Destiel's Finale
Oh no you don't!
The only thought that screamed into Deans mind as the Empty mixed Castiel's tears with horrendous goo.
The angel, having finally shared his deepest secret with the person he loved the best in all of creation, was already closing his eyes with anticipation of his demise. Cas had thrown Dean to the wall leaving a familiar hand print but this time in blood. Pure happiness radiated from him while the blackness surrounded. By the time Dean called out his name, no matter how gutteral it was, the goo had already covered his ears and the scream was unheard.
"CAS!" Dean begged his body to move and it did. Dean lunged getting a two handed hold onto what was probably Cas' ankle. Two fistfuls of goo later Dean was swallowed into the Empty along with Death and the Angel of the Lord.
At first the human wasn't entirely certain he was even standing. The floor and the area of space around him all had the same color. There weren't even shadows or, was it all shadow? He looked down and saw that his feet were perfectly viewable as well as his hands.
"Woah." He turned them over not understanding how his vision was working like this.
A small sound, like a wince, caused him to whip around.
Death, or rather Billie, was laying on her back behind him. Dean sauntered to her and took a knee alongside her leg. The sticky wound he had left was creeping up her neck and it was obvious that her final breath was imminent.
"Dean Winchester?" She whispered.
"Yup."
"How did-?"
"I hitchhiked." He grinned proudly.
"You'll never escape."
"Yes. Yes I will and I'm taking Cas with me. I'm done losing him. So tell me how to defeat the Empty and I'll... I'll hold your hand while you die or whatever."
Billie looked at the determination marked in Dean's eyes. There was no need for animosity between them at this point.
"I would like to see you defeat that superfluous asshole. I'll help you." Her words were weak and tired as she only had a few moments left. She turned her head to gesture to her scythe which lay just out of her reach on her other side away from Dean. He leaned over her to get it and when it was in his hand she immediately gripped the collar of his jacket. She held him there, hovering over her as she whispered to him the only way he would be getting Cas out of the Empty.
The Empty's presence made itself known with a sarcastic slow clap behind Dean.
Dean leaned back slowly from Billy and gently closed her dead eyes.
To Dean's surprise Cas was standing there.
"C-Cas?" Dean tilted his head a little knowing the answer already.
"Oh no no no no, dear." It even used Castiel's voice in a way. The mannerisms were all wrong and the pitch of his voice was on the other side of the spectrum from the normal deep sounds that dripped from the angels all powerful voice. The Empty spoke quick. It was so irritated that Dean could feel the intensity from the lack of breaths between sentences. He would let the Empty monologue while he circled it, scythe in hand, looking for his opening.
The nasal speaking continued. "I just wanted to enjoy that look on your face when I tell you that I'm the Empty and I'll be killing you while looking like the sad little angel that professed his undying love to you just now. His moment of pure happiness? It was just telling you that! Nevermind hearing your reaction!" He laughed as he proceeded with his teasing. All the while Dean circled like a mountain lion ready to pounce. "He has entered eternal slumber thinking that his love will forever be unrequited. This pitiful trench coated angel will endure an unloved existence for the remainder of time itself. Fully knowing that he was never worth being loved." He sighed, happy. "I couldn't think of anything better for him, to suffer in such a way for so long. Did you know that time passes quickly here when you sleep? About what you would consider a minute on earth is more like a year's equivalent of silent agonizing slumber here... But only if you're sleeping.
That figuratively stabbed Dean. That monologue cost Cas too much loneliness already and Dean couldn't bear it. Without timing it correctly Dean swung the scythe at the figure in his anger and missed.
The Empty continued talking as if nothing had happened. "Speaking of earthly things; you are not welcomed here, you mouth breather. I can't believe you jumped in with them." It seethed towards the human.
"Yeah? Well, we shouldn't have been in Purgatory either." Dean's wit replied.
"We do share a profound bond." Castiel's authentic voice cut in a place in the conversation.
Dean spun around to see his angel standing only a dozen feet away and his mouth hung open.
The Empty slapped himself with a palm to his face and whined. "Not again! What happened this time?"
"I couldn't sleep." Cas answered the Empty plainly because he and Dean were locked in staring at eachother.
"Well couldn't you just get a cup of water and tinkle and GO BACK TO SLEEP!" He was furious as he held up his hand, flicked his wrist and sent Dean and Cas tumbling. "If you won't sleep just GO AWAY!" He walked up to Castiel and kicked him in the ribs so hard that his body was punted away.
"Cas!" Dean's cry was cut off while receiving his own kick to the gut. He felt ribs crack and his vision went dark but he held tight to the scythe. It too, kept an almost magnetic focus on staying with Dean.
A bright flash of light later, Cas found himself standing upright in a place, equally as dark, equally as nothing but the Empty himself wasn't there. He turned around and there was Dean laying motionless loosely holding Death's scythe.
"Dean?" Cass rushed to his side and knelt panicked. "Why did you do this?" He scanned Dean's body without his powers and saw that Dean's forehead was bleeding. The Empty must have hit him in the head that launched him just as far away as himself. Cas noticed the scythe barely clutched in his hand but paid no further attention to it. He gingerly cuffed his sleeve up and began to pat at the blood on Dean's face.
"I don't know what you were thinking but this isn't going to be easy, Dean."
No reply.
"Knowing you, there is no plan. Just more stupid stubbornness of the Winchester variety."
"Winchester, you say?" A reaper crept up behind Cas. "I remember him."
"Which is it? Sam or Dean?" A random angel joined in too.
Before he knew it they were surrounded by leary eyed creatures all waking up to see what the commotion was all about.
"Leave us alone." Cas looked from face to face. "Go back to sleep!" He ordered. The crowd was becoming more threatening.
"Can't." Someone replied.
"He's not supposed to be here." Said another.
"Have to get rid of him." And others agreed.
"No! Stay back! He's... He's my friend! Leave him alone! Don't touch him!" Cas tried to fight but the sheer force of pushing bodies engulfed him.
Then, someone stabbed Dean through the heart with their bare hands and Cas screamed. There was no other ceremony or drama to it.
It was strange though.
It wasn't right...
Every creature there dispersed immediately leaving only Cas to crawl over to Dean's bloody body.
"Dean?" He whispered at first then yelled. Dean!" Cas pounded a fist into Dean's chest as he bent over him crying. "Why did you come? Why would you even bother? I'm nothing... Nothing for you to die over. Please... Please don't do this." He sobbed alone in the darkness until Dean took in a deep breath.
"Dean?!" Cass leaned in hoping his eyes would open next but words came instead.
"I came because..." Dean's voice was horse and soft. "'Cause I couldn't have my best friend thinking for the rest of eternity that I didn't love him back, damnit."
"What?" Cas breathed.
"With every fiber of my being." Dean added fiercely while he opened his eyes but seeing Cas' unbelieving face hurt him. So he grabbed the angel's tie and planted a kiss square on his lips. Dean squeezed his eyes shut while Cas couldn't even blink from the shock.
"Get it now?" Dean asked.
Cas didn't answer but his face was still just as confused. So Dean decided and struggled to sit up slowly, then put his hand on the back of the angel's neck. This brought them eye to eye.
Dean explained, there in their closeness. "I jumped into darkness to save you. I cheated death to save you. I fought it for so long and I wasn't fair to you. I watched it tear you apart. I was sick with guilt but I still ignored it. I love you, Castiel. I don't even know for how long. And I'm sorry, I'm so sorry but please tell me I'm not too late." Dean's eyes were just as glossy with tears as Cas' now. "Cas, I'm so so sorry." He said one more time before kissing him again, gently this time. Cas finally reciprocated in the kiss and Dean knew that meant he understood.
The chaste kiss ended with their foreheads together and a hand on each other's face. A thumb wiped away a tear and they chuckled a little. Now this was happiness.
"But why... How are you not dead?" Cas asked.
"Don't be mad, but I kinda got a favor from Death. The only catch is that I have to reap The Empty for her."
"Only a reaper can...reap... not just that but only death itself can kill a cosmic being."
"Yup."
"Dean... Are you a reaper? Did she turn you into a reaper?!"
"Yup. But I'm still human too. She said I needed it for something." Dean added.
"Then just now... You were killed."
Dean smiled. "The first reaper to bite it since she died."
"That means..."
"That means I'm Death itself and I'm gonna kill the Empty and destroy this place. Pergatory too."
Cas gazed at the courageous hunter in awe. "I'll help you." He finally spoke.
"I wouldn't have it any other way, buddy." Dean grinned from ear to ear.
Cas helped Dean stand up only to find that Dean also needed help to remain standing.
"What's wrong?" Cas was full of concern.
"I uh... Billy said that this quick change from just human to plus reaper to Death would be pretty tiring for me." Dean's head lolled into Cas' shoulder but his grip on the scythe was tight. "Don't let me fall asleep. I don't want to be alone for years. Not without you. Not while Sammy is struggling up top."
"I'm here, I got you." Cas adjusted his grip on Dean. He took his empty hand and swung it over his shoulders.
"Good...good." Dean answered weakly. "Let's go get this empty thing."
"Dean, you can't. You're in no condition."
"Listen, it's not going to get any better. Death said I'd be this way because humans can't just become one with a repear without a bunch of mojo juice. She used up the rest of hers and anything I had on me."
"What about that?" Cas motioned to the scythe and Dean's white knuckles.
"She said if I let go of it that I'll collapse for sure. It's got the juice to keep me going for now."
"Dean... You're too weak to fight." Cas' eyebrows knit together.
"We'll figure it out. We always do, right?" He offered a weak smile that didn't convince Cas but the pair began to walk together to defeat it all.