Trouble With The Trickster || Gabriel - Supernatural

-25-

As night fell, the air grew cold but Gabriel's shielded grace kept me warm as I lay beside him. "How's the ankle?" he asked, concerned for my health as always.

I wiggled it slightly, feeling only soreness as the muscle stretched beneath my skin, "Much better. I think I'll be able to walk." I went to get up and try but he caught me arm and held me back.

"Give it a little more rest," he instructed, "There's no hurry at the moment, I think Balt has sent them searching in the opposite direction."

"How long do you think it'll be before we can go back?" I snuggled back into his warm chest as he thought for a second, shrugging.

"There's no way of knowing how determined they are to find you... it could be days, more likely longer..." he said it cautiously as if hoping I wouldn't get mad. I had nothing to be mad about, though; I'd already expected it to be a while... "Are you warm enough?"

I nodded but a slight shiver gave away the fact I was still freezing and wet. Seeing this, Gabe pulled me closer and I turned to face his chest, allowing him to encase me in his arms, "You can't lie to a Trickster, Beth..."

"I can try," I pouted, making him laugh as his chest shook against me, "Besides, you're not a Trickster..."

"No," he considered before his lips turned upwards into a smirk, "I'm better."

"Yeah, right. Whatever you say," I rolled my eyes, shuffling to sit up against the side of the rock as the wind continued to howl outside. The rain was slowly making its way into the cavern, chasing us up against the back wall in our attempts to stay dry, "It's quite calming, don't you think...?"

Gabe hummed, sitting up beside me, "Yeah... speaking of, I reckon we need to start training you now. I'm not getting sidetracked this time."

"Okay," I moved out of the way as he shuffled to sit cross-legged in front of me with his back to the rain, "What do you want me to try first?"

"Well, I know you're very powerful so the little things like telekinesis can be left out since you've proved you can move things..." he laughed awkwardly, recalling the book I threw at Dad, "Let's go for telepathy."

"Reading minds, right?"

He nodded, reaching out and placing his index fingers on my temples, "Concentrate on my head..." I did as he said and he smiled back at me, "Good... now, picture yourself digging inside, deeper and deeper..." He flinched slightly as I did, indicating I was doing something right, "Go deeper until you hear-"

"-you hear me yet? Can you hear me yet, Beth?" I jumped in surprise as I heard Gabe's thoughts in my own head. He laughed, "Aha! It worked, you did it!"

"Wow," I breathed in amazement.

"She looks so adorable when she does that-" I looked up in shock as he realised I'd heard that thought, "Uh... you weren't meant to hear that..." I giggled as he flushed bright red, "Let's, uh, forget that ever happened... get out of my head!"

I couldn't help laughing at how annoyed and embarrassed he looked but I did as he said and 'got out' of his thoughts, "I think I'll try that more often."

"You better not," he huffed, straightening up and looking back into my eyes, "Right... what now...?" He held my gaze before thinking of something, "Oh yeah! Your vessel is weak, right?" I nodded, feeling slightly offended despite it being true, "Omnifarious!"

I tilted my head at him oddly, "Omni-what-ious now?"

"Omnifarious," he established, still leaving me confused, "Changing your form... y'know, so you're stronger?"

"Ohhh... I thought you had to find a vessel and ask their permission, etc. etc.?"

"No, not always... especially not with you. Nephalem can supposedly change their appearance to anything," Gabe explained as I began to - slightly - understand, "You have a vessel, of course - the one you're in now - but I guess it's the same process as what I can do... picture the characteristics you want and then click your fingers..."

"Okay..." I pursed my lips in concentration and considered it, "I think I can manage that... like Dad did?" He nodded. "So, like this?"

I closed my eyes and listed everything I wanted in my head; strength, speed, stamina... I added some decent looks in there just because I could. Then, taking a deep breath, I clicked my fingers...

Gabe stood and stepped back as my vessel disappeared, leaving me in my true form as my new appearance was knitted and conducted around me. The light that shone from me was blinding but Gabe just watched on in awe, the light unable to affect the eyes of an archangel. It was as good as shining a beacon and saying 'here I am' but he'd already ensured there were no angels around to notice it and it died down only mere seconds after it had begun.

I opened my eyes again after a few more seconds passed and found Gabe looking at me with pure surprise on his face, "Well, that was unexpected..."

"What?" I asked, worried by his reaction - did I have too many limbs? Had it gone horribly wrong?

"There's nothing wrong... it's just... well, look down..."

I glanced down, expecting to find myself naked or something but I was still dressed in the clothes I was wearing before. What I didn't bargain for was the muscles in my forearms or the span of my hands...

I looked up at Gabe again before sighing, "Well, that's just sexist..." My new vessel was male.

Gabe sniggered and I gave him a warning look, "What? It's quite funny, actually..."

"Not to me!" I argued, thankful that my voice wasn't too deep, "This just makes everything awkward..."

"Well, to be fair, I'm not technically male..." he pointed out and I looked at him in confusion, "Angels are ethereal beings, we have no gender. Only my vessel is male and I've had this guy for about two millennia, I'm kinda attached to him..."

"So you're okay with this?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" he asked, holding his hands upwards in search of an answer, "You're still you and I still love you..." He leaned forward and kissed me softly just to prove it, "You're taller now, anyway, I was getting tired of leaning down..."

I laughed, pulling his lips back to mine and kissing him again just to test out how my new form functioned, "It's still sexist... why can't a girl be strong and agile?"

He shrugged, "Perhaps there were no strong girls available? I don't see why it matters so much to you either... you're genderless, too..."

"Good point," I hummed, realising how petty I was being. It was only a vessel, it didn't really matter if I was still the same person inside, "It doesn't matter."

Gabe smiled at my acceptance of the situation, "Nope," he kissed me again, running his hand through my new shorter hair, "Now, let's get on with this training... no more distractions..."

"I'm not promising anything..."