Gabriel Novak looked around his workplace with disinterest. He worked at what was essentially a fandom shop, they had something for every fandom. The place was even called Fandomania.
Gabe liked it, he really did. But at the moment he was just kinda bored.
"Oh come on Gabe," Charlie said from across the shop where she was rearranging things. "Stop being boring."
"I'm not being boring," Gabe said.
"Oh you totally are."
"Am not."
"Wow, such a creative response."
"Oh like you can talk," Gabe said, rolling his eyes.
"Okay," Charlie said, walking over to the counter where Gabe was. "I'll give you this lollipop if you cheer up." She held out a lollipop and Gabe's eyes lit up.
"Okay deal now gimme," Gabe said. Charlie laughed and gave it to the now smiling Gabriel.
"Our shift is over in five minutes," Charlie said. "Should probably get ready to leave." Gabe nodded.
Gabriel Novak was twenty three years old, recently graduated college and lived in a small apartment somewhere. He loved his job at Fandomania, simply because of all the people he got to meet from all different fandoms, who he could talk to about fandoms. Yeah he was a complete nerd.
His best friend, Charlie Bradbury, also worked there. And if it was possible, she was more of a nerd than he was.
"Hurry up bitch," Charlie said. "While you were letting the author explain things the shift ended."
"Oh whatever," Gabe said, shoving Charlie playfully before walking into the rooms for the staff behind the store.
A few minutes later he was walking out with his stuff and Charlie was waiting, talking to the two people who had taken over their shift.
"Took you long enough," Charlie said, walking alongside Gabe as they left the shop. "Wanna be awesome and give me a lift home?"
"Shouldn't you get a license?" Gabe asked.
"Should, can't be bothered."
"Lazy."
"Nah, too many shows to be watching."
"Can't argue with that," Gabe said with a smile as they reached his car.
Gabe drove Charlie home before driving back to his own apartment. His own very lonely apartment.
~~
Sam rolled his eyes at his brother who was making immature jokes. He made hand movements to which Dean bitch faced him.
"Who cares if I'm older?" Dean said. "I'm not gonna grow up."
Sam just rolled his eyes again. Him and Dean were just sitting in a coffee shop somewhere. They didn't see each other much anymore since Sam was always busy with college classes, but Dean visited him as much as he could.
Sam Winchester was twenty two, his older brother Dean being four years older than him. Sam however had a bit of a thing...He was mute. Well, he had selective mutism. His family didn't really know how it started, although they believed it was because of some sort of anxiety disorder that ran in the family.
Dean was the only one Sam really talked to. John Winchester had tried to help him, but Sam wouldn't talk to him. He had however taught Sam sign language as an alternate form of communication. Dean was always the one who spoke up for Sam and protected him.
Sam signed something to Dean, not speaking because they were in a public place.
"What no," Dean said. "If someones gonna love me, they'll have to put up with my childishness." Sam laughed quietly, signing again. Dean rolled his eyes. "Bitch."
"Jerk," Sam said. Dean gave him a smile, the one he always had when Sam would speak out loud.
"Hey so have you heard of the fandom shop in town?" Dean asked and Sam shook his head. "Dude come on, how have you not? I only visit this place and I know it." Sam shrugged. "And you're the nerd here. Go there later, it's got Doctor Who merch." Sam's eyes lit up and Dean smiled.
They talked for a while more before Sam had to go, claiming he had homework to do.
"You study too much," Dean said as they walked out of the shop. Sam just stuck his tongue out at him. "Wow, very mature."
Like you can talk, Sam signed.
"Yeah, I can," Dean said. "Unlike some people." Sam bitch faced him. He didn't really mind when Dean made jokes about him being mute. "Make sure you go to the fandom place later, you're welcome in advance."
Sam nodded, and they went their separate ways.
~~
"Gabriel you lazy idiot get up."
Gabe groaned at the sound of his alarm. Aka Charlie. Breaking into his house yet again.
"Can't a guy sleep in?" he said, pulling the doona over his head.
"Nope," Charlie said. "Do you really want to still be in bed when all ten of your siblings show up?"
"One, I don't have ten siblings. Two, I didn't invite all of my siblings."
"Coulda fooled me, there's way too many of them," Charlie said, opening the curtains so that the morning sun shone down on Gabe. Gabe just sighed, giving up.
"Fine, gimme a minute," Gabe said, and Charlie left the room.
Gabe walked out a few minutes later, awake and dressed. His brother, Castiel, was sitting in his apartment talking to Charlie.
"Heya Cassie," Gabe said. "How are ya?"
"I'm good Gabriel," Cas said, all formal like. "How are you?"
"Good," Gabe said.
"He's just as lazy as ever," Charlie said.
"Of course he is," Cas said. "Shouldn't you be trying to do something with your life Gabe?"
"Nah," Gabe said. "I like everything how it is right now."
"Do you?" Charlie said teasingly.
"Shut up," Gabe said. Cas raised an eyebrow.
"Gabey's been lonely," Charlie said in a teasing tone.
"Shut up no," Gabe said. "Just because one time I was wondering what it would be like if I had a boyfriend, does not mean I'm dying to get one. Let me be young and free."
"I'm pretty sure getting a boyfriend will not take away your youth or freedom," Cas said with his confused head tilt thing. Gabe just shook his head.
"Anyway, is Luci coming over?" Gabe asked. "I asked him too since I haven't seen him or his boyfriend in a while."
"I swear you like Michael more than Lucifer," Cas said. "They said they'll be over later."
"Cool," Gabe said, going to grab his keys. "I have a shift now, you guys hold down the fort would you?"
"Gabe, we have the same shifts," Charlie said, rolling her eyes.
"Okay, Cas then," Gabe said. "Don't blow up the apartment."
"Why would I do that?"
"On accident. I swear you actually will one day."
"I have the ability to not mess things up you know."
"Sure you do Cassie," Gabe said, walking out of the door after throwing Cas the keys to the apartment. Charlie followed Gabe, and they walked out to his car. "How did you even get here?"
"I walked," Charlie said.
"What, you can't walk any other time?"
"Nope."
Gabe rolled his eyes, and they drove to the shop that they both worked at. They took over the shift of the people working there, and started doing all their usual jobs.
~~
Sam was studying. Again. Because that is pretty much all he does. He was in his dorm room, which he shared with a good friend of his, Kevin. It helped that Kevin knew sign language.
"Sam," Kevin said from across the room. "You study too much. And that's coming from me." Sam shrugged. "Come on, go out for a bit."
I went out yesterday, Sam signed.
"And when was the last time you went out before then?"
Sam didn't reply.
"Come on, you said yesterday that Dean mentioned the fandom shop right? One of my friends works there, I've been meaning to catch up with her anyway."
Sam sighed, putting his head down on his books.
You're not going to give up, are you? he signed wearily.
"Nope," Kevin said with a smile, walking over to Sam and dragging the textbook away. Sam just sighed again, standing up and following Kevin out the door of their dorm room.
~~
Gabe and Charlie were talking about random things most of the time they were working, customers quite often getting included in their conversations.
"Look all I'm saying," Gabe said, "is that they should've kept Tennant around longer."
"But then we wouldn't have Matt Smith," Charlie said, finishing serving a customer. The shop was empty now, one of those few times in the day when no one was in.
"We'd just have him a year later," Gabe said.
"But we might not," Charlie said. "What if he got offered another show or something?"
"Come on Charlie, David Tennant."
"Gotta agree with shorty there," someone said suddenly.
"Ay Kevin," Charlie said, walking over to pull the guy into a hug.
"What Charlie, you have other friends?" Gabe said. "And you didn't tell me?"
"I'm pretty sure I've told you," Charlie said, rolling her eyes. "You just don't listen."
Gabe shrugged. "True." He glanced behind the Kevin kid to see another guy standing there awkwardly. A really tall guy, with long brown hair and sorta hazel eyes.
"Sam's never been here," Kevin said. "Seeing as he's as big of a nerd as you guys, I figured I should bring him." This person supposedly called Sam went kind red and gently shoved Kevin.
"Ohh you mean Sam Winchester?" Charlie asked and Kevin nodded. "You've been mentioned Sam, feel privileged." Sam just glared at a sheepish looking Kevin.
Gabe was just kinda staring at Sam.
Charlie noticed and nudged Kevin, and they both just chuckled to themselves. Sam looked at them with confusion.
"It's nothing Sam," Kevin said. "Oh go look at the Doctor Who stuff they have here, it's amazing." Sam's eyes lit up and Gabe decided he loved that look.
"Yeah, you should go show him," Charlie said to Gabe, smirking at him.
"What?" Gabe said, breaking out of his trance. "I...what?"
"Go show Sam the Doctor Who section," Charlie said, trying not to laugh. "I gotta catch up with Kevin here."
"Uhh," Gabe said. "Sure...Sam right?" Sam nodded. "Cool...it's just over here." Gabe walked through the shop, Sam following behind him until they got to the Doctor Who section. Sam's eyes did the lighting up thing again as he saw all the merch.
Gabe watched as Sam looked through all the stuff, smiling slightly at the taller guy. Hot, and he was a nerd, definitely Gabe's type of guy.
"So," Gabe said and Sam looked over at him. "Big Doctor Who fan?" Sam nodded and Gabe gave him a curious look. Sam hadn't said anything the entire time. "Which Doctor is your favourite?"
Sam did a thing with his hands. Gabe recognized it as sign language, but he didn't understand sign language. He looked up at Sam with an apologetic look.
"Sorry kiddo, I don't know sign language."
Sam just shrugged it off, before holding up ten fingers.
"Tennant?" Gabe said with a smile and Sam nodded enthusiastically. "Good now help me in my debate against Charlie, Tennant needed to hang around longer." Sam nodded again, smiling.
Kevin suddenly walked over, Charlie following.
"Sorry I forgot to mention, Sam's mute," Kevin said.
"And since you're too lazy to learn sign language," Charlie said to Gabe.
"Hey I'm not lazy," Gabe said indignantly, glancing over at Sam. Sam was just chuckling. "I'm just..." His brain then processed that Sam was actually making a sound. Which meant he wasn't mute?
Sam noticed Gabe's confusion and did another sign language thing with his hands to Kevin.
"Selective mutism," Kevin said. "He can talk, he chooses not to."
"Ohh," Gabe said. "Okay..." His voice kinda trailed off, his mind just deciding to admire the view again.
But let's have a look at what Sam's thinking in this situation.
Sam smiled at the awkward short guy. No one had said his name yet, and he couldn't exactly just ask the guy. But the golden hair and the golden eyes had definitely caught Sam's attention.
I think he likes you, Kevin signed to Sam, gesturing towards the short guy.
Maybe, Sam signed back. Charlie was smirking now as the other guy watched with confusion.
Hey guys I can sign too, Charlie signed.
"I feel very left out," the short guy said. Sam chuckled.
What's his name? he signed.
"Gabe," Charlie said. "Introduce yourself like a nice human being."
"Since when was I a human being?" the guy said, and then smiled up at Sam. "Gabriel Novak, nice to meet you Sammy."
It's Sam, not Sammy, Sam signed. Gabe just looked to one of the other two for translation.
"He said it's Sam," Kevin said. "We've all tried to use Sammy, he hates it."
"Fine then Samsquatch," Gabe said with a smirk. Sam blinked once, his mind stopping at both the nickname and the smirk. He smiled kind of shyly at Gabriel who smiled in return.
"Well, we have a class to get to," Kevin said.
"You two college students?" Gabe asked and Sam nodded.
I'll come back sometime, don't have money with me to buy anything, Sam signed. Kevin raised an eyebrow.
"Sure Sam," Charlie said. "Come by tomorrow, we have a shift in the afternoon." Sam nodded, and Kevin started pulling him towards the door.
Sam glanced back and saw Gabe watching him, before turning to say something to Charlie who just gave him a teasing look.
"You liar Sam," Kevin said. "You have your wallet with you."
Sam gave Kevin a sheepish look. I just want to go back again, he signed.
"Got anything to do with Gabriel?"
Sam shook his head, but the slight smile gave him away. Kevin just shook his head with a smile, leading the two of them back to campus.
~~
As a quick note, if anyone notices the similarity between this and the part in my other book 'A Summer Dream', where quiet Sam finished Gabe's Sherlock quote, that's just coz that's where the entire idea came from :P
But yeah, new fic! Woo! Welcome to any new people :P
And this is my thing for every chapter --> *Gives everyone pie*