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Dean often wondered what a void would look like.
But standing here, in the midst of nothing, absolutely nothing, he knows.
The Empty is dark, to put it simply. But even yet, a strange aura lingers in the air. Peace, quiet, too quiet— as if it were the calm before the storm. Dean can't see where he's going, can't touch anything, can't hear anything, can't feel anything. He feels blinded, and his hand flaps around as he tries to hold on to something— anything, but in vain. Even when he trips and falls over his own foot, he isn't hurt. He feels nothing. It's as if he never fell in the first place.
The Empty is a strange place.
And yet, years of hunting and mastering peculiar skills have taught Dean to stay vigilante, which is exactly why he pauses when he hears the softest sound of movement behind him. He doesn't turn back, not yet. He waits for the sound to call out to him, not the other way around.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Dean Winchester. Maybe I have to start putting up a sign out side the gate saying No Humans Allowed."
"Meg."
Dean lets out a soft breath, and turns around. Sitting on nothing, is Meg, in the flesh, with blonde, wavy hair framing her round face. And yet, something about her feels different.
"The face is borrowed. I'm renting it for a while. However," Meg moves closer, as if levitating towards Dean, or perhaps, it is Dean who wanders close to her, although its hard to tell, and he watches as her face disintegrates into nothing— pitch black— before reintegrating into—
Cas.
"You fucking—"
"Kids shouldn't cuss. It doesn't suit them."
It's Castiel's voice. And somehow, it isn't. It's much nasally and high, much more animated than how his Castiel speaks.
"Where's Cas?"
"Asleep. Dean. I don't know. As long as he's in the Empty, I don't care."
"I want him back."
"I want him back," The Empty parrots, teasing Dean before breaking into a low cackling chuckle, "-ah, Dean, so naive, so hopeful. I pity you. Does this look like a joke to you? Do you know the consequences of causing an anomaly in the cosmic balance of the universe? Do you even know how the universe works? Hah, not that I expect you to. After all, you've always been the dumber brother. Bet Sam would know."
Dean smiles.
"Nice try, you sonuvabitch, but see, I ain't jealous of Sam. I'm proud of him—"
"On the outside."
"— and nothing you say about him or me is going to break me. So we can do this the easy way. You give Castiel back to me, or I tear down the Empty and take him back myself."
Loud, roaring laughter fills Dean's ears. It echoes through the walls of Dean's mind, and he winces at the sound.
"You? Will tear down a realm? A cosmic entity?" The Empty starts, laughter fading into amused panting.
"I don't give a shit, okay? Cut the crap. Remember Jack? The nephilim? My son? He's back. Alive and kicking, and oh, so down to kick your ass. So I'm gonna' give you a chance to give Cas back to me, without any bloodshed, and I won't be bothering you anymore."
"Aww, how cute. If I had a heart, I would be so touched. Too bad I don't." The Empty smiles, and Dean hates the way the smile curls on it's face, on Castiel's face.
"I won't ask again—"
"Once upon a time, centuries ago, lived a musician. A poet, a prophet and above all, a lover," The Empty starts, and Dean watches, perplexed by the sudden disintegration of Castiel's face into the void. Once again, nothing surrounds Dean— pitch blackness, and yet, the Empty's voice echoes through the void as it continues, "-a man whose music moved the hardest of rocks, grew the smallest saplings into the largest trees, swayed the Heavens to pour rain upon them, called upon the thunder and lightning, spoke to birds and insects, and most of all, won the hearts of every person he ever met. Orpheus. A hero. Loyal, brave, determined, and yet. Broken. Reminds me of someone I know," The Empty sneers.
"And then he met his muse. His love, his soul, his heart, his strength, and worst of all, his weakness. The beautiful wood nymph, Eurydice."
Dean gulps. It has to be something inducing him, but at once, his mind flashes with images of gorgeous, cold blue eyes, and then, a bright, warm smile. A beige trenchcoat, a blue tie and messy black hair soon fill his sight, and he feels himself stumbling down over his feet, his head thumping loud as if being torn apart.
"All was well. Nothing could separate the two. They lived for each other, they would die for each other. Nothing but pure love, trust and forgiveness prevailed in their hearts. Eurydice loved Orpheus to the ends of the world, and Orpheus, in turn, loved her enough to move the worlds for her. They were stronger together, and yet somehow, weaker," The Empty pauses for a moment, "-hey, Winchester, didn't Castiel fall from Heaven for you? And didn't you turn Purgatory up-side down trying to find one goddamned angel? Hmm. Strange."
A taunting tone lingers in the Empty's words.
Pain courses through Dean's body, subtle yet unbearable, as he hisses, and digs his hands into his head.
Cas, he prays, I need you.
Please.
"But as all love stories go, the lovers were met with a terrible fate. On the eve of their wedding day, a day they'd confessed their love to each other, promised each other their souls, a day whereforth, they'd be together forever, Eurydice stepped into the nest of a snake, and the snake bit her foot. Before Orpheus could even try to save her, she had fallen dead to the ground," The Empty laughs.
"You sonuvabitch, I swear, I'm going to—"
"And so Orpheus, heart-broken and grieving, decided to travel to the land of the dead. To the underworld. To Hades, to bring back Eurydice, because with her death, not one, but two souls had entered into Hades. One being her own, and the other Orpheus's. Or so goes the metaphor."
I love you.
You changed me.
You're the most caring man on Earth. You are the most selfless, loving human being I will ever know.
Goodbye, Dean.
Tears sting Dean's eyes.
Castiel doesn't deserve this.
It isn't fair. Not for Cas. Not for Dean.
"In the underworld, Orpheus decided to sing for Hades. Hades wept, his wife, Persephone was deeply touched, and even Cerberus, the gigantic hound guarding the entry to the underworld, covered his many ears with his paws and howled in despair. The voice of Orpheus was so moving that Hades promised to this desperate man that Eurydice would follow him to the Upper World, the world of the living. But," The Empty pauses once again, and yet, the pain in Dean's body grows stronger, has him writhing and weeping, but he doesn't give up— he can't. For Cas, he has to keep fighting on.
"—He warned Orpheus that for no reason must he look back while his wife was still in the dark, for that would undo everything he hoped for. He should wait for Eurydice to get into the light before he looked at her," The Empty continues. Dean however, struggles squirming and grunting, as he feels his lungs being crushed, his skin being burnt, and his nerves ablaze—
For Cas.
For Cas, he keeps fighting.
Not a moment later, the Empty's voice narrates once again, resounding through Dean's mind.
"With great faith, Orpheus began his journey out of the underworld, joyful that he would once again be reunited with his love. However, as Orpheus was reaching the exit of the Underworld, he could hear the footsteps of his wife behind him. He wanted to turn around and embrace her immediately, after all, they were lovers, but he managed to suppress his feelings. But the moment he stepped into the world of the living, and turned to embrace his wife, she vanished in the blink of an eye, and returned to the underworld."
The pain stops. It vanishes. As if it had never been there before. As if Dean never felt it.
Not a single trace of the torture remains.
"I am willing to make a deal with you, Dean Winchester."
Dean pushes himself up to his feet, glancing around in the darkness for some semblance of movement, when once again, the Empty speaks.
"I am willing to test your love. To test your patience, and your loyalty, and your heart."
You fought for this whole world for love. That is who you are.
"I am willing to return Castiel to you. But you must prove to me, Dean Winchester, if your love is stronger than the love Orpheus had for Eurydice. The conditions remain the same. Castiel shall follow behind you, every step of the way, but one glance, even a tilt behind, and the angel remains lost in the depths of the Empty forever. However, if you make it to the portal, the two of you together, the angel is yours. Forever."
Dean gulps. He sucks in a deep breath.
"Deal. But don't you dare back down."
"I've been alive for eons, Winchester, I know better than to play dirty. A deal is a deal."
Somehow, it feels as if the world around Dean begins to shrink, tightening and recoiling with Dean in its centre, but he reminds himself to remain calm, even though his head spins, and instead, focuses on steadying his breath.
"Hold your hand out behind you, and once you feel the angel, you mustn't turn back. If you do, you know the consequences."
Swallowing thick, Dean does as told.
In the void constricting around him, he manages to ground himself down, manages to remain strong, to keep fighting, for Cas, for himself, for Jack, for Sam, for love.
Hesitantly, he holds his hand out behind his back.
A cold, slender hand slips into his own.
Dean gasps.
Cas.
Every nerve of Dean's being thrums with the need to see Castiel. To see his smile, his eyes, his face— to hold him close, to embrace him and never let go, to tell him how much Dean needs him, to tell him how much he means to Dean— to turn around.
And yet, he doesn't.
He shuts his eyes, and sucks in a deep breath.
"Go forth then, brave Orpheus. Remember our deal," the Empty's laughter fades out, once again surrounding Dean with a deafening silence.
Dean flutters his eyes open, and reminds himself to trust his heart.
One more step, and he will be closer to the light than he was before.
One more step.
Another.
And another.
And another.
In the distance, he can spot the faint illumination of the golden rift hovering in the air. Relief floods his veins.
Just a few more steps.
The hand held in his own remains cold as ever.
"Dean."
Dean freezes.
That— It's— No— it can't be.
Cas?
Dean's eyes light up. He lifts his foot to step around— only to stop himself with a deep breath.
For Cas, he promises himself, as he hangs his head down, and breathes out a sigh.
It takes him every ounce of self-restraint not to turn around and hold Castiel, or even glimpse at him, but he knows better. Even with tears stinging his eyes, he compels himself to walk towards the golden rift.
The rift moves closer.
Dean steps forward. Over and over again. Never turning back.
My superiors have begun to question my sympathies.
Your sympathies?
I was getting too close to humans in my charge. You.
Tears flood Dean's eyes, and at once, he finds it hard to breath. He doubles over, digging a hand into his knee as he sobs, letting his tears fall into the void under him.
"Dean," Cas says behind him, but the word is flat, choked out, as if someone is pretending to be Castiel, imitating him— but it isn't Castiel.
Dean wants to turn. He really does.
For Cas, he promises himself, and stand up, letting out a shaky breath, before walking further, watching as the rift moves closer towards him.
He reaches his hand out, and the moment his finger tips touch the rift, he feels a surge of electricity course through his body.
Finally.
Relief washes over him, and he turns around, at last, a smile spreading across his face. The rift zap shuts, and lying at his feet—
Castiel.
Dean moves into action without another thought, falling to his knees and holding Castiel close. His face is pale and smooth in a strange, content way Dean has never seen before, and yet, he continues to breathe softly when Dean holds his hand up to his face to check. The feel of Castiel's breath on his skin reassures him, and before he can do anything else, he throws his hands around Cas's back and pulls him into a hug.
"Cas? Cas, listen to me? Hey, buddy, wake up, please?"
Castiel groans, and Dean feels his body twitching under him, before at once, Castiel is taking control of his own actions, much to Dean's joy, and pulling away.
"Dean?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm right here, I'm right here."
"Wha— I — how did you— how did you find me?" Cas asks, his hands pressing against Dean's face as Dean rests his forehead against the Angel's, "-I thought the Empty—"
"I love you. So, so much."
Dean pulls away, tears stinging his face, and he watches as the colour slowly returns to Castiel's face, and a soft smile spreads across his lips.
"I love you too, you know that."
"Mhm. I want to say a lot of things, but I just don't know what to say."
"You don't need to say anything. I know, I always have known. I'm an angel, you ass, I've heard you pray."
Dean feels a wet laugh bubbling out of him, as he buries himself in the warmth of Castiel's body, before pulling away briefly, and before he can succumb to his doubts, he presses his lips to Castiel's, who gives in at once, kissing back with just as much tenderness.
"I love you, Cas," he breathes, "-and nothing in this world can ever take you away from me again."
"Well, well, well," At once, the Empty's voice echoes through the room, and Castiel glances around with panicked eyes, as he holds on tightly to Dean, "-perhaps I underestimated you."
"You think?"
The Empty laughs.
"The angel is yours. Now and forever. Go on then, rewrite the pages of history, Dean Winchester, and let the world know that there lives a man today, whose love surpasses Orpheus'."
With a fading laugh, the Empty's voice vanishes, and yet Castiel stares up at Dean, a confused expression on his face.
"Orpheus? History? What does that mean?"
"Nothing," Dean smiles, and embraces Castiel once again, touching their foreheads together, "-just means that I love you. More than I could ever love anyone."