widely at him, even more happy that he'd decided to come here and visit Bobby than he had been before.
"Okay… so, well, it won't be longer than two weeks! I have to be back in California by then. So… um… I guess we'll just see how it goes, huh?" Sam said and smiled slightly when Bobby just nodded his head.
"Sounds good to me. So, how about you tell me what you've been up to since you started college? You enjoyin' yourself?" Bobby asked him, and Sam beamed, happy to sit back and tell Bobby about some of the funnier stories that had happened to him over the last two years. With helpful interruptions from both Crowley and Gabriel which mostly ended up with Sam blushing shades of red that were not normally seen in nature.
The next two weeks went far too quickly for Sam's liking, but at the same time, by the time they were packing their bags and throwing them into the car, he was a little happy to be heading back home. Though he was a little anxious that he would return to find that he was once more rooming with the homophobic asshole that was Brady. He wasn't sure what he would do if that were the case.
"Sam?" Sam turned when he heard Bobby call his name and the beckon Sam over. Sam glanced at Crowley and Gabriel, who seemed to be bickering over who would be driving. Or possibly who would be the one to sit with Sam in the backseat. He wasn't too sure which. Seeing, however, that they were clearly distracted, Sam walked over to Bobby and enveloped him in a hug before pulling back and smiling widely.
"It's been great staying here, Bobby! Thanks for not turning me away as soon as I arrived," Sam mumbled, a little curious as to whether Bobby had called him back for any other reason than to say goodbye.
"You know I'd never turn you away, son. And I'm glad that things seem to be going well for you. You're happy, right?" Bobby asked him, looking past Sam to where Gabriel and Crowley were now hissing insults or something at one another, whilst rearranging the bags in the back. Sam knew they were doing it deliberately to give him time with Bobby and loved them even more for it.
"I really am. Those two, as insane and annoying as they can be at times, are the best things that could have come from me leaving for college. I think, no, I know I'm in love with them, which really isn't anything you need to know, but well, I know that they'd do anything for me to keep me safe and happy. Which really is something you might want to know," Sam added, blushing a little as he realised he was currently having a chick flick moment with Bobby. Dean would smack him up the back of the head if he was there.
"Good. And Sam, if you really are serious about this relationship you have going, then I hate to say it, but you need to tell them the truth about your past. That ain't something you can hide from them and it certainly ain't something you can run from. It's going to catch up with you one day, and I'd advise that your partners are prepared as best as they can be. More chance of survival that way," Bobby told him, a look in his eyes that told Sam far more than the man's words were. Sam just nibbled on his lip and glanced at the floor though, not committing to anything. It wasn't that he didn't want to - well, technically it partially was - but he was also terrified that they would call him insane and leave him. And he knew he couldn't cope if that were to happen.
"I'm scared to, Bobby," Sam admitted in a quiet voice, jumping a little when Bobby just clapped him on the shoulder and gave a small shake of his head.
"Son, I know the risks of what might happen were you to own up to the truth, but don't you think they deserve to know? So they can be safe?" Bobby asked him, and Sam gave a loud sigh and nodded his head.
"Yeah, you're right. I… need to tell them the truth. As much as it might turn out to hurt me, it'd hurt me even more if either one was harmed just because I didn't tell them. Guess I just need to find the right time to tell them." Bobby gave him a small, but proud smile when Sam said that, and once more clapped him on the shoulder before pulling back, handing Sam a piece of paper with a number written on it, which Sam took and stared at in confusion.
"What's this? This isn't any of your numbers," Sam said, looking at the strange number in confusion before looking back to Bobby for the answer.
"That's your idjit brother's new number. Give him a call because Lord knows the boy won't be calling you. Too afraid that you'll reject him and that he'll ruin any all chances of normality that have going for you. He don't hate you, Sam, but he sure as hell misses you. And I'd wager that you miss him just as much. So give him a call and then maybe he'll stop bitching and moaning to me about it," Bobby grouched, tugging his hat off his head so that he could turn and twist it in his hands. Sam just gave a weak chuckle as he stared at the number, before putting it in his pocket and giving a small nod.
"I will, Bobby. And I'll try to tell them the truth as well. And Bobby? I hate to ask this, but…"
"Your daddy ain't gonna find out about this visit nor your two partners from me. So don't you worry none about that. Just stay safe, Sam and you know you'll always have a home here. Maybe keep in touch a bit more so that I know you're alive and safe. And visit more as well. Bring those two with ya when ya do. That Crowley guy has some interesting stories," Bobby told him with a grin, which just grew when Sam gaped at him then turned to stare at Crowley.
"There's something a little creepy and a lot terrifying about you and Crowley getting on, Bobby," Sam admitted, then he smiled and dragged the man into another hug before taking a step back and away. "I'd best be going before Gabriel gets bored and tries to teach Rumsfeld more bad habits."
"I swear that dog don't listen to anyone but you and now that menace you brought back with you. Feel free to leave him behind or on the side of the road when you come back," Bobby told him, making Sam laugh and shake his head, knowing the man liked Gabriel just as much as he liked Crowley.
"Will do, Bobby. And I'll come back again soon, okay? Call me if you hear anything, alright?" Sam asked, walking to the car and looking over his shoulder for Bobby's answer. The man just nodded his head and gave a small wave, which Sam returned eagerly then climbed into the back seat, snickering when he saw Crowley grouchily sitting in the seat next to him.
"So, time to go back to good old California and, for you, college! How fun, no?" Gabriel said chirpily after they'd all been silently driving along for a good hour or so. Sam just groaned in the back seat and slumped against Crowley, shifting so he could hide his face in the crook of Crowley's neck.
"I thought you liked school and learning and all that shit?" Crowley muttered, though he didn't hold back from wrapping an arm around Sam's shoulders and pulling him closer. They had refrained from showing too much affection to each other in front of Bobby to save the man from being uncomfortable - and Sam from dying of humiliation - so Sam was enjoying being able to just cling to Crowley without worry that Bobby would walk in and mock him/start muttering balls until the end of his days.
"I do like school. It's the rest of it that I hate. I just know I'm going to be rooming with Brady for another year because things have been going well for me and well, Fate hates me, so she's gotta find some way of torturing me, right? Brady is her way," Sam mumbled, feeling ridiculously sorry for himself.
"Huh, about that…" Crowley trailed off, which made Sam pull back from where he'd been trying to see if he could become one with the man and see the reason for why he had stopped speaking. Of course, looking at the man didn't actually help any as Crowley looked as stoic as ever, though he was glancing at Gabriel, who looked over his shoulder, nodded and then turned back to the road.
Oh no, Sam wasn't suspicious at all. "What? What about it? What are you talking about? Why did you and Gabriel share a look? What's going on?"
"Quit your yammering. You sound ridiculous. All I was going to say was, me and Gabriel have been talking about your third year and your… delightful ex-roommate and we decided to ask you something."
"What something?" Sam asked, still eyeing Crowley suspiciously.
"We were wonderin' if you wanted to move in with us permanently," Crowley told him, causing Sam to gape at him and do a pretty good impression of a stranded fish out of water, before he turned to look at Gabriel, who glanced over his shoulder to nod at Sam.
"Really?"
"Really. Why the bloody hell would we ask if we didn't mean it? We're cruel but we ain't that bloody cruel, Moose," Crowley muttered, narrowing his eyes at Sam, who just grinned sheepishly and shrugged.
"You wouldn't mind? You'd actually want me to live with you both all the time?" Sam asked, having to just make sure just in case they really were pulling his leg.
"Yes, all the time. What part of what I said was confusing? Because you clearly ain't gettin' it. Sam, we want you to move in with us and live with us permanently. Or until you get fed up of us." Sam snickered at that and grinned at Crowley before he launched himself at the man, ignoring his over-exaggerated groan as he clung to the man.
"In that case, yes! Definitely! I would love to!" Sam exclaimed into Crowley's chest, beaming though no one could see him. He felt Crowley's hand move to pet and stroke his hair, making him melt into the man even more and wish he could purr.
"So that's a yes?" Gabriel asked in amusement from the front. Sam felt Crowley's chuckle vibrate in his chest and snickered him self, pulling back a little so that he could kiss Crowley before turning to lean over the front seats and press a kiss to Gabriel's cheek.
"Definitely a yes," Sam confirmed, smiling widely and probably looking like he'd slept with a coat-hanger in his mouth. He didn't care though, he was just ecstatic that he'd no longer have to worry that he'd be sharing a room with Brady for a third year running.
Of course, given he would be living with the two on a permanent basis, Sam felt that it was probably even more imperative that he told the two just what, exactly, it was that he had been running from when he'd gone to college. Strangely enough, the prospect of doing so didn't look any brighter even with his new living arrangement.
When they finally got back to California, after a few diversions when Gabriel was behind the wheel, all three were exhausted, but Sam found himself buzzing a little and just knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep any time soon. All three piled into the house, deciding to leave their stuff in the car until the next day after they'd gotten some sleep.
However, upon collapsing on to the couch, Sam realised that he really should let the two know about his family and his past, or he really wouldn't be getting any sleep as it would be constantly playing on his mind. He just wasn't too sure how to tell them. Well, no, he knew how to tell them, he just wasn't sure how to start it.
"I think I could sleep for the next month. How is driving all day exhausting when all we do is sit down and watch other cars try to kill us?" Gabriel asked as he practically became one with the couch next to Sam. Sam still had no idea how the man looked like he'd removed all his bones whenever he relaxed. It was a skill, clearly.
"You're normally the one trying to kill us, not the other people on the road. Your passengers are suffering mental exhaustion," Crowley muttered, sitting in his usual seat and glowering at Gabriel. Sam grinned weakly and shook his head at the two, really he wondered if they ever stopped bickering with one another outside of the bedroom. He hadn't seen evidence of it.
Heaving a sigh and deciding that now was as good a time as any, given the two men were just as tired as he was and thus less likely to be bothered to call someone and get him committed or something just as likely upon hearing someone claim they grew up hunting ghosts.
"So… I should probably tell you guys something since I'm moving in and all…" Sam trailed off, not really sure how to carry on with that sentence and losing his nerve anyway when Crowley and Gabriel both looked at him sharply.
"You're not a serial killer are you? Because getting rid of bodies is a messy job. I mean, I'll help you, but try not to bring it back here. Blood is a horrible thing to get out of the carpet," Gabriel added, nose wrinkling as a show of his distaste. Sam just stared at him and then snorted, shaking his head. Though to be fair, he had left his fair share of bloody prints in past motel rooms.
"No… it's not that. It's more… what my dad does. What I did," Sam said, nibbling on his lip as he forced himself to meet the stare of Gabriel, glancing briefly at Crowley before looking back at Gabriel, who looked like he somehow knew what Sam was going to tell them. Which was just stupid thinking.
"Okay… so why not tell us? Can't be that bad, right?" Gabriel asked. Sam just shrugged and looked at his hands, glancing up at Crowley through his fringe and relaxing a bit at the warm smile sent his way.
"Well, it depends I guess. See… Right, bugger it-"
"Knew I'd make a Brit of you one day," Crowley interrupted smugly, looking proud as punch at Sam's use of a typical Britishism without even thinking about it. Sam just rolled his eyes, but didn't stop the smile that broke out.
"Right, yeah, so, can I get this out without any more interruptions? Or I'm gonna just wimp out and leave it," Sam admitted with a shrug.
"Okay, Crowley won't interrupt anymore. He promises. Go on, Sammy."
"Yeah… so, the thing is, my dad is a hunter. And I don't mean hunting animals. More, he hunts supernatural things, like spirits and demons and such. And maybe, in hindsight, it would have been better to have started with the whole 'ghosts are real' part. That would possibly have made my dad's job a little less crazy. Or just made me look even more crazy. Um… I'm gonna stop rambling. Please interrupt me," Sam pleaded, looking up just in time to see Crowley and Gabriel exchange a glance with one another that certainly wasn't them worrying about Sam's sanity, which just made Sam's paranoia skyrocket.
"Okay, no, we believe you, Sam," Crowley told him, sounding like he was choosing his words very carefully and therefore making Sam even more suspicious. He narrowed his eyes at the man and clenched his jaw.
"What was the look for? Why did you two exchange a look like you were having some sort of weird mental conversation about me? And why are you taking this so easily? Where's the 'Sam, ghosts don't exist' or 'Just how many drugs did your dad take when he was younger?'? What aren't you telling me?" Sam demanded, a sinking feeling starting to twist his stomach up as he tried to guess just what it was they weren't telling him.
"See, the thing is, the reason we believed you so easily is because, well… neither of us are exactly human," Gabriel admitted gently. Sam had the sudden and uncomfortable feeling of ice running through his veins and he stiffened in his seat, staring from Gabriel to Crowley and back with wide, fearful eyes. Every creature that his dad had told him about and that he'd helped hunt down was running through his head, making him dizzy and he could feel his breathing start to come faster.
"But… what-what are you?" Sam finally managed to ask, flinching a little when Gabriel moved closer to him as though to calm him down. Gabriel looked pained at Sam's visible show of fear, but didn't move any closer to him. In fact he got off the couch and moved to sit on the arm of the chair Crowley was sitting on. Crowley, who had been silent and stoic since Gabriel had told Sam that they weren't human.
"You know who I am, Sam. I've never really hidden it, and well, Crowley calls me it every day practically," Gabriel told him. Sam just frowned at him and tried to think if he'd been given any clues that Gabriel was claiming he had been. Then he remembered the nicknames Gabriel had and all breath left him.
"Shit. Y-you're Loki. Actually the Loki? Oh God. Fuck. You're a-a-fuck!" Sam gasped out a panicked breath and leant forward to rest his forehead on his knees, wrapping his arms around his legs as though to hug them.
"Sam? Sammy, you need to calm down a little. Come on. You're safe, Sammy. We'd never hurt you, I promise. And well… I'm not just Loki. I'm Gabriel too," Gabriel added. Sam let out a slightly hysterical giggle at that as he imagined Gabriel as an angel, though he figured that wasn't quite what the man meant.
"I don't… What? I… why Gabriel? Why that name?" Sam finally asked, head a rumble of disjointed thoughts that mostly didn't make much sense to him.
"That's not… Sam, I meant literally. I'm also Gabriel. The Gabriel. You could say I'm in witness protection as Loki. No one… other than Crowley, and now you, no one knows who I really am. I'm just known as Loki to most," Gabriel admitted to him, and Sam just stared at him, wondering if he was, quite honestly losing his mind. Though the mention of Crowley made Sam realise that the other man had been staying quiet and hadn't told Sam what he was.
"Right. Okay. I… no, I can cope. I can… Just… Crowley? I don't… what… who are you?" Sam asked fearfully, not too sure he wanted to know, because there were only two Crowley's that Sam had ever read about, one was fictional and the other was assumedly dead, and neither one were something Sam wanted to have been sharing a bed with for the last year and a half.
"I'm a crossroads demon, Sam," Crowley admitted, his eyes flashing a milky, pale blue before going back to normal. Sam stared at him in horror before he suddenly flung himself off the sofa and moved to try and get out of the room. He jumped and yelled in shock and terror when he found his way out blocked by Gabriel.
"No! No, let me go! I can't… You can't… He's…" Sam gasped out, yanking at his hair as he turned back to stare fearfully at Crowley, who was now standing by the chair, watching them sadly.
"Sam, Sam calm down, you're going to start hyperventilating soon if you don't calm down. Do you hear me? I wasn't lying about who I am, Sam. Think about it, would I, an archangel, allow a demon to hurt anyone? Especially you, Sam? Crowley's not… he's a demon, sure, but he's not a normal demon, Sam. For one, he freaking loves you, and well, okay, he's morally ambiguous on the 'don't give a shit' side of things, but he'd never hurt you and I promise you, Sammy, I promise that he would never hurt you," Gabriel told him, hands coming up to rest on Sam's shoulders as though to ground him. Sam couldn't help himself as he stared at Gabriel, eyes wide as he swore he could see a slight outline or shadow of wings on the wall behind the man.
"Gabriel…" Sam managed to gasp out in a hushed voice, knowing that small tremors were running through his body as he tried to get over his fear upon finding out what Crowley was, desperately trying to convince himself that Crowley was still the man he'd somehow fallen in love with, as cliched and smushy as that sounded.
"Sammy, please, you've gotta believe us, we'd never hurt you and never let anyone or thing hurt you," Gabriel told him in a soft voice, hands squeezing his shoulders a little which somehow made Sam relax, though he had no idea how because relaxed was the last thing he thought he'd be feeling in this situation.
"Did… did you know who I was? Who my family was?" Sam asked quietly, stepping back from Gabriel so he could look at Crowley, giving the other man a clear indication as to who exactly he was asking. Crowley just sighed and moved closer to them, though Sam noted that he kept his body language opening as unthreatening as he could.
"I did. And yes, I considered messing with you, but… you are so damn charming and likeable that I found myself thinking of reasons to go and talk to you that had nothing to do with finding out where your family was or anything like that. Besides which, I've never really had anything against the Winchester's anyway so I don't really think my heart was in the whole messing with you deal anyway. And Sam, Gabriel's right, I might not say it much or at all really, but I do love you. Shocking as it might seem for a demon, but there it is. And like Gabriel also pointed out, I'm not really like any other demon you might have come across," Crowley told him gently as he slowly moved closer to Sam one step at a time until he was almost toe to toe with him.
Sam just stared at him warily, unsure if he wanted to take a step back from the man or get rid of the little distance between them and just forget everything he'd been taught about demons and just let the man do whatever he liked as long as he was showing Sam some affection.
"I don't… I'm tired," Sam admitted softly, shoulders slumping and head dropping down so that his chin was practically on his chest. He sighed deeply and couldn't find the energy to flinch when Gabriel stepped up close behind him and Crowley placed a hand on his cheek.
"Sam… I promise you that I would never do anything to hurt you deliberately. And I will understand if you wish to leave us and go back to college. Or even just leave California altogether. We won't follow you if that's your wish, and we certainly won't bother you again. But, Sam, we both love you and neither of us want you to go." Sam pressed into Crowley's touch as the man's words washed over him and he leant back a little into Gabriel as well, knowing that both men, though shorter than him, would be able to take his weight with no trouble.
"I don't want to leave… but… I'm confused and - and maybe a little scared. I-I don't get… I don't know what… I'm just so tired of it all. I came here to escape it and ended up living with it. I just… I want to sleep," Sam admitted tiredly, resigned to the fact that Bobby had been right and he would never truly be able to escape his past.
"Okay, come on, Sammy. Let's go to bed, sleep on it and maybe in the morning you'll be able to think about it a little more clearly and decide what it is you want to do," Gabriel told him gently, arms moving to wrap around Sam's waist from behind and pressing a small kiss to the back of Sam's neck.
"Yeah. Maybe. Can we… can we pretend tonight didn't happen and just… I want to feel you. I want to feel your love. Anything. I just… I feel so numb right now. Love me?" Sam asked quietly, looking up from where he'd been looking at the floor to meet Crowley's stare. Crowley just nodded and moved his hand from Sam'f face to grab Sam's hand and led him to their bedroom, Gabriel following close enough behind them that he didn't have to let go of Sam.
As he lay down on the bed, Crowley moving to lie in front of him and Gabriel lying behind him, Sam felt all the confusion, fear and unease shifting around inside of him, and decided to just let it go if only for the rest of the night. He could think about everything he'd learnt about his lovers in the morning, and just allow himself to get lost in what they were doing to his body before then.
He had no idea how long he had been sleeping for when he woke up the next morning, looking to the side to see Crowley was no longer in the bed, but Gabriel was curled around Sam; hand resting over Sam's chest and looking - to Sam - as though he were protecting Sam from the world. Which was cute, but Sam had more confusing matters running through his head.
"Huh, guess angels can sleep then," Sam muttered to himself, slowly bring his hand up to brush the hair away from Gabriel's face, freezing when the angel nuzzled his hand and answered Sam's mutter.
"We can sleep. Most choose not to. I've been around for a bit longer than my brothers who tend to dislike humans for some reason." Gabriel shifted a little so that he was lying on his stomach and resting his chin and hand on Sam's chest. "How are you feeling this morning? Now that you've had time to sleep on it all a little? We weren't lying when we told you that you could leave and we'd let you and not bother you."
"I know. And I guess my head is a little clearer after having slept some. I don't… I don't want to leave you two. And I guess I can just, learn to deal with it and accept you both. Do… do you think Crowley hates me for my reaction to him last night?" Sam asked in a quiet voice, heart clenching a little at the thought of having possibly hurt Crowley or Crowley not forgiving him for not giving him a chance.
"I don't think Crowley would ever blame you for your reaction last night. For one, you were exhausted before we even started the conversation, and so, given the topic and the revelations of the night, you're reaction could have been much worse. So no, I don't think Crowley hates you. In fact, I'm pretty positive the only reason he didn't wait for you to wake up was so that he could give you some space. For a demon, Crowley's shockingly thoughtful. Give him a chance, Sammy. In fact, give us both a chance. You'll maybe see that the Gabriel and Crowley you know are the real us." Sam looked at Gabriel, before letting his head fall back and looking up at the ceiling, nodding his in agreement to Gabriel's request.
"Just… promise me I'm safe. As much as you can, I mean. I just… I don't know if I can be comfortable if demons are gonna be around me all the time and knowing who I am. Who my family is," Sam murmured, frowning a little even as he spoke, not quite agreeing with his words, but unsure of how to word his actual concerns.
Thankfully Gabriel seemed to get what Sam was asking and didn't take offence in thinking Sam didn't trust them, or thought they would start having strange supernatural monster parties or something. Not that he'd put that past Gabriel.
"Sam, you'll always be safe with us. You're under the protection of Loki, Gabriel and Crowley. Yeah, sure, Loki and Gabriel are the same person, but you're one of the only beings to know that. And well, Crowley may be unpopular in Hell, but he's powerful and begrudgingly respected and feared by most demons around. In fact, most of the demons that wouldn't think twice about messing with Crowley are still in Hell and are too powerful to actually be able to get out. So, I don't think you have anything to worry about on that front. Okay? So you're feeling a little better about things then?" Gabriel asked him, moving up the bed so that he could press and light kiss to Sam's temple and then sitting on the side of the bed.
"I… yeah, I think I am. Guess we should go let Crowley know this, huh?" Sam asked, smiling slightly as he too moved to get out of bed.
"You know he's gonna be grouchy and his usual infuriating self, right? But deep, deep-deep-deep, down, he'll be happy to hear that," Gabriel told him, grinning cheekily when Sam just shot him a glare in Crowley's defence, though it was probably ruined slightly by the grin he couldn't hide.
"You're really quite horrible to him."
"We're an angel and a demon. Natural enemies."
"You sleep with him."
"With you as the filling in that sandwich. Now, stop stalling, time to face the demon. Literally," Gabriel added almost as an afterthought, grinning and ducking out of the way of the swat Sam aimed at this head.
"Horrible, horrible person. Let's go," Sam said, smiling as he shook his head at Gabriel's antics. Sure, he was still a little uncertain about everything that he'd learnt, but he felt that he could honestly deal with it and eventually not be bothered by it at all.
And he also knew that he would never be introducing his lovers to anyone else in his family. Bobby was enough and even then, the man would never be finding out just what Gabriel and Crowley were if Sam had anything to do with it. That was just not a confrontation Sam ever wanted to have. Though Bobby finding out he was sleeping with an angel-come-trickster and a crossroads demon - who was apparently more powerful than any demon Sam might have ever come across - was marginally better and less lethal than his dad ever finding out.
Or Dean.
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