#SamGabeHSAU -

Gabriel's oldest brother, Michael, picks them up from the movie theater. It's the first Sam's got a look at him, because for all the times Gabriel's been over, Sam has yet to meet the remaining members of the Archer family. Gabriel asked him to come over after the movie, so it looks like he's going to get his chance.

Michael's an imposing guy, with dark hair and eyes and a grave demeanor that reminds Sam a little bit of Dad, makes him alternately like and dislike the guy. Not that he knows him at all. Gabriel takes the front seat, talks animatedly to Sam in the back, but the fact that he rides shotgun -- and that he doesn't touch Sam as they enter the house -- tells Sam that the Archer boys don't know the nature of their son's relationship with him.

He gets introduced to Raphael, whose face is round and whose eyes flash at Sam as though passing judgment at first glance. It makes Sam wonder what Gabriel's said about him to his brothers already. This house is feeling more and more like the lion's den. Thank god their dad isn't home. Sam can only fear meeting him.

"Thought you had another brother," he says as he and Gabriel ascend the stairs to his room.

"Eh, Lucy's never here these days."

"Lucy? You have a brother named Lucy?"

Gabriel laughs. "No, his name's Luke. I just got used to calling him that, apparently it's what Ms. Moseley used to call him. She said he was a bleeding heart. I have no idea what she was talking about."

"Not a bleeding heart, then?"

"Not hardly."

Sam's eyes light up as they enter Gabriel's room. It's strangely sparse, except for a collection of gossip magazines and checkout-counter tabloids - the kind that boast about alien love children and Elvis - scattered over the floor. An ancient-looking computer hums obstinately in the corner. The closet door is open, and hangers are jaunting outward at an angle, as though clothes were pulled from them hurriedly. The place has the look of a room that's recently been hurriedly escaped.

"So I take it your family doesn't know," Sam offers. Gabriel frowns at him. "About you and me. Or you, in general."

Gabriel keeps frowning, though, and Sam begins to feel a little like a bug under a microscope.

"Does yours?" Gabriel finally asks.

"Mine?" Sam blushes. "No. They don't. I mean, Dean knows I'm ... thinking about it. I think. But Mom and Dad don't--"

"Then there's no way my family knows anything," Gabriel says flatly. "You actually talk to your folks. Honest to God, we're just like a bunch of strangers sleeping in the same house."

Sam's taken aback. "That's awful."

"That's life." Gabriel sidles up to him. "Can we do something more interesting?"

His eyes are glistening lust at Sam, and Sam doesn't know how to take it. He looks around nervously. "What, in your house? With your brothers around?"

"As long as you kiss me quietly." Gabriel's lips brush against his ear. "I think you can handle it."

Sam was going to launch into a whole discussion, figuring out what they are and what they should say and to whom, but Gabriel's obviously not interested in talking. And what's more, Gabriel's interested in kissing. Him. That's way too big a temptation to pass up.

He takes Gabriel's face in his hands, tries to ignore the uncertain pounding of his heart and the feeling he's avoiding something that he should be doing, that this is happening for the wrong reasons. But the minute Gabriel's lips touch his, suck greedily at his, pulling his lips apart -- nothing in the world could be wrong then.

They're standing, awkwardly, in the middle of the floor, kissing and kissing, with all the time in the world. Nothing moves but them, nothing disturbs them. It's nearly a perfect moment to Sam. And then Gabriel tugs him toward the bed and sits, not pulling Sam down on top of him although that's a possibility. But he does lean up against the wall, hold his hands out to Sam, who sits beside him. Completely upright, completely respectable. Pull apart and it'd just look like they're talking.

Only they're not. They're exploring each other's lips, exploring how hands feel on shoulders and wrists and tangled in hair, and when Gabriel slides his tongue against Sam's there's such a rush of indescribable sensation -- like eating a ripe strawberry, but without taste, just feeling -- that Sam actually gives a small yelp. Gabriel hisses "shh" and Sam winces. But there's a smile up against his now, and this feels good. great even, and Sam lets Gabriel do it again and again. He doesn't know what to do to excite Gabriel, where to go, but he's looking forward to finding out.

That's as far as they get that night. And they don't end up having that conversation. It'll come. Eventually. For now, it's good enough that Sam goes to sleep with a grin on his face and a secret in his heart. He can't wait for school tomorrow, if just to see Gabriel again. This is so, so exciting.

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