Work Text:
Adam opened his eyes. In front of him were uncountable colors swirling, galaxies full of stars and things he couldn’t even process. He was witnessing the beginning and the end of the universe in seconds, birth to death, elements to supernovae. The rainbow of shapes pulsed like a beating heart. It glowed and sparkled, it was the only thing he could see. Michael was the only thing he could see.
He blinked. The constellations condensed into an angel, and Adam could find his arms, legs, and…wings. They stretched out forever. He couldn’t process how beautiful they were, not with the rainbow of glimmering shifting feathers. He was afraid to reach out and touch them, in case it wasn’t real.
“Hey.”
Michael’s eyes contained thousands of worlds, and a glimmer of something else, as they gazed upon him.
“Hello, Adam.”
Adam smiled shakily. “So, how’re we going to do this?”
“I will extend all my energy into breaking through The Cage’s weakened bonds, just long enough for you to be returned to Earth.”
“And then we’ll be out. Free.” Adam murmured. “I mean- I knew this would happen eventually but-“ he shook his head, “it’s a lot.”
“I know.”
He could feel his heart speeding up, and his breaths getting shorter. “We’ll be able to be outside, and go places, and- and do things.” Adam snapped out of the fantasies running through his head. “And it will take you, what, a couple days to recover? Then you can join me.”
The vibrant colors Michael was made up of dimmed. “Actually,” he paused, “I won’t be doing that.”
Adam blinked. “What?”
“I have to-“
“You said it wouldn’t take you that long to get back to full power.”
“…I lied.” Michael said, his face expressionless.
He felt all of his previous enthusiasm ebb. “Then I’ll wait.”
“Adam, you don’t understand. I cannot leave. I have an obligation to remain here until my father returns with instructions.” He pulsed with dark blues, mixed with muted reds. “Did you think that we would be able to return without anyone noticing? That they wouldn’t hunt me down, then force me to resume my position?” Michael let out a small sigh. “There’s no course of action that would prevent Heaven from finding out.”
“What, so you’d rather be stuck here than face them again? Is that what this is about?” Adam couldn’t believe what he was hearing. There had to be some way to convince him, a reason that would change his mind. He couldn’t just leave him.
“I would rather wait in this place, than further their corrupt ideas of ‘His plan.’”
Adam crossed his arms. “Couldn’t we just say no? They can’t force us.”
“If I returned to Earth…it’s my purpose to lead Heaven. It was what I was created for. It would be wrong of me to-”
“I knew this was about your conscience!” He interrupted, pacing across the blank landscape in his mind.“How is choosing to stay here any better than refusing to help them?”
Michael’s voice hardened. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
Well, that was just great. All he had in life, all he was planning to have, was falling apart around him. Adam felt tears pricking at his eyes. They were never going to do anything they had talked about for decades. He would never take Michael to have dinner at some sketchy diner, and get him to try everything on the menu. They would never go stargazing at a park, or walk around his hometown, or get an apartment together. His chest felt tight. Adam hadn’t known how much it had all meant to him, not until it was taken away.
He rubbed his face and stood up straighter. “I’ll stay here with you then.”
“No, won’t. You are going to go back to your world, where you belong. With other humans.”
“I belong with you. Wherever that is, I don’t care. I’m not leaving you.” He said. “We don’t leave eachother…I believed that was something we both agreed on.” Adam tried to ignore how pathetic he sounded.
Michael stared at him for a second, before looking away. “You do not want to stay here. I am sending you back to your home. I cannot see how this is a problem.”
“We were supposed to do this together.” Adam stepped closer. “Jesus, Mike. I can’t do this without you.” He reached out to the bright lights in front of him, fingers splayed.
“You will have to.”
His arm dropped to his side. The thought of Adam being alone, without him, was too much. “Don’t send me back there. Please.” he pleaded. “Not if you won’t be with me.”
“Stop.” Michael growled, folding his wings against himself protectively. He started to look increasingly uncomfortable. “You won’t be able to change my mind. Prepare yourself for the transport.”
“I thought- I thought you were being honest when you said we only had each other. That nothing would come between us. That I actually meant something to you.”
“I was.”
“Then why are you doing this to me?” Adam crossed the gap between them. He knew he should feel afraid of him. It was the normal, smart thing to feel. This was an archangel, general of the Angelic Army. Older than life itself. But nothing that Michael could do would make him forget what they had gone through The Cage.
Adam touched the side of his face. Wherever his fingers brushed against his cheek, the colors swirled faster. They rippled from turquoise to lavender. He pressed his lips against Michael’s for just a second before the sensation disappeared, and Adam saw him teleport away. The difference from how composed he was earlier, to now, was striking.
“You're making this harder for me.” Michael finally choked out.
He moved forward and desperately grasped Michael’s hand, intertwining their fingers. Adam started to say something.
“I'm sorry.” Michael pressed his hand to Adam’s forehead, and everything faded to black.
~
Adam opened his eyes. In front of him was a dark field of grass. The moonlight shined on a few pieces of rubble scattered around the clearing. He couldn’t breathe.
There was no voice in his head, no presence controlling him or hearing his thoughts. It was just him.
He let out a sob and pounded his fist against the grass. He clawed through the damp earth until his hands bled. He called Michael’s name, over and over. But there was no response.
Adam was completely alone.