Note: For my most awesome sister marcicat, on the occasion of her birthday. (They're not actually STUCK at the inn, and it's not snowing, but there is a cat.)

***

It wasn’t that Sam liked cats. It was more that angels disliked them, and he didn’t. With the current population of Harvelle’s Roadhouse, that made him different from almost everyone else in the building.

When he pointed this out to Gabriel, the archangel immediately became Muffin’s number one fan. Because Gabriel was ridiculously easy to manipulate once you had his number--and Sam totally did. It had taken less than a day of watching Gabriel run the garrison to get that Gabriel defined himself by his differences.

Sadly for Gabriel but hilariously for Sam, Muffin did not share his change of heart. Watching a big bad angel try to endear himself to a cute little kitty cat was one of the highlights of Sam’s day. It had the added benefit of giving him one more person who might show up to interrupt Becky’s lovefest whenever she discovered Muffin sitting on his lap.

Of course, between Gabriel explaining to Becky that Sam was his favorite too, and Becky asking Gabriel if God really thought incest was wrong, Sam wasn’t sure the extra company was worth it.

It didn’t take long for Becky to try hitting on Gabriel. Sam didn’t expect it to go well: the trickster was notorious for putting people in their place, and Becky was one violent hallucination away from angelic intervention. So when Gabriel dissuaded her by casually explaining that he was “gay for Sam,” Sam didn’t know whether to clap or cry.

“I hate you,” he told Gabriel as soon as Becky wandered off.

“You’re welcome,” Gabriel replied, smirking back at him.

Which turned out to be the appropriate response, not that Sam would ever admit it. Because even Becky didn’t want to compete with an archangel. Not only did she leave Gabriel alone, she turned her less-than-platonic attention away from Sam too. From then on, it was all about cats and the gospel and what they were having for dinner that day.

Sam decided maybe he would stop hiding Muffin’s favorite toys whenever Gabriel came by.