Snow Never Falls Alone | Sabriel Highschool AU

NO

Gabriel honestly had no idea where they were going. It's been almost two days since they left Sioux Falls on some road trip that Sam said was 'important to take,' whatever the hell that meant. Gabriel quite enjoyed it though, despite the way he often complained to Sam that his ass was falling asleep and he should kiss it to make it feel better. 

Sam, on the other hand, was generally quiet the entire time, only talking about the traffic or the crappy conditions of the motel that they had spent the night in. It worried Gabriel, but he wouldn't ask until they reached their destination. The soft music humming through the radio was nice, and he found himself dozing, letting his head rest against the window.

A slight push on his arm had him stirring awake, and he found himself staring at a very familiar road, one he hadn't seen in almost a year.

"Sam?" Gabriel said, his voice slightly scratchy from a sudden rush of emotion, "Why are we in New Orleans?"

"I wanted you to come home before we go to college, maybe visit your parents..." Sam trailed off, his voice timid like he was scared of Gabriel's reaction. The awkward silence lengthened into several seconds until Gabriel felt tears well in his eyes.

"Thank you, Sam," Gabriel whispered, for once at a loss to what he should say to show his gratitude. His chest felt full and heavy, but light at the same time, and suddenly, the jerk in his stomach made sense.

"It's not a problem, Gabe," Sam replied, turning his eyes back to the road as the stoplight turned green. Gabriel stayed quiet, watching his old home city pass by with an almost passive look on his face. He was anything but calm, though, a rush of emotion going through his body with each building he recognized until tears were tracking his cheeks and soft sniffles were leaving him. Sam didn't comment, but when they pulled up to the cemetery, he put the car in park before taking Gabriel's arm, pulling him into a gentle hug.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Sam asked softly, but Gabriel shook his head. He couldn't do it if Sam was there, and by the way Sam pulled back and cupped his cheek, giving him a warm smile, he understood.

"I'll wait here then. Take your time," Sam stated, turning off the car and unlocking the door so Gabriel could get out. Gabriel nodded, pulling at the hem of his shirt almost nervously as he got out. With slow steps, he crossed under the gate that separated the cemetery from the rest of the world.

His parents' tombstones were in the middle of the cemetery, placed beside each other with simple, plain stones to mark their place. Gabriel felt his chest tighten, guilt crossing his features when he realized that he hadn't even been able to attend the funeral before he had been whisked away by the Witness Protection Program.

He collapsed to his knees, touching his mother's tombstone gently with his hand as if it were the most precious and fragile thing, "H-hi, Mom," Gabriel started, a slight tremor in his voice as he looked from it to his father's tombstone, swallowing hard before continuing, "Hi, Dad."

He wasn't sure what else he was supposed to say, but he got into a comfortable position with his legs crossed, staring at their names inscribed on the stone before letting his gaze flick down to the fresh flowers that decorated them. Maybe it had been his uncle that had put them there, or even his grandmother.