The Tricks and The Tricksters

"I hate you," she said, staring down at him with her arms crossed over her chest. Her blonde hair had fallen into her face and shadowed her eyes in such a way that she looked menacing, which, really, she was.

Gabriel just shrugged. "You love me, Loki, and you know it," he said, smiling up at her. "Otherwise you wouldn't have let me pretend to be you."

She rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe they bought that," she said, sitting down beside him on the couch and taking the candy bar he handed to her. "They must be really dumb."

He nodded. "Uh, yeah," he said. "They are the Winchesters. No one ever accused them of being a brain trust. But…," he trailed off, coming to his point. He glanced at her, seeing how her face was set, waiting to see if he should continue or just get the hell out of there.

"But?" she asked, and he figured he should say something.

"But they are the world's only real hope of surviving this shindig." He cringed, expecting her anger, but she just shrugged and took a large bite out of her candy bar.

"I blame you for this," she said around the mouthful of chocolate.

"Me? I tried to stop it!"

"Not very well." She took another bite and gave him a pointed look. "And now they think you're dead."

Gabriel shrugged and dug another candy bar out of his pocket. "It's safer that way," he mumbled. "In case you haven't noticed, Lucifer's kind of stronger than me."

"No, Lucifer's stronger than your illusions, but that's not really a surprise, is it?"

"He wouldn't be stronger than yours." He settled his hands in his lap and looked up at her, catching her eye.

"This is your war, Gabriel."

"It's your world."

She smiled. "And I will do what I can for it," she said. "But it is not my job to stop your petty sibling rivalry. Go back, Gabriel, fight your war."

"Are you trying to get me killed?"

She laughed. "I'm trying to keep you from being a coward." She set down her chocolate and turned to face her whole body towards him. "Listen, Gabriel, you love this world more than even I do, more than some humans do. Are you so afraid of your brother that you would risk its death?"

Gabriel looked away. When he looked up again, she was gone.