Never Let You Go

Seven

Sam had never seen Gabriel looking so peaceful. He hadn't even realized it until now, but Gabe always seemed to be talking. Now it was... strange. But Sam didn't mind the quiet. He felt like he could stay there, walking and holding hands with Gabe, forever. But good things never last, Sam had already learned that.

As they rounded a corner, there was a mother and her child coming from the opposite direction. Sam smiled politely, but the woman just frowned.

"Disgusting..." the woman muttered as she passed. Sam ducked his head and quickly withdrew his hand from Gabe's. Gabe whirled around to face the woman.

"Hey! What's your problem?" He challenged. Sam stared at the sidewalk as the woman turned around.

"Faggots are my problem! You should be ashamed of yourselves! God didn't make you this way," the woman exclaimed. Gabriel flipped her off and she hurried her child away, looking scandalized. Gabe turned back around and they started walking again, Sam still staring at the ground. Gabe reached for Sam's hand but Sam pulled it away.

"Sam?" Gabriel asked, stopping. Sam stopped too and turned slightly to face Gabriel.

"I..." Sam couldn't finish.

"You can't let people like her get to you like that, Sam. There's nothing wrong with you," Gabe said.

"I'm not as impervious as you are, okay? I've never done this before, and I... I wasn't taught that there wasn't anything wrong with being who I was. I'm sorry, Gabe, I don't... I can't do this," Sam said. He looked up, and the look on Gabriel's face sent a knife through his heart. Gabe opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Sam was already walking. He didn't want to hear anything Gabe had to say, he couldn't take it.

"Sam, wait!" Gabriel called after him. Sam didn't slow down, he just kept going and going, hardly paying attention until he got back to the apartment.

"Back already? I- Sammy?" Sam brushed past his brother without saying a word in response. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He didn't deserve to talk to anyone.