A Choice

[low_key_angel]

"So that's how you end this Sam." Lucifer has never looked quite so smug as he laid out his proposal. "Have sex with my brother and I'll make all of this go away."

"Lu, don't do this."

"He can do this my way Gabriel, or he can watch you die."

Gabriel turned away from the ruined face of his brother's vessel. He was willing to give up ending the world for the sake of breaking his heart, of destroying any chance Gabriel might have had with Sam. Tainting every future interaction with this.

"Sam.. just go. You don't have to do this."

Comments

[worldfelldown]

"Maybe? It's been a while since either of us have had a good night's rest." His expression was warm as he looked over at the angel grinning back at him. Yeah, tonight had... sucked, but in the end, he still stopped an apocalypse and had someone who cared about him enough to help him out with the rest that needed to be tied up.

He was considering that a win, even if it still irked him that Lucifer ended up using his body anyway -- just not in the way he'd ever thought.

"You know you don't have to though, right? We'll be fine."

[low_key_angel]

"Quit complaining and let someone do something nice for you, kiddo." Gabriel waggled a finger across the table at him. "I'm not talking putting you two up at the Ritz, just some place with a mattress that isn't lumpy, pillows that aren't flat and honest to god coffee in the morning."

He sat back, finishing off his coffee in a single swallow. Lucifer had tried to sabotage things, and he couldn't help but relish the idea that just maybe.. he hadn't.

"Couple of days off to catch up on lost sleep and regroup. You could use the break Sam. Let me.. let me do this for you."

[worldfelldown]

"Okay, okay." He holds up a hand in defeat, that fond look lingering on his face. It's a good offer and really, he thinks Dean could use the break at least. Sam? He's never been so good at resting when there's work to do, when something is hanging over their heads that needs to be done.

He'll try it though, because Gabriel is asking him and for once, it feels like they could win. Putting his now empty mug down he tilts his head. "Do you want to walk back with me? I guess I need to go... tell Dean something. Let him know that at least Lucifer's not bringing the apocalypse."

He's not sure what reaction that will bring, when he gets whatever details Sam can bring himself to admit to, but... he did it so his brother could quit fighting, so Gabriel didn't die. It was worth whatever happened after this.

[low_key_angel]

Gabriel pulled out a handful of money, leaving it on the table. A three hundred percent tip for a struggling young lady who needed the break. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but it mollified his sense of justice to take care of people who needed it now and then.

"Sure thing. And.. I'm okay with not telling him exactly what went down. Tell him I talked my brother down if that'd be easier."

"And tomorrow night, you guys will find a better place to crash. Someplace you can rest for a few days."

[worldfelldown]

He arched a brow at that tip Gabriel left behind, but didn't question it. Getting to his feet, he headed out the exit, keeping himself close to the angel for now. "I'm very okay with not getting into the details. Some things, my brother really doesn't need to know."

Even if Dean was the master of sharing too much information about his sex life. Sam wasn't so much into that -- especially when it was under coercion from the devil himself. His hands went to his pockets idly. "Sounds great. It's been a long time since we've had decent rooms. Don't really get the option all that often."

[low_key_angel]

"You tell him what you're okay with. I'll back you up," he lingered outside the diner for a moment.

"I'll hook you guys up for a few days. Call it a mini vacation." And really, after that, they'd find nicer hotels out of nowhere, good coffee, and Sam would find that even crap diners started serving decent salads.

"Sam. I.. I'm sorry you had to find out that way. From Lucifer."

[worldfelldown]

"Were you planning on telling me yourself?" He couldn't help the question. He was curious and he wanted to know if there had been a chance of a more pleasant way to hear it. Not that it really mattered now when the damage was pretty much already done.

[low_key_angel]

"When this mess was over with," he waved a hand vaguely. "Not something I figured you needed to hear in the middle of trying to save the world."

A lame excuse, but at least it was honest. "You had enough to worry about without hearing how I felt on top of it."

[worldfelldown]

He nodded at that. Well, at least he planned to tell him eventually... even if there had really been no promise of him surviving the apocalypse. Even now, there really wasn't.

Sam gave him another look. "For how long?"

[low_key_angel]

Gabriel rocked back on his heels for a moment, trying to come up with an answer that didn't sound ridiculous and sappy.

.. and failed. He shoved his hands back in his pockets and met his gaze evenly. "Since I laid eyes on you Sam. That first job. Watching you work. I was a goner."

[worldfelldown]

"Really?" Since he first saw him... Felt like forever ago and really, Sam would have never guessed with the way that whole situation went.

"That's a long time, you know."

[low_key_angel]

"Really," Gabriel offered a vague shrug. It didn't seem quite as long ago to him. Bright, smart and with a dimple to die for, how could be not fall for Sam?

"So, ah, do you want me to wait out here while you talk to Dean? Or.." He'd stay as long as Sam wanted him there, careful never to press.

[worldfelldown]

"You can do whatever you want," he answered, not wanting to keep him here if he'd prefer being by himself for now. He didn't blame him. Besides, this might take a while to explain to Dean...

"If you stay, I'll try to come back out soon."

[low_key_angel]

This was going to be a somewhat awkward dance for both of them. Gabriel wanted to stay, but at the same time, he didn't want to crowd Sam. "I'm good, I'll hang out for awhile if you want to poke your head back out after talking to big bro. Can sit here and watch the stars for a bit."

He'd already decided to linger all night, even if Sam went inside, showered and collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Just to keep watch.

[worldfelldown]

"Yeah, okay. I'll be back out in a while then." He smiled a little, strained. Not really because of Gabriel this time, but this was a conversation he wasn't looking forward to having with Dean right now... well, not entirely anyway.

He was glad to tell him the apocalypse wasn't looming over them for the moment, that he could relax for a couple days.

With another brief look, he headed inside. The talk... didn't start out all that easy. Nothing starting with, 'I spoke with Lucifer' was going to settle right with his brother though. He explained as much as he could - while leaving out as many of the intimate details as he could. Dean didn't like it, didn't trust it at first... Sam couldn't blame him for being worried or not trusting the devil of all people though.

It was a long talk and a lot of yelling before Dean calmed down enough to actually accept it... and agree to gathering the last of the rings and locking Lucifer up for good in any way they could. Sam was exhausted by the time he poked his head out, but he was looking forward to sitting out for a bit, getting some space from Dean while they both cooled down and really thought about what they were doing here.

They were going to stop Lucifer, somehow, some way.

"You still out here?"

[low_key_angel]

He couldn't miss the yelling. Dean had a rather explosive way of coping with things that threatened his little brother. It all reminded him a bit too much of his brothers, how they'd been in the beginning. Before everything had gone to shit. Pulling pranks with Lucifer, chasing Michael through the clouds of a brand new planet.

Gabriel stretched out on the hood of a blue Chevy next to the a Impala to wait. (he's not about to piss Dean off when he's already in a mood. Tempting as it might be.)

When Sam finally came out, he picked up his head long enough to wave and offer a beer from a freshly created six pack. "He took it better than I thought."

[worldfelldown]

Really, after seeing Dean so ready to give up and say yes, give up on him in the process... it was just good to see him showing any kind of spark again. It was equally as nice to see the concern for him hidden underneath all the screaming and anger, even if he was pretty sure Dean shouldn't give a damn anymore. They were still brothers though and that was giving him the courage to do what was going to need to be done soon enough.

And alright, maybe the angel waiting for him outside was adding to that, along with the rest of his little mismatched family he'd made over the years.

He grinned tiredly as he moved forward to grab a beer. "He's worried."

He can't say that he blames him either. Leaning against the hood, he slipped a hand into his pocket as he brought his drink up to his lips. "But a few days off to rest will probably do him some good."

[low_key_angel]

Gabriel winked, scooting over so Sam could boost himself up I'd he wanted. The car was a damn boat, there was more than enough room for two. "Means he's a good brother."

The angel gives him a friendly nudge. "You both could use the rest. I'll even make sure the room has magic fingers for Captain Cranky. And you two can stay as long as you like. I'll handle the details and poke at where the horsemen might be holing up,"

[worldfelldown]

"Yeah..." He smiled slightly as he settled on the hood next to him, cradling his bottle in his hands. Sitting here, chatting with the guy he'd been made to have sex with earlier... it should be awkward - and on some level, it was - but the company wasn't so bad.

He gave a look over to Gabriel at the offer, laughing under his breath. "Alright... thanks. Just let us know when you find them and we'll be there."

[low_key_angel]

It was fucked up and that was putting it mildly. But here they were, trying to have a semi-normal conversation after incredibly good, if coerced, sex. Talk about doing things backwards.

Sam wanted to be there, and while there was some lingering tension, it was worth it to just talk to him. Listen to that quiet, easy laughter. Reaching over he tapped his bottle against Sam's. "You're on. And when this whole clusterfuck is over with? I'll take you someplace, a bookworm's paradise."

[worldfelldown]

"Oh, really?" He arched a brow, curious as he gave Gabriel a look. And because there really was no reason to sweep it under the rug, pretend it didn't exist when just moments ago, Gabriel had confessed to exactly what he was interested in... "Is that you asking me out on a date or something?"

Sam... wasn't opposed to the idea, didn't want the coercion earlier to taint whatever might happen if only because Lucifer would enjoy that too much. And because he's already been through so many horrible things, Sam wanted to believe that maybe there could be something a little more pleasant there between them.

*snort* That face..

[low_key_angel]

Gabriel grinned impishly in return. "Maybe. I'm the Messenger, I know where all the good old books are stored. Vatican archives, lost libraries, everything a growing brain needs, right? Could maybe make a day or two out of it."

Sharing hidden mysteries with Sam, lost secrets with someone who'd really appreciate them, that was a pretty appealing idea. "Set Dean up in a nice hotel with beer, magic fingers and porn, he'll be in hog heaven while you browse ancient archives to your heart's content."

Sam makes some of the best faces, man.

[worldfelldown]

"I'd love that." He doesn't know if they'll actually get to do it, but... he would love it if he did. Learning things most people wouldn't ever get to lay eyes on, spending his time in pleasant company. It all sounded amazing, really...

"And Dean would probably love that way too much."

Re: Sam makes some of the best faces, man.

[low_key_angel]

It was at least something to shoot for. A pleasant what if to carry them through what was going to be a terrifying and dark time ahead.

"Then you're on. After this? It's a date."

One they might not live to see, but it was a nice idea. "Maybe I'll sneak out a book or two before then."

[worldfelldown]

They might not live to see it, no, but it actually brightens Sam mood for the moment -- a feat that he thought would've been impossible when he first went to meet Lucifer and accepted those terms. At least... this wasn't so bad between them. It was possibly Gabriel was good at hiding it, but it seemed like he hadn't... broken whatever was between them too much, that he hadn't hurt the angel.

Sam was kind of sick of hurting people close to him.

He took another swig of his beer as his eyes turned up tot he sky. "It's going to be weird, getting used to you being able to just zap things in and out, you know."