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Once upon a time, there was a kingdom ruled by a fair and compassionate king. He was known as King Edlund the Carver, for it was said he had “carved the great kingdom out of nothing but rock.” Eventually the king grew old, and when he passed, he left his kingdom in the hands of his elder son, Michael, who was colder than his father, but just and trustworthy. Unfortunately, the prince’s younger brother, Lucian, grew jealous of his brother, and staged a plot to assassinate him- a successful one. Lucian ascended the throne, and when the people of the kingdom tried to overthrow him, he called upon the forces of darkness, demons, to help him stay in power. He ruled with an iron fist while allowing the newly freed demons to roam the land, possessing and killing whoever they felt like. Hope dwindled.
Within that kingdom lived a wheelmaker and his two sons. The mother of the boys had died years before, when King Edlund still reigned, and her husband, John was sometimes guiltily thankful she never had to see her beloved country overrun by demons and overflowing with despair. That he never had to her lose hope. This was the secret he held deepest in his heart.
The younger son, Sam, still believed in angels. He spoke to them every night, especially to the ones from his favorite stories from when he was young. They were the things of fairy tales, the stories told to children. Angels, tall, beautiful, glowing angels, were said to help you when you called on them with a pure heart, but so many people had been killed by demons that not even the old wives believed in angels now. But Sam did, deep down.
The older son, Dean, had a secret that terrified the life out of him. His brother could purify the possessed. He’d never seen anyone able to so easily exorcise a demon and spare the victim, and if Lucian’s regime ever discovered this, they might decide Sam was too powerful. They might hurt him, kill him even. While Sam offered to help anyone in their village with his powers, Dean never spoke of his brother’s abilities aloud.
Great was his dread, then, when the king announced he would be testing each of his subjects, using dark magic to see the most secret parts of their minds- and kill the treasonous. Their humble village was among the first. Each citizen came before the king, and he peered into their souls, judging whether their secret was any concern of the king’s. Both John and Sam were waved away, deemed irrelevant, but as soon as Lucian laid eyes on Dean, he had both brothers arrested and hauled away. Sam was too powerful.
The younger brother found himself in a prison cell made of stone and steel, lit only by the light coming in a tiny window; looking through it, he discovered he was in one of the high towers of Carver’s Castle. He wasn’t left alone for very long, though. A demon brought him a tray of food and an intricately carved box inlaid with rubies and ivory. “They say you have the power to remove curses and draw out evil,” she said. “So prove it. This box is heavily cursed, and you have three days to open it. Our king awaits the treasures inside.” She left the cell, adding, “If you can’t, we will have your brother torn limb from limb.”
As the door slammed shut, Sam began to cry. He couldn’t open an enchanted box like this, he only knew how to heal people, and draw out demons. And they wouldn’t hesitate to kill his brother, either, Lucian’s regime was cruel. Sam huddled against the wall as far from the box as possible and let himself weep quietly until the light faded from the window. Just before he fell asleep, he said his usual prayers, halfheartedly this time, and then counted the rising stars, heart still heavy and mind still numb, until he drifted off.
When he awakened on a cold stone floor, he remembered all over again where he was, and began to weep again. But this time, he was interrupted by a voice. “Hey, bucko, what are you crying about?” Sam jerked up to see a short man, oddly dressed, with a glint in his eye and a mop of golden curls.
“Who are you?” Sam asked.
The man answered, “Name’s not important. It seems you’re in something of a jam here. Not to brag, but I could open that box easily. Perhaps we could arrange a deal?”
Sam sat up, and realized who the man was immediately- a trickster. Something of a rarity these days, but they were known for making outlandish deals with clever loopholes, pranking the careless- and dragging people off to the spirit world. However, they had powerful magic, and Sam realized his last hope was to outfox this trickster. “Yes, please, I need your help.”
“Price first,” the creature insisted. “What do you have that’s valuable?”
Sam made a show of patting his pockets and furrowing his brow. “A few silver bits, at home…”
“No no, something valuable to you, something close to your heart.” The trickster pursed his lips. “A life, perhaps.”
Sam frowned. “What will you do with them?”
“They’ll be taken away to another realm. Never harmed, but you’ll never see them again.”
“I offer…” Sam paused than stuck out his hand. “I offer the life of my younger brother.”
“Deal!” The creature shook hands, then disappeared, reappearing next to the ruby box. He rubbed his hands together in delight. “Buckle in, kiddo, because I’m about to work some serious magic.”
Within hours, the box was open, revealing treasures beyond anything Sam had even dreamed about. The trickster had proven to be cunning at working the box's puzzles, and surprisingly good company, and he only pocketed one of the smaller gemstones from the box. “Well, this has been fun,” the trickster said. “Will you be alright in here?”
“I’ll be fine. Thank you.”
“Nah, kid, thank you. What's your name, by the way?"
"Sam Winchester."
"Sam." The creature grinned. "I’ll be seeing you in a month to collect what we agreed upon.” With that, the trickster disappeared with a snap, and Sam smiled to himself, for he had no younger brother.
The next morning, the head demon of court was shocked to find the box opened. She took the treasure away, but she didn’t tell Sam if he was to be released or if his brother was alright, despite his pleading. Three days later, he finally got his news: he was to be kept in the cell. They brought in three boxes this time, a matched set of carved wood and emeralds, all locked tight with enchantments that were likely set decades ago, when witches hadn’t yet gone into hiding. “This isn’t fair,” Sam cried. “I need- I need more time.”
“One week,” the head demon told him. “And remember, we still have your brother.” The door slammed shut behind them.
Sam didn’t know what to do besides hope the trickster would take pity on him again and help him out. There were far easier ways that this to get souls- times were desperate and plenty of people were willing to sell someone out to a trickster for far less. Sam closed his eyes, the way he did when he talked to angels, and hoped desperately that the trickster would hear him calling. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and Sam eventually went to sleep.
The following morning he awoke to find the same trickster, the one with the golden hair and, noticeable now that Sam looked closer, golden eyes, sitting by his head. “Morning, sunshine.”
Sam scrambled up. “How’d you find me?”
“We tricksters have our ways. Anyway, I’m seeing you might be in need of my services again.”
“Would you help me with all three of them?”
“For a price. Perhaps another life?”
Sam nodded somberly. “I’ve thought about it. I will give you my younger sister.”
The trickster blinked at him, but took his outstretched hand. “You’re not going to be very popular at the family reunion, are you?”
“What else can I do?” Sam asked, letting an edge of despair creep into his voice. “They have my eldest brother captive, the one who practically raised us after we lost our mother. They’ll kill him. Better the younger ones alive and far away than Dean torn apart.”
“Hey.” The trickster squeezed Sam’s hand. “I’ll get the boxes open, don’t worry. How long do you have?”
“A week.”
“Then we’d better get very used to each other.” He dropped Sam’s hand. “You can call me Loki.”
Sam served as Loki’s assistant the rest of that afternoon, and he couldn’t recall the last time his work was so fascinating. They cracked some of the riddles and puzzles together, and he watched the magic portions of the unlocking process intently. Few humans had seen a trickster working up close before. Better still was the fact that Loki materialized a down bed for them to sleep in at night, back to back, and regularly offered him fresh strawberries and warm tarts.
The cracked the first box open that evening, the second box on the second day, and the third box on the morning of the fourth day after laboring over it all night. Maybe it was a bond from working together for so long, but Sam half thought he would miss the other worldly creature. He didn’t have to worry.
“I’ll be seeing you in a month, Sam, for my reward,” were the trickster’s parting words. And as he left, Sam let a cunning smile creep across his face, for he had no younger sister.
When they delivered his meal that day, the demons took the three boxes of treasure with them, and again Sam awaited his release. But they returned that night, again with a new puzzle. This box was larger than all of the others, covered in sapphires and gold. The enchantment on it was so strong Sam could almost feel the negative magic it gave off. He called for Loki again, desperately wondering what he could bargain this time. He’d already revealed his mother’s death, and Loki would grow suspicious of yet another sibling. The idea came to him just as Loki appeared in the cell.
“I will give you the life of my beloved,” Sam offered without preface, and Loki accepted without further question.
They worked on the box for nearly the entire week before the last of the curses was dissipated and the latch clicked gently open. Inside lay a dagger, encrusted with the same gems that decorated the box and glowing ever so slightly.
“We got it!” Sam crowed excitedly, but Loki suddenly looked less than his playful self. He was afraid.
“This is a very powerful weapon, and we’re about to hand over to a tyrant,” Loki said warningly. He reached into the box and took it, tucking it away into his jacket pocket, then snapped and replaced it with a nearly identical dagger, one that didn’t glow the way the original did. “Never mention any of this, to anyone. This dagger has the power to overthrow entire realms.”
From outside the cell there was the sound of approaching footsteps, and Sam looked back up at the trickster. “I’ll see you in a month, I assume?”
Loki winked. “Sooner.” He disappeared as the door swung open, and as the demons, awe on their twisted faces, picked up the box and its dangerous contents, Sam knew he'd outfoxed the trickster one last time, for his beloved, Jess, had died three years ago.
The king, perhaps having run out of boxes or perhaps placated by the unlocking of the dagger box, released both Sam and his brother, who reunited tearfully just outside the castle walls before beginning the walk back to their village. Sam worried he would not be back in time for Loki’s arrival, for he’d made the first deal nearly a month ago now, but a kind man named Castiel let them ride in his hay wagon, and they made good time.
When they arrived home, they were pleasantly surprised to find that their father had married a widow in the village who he’d always had eyes for. Her offers of comfort over his captive sons had led to both of them finally admitting their feelings, and a wedding the next week. Both their father and step-mother were overjoyed to have them back, and Sam didn’t want to ruin their happiness by telling them about having possibly angered a trickster.
Loki met him near the river on a bright summer morning. “I gotta say Sam, you look much better out in the sun than in that cell. Look at you!" He let out a little whistle.
Sam ducked his head, feeling a blush warm his already sunned face. He still wasn't used to complements from a powerful trickster, despite the fact that Loki had praised his intellect, his ingenuity, even his manners while they had been working together. "So, how does this whole deal collection thing work?"
"You were supposed to bring your brother here, but it's alright. You tell me his name, and I can find him."
Sam's lips curled up just a touch at the corners. "I'm afraid you won't be able to do that." The creature cocked his head, and Sam met his gaze. "I have no younger brother."
The trickster looked right back at him and frowned. "You do. Did your father not just marry? Did your step mother not bring a new addition to your little family?"
Sam's heart skipped a beat and dread settled in his chest. Adam! He could not have realized it when he made the deal, but his new step brother was truly family now, and they'd even treated Adam like a brother for years- he was half an orphan, like they were. "I didn't know-" he began.
"But I do admire your cunning," the trickster purred. "You nearly pulled the wool over my eyes, and that's saying something." He stuck out his hand. "You've impressed me, Sam. You're off the hook. Deal's dissolved."
Sam took it gratefully and shook. "Thank you," he stammered. "Thank you so much, I-"
"Don't thank me now. I'll be back next week." The trickster winked and disappeared.
The second time the trickster met him, it was morning again, and they stood again by the river. "You didn't bring your sister?"
"Um..." Sam chewed his lip and gave the trickster his most innocent smile.
Loki sighed. "Oh, don't tell me-"
"I have no younger sister."
If the trickster was angry, he didn't let it show. "You are a clever one, aren't you? Those were some impressive lies you told. But I'm afraid it doesn't quite work that way. We don't let people just trade away anything willy nilly. If someone is lying about what they have, we know. We can feel it. And you, kiddo, have a sister. Or at least, someone who has always been like a sister to you."
The answer hit Sam like a punch to the gut: Charlie. Charlie, a village girl with no parents at all and a penchant for getting herself in over her head. A girl who had spent at least half her nights sleeping in the bedroom he and Dean shared, a girl who called the two of them her brothers, a girl he'd do anything to protect. "I-"
"But I gotta say," Loki interrupted, "You really sold that story about your sister, even if she's not blood. I'll let you have this one, for your sheer charm." He stuck out his hand once more. "You're oh for two, Sam. Nice job."
Sam took his hand and shook hard. "Thank you, again, I don't know how I can ever make it up to you..."
Loki laughed. "Don't worry about it, handsome." He disappeared again, and Sam let out a breath of relief. One last trick to pull off, and he was free. He was already looking forward to the next meeting.
Their third deal had been struck in the evening hours, so Sam waited this time in a rundown barn behind the house, a place that no longer held any animals but still smelled of hay, and was lit with lanterns that cast a warm glow on the empty space.
The trickster always seemed to know exactly where to find him, and appeared directly in front of him with a pop that startled him from his thoughts. "Alright, where's this beloved?"
"Look, I hate to be that guy..."
Loki rolled his eyes so hard he had to tilt his head back to accommodate it. "I told you, tricksters can sense these things, remember? There's someone."
"The only girl I loved died three years ago, and sure I still think about her sometimes, but that's it. Face it, Loki, I tricked you, as fair and square as a trick can be." He offered his hand.
Loki looked at it for a second, stony, then pushed it away. "Oh, sweetheart, if you think you're getting out of this without a single price, you're wrong. There's someone out there who counts as your beloved. And I will get out of you who it is. An old crush? A one night stand that still makes you all weak in the knees?"
"I don't know." The trickster raised an eyebrow. "I really don't," Sam protested. "I have no idea who you could be talking about." He really didn't. Going through the list of people his age in the village, none of them struck home as someone he could be in love with. "Please, don't take away someone innocent just because I misunderstood."
Loki scowled. "And leave me with nothing in exchange for weeks of work? How about... a little game, since you're so clever?"
"What sort of game?"
"A puzzle game. If I figure our your beloved's name, they're mine. But if you can figure out my name first, the deal's off."
"Your name isn't Loki?" Sam asked.
"Not truly. And you'll never guess my true name, not in a million years."
Sam thought once more about who his beloved could possibly be, and unable to come up with anything, nodded. "I accept."
"Good. I'll see you here again tomorrow night. And I look forward to a good game." The trickster met Sam's gaze, eyes gold and bright, and then vanished again.
Sam dropped his head to his chest and swore to himself.
The next day, Sam didn't help in his father's shop. Instead he ran all across town, asking people for the most obscure names they'd ever heard of. Some of the people in his village were well-traveled, and they shared foreign names he could barely pronounce, and he made note of all of their names as well. That night, when he met the trickster, he had a list longer than he was tall. He wasn't very well-educated, but he could stumble his way through the words by sounding them out.
The trickster had a list as well, one of all the girls in his village. They traded names back and forth, and with every name the other listed, they'd shake their heads. Sam knew he was not in love with any one of the girls Loki mentioned, and none of his names, even the ones from far off places, proved to be the trickster's name. The lanterns burned low, and it became clear they were at a stalemate. The pair agreed to meet again the following night and continue their guessing game.
The next day, Sam traveled to the village near his, to the monastery, and asked the monks there to give him the name of every saint, and every prophet, and every king. They had an entire library full of names, and they wrote down for him the ones he hadn't already guessed. He spent more time there than was needed, for he enjoyed being in the company of the monks, who believed, as he did, in angels. Perhaps, one of them suggested, he could pray to the angels, and the solution to his dilemma might come to him in a dream.
That evening, he and Loki swapped names again, and again neither of them got it right. Loki listed off all the young men in Sam's village this time, but none of them were right either. And Loki didn't seem to be named after any of the monk's historical figures either. Frustrated, Loki suggested they meet a third night, and this time, ask each other questions that might help them find their respective answers. Sam did pray that night as he lay awake, thinking about their meeting the next evening, but his sleep was dreamless in the hours afterwards.
Still, Sam found himself easily prepared with dozens of questions to ask his trickster- he'd found himself fascinated by the other man, and while he certainly hoped he won, a small part of him hoped neither of them was ever able to reach an answer so they could meet up like this every night, the light of the lanterns making the trickster's eyes glow gold, their hands brushing as Loki helped him read a difficult name. It made him feel warm and safe.
"I'll let you go first," Loki offered as he pulled out his chair and sat, propping one foot up on the table. "And I swear on my honor- truthful answers."
Sam nodded. "Truthful answers. So, what is the name of your home?"
"Asgard. What's the farthest you've been from your village?"
"Carver castle, a month ago." Sam grinned. "Mother's name?"
"I don't have one." The trickster met his gaze. "Straight or gay?"
"Bisexual."
"I can appreciate that," Loki hummed.
"Father's name?"
"He doesn't have one."
Sam scowled but was unable to keep away the smile that crept over his lips. "What kind of riddles are these?"
"Just the truth, handsome!" The trickster leaned back in his chair, smug. "Alright, this Jess, what was she like?"
"Wonderful," Sam said, sobering. "Always laughing about something and wanting to tell me about it. She had, uh, too big of a heart, really, always wanted to help others. And she was really smart. Pretty, so pretty, with this long, blonde hair and the best smile."
"Still miss her?" Loki asked softly.
"It's, uh, my turn to ask a question," Sam insisted, trying to lighten the mood a little. Of course he missed her. Loki must know it. "Any siblings?"
"Loads of 'em. But I haven't seen any in a long time."
"Why?"
"I'm in hidi- hey, it's my go!"
"Oh? Oh is it? I forgot," Sam teased.
"I get to ask two questions now," Loki huffed. It was almost adorable.
"Ask all you want, I still don't have a clue," Sam insisted.
"Alright, uh, what was this secret of yours that got you in prison in the first place?"
"Actually, it was Dean's secret, but it was about me. I can exorcise demons, without a full ritual."
The trickster whistled, impressed. "That's incredible, you know that? Even I can't do that. Alright, second question-"
"Wait." Sam placed his hand over the trickster's, urgency in his voice, and rose from the table a ways. "What was that?" There had been the sound of scuffling and harsh whispers on the breeze just for a moment.
"I didn't hear anything."
Sam flushed. "I must have imagined it." He sat back down and withdrew his hand, pink with embarrassment and with the thrill of touching this Asgardian, feeling the soft hand under his own rough one.
"Second question- what was your real secret?"
"I... You promise you won't mock me?"
"Cross my heart."
"I believe in angels." He hadn't said those words to anyone in years, had never even been able to tell Jess about his nightly prayers, instead saying them softly to himself as she lay asleep beside him. But now the trickster knew.
"The old storybook angels?"
Sam nodded, then shook his head. "Hey. My turn. Why are you hiding?"
"What can I say? There was a lot of in family fighting, and I couldn't bear to take sides. So I took off, made a new life for myself."
"As a trickster?"
"As a trickster. These angels, you pray to them?"
"Yes. Every night. My..." he paused. "My favorite has always been Gabriel." Gabriel was a messenger, but he was better known in legends for being a jokester, kind-hearted but teasing. Maybe that was why he enjoyed spending time with the trickster so much- the devious creature reminded him of his favorite angel.
Two ideas snapped into Sam's head at once- that the trickster could possibly be named after an angel, and that he was most certainly in love with the trickster.
Which meant that their deal was useless. He'd won.
"Gabriel? Really?" The trickster asked, incredulously. "He's, uh..." Loki never said what Gabriel was, because at that moment, the barn doors flew open, and six demons stormed inside. Both men jumped up, but Loki was closer to the door, and two of them grabbed him roughly, jerking his arms behind his back.
Sam scrambled up towards the hayloft, but stopped on the ladder as Loki let out a cry of pain behind him. "No!" Sam turned, one hand still holding onto the sturdy rails, to see them jerking the trickster's jacket off and fumbling through the pockets until they found what they'd been looking for- the sapphire blade he'd stolen from the chest.
"Thought we wouldn't notice, huh?" one of the demons sneered. "A peasant like him wouldn't even know to take it, much less replace it. So we just had to find the accomplice." He pointed the tip at Loki's throat and pressed it in just enough to break skin, letting a trickle of blood escape down his chest.
Sam knew he had to try something, so he drew a breath, and prayed silently, Gabriel give me strength, before leaping off the ladder. And just before he leapt, he noticed Loki's head jerk upwards towards him, as though in response to not his action, but his prayer.
Loki had given himself away. He could only be one person- the angel himself. And Sam knew, as he hit the ground in front of six angry demons, that he'd done the exact same thing. There was no way Loki- Gabriel- wouldn't know who Sam was in love with now.
"Exorcizamus te," he shouted, "omnus immundus spiritus." The first words of his exorcism, combined with Sam's unique powers, made all six of them shake on their feet, and the one at Gabriel's throat dropped the blade. They started towards him, all but one that still held the trickster. "Omnis satanica po-" They caught up to him, and one punched him in the gut making him cough and wheeze. Against six demons, he barely stood a chance.
But he'd given one to Loki. The trickster shook off the last demon and snatched up the forgotten blade.
"I don't suppose your boss told you what this is?" he shouted, distracting them away from Sam again. "No? It's an angel blade. And the thing about angel blades is they're powerful in the hands of a human or a demon-" he twirled it effortlessly- "but in the hands of an angel?" He whirled and stabbed the demon that had held him right in the chest, and the demon burnt out in a blast of white light, empty vessel collapsing to the floor. "They're terrifying."
The five remaining demons dropped Sam and ran, but as fast as they were, Gabriel was faster, striking them down as they ran, and just as the last one made it to the open doors of the barn, Gabriel sent a bolt of white light from the tip of the sword, killing the demon mid-stride, sending his body collapsing to the wooden floor.
Silence fell, and suddenly it was just two people, in the lantern light, looking at each other, both a little in awe.
"You're Gabriel, aren't you?" Sam said finally, quietly.
"Yes." The angel smiled at him, just a little. "And you're in love with me." The look in his eyes said that he felt the same back.
"So who wins?" Sam asked finally, hardly daring to speak above a whisper in case it shattered the moment.
Gabriel laughed. "I certainly can't whisk myself away, so I'm gonna say you got me on this one, Samshine."
"You could, though. Leave and never come back." Sam scuffed his toes against the floor. "If I won, you have to let me see you again."
"I'll call it a draw." Gabriel crossed the floor to stand directly in front of him. "And don't worry, I certainly intend on seeing you more. Often, if you like."
"Please," Sam answered, and with that the unlikely pair shared the first of many kisses to come.
And while there were still evil regimes to overthrow, Sam and Gabriel did live happily ever after. The end.