Mint and apricots

24. One breath away

Gabriel, now leaning forward and with his elbows resting just above his knees, listened intently. Then he took a few seconds to think and finally nodded with a grave expression that was able to make him a whole other person.

"I understand, but only to a certain extent," he remarked then, shifting his analytical gaze back to Sam. "You're a grown man. Can't you just tell them to buzz off and do what you want?"

Sam bit his lower lip, more aware than ever of Luc's eyes piercing his skull and of the hand his boyfriend was pressing to the base of his back. He didn't feel the heat of if. If anything, his tense nerves.

"It's not so easy. They are not bad people, they are not evil. I love them, I don't want them to feel anxious or in pain. But at the same time I want to be with Luc, so..."

"So you're at a dead end," Gabriel acknowledged with a sympathetic nod. "Let me guess, your relatives don't know you were meeting each other today?"

Sam shook his head.

"My brother would freak out, if he knew," he justified himself in a whisper, lowering his gaze to the ground.

"Jesus. Not even Romeo and Juliet had it this rough, man. Or rather, they wouldn't have in the twenty-first century," Gabriel whistled, impressed, looking for his old school friend's eyes. "But why? Why do they have such a low opinion of you?"

"Bullshit," Luc replied with a shrug. "I stole the little brother from under the eldest's wing. What can I tell you? Pure jealousy. As if Sam didn't have the right to get a life."

With a snort, Gabriel fell with his back against the soft back of the cobalt sofa, surrendering to the inevitability of the situation.

"I'm sorry for you guys. It's a bummer."

His regret drew a polite smile on Sam's face, but it led Luc to raise his glass, which was already empty for the third time.

"Nothing that a little more of your Mojito can't make me forget, at least for tonight."

Having received some sort of implicit permission, Gabriel smiled smoothly again before standing up and grabbing the jug where only a few mint leaves and lime wedges were left.

"Copy that!"

It was a pleasant evening, one as Sam hadn't had in a long time. Gabriel seemed to swim in his natural habitat, between stories and festive memories of his days in high school, and Luc was so at ease that Sam let himself be carried away by the joy of that candid meeting among friends.

When it was time to say goodbye, Sam pointed out to Luc that it was not a good idea to drive him to Hawthorne Lane in his car. Dean could have noticed them, somehow, so Sam would better call his brother to ask for a ride. Incredibly, perhaps still galvanized by the evening, Luc did not object and prepared to leave first so that Dean would not see his SUV parked in the street.

After greeting Gabriel with a fraternal hug and promising him that they would keep in touch for another reunion, therefore, Luc started walking towards the exit and Sam instinctively followed him while Gabriel was preparing to wash the dirty dishes.

Luc turned to him halfway down the driveway, while Sam was regretting not tucking his jacket over his sweater before leaving. But Luc's gaze, that mix of greed and gloom, was enough to distract him from the cold weather.

"Hey," he murmured, approaching Sam and rubbing his arms with his palms to mitigate the cold before placing his index finger just under the boy's chin and lifting it slowly.

Sam's eyes hesitated in his and the boy bit his lower lip. Now that the time for laughters was over, the original reason he had met Luc that day was back to wound him and the right words were out of his reach. Either way, Luc seemed to have enough for both of them.