Mint and apricots

31. So, you want to play?

"You look out of sorts today, Sam. Is everything alright?" Gabriel noticed, breaking the silence which had been established by his guest as he slipped the last piece of his second apricot into his mouth.

Sam, who was on his fourth sip of his now habitual mint tea, couldn't blame him. He knew all too well the offended and irreducible expression that took control of his features every time an argument with his brother put hot coals under the soles of his shoes, forcing him to leave the house in a hurry.

Not for nothing had he arrived at Gabriel's door at two in the afternoon, three hours earlier than the time he had agreed with Luc. And of course it was all Dean's fault, him and his bossy way of managing things. Sam refused to admit – even to himself – that the curiosity about what he had been mulling over during the whole week was behind that heavy upheaval of schedules. Not to mention – God forbid! – the possibility that even the desire to spend some time with Gabriel had played a not marginal role in the incident.

"It's nothing. Just another argument with Dean and Cas," the twenty-six year old declared, annoyed, as a proof of his stubbornness. A moment later, remembering that Gabriel had no way of knowing who he was talking about, he specified: "My brother and brother-in-law."

When he shrugged, he focused his attention on a flaw in the seam of the sofa that had nearly adopted it. Sam had never sat anywhere else in the living room, not when the choice had been his. In his mind, that one was his sofa for the time he spent there, while the other one, the opposite one, was Gabriel's. Even at that moment the landlord was looking at him from there, with his legs crossed, a pillow in his lap and the fingers of his left hand busy massaging his own ankle – his right hand was intended to grant him free access to the apricots.

Here, Gabriel had just bent over to the table to grab his third one. At the same time, he tossed one into Sam's lap and the boy didn't hesitate. He took the fruit to his mouth and took a bite of it even before Gabe had enough time to dedicate the same attention to his.

"Would you like to talk about it?" the thirty-one-year-old suggested, with his mouth full and his relaxed attitude on.

If there was one thing Sam loved about Gabriel's questions, it was that they didn't have the effect of all the other questions. They didn't sound like questions, but more like invitations to which he could easily say no and nothing would have changed in the peaceful atmosphere of the afternoon. It was that small but brilliant detail that made Sam want to reply to each of the other boy's suggestions.

"Let's just say that we don't share the same opinion regarding the usefulness of the shrink appointments that Cas strongly recommended. My brother-in-law is a psychotherapist and my brother... well, my brother married him, so obviously my protests and I are outnumbered."

Gabe chuckled at that conclusion, as if he genuinely found it funny. It wasn't the first time he had done it. It was only thanks to him that Sam was rediscovering how pleasant it was to be able to share that kind of complicity with a person. How long had it been since someone last laughed with him?

"Why don't you think the therapy is useful?"

The question, posed with the same lightness as the previous one, was so timely that Sam allowed himself some time to better investigate the face and posture of the person who was becoming his friend, as well as Luc's. Or at least, Gabriel didn't seem to mind Sam's company, even if the boy showed up at his house at various times.

Contrary to the previous visit, this time Gabriel had welcomed Sam in a pair of sweatpants and a soft sweatshirt with a band logo – or was it a TV series? – that Sam didn't know. It was clear as day that Gabriel had no intention of leaving the house, that day. Sam would have expected to feel nervous about it, because his presence would have increased the likelihood of Luc's lid being completely blown off. But incredibly, all that Sam had perceived, in the moment he had realized that chain of possible contributing causes, had been a warm relief in his belly which, however, he had not allowed himself to analyse further.