Fandom: Supernatural
Pairing: Gabriel/Kali (For Paula)
Pairing Type: Romantic
Prompt: Knowledge
Knowledge is power, and if anyone was aware of this fact, it was Gabriel. When he ran off to join the Pagans he did it with only a vague idea of what he was doing, and while he was singularly skilled at flying blind, doing so in this scenario was terrifying. Luckily he'd met Odin first, who figured out what Gabriel was fairly quickly but took steps to make sure he was the last to do so. Odin gave him the name Loki, and introduced him to the others as his brother in arms, his friend, his family. No one questioned Odin, and for that Loki was incredibly grateful. 'Brother' was the one lie that Gabriel wasn't sure he could pull off if pressed; experience told him he was lousy at filling that role.
It was never clear exactly what drew him to Kali. She was beautiful, yes, and powerful, without question. There was also the fact that she fancied herself a master of change, and that to Gabriel was the most attractive thing about her. He wanted to change everything about himself, and that seemed like something she was especially equipped to help him do. Also, after a lifetime of dealing with the bright shining star that was Lucifer, there was a certain serenity to the darkness that seemed to follow Kali around.
So Gabriel was in love with Kali, and it didn't take long for him to realize that fact. The problem was Kali couldn't stand him. This did nothing to dishearten Gabriel, however. He had a certain penchant for mischief, and in his mind the most epic of romances were formed in the pits of loathing.
It was lucky he took this optimistic world-view, because she didn't talk to him for almost two-hundred years, and the centuries that followed were filled with turmoil and rage that at times turned the tides on top of entire cities, at which point Odin would insist they spend some significant time apart. Gabriel never had any choice but to listen in those moments. After all, he did owe Odin his life.
Still, when things were good, they were excellent. Gabriel kept himself warm in the long winters when he and Kali were banished from each other with memories of her warm embrace, and the sweet music of her laugh, and the fire in her eyes when she looked at him with ideas of mischief and trickery that put his own to shame. It wasn't something he could ever explain to another angel (except, as he would learn later, a younger brother of his that he never expected to have so much in common with), but some things were truly worth falling for.