Guys, thank you for sticking with me through the interim. I know I never finished this story or Blind Devotion, but I promise I have been working on them. I got caught up in my NaNoWriMo project and then life happened, but I'm still here. To make up for the lost time, please enjoy two sexy times with Gabe and Sam^^ And let me know if there's anything you want to see. This story has about 3 (?) chapters left to go, but I need ideas!

Sam stayed the night again with Gabriel and on Tuesday they repeated their routine of the archangel driving Sam to Stanford for class and then taking him out for dinner. It was becoming apparent to Sam that he was practically living with Gabriel. Normally, he would have been freaked by how fast things were moving between them (sexual activities excluded). Sam was a careful person and it usually took him a while before he decided he liked someone. However, with Gabriel everything seemed to easy and, for some reason, natural, like they were meant to be together and Sam was the one standing in the way.

Despite the strong pull Sam felt towards the other man, he still was hesitant to move in completely and give up his place with Ash and Garth. As much as he trusted Gabe, he had been burned before and he preferred to take everything one step at a time for now. Like Monday night's date. He wanted to get to know his boyfriend a little more before he committed to anything big, like sharing a house. Gabriel still seemed fine with going slow, so Sam didn't want to rock the boat just yet.

Tuesday night, Gabriel decided it would be a good idea for them to go swimming as the evening's entertainment. He reasoned that it was such a beautiful summer night and it would be wasted if they didn't enjoy it properly. Sam knew it was probably a really bad plan to be wet and practically naked with his boyfriend in such close proximity, but the last two nights Gabriel had behaved himself in bed, so Sam supposed this couldn't be too much different. And, well, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious to see what a wet Gabriel looked like.

Gabriel was already doing laps in the pool when Sam came out into the backyard wearing a pair of swimming trunks and carrying Campbell. He set the puppy down on the grass and the animal immediately scampered off to sniff around the bushes. Sam, feeling a little exposed in just his shorts, shuffled slowly over to the edge of the pool. He paused, watching Gabriel speed through the water like a pro. The best he could do was doggie paddle and not drown.

As soon as he saw mostly-naked Sam, Gabriel surfaced and tread water while he checked out his boyfriend. "You should wear just shorts more often," he said, unable to stop himself from leering a little.

"Maybe some cutoffs while I skim the pool on a hot summer's day?" Sam suggested jokingly. He took a seat on the still-warm concrete, dangling his long legs into the water.

"Oh my God, Sam!" Gabriel said with a dramatic splash, "How did you know that is one of my fantasies?!"

Sam chuckled, "I took a wild guess. So, do you do a lot of swimming?"

"Occasionally. Water's not really my preferred element but any activity that one can do while being mostly naked has my attention."

The man rolled his eyes. Gabriel could never pass up a sexy comment. It was getting harder and harder (literally) to resist the man's charm. Sam was beginning to wonder why he even bothered, as they both wanted each other.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Sammy? Come in and show me your breaststroke." Gabriel waved his arms invitingly.

Sam laughed as he slid into the water and closer to Gabe. "I'm pretty sure that line only works on women," he said critically. Gabriel pretended to think about that.

"Hmm, good point. Side stroke? Front crawl? Corkscrew?" he said, naming off different swimming styles. "There's got to be a dirty male joke in there somewhere."

"You're a dirty male joke all on your own," Sam informed him, sending a wave of water in the man's direction. Gabriel ducked under the surface and Sam lost sight of him in the dark water. He was again alerted to Gabriel's presence when he felt a sharp tug on his ankle. Sam was suddenly yanked under the water and a moment later he bobbed back up, spluttering and shaking his damp hair.

"What was that for?" he demanded when he got his wind back.

Gabriel shrugged. "You were acclimating too slowly. Now, let's play Marco Polo. YouhavefivesecondsGO!"

Even though he was still a bit disoriented from his dunking, Sam didn't waste any time in splashing away from Gabriel. The archangel had snapped his eyes closed and started counting loudly, waving his arms around in front of him. On the count of five, he then rushed forward blindly, searching for Sam.

"Marco?" he called, crashing down the middle of the shallow end of the pool. From the deep end, Sam answered with a quiet "Polo." Gabriel made a dive for him and Sam ducked around him, swimming out of reach.

This game continued for several rounds and as they tired, the participants become sillier. Gabriel tried psyching Sam out by hiding outside the pool and was apprehended in a lounge chair. Sam allowed Gabriel to think he was close, then grabbed Campbell and allowed the dog to give Gabriel puppy kisses all over his face.

Finally, Gabriel caught Sam one last time by grabbing the man around the waist and pulling him close so their wet chests met with a smack. Sam gasped and Gabriel opened his eyes to find their faces only a mere inch away from one another.

"So, does kissing fall under the "Hands Off" Rule?" he whispered, his warm breath fanning over Sam's face.

Sam had a hard time forming a coherent thought this close to Gabriel's small but strong body. "Uh, I guess it depends on where you're kissing me…"

Gabriel grinned lasciviously. "How about I just start and you let me know when I go too far?" He didn't let Sam answer, instead grabbing his ass and hauling him into a steamy kiss. Sam moaned and leaned into it, locking his legs up around Gabe's hips—a feat easily accomplished in the water. Gabriel thrust his tongue into Sam's mouth as his hips also ground forward, bumping against Sam's. Multi-talented, the archangel managed to wriggle his hands under the legs of Sam's shorts so he was gripping flesh instead of cloth. He rubbed Sam's ass enticingly, encouraging Sam to let go.

Sam was only too eager to comply. He hadn't gotten off in several days now and simply being in Gabriel's presence made him half hard. It was impossible to resist now that they were this close once again. Sam let Gabriel explore his mouth and he kissed back with equal enthusiasm. When Gabriel made a wet foray towards his neck, Sam buried his hands in the archangel's hair and couldn't stop himself from pumping his hips against Gabriel, feeling his erection through the meager barrier of their shorts.

"God, Gabe, you feel so amazing. How the hell can just kissing be this good?" Sam asked. The question was rhetorical, but Gabriel bit his shoulder and answered it anyways.

"Because you're mine," he whispered roughly. The archangel was finding it hard to control himself at the moment. The flesh on his back itched where his wings threatened to escape. He knew that if they were loose, they would have been soaked in pre-sex wing oil. To an angel, his arousal would have been blatant and he wanted nothing more than to mate with Sam again, to feel his human's body wrapped around him, to share the deepness of his passion with the man he had grown to love.

But, he tried to hold back. It wasn't time yet; he didn't want to scare Sam off now that he had him. He forced his wings to stay hidden for now and was careful that, when he turned his eyes to Sam's face, none of his grace shone through. It would have blinded anyone but his bonded (and even then it probably wasn't good for him) and he didn't want Sam to guess his true identity. It almost physically hurt, how badly he wanted to be with Sam, but he had promised he would wait. The thing was, he wasn't sure he actually could.

Gabriel abruptly stopped his assault on Sam's neck. He put his hands to Sam's sides and hoisted the taller man up out of the water. Sam made a noise of surprised protest but Gabriel ignored it as he gently set Sam on the edge of the pool where he'd put his towel earlier. Almost on autopilot, the archangel reached out and grabbed the hem of Sam's shorts, yanking them down past his knees and off. They floated away on the waves they were creating with their activities. He stared hungrily at Sam's groin and the hardened cock awaiting him.

"Gabriel, what—?" Sam started to say. He was too turned on to be scared by Gabriel's actions, but he was a little confused. Hadn't they decided to wait? Or, did his agreement to allow kissing into the rules mean that other things could now be renegotiated?

"Please, Sam," the archangel begged, turning his tawny eyes up to his lover, "Just let me suck you off, that's all. Does a blow job count as sex?"

Sam couldn't handle how hot his boyfriend looked right now. That wild, ravenous passion in his eyes was too heavy to resist and for once Sam didn't even try. He bent his knees, propping his feet up on the rim of the pool and giving Gabriel complete access. At the smaller man's height, he had the perfect vantage point.

"I won't tell if you won't," Sam gasped. As soon as he said the words, he knew he had made the right decision. While this wasn't exactly what he would call "going slow", Sam figured they could both use a treat for good behavior.

Gabriel flashed him a happy grin before leaning forward to devour Sam. He was rough and greedy, with little of the finesse had had employed last time they had made love. The archangel gripped Sam's sizable dick in one hand, using the other to tug at his balls.

Sam groaned at the onslaught of sensation and put his hands on his thighs for support as Gabriel went down on him. He'd only had one blow job previous to this—also compliments of Gabe—but after all the anticipation and stress of the past few days, this one felt even better. Gabriel certainly knew what he was doing and he proved it as he bobbed his head up and down, hollowing out his cheeks around Sam's arousal. Sam felt himself hit the back of his lover's throat several times, but Gabriel never backed down. He swallowed and sucked, using both hands to bring Sam close to Heaven.

Gabriel sped up his efforts when he head Sam moan something about coming soon. As much as he wanted to simply thrust into his bonded and make them one again, he knew he had to content himself with this for now, so he put all his skill into giving Sam the best blow job ever.

Still, that didn't stop him from playing dirty. Gabriel slid one hand from Sam's cock down further between his legs and under his ass. He splayed his fingers and searched for the angel bonding mark he'd hidden at the small of Sam's back. When he pressed it, hot sensation shot through them both. Sam yelled and came hard, his body shaking with the strength of his orgasm. Gabriel, too, reached his peak, letting loose into the pool.

As Sam came, a vision flashed through his head. It was of the day Gabriel had mentioned, where Dean had fallen out of a tree and broken his arm. Sam ran into the apartment to tell their father, who came running back out to Dean. Sam stood off to the side, crying. He was afraid that John would blame him for Dean's accident and punish him. He was also scared for his brother, who had to go to the hospital where they gave you shots and other horrible things.

John bundled a stoic Dean into the Impala, then took Sam's shoulder and pushed him quickly up one flights of stairs to Gabriel's apartment. When the short man opened the door, he seemed to already know what had happened and said he would be happy to look after Sam. At that point in the chaos, no one questioned this odd request from a neighbor rarely spoke to, and Sam was left on the man's doorstep as his father ran back down the stairs.

Gabriel looked down at the still-crying Sam and offered him a warm smile. "Hey, there, Squirt. Why don't you come on in and I'll get you set up with some cartoons." Sam shuffled forward and let Gabriel close the door. Then the man reached down and gently set his hand on the small of the boy's back to guide him further in. Sam felt a small pinch of pain where the man's hand touched him, but dismissed it when he heard Gabriel mention fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies…

Sam blinked and the vision faded. He was still panting for breath, this legs trembling a little with the effort of holding them up. Gabriel had pulled himself up out of the pool and was sprawled next to Sam on the towel. "Where'd you go, Sasquatch?" he inquired.

The other man shook his head a little, confused as to why he saw that of all things when Gabriel brought him off. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was when they first spent time together.

"It's so weird. When I…you know…I had this sudden memory of when I stayed with you when Dean went to the hospital. You let me in, guided me with your hand on my back. I remember that part so vividly now."

"Hmm, that is strange," Gabriel intoned, all the while doing a mental fistbump. Sam was so close! He knew that touching the bonding mark gave them both pleasure and he was happy about his idea to use it as a tool during sex. That was going to yield a lot of fun in the future.

He looked over at Sam, who was starting to come down. "I hope I didn't cross a line or anything," he said, hoping, praying that Sam wouldn't freak out like he had last time they'd done the dirty. "You seemed pretty into it."

Sam flopped his big body over onto his side, moving like a beached whale as his limbs were worn out after his amazing blowjob. "I can hardly condemn you when I was a willing participant. Maybe we can speed things up a little bit…" Gabriel really liked the sound of that and proved it with an enthusiastic kiss.

Sam woke up early Wednesday morning in a pleasant tangle of arms and legs. Dean wouldn't arrive until the afternoon, but he was used to waking up early to get to class. Since he still had a while to make himself presentable and go greet his brother and angel at the place where he was supposed to be living, the man relaxed back into the pillows and turned his head to look at his sleeping host.

Gabriel slept like a very warm and cuddly rock, snoring slightly. He had his arms linked firmly around Sam's middle and it was hard to tell at this point where his legs ended and Sam's began. His gold hair was flung over his face and Sam released one arm so he could reach up and ease it back behind the man's ear. Gabriel smiled and mumbled something in his sleep and Sam grinned in response.

He still couldn't believe how happy he was. Every moment with Gabriel before and since their little spat had been absolutely wonderful. Sam hadn't even thought about his breakup with Jess in several days and he realized now that he hadn't felt a fraction of this love and contentment with her as he did with Gabe. Sam wasn't sure how he had gotten so lucky as he have the other man in his life, but as he lay there, he could picture himself spending the rest of his life with Gabriel. Here he felt safe and loved, a feeling he hadn't felt since he was home with Dean.

His exuberance at this realization gave Sam the energy to want to do something special for his host. Breakfast sounded like a good idea—a small, domestic way to repay Gabriel for everything he had given Sam over the past two weeks. Sam carefully extricated himself from Gabriel's octopus limbs and snuck out of bed. Campbell saw him and whined from his dog bed, excited to see someone else awake. Sam grabbed a shirt and pants and motioned for the puppy to follow him out of the room. He dressed in the hallway, then led Campbell to the kitchen, where he let the dog out into the yard to do his morning business.

Sam wasn't a particularly good cook, but Dean had taught him how to make French toast and he wasn't too bad at it, so he rooted around in Gabriel's fridge for some eggs and milk. Soon, he had the griddle on and several slices of toast cooking. Next to it, he warmed a small saucepan of maple syrup. Sam was just turning the toast when Gabriel padded into the kitchen, yawning loudly.

"Hey, Sammich. If you're going to be cooking in this kitchen, you should be wearing a frilly apron."

"Open back, sans pants, I assume," Sam teased, smiling happily when he heard Gabriel approach. The smaller man wrapped his arms around his waist, apparently not done cuddling yet.

"Well, that goes without saying," Gabriel replied. He stuck his nose in Sam's hair and nibbled hungrily at his neck. Sam was stuck between laughing at his lover's playfulness and groaning at the feeling of blunt teeth on his skin. As much as he loved having Gabe's mouth on him, he had breakfast to tend to.

"These are gonna burn if you keep distracting me," he remarked, trying to wriggle out of the man's arms.

Gabriel sighed dramatically and let go—he could just as easily molest Sam after breakfast. He wandered over to let Campbell in, since the puppy was scratching at the back door. When the dog went over to where his empty food dish sat, Gabriel went to get a scoop of dry food and some fresh water. By the time he was finished, breakfast was done and Sam proudly served them each a plate stacked with several slices of French toast. He filled a gravy boat he had found with the syrup and brought a bag of powdered sugar to sprinkle on top.

Of course, none of those ingredients had existed in Gabriel's house before, but when the angel sensed that his boyfriend wanted them, he provided everything Sam needed in as subtle way as possible. He couldn't wait until Sam figured everything out and Gabriel could just materialize things normally out of thin air, but for now it was fun to pretend that he simply kept a well-stocked pantry.

"These are delicious, Sammy," he said with real feeling once he had tried some of the food. He had eaten numerous dishes from all over the world, but he couldn't help being partial to something his bonded had made just for him. Plus, the sticky sweetness of the syrup he had slathered onto his toast didn't hurt.

Sam smiled across the table as he speared another mouthful onto his fork. "Glad you like them. It's about the only thing I can cook, though, so you'd better get used to it." He didn't immediately realize that his statement implied they would be living together long enough for Gabriel to become accustomed to French toast as a staple of their diet, but the angel did and he grinned to himself as he shoved more food into his mouth.

The taller man finished first, and he went about clearing the table and setting the dishes in some warm water to soak. He felt a whisper of sensation at the small of his back just before Gabriel wrapped him in his arms again. "Leave the dishes," he demanded, tugging on Sam's middle. Sam was about to protest, but his speech turned into a loud moan when Gabriel bit the sensitive spot on the back of his neck. He kind of collapsed into Gabriel's hold and the angel was more than happy to heft Sam up and half-carry, half-drag him over to the kitchen's central island. He put one of his hands firmly against the hidden bonding mark and his lover grunted happily.

"Hop, up, Moose," he said, nudging Sam against the counter, and Sam complied. Still a bit dazed from the blissful touch of the mark, Sam braced both hands on the side of the island and pulled himself up to sit on top. Gabriel especially liked watching how the man's long arms flexed, the veins and muscles standing out against his lightly tanned skin. When he felt Gabriel go straight for the hem of his pants, he came to his senses a little.

"Wait, we can't," he said, closing his legs pointedly.

Gabriel pouted at him, stomping his foot like a toddler denied his lollipop. "But I thought we agreed blowjobs were ok."

Sam swallowed quickly, aroused just by hearing Gabriel mention the sex act. "No, I mean, yes, they're ok. More than ok. But we don't have time to do this now. I need to go shower and get back to my apartment before Dean and Castiel get there. I…didn't exactly tell Dean we are together and he'll be there at eleven."

The angel sniffed dismissively. "There's always time for a blowjob. That's Sex Ed 101." He reached out to grip Sam's knees and gently part his legs. Sam sighed as his cock twitched eagerly when Gabriel squeezed in close between his thighs.

"I'm pretty sure that's not what they teach in a Sex Ed class," he said, but he didn't really try to put up any resistance this time when his lover pulled down his pants. It occurred to him that, at some point, he might like the opportunity to return the favor for Gabriel, but at the moment his boyfriend looked particularly eager to repeat last night's performance. Sam gave up trying to stop him when he felt Gabe grip his erection and pull it to meet his lips as he leaned over Sam's groin. Like the pool edge, the top of the counter put Sam at the perfect height for Gabriel to bring him off with his mouth.

This time, assured of the legitimacy of his action, Gabriel wasted no time in swallowing Sam whole. Sam's back bowed and he let out of lustful moan as his eyes fluttered closed. The man was pretty certain that he was in love with blowjobs from Gabe now. He reached behind him and gripped the other side of the island for support so he could have enough leverage to thrust his hips up. His arm brushed past the open bag of powdered sugar he'd left there and the bag slid off the edge. It hit the floor with a padded whump and a moment later the air was filled with a soft downfall of snowy white powder. When he noticed, Gabriel pulled off of Sam and grinned before turning his head to lick off some of the sugar that had landed on his exposed thigh.

"Mmm, salty and sweet. Just the way I like it," he commented, smacking his lips. He took another lick, like sucking salt off the back of his hand, before going down on Sam's dick again, treating it like his margarita.

"That's so good. Gabe!" Sam panted as the angel really went to town, bobbing his head up and down, keeping a brisk, steady pace. A human might get tired of that kind of precision after a while, but Gabriel was an angel and he could go all day without so much as breaking rhythm.

"I'm just getting started." As he continued to suck Sam off, Gabriel began to get a little handsy. With his right hand, he began to stroke Sam's sweat-dampened thigh, massaging the skin and trembling muscle. At first he skirted just around the man's groin—where Sam most wanted to be touched at the moment. He trailed the tips of his fingers ever-so-lightly down the crease of Sam's leg and he felt his lover twitch and hump his mouth at the feeling. Eventually, he brought his hand down to touch Sam's balls, rolling them firmly between his fingers. Sam gave a muffled shout and Gabe glanced up to see that the man had stuffed one fist into his mouth to keep from being heard. Well, he couldn't have that.

With his right hand still fondling Sam's sac, Gabriel slid his left hand up to Sam's mouth and lightly tapped his lips. "Open up for me, Sammy," he ordered. Sam frowned in confusion, but removed his own hand. Gabriel promptly stuck two fingers in its place. "Suck on them, big boy. Pretend they're my cock." Gabriel was nothing if not eloquent when it came to dirty talk.

"Fuu shawl," Sam said around his fingers. Gabriel stopped what he was doing and looked up at him.

"What was that?"

Sam turned his head so the fingers slipped out of his mouth. "Too small," he annunciated, meaning the size difference between Gabriel's two fingers and his dick.

The angel chucked—even a heavenly being liked to be reminded that his vessel was well-endowed. "Damn right. Now, back to work." Sam obediently let his jaw drop open and took Gabriel's fingers back in. He began to suck on them calmly, doing just as his lover asked. The angel, too, went back to what he was doing. He sucked on just the head of Sam's erection for a chance of pace, alternately running his tongue around and over the slit. He lapped up every bit of precum that Sam gave him, keeping his lover just on the edge so he didn't reach his peak yet.

The next time Gabriel looked up, he was gratified to see a long stream of drool curling down Sam's cheek and under his chin. The man had his eyes shut tight, given over completely to Gabriel's whims. The angel tugged his fingers out of Sam's mouth and his lover automatically tried to follow them, body bowing so he could reach again for Gabe's fingers.

"Don't worry, Sam, these are going right back inside you," he said slyly. Sam groaned but lay back, parting his legs even wider in invitation. Gabe licked his lips at the sight. "You sure this is ok? This doesn't count as going too fast?" He wanted more than anything at that moment to feel his spit-slick fingers sliding up inside of Sam, but he wouldn't risk upsetting him.

"Please just stuff your fingers in my ass," Sam grated out, giving Gabriel a taste of his classic bitchface. He was so close he could feel himself just about to tip over the edge into blissful orgasm and at this point he didn't care what the other man did so long as it got him off.

"Aye, aye, Captain," Gabriel said, and did just that. With no prep, he firmly poked both his fingers into Sam's hole. The man hissed at the intrusion and tried to sit up, but Gabriel shushed him and put his other hand on his stomach to comfort him. He let loose a trickle of his Grace, making sure that Sam would feel no pain when he entered him, only delicious pressure.

Once he felt Sam relax against him, Gabriel smoothly slid his fingers all the way out. The man slumped against the counter like a marionette whose strings had just been severed all at once. The angel chuckled and thrust his fingers back in, watching Sam once again come alive and wriggle against him. He felt Sam squeeze his muscles tightly to keep him from pulling his fingers out again. He pulled them out anyways and his lover huffed a frustrated sigh.

"Gabriel, so help me, if you don't finish this I'm never speaking to you again," he threatened, but his words had no weight behind them, as he wasn't exactly in a position to be giving demands.

"I love a bossy bottom, Sammy," Gabriel informed him and stuck three fingers in this time without warning. He still wanted Sam to talk to him, though, so this time he began to thrust shallowly in and out, working up to an almost punishing rhythm. Sam started writhing in earnest, making needy sounds that later he would forever deny, trying to reach that special height.

But, it just wasn't enough. Once his body was loosened from Gabriel's fingers, he wanted something more, something bigger to fill him up. In his lust-drunk state, that idea stuck in his mind, no matter how he tried to content himself that what his lover was doing was enough. "Gabe," he finally begged, "Gabe, please, need you. Need you all the way inside me."

The angel slowed, not sure he had heard Sam correctly. "Care to repeat that, Beanstalk?"

Sam swallowed, panting breaths impairing his speech. "Please, want more than fingers…Fuck me."

"Aww, Sammy, just because I'm an angel doesn't mean I'm a saint." He hesitated though, fiddling with Sam's prostate as he considered the command.

The man sat up and looked him right in the eye. "Gabe, I mean this. Screw going slow…Screw me." He looked deadly serious, like he might just kill the angel if he didn't enter him right fucking now.

Gabriel swallowed carefully. Damn; his boyfriend could be pretty scary when he wanted to be, and this coming from an archangel. An archangel with few morals and less patience. He reached for the waistband of his sweatpants, but at the last moment, he paused and let his hand drop. He couldn't do it. No matter how much Sam begged—and Father, what a sound!—he couldn't in good conscience do as he asked. No one that knew Gabriel would ever agree that he had anything close to restraint, especially when it came to carnal pleasure.

However, the archangel had always been a rebel and this was his mate. He wouldn't—couldn't—risk hurting or taking advantage of him, no matter how much he pleaded for Gabriel's cock. Sex wasn't just about pleasure anymore—it was about bonding, and he wanted it to be special for Sammy, no matter how much it pained him to wait. Summoning all his willpower, he shook his head at the man and renewed his previous activities. Sam grunted as Gabriel once again swallowed his dripping erection and his fingers went to town on him, pushing him towards a quick release.

It was only moments later when Sam shouted out his orgasm, pumping up into the archangel's mouth. Gabriel gulped him down, sucking gently until he was sure that Sam was finished. When he pulled his three fingers out with a wet squelch, the man fell back bonelessly onto the counter. He smiled at his handiwork; Sam looked completely debauched. His tanned skin shone with a thick sheen of sweat, his hair matted worse than when he'd risen from bed. The entire area between his thighs was soaking wet and dripping a little onto the island. On top of all that was a light dusting of white powered sugar.

Gabriel let Sam relax and get pull himself back together while he turned to start cleaning the dishes. He longed to be able to clean up the entire kitchen with a single thought, but he knew his lover was getting closet every to day figuring out how they were connected. Maybe his brother's visit this week would be a good thing. If Sam saw how Castiel and Dean were bonded, he might just figure out the final clue to the puzzle of their relationship. Gabriel couldn't wait.

He was so busy thinking this through that he didn't notice Sam had come up behind him. He looked over to where the man leaned against the sink. Sam had pulled his pants back up, but he was in desperate need of a shower.

"You didn't fuck me," he said evenly. His big arms were crossed across his chest and Gabriel sensed that he was mildly upset. That hadn't been his intention, but now Sam must think that Gabriel didn't want to have full-on sex with him again after last time. Silly human.

"Was it a test?" Gabriel countered, setting the last of the plates in the dish strainer. "Did you want to see if I would do it, even when you told me you weren't ready?"

The man's eyebrows furrowed as he frowned in consternation. "What? No! I wouldn't do that. I didn't think—I was in the moment." He shifted uncomfortably, but he had said all Gabriel wanted to hear.

"Good." He went over to hug Sam, getting the man's sweat and smell of sex all over him. "I just didn't want to take advantage of you. I did once, and I'm not making that mistake again. Everything else can be spontaneous, but we're going to wait as long as it takes until you're ready to go all the way again." He may have been a trickster, but he was firm on this point.

Sam hugged him back, burying his face in the archangel's neck. "Thank you. I would have let you do it and I would have loved it, but I also want to wait. I'm sorry I tried to push you."

Gabriel patted him on the back and pulled away so he could look up into the man's troubled face. "No worries, Sammy. Now, as much as I'd like to stand here with you all over me, I think you mentioned something about your brother?"

He got the reaction he had been hoping for. "CRAP!" Sam yelled. "I'm late! Dean's gonna kill me!" He grabbed his shirt and bolted for the bedroom, bare feet slapping all the way down the hall. Campbell followed, barking in excitement.