Cravings
Title: Cravings
Author: bballgirl3022
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Sam/Gabriel and Dean/Castiel
Spoilers: Season 5
Warnings: blood drinking
Disclaimer: I don’t own Supernatural
Summary: Sam gets demon blood cravings at the full moon.
Word Count: 1,930
Notes: Thanks to moonofblindness who came up with concept and for feeding the plot bunnies.
Thanks to moonofblindness for the beta work. All other mistakes are my own.
Cravings
The Winchesters never bothered with calendars. There wasn’t a point when they didn’t have steady jobs, bills to pay or a long list of birthdays to remember. They just didn’t bother with them unless it was necessary.
The brothers’ lives didn’t run on a schedule, or at least it hadn’t until recently.
Sam started getting cravings on a monthly basis. Dean cracked so many jokes about Sam finally turning into a girl and getting his monthly cycle. But Dean’s humor at the situation only lasted the first four months.
It wasn’t until the sixth month that Sam actually told Dean what it was he’d been craving.
He specifically avoided mentioning that he was craving demon blood because he knew how Dean would react. He would get pissed off. Dean would yell at Sam on and off until he’d slink off to the bar. Sam wasn’t too worried though because he knew Dean’s anger was just to cover how frightened he felt about his little brother craving demon blood.
Sam had hoped it all would pass after a few months, but no dice. Once it seemed like the cravings weren’t going away he started to keep track of their progression. He detailed when they started, when they were strongest and when they finally went away.
It turns out Dean’s jokes weren’t far off. His cravings did follow a cycle. Not a biological one, but a lunar one.
Sam’s cravings waxed and waned with the moon; the fuller the moon, the more intense the cravings.
The full moon was the worst. The cravings brought along cramps that were crippling. His stomach felt like it would simultaneously collapse in on itself and explode. His blood felt like fire and ice in his veins. It was painful and by nightfall Sam always wanted to die.
Dean was at a loss for what to do. His attempts at comforting Sam only exacerbated his brother’s discomfort. Every month Dean wavered between wanting to be there for Sam and needing to be as far away from him as possible.
The older Winchester usually chose the second option. Dean mostly spent time at the nearby bar, or at least that’s what Sam assumed. If Dean was smart he’d be spending the time with Castiel, but no one ever accused Dean of being observant when it came to people’s feelings.
The month’s full moon was quickly approaching. Each day closer saw Sam spending increasing amounts of time hugging the toilet and spewing what little he’d eaten that day. He was more distracted on hunts because of the pain; and often Dean left Sam cooped up in their current motel room.
After a year of cravings and no end in sight, they started looking for a cure. Bobby checked every book he could think of and called many of his contacts, but he came up empty handed. Castiel went on a search, but he couldn’t find anything by looking on his own. His brothers couldn’t be trusted with the knowledge of Sam’s condition.
So here Sam was, curled into the fetal position clutching his stomach. His hair was plastered to his head with sweat. There were tear streaks on his cheeks and he was grinding his teeth to keep from crying out at the pain. It felt like he was being gutted. Except if he were being gutted the blood loss would bring the unconsciousness that Sam desired.
It was in the middle of a particularly painful cramp that Sam felt the bed dip. The pain was too extreme for him to open his eyes, so he just shifted in the direction of the body heat. The person was warm and it would be comforting if Sam wasn’t in excruciating pain.
“Oh Sammy, what have you gotten yourself into?”
The voice sounded familiar, but his brain didn’t have time to recognize the sound before he finally received the unconsciousness he desperately sought.
*****
The sun was shining when Sam woke. The bright light meant that the worst of the pain was over.
The TV was on, and Sam figured Dean was awake and probably waiting for Sam to get his ass in gear so they could leave for their next destination.
The room smelled like chocolate. Sam’s stomach should have been rolling like waves under a ship due to the sweet aroma, but it wasn’t. That was completely unusual because the cramps usually made him horribly sick.
Then he started noticing other things. His shirt wasn’t sticking to him from the sweat he often woke up in. He didn’t wake up tense and achy from spending the night curled in on himself. And also that whatever was under his head wasn’t a pillow.
Sam wanted to open his eyes and find out what was happening, but he didn’t want to risk getting nauseous.
The thing he was using as a pillow was comfortably warm. The perfect temperature and could lull Sam back to sleep if he would allow. The fingers running though his hair in a soothing manner weren’t helping him to stay awake either.
“Sammy, nice of you to finally join me,” the voice was familiar, but Sam couldn’t quite place where he’d heard it before.
“Where’s Dean?” Dean’s whereabouts were still important, even if whoever the voice belonged to was keeping the pain at bay.
“If he knows what’s good for him, he and Cas will be making out like randy teenagers.”
“They won’t be,” Sam replied sleepily. “He’s too stubborn and Cas will never ask for what he wants.”
“Those two are quite pathetically in love.” Sam ‘hmm’d his agreement and snuggled closer to the warmth. It felt safe and very few things in Sam’s life ever made him feel safe.
“Sam, I need you to get up and drink something for me.”
Sam sat up because the voice told him to. The sight that greeted him was strange, but explained so many things.
Gabriel was sitting on his bed holding a plastic cup filled with what looked like somewhat like tomato juice. Gabriel’s presence explained the smell of chocolate permeating the room. And the fact his cravings were momentarily gone.
“What is this?” Sam questioned as he took the cup. He sniffed the contents and they smelled distinctly sweet.
“A cure for your cravings,” Sam gave him an incredulous look. “It is. Don’t you trust me?”
“You killed my brother,” Sam said by way of explanation.
“I was trying to make a point. It isn’t my fault you Winchesters are so stubborn.”
Sam graced Gabriel with his most famous bitch face.
“Ok. I am a little sorry about killing Dean,” the archangel acquiesced, “but that really is the cure. And you should drink it now.”
“What is it?” Sam repeated his pervious unanswered question.
“Does it really matter?” The look Sam gave in response told him that it did matter. “It’s my blood, ok? Now drink up before it gets cold.”
Sam’s jaw dropped. He was shocked and appalled. Gabriel’s cure for demon blood cravings was angel blood. How did that even make sense?
“My blood will flush the demon blood out of your system. You won’t have the cravings anymore.”
Gabriel looked so sincere. Sam wanted to believe it’s true. He wanted the cravings to go away. He just didn’t want to drink more blood for it to happen.
“I can’t.” He thrust the cup back into Gabriel’s hands. Sam was addicted to blood now, so what he if he just exchanged one craving for another?
“You won’t get addicted to my blood, Sam. I haven’t given you enough for that to happen.” Gabriel pushed the cup back at Sam. “This won’t completely cure you. I’ll have to give you a few more doses. But it will help.”
Sam contemplated the cup for a long time. Dean eventually came back with Castiel. Sam quickly glanced to where Gabriel was, but of course he was gone.
He decided not to drink the blood. Castiel looked disappointed and Dean just looked confused.
*****
The next six months continued in a similar way.
Gabriel visited on the full moon. Sam got a night free of cramps. He was gone in the morning before Sam woke up, but Gabriel continued to leave some of his blood behind.
Sam always poured it down the sink.
The seventh month Gabriel didn’t show up.
The pain was agonizing. Sam was so used to Gabriel being around that he’d gotten complacent. He was used to the fact the pain would only last until Gabriel would show, then Sam would spend the night blissfully unconscious.
But this was torture. There was stabbing pain in his stomach and back. His throat was raw from screaming. There was blood in his mouth from where he’d bitten his tongue. Sam’s head was pounding in time with his pulse. His vision was darkening.
He wanted to die. Maybe this time the pain would actually kill him.
*****
It didn’t though.
He woke up in his usual post full moon position. Except this time Gabriel wasn’t soothing. He was angry.
“Hi,” Sam offered weakly, turning to bury his face further into the warmth the archangel offered.
“Your stubborn streak ends here Sam. You will drink the blood I offer you. And you will get cured.” His tone was one of no-nonsense. He expected to be listened to and obeyed like the powerful warrior of heaven he was.
Sam nodded and took the cup he was offered. It still smelled sugary sweet and Sam wondered if it would taste the same.
It didn’t.
It tasted like downing a jar of habanero peppers. It was very potent for such a small amount. His insides burned. He coughed and choked on the fiery liquid. Tears stung his eyes.
Gabriel was there though. He was comforting Sam with words, cradling Sam’s head against his chest, petting through his floppy hair, and placing comforting kisses on his face. Sam absently contemplated when they fell into such intimacy. He supposed it was bound to happen given the situation they’ve been dealing with together.
*****
It took four more doses and as many months for the cravings to abate completely.
Gabriel spent increasing amounts of time with the Winchesters and Castiel. Sam found this both odd and comforting.
Dean and Castiel were close. Much closer than an angel and his charge should be. They got their own room now.
Gabriel stated the obvious fact that it was because they were screwing. It made Sam nearly choke on his bite of food. He knew what his brother and his angel were doing; he just didn’t want to think about it.
The archangel spent most nights with Sam. When he did Gabriel was always there in the morning, unlike some one night stand that would sneak out while Sam was asleep.
Sam never asked why Gabriel stuck around. It seemed unnecessary, and Winchesters weren’t about heart-to-hearts anyway.
So the one random night when Sam leaned over and pressed his lips together with Gabriel seemed like a long time coming.
It wasn’t awkward like he thought it would be. There was no confusion about how they fit against each other and where their hands should go. They just flowed together naturally. It was perfect and wonderful and everything Sam never thought he would feel with another person.
They took their budding relationship slow, mostly at Sam’s request. He wasn’t comfortable rushing head first into relationships. That always ended in destruction for Sam. He couldn’t risk it. Not even with Gabriel being practically invincible.
They’d get there eventually, but Sam was content with staying how they were until the time was right.