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When they get back from their latest hunt, Sam can tell something’s wrong with Gabriel. He was still making jokes, but they didn’t really have the same enthusiasm behind them, and he’s walking differently, almost with a limp. But angels couldn’t get hurt, could they?
Dean and Castiel just left to get food, and Sam figured now was as good a time as any to approach Gabriel, so he cautiously walked towards the bed Gabriel was scowling down at.
“Gabriel? Are… you okay?”
Gabriel snapped out of whatever trance he was in and looked up at Sam, scowl morphing into a smirk that looked more like a pained grimace.
“Why Sammy, I didn’t know you cared about little ol’ me.” He put his hand dramatically over his heart and fluttered his eyelashes. Sam rolled his eyes.
“Really Gabriel, what’s wrong?” Sam gave him a serious look, and Gabriel sighed heavily and sat down on the bed.
“Nothing, tired is all.” He shuffled up towards the pillows and flopped down onto his back, only to spring right back up with a pained hiss.
Sam raised an eyebrow and moved to sit near him. “‘Just tired,’ huh?”
Gabriel frowned. “Okay, maybe my wings are dinged up a bit, but nothing big. Don’t worry, Sasquatch.”
Sam hesitated a moment before asking, “Can I see them?”
Gabriel sat up and leveled him with a stare that had Sam squirming before nodding and closing his eyes. Nothing happened for a minute, but just as Sam was about to say something, something enormous sprung from Gabriel’s back.
Wings were the wrong word for them. They were more like liquefied golden air, almost as if they were never meant to be on this plane of existence. They would have been beautiful, if one wing hadn’t been marred so badly it was almost broken in half. Sam gaped in horror.
“Dinged up a bit? Oh Gabriel…” Sam reached out to flatten some unruly feathers, resulting in a shiver from Gabriel that had Sam pulling his hand back quickly.
Gabriel sighed. “It’s really fine. They’ll heal, it’s just… healing something this bad tires me out.”
And he did look tired. There were uncharacteristically dark shadows underneath his eyes, and he was slumping forward as if he could fall asleep at any time.
Sam made a split decision and nudged Gabriel to lay down before laying down himself and carefully pulling Gabriel towards him until Gabriel’s back was at his chest, his arms encasing his smaller figure.
“Go to sleep, then, Gabriel.” Sam whispered.
Gabriel huffed lightly. “Don’t need to sleep.” But his argument was poor, as his words were already becoming slurred and heavy.
Sam simply shushed him and told Gabriel to sleep again. Gabriel rolled over, still in Sam’s arms, until his nose was at Sam’s shoulder. He tucked his head in underneath Sam’s chin and sighed contentedly. Sam tightened his arms, suddenly feeling very tired himself.
“Night, Kiddo.”